CHAPTER 5

“OF ALL PEOPLE,” Misha’s father eventually said, the disappointment in his voice tangible.

“Are you sure?” her mother asked Misha. “That’s he’s the son of Fredrick Cortez?”

“Yes, he admitted it to me. He didn’t want to at first.”

Her mother wanted to scowl. “Why?”

“It seems that he’s not close to his family. According to his family, he’s a sex addict, a drug addict and a kleptomaniac,” Misha divulged. “And one who has the habit of lying.”

“No kidding?” Jaden asked with a furrowed brow.

“I saw his siblings’ F******k,” Misha said before standing up. “Wait.” She walked out of the dining area and went upstairs and into her room and picked her cell phone up. She went to the gallery and looked for the stolen photo he took of Soren and went out of her room.

She went back to the dining area and put the cell phone down on the table. ‘That’s him,” she said, and Ruth picked up the phone in a flash.

“OMG!” she exclaimed while looking at the photo of Soren. “He’s so cute!”

Jaden snatched the phone from her and looked at the photo on the screen. “He doesn’t look familiar,” he said said.

“Let me see,” requested their father.

Jaden handed the phone to their father. “Yes, I haven’t seen him,” their father agreed while looking at the photo. “He resembles his father, though, probably a son from a different mother.”

“Maybe,” Jaden said.

Could be, Misha thought but didn’t say it aloud. They probably didn’t see Soren while they were pursuing her uncle’s case because he was with his biological mother and was a pariah to Cortez clan. But why was he allowed to use the sacred family name? Because he really wasn’t a bastard but just a pariah who did some terrible things that would embarrass even the Mafia?

“I don’t believe he’s a drug addict or a sex addict or a liar or a kleptomaniac,” Ruth said.

“Because he’s handsome?” Misha asked her.

“Yes,” she replied and grinned.

“There are serial killers who are handsome, too,” Jaden said. “And some of them help people, too.”

“I know, but still, I think Soren’s nice,” Ruth insisted

“The Cortez family is nasty, we know that, especially the father,” their father interjected. “So when they say that someone is nasty, then, that person is probably nastier than nasty.”

“Unless they’re lying,” Misha argued.

“And why would they lie?” her father said.

“Because they are nasty.”

“Just stop talking to him,” her mother joined the conversation.

“I really have no plans of talking to him again,” Misha admitted.

“Aren’t you two going to testify in the case, just in case?” Ruth said.

“I can testify without talking to him.”

“Oh, okay,” her younger sister quipped.

“If the accusations against him are true, then he’s a dangerous man,” their father said. “A sex addict will try to rape all the women that would get close to him.”

Misha wanted to wince at her father’s statement. She had been with Soren for a few hours but there was never an instance during those times the she got an inkling that he was capable of raping or even verbally harassing a woman, but she didn’t say anything. She even saw how careful and respectful he was in carrying Claire. But then it was also possible that he had mastered the act of appearing harmless and kind to lure women into his trap.

“Do you promise that you will never talk to him again?” her mother asked her. Did her mother see that she almost grimaced, which meant that she didn’t believe that Soren was a a kinky and dangerous man?

“Yes, ma, I promise,” she vowed.

And with everyone on the table seemed reassured by the promise, they all went on to finish their lunch.

The next day, at around two in the afternoon, while Misha was watching a movie with Ruth and their mother in the living room, she received a message on her F******k Messenger. Ruth was sitting beside her while their mother was at the separate single couch.

It was Soren.

They have arrested the suspects, he said in his message, they need us to identify them.

She thought of ignoring the message but quickly changed her mind as it would be the height of rudeness, aside from the fact that he messaged her for Claire’s sake. Claire can identify them, she told him.

She didn’t see them clearly, he replied. Unlike us.

She couldn’t remember telling him that she saw the suspects clearly, he just assumed it, so she could lie to him now and tell him that like Claire, she really didn’t see the suspects’ faces, so her testimony would really be pointless. But doing so could jeopardize the case against the suspects. She needed to identify them, and doing so would ensure that they would be punished.

Okay, she decided to help Claire, where should I go?

Let’s meet, he replied.

“No, tell him to go here.” Ruth said, her voice sounding excited.

Startled with her sister’s voice, Misha looked behind her and saw that Ruth was snooping, reading the exchange of messages between her and Soren.

 “Go away, won’t you?” she castigated Ruth.

“What’s that?” their mother inquired.

“Soren,” Ruth promptly announced.

“What does he want?” her mother asked, her voice instantly sounding upset.

“He just informed me that the suspects were already arrested,” Misha said.

“And why is he going here?”

“No, ma, he wants us to meet,” Misha explained, “so we can identify them.”

“No!” her mother said firmly.

“Ma, we need to identify the suspects.”

“Then, tell him to go here, don’t meet him somewhere,” her mother ordered. “We will talk to him.”

Suddenly, she wanted to panic. “And what are you going to tell him?” she asked her mother.

“To stay away from you.”

“That’s actually my plan, ma,” she said. “To stay away from him, no need to tell him that.”

“And going out to meet him today is your way of staying away from him?” her mother said.

“It’s for Claire, ma.”

“Go on, tell him to come here, we won’t stop you from helping with the case,” her mother insisted. “And Ruth, call your father and brother here and tell them Soren is coming here.”

“Should we arm ourselves, ma?” Ruth jokingly asked, and Misha glared at her sister, which only made Ruth giggle more.

She took a deep breath and typed a message for Soren. Can you fetch me here at the house? My car’s broken.

Give me the address, he replied quickly, unaware that he would be marching into a snake pit. Okay, that term was unfair for her family. The snakes really were the Cortezes. Maybe, she should use wolves’ den. Yeah, that was more apt as wolves were caring, smart and devoted to their family.

She replied with her address, and, then all the members of her family sat down in the living room and waited for Soren, so they could skin him alive and devour him.