The Elite Broker Ch. 04

Chapter 4

Shattered Dreams

Dear Readers, thank you so much for all your support. I love your reviews and look forward to seeing what you have to say.

To my Editor robertreams, as always, thank you for your hard work and dedication to our project.

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Tuesday, pre-dawn

Mr. Adams penthouse

BANG!

Edward shot off the couch into a defensive stance, his happy ending shattered by the abrupt noise. "What the hell," he wondered as he looked around quickly, not finding the source of the sound. Still stunned feeling cheated by his dream, he shook off the sleepy haze.

BANG! Following the noise, he realized it came from the hall. "Adriana!" The thought sent him running to her room. The bedroom door was open but she was nowhere to be seen. That's when he spied the IV pole propped at an odd angle against the closed bathroom door. The plastic tube pulled taut, still connected to the bag, ran through the gap beneath the door. She was tugging the tubing, making the pole crash into the door with each attempt. BANG! The door opened, her hand shot out to grab the pole. Struggling with it for a moment, she quickly yanked it into the room with her. He heard her lock the door from inside.

"Shit! This is bad!" he said out loud.

Moving to the door, he listened for a second. Putting his ear to the wooden barrier, he heard her crying. Suddenly the sound of shattering glass resounded in his ear making him jump back, startled. Edward grabbed the doorknob tightly twisting the brass ball viciously to break the lock, but the knob didn't budge. "Adriana?" he yelled through the door again. "Answer me God damn it!"

"Leave me alone you bastard!" she screamed at him through great gulping sobs.

"Unlock the door right now Adriana!" he bellowed at her, his anger laced with frustration. "Unlock it now or I'll break it down! Your choice!" He listened for an answer. Nothing. There was no response, only her un-controlled sobbing.

Terrified, naked, cold and shackled in a strange place, she was in a defensive self-protective mode. Fight or flight, hell! Right now she couldn't do either. Her body was covered with goose bumps but she couldn't find a towel to cover her body or warm up with. Opening the shower door, she stepped inside adding a few more feet of distance between Mr. Adams and her. Sliding down the tile wall, curling into a tiny ball, Adriana ducked her head, covering her ears as scalding tears streamed down her cheeks. "This isn't happening! This isn't happening! This isn't happening!" that single thought screamed through her brain repeatedly as she cried hysterically.

Edward heard the shower door slam shut. At least he knew she was away from the heavy door as he rammed his shoulder into it three times before standing back to kick it open. The wood splintered into pieces as the door flew open with such force the doorknob punched into the drywall.

A quick glance around the room revealed shattered mirror slivers everywhere. Every surface of the bathroom was covered with the razor sharp fragments. The silver metal pole lay on the floor, pulled tight against the shower stall glass. Standing it up to right it on its wheels, Edward inadvertently tugged too hard on the tubing, yanking the plastic catheter out of Adriana's hand. "Shit!" Edward thought as the whole thing went from bad to worse in a matter of seconds.

"Owww!" she screamed out in pain.

Edward looked down at the girl huddled in the shower stall. Bare as the day she was born, curled up in a fetal position, blood spurting out of her hand in little red streams that ran down the glass. "Oh Christ. Adriana..." he didn't have the words to finish his sentence.

The terror that shot from her eyes was like a lightning strike to his heart. Edward stopped advancing on her. At that moment, all he could think of was getting the blood to stop. There was no chance she would let him near her to do that. Quickly, Edward backed out of the bathroom, sprinting to the phone in his room; he called Robert urgently telling him what was happening. Wanting to get back to Adriana as soon as possible, he ran back grabbing a couple towels from the linen closet on his way. He slowly approached her, not wanting to frighten her any more than she was already; he unfolded one of the large fluffy towels, draping it over her naked form. Her wracking sobs shook her from head to toe. "Adriana, I..."

"Don't you say a word to me! There is nothing you can say that makes this better!" She screamed at him, her voice filled with fear. Her fingers working uselessly at the ankle shackle, trying to get it off. It didn't budge. Raising her face to look into his eyes she asked, "Why?" Her pretty skin now a blotchy red as tears spilled down her cheeks in little crystal rivers. She saw his lips part, as if to say something. Not really wanting to hear his explanation she turned her attention back to the shackle, furiously working to get it off.

