Chapter Nineteen

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Vodka, agad na naitulak si Eugene at tumayo. Kamuntikan na siyang matumba kung hindi siya nahawakan ni Eugene sa beywang. She looked at him in horror and with shaking limbs, she reached for the hook of her brassiere and redo it.

Nakakunot ang noong binalingan ni Eugene ang kaibigan na ngayon ay nakaupo na sa sandalan ng sofa, sa bahagi kung nasaan ang malaking TV, at nakatalikod sa kanilang direksiyon habang nakatutok ang mga mata sa pader. Ngayon lang siya nakaramdam ng pagsisisi kung bakit binigyan niya ng access ang kaibigan sa kanyang security system. Sa likurang gate marahil ito dumaan dahil mas malapit iyon sa bahay nito.

Kapagkuwan ay binalingan ni Eugene si Vodka na bahagya nang nabawasan ang panlalaki ng mga mata ngunit namumula ang mukha at leeg. Jasper caught them making out on the sofa. Hinila niya ito sa braso kaya muli itong napaupo sa kanyang kandungan.

"What are you doing?" Vodka hissed between her teeth, she tensely glanced in Jasper's direction and tried to free herself from Eugene's arms at the same time.

Hindi pinakawalan ni Eugene ang dalaga at hinaplos ang mga labi nitong halata pa ang pinagsaluhan nilang halik. "I need to go to the city," he said though he doesn't want to leave her there alone. He had to take care of some things back in the big city, his job, and things about her. "I'll be back before the day ends."

Tumango nalang si Vodka dahil nahihiya pa rin siya kay Jasper, gusto niyang mawala sa paningin nito ora mismo. He must've seen her face and heard her whimpers. It's embarrassing!

Hinalikan ni Eugene ang kanyang noo bago siya nito inilipat paupo sa sofa at tumayo. He touched her cheek using his thumb gingerly before calling Jasper's name. Eugene walked towards the front door.

"I didn't see anything," sabi ni Jasper na nakasunod kay Eugene palabas ng bahay. Jasper smiled at Vodka reassuringly and waved his hand before the two men vanished behind the door.

Pinanood ni Vodka ang dalawa na sumakay sa pick-up truck ni Eugene hanggang sa makalabas ang mga ito sa gate. Vodka sighed shakily and reclined herself on the seat.

She escaped the people who was trying to kill her for the meantime. Subalit sa pananatili niya sa bahay na iyon ay ibang panganib na naman ang kanyang kinakaharap. Ang panganib na tuluyang mahulog ang kanyang loob sa isang Eugene Lorenzo.

She was afraid that he would not just affect her sensuality, she was scared of the possibility that he might own her whole.

Hopefully not.

NAPAPITLAG sa gulat ang sekretarya saktong pagpasok niya ay siya namang pagsalpok ng flower vase sa dingding na inihagis ng galit na lalaki. Sa nanginginig na kamay ay muli niyang inabot ang seradura at walang ingay na lumabas, iniwan ang dalawang lalaki sa loob ng silid.

"I don't care who has it, I want it in my hands as soonest as possible!" Humakbang ang may katandaang lalaki, na matikas pa rin ang tindig, palapit kay Russo. Mariing hinawakan niya ang panga ni Russo na walang emosyon ang mukha sa kabila nang ginawa niya. "Kill everyone who knows the existence of that damn thing!" mahina ngunit mariing saad ng matanda.

Kapagkuwan ay nawala na ang bagsik sa mukha ng matanda at tinapik ang balikat ni Russo. Para bang hindi ito nagalit sa tauhan at kamuntikan nang tamaan ng ibinato niyang vase. "I trust you, son. Make me proud." His voice was warm and commanding at the same time.

"Yes, sir," Russo answered and bowed his head slightly.

Muling bumalik ang matanda sa likod ng swivel at binuksan ang papeles na inilapag doon ni Russo kanina.

"Lorenzano Medical Center?"

"He's the director's, son, Sir, Mr. Zacharias Lorenzo and the head of surgery Bernadeth Manzano-Lorenzo," Russo supplied.

Napakuyom sa kamao ang matanda, an evil smile plastered his lips. "Biruin mo nga naman ang pagkakataon Zacharias Lorenzo." He knew the director of one of the prestigious hospital in the country, he once asked Zacharias' support when he was still running the senatorial election years ago, but the mighty doctor refused. Isinarado niyang muli ang folder at tumingin sa tauhan. "Anyways, we can't do anything to remove him from the list of casualties, do we?" Russo nodded. "Do what you have to do, get rid of all those people involved."

Nang makaalis si Russo at inikot ng matanda ang swivel paharap sa salaming dingding. "Dead or alive, isa ka pa ring bangaw na nanggagambala, Patrick. Is this the price of my generosity, Teresa?"

