DANCING WITH THE VILLAIN

IX | The Black Sheep

Rhysand Marfori

The cold bite of the wind against his skin did not stop him from speeding his car. Rhysand is pissed that nobody is answering his calls. But he is more pissed with the fact that someone like Neinhart knew about the Black Sheep--something that should never have been disclosed especially to people like Neinhart. 

Humigpit ang hawak niya sa manibela ng kanyang sasakyan at mas binilisan pa ang pagmamaneho. He should have taken precautions. He should have ignored everything and just did what he wanted to do to ease her mind. Hinampas niya ang manibela at nagpakawala ng malutong na mura. If Neinhart does something, sisiguraduhin niyang magsisisi ang lalaki sa gagawin nito. Hindi niya alam kung among magagawa niya sa sa lalaki. Tinawagan na niya sina Marcus at Sid para magpunta rin. 

The drive took almost two hours. It would normally take him almost four hours ngunit iba ang sitwasyo ngayon. Kailangan niyang makaabot sa kanyang patutunguhan sa along madaling panahon. 

Agad siyang bumaba sa kanyang sasakyan and as if on cue, his phone rang. He gritted his teeth when he saw it was an unregistered number. Alam na niya agad kung sino iyon. 

Nang sagutin niya ang telepono ay rinig niya agad ang ingay sa kabilang linya. Students whismpering and crying in fear. Humigpit ang hawak niya sa telepono. 

"Neinhart," he said, his voice low. 

Narinig niyang tumawa ang lalaki sa kabilang linya. The same laugh that makes his lood boil. Agad siyang naglakad papunta sa gate only to see it being guarded by Neinhart's men. 

Kukunin na sana niya ang kanyang baril nang magsalita ang lalaki sa kabilang linya. "I suggest you don't do that. You see, I have my fingers wrapped around your dear sister's neck. One wrong move from you and she's dead." 

Rhysand stopped walking and eyed the two guards in front and the building in front of him. Neinhart is on one of the building's classrooms and he just have to find where. Ngunit nang tingnan niya ang pinakahulinig palapag ay kitang-kita niya ang lalaki sa harap ng bintana. And he wasn't lying about having his fingers wrapped around his sister's neck dahil iyon nga ang nakikita niya. 

Rinig na rinig niya ang hagulhol ng kanyang kapatid sa kabilang linya. Rhysand clenched his fist and finally let go of his gun. 

"Drop it to the ground," saad ni Neinhart. He stared at him before he held his gun, raised it, and then dropped it to the ground with a thud. 

"Now walk towards the gate so my men can check you." 

Sinunod niya ang utos ng lalaki at naglakad papunta sa gate. Agad naman niyang itinaas ang dalawang kamay habang papalapit ang dalawang lalaki para tingnan kung may iba pa ba siyang sandata o wala. When they confirmed he has nothing else, he placed the phone back to his ears. 

"Now walk inside," Neinhart said. 

He did what he was told. "Let me talk to my sister first," sabi niya at tiningnan ang bintana kung nasaan si Neinhart. Nakita niyang inilagay nito ang telepono sa tenga ng kanyang kapatid. 

"Rhys," called his sister, sobbing. He clenched his fist. 

"Hey," he said, trying to make his voice as assured as he could. "Aurora, it's alright." 

"No it's not alright, Rhys!" hikbi ng kapatid niya. Napapikit nalang siya nang mariin. 

"You'll be fine. Try not to get too mad, okay?" 

Hindi na niya narinig ang sagot ng kapatid nang kunin na ni Neinhart and telepono. "You have 10 minutes to get here, Rhysand Marfori." 

At pinatay ng lalaki ang tawag. Napamura nalang siya nang mahina. He is known to command and no one dares to disobey him. Not even his brothers. But their sister, Aurora, doesn't like to get herself involved with the group. So she started living on her own, away from them. Aurora Marfori is known as the Black Sheep for that. Nobody knows about it except the family. The only explanation as to why Neinhart managed to know about it is someone from the family told him about it. Or perhaps Aurora wasn't too careful about living a different life that Neinhart managed to find her.

