Under His Protection

Thirteen

The drive lasted well over into the late morning, stopping every few miles to stretch. Landon didn't have a lot to say during, though he would give my hand a light squeeze or kiss my temple to let me know that he was okay. I'm worried though. I'm afraid that deep down he feels like he made a mistake. Landon's life was pretty secure before he met me and I'm interrupting it. I won't bring it up to him unless he says something that gives me a reason to worry.

Around 11am, Viktor pulls down a long dirt road that leads into a wooded around. I'm not even sure what state we're in, because I was either sleep or staring at Landon the whole trip. "Where are we?"

"If I told you then I'd have to kill you" Viktor mumbles from the driver seat. I wait for him to tell me that he's joking, but I know better. He is very much serious right now. When the truck comes to a stop, we get out and I follow behind Landon and Viktor. My nerves start to run a little wild the closer we get to the large house. It's very Victorian style and rich looking sort of like Crow's but a bit smaller. Stepping on the porch, the door opens and a woman is starting there. She has long dark red hair and a model like face. "Landon, you're right on time." She smiles. Landon nods as she opens the door wider, letting us in. Unlike Crow's house, this one isn't decorated or special in any way. It's plain and to the point. Nothing extra or unique. There are couches where couches should be and tables where tables should be.

Viktor walks off, leaving us with the woman. Eyeing her, I notice how she is looking at Landon. It's almost as if they are old friends, maybe something more. Frowning, I can't help wonder what history the two of them have. "Cam, come here" Landon turns and looks at me. Stepping to his side, I smile.

"Cam, this is Adrianna. We were military together. We were in the same line of work"

Great, another trained killer. I fight the urge to roll my eyes as I hold my hand out "Nice to meet you" Adrianna takes my hand, but barely even shakes it. I squint my eyes at her, but she doesn't notice because she is looking at Landon.

"It's been a long time, Landon. You haven't changed much. Still handsome as ever." Landon shakes his head and smiles as Adrianna cups his face. Her expression reminiscing on the good times, I guess. A soft hum rumbles in his throat. "Yeah and you're still gorgeous"

I suck in a soft breath at his words. That answers my question with a slap in the face. They used to be involved. Should I feel disappointed? I mean I just assumed Landon has always been single. I don't know why I thought Landon was just some lone wolf. He is a man. Someone as beautiful as Adrianna could capture the eye of any man. I however am plain Jane. Landon has only seen me as a hostage, never as a woman. Yeah, he caught a glimpse of my good looks at the ball, but still it wasn't me. He doesn't know that I love comfy clothes like sweaters and that I like makeup sometimes. He doesn't know that I love paint even though I'm bad at it or that I I'm obsessed with candles that smell like laundry. He barely knows anything about me, but he probably knows everything about Adrianna. They were together before all this madness. I'm just stuck in the middle of it. It's not like me and Landon met willingly.

Adrianna starts giving us a tour of the house as she talks to Landon. Every few seconds, she cuts her eyes at me for observation purposes I suppose. I don't know what Landon has told her about me, but apparently she is trying to size me up herself. She leads us into the kitchen where we sit down to eat. Viktor, of course, is already at the table with food when we walk in. "There is chili" That's all he says before taking a bite of cornbread.

Landon fixes me a bowl of food and the whole time I watch Adrianna watch Landon. She hardly takes her eyes off of him for more than a few seconds. While eating, she begins asking Landon his plans and what he is going to do. I don't pay much attention, because Viktor starts talking to me. I'm not sure if it's just friendly conversation or a way to keep me from hearing what Landon is saying. Either way, he spends the whole time trying out jokes on me. Some funny, some just plain confusing that only a Russian would understand. After a good funny joke, I laugh so hard that it hurts my stomach, when I look across the table, Landon is smirking at me and Adrianna....well Adrianna isn't.

I clear my throat and slap Viktor's arm "Stop making me laugh. It's starting to hurt." Viktor chuckles and holds his hands up "Hey, I don't make the jokes, I just tell them, Cammie"

"Yeah, yeah" I shake my head.

"You two seem very close" Adrianna buts in.

Viktor smiles "Cam, is the little rays of sun in my life. She is quite the joy to be around, but some of us know that better than I do" He shoots Landon a look and his jaw clenches. "Yeah, she's something special"

Even though the compliment is nice, his tone and expression don't match. It's almost like he didn't want Adrianna to know that we may be more than just hostage and captor. Maybe he is ashamed of me or something. I mean people act a certain way behind closed doors than they do out in the open. I mean true, we agreed that what we were doing was merely two people caring for each other, but he was clearly down playing it to nothing.

