Darling, Thanks For Stabbing Me

Chapter 11

Just as Iris entered the house, she was greeted by an excited Adonis. After getting his share of attention, he allowed her to go inside.

“Erik! Where are you?” She asked in a loud voice but got no response.

That was weird! She thought while going in to wash her hands and feet before deciding to check in the café.

When she was about to enter the café, Erik pulled her inside scaring in the process.

She pushed him back and rushed beside the counter picking up the nearest thing for self defense. It was a card swipe machine and she groaned at it.

“Hey! Don’t tell me you are planning to attack me with that?” Erik smirked to which she rolled her eyes.

Her eyes sweeping around the café and when she saw everything was okay, she relaxed before placing the swiping machine back on the counter.

“What was that?” she gritted through her teeth.

“Can’t you act normally? Why do you always have to be so guarded?” Erik asked mocking her.

“Erik! Stop playing around. Why are you pestering her when you things very well?” Maria asked disdainfully.

“I am helping her granny. Why you guys are seeing me as the villain when it is her? Don’t you get it?” He asked annoyed at the accusatory looks directed towards him.

“This hairstyle and eye color won’t help her much if she will be acting so jumpy always. She will help to let it go and live a normal life to actually act normally. This way nobody could deny that she is a different person. Are you getting me?” Erik asked looking at the other three faces in turn.

‘Touche’ Iris thought. She will have to get over with the PTSD in order to make everyone believe that she isn't someone with a broken past but a person who was content with her life.

Marcus was about to counter it. No matter how much the thing made sense but he wasn’t ready to let anyone force her or pressurize her for anything she wasn’t ready for.

“I think you are right! I will have to learn to let it go.” Iris breathed lowly.

In the meantime, Grayson ha informed to Linda about Aiden and he personally called Aiden just to divert him from that area.

The more he stayed near her, the more the danger lingered.

Aiden was surprised to see Grayson call him but when he said that it was a business talk, Aiden agreed to come and see him right now.

When they were about a mile away, Aiden noticed the changed demeanor of Rick. He thought first not to ask but the conflicted look made him question him.

“Is there anything I need to know Rick?” He demanded.

“Uh- No sir, I was wondering about something not that important. Just something personal.” Rick hesitated and Aiden although wasn’t convinced but decided to not press on the matter.

“Sir, pardon me but I think I have seen that lady back in that area.” His driver voiced his thoughts and grabbed the attention of both the men.

“What? When and where?” Rick was first to ask.

He was worried about the consequences he had to face if the driver would blurt his name out. He prayed that Aiden won’t ask him why he failed to notice that when the driver did.

However, Aiden could see Rick’s worried face but then asked the driver if he was sure about it.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” He whisper yelled at the driver.

“Sorry sir but I wasn’t sure like now. I think I saw her but can’t be sure and that is the reason I didn’t.” The driver fumbled with his words which annoyed Aiden even more.

“Fool! You should have known anything regarding her isn't trivial. Turn around now!” Aiden tried to calm himself and waited to reach the same place.

Linda on the other hand called Erik to ask where Sunny was. She was quick to reach the café considering the short distance from her house. She rushed towards Sunny and asked them to leave.

Marcus and Maria were just finished telling them about encounter with Aiden and Sunny grew anxious. She looked at Linda and when the duo decided to leave, someone came inside the café.

They were quick to push her behind the counter and stood in front acting like a barrier. The man dressed in suit looked gentle but they were cautious.

“What would you like to have sir?” Marcus asked to him.

The man looked like he was having some internal battle. Erik took the chance and opened the door towards the kitchen before letting Sunny slip through it in a sitting position. She was thankful for the crowd behind her.

She hadn’t made it inside when the little bell chimed again and the whole café engulfed with strong cologne.

Iris’s eyes widened as her heart thudded against her chest. She felt numb as the memories rush to her. It was him!

It was her Aiden but then her brain screamed- he isn't yours anymore.

She felt heartbroken as her throat chocked on her own saliva. Her chest burned with all the unsaid feelings and she fought hard not to turn and look at him.

