Just and once

Chapter Twenty Five

His grip balled into a threatening fistful fist,
But his face remain as blank as a paper, no single touch of expression.

There he is.
The devil himself.

" Leo Leo Leo ", he drawled , puffing out smoke through his nose and mouth, then dropped the tobacco pipe on the tray.

He stood up, his ugly face holding a triumph smile.
" You came …. finally ",

" Welcome home, I knew you would come . You are my Leo after all", he grinned creepily, closing the large distance between them and tapped him lightly on his shoulder in a welcoming manner.

To say he almost cringed out of his touch is a complete understatement, he almost threw a punch to his disgusting hateful face.
His smelly breath hitting his nostrils hard, does this man ever brush?
His teeth as brown as ever .

" What's that", he asked gesturing to the envelope on his hand.
His eyes lingering on it.

He was in no mood to have a normal conversation with this man, but he still cannot act rash as well.
At this point of his life, he has a lot at stake already.
Like, alot lot.
He can't afford to let things get rough as it is already, he can't afford to lose guard as well.

" The ledger……. ", He trailed gulping down hard
" Here it is", he muttered stretching it out to his reach.

" I thought you said you do not have it anymore, how come?", He queried, a small dark smile lingering at the corner of his lips .
It seems he finds everything amusing.

This man is definitely sick in the head , definitely.

" Take it ", he forced out, his Adam's apple popping out in the process.

He smirked, taking it from him.
" I must say you did a very nice job in keeping this. You deserve a reward, don't you think?",

He kept silent , completely ignoring him.
What was he still doing there anyways?
He thought, wasting not even a second in turning, ready to leave.

" You wife? …… Arianna right?  How is she?", He blurted, finally getting his attention.

He stopped abruptly on his track, his jawline clenching and unclenching.
" She is such a wonderful woman, isn't it? You really hit the jackpot by getting married to someone like her",
Now getting on his nerves, he threw back his face backwards, rage burning through him blatantly showing on his face.

" You dare not speak her name, you snake..", he snapped, his jugular vein revealing across his neck.

He laughed at his reaction.
" Gat you right?", He laughed, his irritating brownish teeth revealing in the process.

Richard felt like smacking his face hard…….real hard.
That demonic bastard.

" You know what??", He started gulping down his rotten saliva.

" I find something hard to understand, when you wanted to quit, do you really meant it? That means you wanted to start a life with her right? Afresh?", He asked, his brows tilting up.

He choose to remain silent.

" I must say that is very selfish of you. You wanted to have all perfect life with her despite everything?? Tch tch tch", he shook his head disapprovingly, ticking his tongue in the process.

His jaw clenched more harder, why is it that everything he do say always hit him badly? Real bad

" Or do you think she could protect you ? Was that your thought? " He probed further.

He still kept muted, but it seems the devil has chosen to do all the talking.

" If that is right then that is too bad . She is not compared to the people I have handled…or should it be people we handled?", He taunted, clearly gaining amusement.

" Just shut up ", Richard barked as he could not take it in anymore.
Why does this Devil kept getting on his nerves.

" You dare hurt a single hair on her . You dare not ", he gritted trying as much as possible to keep the burning rage in him at Bay.

He laughed clearly enjoying it..
" Why can't you just leave me alone. Why are you doing this?", Richard blurted

"Why am I doing this?", He repeated…
He tickled on his brain for some seconds as if in a deep thought.

" I don't know, maybe because I want to",

Richard scoffed, this man is obviously mentally unstable, he is no doubt sick in the head.
Who does things just because they want to? No tangible reason!

" Don't hurt her…. Don't go near them", he repeated, referring to the people he cares about.

He smirked and shrugged his shoulder," maybe…… if you will do everything I tell you to do. That can be your only voucher",

His frustration reaching the peak,he threw his hands to the sky.
" Why must it be me? Whyyy? " He yelled, his voice high-pitched.

" Because it is you, you Leo,not anyone else "

" That's your only reason?", He asked , a bit taken aback.

He nodded," yes"

He shook his head, pitying himself of the fact of knowing such lunatic man…
What a bad luck…

He said nothing and turned to leave.

On reaching the door he bumped into someone.
Raising up his gaze, he wasn't a bit surprised on whom he saw.

" Fabian"poison called lively.

" Who do we have here?", Fabian drawled his side lips twitching into a smirk.
.

"Leo Fernandez, what a sight!",he exclaimed.

" Yoi didn't tell me he joined back", Fabian asked.

" He never left in the first place"

" Ohhh, . …… So we are all bloody criminals then ", he stated.

What he said buzzed Richard's ear but being calm at such situation is the best of all.
Not acting irrationally .

" Your wife is doing a good job in must say. Trying to get all  political men locked up ", he sniggered, his lips drawled in a grimace.

He hesitated a little but then decided to say something, they all should not go around using their filthy mouth to talk about his wife.

" I am glad you understand now.  She can get your ass locked up anytime soon as well"

Out of nowhere, he bursted into laughter.
" You mean us? Does she even know her husband is a filthy criminal like us, huh", he queried.

Instead of giving put any sort of reply, he decided to move out.
He have heard enough.
Those morons.

" Extend my regards to Mrs Barrister", he shouted after him.

Richard scoffed, in his dreams.
He just hopes he will be able to win all of these battles,and at the Long run be able to keep his loved ones safe…. Keep them to his side
He hopes so.

© Adira H.