Chapter 3 - Lead

Third person’s point of view

“Well, too late to explain. The damage has done. You can kiss my baby for me, come on.” Maddox teases her.

“Don’t come near me… Please,” pagmamakaawa ni Sariel kay Maddox. As he sees the girl he once loved terrified, he seems to enjoy knowing that his simple punishment is effective.

Maddox’s so enraged that it’s as if all memories of the two of them together have vanished from his mind, and what he sees in front of him right now is a total stranger.

He ended up being pretty close to Sariel. Sariel freezes all over when Maddox allows the ball python to creep around her shoulder. As Maddox observed her, he couldn't tell if she was still breathing, ang nakikita lang niya sa mukha ni Sariel ay ang bumabalot na takot at gustong makawala sa alaga ni Maddox.

“Please… Take it off. Nakikiusap ako sayo Maddy. I-i-can’t breath,” pagmamakaawa ulit ni Sariel habang tumataas baba ‘yung diddib niya na tila nahihirapan talaga siyang huminga.

When Maddox heard someone pounding on the bedroom door, he instantly grabbed his pet ball python from Sariel’s shoulder.

“Sh*t.” Maddox hisses under his breath. Sariel plopped down abruptly. A second later, she rushed to the bathroom to throw up.

Maddox hurriedly went to the door and opened it. When he unlocked it and saw his brother’s ugly face, he hissed at him.

“What the hell, Kenzie?”

“Hoy! Anong ginagawa mo at dala mo 'yang girlfriend mong ahas?”

“Tangina, ano bang kailangan mo?”

“Gusto ko lang sabihin na may lead na kung nasaan si Finn,” Kenzie explained, Maddox’s cousin. “The hell?”

“Ano bang ginagawa mo kay baby Sar?” He asked again. Kenzie is about to enter the room where Sariel is when Maddox grabs Kenzie’s hem of clothes around his neck, pulls him out, and slams the door. Sinamaan naman siya ng tingin ng pinsan niya.

“Damn. Lets go, what’s the lead?” Tanong ni Maddox kay Kenzie habang naglalakad sila papuntang office ni Maddox sa bahay niya.

“Hmmm. Meron siyang secluded warehouse, and they’re loaded. I think we can’t make it if ngayon na tayo susugod?”

“The hell if he’s loaded. Don’t underestimate me, Kenzie I can make it alone,” Maddox said, gritting his teeth with annoyance.

“Wooaaa, come on. We both know na hindi natin siya makakaya,” Kenzie went on to say.

“At least i-try natin ‘yung best natin. Sisilipin lang natin sila. You know hindi natuloy ang plano nila sa pagbagsak ng kompanya ko. Kapag hindi pa natin siya patitigilin baka marami pa siyang plano na masama. Tingnan mo nga yung nangyari sa mga magulang namin.”

“Okay, calm down. Naiintindihan ko yang galit na pinuputok ng butsi mo pero kailangan din natin mag-ingat. Hindi basta-basta lang si Finn. Alam mo naman na maraming sindikato na kakampi ‘yon, oh illegal schemes pa niya,” Maddox run a hand through his hair and pull on the ends.

“What the hell have I gotten myself into?” He mumbles to himself.

“Come on, man. Mapapasakamay mo rin ‘yang kinakamit mong paghihiganti kay Finn,” Kenzie says to Maddox while putting his hand to tap his shoulder.

“Tsk. Let’s go see them. I promise I won’t do anything stupid, just spy on them from afar,” said Maddox at lumabas na papuntang parking lot.

“Yeah, sabi mo, e.” Kenzie shrugs his shoulder at sumunod na sa kanya.

When they got to the car, he instantly pressed the button on his new Ferrari key fob. “Damn. ‘yan talaga dadalhin mo?” Kenzie quips.

“Ano gusto mong dadalhin ko? Jeep Wrangler?”

“Oh, nevermind. Come on.” Kenzie said so, and he even got into Maddox’s car first. Maddox swiftly followed and drove them to Finn’s location, which is in an isolated warehouse.

He parked within range so their opponents wouldn’t spot them. Maddox gets out of his seat and shuts the door behind him, followed by Kenzie, and presses the lock button on the key fob.

“Are you kidding me? This is it?”

“No. Ito talaga ‘yon sigurado ako,” Kenzie reassured Maddox.

“Damn. Is this a trap?”

“You think?”

“Ginagago mo ba ako? Ikaw yung naka assign dito ah.”

“Shheems, let’s go in, baka may tao naman sa loob.”

“Tsk.” Maddox shoved the door open, slowly peeking inside the house with a sense of frustration.

“Clear, Walang tao sa loob.”

“What? Are you serious?” Sa pagkakatanong nun ni Kenzie saka lang sila may narinig na kalabog at putok ng baril.

“Damn. Come on, kuya. It’s a trap,” Kenzie lashed out at Maddox before another bullet struck them and they fell hard.

“Sh*t why do we have to bite at their trap?”

“Stupid, shut up and let’s get it out of here,” They crawled to the door together. When they were sure that it was safe, they stood up immediately and ran towards Maddox’s car.

When they got into Maddox’s car, he accelerated it coming off the driveway, smashing through gears and driving straight to their house. While there’s a car behind them, attempting to pass them, but Maddox chuckles.

“Wala na bang katapusan na paghahabulan ‘to?” He mumbles.

“Is it a sumpa?”

“Shut up,” Maddox snaps at Kenzie.

Maddox drives for another two miles, then makes a sideways turn, allowing the wheel to spin back into his palm before straightening with a snap.

“Are we losing him?” Kenzie inquired. “I think so,” Maddox says, hitting a bump on the stone driveway and coming to an abrupt halt in front of his house.

On the other hand, Sariel rushes to the bathroom to throw up everything out of her stomach. It had been a long time since she felt the need to throw up.

Habang hinahayaan niya ang marahas na alon ng kumakalam niyang sikmura ay narinig niyang may tumatawag sa kanya.

“Sariel? Are you there?” Lowe called from outside the room. Sariel ignored it and remained calm because she was still weak.

“Sariel?” When she heard another voice, she assumed it was from Lowe. She sensed it getting closer to her.

“Hey, are you okay?” Nag-aalalang tanong ni Lowe sa kanya. Then napa-isip siya, bakit pa sila mag-aalala kung dinala nga siya dito para pagbayaran ang kasalanan na hindi naman niya ginawa?

“Hey, talk to me, what happened?”

“Maddox girlfriend happened.”

“Girlfriend—what? Kuya doesn’t have a girlfriend.”