SALUBONG ANG kilay ni Mirrow habang nakatingin sa screen ng laptop ni Savannah na nagrireplay ng CCTV record sa condominium building galing sa iba't-ibang anggulo ng condo kung nasaan makikita si Silence. They were looking at her as she entered the building after he drop her yesterday outside Rousseau condominium building.
Silence entered the lift with a happy smile on her face. One that he loves. Smile that is already printed in his mind.
"Geez, my sister looks silly," Savannah mocked chuckling lowly.
"She's happy that's why she's smiling. Don't you keep your smile when you're happy?" Sinamaan niya ng tingin ang kaibigan.
"Nope. It'll look like I am crazy—"
"Oh, shut it!" He cut her off, annoyed.
Savannah tsked, rolling her eyes. "My sister has really had you wrapped around her little fingers."
Hindi siya sumagot. Wala siyang pakialam kung hawak siya ni Silence. Silence doesn't boss him around nor does she manipulate him to do things for her. He baby her without being asked and would drop everything in just one call for her. If that indicates control, he sees nothing wrong with it. His right is not abused. And his happiness lies in what makes her happy and safe.
"Okay..." Savannah drawled and clicked one window to make it in full screen. "Naging babae mo 'to Mir, remember?" Tukoy ni Savannah sa babaeng makakasalubong ni Silence pagkalabas nito ng elevator.
"Yeah..." He drawled. "She's the spoiled daughter of an oligarch from Hungary. I had a one-night stand with her so long ago. I don't remember her name but she sometimes attends celebrations here in the Crown. She bothered me a few times but already quit."
Lumapit sa kanila si Luc na may hawak na kape.
"Isn't it the woman who is self-proclaimed to be the quad's cousin or baby sister? What is she doing on that floor?" Luc inquired with a frown.
Mirrow shrugged, so did Savannah, and watch the video. Mirrow smirked when he saw how fierce Silence was. She really has a unique personality and it never ceases to amaze him. Silence could be the timid, innocent, and shy girl but she could also be the difference when put into some circumstances.
Tho the next record set the three of them were furious. The technique the woman makes it on top of Silence is no ordinary. She knew basic defense movement— if not more. And the way she gives a blow to Silence's abdomen was calculated enough for his wife to gasp for air and for the woman to get up without being ceased.
"Fucking... Witch..." Savannah drawled, tone cold.
While he just stared at the screen, feeling like every kick that the woman does also hits him. It feels like forever and his knuckles fisted as he prays for it to not last so long. And when L get out of Luc's condo with a gun in hand he was relieved. So were Luc and Savannah.
Hinayaan niya si Savannah nang sinara nito lahat ng CCTV records para hanapin kung nasaan ang babae.
Mirrow looked at Lucius who was quiet.
"Luc—"
"Remind me how many lashes do I get if I kill that hoochie?" tanong nito.
"Seventy." Sagot niya dito saka tumalikod at pumunta ng kusina ng condo ni Luc at binuksan ang sekretong drawer na nasa ilalim ng mga kitchen cabinet.
Luc has three condos. Before he wonders why he owns a lot when he only has Savannah. But knowing Silence, that explains why his friends own three. One for him, one for Savannah, and one for Silence.
Taking a Nighthawk VIP Agent 2 handgun he pushed the drawer close before getting in his full height while checking the gun.
"You planning something?" Luc who followed him asked.
Malamig na umangat ang ang isang gilid ng labi niya. "You know I'm not like my other brothers or friend that would raise their hand on a woman..." He paused and chuckled. "However, I do kill for my woman. The hell with that hag for beating Silence like that when she berated her that's why Silence snapped."
"I'll take half of the lashes," anito. "Can't stomach myself to hit a woman when I have two sisters and Ellebear."
"Leave it to me," he said before going back to the living room and taking his phone that ringed.
"Fuck..." Mirrow cussed under his breath when he saw his Mom's name, nonetheless, he answered the call.
"Son, go home. Silence is crying." Agad na salubong nito.
His heart twisted from the fact but he keeps his mind clear. He has a job to do. Babalikan niya rin ang dalaga. Uuwi rin siya at hihingi ng tawad. He'll make it up to her for making her cry.
"I'll be home, Mom, I just have something to do—"
"What?"
