50

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[Danskie Montpellier]

"Are you fine?" JC asked me on the driver's seat. Natakasan na namin ang mga police na humahabol sa'min. I looked at him. Gosh. I hate his face being so handsome!

He asked me 'are you fine'. I asked myself, am i really fine? I sobbed. "i don't know" sagot ko sa kaniya. Tahasan kong pinunasan ang mga luha ko. Ayokong umiiyak ako.

"You're crying" he worriedly said. Yumuko ako para hindi niya makita ang pag-iyak ko. Alam niyo bang ang hirap palang huminga kapag pinipigilan mo pag-iyak mo? Tapos ngayon sumasabay naman na ang uhog. Tsk.

Seconds passed then napahagulhol na'ko. Why? I'm so afraid of what will happen next. Will i be killed? Will we be killed with JC? Hindi ko alam.

Sa sobrang inis ko na hindi malaman ang mangyayari, hinampas hampas at sinuntok ko ang dashboard. Marahas kong inulit ulit yun hanggang sa magdugo ang aking kamao. JC stopped the car and held my hand. Sandali akong napahinto pero kinuha ko ang kamay ko at pinagpatuloy ang pananakit sa walang kasalanang dashboard.

"W-we will be killed JC!!! Aaahh!! Argh!!!" sinuntok ko pa hanggang sa may tumutulo nang dugo sa baba. JC hugged me. So tight.

"Danskie enough. You're hurting. Nothing will happen if you keep hurting yourself" kakalas na sana ako but he hugged me tighter.

"Please, don't hurt yourself. It's hurting me more" nanlambot ang puso ko when he said that. Lalo tuloy akong napaiyak. Niyakap ko din siya ng mahigpit.

"JC, we will die" nanghihina kong sabi.

"We will not. I promise. I won't let it happen. Trust me" he whispered to my ear. He caressed my back as he hug me tight.

When he assured i'm fine, he let go of me then lay his back on his seat. He stared at me. Naglabas siya ng panyo mula sa loob ng tuxedo niya. He wept my tears gently.

"Shhh... Don't cry. I hate it" naiirita niyang sabi. Tuloy eh kinuha ko ang panyo na nasa kamay niya saka marahas na pinunasan ang mga luha ko ng mabilisan.

He cupped my cheeks with his both hands then faced it to him. "Iyan. Ang pangit mo na. Aishh. Iyak iyak pa kase"

Sinimangutan ko lang siya tapos sumandal sa upuan ko. Pinanood ko na lang ang labas. Wala na pala kami sa Veracruz. Nasa isang tangway kami. Tsk. Alam niyo bang ayaw na ayaw ko sa dagat? Hindi niyo alam malamang. Basta! Ayoko sa dagat! Ang alat alat eh!

Busy ako sa pag-iisip na maalat ang dagat nang may humuli sa kamay ko. I looked at it then saw JC holding my hand. I secretly smiled. Kinikilig ako eh.

Sa dulo ng tunnel ay isang malawak na highway. Sa kalagitnaan ng highway, we entered another way that's away from the highway. He drove 2 kms more before we reached a huge brown gate. The gate openned automatically after tracing JC's car. Maybe he owns this property malamang, pinapasok kami ng portero eh.

"Let's stay here tonight" he shortly announced before leaving my hand. Bubuksan ko sana ang pinto nang pigilan niya'ko. "Don't open that door yet. Let me, please?"

Tumango ako. Psh. Kelan ba siya nagpaka-gentleman sa'kin? Ngayon. Ngayon lang.

Umikot siya papunta sa'kin. He opened my door then lend his hand on me. I reached for his hand then he guided me going inside the mansion.

The mansion's type was that of Greek Revival. Madilim sa loob, malamang walang katao-tao. He opened the 15 feet black door then opened the switch. The mansion was painted white and obvious na matagal na'to because of moss that could be seen. Pati nga ang railing na paakyat dito ay medyo kinakalawang na. Sa porch neto may nakakalat pang dried leaves na mula sa magkatapat sa magkabilanh dulo na puno sa papasok ng compound. Nang mabuksan ang ilaw, bumungad ang medyo madungis-medyo lang ha- na mga furnitures at sahig.

I laid my finger on the black wood on the entrance and traced how much the dust was. Napakakapal. Maganda sana ang interior that's mainly colored white kaso napabayaan. Almost all the furnitures are covered with white cloth.

"Grabe namang bahay 'to JC! So dirty!" i commented.

He chuckled. "No one lays a hand on this house, excpet me" he said then led me upstairs. Pa-ikot ikot ang hagdan na may maalikabok na hawakan. May nakikita pa akong ipis! Yaks!