"Cam" Landon says, breaking me from my thoughts and I look up "Huh?"

"I said, do you want me to take you to your room?"

"I can take her" Adrianna says quickly, almost too eagerly. "We can get to know each other"

I want to say no, because frankly I don't want to get to know her, but Landon speaks for me "That'll be great. I'm going to stay and talk to Vik" Adrianna nods and loops her arm around mine though she could barely shake my hand two minutes ago. When we round the corner from the kitchen, she pulls me forward with slightly more force than a leisure walk towards the staircase. "So is Cam short for something?"

"Camilla" I mumble.

"Nice name. It's something about names that end with 'A' that make a girl special." Adrianna hums as we reach the top of the stairs. She leads me down a long hall before stopping at a door "This is all yours. There is a bathroom attached. Everything you need will be in there."

"Thank you"

"It's okay. It is the least I can do for the girl who is ruining Landon's life" Her sugar sweet voice chimes, but I can clearly hear venom lace in the words.

"What?"

"You heard me. You're going to be the reason he gets killed. I hope you are proud of yourself." Adrianna's nice, sweet expression fades into something darker. Something that makes me uncomfortable and afraid.

Shaking my head, I take a step back "I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be taken and held against my will and I didn't ask Landon to do all of this. I was sure he was going to just let me die" I feel tears come to my eyes, but I hold them back. I don't need her knowing that living with Crow ate away at my strength like a disease and that I'm barely strong enough for an argument without the fear of being hit. Though I try to stand strong, I know she can see right through me.

"Well of course he didn't just let you die. You and I both know he isn't that type of person. He somehow cares for you, his words not mine when we spoke on the phone a few days ago. But let me make it known, little girl. If he does die, I will kill you and make you suffer every second. I will slit your throat and watch your gurgle your own blood. And if that ever makes you wonder if Landon and I were involved then I'm here to tell you that we were and still are. So don't expect him to come crawling in bed with you tonight. He'll be in mine making up for lost time" Adrianna turns and leaves me standing in the middle of the room feeling like a complete i***t.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I let my hair down and kick off my shoes, wiping faint tears away. 2 hours here and I already hate it. I'm going to have to ask Landon just how long we are going to be staying because I don't need Adrianna breathing down my neck making death threats. I received enough of them from Crow and I don't need them from some old flame.

I pull my emotions together and go into the bathroom to take a long shower. In the bathroom are different body products that could fit the needs of anyone staying here. I pass them all up and stick with regular bar soap. I don't want to make Adrianna think that I'm trying to be on her good side by accepting her ass backwards form of hospitality. The b***h can kick rocks for all I care. While I'm rinsing my hair, I hear someone tap the door "Cam"

"I'm almost done" I mumble, wishing I could just be alone for a while, but I guess that's too much to ask.

"Okay, I was just making sure Adrianna helped you get situated" Even Landon's voice changes when her name comes up. It infuriates me to no end. Rolling my eyes, I shut the water off and grab a towel before exiting the shower. Pulling the shower door back, I look at him "Oh, she situated me just fine" I roll my eyes unexpectedly. I turn towards the mirror, grabbing my comb. As I work out the knots in my hair, I notice him staring at me. "What?"

He shrugs "Nothing, you just seem a little pissed about something. I thought you'd be happy about being away from Crow. You could show a little appreciation" The sound of Landon chuckling at me, makes me angry. Instead of asking me what's wrong, I'm being accused of being ungrateful. "Real nice, Landon" I shove past him and walk to the bed, yanking some clothes out of the duffle bag.

"What the hell, Cam?"

"Just leave me alone, please. I just need some time to think."

"What's there to think about, Camilla? You're free"

I suddenly, throw the bag onto the floor "I'm not free, Landon? I'm in hiding. I'm fleeing. That's not free. Even in this house I'm not free, because I'm still receiving death threats!"

"What?! Who threatened you?"

"Adrianna"

Landon frowns at me and I already know he doesn't believe me. A few moments in Adrianna's presence and he is hooked on her again. "She wouldn't do that, Camilla. She is helping us"

"No! She is helping you. She blames me for this whole thing. She said I'm ruining your life and that if you get killed then she'll kill me which she described in detail, so excuse me for being a little uncomfortable being here, but by all means, go down there and rekindle whatever you and Adrianna had. She already told me that you'll be in her bed tonight."