Two man appeared out of nowhere. Hindi siya tumigil sa paglalakad nang tumakbo ang mga ito sa direksyon niya.  One tried to shoot him ngunit naunahan niya ito at nahawakam niya ang kamay nitong may hawak na baril. He twisted the man's hand dahilan para mabitiwan nito ang baril. He kicked the gun away and with one punch, he knocked one guy out.

Napamura naman siya nang mahina nang maramdaman ang suntok ng isa sa mukha niya. Rhysand staggered back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Napangisi ang lalaki sa gawi niya at agad itong tumakbo papunta sa kanya para umatake. But Rhysand is far too experienced to be defeated by one of Neinhart's men. He twisted his body to the side and held the man's arm before he hit his gut with his knee. And with a kick, he knocked the man down.

He straightened his coat and spat on the floor before he started walking again towards the next floor. Kinuha niya ang baril na nasa sahig.

Wala na siyang nakitang mga tauhan ni Neinhart habang papunta siya sa sunod na palapag. When he was at the third floor, he started running hanggang sa makarating siya sa huling palapag kung nasaan sina Neinhart.

Hindi na siya nag-aksaya ng oras at agad binuksan ang isang silid. Bumungad sa kanya si Neinhart at ang mga tauhan nito. The students and the teacher are at the back, crying, as Neinhart's men are pointing their guns at them.

Agad niyang itinaas ang kanyang kamay na may hawak na baril at dahan-dahabng yumuko para ibaba ang baril sa sahig.

Napatingin siya sa kapatid na babae na umiiyak pa rin habang nakatutok sa ulo nito ang baril. Tumingin din siya kay Neinhart na nakangisi sa gawi niya.

"Let the others go," he said with his arms still up.

"Heroic now, are we?" Neinhart grinned.

He looked at the young students, some are closing their eyes, some are covering their ears. Agad naman niyang ibinalik ang tingin niya kay Neinhart at sa kapatid niyang hawak-hawak nito.

"Let the children go. Narito na ako. You have my sister. I don't get the need for you to include the others." 

Napatingin naman si Neinhart sa mga estudyante sa gilid. And then he looked at him.

"I dont bbelieve you are alone, Rhysand Marfori," said Neinhart.

"Well, ylu dont see anyone with me, do you? Besides, nakita mo akong bumaba ng sasakyan kanina. Did you see anyone with me?"

Neinhart's eyes narrowed and then he nodded to his men to drop their guns. "Have them outside and don't let them get away," he said to his men na agad namang sinunod ng mga ito. 

Now all Rhysand has to mind is his sister on the hands of Neinhart. Tiningnan niya ang kapatid niya. Umiiyak pa rin ito. 

Aurora has never been someone who likes violence. And he does his best to keep her away from it. Kaya naman pumyag siyang lumayo ito at palitan ang pangalan para hindi siya makilala bilang isng Marfori. It was to keep her safe and the new people around her. Ngunit ngayon, habang nakikita niya itong umiiyak, he realized he must have made a mistake. It is his fault that Aurora got involved in this mess. 

"What do you want, Neinhart?" tanong niya sa lalaki. 

Ngunit ngumisi lang ito at sinabing, "I can't think of anything that could suffice what you did to me." Saka nilingon ang kanyang kapatid na babae. "How about I have your sister?" 

Napatingin siya kay Aurora na umiiyak pa rin ngunit tahimik na ito. Hindi na ito nagsasalita simula pa kanina. Agad naman siyang kinabahan at napatingin kay Neinhart. 

"Let go of my sister, Neinhart," he said, his voice stern and it contained enough bite to pass off as a warning. Neinhart is stubborn and he is something who wouldn't listen to anything now and won't think of anything except for his revenge. 

