Auctioned

Cousin

Lauren's P.O.V.

"Hey." I hear a voice as I look up from my phone screen and smile after seeing Shawn.

"I'm late right?" He asks as he sits in front.

"No, I came just a couple of minutes ago." I lock my phone as I slip it inside my jeans.

"What do you want?" He says as he looks back and was about to call a waiter.

"Wait. I ordered." I say as he turns back. "Two coffees."

"Great. So why did you want to meet?" He asks as I let out a breathe.

"Shawn, what happened yesterday?"

"Yesterday? What- oh, with Johnny?"

"Yes, what did you guys talk about?" I ask while playing with my fingers.

"Nothing much. I just went to ask him why he is so pissed off over our relationship and stuff."

"And?"

"And he, you know."

"I get it." I sigh. "John was always like this."

"He is just trying to protect you. It isn't bad but, being a little too much protective is a problem. He is not understanding that someday or not you also have to move on."

"I know. And that's the reason I don't like him sometimes." I quietly mumble.

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Why don't you try to talk to him? Or you can also ask Maddie or Darian to help. Johnny will obviously listen to them. Right?"

"I don't think so. It's not like that he is that much disrespectful towards them, it's just, he likes to take it on his own way every time." I say as he keeps silent for sometime.

"I get it. But Lauren, I know nobody does it these days but, I won't ever want to date you if your family has any objections towards it."

"What do you wanna say?"

"No, I'm not saying that we will break up, it's just, it won't be right if your brother doesn't want it."

"Shawn, Johnny is always like this! He always has problems if I date with guys. It doesn't mean that we will end our relationship."

"Laur." He keeps his hand on mine. "Don't worry. Maybe someday Johnny would understand right? You should talk to him." He says as I nod.

"Shawn, um, I know that Johnny is a bit rude to you even though he is much younger. Just I know it's not-"

"Oh, come on. It's fine." He cuts me off. "Anything for my girl." He says and I chuckle.

"So, how is your family? Karen? Aaliyah?" I ask before the waiter comes and gives our order and I flash her a smile.

"Actually, Mom's a bit tensed. For what's happening now."

"What's happening?" I furrow my brows as I take a sip from my hot coffee.

"You forgot? Remember I told you about my cousin?"

"Oh, yeah. So what's the matter?"

"The police can't find her anywhere and, and they are saying that they would close the case." He says quietly.

"But how? Like how can the police not find her?"

"I don't know. I'm also so worried. God knows where is she."

"Don't wor-" I stop. Am I forgetting something? Wait, why am I getting a weird feeling. "Um, Shawn? When did your cousin got missing?"

"More than a week."

"Oh, okay." I silently reply.

"What happened?"

"No, um, actually. I don't know but John's acting a bit strange nowadays. Um-" I stop.

Lauren? Are you out of your mind? How can you even think that your own brother would kidnap someone? I know how is Johnny, he's not like this. Just forget it.

"What? Tell me."

"Nothing."

"Lauren? Is there anything you need to say? You know I would of course help you out." He says as I think for a second. Yeah, maybe I can share. How much will I keep it in myself?

"Actually, Johnny. He, he maybe is hiding something."

"What do you think it is?" He asks as I let a breathe out.

"There is a room at house, which is kept locked but somehow I had suspects that someone, someone was inside." I say as he narrows his eyes.

"And?"

"I went to that room, finding the master key when John wasn't at house. There was a girl. But I couldn't meet her as John's manager came in."

"What do you wanna say? That my cousin-"

"No! John won't ever do it." I interrupt him.

"I'm not saying that he did it. But, do you remember anything about her? Any single detail?"

"Um, well, she had lied down, only her back was facing me. She- um-" I think for a second."Maybe had brown hair."

"Chestnut brown, was it?"

"Yeah."

"Straight, and long?" He says as I think a bit more.

"Yeah, yeah. And also she looked a bit young. I mean, younger than me."

"Around eighteen?"

"Maybe." I said as he rubbed his index and middle finger on his temple.

"It's Kenz." He quietly mumbled as he looked back at me.

"What?"

"It is my sister. Kenzie. Mackenzie Ziegler."

"Ziegler? But aren't you Mendes?"

"Yeah, actually she is my cousin from my mother's side, so our last names are different." He says as I mouth a 'oh'.

"Whatever it is. I know Johnny won't ever do it!"

"Then why did he locked her up?"

"Uh- maybe.. maybe he hooked up with that girl who looks like your sister for a night?"

"And he will lock the girl whom he hooked up?" He crossed his arms over the table.

"Well, it can be. So that the girl doesn't go away?" Wait, what did I say?

"Means he actually captured her Lauren! And if he hooks up with a girl why would he keep it a secret from you?"

"You have a point." I mumble. "Yeah, I know Johnny does spent nights with girls and it's fine. I mean, he doesn't have a girlfriend so-"

"That was the thing I was saying." He cuts me off. "If he hooks up with a girl there's no problem is there?"

"No."

"Also, his manager. What did he say to you when he spotted you around that room?"

"He said that John told not to come here at that place."

"Are you getting it Lauren? There is some problem."

"But what prove do you have that my brother kidnapped your sister? And why would he even do it?" I almost yell as he stops and starts thinking.

"Maybe I know why." He says after a few moments. "Do you know who are the Zieglers'?" He asks as I shake my head in the negative.

"You don't. Actually Orlandos', means your family, always had competition with them for business. Your Dad had, now your brother. And the time when Kenzie got missing, it was the time when the bid at LA was about to happen."

