face to face

“Sir, we have him already,” Jex informed me.

I stopped pouring the milk in the glass when I heard what he said. I glanced at Femella who has put all her focus on building the puzzle. She crashed to the floor wearing my t-shirt. It’s been three days since she’s been with me and so far, she’s recovering fast.

“Did you file the necessary charges? I want him forever locked.”

The contents of the milk carton were thrown away by the tightness of my grip on it. Femella’s appearance that night played on my mind. She’s pale, almost lifeless in my arms. That image will keep me haunted forever and it’s all because of that man. He’s going to pray to whoever his god is because I’m just not going to stop here. I know this is deeper than this. I strongly believe that the conversation I witnessed between Lagma and Fem had something to do with what happened.

“Yes, sir. Already taken care of.”

“Good. I’ll be there.”

I ended the call and wiped up the clutter on the counter. I took out another carton of milk out of the fridge again and poured it into the glass. I brought it and the plate of cake to Femella who was squinting while staring at the scattered puzzle pieces. She was like a child sitting on the floor biting its lip. I sat down next to her and patted her thigh.

“Eat first. These won’t run.”

I straightened her messy hair and pinned it to her ear.

“Are you sure it’s complete? Maybe there’s something left in the box or did you hide the other pieces?”

She glanced at me in disbelief.

I laughed softly.

“That’s complete. I even finished it earlier, remember?”

She bit her lip again.

“But why can’t I complete it?”

She stared at the puzzle pieces before picking up one and placing it on the board to form the ear of the figure. She looked at me and gestured to the generated image then showed me her arm and caressed it. A proud smile is etched on her face.

“I’m not really that rusty yet. I used to enjoy solving puzzles way back in college.”

I lifted one knee and placed one of my arms on it.

“Really? What degree did you take up in college?”

“You didn’t know? I thought you had me investigated?”

She took the glass and drank from it.

“I didn’t read the full report. I want you to tell me about yourself.”

“Isn’t it unfair? I already know almost everything about you.”

I took a puzzle piece and glued it to the right side of the puzzle board.

“You only know the physical details about me. The basic ones. You only know me from afar. You still don’t fully know me. I am more than the person the media projects me to be. In the four years you’ve been monitoring me, do you really think you have known the real me? “

She looked me in the eyes and shook her head.

“No. The information I gathered from you didn’t do you any justice at all. You’re much more arrogant than I thought you were.”

She grinned.

I smiled too.

“You know you have a sharp tongue, don’t you?”

“I obviously know. I also know it’s one of the reasons why you fancy over me. You attract good stuff and I happen to be the cream of the crop.”

The corner of my lip rose.

“My, my. What do we have here? An arrogant man and a woman who’s so full of herself.”

She rolled her eyes on me before taking the spoon and starting to eat the cake. I just watched her enjoy the cake.

“So answer my question,” I coaxed her.

She swallowed the cake first and drank the milk before she answered me.

“Journalism. I took Journalism in college so I know how to ask the right and controversial questions.”

“Cool. Now I know that I have a girlfriend with excellent journalistic skills. Sounds scary but I can bear with that. Do you still talk to your friends in college? Hang-out? We could probably arrange you to meet with them. “

She gave me an amused eye.

“Mav, the kind of life I’ve been living for years doesn’t warrant me to have friends. I can barely get through studying in an exclusive university thanks to a college trust fund without students asking about my connection with Alcantaras. Of course, I denied any relationship with them. It’s what I thought to be the only way to survive back then. To be invisible. So no friends. “

Femella is just smiling the whole time she’s telling me those at me as if it didn’t matter to her at all. But I know better. In just a short span of living with her, I’ve been able to read her. I know when she’s really happy, sad or angry. I have been able to register even the slightest change in her behavior. Her lips are smiling but her eyes say otherwise. I don’t know what to think first. The fact that she’s trying to hide her emotions to appear tough is one thing. Femella refusing to trust me with her feelings is another.

I pulled her closer to me and kissed her. I want to erase the sadness in her face. I want to replace the unpleasant memories with great ones. She was caught off guard but responded immediately. I kissed her hard, nipping his lower lip in the process. I tasted the creaminess of the milk and the sweetness of the cake in her mouth. My hand went down to her ass.and gently laid her on the carpeted floor without interrupting the kiss. Our bodies are moving in a rhythm, seeking for the familiar rush of emotions that got us burning in desire.

I looked down at her. Her eyes mirrored mine. She wants me as much as I want her.

“Do you still want me?” she asked, quivering. “You know you haven’t … we haven’t … oh geez this is embarrassing! Forget I asked you that.”

She averted her gaze from me and covered her face.

I rubbed my obvious arousal on her thighs, took off her hands on her face and lunged at her lips again for a sweet agonizing kiss. She wrapped her arms around my neck and responded as passionately.

“Don’t ever doubt the way I want you, Fem. It’s an insult to my loyal friend down here.”