Napabuntong-hininga nalang siya at napatingin sa kapatid niyang babae. "Rory," he called. Ito ang tinatawag niya sa kapatid kapag kinakalma na niya ito. "Rory, it's me. I'm here now. It's okay." 

Tumingin ang kapatid niya sa kanya, her tears now dry in her cheeks. And when he looked into his sister's eyes, alam na niya kung anong mangyayari. 

Everything happened in five minutes. 

The next thing he saw was Neinhart being flipped upside down and everyone was surprised with what happened. Pati siya ay hindi makagalaw. Sa isang iglap, may hawak nang baril Aurora. Agad pinulot ni Rhysand ang baril na ibinaba niya kanina sa sahig at tumakbo sa kung nasaan sina Neinhart at bago pa man makapagpaputok ang tauhan niya ay naunahan na niya ang mga ito. Aurora pointed her gun to Neinhart's men while pointed his gun towards Neinhart himself. 

He looked at Aurora and he could see nothing but rage. "Rory," tawag niya. Hindi ito nakatingin sa kanya ngunit kay Neinhart lang. "Rory, look at me," he called again. His sister heaved a deep breath bago ito tumingin sa kanya. In an instant, nawala ang galit sa mga mata nito. And that was his sign that  Aurora is back. Nakahinga siya nang malalim saka hinarap si Neinhart na gulat pa rin sa nangyari. 

Ikinasa niya ang baril at napapikit ang lalaki. Tiningnan niya rin ang mga tauhan nito na nakatulalang nakatingin sa kanila--tila nasurpresa pa rin sa mga nangyari. 

"I told you to let her go. If I hadn't stopped her, she would have killed all of you easily, Neinhart." 

He glanced at his sister who walked towards the vacant chair. Agad naman itong napaupo at tiningnan siya sa mga mata. "I hate when this happens, Rhys," saad nito. 

"I know," he said and gave his sister a smile. Agad naman niyang hinarap ang mga tauhan ni neinhart. "Drop all your weapons to the front. Have your hands behind your back and kneel," he commanded. Agad naman itong sumunod sa kanya dahil sa baril na nakatutok sa ulo ng boss nila. In an instant, all the weapons they have are gathered in the middle of the room. Saka naman bumukas ang pinto at iniluwa doon sina Marcus at Sid. 

"What in the holy mother of--" Hindi naituloy ni Marcus and nais niyang sabihin nang mapunta ang tingin nito kay Aurora. 

"Rory," Marcus and Sid both said and rushed towards their sister. 

"There are students outside. Sid, get them to safety," sabi niya sa isang kapatid. Napatingin naman si Sid sa kanya at agad lumabas para tingnan ang mga estudyante. 

"What in the world happened here, Rhys?" tanong ni Marcus sa kanya. Ngunit hindi na nito hinintay ang sagot niya nang mapagtanto nito ang mangyari. Marcus saw the gun on Aurora's feet and how her hands trembled. 

"It happened, didn't it?" tanong nito kay Aurora. Their sister closed her eyes before she nodded. 

"I didn't mean to. I was so scared and so angry at everything. My classmates and my friends won't look at me the same way now because of what happened," Iyak nito. 

Napatingin naman si Marcus sa kanya ang they both know what would happen next. 

He crouched down in front of Neinhart and looked at him straight in the eye. "You are going to disappear in Sinclaire, Neinhart. Take all your men and everything you have in here. Go far away. With what you did to my sister, I don't think I could be as merciful as I am today." He stood up. 

"Leave this city and never show your faces again. I shall expect to never hear from you in the future," he said and looked at Neinhart. Hindi to umiimik at nang tingnan niya ito ay kita pa rin niya ang gulat sa mga mata nito na para bang hindi ito makapaniwala sa nangyari kanina. 

And then Neinhart looked at him and said, "Cursed." Nanlilisik ang mga mata nito habang nakatingin sa kanya. "Your family is cursed." 

"How did you know about her?" tanong niya sa lalaki. 

