Claimed

Chapter 8. Claimed

FEELING so breathless, Nami woke up and immediately got up as she was holding her neck using her both hands. She felt like she was stopping someone from choking her. She had a really bad dream where someone was strangling her to death. Sa sobrang sama ng kaniyang panaginip ay ramdam niya ang pananakit ng kaniyang leeg na animo'y totoong sinakal.

Mabilis na lumingon siya sa paligid at napansing nasa isang silid siya, at base sa nakita niyang medical equipments ay mukhang nasa isang ospital siya. What surprised her was the room was spacious enough to be just a hospital room. It was so comfy. Mas mukhang hotel suite ito, minus the medical equipments.

"Why am I here?" takang-tanong niya.

Narinig niyang parang may nagbukas ng pintuan kaya nahiga ulit siya, nagtalukbong sa kumot para hindi mapansin na hindi siya totoong natutulog.

Nangunot ang kaniyang noo nang wala siyang marinig na kahit anong ingay matapos magbukas ng pinto. She was about to remove the blanket when she heard someone sighed heavily.

"You're still asleep," anang baritonong tinig. "It's been twenty three hours."

Romano?

Why was he there? Wait, her biggest question at the moment was why was she at the hospital? Did she faint? And she's e asleep for almost a day already? She was not remembering what happened after she followed Kieffer Sandoval and that hot guy in the hotel. She forgot the name.

She shut her eyes tightly as she felt Romano was touching the hem of the blanket. Inayos nito iyon hanggang sa lumitaw ang mukha niya. Imbes na magmulat ay pinanindigan niyang natutulog pa rin siya nang mahimbing.

She heard him chuckled lightly which made her want to open her eyes and ask what's funny. But then she remembered she was still fake-sleeping.

Bumiling siya para talikuran ito pero mukhang nagkamali siya sa pagbiling. Pakiramdam niya ay humarap pa siya rito. Ayaw naman na niyang bumiling ulit dahil baka mas mahalatang nagtutulug-tulugan siya.

"You should rest. I'm leaving now."

Bahagya siyang umungol. Hindi rin siya sigurado kung bakit.

Ilang sandaling katahimikan ang namayani. Mukhang umalis na nga ito dahil hindi na ito nagsalita. Pero nagkamali siya dahil ilang sandali pa ay naramdaman niya ang marahang paghaplos nito sa ulo niya. Sa kaniyang buhok. He lightly tapped her shoulders, too. He kept on doing that and she felt relaxed. He went on for minutes as she moaned once or twice because that felt good. Parang namamasahe ang ulo niya sa paulit-ulit nitong paghaplos doon.

Sa laking tao nito, hindi niya inakalang ganoon kalumanay ang mga haplos nito. Nakagagaan ng pakiramdam.

Muli siyang himila ng antok hanggang sa hindi niya namalayang tuluyan na siyang nakatulog.

MABILIS na lumayo si Romano sa nahihimbing nang si Nami pagkarinig niyang may nagbukas sa pinto ng silid. Si Stone pala ang pumasok. Ito ang nagsabing idiretso ang babae sa ospital na pag-aari ng pamilya nito. He was also the one who let her in a VIP room.

"You're leaving?" puna nito dahil nakatayo siya.

Tumango na lang siya. "Take care of her."

"Alright." Pagkuwa'y ipinaalam nito sa kaniya ang idinahilan sa kakambal ni Nami. "We already fabricated her whereabouts. Her sister thinks she went to an island with a friend."

"How about that bastard?"

"Burado ang mukha." Ngumisi ito ng nakakaloko. "Binura mo."

"Tss."

"Nasa kulungan na ang gago."

Their target was Collin Israel, a notorious drug-dealer and a rapist. A murderer, too.

"Kung ako ang tatanungin, dapat sa tarantadong iyon, tinotokhang," dagdag pa ni Stone.

