Change of Heart by Rina Pattinson (book club recommendations TXT) 📕

Love…. Well you know who this is.

Love… well you know who this is. The line repeated itself over and over in my head bringing an aching pain to it. “Roger wasn’t the person who wrote this note, Adrian.” I said the pain growing stronger.

“I told you.” Roger said.

“If Roger didn’t write that note then who did?” Adrian asked.

“You don’t wanna know.” I said, my head feeling as though it might explode.

__________________________________________________________________

The silence in the room was unbearable.

“What are we waiting for?” Roger asked; a huge mistake.

“What are you still doing here?” Adrian asked calmly but I could sense his fury.

“I wanna help ok, what is your problem?” Roger asked.

“What’s my problem?” Adrian shouted causing us all to jump. “You are my problem. You delivered the note. What the hell are you stupid?”

“Adrian, calm down.” Aiden said.

“Calm down? How can I calm down? Huh? Kai is in danger. We have to help her, I have to go!” He said, but Reid stopped him before he could walk out of the room.

“Adrian, you have to think this through. You can’t face him alone.” I pleaded.

“There is nothing to think about!” He yelled so hard, even Reid backed away.

“Adrian please‒

I was cut short by the ringing of the phone. Without taking my eyes off of Adrian I answered. My hands trembling, along with my voice.

“Jennifer, how great to hear your voice. It sounds a bit distorted. Is something wrong?”

“Where’s Kai?” I asked, with no effort to sound angry.

“She’s safe, for now that is.”

“What game are you playing?”

“Correct. I am playing a game, but right now you’re not the main player. Put the phone on speaker. Now.” Ian demanded. I did it. “Adrian? Are you there?”

“Where is Kai?” Adrian yelled.

“Relax dude. She’s not dead yet; but she will be if you fail to cooperate again.”

“What do you want?”

“You.Just you. That’s all I’m asking. I need you to be here by sunset today, and please I beg of you, do not play the stubborn card again because I really don’t wanna hurt this beautiful girl anymore.” Ian explained.

“What have you done to her?” Adrian shouted.

“Nothing too fatal. Let’s just say wolfs bane really isn’t her favorite flower. She looks like a rose type.”

“Stop hurting her.”

“Then listen to me and listen well. Ensure that you make yourself present here by sunset because trust me Adrian, the darkness isn’t just gonna consume today, it’ll consume Kai’s life as well. Come alone. If I see any member of your pack with you I will get angry and you don’t want that.”

“Screw you Ian! I won’t let Adrian do this. Never!” I yelled going closer to the phone.

“Look Jennifer I’ve had enough of you and your goddamn pack. If Adrian isn’t here by sunset today, Kai won’t be the only member of your pack to die. The day you’ve all been waiting for will be today. I will have every member of my pack including myself present at that house and we will tear you all apart limb by limb.” He shouted over the phone. “So Adrian, the choice is all yours. Do you want to listen to me, give yourself up and extend the lives of your pack members for a couple more days? Or do you want to be the stubborn brat you are and be the reason why all of them will die tonight? Choose wisely because whatever choice you make will be one of life or death. Painful death. I will see you at sunset and if I don’t the interior of that house will be the last thing you all see because that’s where I will rip your hearts out of your chests, the same way I would have done to Kai.”

Adrian was silent for a while before wiping his eyes. “I need proof that she’s alive.”

“Of course.” Ian said in a relaxed tone. Our excellent hearing ability allowed us to hear when he opened what sounded like a pocket knife and stabbed it into her. Her scream piercing through the phone, followed by endless crying.

When the call was disconnected I looked up to see that his eyes were red and moist with tears. He never moved from that one spot where he stood. As I slowly walked to him he looked at me without saying a word.

“Adrian you‒

“Don’t.” He shook his head. “There’s nothing I could do but just that.”

“I am not gonna lose you, especially not to Ian.”

“You were right. He doesn’t really give you much of a choice. He did it to you and now he’s doing it to me.”

“We can’t let him.” I said each of my hands on both his shoulders.

“Jennifer, when Ian threatened all of us what did you do?”

I swallowed slowly. I hated when Adrian did this. “I tried to keep you all safe. I tried to sacrifice myself for the sake of your lives.”

“Exactly, but he didn’t give you a choice. He’s given me one. I have a choice and I’ve made up my mind. We took the oath to protect each other. I am protecting all of you.”

“Yes but if I let you go to him I’m not protecting you. You are also a member of this pack; it’s our duty to protect you as well.”

“Saving one life isn’t worth endangering others.”

“But Adrian‒

“You have to let me go, Jen. You have to.”

“I can’t.” I cried, tears escaping my eyes.

“I’m sorry.” He began to cry with me, pulling me into a tight hug. “Here.” He said breaking the hug as he took a chain off of his neck. It was our signature necklace which every member wore as soon as they became a part of the pack. The necklace was made of fine platinum, as silver slightly irritated our skin, with a small square pendant which said: piùfortiinsiemeche come uno: stronger together than as one. Before he could hand it to me I stopped him.