Ngumisi si Neinhart  at tumingin kay Aurora bago sinabing, "It's not hard to find her, Rhysand. And someone with a face like that--" Rhysand immediately knocked Neinhart unconscious dahil alam na niya kung among sasabihin nito. And he can't let Aurora to hear that.

Agad siyang napatingin sa mga tauhan ng lalaki. "Take him and never show your faces again." The men were instantly on their feet and took Neinhart away, leaving their weapons. Sakto namang pagpasok ni Sid sa silid. 

"Why is it that it's only this class present in this school?" tanong ni Sid nang makapasok.

"Wala dapat kaming pasok ngayon but out teacher said we have to meet to discuss about the school trip," Aurora answered. Napatingin naman si Marcus sa kapatid. 

"A school trip? And you didn't even tell us?" 

"What is there to tell you? Kailangan ba sasabihin ko lahat sa inyo? I'm eighteen!" 

"Well," Sid said, walking closer to Aurora. "Hindi naman sa ganoon, Rory. Malayo ka sa amin. All those people who want to get even with us would surely attack you. And now that Neinhart knows about the black sheep..." Sid trailed and heaved a sigh before he continued, "others might have already known about your existence too." 

"So what does that mean?" Aurora asked, her eyes glistened with tears. 

"It means you can't be on your own know. Kailangan mo nang umuwi," Rhysand said. Mangiyak-ngiyak si Aurora habang nakatinigin sa kanya. 

"But Rhys--" 

"I can't risk for something like this to happen again, Rory. I'm sorry." 

"Bakit ba palagi nalang akong nasasangkot sa gulo ninyo? I even changed my name, I changed my identity--just so I won't get involved with you and your shady business. How did they even find me?" 

Tiningnan niya ang dalawang kapatid na nagtataka rin. "We still don't know. Did you do something that somehow gave away to your connection to us?" 

Rory scoffed. "The last person who would blow that up is me, Rhys. Why don't you ask yourselves that question?" 

Hindi na sila nito hinintay na makasagot at agad na lumabas. Sinundan nila ito at nakita nilang nakatayo ito sa silid kung nasaan ang mga kaklase nito. When she opened the door, her classmates jolted and everyone went silent nang makita sila na nasa likuran ni Aurora. Marcus tapped their shoulders at agad naman silang lumayo. They figured Rory is saying goodbye to her classmates na takot na sa kanya ngayon--people who won't see Rory the same way again. 

Nang matapos sila ay agad sumakay si Rory sa kotse ni Sid, saying that they have to go to her apartment first to get her things. It would be safer if Rory is with them. Now that Neinhart knows about her, it is not impossible that their other enemies will find out about Rory too. And he is worried not because Rory might not be able to protect herself but she might lose control. Iyon ang kinatatakutan niya. Rory is someone who denies her violent side because she doesn't like violence. But she is as equally as capable as them when it comes to fighting. And it only comes out when she's mad. Kaya naman labis ang pagpapakalma niya rito kanina. 

"I'll meet you at the bar," saad niya sa mga kapatid at agad pinaharurot ang sasakyan. 

Gabi na nang makarating siya sa Sinclaire Grande and he spent almost an hour drinking with Fred as his only company. Maya-maya pa ay may dumating na babae at tumabi sa kanya. Agad niyang naramdaman ang paghaplos nito sa kanyang balikat. Rhysand blew a smoke and finished his drink. Kanina pa siya nag-iisip sa kung among nangyari kay Rory kanina. 

"Let's go somewhere else," bulong ng babae sa kanya. Hindi niya alam ang pangalan nito because he never bothered to know the names of women he slept with.

He left some cash on the counter for Fred and went with the woman to go somewhere. nang makarating sila sa apartment ng babae ay napahinto siya nang makita ang babaeng nakita niya kanina sa harap ng bar. Agad naman siiyang nag-iwas ng tingin and pretended not to see her. In his periphery, kitang-kita niyang natigilan din ito sa itaas ng hagdan. 

And when they passed each other, he couldn't help but look behind him and saw her go out of the door. 

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