Page 69 of The Dark Side

He nodded, more out of frustration. His father was a gnat that wouldn't get out of his face. Yakov saw everything as a threat. Even someone as harmless as Jolie was dangerous to his empire. When Adrik was younger, he thought his father was smart to see the world as an enemy. But now, he realized it was a weakness to be afraid of everything.

"You should slow down," Jolie whispered, squeezing his fingers to get his attention. He was nearly over a hundred, lost in his head somewhere.

Sirens kicked up behind them, and Adrik cursed, stealing his hand from hers to grab his phone. As he pulled over, he texted someone before dropping it in his lap. Resting his head back in his seat, he stared at the roof. This night kept getting worse. Adrik glanced at Jolie and gave an accusing look. "You jinxed us."

Playful outrage burst on her face.

Adrik rolled down the window as the police officer came to the window. "Step out of the car, please."

Adrik looked at the man with an odd expression. "Good evening, officer. How is your night?"

"You were speeding in a construction zone." He gestured to the one orange cone half a mile down the road. "Get out of the vehicle and put your hands on the hood."

Adrik tapped a finger on his thigh. Being arrested was not in his best interest, but running with Jolie in the car wasn't ideal. He looked at Jolie and the panic on her face. He would have to play nicely. "Stay in the car." Adrik got out with his hands up, knowing the routine well enough. "I have a gun and a permit to carry." As the police officer felt him up, removing his weapon, Adrik watched his movements, studying him. "Officer Jameson," he read his nametag. Adrik didn't know Pasco’s police as well as Tampa’s, but most were corruptible, if not corrupted already. But Adrik knew the signs to look for, and this man was determined to do his job well. "New to the force?" The new ones always had the attitude to save the planet. The drive would fade in ten years, and that's when people like Adrik snagged them for personal gain.

The officer didn't like the insinuation and shoved him down on the hood of his car. Adrik chuckled but took it with grace. He wasn't going to lose his temper on a police officer. It typically wasn't worth the aftermath. When the officer removed his wallet and took out his ID, a foreign name was read back to him. But Adrik responded to 'Mr. Judds,' nonetheless.

A black SUV squealed their brakes beside them. The police officer put his hand on his gun, turning to the car while keeping his other hand on Adrik's back. Jolie was wide-eyed, terrified of what was happening. But out of the SUV was Adrik's police friend Morgan, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.

"Get back in your car," the officer warned.

Morgan held up his hand with his badge at the ready. "I'm the chief officer for Tampa Police."

"Tampa? You don't have any jurisdiction here."

Morgan glanced wearily at Adrik, “Boss, you okay?"

"Perfect,"the sarcastic reply came muffled against the hood of the car. This wasn't the first time he dealt with law enforcement, and it wouldn't be the last. It never bothered him much before, but with Jolie watching the scene unfold, he was pissed.

"Can we please talk, Officer Jameson?"

There was a silent pause before the man said, "Let me put him in the car."

Morgan rushed forward. "No, no, no, friend, you don't want to do that. Let's talk. Please, please, let's talk." As Morgan led the other officer away, Adrik stood, flexing his back muscles. He caught Jolie's deer eyes through the windshield, and he winked, smirking. It took her a minute before a giggle broke out, and she covered her face with her hands.

Jolie didn't need to be told what was happening. He was getting away with an arrest so effortlessly it was ridiculous. It was another example of the power he had. He was a god here, with friends in valuable places. So, not only did he have money to move the world, but he had connections that made anything possible. He was magnificent.

It made her realize he could actually protect her against his father. But then the question wasn't if he could. It was, would he?

It took two minutes for the officer to come back and uncuff him. "This is bullshit," the man admitted. "I'm gonna talk to my superior about this. Don't think I'm not coming back."

Adrik nodded as he rubbed his wrists. "Do you like your job?"

The officer sneered, "Yes."

"Then, let this go, and I will, too," Adrik said, spitefully slapping him on the arm as he passed. He got into his car and slammed the door. He looked at Jolie, ignoring the officer as he cursed and stomped back to his vehicle. "Do you like gelato?"

Jolie huffed. She couldn't believe him. All of this was normal to him. An inconvenience, yes, but typical. What was she doing here with him? This was too insane. She didn't reply, staying in her thoughts as Adrik spoke with Morgan in Russian, keeping her solely out of the conversation. Not that she was paying attention to any of it.

Jolie clicked off the pen and thought about throwing it out the window. She fully understood what kind of man Adrik was, and being against him wasn't a wise place to get caught in. Her heart pounded like a drum in a rock band, thumping harder than she could handle.

This was a mistake.

After Adrik began driving again, Jolie found her voice. "What am I doing here, Adrik?"

Adrik rested his head back against the seat. He clenched his teeth, unsure what he was supposed to say. It wasn't common for him to date. He fucked and walked away. Being in a relationship wasn't anything he wanted, but here he was, attempting to start one.

Adrik turned the car down the road, finding an empty parking lot in a half-finished construction site. Out here, away from the city, there were many places to get lost and go unnoticed. He could only imagine how many bodies were buried out here. How many he had killed.