Page 68 of Undisputed Chaos
"And if I don't like what I see, I'm telling Mom and Dad about the video."
"He's—” I began, but the menace had already hung up.
“I secured a family summit,” Adrian smiled, pulling me back into his arms, his lips finding that ribbon again. “I want them to know you’re mine, angel. No hiding.”
“But they’re—Crew is—” I gestured helplessly at the pure menace of his tattoos, knife-tatted abs, and general "could bench-press my dad"presence.
“You’re you.”
He grinned and shrugged, annoyingly cocky. “What? You think I can’t charm your family? Hurtful.”
Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to the tip of my nose—sweet, totally at odds with the chaos rumbling in his chest.
“No knives, no threats, no public marking. I promise I’ll pretend I’m a law-abiding citizen. At least until dessert.”
“That’s not…” I tried, but laughter overtook me. “That is not helping.”
“Oh, I’ll help, angel. Just maybe not the way your family hopes.” His voice softened as he squeezed my waist, lips brushing the shell of my ear.
“But you… You’re all I’m after.”
My phone buzzed again, this time with notifications from social media. I glanced down to see dozens of new comments on my latest post, all variations of the same questions:
Who is he???
OMG that hand on your throat. I can't breathe.
Isla taken? Spill the tea sis!!
"You've caused quite the stir," I muttered, showing Adrian the screen.
He scanned the comments, beaming like he’d just won a fight. “Good. Now the whole world knows you’re mine.”
His hand cupped my jaw, thumb brushing my lower lip, a claim slinking from his voice.
"What am I going to tell them?" I asked, genuinely unsure. "About us?"
Adrian's eyes darkened as he looked down at me.
“You say whatever you want, Isla. All that matters is this—” his finger slid under the ribbon, and tugged gently, “—you know whose you are. That’s enough.”
I melted into him, resolve steeling itself somewhere beneath the new bruises and the old heartbreaks.
All my nerves about introducing Adrian to my family paled against the perfection of having him here, menacing and all.
"Sooo," I tried, playful, “what are you thinking of wearing tomorrow? Please don’t say a crop top.”
Adrian's laugh echoed through my apartment, bright and dangerous and perfect. “Relax, angel. I'll save the crop tops for our second date. Don’t want to terrify your family first thing.”
I found myself laughing too, the sound mingling with his until it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Isla
Istared at my closet, anxiety knotting in my stomach as I tried to decide what to wear tonight. My hands rifled through hangers uselessly.
Introducing my very new, not-remotely-normal boyfriend to my family after less than twenty-four hours of “dating” felt like the kind of thing you’d confess at your deathbed, not actually do.
