Chapter 5: Beauty versus Hooligan (1)

When they got outside Scarlett noticed something odd right off – their usual car was gone and instead there sat an unfamiliar vehicle parked on the curb outside with its engine idling impatiently.

“Romero?" She gestured toward the strange car with a look of confusion on her face.

Romero's brow furrowed as he studied the car. "That's not our usual ride," he murmured quietly, quickly scanning their surroundings for any signs of danger. He ushered Scarlett back inside and closed the door behind them, keeping his grip on her arm until they were safely in her living room once more.

"Something doesn't feel right about this," Romero muttered under his breath as he fished out his gun from its holster at the small of his back. "Take cover." He gently pushed Scarlett towards the sofa before slipping into a defensive position by one of the windows facing their street.

Scarlett watched with bated breath as Romero peeked through a small opening in between two blinds to try and catch sight of whoever was in that unfamiliar vehicle outside. Suddenly she heard him curse under his breath before running over to join her behind another piece of furniture.” 

"They're armed,” whispered Romero urgently as soon as he joined her and her heart raced as she watched Romero intently, his gaze fixed outside. She knew he was taking every precaution to keep her safe but it didn't ease the nagging fear in her gut. Who was watching them? And why?

Suddenly, a hail of bullets shattered through the window and ricocheted off the wall behind them. Scarlett shrieked and ducked beneath the sofa while Romero returned fire, unleashing swift rounds at their attackers.

The room exploded with deafening blasts as shots were exchanged back and forth. Adrenaline coursed through Scarlett's veins as she heard glass shattering and wood splintering under attack.

"Romero!" She cried out desperately when there was a momentary lull in their firefight "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he grunted, pressing himself closer against the wall for cover "But we need to get out of here."

He grabbed her hand tightly pulling her up from behind the couch while covering both windows simultaneously with bullet sprays. They made a dash for the back door, Romero keeping his gun trained on their attackers while they retreated step by agonizing step.

Scarlett's heart was pounding in her chest as she ran blindly after him. Bullets continued to fly past them and she could hear the sound of splintering wood from walls being hit by gunfire. 

"Romero! We're not going to make it!" screamed Scarlett over the din of chaos around them.

"Don't think like that," grunted Romero through gritted teeth, pulling her towards an old rusted truck parked behind some bushes at the edge of their property. "Just keep moving."

As soon as they reached safety inside it he slammed gears into reverse and punched down on accelerator giving out hefty scream before making 180 degree turn swerving onto driveway avoiding bullets piercing windows with loud popping noises closely following behind.

Once clear out from the danger zone, he stopped the car taking little deep breaths trying to calm himself down before spinning round head facing Scarlett.

"We need to report back to your father, now!" Scarlett nodded, her breathing still ragged as she tried to steady herself. Her heart was racing in her chest and the fear that had been clawing at her insides only intensified now that they were safe.

Romero started the engine again and drove towards the Ruiz's mansion on the outskirts of town. The drive felt like an eternity but finally, they arrived at their destination with every inch of their bodies tensed.

"Thank goodness," exclaimed Scarlett's father when he opened the door to  his study room for them. "I've been trying to reach you for the past two hours."

"We got ambushed," Romero said urgently "We need to call in backup."

Scarlett watched as her father immediately made a few phone calls while pacing back-and-forth across his study room muttering some unintelligible words under his breath. He had let his guard down once and they killed his beloved wife… it must never happen again, never.

"What did you see?" asked one of his men who entered the room with a concerned expression plastered all over face. He seemed to be an IT specialist.

"A black SUV has been parked outside my private apartment for the past couple days ." replied Scarlett. "It must have been them."

The IT specialist nodded and quickly got to work, typing away on his laptop as he accessed the security footage around the area. Meanwhile, Scarlett's father was already giving orders to his team of armed men.

"We need eyes everywhere," he said sternly. "And we can't let our guard down again."

Romero stepped forward. "I agree, Lord, but we also need a plan for retaliation if they strike again." 

