CHAPTER TWELVE

CIAN

Without any fake necessities, we head to the dining room, and all through the whole meal i think about her, her reaction to our marriage, her reaction when she sees me. She will be pissed for sure. Things did not go according to her plan. I can't wait to see those very expressive eyes look at me. My brother snickers, in my direction and mutters, "pussy whipped!" That's when i realise i have a smile on my face. I roll my eyes and will the time to move faster. Soon enough, we're on yet another plane, to Santa Marta. And according to Vasquez Sr, my bride and her sister spent alot of time there when they were younger. Dario doesn't speak much, let alone look in our direction, he scrolls through his phone, but i see the way his jaw clenches as he listens in. Interesting. I'd have to get intel later. A few hours of more chit chat and a quick nap, we arrive. Cars already awaiting. "I don't think he likes his daughter very much," Nico says in a low voice. And i grunt, nodding, my brother right next to me nods also. Nico also translates a few words of the exchange between Vasquez Sr. and one of the drivers who came to pick us up. I undo a few top buttons of my shirt and loose my jacket, the weather abit too hot, i am grateful to get in the car, with ac. As the wheels roll on the road, my eyes wander to the people we pass, the stalls and shops. There's less people as we continue driving by, finally coming to a stop at yet another estate of the Vasquez family. Two men jog to the two cars and open the doors. My brother gets out first and i follow, Nico too from the front seat.

We fall in stride behind the owners of the home, the place too quiet for my liking. "Where's that girl?" Eris' father asks. The man asked motions to the right with his head, they exchange a few words and the man keeps walking to the direction he's been told. Dario and another man, his assistant per se, walk side to side on his either side. My strides fasten, because i can't wait to see her even though it has not been more than seventy two hours since i saw her, or it is because i feel like her father is a threat to her, i'm not sure. My ears, quite like my dog's perk up at a laugh, instantly knowing it's hers. "Eat that, bitch!" The smell of the beach is getting stronger as we walk, hearing music playing, i come to a stand still, all the air rushing out of my lungs. I feel my stomach drop in the best way possible, she is the first person i see, even through the glass doors. And i do step out to have a better, clearer view. A head carrying mass of full long curly brownish hair, abit of the hair sticking to her back. She's dressed in a two piece swim suit that accentuates her perfect form, from her skin to the curve of her ass. And christ, what an ass! Seeing her body like this, has my blood rushing south. She laughs, turning to her size and i have a view of her rack. I swallow hard, watching as she raises both hands, her smile wide and unguarded and a man slaps his hands on hers. That makes my attention move from her, my eyes fleeting on her surrounding. I notice the man standing next to her, in trunks alone. So is the other man and the otherv woman is also wearing. "Another sister of yours?" I ask, my eyes drifting back to my woman. Then to Dario, he shakes his head, "a friend of the family. She is off limits." He looks at each and every single one of us, to show how serious he is. Ignoring him, i take a step forward. The men chilling on the seats stand, their guns trained on me. I almost laugh, most of them did not pay any attention until i walked out, it situations were different, all of them would probably be dead. I raise my eyebrow at the one guy who i'm close to, our eyes meeting, his gun trained on my head. Dario shouts to them to put their guns down.

I look out to the play field and see my woman behind the man who'd been her partner in the volley ball game they were playing. Same situation with the other woman.

"Who is he?" i ask. Dario answers, knowing exactly who i was reffering to. "That's Carlo, he's my sister's bodyguard." I nod, stepping further into the sand. Without sparing a glance at the block, my eyes are trained on Eris. I see the furrow of her brows and i want to reach her, smoothen them, tell her everything is going to be okay. Our eyes meet and my breathe hitches, there's a swirl of emotions swimming through those brown orbs. This Carlo guy stands tall, takes a step to his right, covering my woman from my sight. He is two inches or se shorter than i am. "Move aside," i tell him calmly. "I don't take orders from you," he replies. Ignoring his statement, i give him props for not cowering right infront of me, call me cocky, but i'm sure he knows about me and the reputation i have. I pick on my nails, and repeat myself, "move aside, mate." "Like i said, last i checked i do-" he goes quiet when i see Eris hand wrap around his forearm. He nods to whatever she says to him and takes a short step to the side. Once again, my eyes meet Eris', but this time all the emotions are tucked away, those brown orbs blank like an unused canvas, even as she smirks, "couldn't get enought, i see." I shrug, playing into her hand and smile, "maybe." She rolls her eyes dramatically. The other woman comes close and grabs Eris hand, her eyes worried, "Ree, i'm going to ask Dario what's going on." She whispered, but it was loud enough for me to hear, probably to see if i will stop her from doing so. When she sees no reaction from me, she scurries away like a little mouse. I watch my girl as she watches me, her eyes roam over me, from my hair to my shoes. She looks at me again, "bruised your ego enough to total my car?" An exegerated pout is painted on her face, "i liked that car." "I'll get you a new one," i grunt. "And i didn't destroy your car." She rolls her eyes. "Nor your apartment."

She raises her brow, not quite beleiving me. "Roarke did, i've dealt with it. You really know how to find trouble." She snickers, crossing her hands across her chest, "so you're here to cash in the favour for finding my arsonist?" I mirror her pose, ignoring how my eyes dip down to her now raised tits every once in a few seconds. She has a stone necklace hanging on her neck, the stone comfortably sitting between her perfect tits. Lucky fucker. "Oh my God, you can't do that!" the other girl shouts, probably at Dario. Eris looks away from me, to them, her eyebrows furrowed. I study her face closely, the purse of her lips when she pulls her bottom lip in her mouth, her left cheek looks abit swollen, and a small bruise stands out. Without thinking, i grab her chin, turn her head to the side, for sure her side is swollen, I turn her face to the other side and it mirrors the right cheek. We're both quiet, as my eyes scan the rest of her body, my hand still on her chin, i look back into her eyes, taking a small step even closer my body vibrating with anger, "who did this to you?" She takes a step back, i choose not to crowd her, not with the energy im radiating, instead, i keep my hand on her chin, steady, firm, but soft, "love, i never ask twice. But i will. Who the fuck marked your perfect skin?" She wraps her small hand around my wrist, pushind my hand away from her face, "it's nothing. I'm fine." Reluctantly, i withdraw my hand from her face, then face the rest of the people in our vicinity, my eyes landing on the woman, Eris' friend, i point towards her, making eye contact with her, "who did this?" Her gaze shifts from mine, to the man beside her, to my fiancee, to her father and back to me.