Page 13 of Taking Adalisa (Montgomery Syndicate #2)

ADALISA

I can’t believe I told Margery I was seeing someone. More like Matthias was sneaking into my apartment and fucking me while I was half-asleep. I never thought I was going to admit to it.

Margery.

Something is going wrong with her. She has been on the edge since the first package came to the store a few weeks ago. Mumbling about someone dying in front of her when she went on her vacation and then a police officer she is wary of.

I don’t know what’s going on with her.

I’ve told her it’s a secret admirer, but she is hell-bent on it being her dead ex-boyfriend, Ethan. It’s getting to the point where I think she needs to go to a facility where she can recover for a little while. It’s not normal to think you are seeing your dead ex-boyfriend.

It’s not healthy.

What is causing her to do something like this??

I need to do some research on doctors who can help her because I am in over my head. I want her to thrive and move past Ethan like she was doing before.

What happened for her to deteriorate and hallucinate? Was it seeing the first stuffed zebra? Did her mind start playing tricks on her then? I know it doesn’t help that she hasn’t been sleeping much, which is why I suggested sleeping pills to help.

“You are going to get better,” I mutter.

She has to. I need Margery in my life. I need her to get better so we can do things outside of work. I need her to get better so she can come back to work, and I won’t have to do this on my own. We agreed when we became friends that we would stick by each other's side, and we are going to do that.

That is not the only problem I have in my life. Matthias is another one. I haven’t worn the bracelet since that day, and I keep finding notes in my apartment telling me to wear it during the day at the very least. What is Matthias so worried about? That something is going to happen to me?

Sighing, I lock up the shop and head toward the bakery. This is one of the few bakeries that stays open late and that I’m willing to eat from and trust the food. I try not to go there often, but today I need it. Things are not going the way I want them to go at all.

“Welcome to Cherie’s Bakery!” a young woman greets me as I walk in.

I smile and stop in front of the display, looking over what they have left. What do I want? “Too many choices?” the girl asks.

“Yeah,” I sigh. “I normally get the chocolate chip muffin, but you are all out of it. I’ve tried the apple pie, but it isn’t my favorite.”

“Go with the banana muffin,” a deep voice I know all too well says in my ear.

“Matthias,” I sigh once again.

“You aren’t wearing the bracelet like I told you to.” His arm wraps around my waist, pulling me into him.

The girl’s eyes are wide as she stares at Matthias, and I don’t blame her. I was the same when I first saw him. Thankfully, he doesn’t have his eyes set on her, or I would feel bad for her and tell her to run away as fast as possible.

I turn around and glare at him. “I don’t need to wear it. No one is going to know what a silver bracelet means. Everyone has one.”

“Not like that one,” he replies. “It will keep you safe if anything were to happen. Everyone in my world knows what the bracelet means, and they won’t do anything if they see it.”

I chuckle. “And what if someone hurts me who isn’t in your world? The bracelet would have done nothing.”

He pins me with a stare, but I don’t back down. His logic is flawed. Sure, people in his world are everywhere, but the likelihood of them knowing and hurting me is slim.

“We’ll take two banana muffins.” Matthias looks at the young woman.

“And a coffee with some milk and sugar, please.” I smile sweetly at her. “Thank you.”

Matthias grabs my hand, pulling me close to him once again. I glare at him but don’t pull away. Are the people in this bakery his people? Will they just smile and pretend like nothing is happening if I struggle?

I hate that I’m thinking that, but while his grip isn’t hurting me, I know it’s going to take a lot to get out of. I need to think long term. Will I exhaust myself right now and him then do something to me later?

“Here you are.” The girl hands our order over the counter. “It’ll be twenty dollars.”

I reach into my purse to grab money, but Matthias beats me to it.

“Don’t even think about arguing with me about who is paying,” he growls quietly. “I am paying, and you will accept it.”

I leave my wallet in my purse and take my food and drink, walking out of the store without waiting for Matthias. I don’t want to be close to him. If I can get away from him before he can catch, me I’ll be good.

I walk down the side of the road, making my way home. Or maybe I should head to the park and throw Matthias off. He probably thinks I’m going home, and if he sees that I’m not, he won’t know where I am. I quickly change directions, keeping my head down.

“You didn’t really think you could get away from me, did you?” Matthias asks, walking right next to me.

Groaning, my head tips back as I look up at the sky. How did he already find me?

“Do you have a tracker on me or something?” I ask, looking at Matthias.

“No, and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you,” he replies. “But right now I don’t. You are predictable in what you are going to do. I figured you wouldn’t be going home, so I thought for a second. Then I saw you duck your head, and I just knew.”

Great. Why did I have to try to outsmart him? Why couldn’t I have just not gone and been safe in my house?

“I will always find you,” Matthias whispers in my ear. “Wherever you go, I go. You cannot hide from me.”

“I can try,” I mutter.

“Yes, you can try, but you will fail. I hunt people for a living. I will always find you.”

My mouth hangs open as I look at him. He hunts people for a living?

I can’t think about that now. I need to have faith that I can get away from him. I need to believe that there is a chance, a possibility of getting out of his reach and living my life.

“But don’t worry, I don’t think you are going to try to run away from me. You are too good for that.” He wraps his arm around me, holding me close to him as we walk toward the park. “But I also wouldn’t be surprised if you did try to run away from me. I can see the fire in your eyes.”

I’m happy he can see my determination. I want him to, but I also don’t know if it’s a good thing. Does he know that I am planning on leaving?