Landon doesn't say anything for a moment. "Cam, I..."

I turn to him "Wow, you don't seem all that surprised. You must agree with her then or you must at least know how freaking crazy she is. All this is my fault. I should have known Viktor was just trying to be nice about it. Leave me alone, please. I feel guilty enough without you standing there looking at me like I just threw dirt in your face." Silence falls over the room and without turning around, I hear Landon exit. When he closes the door, I squeeze my arms around myself, and start crying. And not just normal crying, I began sobbing uncontrollably. It hurts to cry this hard, but it's needed.

After an hour of sitting in the room, a light tap on the door sounds. Turning towards the sound, I see Viktor there "Why are you in here alone?"

"Because I feel just as much as a prisoner here than I did there. Adrianna threatened to kill me so I don't feel right being in her company"

"Adrianna is a flaming b***h. Horrible woman" Viktor scrunches his face as he sits down on the bed next to me. "When I first met her, she was kind until I heard her and Landon talk alone. She manipulated him a lot. Made him believe that people were against him when they weren't. Adrianna wanted him all to herself. So naturally when he is around her, he changes a bit. But desperate times call for desperate measures and he had to call her."

"He's smarter than that. Why is he letting her control him?"

"When Landon was going through some dark times before Crow, Adrianna was by his side the whole time. They became serious and he even proposed to her, but she turned him down when she found out she was getting sent to the states while he was staying overseas with me and Anderson"

"But apparently they stayed pretty serious" I roll my eyes.

"Yup. When he is around her, he turns into an asshole again. He isn't going to be spending much time with you and it's going to feel pretty bad. As a friend, I know what it's like first hand to have him turn his back on me. I got shot for Landon once."

My eyes widen and I lose my breath "What? How?"

"We were on mission and were told to search an abandoned house. I tried to tell Landon that it didn't feel right. I knew someone was in there, but Adrianna called an all clear. When she looked to Landon to back her up, he did. I was walking behind them to leave, I got shot in the back."

I watch Viktor as his expression saddens in a way I've never seen. The memory of his own friend literally turning his back on him surely still hurts like hell. I reach over and rub his shoulder "I'm so sorry, Vik. I'm sorry that you had to go through that"

"It's okay. After we started working for Crow and Landon got his help, he apologized and I chose to accept it, but I've never forgotten it. And I want you to know this, Cam and I'm serious, if something happens, I will save you, I promise you that. You deserve none of this and don't deserve to die for it. I know I didn't save you the first time and I regret it. It won't happen again"

I can literally feel my heart breaking as Viktor looks at me. Tears stream down my cheeks as I nod "Thank you, Viktor and I will save you too if it comes to it. I promise."

Viktor chuckles softly "Yeah, if I trip and fall you better help me up." He stares at me for a moment and reaches in his pocket, pulling out his wallet. Opening it, he pulls out a picture and passes it to me "You remind me of her"

I look at the picture of a young boy and girl standing together. They both look grimy and sad. "Who is she?"

"She's my sister, Nika. We weren't biologically related, but she was adopted with me and we were close. She got sick and died. She was a happy girl. Always reading and singing. We loved playing cards and making jokes. You just remind me a lot of her"

I don't say anything, I just look down at the picture, running my fingers over the edge. "She's pretty and you...well a face only a mother could love" Viktor laughs loudly at my small joke. "I was a handsome boy who grew into a Russian s*x god. He grips his own chin, turning it slightly as if he is showing off his good side. We sit and talk for a while before Viktor tries convincing me to come downstairs. It took a lot of convincing, but after 10 minutes, he just grabbed my hand and dragged me from the room. We manage to stay clear of the she devil and Landon as they have been out of sight doing God knows what.

Viktor and I take a seat in the den and he whips out a deck of cards from his back pocket. We play spades and gin rummy for a few hours until a woman tell us that dinner is done. Of course Viktor just about pushed me on the floor so he could get to the kitchen first. Greedy son of a b***h. As we're eating, I talk to the cook and she starts telling me about her children just as she devil walks in "Michelle, please stop babbling about your kids. No one cares."

I turn to eye her and of course, Landon his right behind her like some lost puppy. Frowning, I look at Michelle "Actually, I want to hear about her family." I give Michelle a small smile and she continues, talking only loud enough for me and Viktor to hear. Landon must know that Adrianna is a flaming b***h from hell and if he does, he hides it well. I just don't understand how he can flip the switch so suddenly.

