Point of Break
Samantha's POV
Long shadows from the sun were spreading across the dirt road as it sank. The gravel road we had followed seemed to go on endlessly, meandering into dense forests that appeared to become closer with every bend. Inside the car, the quiet felt stifling. Since we had just avoided those lights, neither Adrian nor I had talked since; the tension between us lingered like an unsaid truth.
I kept looking across to him, seeking some comfort—something that would indicate he had a strategy. His face stayed still, though, his gaze fixed on the road forward. I began to doubt things a little. Could I truly believe him? Adrian had brought us thus far, but with every turn it seemed as though we were plunging more into peril.
Crossing my arms, I moved in my seat. "Adrian, we cannot keep running like this. We will have to halt at some time and squarely address this."
He passed me by not looking. "We are not quite ready yet. I'm not endangering your life out of frustration."
Inside me, frustration started to build up. This has nothing to do with impatience. It relates to survival. We cannot just keep running ahead into the future.
Adrian's grip on the steering wheel was obviously firm as his mouth closed. He obviously disliked answering questions, particularly not now. I couldn't, however, simply sit here in silence, hoping everything would magically come right. Whether he favored it or not, we were in this together.
I said, "You keep saying you're protecting me," my voice raising somewhat, "but it feels like you're keeping me in the dark." Not even Jared, Victoria, or some other opponent you're not mentioning—who I should be terrified of now?
His eyes turned to mine, and for a split second I saw something unvarnished there. Though close, it was not dreadful. "You think I'm not telling you stuff since I don't trust you?” Though low, his voice had a sharp edge.
I slowed down. I have no idea what to believe. Simply said, I'm bored with running.
It was there, right out in the open. Though I had not intended for it to sound so vulnerable, it did. I was physically and emotionally fatigued as well. Being on the run and always watching over my shoulder was not something I was used to. It was not who I was, and the continual stress was sapping me.
Adrian exhaled heavily and just slightly relaxed his hold on the wheel. "Samantha, I am doing all I can to keep you safe. Jared, though, is erratic. The treachery of Victoria transforms everything. That was not what I saw.
I fixed him and felt a flutter of pity. Adrian was not unbeatable for all his power. Perhaps even more than I was, he was equally buried in this muck. That did not change the reality that I felt as a passenger in my own life, caught in a game I hardly comprehended.
"I get that," I murmured gently, attempting to restrain my annoyance. "But I have to believe I have some influence on the direction things go next. Decisions for both of us cannot be made unilaterally.
He turned to look at me, and for the first time in a long time his attitude softened. You are right. I have been choosing without thinking through how it might impact you. That's only because I have done this before though. I know Jared is capable of it.
We paused long enough for me to sense something moving between us. Adrian was hiding a layer of fear beneath the guarded, calculating man I had come to know. And it dawned on me at that same instant he was not only shielding me from Jared. He was safeguarding himself as well.
Tell me what happened between you and Jared, I asked softly. "I have to know everything."
Adrian's shoulders hunched, as though the weight of the inquiry was intolerable. He locked his eyes on the road ahead and did not respond immediately. But I could sense the struggle raging inside his thoughts in his attitude.
At last he answered. "Jared did not always exhibit this. We were, in a sense, buddies once. Business associates. Though brutal, he was not unkind; he was ambitious. That altered someplace along the line. He began negotiating with the wrong people and descended into the underground realm. By then, it was too late even if I tried to distance myself. I already showed up on his website.
He stopped; the remembrance hurt obviously. I said nothing, allowing him to go forward.
" Victoria was only another pawn to him. He exploited her to get near to me and to ensure I kept in line. And now she is on his side, which complicates everything.
I listened to him and felt his words weigh down. It was about leverage, manipulation, and treachery, not only about Jared's need to dominate Adrian. Victoria was engaged in a perilous game, hence we were in the middle of it rather than merely observing.
"So, right now what does he want?" I queried. "What comes after me?"
Adrian's eyes darkened. "He understands that my vulnerability is yours. He rules me if he can rule you.
My heart still missed a beat. The notion that I was a pawn in this warped power play made my skin crawl. But concurrently it also spurred something in me—a will not to be used.
I said sharply, "I'm not going to let him control me." We will face him, collectively.
Adrian's mouth twisted into a little, depressed smile. "I knew I fell for you for a reason."
I wasn't sure about the confession. He had never before so freely acknowledged his emotions. The conflict between us vanished for a time, then something gentler, more real took the stage. Short-lived, though, Both of us understood the risk still hovering over us.
The car jerked suddenly as Adrian swirled to the side of the road, dragging us to a standstill. Looking around, my heart pounded half-expecting an ambush. Still, the road was vacant.
"What is it"? My voice was tight with worry, I asked.
Adrian's countenance was austere. "We are not going any more. There will be a blockage ahead.
Panic shot across me. "How come you know?"
He gestured toward a little gleam in the distance—metal barriers hardly seen through the woods. "It is not only Jared's men here. Right now, he has police on his side.
My gut sank. The thought that the police, in addition to Jared, was hunting us made me very afraid.
Then what are our next steps? I questioned, my voice quivering.
Adrian inhaled deeply and peered around the nearby woodland. "We walk away from the car. We travel on foot.
My heart was hammered. "What?" asked We never make it on foot!
"We have no choice," Adrian remarked, his voice devoid of any possibility for debate. "They are closing in on one other. At least until we can decide our next action, we have to vanish.
I choked hard, terror grabbing me. Still, I knew Adrian was right even if I really wanted to sprint in the other direction. We left here unable to stay. Should we, Jared would win and we would be caught.
"Okay," I said, attempting to calm myself. Let's go.
Adrian nodded, then silently we took what little we had from the car and headed into the deep woodland.
The woods closed up around us, the gloom engulfing us whole. And I could feel the noose constricting with every stride we went. This was it—that one moment when everything might turn around.
I heard a low, ominous snarl emanating from the shadows as we descended more into the woodland. My blood ran cold.
"Adrian," I said, my voice quivering. "We are not the only ones."
Stopped in his tracks, his body went stiff. His eyes wide with insight, he turned slowly toward me.
"We have to run.”