"Ba't ba kasi hindi mo pinapalinis 'tong bahay na'to? Wala ka na bang ma-hire na housekeeper para bigyan kita?" inis kong tugon nang makakita nanaman ng ipis.

"Tsk. After Dad died, i have no time to decide for things like this. I was so young when i took over his mafia. I want more to be trained than to focus on our real state. Minsan napapantuunan ko naman ng pansin ang mga properties namin but those only at our mansion at Los Pericos and Hurtspun. Favorites ko kasi ang mga yun eh" he answered.

Dinala niya'ko sa isang room na malinis-linis. Buti naman may malinis linis pa.

"Rooms here are actually closed. Wala sa'kin ang susi so we'll be sleeping at one room" he informed.

"What?!? Bakit mo kasi pinasara tapos wala palang susi? Ano kayang klasing kabobohan yun?" tugon ko.

Wow ha Danskie. Ngayon ka pa mag-iinarte eh sa unit niyo nga gabi gabi kayong nagtatabi!

Eh iba naman kasi doon at dito. Kita mo nga hindi pa'ko nakakabihis tsaka ligo at saka kain!!! Shit bigla tuloy akong nagutom.

"Don't worry we'll not be sleeping in one bed" he said. I feel relieved. "I'll be sleeping in this bed then you will sleep there" he continued pointing the long white sofa.

Nanlaki ang butas ng aking ilong. Pumayag ka na Danskie! Atleast hindi kayo magkatabi diba. Humiga ako doon nang may suot na sapatos. Inunan ko ang kamay ko saka pinagmasdan ang kisame. Ang ganda naman ng ilaw dito. Atleast may ganda pa rin pala tong maduming bahay na'to.

JC laughed. "Hoy joke lang yun. As if naman makakatulog ka diyan. Lika na dito" pinagpag niya ang tabing space.

Napangiti ako.

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[Danskie Montpellier]

Napangiti ako. I stood up from laying then went out the door. I heard JC calling me but i just want to take some precious air. Hindi katulad sa loob na may masamang nakakapikon talaga na aura ni JC. Kainis yun!

Bumaba ako ng hagdan tapos lumabas ng malaking itim na pinto. I stood at the porch. Mag mamadaling araw na pala. Kamusta na kaya yung si Dad? Nahuli kaya siya? Sigh.

Naramdaman ko ang presensya ni JC. Tsk. Nadedetect ko na siya ngayon ah. I smirked. Ba't ba niya'ko sinundan dito? Of course, to pester.

"Why you here?" i asked. He asked the same question to me. Inirapan ko siya.

"Hey,,, i didn't mean to joke like that! I just want to see your reaction" he said. Why is he explaining? Baliw hahaha.

"Wala akong paki"

"Galit ka?"

"Hindi"

"Tsk. Galit ka eh"

"Hindi nga"

"You're mad"

"Isa. Hindi nga sabi eh. Nagagalit na'ko JC!"

"See. You're mad"

I stared at him. He stared at me too. Parehas lang namin pinagmamasdan ang mata ng isa't isa. Ang gwapo niya talaga. Bakit ganun? Sobrang gwapo niya.

"I heard you" he said.

"Heard what?" did i think out loud? Tanginang bunganga 'to pahamak.

"You said i'm handsome. Super handsome" ngiting ngiti niyang sabi. Pinalo ko ang hangin.

"Naniwala ka naman"

"Of course i am. Ikaw nagsabi eh." he can't stop smiling. Sira na yata labi nito. He turned infront. "ANG GWAPO KO DAW SABI NI DANSKIE!!!!!!"

"Stop that. Parang yun lang eh!" sinuntok ko siya sa braso. He looked at me then looked infront.

"HINDI NIYA ALAM LAHAT NG BABAE SINASABI SA'KIN YUN!!!!" sigaw niya. Tsk. Yabang.

"Tumigil ka nga! Ano ngayon kung gwapo ka?" inirapan ko pa siya.

"Wala. Crush mo'ko" luh. Crush ko daw siya. Crush mo ba siya Danskie? Crush na crush!!

"Ish. Balik ka na nga sa loob siguro kulang ka lang sa tulog" pagtataboy ko sa kaniya.

"Ayieeeeee~ crush niya'ko~" tuwang tuwa niyang bigkas. Sinusundot pa'ko sa tagiliran. Ako naman umiilag.

"Stop it JC!" natatawa kong sabi. Stop daw eh gustong gusto naman. Tumigil nga siya. Ba't siya tumigil? Kasi sinabi mo. Tanga ka talaga minsan.