Michelle mentions that her daughter is doing a science project on the history of vaccinations and it peaks my interest "I totally had to do a project on that when I was in school. I found of a lot of interesting stuff about it."

"Really, like what? Any information could help her" Michelle cuts the stove off when everyone has their food and sits down next to me. "Well a lot of people are against vaccinations because some of the ingredients are actually used in funeral homes, on dead people" I watch Michelle gasp in horror then I hear Adrianna suck her teeth "She is lying. Vaccinations are safe"

"I never said they weren't safe or unsafe. I was referring to their ingredients and no I'm not lying. One of the chemicals used to make vaccines is formaldehyde which is used to preserve corpse for funerals." I raise an eyebrow at her as rolls her eyes. "Whatever."

"Someone should've stayed in school" Viktor mumbles, making me laugh as I take a bite of the food. Adrianna mumbles something under her breath at makes Landon frown hard at her. I don't know what she said, but apparently he didn't like it. Landon looks over at me, which tells me that she clearly used some choice words about me. I shake my head, at him before turning away from him. He knows this isn't him anymore. I can feel it. I just need to give him time to realize what a horrible person Adrianna is. Time is all I can give him right now.

After dinner, I make my way up to my room remembering what Adrianna said about Landon being in her bed tonight. It makes me want to vomit with the thought of her hands on him. But he's an adult who can make his own decisions. I can't stop a grown man from sleeping with a woman especially when I haven't even slept with him. They have history and I know if Ray walked into this house, I would questions if there is still something there.....right after I break his nose and stomp on his balls, ending any chance to procreate. I smile to myself as I change into a pair of shorts and a shirt. I get incredibly sleepy around 9 and make my way downstairs for a glass of water. As I'm walking down the hall to the room, water in hand, I hear laughing. I look down the hall and see a room door cracked. Must be Adrianna's by the sound of the witchy laughter coming from it. Against my better judgment, I tip toe to the door and look inside. I sigh as I watch Adrianna, half naked might I add, laying on the bed. I don't see who she is looking at, but it doesn't take long before Landon walks into my sight.

"I don't know why you even wasted time on that girl. She is so bland and I'm so damn sexy. I hate to say it, but you downgraded" Adrianna giggles as Landon peels his shirt off tossing it to the side. He doesn't reply to what she said, but it doesn't stop her come continuing. "And that little stunt she pulled at the table was just rich. I should have broken her f*****g neck" Landon is about to crawl into bed when he stops "You sound jealous"

"I'm not, I'm just trying to show her who you belong to?"

"Is that why you threatened to kill her?" Landon asks. He looks at her with a expression that's hard to read from the angle he is standing. Adrianna sighs and sits up "I wasn't serious. I just wanted to scare her"

"She has had enough of being afraid of people, Adrianna. That's why I got her out of there. If you can't leave her alone then we can find somewhere else to go" When she tries to touch Landon's face, he grabs her wrist and pushes it away "I'm serious. Don't talk to her like that again. And what you said at that table was uncalled for."

"What? A stupid cunt is usually one of my smaller insults. God, you need to lighten up" Adrianna laughs and I have to stop myself from barging in and punching her face in for calling me that. Landon better keep this b***h away from me. Still watching, Adrianna leans forward and kisses Landon before pulling back "I've missed you"

"You miss what I used to be"

"No, i've just missed you, point blank. You have to admit, the s*x used to be amazing when you were angry. Are you angry now?" She coos at him. "Nope, I'm fine"

Suddenly, Adrianna reaches out and slaps Landon hard. I gasp softly as Landon steps back, grabbing his jaw. His expression flaming red with anger. "I can't do this anymore, Adrianna"

"Landon come on. You used to love it"

"Yeah, used to. I'm not that guy anymore. I don't like being angry all the f*****g time. I was f****d up back then. I'm not anymore" Landon shakes his head as he reaches on the floor, grabbing his shirt. Adrianna's expression changes to slight panic as she realizes that she is losing control of Landon. She gets off the bed and grabs his hand "I'm sorry. I'm just used to that Landon and I'm happy you've changed. I can use a nice good guy in my life" Smiling, Adrianna leads him back to the bed. This time Landon doesn't pull away or stop her. I walk away as Landon his undoing his pants.