Scarlett watched anxiously as her father considered their options before finally nodding in agreement.

"You're right," he said resolutely. "We don't back down from threats like this. We'll gather all our resources together."

"Did you get the license plate number?" asked the IT specialist.

"No," Scarlett shook her head. "But we need to find out who it belongs to and fast."

Her father nodded in agreement, his face darkening with anger. He knew this was only going to get worse if they didn't take quick action.

"We'll dig into it," he said firmly. "Make sure everyone on our team is ready for whatever comes next." 

Scarlett could feel a sense of unease hanging heavily over the room as everyone got down to work, their adrenaline still pumping from the ambush they had just experienced.

As Scarlett walked out of her father's study, she bumped into a sturdy wall…. A beautiful one at that. Scarlett's words got stuck in her tongue as she  took in the sight of the beautiful Greek god before her.

'What a man!' She couldn't help but whistle internally as she brazenly stared at the man before her.

"Take a picture while you can." His deep voice sent shivers down Scarlett's spine. He had caught her staring.

"I'm sorry," she stammered, quickly averting her gaze. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright," he cut in smoothly, a small smirk on his lips. "I get that a lot."

Scarlett couldn't help but notice the way his eyes glittered mischievously and how confidently he held himself - like someone who knew exactly what they wanted.

"Can I help you?" she asked nervously, feeling suddenly out of place under his intense gaze.

"I'm here for your dad," he replied curtly before disappearing down the hallway, leaving Scarlett feeling hot under the collar. She couldn't shake off how his eyes had lingered on her body for just a little too long, and she found herself blushing at the thought of him. Somehow, Scarlett thought he looked familiar to her. 'Nah, I could never have such a beauty by my side and still be hopelessly single all this while.' She shook her head.

As she made her way back to her room, trying to focus on anything but the man who had just walked past her, she heard whispers coming from behind one of the doors.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Scarlett pushed open the door only to find two members of their mafia gang whispering intently.

She quickly hid behind a nearby shelf and listened in.

"Did you get it?" One asked impatiently.

"Yes," replied another with an evil grin. "The boss will be very pleased."

Scarlett's heart raced as she realized the gravity of what was being discussed. Their gang had been at war with their rivals for years now, and any advantage they could get over them would make a huge difference.

Without thinking twice, Scarlett decided to follow the two men to see where exactly this information was headed.

She tiptoed down the hallway behind them until they came upon a nondescript door hidden in an alcove behind some curtains. They knocked thrice before it slowly creaked open from inside and they were allowed entry into what appeared to be an underground bunker.

Scarlett hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should follow them in. But her desire to know more about their enemies and protect her gang won over her fears. She took a deep breath, straightened herself up and slipped into the room after them.

The first thing that struck Scarlett was how big the bunker was - it seemed to stretch on for miles underground with rows upon rows of weapons neatly arranged along the walls.

But what drew Scarlett's attention most were two figures standing at opposite ends of a long conference table - one handman she always saw on her father's side and another an unknown woman who seemed intimidatingly powerful.

"So you have brought us what the Lord asked for," said the woman coolly , eyeing the two men who had just entered. "Good work."

Scarlett watched as the unknown woman walked closer to her father's henchman and delicately took the envelope from his hands.

Opening it up, she scanned its contents before nodding in satisfaction.

"This will do nicely," she said with a small smile tugging at her lips. "You are dismissed."

As the two men scurried away, Scarlett felt a chill run down her spine as she realized what was happening - they were selling out their own information to the unknown woman  for some kind of undisclosed benefit.

But before Scarlett could leave unnoticed, one of them spotted her lurking behind the crates. "Hey, you there!" The man instinctively pulled his gun at her.

"You made a mistake messing with the wrong person bro, she's the Lord's heiress." Bamm! A familiar throaty voice boomed behind Scarlett as she watched the hand man drop dead within a fraction of second. 

Stunned at the turn of events, everyone looked towards the direction of the shot and there he was, standing there without a care…. in his full glory. 'Pretty boy, Senpai!' The title suddenly dropped in her mind.