Edward wanted to tell her it would be all right, to soothe her. He also knew it would be useless in her current condition. Until he could talk with her, explain what was happening, there would be no chance of getting through to her. No sooner had those thoughts crossed his mind, he heard footsteps moving quickly toward him in the hall. Thank God help was on its way.

Robert appeared at Edward's side in the doorway. Suzanne, taking one look into the room ran immediately to the utility closet for a broom.

One glimpse of the doctor standing in the doorway caused Adriana's eyes to roll up in her head. She felt her body crumble, suffocating darkness dragged her under again.

Grabbing extra towels on her way, Suzanne pushed the broom and dustpan into Robert's hands, dropping an empty box in front of him to collect the mess. "Robert, sweep up the glass. We don't need that in our feet. Mr. Adams will you get her out of there? Put her on the bed for me, please."

Edward was shocked. His jaw dropped as he looked to Robert for an explanation. Robert shrugged his shoulders, not saying a word but quickly complied with Suzanne's orders, sweeping a clean path for Edward to move Adriana. Neither man had ever seen Suzanne take charge so forcefully. Both of them, however, seeing clearly that she was very upset, stayed out of her way.

Edward awkwardly scooped Adriana from the shower floor, carried her to the bed and laid her down gently.

Suzanne nudged Mr. Adams out of the way. She began cleaning the blood and sweat from Adriana's body. Removing as much as she could, she pulled the comforter over the girl's cold form. Examining the small tear on the top of Adriana's hand, she staunched the blood flow, then looked carefully for any glass shards. Finding none, she continued her firm pressure on the small wound.

Looking to the men watching her intently, Suzanne told them, "Sirs, the recruit will be fine, but she is in shock. I've stopped the bleeding. I don't believe she will need stitches. But Mr. Adams, if you had listened to Doctor Manning in the first place, this could have been avoided, you know that right?" Her tone was condescending, almost accusatory. Her respectful demeanor had gone. She was too worried about the situation. Clearly, unlike all previous candidates, Adriana remembered everything. Suzanne had poured too much of herself into the job to lose it all over a problem like this. She knew Mr. Adams really wanted this particular girl, but the damage to their venture might be beyond repair. She would not permit Adriana to destroy all they had worked so hard to accomplish.

Finished sweeping the glass, Robert joined Suzanne to look at Adriana's hand. Confirming the nurse's conclusions, he told Edward without looking up at him. "I am giving her some Ativan." Producing a syringe from his pajama pants pocket and injecting the medication, before Edward could respond.

Now thoroughly pissed, Edward roared, "Damn it Robert! No more drugs! Christ, she's had enough!" wiping the perspiration from his worried brow.

"Edward, it acts like Xanax. It will decrease her anxiety so you can talk to her. I won't leave until I see how she responds to it, okay? I gave her less than a child's dose. Relax, please! She'll be fine." The Doctor's anger boiled over at Edward, as he watched Adriana with deep concern, monitoring her closely for any signs of distress the medicine might cause.

"You said that last time! Look how THAT turned out!" Edward shook his head, his eyes full of blame.

Suzanne wasn't happy either. She didn't bother trying to hide it. She went to Robert's side, whispering adamantly in his ear. Nodding, he crossed the room, grabbing Edward's arm, he wrestled the man out of the bedroom into the hallway.

Closing the door softly after the men left, Suzanne tiredly dropped into the chair facing the bed, massaging her temples, trying to relieve the tension building there. Clearly, Adriana remembered everything. The girl posed a dangerous problem on the horizon. One that threatened to destroy everything she had worked so had for. "I know you're awake Adriana."

Adriana opened her eyes slowly, not wanting to deal with this woman any more than the men. "What gave me away?"

"Your breathing pattern. Someone that is asleep or unconscious breathes slower and more deeply. Your breaths were still too rapid and shallow. Look, I know you're scared. If I came into the company the way you did, I would have been mad as hell, fighting all the way. But you have to get your shit together, fast. For your own safety. And everyone else's too." Sarcastic contempt dripped from her lips.

"My safety? What will they do next? Kill me?" Fearful of the answer, she pushed her self up ready to talk with the woman she knew only as the nurse from the clinic.