Blowing a loud sigh, he lied, "Nothing—"
"Mir, I know you. You will kill, that I am sure. Take that woman and bring her to the Crown underground prison. We have shitty cell for her with rotten corpses from our hideous prisoners being munched by mice and some sort of insects."
"No."
"Mir!" Mom yelled. "You'll get lashes for killing her! Remember the rules! You don't kill anyone who has not committed a horrible crime or is not after your life!"
"Mom! Silence is bruised because of that hag!" He shouted, his breathing ragged. "Don't you fucking tell me what to do with her!!!"
There was a sharp gasp of air before the other line turned eerily quiet. And his heart sunk with so much guilt when he realized he just yelled at his Mom. Damn it, Mir!
"Fuck you, kid."
Mir gulped when he heard his Dad's voice. It was cold and visibly mad.
"You don't shout at my wife and use foul language like that." Dad's voice was threatening. "Damn you."
Then the call ended with him really feeling absolutely awful for disrespecting his mother.
"Man..." Luc who was in front of him was white, it was as if the blood was drained out of Luc's body and he certainly looked the same as Lucius. "You're in trouble," he added then drank the beer he has in his hand. "Good luck, Mir. Uncle Vonn will really beat you to pulp. Rage said your Dad doesn't take it cool when someone yells at his queen."
Mirrow sighed and threw his phone on the sofa. He'll be thinking about his parents later but for now, he needs the woman dead.
"I see her," Savannah spoke making them hurry to her to look at her laptop. "She's downtown, Mist street, inside a pub."
"Good. Let's go," aniya sa magkapatid at nauna nang lumabas ng condo.
They were quiet while they were in the lift and until they reach the pub.
"And?" Savannah inquired.
"I'll go in." Inayos niya ang suot na leather jacket saka umibis ng sasakyan. "Wait here, I'll take her."
Not waiting for their response, he heads to the pub with Luc following him that didn't want to stay.
They entered the pub with him signing to the two— not in uniform — buff security to follow them while looking around. He saw the woman drinking with her friends probably.
"Hey," he greeted when he reached her side. "I want to talk to you."
The woman looked at him with visible fear in her eyes but it was short-lived before it shifts into seductive. Her lips smiled.
"Oh, hey, baby. Glad you alone want to talk to me." Umusog ito. "Come, have a seat—"
"Get the fucking up before I drag you out of this place," he warned.
Nakita niya ang pagkawala ng ngiti nito at ang pilit nitong tinatagong takot at ilang sulyap na ginagawa nito kay Luc na nasa tabi niya at tahimik.
"No—"
"Drag her out of this place." Utos niya sa dalawang security.
The woman fought and spit curses aloud, taking all the attention to them. Yet, nobody tried to help.
"Fuck you! What are you going to do with me?!" She shoots him a deadly glare when she failed to even put one security down despite her visible strength and fighting capabilities. "Help!!! They are going to hurt me!!!"
No one budge to help nor did somebody try to utter a word to cease the commotion. Seems like everyone knows the rules.
Hinarap niya ang mga naroon saka ngumisi. "Remember the rules folks, you don't talk about the members of the club to anyone outside this island. You see nothing. The rules were sent to all of you before you enter this place. You either follow the rules or you end up like this woman who chooses to be a witch and beats somebody close to my heart." His smirk turned into a cold smile. "You fellas are intelligent not to get into our business."
With that, they went out with the woman still trying to get away from the two security but to no avail.
Pagkalapit nila sa sasakyan ay nasa labas na si Savannah habang nakakrus ang dalawang braso. Tumabi sila ni Luc, then Savannah moves in and punched the woman in the stomach— hard — before giving another blow, this time with her knee, making the woman grunt and lose her consciousness.
But Savannah didn't stop there, she yanked the woman's long hair and give three punches to the face before taking a kunai to cut the woman's cheek.
Mirrow shook his head with a light smile on his face. Give it to Savannah to be rough.
"Toss her into the trunk," Luc ordered when Savannah stepped back.
Napangiwi ang dalawang security pero tumango ang mga ito. Sila naman ay sumakay na ng sasakyan at ng masiguradong nasa loob na ang babae ay umalis sila matapos saluduhan ang dalawang security.
They drive to the Crown hotel. To the basement that only members from the organization have access to. Down that basement has few rooms, with a long underground alley with many doors connected to the Crown HQ underground prison.
