“Neriah?” Shawn calls stepping into the bathroom where Cainan just left. It is quiet as the graveyard and his heart feels as though about to explode. He sees Neriah by the basin washing her hands. “Neriah?” He calls again and this time she looks up at him.
“Shawn, hey,” she warmly smiles at him as she pulls the tissue and wipes her hands before tossing it into the dustbin.
“What’s going on and why the hell is Cainan leaving the ladies’ bathroom.” Shawn's tone is hard and demanding answer.
“I got you your job back?” There’s no victory in her words and for someone who just did something good, she doesn’t look good and this draws him in weirdly.
The news is indeed good news, but stupidity would rejoice before knowing how the good news came about.
He stares at her for an unending moment before requesting, “Can I at least ask how you could do that? The Cainan I know does not negotiate or change his mind Neriah, what did he ask for in return?”
“Nothing,” she answers with a mild shrug.
His brows shoot up, “Nothing?”
“Yes,” she exhales.
“Don’t lie to me, please.” He pleads, stepping closer to her.
She bites her lower lips slowly and her head drops, “He didn’t ask for anything in return, he kissed me.”
Shawn’s teeth clench, and she sees his hands balling into a fist. “And you call that nothing? Did you like it or something?!” He demands furiously.
“No!” she exclaims. “Why would you ever say that? I slapped him for kissing me, Shawn, so no, I didn’t like it.”
He scoffs in disbelief; not knowing where to start in controlling his anger. “He kissed you and gave me back my job. What other way is there to ask for payment from someone?” He asks with a humourless tone of voice. He feels trapped between being happy for getting his job and being sad and angry that Cainan thinks he can get what he wants with no one daring to raise a voice.
Neriah speaks, and he snaps back into reality. “I was going to threaten him into giving you your job and leaving me alone.”
“Threaten him, with what?” He raises a brow.
Neriah hesitates for a moment. “What?” Shawn asks as he sees her dilemma.
“I don’t know, telling you the truth might put the both of us in danger, but I have no choice and I can’t bear lying anymore.”
He steps closer to her, “Then tell me, remember we are in this together.”
“He’s having an affair with Clara.” She quickly reveals before she can change her mind.
“His married ex-girlfriend?”
She nods. “Apparently, they’ve been screwing for the past few years. Although she has also been married, they have also ended things, but Cainan is having a hard time letting go. When I threatened him, he promised to kill both of us if anyone ever found out about it.”
“All the years I’ve worked for him, there’s one thing I know, you don’t threaten Cainan with anything or he’ll lash back.”
“We should go home.” She suggests, already exhausted by everything that has happened so far.
There’s a look of disappointment on his face, “That means we accomplished nothing tonight then because he’s still not going to get off your back.”
She cracks up a smile, “You got your job back.”
“About that,” he storms out of the bathroom, and Neriah follows him behind.
“Where are you going and what are you trying to do?!” Neriah exclaims fearfully, because something tells her he’s about to do something he’ll regret later on. “Whatever you’re thinking of doing, Shawn, don’t.”
“I’m going to find that piece of shit that calls himself Cainan Inferno and give him a dose of his own medicine, that’s what I’m going to do.” He replies, walking past the body of the guest in his way.
“Are you crazy? You’re only going to get yourself in trouble. Stop this right now.”
Cainan isn’t only powerful with money, he is also physically fit, but strong-headed Shawn ignores all that as he walks to where Cainan is and taps on his shoulder.
Cainan is having a brief discussion with some close business friends when he feels a tap on his shoulder. He turns around and sees Shawn and he expects to see a lot of emotions on his face, but doesn’t think anger should be one of them. It’s there and needs to be dealt with.
“Mr Ola. What is it you want?”
Shawn opens his mouth to speak, but he’s beaten to it. “To say thank you,” Neriah completes, coming to put her arms around Shawn. Shawn tosses her hands away and glares at her, a gesture of Cainan notes.
Cainan nods, although feeling the heat between them. “Yes, as expected. We should talk privately.” He suggests to Shawn before turning to the men he was just talking to. “I’ll be right back.”
