Adam was angry—pissing mad, in fact, and he was beyond ready to have it out with Simon.

Adam marched to the security room and knocked on the door. Jack poked his head out and asked, “Yes, Mr. Black?”

“Has Simon left the grounds?”

Jack shook his head. “If he did, he didn’t sign out.”

“You know where he is?”

“Nope. Haven’t seen him all morning.”

“Thanks,” Adam replied.

Jack’s “Check his room!” drifted toward Adam’s back as Adam made his way to the staff’s quarters. He gained the second story landing and stalked to Simon’s room. He pounded on the door. A moment later, Simon yanked it open and sneered. “Bloody hell, Black. It was just training.”

Adam barged into Simon’s suite, forcing Simon to take a step back.

“What the fuck?! Get out of my room!” Simon yelled.

Adam shoved Simon, knocking him backward. Simon danced as he caught his balance and dropped into a defensive posture.

“Siktir! What were you thinking?” Adam growled. “Groping Rachel? Beating her? You knew she couldn’t fight you. She’s a civilian.”

“I wasn’t fighting a civilian; I was training a recruit,” Simon spat back, “Your recruit.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean: she’s useless and no help to the Order and shouldn’t be here.”

“Bullshit,” Adam growled.

“She’s unnecessary,” Simon reiterated.

“No recruit is unnecessary, least of all her. She is an asset and you know it.”

“An asset? Ha! More like a piece of arse! Some dumb bird who whored herself out to you and got caught when the Org came knocking.”

“Dammit, Simon! She’s not a wh—”

“Fuck you, Black! I’ll talk about that bitch—” but that was as far as Simon made it before Adam’s fist connected with Simon’s mouth. Simon pressed his fingers to his lip, smearing the blood which welled from the split. Simon grinned and jumped at Adam, tackling him, and knocking him backward. The momentum slammed Adam into Simon’s dresser. The edge dug into Adam’s side. Adam’s kidney protested, and he wheezed out a groan as he brought his knee into Simon’s stomach. Simon let go with a gasp and staggered back.

Simon feigned to the right, sent a jab to the left, but Adam dodged the punch. A quick series of return strikes had Simon back peddling. After the fifth blocked punch, Adam kicked and knocked Simon’s arm to the side, giving him the opening he needed. Adam punched Simon and caught him in the chest with his left fist. Simon took a step back, gasping for air.

Before Adam could pull his hand back, Simon caught it and twisted it painfully. Adam grit his teeth and attempted to shake Simon loose. Simon, though, was prepared and he pulled Adam’s arm across his body, dragging him closer, and kicked him, catching Adam in the stomach with his foot. Adam tensed his abdomen, expecting the blow, but he still reeled from the impact.

Simon dropped his leg and attempted to sweep Adam’s feet out from under him. Adam deftly hopped over Simon’s leg and, as he jumped, he caught the dresser. Using it as a pivot point to get airborne, Adam caught Simon in the chest with both feet, forcing him backward again. Simon hit the bed, lost his balance, and fell onto it. As he landed, he rolled backwards and came to his feet on the other side. Simon hurdled back over it. As he barreled toward Adam, he unsheathed his blade at his side.

“Simon—” Adam warned in a low voice. When Simon didn’t check his advance, Adam drew his own knife from its sheath.

“Adam! Simon! Enough!” Ella bellowed from the doorway.

Not going to happen, Ella.

In Adam’s peripheral vision, he saw Ella crouch, her blade ready. “You are acting like children. Stand down!”

Simon took a slicing swing at Adam. As Adam sidestepped, Ella hopped between them. She shoved Simon in the chest, checking his knife strike with the edge of her own. He stumbled back and caught the bed with the back of his knees, which forced him to sit down, hard.

“Stay there, Hashashin,” Ella commanded him with her blade at his nose. “Isaac, get your boy!”

When had Isaac arrived? Adam thought as he straightened.

“Hallway. Now,” Isaac barked.

Adam glared at Isaac as he stalked toward him. When Adam reached him, Isaac grabbed his left arm and yanked him closer. Chest to chest, Isaac growled, “You fool!”

“Simon went too far—”

“And that gives you the right to get into a knife fight with him?”

“You saw what he did to Rachel!”

“Yes, and you’re supposed to let me, or Ms. Mori handle it.”

“Like you handled her isolation?”

“That was different. I was well within—”

“No, it wasn’t,” Adam snapped. “Now let me go.”

“No,” Isaac responded with a minute shake to Adam’s arm. “I will not let you further destroy your career. Remember you are already under investigation. Don’t add ‘attacking another Hashashin with intent to kill’ to the list of your faults.”

“How can I let it go when he will not?” Adam retorted. “If he needs to fight me to assuage his grief and anger, let him do it, but I won’t let him beat Rachel.” Adam shook off Isaac’s grip and reentered Simon’s room.

“Back off,” Ella ordered, her tone as chilly as he’d ever heard it and Adam halted. Appearing satisfied with him, Ella then turned her ire on Simon. “You overstepped your bounds, Hashashin. You disgrace me and all your fellow Hashashin when you attack someone like Rachel. She wasn’t recruited to be a Hashashin and you have no right to treat her like a third-year novice.”

“She was recruited so that he could fuck her with impunity,” Simon spat back. “I don’t give two shites if he’s following the rules about it, now, or not. Why is the Order making an exception for him? He doesn’t deserve it!”

“Simon—” Ella paused to rub her face. “Attacking Adam and beating Rachel isn’t going to bring Lee back. He’s dead, Simon. You have to mourn and let go.”

“Lee shouldn’t have died that night,” Simon yelled at Adam around Ella, “You should have, you bastard! You and your inability to listen to your superiors or follow their orders. You care for no one’s skin but your own!” Simon’s voice wavered.

“He was my friend too,” Adam answered tightly, unable to say anything else to defend himself.

Simon cursed him in at least three different languages. With a scowl, Ella waved to Isaac and Adam, indicating they should leave. Isaac tugged on Adam’s arm to get him moving. As they cleared the door, Adam yanked himself free of Isaac’s grasp and mumbled, “Fuck off” before he stalked down the hall toward the stairs.

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