"No! Nothing like that! It will only make your training harder on you though." Moving closer to the bed, Suzanne began to pace. "You don't realize how 'very special' you are. Mr. Adams thinks he's in love with you." Her disdain at the thought of his foolishness was crystal clear.

Adriana, confused by the woman's words, scoffed at her, "How can he possibly think he's in love with me? I just met the man this morning."

" Look, I know you have a million questions and none of this makes sense, but it will all become clear. I promise! Mr. Adams is a wonderful man but you distract him. When you passed out in the clinic, he came up personally to check on you. He even held your hand as we finished the exam. Jesus! He was acting like a lovesick schoolboy. I have known Mr. Adams for the past five years. In all those years he has never done that for any other recruit, none of them. Until you!" Suzanne's agitation showed in her furious pacing steps. Her resentment and apprehension toward Adriana, driving her need to move. Her typical calm was shaken.

"Obviously you don't want me here any more than I want to be here! So what do you want from me? Why are you telling me this?" Adriana's voice cracked loudly; Her throat tender from crying and screaming earlier. There was something about Suzanne's mannerisms, her speech that set her teeth more on edge than they already were.

"Keep your voice down!" Suzanne hissed in warning. "I can't tell you more than this right now. I've put myself at risk by speaking to you at all. But the men weren't getting anywhere with you, except into more trouble. "Save your questions for Mr. Adams." Suzanne stopped in front of Adriana, gazing down at the young woman, gauging the girl's expression. The drugs working through her system shone in her glassy eyed stare. Her words slurred slightly when she spoke. She could see the girl fighting for a lucidity that was just beyond her reach.

Suzanne wondered how much of what she was saying, the girl would recall later. Measuring her words carefully, she went on, "Your presence is destroying his focus, putting us all at risk. You need to get with the program, do you understand? If you persist in your combative behavior, you are a danger to yourself and all of us."

Adriana was trying to process her words; Suzanne could see it in her eyes.

"I get that you don't want me here, so take this damn thing off." Adriana pulled back the comforter, pointing to her bound ankle, "Let me go. I won't say a word about any of this to anyone, I swear!"

"I can't merely let you go. You will have to prove to Mr. Adams that you will be too much of a pain in the ass. He has to realize you aren't worth the trouble. You have to convince him of that. You have to discourage him from making this a personal thing. Maybe then he'll cut his losses by letting you go."

Finished for the moment, Suzanne walked to the door. Shaking her head in mock sorrow she said, "Men. Poor stupid bastards." She left Adriana to sort it all out for herself. She had made her point. Now she would have to wait to see what the girl did with it.

Suzanne paused in the hall before joining the men. She knew she had made a mistake, giving herself away to the men. Adriana too. She allowed her concerns to get the best of her. "Damn it!" she thought. "Get it together before everything unravels." Taking a breath, she calmed her rattled nerves then gracefully strode toward the men's voices.

Robert and Edward turned to Suzanne as she entered the living room. With a look of expectation, Robert said, "Well?"

With eyes lowered, her hands behind her back, she informed him, "The recruit is awake Doctor Manning. I believe she is ready to listen to reason now."

Robert turned to Edward, rising from the couch, "Girl talk. Sometimes that works better than the drugs." Smiling at Suzanne, he stood in front of her, cupping her chin, lifting her face to his for a light appreciative kiss. "I'm proud of you. Let's get back to bed so I can reward you for your invaluable service." Kissing her cheek, he took her by the hand leading her out of the penthouse, leaving Edward alone with Adriana, yet again.

Edward thought about all that happened today. He wasn't encouraged. Looking at the floor, he saw what was left of his apple. Realizing then that neither he nor Adriana had eaten a proper meal. Maybe he could soften her up a little with a peace offering. They could talk over food. Going into the kitchen he gathered the bag of sandwiches, two cans of Coke, a couple of paper plates and an assortment of fruit. With full arms, he took the offering to Adriana's room. Standing in the doorway he asked tentatively, "Are you hungry?"

Her stomach growled the answer for her - loudly. Nodding her head at him she circled her arms around her middle, realizing then that she was still naked. Quickly she gathered the comforter to cover her breasts.

Just as Edward entered the room, he lost his hold on one of the cans of soda. It hit the floor with a thunk, burst open and shot a stream of foamy liquid around the room.

