Lina
At first I don't let the noise bother me.
So painfully tired.
However the sounds persists so much that I eventually have no other choice but to open my eyes. Reluctanlty might I add.
The noise stops all of a sudden. Thank God.I wamt to go back to sleep but I'm curious.
What the hell was that noise? And what had caused it?
I sit up on the bed and tried to remember what the noise had been through a sleep induced fog.
I yawn sleepily.
I don't remember but I think it worried me a little. Should I investigate, I wonder?
Neh, I think.It's probably Cameron getting a late night snack or something, I decide lazily.
I pull the sheet tighter about me, crash my head on the pillow and close my eyes again. I snap my them open again when I hear two scary sounds, a loud thud followed by a groan of agony.
I sit upright on the bed again.
Maybe he's watching a movie?
A little hesitantly, I remove the duvet from my pink pyjama covered body and swing my legs from the bed.I then shove my feet in my slippers before I stand up and make my way towards the door. Slowly.
I open the door quietly. Not that I'm worried, Just in case.
I gasp when I encounter a cat.
Oh this must be Charlie, Cameron's cat. It's very adorable-I've always had a thing for pets.Howeved it's fur is completely black.
They say that it's a bad sign, I think worriedly.
Almost immediately, I chuckle inwardly.
I'm being so silly.
There's nothing to be worried about, I think as I wave goodbye to the kitty and move through the hallway towards the living room
Not like burglars are going to attack on my first night here. Even my luck isn't that terrible.
I'm fretting over nothing.
I'm sure that there is a perfectly good explanation for those loud, scary and worrying sounds.
As I get closer, I start to hear different voices emanating from the living room.
Ha! I think in triumph.
He really is just watching a movie. Cameron and I are the only ones in the house so that means that the strange, tense voices I'm listening to are the product of a movie being palyed at high volumes.
Emboldened by that logical explanation, I walk faster to the living room, with every intention of giving Cameron a piece of my mind.
What the hell is he thinking?
How could he be so inconsiderate as to watch a loud movie at such high volumes while I was sleeping? Did he forget I was here, I ask myself?
I was starting to get angry. I loved sleep time so fucking much.
Remember to try and be cool Lina,I tell myself. You're still living under his roof so don't give him too much shit.
I take a deep breath before stepping into the living room.
"Cameron!" I begin a bit too strongly," What.."
I don't get to finish the sentence as the lights suddenly come on,startling me.
I take the scene in with a glance and scream at the top of my lungs.
Bruno, my ex who I'm supposed to never hear from again is sitting on Cameron's black couch, long legs crossed. Cameron himself was behind Bruno in his blue silk pyjamas, with a bleeding nose. He's only a standing only because a bulky guy wearing a stoic expression put him in a seemingly unbreakable chokehold. I notice another lean one on Bruno's left who's looking at me with an unreadable expression.
Without meaning to, my screams fade away, leaving only a heavy silence in it's wake, one that's only interrupted by Cameron's occasional gasp for breath.
"Are you done?" the expressionless devil inquires with a raised eyebrow. And he does look like a devil wearing a black shirt, black trousers and shiny black boots. The only thing that's reveals that he's really human is a white cast on his left hand.
He's been injured.
How ?I wonder. He looks so invincible.
My breaths, like Cameron starts coming out in gasps.
I don't get it. I ran away and left the country.The continent...
How did he...
"I told you that you wouldn't be able to escape me," Bruno says to me with a rare ,
smug curve of his lips.
"I admire your courageus spirit though,"he adds with a serious but mocking expression.
Tears of fear and frustration spring to my eyes. Everything I did was waste of my time.
Probably his too...
I start to shake all over. I cast a concerned glance at poor Cameron who looks barely conscious.
Bad fucking move.
Bruno notices it.
His nostrils flare and his mouth twitches.
"My cousin has nothing to do with this. Please don'thurt him," I ask Bruno pleadingly.
"That's where you're wrong, precious. You involved him " he tells me pointing an accusing finger at me.
"You're sleeping in his home instead of mine. Because he helped you run from me he has something to do it alright."
I shake my head desperately.
"He didn't know anything,I swear. Please let him go!" I say I notice Cameron trying to escape the tall man's grip in vain.
Oh my God.What have I done?
Bruno's jaw tightens.
"So much concern for this man. Are you sure that he's only a cousin to you?" he asks in an icy tone, his brown eyes devoid of any emotion.
" Don't be disgusting. Cameron is family to me and nothing else," I hiss at him."You don't need to worry about that."
"Every man in your life is a worry to me precious," he says seriously before standing up. He walks over to me with a hand in his pocket. Slowly, like a predator. I want to move backwards but I think about Cameron and that keeps me firmly rooted to where I'm standing. I don't want to make Bruno angrier than he already is. Who knows what he might do next.
