And Then It Rained (Sequel to Rain Again; Stand Alone Book) (Completed)

Chapter Thirty-six: A Berserk Lover

"Have you gone insane?" Victor's fury made her flinch.

The cops had left, arresting all the people they had found inside the house. Invaluable foreign artifacts were found in different secret compartments of the house, and there were signs (chains, ropes, blood, etc.) of keeping a hostage in the basement. Victoria had to reply to a lot of their questions before they left. They told her that they would call her to the station for further information later. Victoria knew that at some point, she was going to have to bring in Sumaia's name to bring Adi to proper justice. But that should be obviously not before she took her next step to secure the girl.

"How could you take such a risky step?" Victor raked a hand through his hair as though he couldn't believe what he had just discovered. For a while, he had been a mess and repeating the same thing over and over, however, decorating it each time with different words.

Thankfully, Victoria sent George off right after the cops left. She could clearly foretell that an argument was to be broken out between Victor and him, and she didn't want anyone else to be a witness to it. She had so much to say to Victor, too, which required them to be alone with each other. Victor's face was a sight to be seen when, before leaving, George asked Victoria if he should rub some chili pepper on Victor as well.

"I cannot believe—"

"Are you serious?" Victoria couldn't help but scoff. "Weren't it you who suggested I face my problems?!"

His hands curled into fists. "Yes, I did—I clearly remember. But it surely didn't mean that you should throw yourself headfirst into a death trap! Smugglers! Kidnapping! Goons! My gosh, what the—"

"What did you think then," Victoria cut in, planting her fists on her waists firmly, straightening to match his looming height. "Fairies and angels will grace my path to problem-solving—"

"I did not say—"

"What did you expect—"

"I expected that I would be there with you the whole way to make sure no harm can touch you—" he halted mid-sentence, even though she didn't cut him off this time. 

Both of them were breathing heavily from the heights their argument reached. And as silence began to settle in, their breaths began to slow down as well.

It felt to Victoria that she was looking at the face of the moon—so brilliantly bright, so warm in a sensual kind of way, not scorching but spreading into all of her existence.

And he was looking down now, lightly kicking a pebble on the ground with the tip of his shoe. 

Her heart went out to him. "Oh, Victor," she said softly. "But if I am going to get into the battlefield, it's  better to bleed alone and risk as few lives as possible."

He looked to the side, letting out a sarcastic, sad chuckle. "You can bring that other guy into this war of yours, but not me—"

"I needed his manpower, Victor. He has his people all over the city. He brought me all the information and gathered all his men to rescue—"

"Of course he did," his voice rose over hers. "And I was of no use to you—"

Victoria's anger was rising to a boundless state. "Do not misunderstand me so stubbornly, you bullhead!"

Their breaths were raised again, and they didn't realize when they had come to stand so close to one another. 

Victoria could smell his minty breath. They were mad at one another, and it reflected in their eyes. Soon, the burning, maddening fury took a different form—the transformation was fluid.