Lumayo siya sa'kin tapos sumandal sa railing. He looked at the chandelier here outside. Bigla ata siyang nalungkot. Ganiyan na ba siya ka-moody? Sinabihan ko lang ng stop it JC! nagkakaganyan na siya? Abno.

"Huy! Pikon ka?" i approached him.

He looked at me. "Crush mo parin kaya ako when you will know the truth?" he asked. Know the truth what?

I just stared at him. Parang kasi may sasabihin siya. Hindi ko lang matansiya kung ano. Basta may sasabihin siya.

"Remember when we first met? I said, smoking kills lady" he smiled bitterly. I'm just waiting him to tell more nang may butil ng luha na dumaloy sa mata niya.

Pupunasa ko ba luha niya? Wag na. Kaya na niya yan. Malaki na siya.

"Promise me pag nalaman mo crush mo parin ako ha" he said looking at me. Tsk. As if naman crush ko siya. Crush na crush ko nga siya eh.

"Oi magpromise ka" tawag niya ulit nang di ako sumasagot ng ilang segundo.

"Oo na. Sige. Promise"

"Pinky swear" he lift up his pinky finger. I rolled my eyes. Ano kayang klaseng pangongontrata 'to?

I put my pinky together with his. Pinagdugtong namin ang thumbs namin. Childish pala 'to eh.

He took a deep inhalation. "Dad died two years ago" he started. "After that he left me the mafia"

"Yes. I know. Na-kwento mo na sa'kin iyan"

"But you know less" he immediately answered. I looked at him waiting for him to tell his next thing. "In that two years, hindi lang pamumuno ng mafia ang natutunan ko. Hindi lang pamamahala ng legion ang inatupag ko"

He turned his back to me. "I'm not a bad man. I... I was just hurt. I love my Dad so much even if, even if he tried to put my girl away"

My girl away. He's referring to Lowie. Hindi naman lingid sa kaalaman ko na naging sila noon eh. Kaso di ko alam kung pa'no sila nagkahiwalay.

"My girl left me. I thought that was the worst scenario in my life but no. It was just a piece of land in my world that collapsed. Also that day, my whole world crumbled. Not because of her, but because of him"

Him in his sentence refers to his, Dad? Maybe that day his Dad died after Lowie leaving him. Sad.

"I was there, but i can't help. I was there, but i can't interfere. I had no chance to take the gun and him out. Him who killed my Dad. I was just a piece of dirt compared to that god. I wish,,,," he cried. I went near him and caressed his back gently.

Pinigilan niya ang sarili niyang umiyak. Tumingin siya sa malayo. "Throughout the years, i'm making the best layout. A counter attack for that man who killed my Dad. I want justice. I want Dad to be happy. I just want... If i can just shot him out by going, breaking through his territory but i can't. That's why i made a master plan" his tears stopped flowing.

Bumaling siya sa'kin. "Danskie, have you tried using something for a plan?" he asked me.

Mukhang alam ko na where is this going. Despite of that, i still want to hear from him. Handa naman akong tanggapin kahit na ano yun eh. Sana lang maintindihan ko.

"Cause you're experiencing that thing the whole time you encountered me" he seriously said. That's it! I confirmed.

"Hugh. I know the feeling but i have no idea about the reason. Is it, i have a part on your Dad's killing?" i asked.

"None. But your Dad nailed it" he declared. I halted. I can't speak. I can't move.

DAD KILLED HIS DAD. Ngayon, i understand everything. He said some but i can see every angle. His Dad was killed by my Dad. He was there that time. How did i know? He said just a while ago i was there, but i can't help. I was there but i can't interfere. He took over his Dad's throne at a young age. As he took his throne, he made a plan. A plan to resback dad. For him able to clench the thirst of his Dad's justice. Yes. He's not a bad man. He was just hurt.

My part there was, "I made you my medium. You are the password to that vault. The vault of revenge and justice" he added. "My plan was to make you fall inlove with me and marry you in an early age. When i executed that, i can took over some of your empire's conquered mafias and add them to mine. I'll expand mine until i occupy that of yours"

"Marry me? Tsk. That's absurd. I told myself never marry" i chortled. Totoo naman eh. Nung bata pa'ko sinabi ko kay Dreina na hinding hindi ako magpapakasal. Naglalaro kasi kami noon ng kasal-kasalan. Yung life size niyang manika yung groom namin. We always play at the garden like that.

He scoffed. "Really? So i changed my plan. I will kill his allies to bring him down. I successfully made it. But, not his top position minions." sumandal siya sa railing at tinignan ako.

"I played as Louivee" his words from his mouth.

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