Siya mismo ang papatay, kung ganoon. That bastard choked people to death. He enjoyed being choked as well. With or without sexual intercourse. Kaya ganoon na lamang din kalapad ang ngisi nito nang sakalin niya kagabi.

"I have something to tell you too." Biglang sumeryoso si Stone.

Sumulyap siya kay Nami at napansing mahimbing pa rin ang tulog nito. "What is it?"

"Collin was a member of that club."

"What club?" Tumiim bagang siya dahil may kutob na siya kung anong club. Iisang club lang naman ang sinusubaybayan niya mula noong mapunta sa poder nila ang kaniyang nakababatang kapatid.

"Dionysus."

Fuck!

"That underground club where your sister got—"

"Did you find other information?" putol niya sa sasabihin nito. He didn't want to hear more about his sister's horrible past.

He shook his head. Meaning, that's all what he got. "He's just a regular customer. He's the one behind the killings of those escorts who went missing before."

He was told that the remains of those poor women were found buried at the backyard of his house. He had sex with all of them and killed them afterwards or while having sex. Through choking.

Magsasalita pa sana siya nang umungol si Nami bilang pagsuway sa kanila. Mukhang naingayan sa kanila ni Stone.

"I'll go now," bulalas niya nang sumulyap sa babae. Aalis na siya bago pa nila maistorbo nang tuluyan ang pamamahinga nito.

Subalit pagkatalikod niya't pagkalakad ng ilang hakbang palayo roon ay umungol na naman si Nami. Kakaiba na ang paraan na iyon at mabilis na dumaloy ang kaba sa kaniya. She sounded terrified.

Nang pumihit siya para tingnan ito ay mabilis nang nadaluhan ni Stone. Para siyang napako sa kinatatayuan dahil mapansin niyang nakahawak ang babae sa leeg nito na tila nanlalaban, inaalis ang nakadagan sa namumula pa ring leeg nito kahit wala naman.

Napalunok siya sa kaba nang maisip na paano kung dahil sa pag-uusap nila ni Stone tungkol sa sakal ay narinig pala iyon ng babae? What if that triggered her to think or feel that she was still being strangled by the hostage-taker?

Bahagyang nanginig ang kaniyang mga tuhod nang humagulgol ito habang sumisigaw.

"I did not see anything... I d-din't see y-your face..." nahihirapang bulalas nito. "Please let me go." Inubo-ubo pa ito pagkatapos.

Napamura si Stone habang pilit na pinapakalma si Nami.

"Look at me, sweetheart, look at my eyes," alu ni Stone dito.

Nangunot ang noo niya sa narinig.

"Hush," dagdag pa nito habang pilit na niyayakap si Nami para mapatahan.

Bigla ay para siyang nagalit sa nakita at narinig. "What the fuck are you doing?!" pasigaw na tanong niya kay Stone pero natabunan ang boses niya sa paghiyaw ni Nami.

"Hey, look at me—"

Nami screamed her lungs out. Patuloy sa pagpupumiglas para makawala kay Stone.

"It's alright, you are safe now," malumanay pang bulalas ni Stone.

Bakit parang gusto niyang suntukin ang lalaki?

"L-let me g-go..." hapong-hapo na si Nami.

Bakit ang tagal ng mga medical personnel? Kailangang kumalma na ito. Lumambot ang ekspresyon niya pagkakita rito, pulang-pula na ang mga pisngi maging ang ilong, saka ang mga mata.

"Nam..." he softly called her name as she was hysterically crying; begging for her life.

He wasn't sure if was it just him or did she suddenly stay still after he called her name. Bago pa siya makalapit ay nanlaki ang mga mata niya gaya ng panlalaki ng mga mata nito dahil sa biglang nangyari.

Gaston fucking Herrera claimed her mouth and gave her a torrid kiss... and just after a few, Nami was already responding as she slowly shut her sleepy eyes, feeling that fucking smooch the two were sharing.