"So? What do you wanna say?"

"Well, you won't get it but it is a really important project for any businessman and, for Johnny, as far as I know how his company is, it's a really big deal for him. Still, it was really easy for him to take the deal, if, there wasn't the Zieglers'"

"I'm not actually getting it." I give him a confused look.

"I'm saying that, Johnny kidnapped Mackenzie so that her Dad mentally breaks down for his daughter and Johnny can easily get the deal. He eventually would've get it if I didn't take it. And also, that's why he is really pissed off over me and can't see us together."

"Stop it Shawn! You're here talking nonsense about my own brother in front of me and thinking I won't say a thing?"

"No Lauren! I'm not saying that Johnny did it. But we can't stop suspecting him."

"John won't ever do it and I believe it. He can be a bit short tempered person but would never kidnap someone! I know him!"

"Calm down Lauren. I know you love your brother and won't ever believe that he can do it but still, think it yourself, don't you suspect him?" He says as I fuse off.

"Who was the girl? Why did he lock her up? And why did he keep it a secret? Don't you want to know?"

"I-I, maybe yeah. But still, John can't do it."

"Okay, I agree he can't but we have to investigate right?" He says as I keep silent.

Maybe he is right.

"Okay." I nod as he smiles.

"So? Did you check her up again?"

"I went to that room for the second time but she was gone."

"Means, maybe Johnny understood that you got to know it and also maybe his manager told him that you were there, so Johnny took her somewhere else." He says as I nod.

"We have to find out. Somehow." He continues.

"But, promise me one thing."

"Yes?"

"Even if Johnny is at fault, please you won't hand him over to the police. Maybe it can happen that he also has some other reason why he is doing this." I say as he nods, doesn't seeming like he wants to agree with it.

"Thanks." I say as he takes my hand and kisses my knuckle.

"Didn't I say? Anything for my girl."

_ _ _

Johnny's P.O.V.

"You still didn't go?" Mackenzie asks as I come out of the bathroom after a shower and close the door.

"Why?" I ask as she leans against the head board with only sheets covering her body.

"Cause after every night, in the morning you're gone." She says while I put on my shirt.

"I needed a shower. That's why." I reply while I was facing her and buttoning up the shirt.

"Now you'll go?"

"Yeah." I sit down on the bed as I start putting on my shoes.

"Great. Me alone." She groans as she lies down and I look at her with furrowed eyebrows.

"You like to stay with me?"

"It's not like that. It's just, I can't live alone so I don't have any problem to stay with my kidnapper."

"You can talk to, wait, what was her name?" I think a bit. "Yeah, Sarah, you're cook."

"Nah, she's so older than me."

"Am I younger?" I tie my shoes as I turn back and face her.

"No, but maybe she's around forty. You're at least twenty five."

"Four."

"Same."

"If I even stay back what are you gonna do?" I cross my arms as I rest my back against the head board.

"Talk nonsense? I don't know."

"I don't talk nonsense."

"Yeah yeah." She rolls her eyes.

"Our mentality is not same. You're just a teen."

"I know I am. But weren't you ever?"

"I passed that stage five years ago."

"What do you wanna say? You're old?" She chuckles.

"Older than you." I raise my eyebrows.

"Whatever. Bye." She playfully rolls her eyes.

"Bye? Are you trying to throw me out?"

"You said you need to go." She replies as she sits up.

"Yeah. I do. Bye." I lean in as I leave a kiss on her lips which she wasn't maybe prepared for.

"Yeah. Good bye! Have a great day! Have fun!" She rolls her eyes as I pull out from the kiss.

"It looks like you actually wanna go out from the house."

"Of course I do. I feel suffocated in here!"

"Okay, I'll take you out." I shrug as she flashes a million dollar smile on her face.

"Really?"

"We can go out. I have no problem." I say as she comes closer and again matches our lips.

"Thank you." She gets back with a smile and I laugh.

Crazy girl.

_ _ _

"Come in." I say as Caleb gets in the room and stands in front.

"So what now?" I ask as I rest my elbows on the table.

"Mr. Orlando, like you said, I got every single detail out of Shawn Mendes."

"Great." I smile. "So tell me." I say as he looks over the files he had in his hand.

"He is a Portuguese businessman but half British. His father died fifteen years ago and now his mother lives at Portugal with his younger sister but he is settled in Chicago. He is legit six feet two inches and has chocolate brown hair with brown eyes-"

"Hey, hey, cut the bullshit off. I'm not gonna marry him that I need his bio data. Tell me about the main points, about business."

"Well actually you said you needed every detail so I got them out. That's all." He says a I rub my temple with my index and thumb while sighing. Sometimes I feel like I have dorks working under me.

"Tell."

"Shawn Mendes is actually a much famous businessman in his country but also invested some in the US also. One at New York, at Chicago and at Los Angeles. He also has a small project at England." He says as I look up to him.

"And?"

"He started this company,'Mendes Enterprises' six years ago and got success really fast. And, also I got to know something else which is probably not that much of a good news."

"What's that?"

"He is family with the Zieglers'"

"With whom?" I confusingly ask.

"Zieglers'"

"How?" I yell.

"His mother and Mr. Ziegler's ex wife are somehow related. Maybe sisters." He says while thousands of thoughts were crossing my mind.

Shawn is my rival and his cousin is Mackenzie.

I kidnapped Mackenzie.

And Lauren is dating Shawn.

Also, Lauren maybe has suspects that there was someone in that room.

I rest my head on my hand as I groan.

"f**k my life."