Naputol ang pag-iisip at pagbabalik-tanaw ng matanda nang bumukas ang pinto at sumungaw ang ulo ng nag-aalangang sekretarya. "Sir, you have a meeting iná ten minutes."

"FELIZ, hermano, where are you? I can't see you." Wala siyang maaninag sa dilim at nakakabingi ang katahimikan.

Nang makarinig ng mga putok ng baril ay agad siyang napatakip sa magkabilang tainga at naipikit ang mga mata. Umusal siya ng panalangin sa wikang Pilipino na laging itinuturo sa kanila ng kanilang mamá. Nang tumigil ang tunog ng mga putok ng baril at ang tunog nang pagkabasag ng mga kagamitan ay muli siyang dumilat.

Sa pagkakataong iyon ay may naaaninag ng ilaw si Vodka. Her limbs were shaking as she kept on walking towards that faint light. "H-hello? Is anybody there?" Ngunit walang sumagot, sa halip ay narinig niya ang daing ng isang tao.

Napabilis ang paghakbang ni Vodka at nang makita mula sa kakarampot na ilaw ang kanyang mamá na nakahiga sa sahig at bumubulwak ang dugo sa bibig ay napasigaw siya at napaatras. Nawalan ng lakas ang kanyang mga binti at napasalampak sa malamig na sahig. "M-mamá..." She shook her head frantically and gut-wrenching sobs tore her chest. "Mamá, n-no..."

Mula sa kanyang mama na nakahandusay sa lapag ay tumaas ang mga mata ni Vodka sa lalaking may hawak na baril at nakatutok sa kanyang mamá. "P-papá... what did you do?" Naghalo ang galit at pighati sa kanyang dibdib. "You killed my mamá... No, m-mamá, no..."

"It's okay."

Nanlalaki ang basang mga mata ni Vodka ng pabiglang magmulat. Hindi agad rumehistro sa kanya ang nangyayari dahil sa una ay malabo ang kanyang pandinig at paningin. She can feel that warm thing caressing her cheek and brushing her hair.

"It's okay, you're just dreaming," bulong muli ni Eugene na nakatunghay sa dalaga habang nakaupo sa gilid ng kama. He brushed the tears off her cheek, he wanted to kiss them away and he did. He leaned closer to her and wiped her damp cheeks using his lips.

Vodka became aware of Eugene's presence when she felt his lips on her face. She was fully conscious now and base on what Eugene said, she was having a dream, no, it's a nightmare for her.

Isang malalim na buntung-hininga ang pinakawalan ni Vodka at napatingin kay Eugene na ngayon ay maayos nang nakaupo sa ibabaw ng kama ngunit nakatunghay pa rin sa kanya.

"You're watching me sleep," sabi niya, walang akusasyon sa malat na boses. "Kanina ka pa ba dumating?" Nakasuot na ito ng isang sando at boxer shorts at mukhang handa na sa pagtulog.

"Do you want water?" Eugene asked instead of answering her question. He was not comfortable telling her that he's watching her sleep for quite some time now. It was almost one in the morning and he arrived home at ten.

Vodka shook her head. She clutched the comforter to her body and stared at his eyes, and he stared back. She forgot about the dream that woke her up while looking at him and got lost in his orbs.

Tumaas ang kamay ni Eugene patungo sa mukha ng dalaga at muling hinaplos ng napakasuyo ang pinsgi nito. He saw how she cried in her sleep while murmuring and screaming names, just like what happened that time when he was nursing her while she was burning up.

"Go back to sleep, it's still twelve in the morning." He caressed her lips gently using his thumb one more time before getting off the bed.

Humakbang si Eugene patungo sa pinto upang lumabas nang silid, mas komportable siyang matulog sa sofa na nasa labas kaysa sa sahig ng kanyang silid.

"Stay," Vodka murmured and sat on the bed before Eugene twist the doorknob. It was almost a whisper but it reached Eugene's ears. He glanced back in her direction, his hand on the knob loosen its grip when he saw her begging eyes. "P-please."

She doesn't need to beg, he will willingly oblige. And he knew that staying in the room was dangerous for her. A man could only take less when it concerned a vixen.

He walked towards the bed and climb on top of it.

Tumalikod si Vodka kay Eugene at bahagyang umusog upang bigyan ito ng espayo, bagaman ay malaki ang kama para sa kanilang dalawa. Napakagat labi siya nang pumulupot ang braso nito sa kanyang beywang at inilapat ang malapad na dibdib sa kanyang likuran. She can feel the tautness of his body and the heat it emitted.

Vodka's grip on the pillow tightened when he nuzzled her hair and her neck. He was sniffing her.