“You weren’t born a member of this pack. None of us were. But if we were to die, we will die as one.” I said putting the necklace back around his neck.

“You’re great Jennifer. I would never forget you.” He tried to smile but that statement just burned my heart even more.

“What do you mean you won’t forget her? Why would you forget?” Reid asked as he approached us, looking worried.

“I’m going, Reid.” I’m going.Just two simple words.Two words which seemed to send a bullet through Reid’s head as he looked as though all life was about to leave him.

“Adrian…” Reid said, his voice breaking. He couldn’t say anything else. The only thing left to do was hug him, and that’s what he did.

“Adrian?” Cate called softly from behind Reid. She didn’t make an effort to hold her tears back. Her black mascara stained her pale cheeks.

“Catey, I’m sorry.” He said walking to her.

“Don’t call me that!” She cried.

“Why not?” He asked.

“Because I love it when people call me that and you’re the only one who calls me that!” She cried even more. “Who’s gonna call me that when you’re gone. There’s no one here to make me laugh like you do Adrian, no one here can do what you do! You can’t leave us, you can’t, I‒

“Sssshhhh, it’s ok Cate.” He hugged her as she was unable to continue talking.

“No it’s not ok!” She yelled.

“Cate, I’m protecting you.” He said wiping her tears.

“Screw it I don’t wanna be protected if it means you have to die!”

“Cate please, this is already hard for me.”

“No it’s hard for me because I’m the one who has to lose you!”

“I’m sorry.” Was all he could say.

“That’s not good enough.” She said, cupping his face and placing a soft kiss on his lips. “Promise me that if by some miracle you survive, that you’ll come back.”

“I promise.” He whispered. She left before she started to cry anymore.

“So I guess we won’t be hearing anymore whack stories.” Aiden said to Adrian.

“I should’ve written them down. That way my legacy won’t die along with me.” Adrian said.

“You really think he’s gonna kill you?” Cal stepped in and asked.

“He’s been trying to do that for a while so I guess.”

“There’s no point in arguing with you for doing what you’re gonna do, because you’ll do it anyways so, I just wanna say thank you. Even though I don’t consent to this idea. You’re doing this for us. I just wish there was something we could do for you in return.” Aiden said.

“Take care of yourselves, and each other. That’s what you could do for me.”

“I know it’s not that manly but it’s not every day you lose someone who’s like a brother to you.” Cal said wiping his eyes.

“We’ll miss you man.” Aiden said hugging him, so did Cal. The other members of our pack bid their farewells to Adrian accompanied by tears and hugs.

“It’s time for me to go.” He said looking at his watch. It was two hours till sunset. It would take one hour to get to Ian’s location so he wanted to be early. I really hurt to see Adrian walk out of the house. Walking right into his death and again because of Ian, there was nothing I could do about it. I could tell that Adrian didn’t want to die. Then again who did? I could feel his mind. His feelings.His emotions. The happy go lucky Adrian was gone. He was no longer chipper. Instead the sadness inside of him dulled his aura completely. He was almost out of our sight.

“I won’t forget you either, Adrian. None of us will.” I spoke in his mind.

“I love you guys.” He said not only to me, but to everyone.

__________________________________________________________________

The ‘house’ was actually a former warehouse which had been abandoned due to a severe fire. Anyone could tell there had been a fire due to the several damages done to the building. It was vines versus rust in the fight to consume the metallic gate which separated the outside world from this hell hole. He was about to push the gate open when a man beat him to it.

“Adrian Reynard?” He asked his voice deep and serious.

“The one and only.”

“Right this way.” The man said sounding annoyed as he showed Adrian the way inside. As they entered into the building another man stopped Adrian at the door and attempted to search him.

“You won’t find anything.” Adrian said impatient.

“All clear.” The man said, and the other one continued to escort him deeper into the building.

“What’s next? Bag check? I didn’t walk with luggage, sorry.”

“Shut up!” The man yelled at him.

“What? Are you gonna tell me that I have the right to remain silent now?”

“I hope Ian kills you quickly.” The man sighed and shoved him into a room where a number of guys stood at every corner; in the middle was Ian.

“So, you came. I was just contemplating on whether I should rip Kai’s heart out through her chest or her back.” Ian smiled; his hands behind his back.

“Where is she?” Adrian asked.

Ian looked to one of the guys and nodded. In less than two minutes Kai was in the room. Her mouth was gagged and both her hands tied behind her back. The guy took her to Ian. “This is the girl.” He looked at Adrian. “This is the girl you’re risking your life for.” He put his hands around Kai’s shoulder and moved her hair out of her face. “She’s strong you know. You are too Adrian. It takes a strong man to sacrifice his life for someone else’s.” Ian said. Kai didn’t agree with what Adrian was doing. She started to scream however it was muffled as her mouth was gagged. She struggled and twisted in Ian’s grip in a form of protest for what was going on.

“Be quiet!” Ian yelled at her. She didn’t stop trying to scream but her tears were making it harder to do so.

“You got what you wanted, Winters. Let her go.” Adrian said.

“Very well.” Ian sighed, kissed Kai on the forehead,