He can’t possibly know that.

“What’s wrong?”Matthias gently asks, the back of his finger trailing down the side of my cheek. “What’s got you all quiet and tense?”

I shake my head, pulling away from his hand. I don’t need him touching me and changing my mind. His touch is light and caring, but I know he isn’t a good man.

Will I ever be able to get over that?

Yes.

I already am, but do I want to? I don’t know. I shouldn’t want to get over all the red flags he is giving. I should be running for the hills, begging people to help me.

“No, that’s now how this works,” Matthias tells me. “You are going to talk to me. You are going to tell me. No secrets between us.”

I look at him like he’s crazy. “No secrets between us? You haven’t been forthcoming with a lot of things.”

“But everything I’ve told you is the truth.

You don’t need to know anything else right now.

All you need to know is to wear the bracelet when you are out, so you are protected when I’m not with you.

I need you to do that for me so I don’t worry about you all the time.

” Matthias cups the side of my face. “Do you think you can do that?”

I open and close my mouth several times. It’s a small thing for me to do and doesn’t cost me anything extra.

“It’s not an ownership thing?” I ask. “Like me wearing it shows the other men not to come near me?”

I don’t know if that is a thing, but if it is, I’m not wearing it. Matthias isn’t the man for me, and I’m not going to wait around for him to change; he won’t, and I shouldn’t want to be with him.

“First, you are not getting with any other men, so you should not be concerning yourself with them.” His voice drops an octave.

“Second, no, it’s not something to scare off other men.

It’s protection in case something happens to you.

They will see the bracelet and know not to touch you, or they will have to deal with the Montgomery Syndicate. ”

My whole body stills as he says those words. No. He can’t possibly be part of that group.

“Adalisa?” he asks.

“What did you just say?” I whisper.

“If something happens like a robbery?—”

“After that,” I interrupt him.

His fingers grip my chin, keeping my head in place as we make eye contact. “Do not… do not interrupt me or there will be consequences. Do you understand me?”

I don’t say anything, not caring about anything but what he just said.

“Do you understand me, Adalisa?” he asks again.

“Yes,” I reply, not knowing what I’m actually agreeing to.

Matthias searches my face for several seconds before he lets me go.

“Like I was saying. If something happens like a robbery and you are wearing the bracelet, they will know not to touch you or they will have to deal with the Montgomery Syndicate,” he reiterates.

“Those last two words,” I mumble, my whole body feeling weak.

This can’t be happening.

“Montgomery Syndicate,” Matthias repeats, realization flashing across his face. “Ah, you’ve heard about them.”

I weakly nod. I’ve heard about them all right. Who hasn’t? They are one of the notorious groups in New York City. It always makes me wonder when I’m walking down the street if anyone is part of them.

“We are ruthless. We all like to kill, but we don’t hurt innocent people. We help them,” Matthias says after some time. “You don’t have to be afraid of me.”

“I don’t have to be afraid of you?” I slowly ask, trying to see if he is playing a trick on me.

“You never have to be afraid of me,” he gently says, cupping my cheek. “We are together. We are meant for each other, and nothing will stop us from being together.”

I pull my face from his hand and take a step back from him. No. I can’t do this.

“Adalisa,” he warns.

“I’m going home, and you aren’t going to follow me. You are going to stay far away from me. I don’t want to see you. I sure as hell don’t want to talk to you either, so just leave me alone.” I glare at him.

Matthias takes one big step toward me, grabbing my neck and keeping me in place. My eyes go wide as I look around, waiting for someone to rescue me from this crazy man, but everyone looks away and pretends they don’t see us.

His grip around my throat is firm, cutting off a little airflow, but I know it could be a lot worse.

“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” he growls, his face inches from mine. “You are mine, and I am yours. We will always be together. The only thing that can separate us is death.”

“N-no,” I whisper, taking a deep breath in.

His fingers tighten a little. “You don’t get to tell me no.”

Matthias lets go of me and pulls me in, wrapping his arms around me. I melt into his body, loving the heat coming off him and the way his arms feel around me, keeping me safe. I should be fighting him and trying to get away, but a couple of seconds won’t hurt me.

“Now, I’m going to walk you home and make sure you get in there safely. When you leave your apartment next, I want you to wear the bracelet,” he gently says.

It’s weird hearing Matthias talk this way. He is anything but gentle, and it almost puts me at unease.

“Good. Now, normally I don’t like to say this, but as we walk back to your apartment, I want you to eat the muffin and drink your coffee. Don’t get used to it. You won’t be walking and eating ever again. Not unless it’s absolutely necessary,” he tells me.

“You could just carry me,” I mumble, not brave enough to say it any louder.

Do I want to continue to have his arms wrapped around me? Absolutely. But should I? No. With every second he has his arms wrapped around me, I feel myself succumbing to whatever he wants.

If he asked me to move in with him while he was holding me, I would probably say yes. I wouldn’t be able to say no, not when I feel the safety and comfortableness of his arms wrapped around me.

It’s everything I wanted in life and hoped for as a little kid. To feel safe and comfortable for the rest of my life. I never thought I was going to have it, but maybe with Matthias I will.

No.

This is not going to happen. I am not going to get with him, no matter what. I need to keep reminding myself that, so I don’t wake up one day in his house unable to leave.

“If that’s what you want,” is all he says before I’m in the air, his arms underneath and around me. “Eat and drink like a good girl while I walk us to your apartment.”