The Enforcer's Sister

Chapter Eight : Adele – 8:45 P.M.

"Hey!" I cried out, my voice echoing through the busy streets as I found myself violently shoved. I stumbled, struggling to regain my balance, and ended up falling hard on my ass on the unforgiving stone-paved sidewalk. "Watch where you're going, asshole!" I yelled, anger coursing through my veins.

A cold, chilling voice growled from above me, sending a shiver down my spine. "Are you trying to steal from me, boy?" it questioned, dripping with disdain.

I looked up from checking my bruised elbows, meeting the gaze of the coldest hazel eyes I had ever seen. "Steal from you?!" I replied, my voice laced with disbelief. The audacity of this jerk. "You ran into me and shoved me, you jerk!" I enunciated, emphasizing each word for the clueless imbecile.

"Hey, watch your mouth!" one of the men accompanying the jerk interjected, taking a menacing step toward me. He had an earpiece, the kind worn by security operatives, suggesting he was some sort of bodyguard.

"I am going to sue your asses!" I blurted out, realizing immediately that it was an empty threat. I couldn't afford a lawyer, but sometimes bluffing could rattle people. The guy paused, his eyes narrowing as he glowered at me.

"Really?" the jerk who shoved me drawled in a slow, taunting manner, raising an eyebrow in an exotically daring way that momentarily captivated me. He was as handsome as the Duke of Hastings from the regency series Bridgerton and just as arrogant, I presumed. Unfazed by my threat, he exuded an air of wealth and entitlement that annoyed me to no end. Rich people always seemed to believe they could get away with anything, and it grated my nerves.

"Darling, let's go. He's probably just some poor hippie looking for scraps," a velvety female voice chimed in, drawing my glare toward the redhead clinging to the jerk like a leech. You know the type—those insecure Bambies who try to send women back to the 1900s.

"Boss, your wallet," a hefty man beside the jerk picked up a leather wallet from the ground and handed it over. It must have fallen when the idiot ran into me, and he must have assumed I was trying to steal it.

"Give it to him," the jerk instructed, still assessing me with his cold gaze.

"Boss?" the hefty man hesitated, confusion evident in his eyes.

"Give it to him. Let him give it to me with an apology!" the jerk snapped impatiently.

"You've got to be kidding me!" I exclaimed, unable to believe the audacity of this situation. I had encountered my fair share of rich assholes while working multiple jobs since the age of ten. By thirteen, I was already waiting tables, dealing with jerks like this guy as part of the downside of being a waitress. But none had stooped as low as this ass in front of me.

"Get up, boy!" he snarled, reaching for my forearm and yanking me up roughly. I struggled against his grip, causing my face cap to slip off, my hair cascading down my shoulders to frame my face. The jerk blinked, startled backward.

"Dear lord, it's a girl! Is this how street urchins rob these days?" Bambi gasped in horror, almost making me roll my eyes.

The jerk, whom I mentally dubbed "Jerkface," narrowed his eyes at me. "What exactly is your mission?" he demanded.

"Dude, I'm coming from evening classes, got distracted by a yell across the street, and the next thing I know, you slammed me to the ground. Tell your... associate to let go of my hand so I can get my bag!" I retorted, frustration boiling within me.

"Get the bag," Jerkface ordered one of his lanky minions, gesturing toward my fallen backpack a few feet away. I silently prayed that my phone hadn't been damaged. Today would be a disaster if it were—I had saved up for weeks to buy it. The lanky minion picked up my bag and tried to open it.

"Hey! What the fuck! You can't open my bag! Who the hell do you think you are?!" I exclaimed, my anger escalating.

Jerkface chuckled, the sound devoid of any warmth or humor. "You want me to believe that you don't know who I am?"

"Trust me, pal, I couldn't care less. I just want my bag and for you and your... Bambi to get out of my face!"

"Hey! Watch it! Who the hell is this little shit?" Bambi fired back, clearly offended. I was surprised she understood the meaning well enough to be insulted, but if the shoe fits...

Jerkface, however, remained unfazed by Bambi's outburst. He observed me quietly before snatching the bag from the lanky minion and ignoring my furious growl as he rummaged through its contents.

"Are you some kind of med student?" he asked, a glint of amusement dancing in his eyes, while a cruel twist formed on the corner of his lips. This guy was a psychopath.

"Chemical Engineer student, not that it's any of your concern. Now, may I have my bag back, please?" I retorted, my patience wearing thin.

"Okay, after you apologize," he said, the glint in his eyes growing more pronounced, his lips curling into a smug smile. I thought he was absolutely insufferable.

"This isn't happening," I groaned, realizing the absurdity of the situation. "What are you, ten years old? You ran into me!"

"Not the way I see it. I see a rude, young lady dressed as a boy attempting to steal from me and failing, and now making up stories."

"I could prove to you that I'm great with chemicals... How would you like me to blow up your car, sir?" I threatened in a honeyed tone, giving him a wide smile and trying not to be affected by the change of emotions in his arresting eyes. 

"The mouth on this homeless-looking bitch," Bambi snapped, her irritation evident. "Why are we wasting time with this nobody?" she questioned. While I agreed with her logic, I couldn't help but feel offended by being labeled as homeless, even though it wasn't far from the truth.

"An apology, then you can have your bag back," Jerkface insisted, opening the back door of a luxurious Bentley and carelessly tossing my bag inside.

"What are you doing?!" I cried out in disbelief, my frustration reaching its peak.

"Apologize," he demanded. I let out a low growl, calculating the value of the books, wallet, and phone inside my bag, and how long it would take me to replace them if I simply walked away.

"I would rather choke on a pile of nails!" I growled, surprising even myself. I had worked tirelessly to obtain everything in that bag. "Bloody hell, Adele!" I admonished myself silently.

"That's what I thought," Jerkface said with smug satisfaction, turning to walk away. On impulse, I reached out to grab him, but one of his lanky minions held me back. Jerkface turned back to face me, a maddening smirk playing on his lips.

"I'm going to call the cops!" I yelled up at him, my voice laced with frustration and anger.

"Please, be my guest. It should be interesting," he taunted, placing a hand on Bambi's back and ushering her into the club. The lanky minion followed suit, leaving me behind on the sidewalk.

"Argh! You fucking... arse!" I unleashed a guttural growl, my anger boiling over. "You have no idea what I'm capable of... you do not want to cross me, sir!" I paused, my empty threats hanging in the air as realization struck me. The car was unattended. A slow, devilish smile stretched across my face. "Homeless, huh? I'll show you just how street-smart this urchin can be," I muttered to myself.

A few minutes later, I strode purposefully down the sidewalk, my backpack securely on my shoulders. A devilish smirk remained plastered on my face as I rounded the corner and continued walking. It was a few blocks away when a deafening explosion rocked the neighborhood, followed by the sound of gunshots. I instinctively hugged my back to the recess in the sidewall, listening as chaos erupted.

"What the hell?!" I muttered, my heart racing with a mix of fear and adrenaline.