He stops infront of me and leans foward until his face is only inches from mine. If I moved my face a bit further I'm sure that my lips would meet his.
My breathing starts to come out faster. I'm scared of of so many things at once.
"You put me through a lot of trouble with this stunt of yours,Lina" he tells me with a pissed expression. I want scream at him that all this is all his fault as he kept coming at me like a psychopath.
I hold my tongue though as he's holding the life of my cousin hostage. I don't want to make him angry enough to have him killed.
Could he kill him? I wonder.
I'm fairly sure that he wouldn't hurt me but
Cameron...I feel like he wouldn't bat an eyelash. He clearly harbours a jealous anger towards him.
When you think men can't get sillier...
"I'm...I'm sorry, " I tell him, trying to placate him and maybe get him to simmer down. On another day, one where he isn't holding my cousin's life in his hands, I'd probably slap him .
"Trying to appeal to my better side. Still so naive, precious," he says, removing his hand from his pocket so that he can caress my face with the uninjured hand.
"Im sorry to tell you but sorry is not going to cut it right now,precious. You need to learn lesson in obedience" he says before turning to the lean guy and nodding at him.
The man does not say anything and insteads moves towards the spot where Cameron is being choked by the other guy. He then punches Cameron in the stomach.
I let out a scream louder than Cammy's grunt of pain.The guy then starts hitting Cammy in different places while he's helpless to defend himself.
"Stop it," I yell moving towards them quickly to try and protect Cameron.
A pair of hands reach for me and trap me so that I can't move foward. Bruno then holds me close to him,his breath in my ear.
Still struggling with his fierce grip," I say, Why are you punishing him? He didn't do aything against you."
"This isn't for him. It's for you so that you understand that you belong with me and me only. "
At that I start crying. Crying because I had brought this on poor innocent Cameron. Crying because I was trapped in hell with no way out.
When Cameron doesn't make a sound, the guy finally leaves him and stops his physical assualts.The other guy let's go of him. Cameron falls on the floor with a loud thud, his face and blue silk pygamas covered in blood.
I'm grateful when darkness starts to cloud my vision. I welcome it gladly.
BRUNO
I'm unpleasantly surprised when Lina goes slack in my arms. Eyes wide, I turn her over so that I can see her face.
Her eyes are closed.
She fainted. Atleast I think that she did.
To be sure, I start inspecting her body, checking for more damage.
Clear.
I relax when I check her breathing which is all but normal.
She's fine, I tell myself. Unconscious but fine.
Relieved, I pick her light weight up and carry her in my arms. I try not let the scent of roses with a hint of vanilla affect me.
I'm not happy with her right now.
I imagine she felt the same...
Making sure that my injured had was experiencing less force, I turned to Chase who was watching me as if hypnotized.
"You didn't kill him,right" I ask, gesturing with my head to the pile of dead on the floor.
"No, sir. I was careful. He'll recover," Chase assures me.
I nod while my face is fixed on Lina's face.
I don't think she'd forgive me if he died. I'm not sure she'll forgive me now but it doesn't matter. I did what I had to do.
"Good. Pablo, pick him up.You're taking him to the hospital.And Chase, get a clean up crew in here, pronto," I order them.
"Yes sir," they both answer simultaneously.
I watch as Pablo does as I instruct and carries Rivera on his shoulders.
Nodding in satisfaction, I say"Let's go then boys. I got what I came for."
Chase nods to me before going ahead of us to open the doors. Pablo follows behind us.
We walk in the corridor in silence, only the sound of our shoes audible. The elevator is unoccupied when it opens. No surprise, It's nearly middle of the night.
I really did consider doing this in the morning but after seeing that picture, I just couldn't wait anymore. I had to have her again before she escaped me again. Before she ended up in another man's arms.
The elevator stops and we stride towards the door. The doorman amd security let us out without question.
We paid them a lot of money and made some serious threats so that they can unsee us.
There are three SUV's waiting for us in the parking lot.
Pablo makes his way to the first one to join my driver and his tech guy who without a doubt, must ve hacked the hotel security systems and wiped out all of tonight's footage.
The second one has three guys who Chase "suggested " that I bring as backup.
Chase himself gets behind the wheel of the third SUV while I get in the back, holding an unconsious Lina in my hands. I refuse to look at her.
Did I enjoy what I did? No. But it had been necessary. Lina had to get it through her stubborn head that there was no separating me and her from now on. She and I were forever.
I replay tonight's events in my mind to make sure that I didn't leave any loose ends. For the first time in a long time, it occurs to me that I did. It had the name of Cameron Rivera.
Well, I couldn't very well kill him, I tell myself. That would be more trouble than it was worth. But, I could shut him up some other way, I think, the gears in my mind turning.
I didn't like it but i would do it since it would ease the path for me and Lina's relationship
I would do anything to ensure that she accepted me in the fastest time possible That meant no distracting sideshows for the both of us.