It spans many miles from here. The alley also has many turns as it has corridors going to the Crown manor and other smaller manor situated in different parts of the island owned by the senior members of the HOPE organization. Corridor that also leads to his friends and brothers' villa and mansion and some important facilities from the organization.
Pumasok sila sa isang silid kung saan parang normal lang na living room. It has a long C shape sofa facing an empty area one foot deeper than the rest of the room floor. It has a linear shower drain around it. Two meters from the area are shelves and books. Shelves that hide weapons behind it.
Luc who was carrying the woman in his arm laid the woman on the floor while he and Savannah took a seat. Lucius then went to the wall where a screen is and tapped into it to slide the shelf, revealing some sort of weapons, lashes, and paraphernalia for torture.
But because none of them has the appetite to hurt the woman with their bare hands, Luc stayed beside the screen looking at them.
"Hot or cold?" tanong nito.
"Boiling water," Savannah replied, tone cold and still pissed.
Mirrow chuckled lowly as he finds humor in the dark suggestion. "I'll go for cold. Really cold."
Lucius nodded, tapping on the screen to turn the water into its coldest temperature before tapping the OK button.
Water rain from the ceiling that has installed showers. They heard gasp aside from the noise coming from the water then the woman sat up grunting and telling them to stop the water from streaming.
"Are you awake?" Mirrow asked, crossing his legs after taking the remote Luc handed him.
"What do you fucking want?!!" The woman seethed, lips trembling from the cold shower.
"You know the rules here, woman..." Mirrow stood up and went to the edge of the area he was not supposed to step into. "You don't go around here and bully whoever you want moreover hurt them physically that it leaves horrible bruises. May it be stranger to us or not."
"She fucking deserves it!!!" She shouted, eyes glaring at him in so much anger. "She's dumb!!! And took everything I deserve!"
"Explain further because it is ridiculous to say my wife took everything from you when everyone around her has given her everything without asking for it." Tinaasan niya ito ng kilay. "Why?" He smiled. "Because I decide what Silence deserves so do the people around her that cherish and love her. It's not her fault she is loved. Not her fault I fell in love with her."
"No! You are a fool! How could you love a woman who can't even fight for herself!"
Ngumiti siya. Ang klase ng ngiti na kahit sino sa mga nakalaban niya ay ayaw makita.
"She can, she just needs a little training for that. But..." He drawled and looked at the remote blankly. "I don't like the idea of her training because I intend to fight for her. I will take care of her..." Binalik niya ang tingin sa babae. "And... Taking care of her means eliminating everyone that dared and will dare to hurt her," he added and push a button on the remote control.
It was for electric power with a fine amount of voltage. Enough for the woman to feel the dread of being trapped in that location and to make her realize she had messed with the wrong person.
Loud scream breaks the calmness of the room then a heavy breathing.
"Z-Zio will k-know about this..." She whispered. "The q-quads will look for me..."
"Quads?" Savannah spoke. "Are you referring to the Vallejos quadruplets? Uxn, Unx, Lrx, and Lxr?" Malakas itong tumawa. "Woman... You are delusional to think they'll care about you—"
"They are my cousins!!!"
Lucius chuckled. "Woman, the quads only see the Crown brothers as their cousins. No other people or whatsoever."
"No!!! They are my cousin! Their Papà is my Zio!"
"Your uncle?" Mirrow tsked. "The quads have only one living family, that is their Papà who's been away for so long. They don't have cousins other than us that they see as their relatives. And yeah, we somehow know your shameless effort to be close to them. Uxn told me about you trying your best to be like a sister or cousin to them and we can assure you that, they don't care about you. Neither do they want to have spoiled rotten brat to be part of their life."
"No—"
Having enough of the meaningless conversation and seeing the time turning late for him, he took out his gun.
Nanlaki ang mata nito. "No— please! No, Mir! Please..."
Mirrow smirked. "The anger you have in your eyes doesn't make me feel that it would be bright to left you alive and free. You surely have so much hatred for my wife and I don't want people living hating her 'cuz they'll certainly harm her sooner or later."
Aiming his gun at the woman who tried to steer away from her place, he pulled the trigger. Shooting the center of her head, she dropped dead.
"I'll take half of the lashes," ani Lucius na tumayo sa gilid niya.
"Why half?" tanong ni Savannah na nasa kabilang gilid niya. "Isn't we supposed to divide the punishment equally in three?"
Sabay nilang nilingon ni Luc si Savannah saka sabay na nagsalita. "Stay out of it."