He walks on and Shawn turns to Neriah. “Don’t follow me,” he warns, and she nods and halts in her steps, knowing he’s furious with her for what she just did.
He leaves Neriah and follows Cainan, who leads him to a private spot in the hall.
“Do it,” Cainan speaks up immediately, his encouragement taking Shawn by surprise.
He frowns, “Do what?”
He rolls his eyes. “I’m pretty sure your girlfriend has told you everything, and that means you know I kiss her and you were coming over to knock my teeth out earlier. She was right to stop you there because hitting me in public would cause stare and attention and we both know how much I hate attention, but now you should hit me.”
Hearing him beckon for his retaliation weakens Shawn and frustrates him even more. “Why did you kiss her?”
His eyes widen in disbelief, “Seriously, you need a reason? Because I like girls that are a pain, sassy, but demanding and I think you’re going to have to man up if you hope to keep her or else people like me wil—”
Shawn cuts him off and doesn’t let him finish before slamming his fist into his face. This sends Cainan back a few steps but doesn’t take him down. Shawn wasn’t hoping to take him down, either. He wanted to leave a mark and as Cainan’s hand goes up to touch his mouth and it’s bleeding from the deep cut it has and satisfaction appears on his face.
“Stay the fuck away from my girlfriend or you’ll be sorry.” He warns before walking back to Neriah. He takes her hand and walks out without uttering a word. They take a taxi and Shawn gives the man Neriah’s address, although he still doesn’t speak to Neriah.
The taxi reached the house in twenty minutes and they both step down and Shawn pays. When he turns to Neriah, she’s already at the door, opening it. Silently he follows her, but Neriah stands in his way and prevents him from going inside.
“Let me in, Neriah.” He says, looking up at her.
She crosses her hand over her chest stubbornly, “You realise those are the first words you’ve spoken to me in almost thirty minutes, right?”
He groans loudly, not ready for the fight that he senses coming. “What do you want me to say?”
“What you did to him for starters and you came and pull me away like a child and you know I hate that.”
“I’m sorry,” he apologises, his head dropping in regret.
“What happened there that changed you this way?”
“I punched him, okay?” He answers, looking up into her eyes. “He wanted me to.”
“What? Why would he want that?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugs after heaving a deep sigh, “something about me manning up. Cainan is sick and twisted and he has a way of getting into people’s heads.”
Neriah stares curiously at him. “Did it work?”
“I bust his lips. Never done that to anyone before,” Shawn responds with a sly smirk.
“Why do I find you hot for doing that?” She asks, biting her lips and pulling him closer.
Shawn raises a brow at her. “Are you doing what I think you’re doing??”
She winks at him. “What do you think I’m doing?”
He kisses her lips, and she responds, kissing him back before wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
“Come inside.” She beckons with a smile.
****
“What the hell happened to you?” Exclaims Samantha as she approaches Cainan, who had a bloodstain on his inner white shirt and bust lips, “who did this?”
He pushes her hand away from him when she reaches it out to touch his lips, “I’m fine Samantha, we are leaving,” he says, taking her arm and leading her away from the hall.
“What’s wrong with you?” She demands, wiggling her arm from his grip.
“Can you just do what I say without asking me stupid questions for once?” He growls in annoyance.
She yanks her hand away from his grip and frowns at him. “You’re being a jackass again. Why are you picking on me when all I’m trying to do is help?”.
He runs a shaky hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, but this night is not my best, so can you please listen to me and let us leave?”
She glares at him but still enters the limo and he does too before they drive off.
“Tell me who did this?” She suddenly asks after a while of silently staring out of the window and saying nothing to each other.
Knowing she will not drop the subject, “An employee I fired a while back?” He replies and his answer isn’t a lie.
“He must really hate you,” she mumbles aloud.
He chuckles before saying, “You always hit, claw, slap and kick me every single chance you get because you hate me as well.”
She doesn’t deny it, “I hate you in a good way.” She takes his hand into hers and brings it up to get lips to kiss it.