Page 125 of Undisputed Player
Across from me, Connor sat with Sierra curled into his chest—his world—her legs draped over his lap, his arms wrapped around her. Adrian sprawled sideways in his seat, Toffee’s carrier next to him, his green eyes flicking between us and the glowing laptop on his stomach.
“I called Jovie," I said quietly, my voice barely disturbing the cabin's silence. "Tripled security around the house. Leo's got a four-man detail now. They’re ex-military, vetted through Dad's contacts. No one gets within a block of them.”
Connor's dark eyes met mine over Sierra's head. "Good."
"Also got this back." I reached into my jacket pocket, pulling out the shattered remains of Estelle's phone. The screen was a spider web of cracks, the plastic casing split down one side. “I had someone pick up a replacement during the fight."
Adrian looked up from his tablet, eyeing the ancient device. “Shit, what is that? A fossil?"
"It's six years old," I said, defensive despite myself. "She couldn't afford?—"
"I know." Adrian's voice gentled, understanding flickering in his green eyes. “I’ll transfer everything for her now. Contacts, photos, whatever.”
I watched him work, fingers flying over his laptop keyboard with inhuman speed. The broken phone sat connected by a thin cable, its cracked screen occasionally flickering to life.
"How long?"
"Five minutes. Maybe less. She's got like three apps and a thousand photos of Leo." Adrian's expression softened as he scrolled through the images. "Kid's got a good smile."
I bristled, tension coiling in my shoulders. "Don't look through her photos," I growled.
Adrian's fingers paused on the screen, and he glanced up at me with raised eyebrows. "Relax, I'm not—" He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening slightly at the screen. "Oh."
Oh.
The single syllable carried enough weight to make my blood run cold. I lunged forward, trying not to jostle Estelle, and snatched the phone from his hands, pressing it face-down against my chest.
"What the fuck did you just see?" I hissed, my voice low and dangerous.
Adrian held up both hands in surrender, but there was a mischievous glint in his green eyes. "Jesus, calm down. It's just Estelle wearing a Santa hat. Cute as hell, actually."
I blinked, the murderous rage in my chest deflating like a punctured balloon. "What?"
"A Santa hat, Lion. Red and white, very festive. She's standing in a classroom with a bunch of kids around her." Adrian's grin was pure mischief. "Did you think I was looking at something else? Your mind went straight to the gutter, didn't it?"
Connor's lips twitched in amusement. "He got you."
"I was just fucking with you," Adrian continued, clearly enjoying himself. “Didn’t see anything scandalous. Though the way you just reacted..." He waggled his eyebrows. "Now I'm curious what kind of photos you think she has on there."
I wanted to take a hammer to his face. Instead, I forced myself to take a deep breath, glancing down at Estelle's sleeping form. She looked so innocent, so peaceful, and here I was ready to commit murder over a festive photo.
"Just... finish the transfer," I conceded quietly, handing the phone back. "And shut up."
Adrian's expression softened slightly, though the mischief remained. "Look, I get it. You're wound tight after what happened today. But she's safe now, and I promise I’m not some pervert rifling through your girl's stuff.”
I nodded, watching Estelle’s steady breaths as she slept. I knew he was right, trying to lighten the mood, and it worked, sort of.
"Done," Adrian announced a few minutes later, disconnecting the cables. "Everything's transferred. Her photos, contacts, messages—all of it. And I've set up some better security protocols on the new phone. Encrypted messaging, secure cloud backup, the works."
He paused, then added with a grin, "And for the record, she looked adorable in that Santa hat. Very teacher-ish."
Despite everything, I felt my lips curve slightly. "She wore it to the academy, I guess.”
"See? Perfectly innocent." Adrian tucked the cables away. "Though I have to say, the way you just reacted was fucking priceless. Connor, please tell me you got that on video."
"No," Connor said dryly, but he was definitely amused.
I shook my head, some of the tension finally leaving my shoulders.Leave it to Adrian to find a way to make me laugh even in the middle of planning someone's murder.