Despite her angry and drugged state, Adriana burst into a fit of giggles that wouldn't stop. Without thinking she wrapped the comforter around herself, holding it closed with one hand. Careful not to trip over the cable attached to the shackle on her ankle, she grabbed one of the dirty towels to cover the can and try to stop the spray. The damage was done. She wasn't quick enough. The sticky brown soda was everywhere.

Trying to contain the spurting fountain, Edward lost his grasp on the rest of the food. The bag hit the floor with a thud, fruit rolled all over. Bending to chase after the runaway items they collided, bumping their heads together. To anyone watching the bumbling pair, it would have looked like a 'Laurel and Hardy' routine. Losing balance, Adriana toppled over, grabbing Edward's arm pulling him down on top of her as she rolled to the floor. Both fell silent as nose to nose, they looked at each other, stunned.

His handsome chiseled features reflected his shock. She began to laugh again. A full belly contagious laugh. His ego wounded by her laughter, he still couldn't help but laugh with her. He had been trying to be the hero, but he'd get overt it. In the end, humor overpowered pride.

It took them a few minutes to get themselves under control and catch their breath. Edward, rolling to his side and propping himself on his elbow, soaked up the sight of her. Even naked, covered in dried blood and soda spatter, her short auburn hair sticking out at odd angles, cheeks flushed, she was beautiful.

Adriana searched the depths of his hazel eyes. What she saw made her suspect Suzanne was right. In an odd way he did love her. But she knew nothing about this man. His desire, coming as it did amidst all the pain and struggle, frightened her to her core. She could feel his desire burning through her, felt him move to kiss her, but she couldn't allow that right now. She couldn't trust him. He had to explain, in detail, what was going on. Planting her hand firmly on his chest she told him, "We need to talk Mr. Adams."

The spell broken, he sat up, surveying the damage in the room. "Yes Adriana, we 'do' need to talk." Standing up he turned, offered his hand, pulling her to her feet. His humor was gone. His voice took on the unyielding tone she remembered from the interview. She shivered under his intent gaze. "You need a shower," he said further, "I'll get some clean towels. We can talk over food when you're done." He nudged her gently toward the bathroom. "Go on now. The towels will be on the sink."

His dominant nature returned. What he wanted was not to send her to the shower, but to sprawl her over his knees and spank the ivory, plump globes of her ass, until she couldn't sit! The night wasn't over yet. That thought just might become a reality.

Edward made himself busy putting new linens on the bed and replacing the comforter. Reaching through the bathroom door to place the towels on the sink, he caught a Picasso-like glimpse of her naked body in the fractured pieces of the huge mirror. Through the steam on the shower glass, he watched her tilt her serene face up to the water, like a graceful crane. The soothing, cleansing water caused Adriana to emit tiny mewling sounds of pure pleasure. She arched her back. The hot water streamed in torrents over and between her milky breasts, rivulets sluicing down her body. Closing his eyes, he knew he had to walk away, or he would be in the shower with her.

Ten minutes later, Adriana emerged. Her damp skin was beyond pink, nearly red from the heat of the water, but she felt clean, refreshed, and almost ready to face Mr. Adams. Glancing at the shackle around her left ankle made her shiver as she started ticking off the facts that she already knew. Mr. Adams was stern, very dominant toward women; his authority was not to be questioned at any time. She had been drugged against her will, finding herself shackled to a bed, naked.

Examining the facts, she put them together like pieces of a puzzle. She realized then that the picture they created, was straight out of a series of very racy books she had read recently. The main character, a very rich man, is attracted to a college student, introducing her to an intensely erotic lifestyle, they fell in love, had a couple of kids, yada, yada, yada! Some of the similarities were strikingly funny. It was the use of drugs that Mr. Adams authorized, that didn't set well with her.

Adriana caught sight of herself in a fragment of the broken mirror. "You can do this!" repeating the mantra in her head. Her towel-dried hair was a mess. With no brush or comb available, she did what she could to tame it with her fingers. Wrapping a towel around herself, she gathered her strength to face her captor.

Mr. Adams was sitting on the bed cross-legged working with his blackberry, when she stepped back into the room. Looking up, he peered at her over the rim of his glasses. "Feel better?"

"Yes, thank you Mr. Adams." Her downcast eyes viewed an impromptu picnic spread out on the comforter. She tightened the towel around her as she approached the bed.