She wanted to scream and yell at him, cry and beat him and let him know how much he hurt her but she knew it wasn’t the right time.

“Where is she, my fiancée? Tell me.” Aiden yelled at them.

It scared everyone and now Iris was more determined to escape him. Just as she managed to get inside, Erik closed the door shut slowly but Aiden saw it. He c****d an eyebrow at him in question.

“I know you are helping her. Where is she?” He asked and shocking them all, he walked behind the counter staring at Erik.

“Don’t you think it is quite suspicious to see everyone standing so close at the counter and then you standing here doing nothing but closing the door slowly and deliberately?” Aiden asked in a cold-tone and before he could get an answer, pushed the door open wide.

Erik pushed him back making Aiden stumble in the process.

Iris had heard him and was quick to dart out of the café from the back door but little did she know that his men were standing outside.

Aiden laughed bitterly while he glared at Erik. He took quick strides and pinched his chin with his long slender fingers.

“How dare you fight me? Do you know who I am? I can squash you under my feet in less than a second, get it?” Aiden spat out at him.

He was furious to see another man protecting who he thinks might be Iris, he wasn’t sure but had his doubts so all he wanted was to check.

Turning around he glanced at everyone giving them a threatening look that made him look anything but his personality.

“Listen you all. If I get to know that you are the one sheltering and keeping my fiancée away from me, be ready to face the consequences that you won’t like. Pray for yourselves.” with that he pushed Erik away from his path and ran inside.

Erik wasn’t ready for this and fell on the counter but quickly managed to get up and follow him.

“What should we do now?” Maria asked the other two and saw their long faces.

“I-I don’t know.” Linda said and suddenly pulled her phone out to call Grayson.

When he didn’t pick it up she left him a quick text to let him know about the situation here.

Inside; Erik breathed a sigh of relief to see Sunny wasn’t there while Aiden looked furious. He smirked at the man who was now tugging his hair in frustration. He cleared his throat and called out to him.

“Mr. Johnson now if you are clear that we aren’t hiding anyone; can you please leave? If you aren’t aware than let me tell you that it is illegal to trespass someone’s property.” He was pleased with himself.

Aiden glared at him and said in his icy tone, “Oh why not you report me. See to yourself what your police could do to me. Common go ahead.” He smirked like a devil.

Erik’s face hardened when he realized what he meant.

“And just so you know, I have my men scattered around the whole city and we would find her soon.” Aiden gave a devilish smile which tensed Erik up.

When Iris ran outside, she was glancing back again and again to make sure no one followed her but then bumped into someone.

She stiffened feeling someone’s presence. There stood two men who looked locals but she narrowed her eyes at them and apologized making her way ahead slowly. The guys saw her running from the café and knew that maybe she is the one whom they were looking for but she looked different than the one in the picture.

They were hesitant but couldn’t just let her go like that.

“Excuse me miss? Can you please help us with this address?” One of them stopped her as the other checked at his mobile screen to match the features.

He was confused, the girl looked similar but that doesn’t mean she was the one. However, they decided to question her.

Iris was shaking inside. She didn’t want to do anything with these guys or any guy for instance. She plastered her fake smile and turned to face them wanting to end it soon before someone comes finding her.

She nodded her head and looked at the address then started instructing them. In the meantime, the other man called for backup. Twenty men now took their place at a distance from them and signaled him.

He turned and asked Iris whether he had seen the woman in the picture. They saw her changing façade and got suspicious. Iris was alarmed now, she started taking in her surrounding to find a way to escape them.

She laughed nervously which sounded hollow even to her own ears, “I am sorry but I haven’t seen her here before. We have already been asked about her.”

“Oh yeah, doesn’t she look alike you?” the detective smirked and noticed her eyebrow slightly raised and fidgeted fingers. He was now confident that she is Iris.

He was a detective from many years and has learned people’s actions keenly.

“I-I dunno what you mean. Surely you can’t think that I am related to her. Heck! I don’t even know why you all are after her.” Her nervousness raised her anger.

It confused them but the other men were closing in the distance when a cop’s car reached there.

“What is going on here?” a loud voice boomed through the speakers and everyone froze in their places.