The two of us looked down at the soldier who wanted to get out of its confinement already. She giggled while blushing. She pulled me by the neck and kissed me sweetly. I was not satisfied with what she did so I pressed my lips on her for a deeper kiss. A moan came out of her mouth. I began to undress her, not minding the ringing of my phone. I ignored it and kept kissing her but it won’t stop. Laughing, Femella pushed me away before she took the cellphone out of my pocket and showed me the alarm. The fucking alarm once again.

Annoyed, I sat down and helped her to sit down as well. I exhaled sharply and turned off the phone.

“I better go.”

I stayed still.

She grinned at me.

“Yeah, you should.”

I rubbed its cheek.

“You won’t ask me where I’m going?”

“No. I trust you.”

I smiled while I reached for her chin.

“I hope you can also trust me with your past, present, and future. Your fears and sadness. All of it. I can deal with them for you. Be bare with me. At this point, it’s not just your clothes I want to take off. I want your mind and soul naked before me. “

I kissed her temple and stood up.

“I’ll be back.”

When I came out of the unit, Jex was already waiting for me. We rode the elevator down the parking lot. We convoyed to the precinct. Along the way, I carefully analyzed the situation. I didn’t rule out the possibility that someone from the group is toying on us. I clenched my jaws. Bad move. He messed with the wrong person

The vehicle stopped at the police station followed by my men in the back. We were greeted by the police chief who took us to a room where the suspect was temporarily detained. I gestured at Jex to remain outside.

I took the envelope he gave me and entered the door. I saw the man in handcuffs sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. He looked up upon hearing the door open. I studied his appearance.

The man was tall, dark -skinned and large in stature. Femella wouldn’t have a stand with him in case a struggle happened. I gazed at him with pure contempt.

I unbuttoned the man’s collar and counted the scales of his tattoo. Three. I smirked. I took a chair and sat in front of him. The guy has no reaction. I took the key inside the envelope and released her. He seemed surprised.

I opened the envelope and read what was written. I took a deep breath.

“Froilan Jacinto, 25 years old, no girlfriend and wife, and a member of El Draconem for three years. Flat information. Useless.”

I barely looked at the man who still had no reaction.

“I know you wouldn’t talk. Years of training taught you that. My father, may he rest in peace, made sure of the quality of El Draconem men. So how about this.”

I took the other paper inside the envelope and handed it to him. He just stared at it but he didn’t take it.

“Oh, now you don’t want to see your mother? But according to reports, you were looking for her? Would your mother be proud to visit you in a penitentiary?”

I grinned at him.

“How about your sister? Would she be happy if she saw her hero brother inside the jail?”

The guy’s face went dead murderous at the mention of her sister. He snapped and before I knew it, he was lurching on me with his fist. I quickly dodged his blow and punched the man in the face. His jaw started to bleed immediately. I’ve been meaning to do that ever since I entered the door. I just don’t like an enemy without any challenge.

I unbuttoned the first button on my shirt and stepped forward. I rarely engaged in a fistfight outside my training schedule and matches with Gideon but I could definitely bring down this guy. I’m not the son of the founder of El Draconem for nothing.

“I’ve never liked violence but you crossed the line the moment you touched Femella.”

I took another calculated step and tactically locked him using my arms while kicking his sheen. He managed to free himself but not before accepting my punch on his face.

I was still not satisfied and even punched him in the stomach and kicked his thigh. The bleeding guy was forced into the floor in a matter of seconds. I approached him and grabbed him by his collar.

“Who?” I dangerously asked.

He just laughed along with the blood flowing in his eyes and mouth. I got pissed.

“Don’t wait for me to cut your tongue. I’ll make sure to record a video of it and who knows who I have in mind to send it to?”

I dragged him across the floor into the chair and put him again in the handcuffs. Then I went back to the chair and lazily sat down.

“I only want a name, Froilan. One name. Please, don’t test me. I don’t have my father’s patience.”

He looked at me intently.

“My sister is not a part of this.”

“I am not negotiating. Give me the name.”

“The command came from above. Who? I have no idea.”

I adjusted my seat and studied his face. I can’t see any hint about him lying.

“Who told you to tell her about those words?”

“I don’t know either. That’s all that’s written on the paper. I didn’t intend to kill her. The order was just to scare her.”

My eyes lit up in anger at what she said.

“Listen to me, Froilan. I don’t care who you are and what your reason is for joining the organization. All I know is that you touched my girl. Whoever instructed you picked the wrong guy to mess with. He dared to hurt one of the most important persons in my life. That was the worst decision he ever made in his whole life. “

I got up.

“I have no intention of getting involved with you. I don’t care anymore who will assume the leadership among the factions. The group could be disintegrating already and I will just watch from a distance. But it’s a different matter when you do something against my people and my loved ones. “

I stared at his tattoo proudly sticking out from his skin.

“You’re afraid of them but not of me? This time, this mark, I’m telling you, won’t save you.”

I turned my back on Froilan and went out. Jex met me in the hallway.

“Do what I told you to do. Keep him locked as long as possible. Inform me if someone tries to bail him out.”

“Yes, sir.”

I thanked the chief first before finally leaving.