Umikot ang mata nito saka may tinawagan.
Moments later, two men arrived.
"Deliver her body to her family. Make sure her body is clean and ready to be buried. There should be no traces of anything that could lead her family to us," Savannah ordered as he take the exit followed by Luc.
"I'm going home," he informed.
"We want to see her," Luc replied, hopping inside the car.
Nagkibit-balikat siya saka naupo sa likod ng sasakyan habang ang magkapatid ay magkatabi sa harapan. Binigay niya kay Luc ang baril nito.
They went to his house and find it quiet. So they went upstairs to his room where they found Silence already asleep with the lights on. Mukhang hindi parin ito makatulog ng walang ilaw pagmag-isa lang ito.
Lumunok siya dahil sa bigat ng puso niya. It's hard to see her sleeping with traces of tears in her eyes and cheek. Knowing he's the reason why she fell asleep in tears is heartbreaking.
"Wake her up, Mir. We want to see her bruises." Utos ni Luc.
Bumuntong-hininga siya saka naupo sa gilid nito. "Sweetheart... I'm home..." Hinaplos niya ang pisngi nito at hinawakan ang kamay nito.
She flickered her eyes then stared at him. Then swiftly, she sat and embrace him tightly and started to cry again.
"M-Mir... I thought you'll make me sleep through the night with a heavy heart..."
"I'm sorry... Hush, sweetheart..." Hinaplos niya ang likod nito at niyakap ito ng mahigpit.
"I'm sorry for not telling you about it..." Silence sobbed. "I'm sorry, Mir..."
"Shh..." He shushed her. "It's okay. I understand. Don't cry already, please..." He pleaded. "Luc and Savannah are here."
Nagtaas ito ng tingin at lumuwag ang yakap nito sa kanya. He fondles her hand to assure her that her brother is not mad. Somehow he feels like Silence is afraid of Luc. He wonders why but it could be because Lucius is strict.
"Get up."
Sinamaan niya ng tingin si Luc. "Don't fucking boss her around and order her."
Namulsa lang ito at hindi sumagot.
Siya naman ay tumayo at pinangko ang dalaga saka ito inalalayan na tumayo.
"They want to see your bruises." Inayos niya ang magulo nitong buhok saka mabilis na siniil ng halik. "Show them."
Silence puckered her lips and looked at her siblings. "Do you really have to?"
Savannah arched her brow. "Yeah, bitch, let us see it before I add more." Umirap ito.
Silence huffed then took her top jammies off. Mirrow helped her when he heard her grunt, visibly in pain from the simple movement.
"Deserved," Savannah mumbled.
"What do you mean?" Silence fussed. "I don't deserve this!"
Savannah just rolled her eyes and didn't explain what she really meant. Siya naman ay binalik muli ang damit nito.
"You will be learning self-defense as soon as possible, Silence," Lucius spoke.
"No, she's not!" Mirrow snapped at his friend.
"She better learn, Mir, before somebody else make her mad and attacks again without thinking much about how she should fight if her opponent retaliates," anito na sinundan si Savannah para lumabas na.
His jaw moved. Training for Silence means she'll be hurt one way or another but he knew Luc is right.
"I would love to," anito saka hinaplos ang panga niya. "Jinky Elle will teach me and ate Savannah, Mir. They'll be gentle. Don't worry."
He just huffed and kissed her temple. "Make sure you close the front door," saad niya sa dalawa.
"Wait! Where have you all been?" tanong ni Silence.
"Somewhere you will never know," Luc replied, closing the door.
Nakanguso na hinarap siya ng dalaga. "Where have you been?"
Ngumiti siya saka hinawakan ang mga kamay nito saka dinala sa labi ang dalawang pulso ng dalaga. He didn't see any marks from his hold which he was thankful but still, he knew it hurts.
"I just blow off some steam with Luc and Savannah." Kinabig niya ito saka kinulong ng yakap. "I'm sorry for making you cry and holding your wrists hard. For scaring you because of my anger. I'll try my hardest not to make you cry again. No promises, sweetheart, but I will work hard." Bulong niya at sinubsob ang mukha sa leeg nito.
"I have my fair share of mistakes, Mir." Hinaplos nito ang likod niya. "I'm sorry for keeping things from you. I love you..."
Pumikit siya at mas lalong niyakap ang dalaga.
They are fine... He's glad they are.
Clfern