Twisted Fascination

Kabanata 1

Dalawang araw na ang nakalipas ng tulungan ni Uriel ang binatang nakita n’yang nakabulagta at puno ng dugo malapit sa bahay nila. Dalawang araw na pero hindi pa din ito nagigising at ngayon nga ay pinupunasan niya ng basang towel ang katawan nito. Ngayon ay kitang-kita na niya ang mukha ng binata. Maitim at malambot ang buhok nito, matangos ang ilong at medyo manipis ang itaas na parte ng labi nito at mala rosas ang kulay. Nagtataka si Uriel kung paano napunta ang binata sa lugar na ito gayong malayo ito sa bayan. Sino kaya ito? Para itong isang karakter na nababasa niya sa libro at nakikita sa teleserye.

Habang nagpupunas si Uriel at napapaisip sa katauhan ng binata wala s'yang kamalay-malay na kanina pa pala nakikiramdam ito sa paligid at presensya niya. Alexiel stays calm but his guard is up. He doesn't know the person who was beside him but he or she will surely die in his hands. Until a wet something touched his face he immediately grabbed the person's hand holding it tightly and opened his eyes. He glared towards the assailant but was slightly surprised to see a woman. His expression quickly faded as his hands gripped the woman’s wrist tightly.

“Aww,” Uriel whimpered. Ano ba ang ginawa niya sa lalaking ito? Nalukot ang mukha niya dahil sa higpit ng pagkakahawak nito at sinubukan niya itong bawiin ngunit hindi man lang ito natinag.

“Who are you?” the man asked, sharply.

Lumaki man sa ganitong lugar si Uriel ay nakapagtapos naman siya ng high school sa hindi kalayuang bayan kahit na gabi na siya nakakauwi dahil nilalakad biya lang ang papunta at pauwi sa eskwelahan at bahay kaya naiintindihan ni Uriel ang sinabi ng binata.

“Ako si Uriel. Nakita kitang duguan sa labas ng bahay namin kaya tinulungan kita,” sagot niya ng mahinahon. Nakakaramdam siya ng takot sa klase ng tingin nito sa kanya. Sa tingin niya ay napaka-delikado nitong tao.

“Where is this place?” he asked again, not letting her go.

“Sa Maute. Nasa gubat ka ng Maute. Pwede mo na ba akong bitawan? Promise, wala akong ginawang masama sa’yo!” Itinaas pa ni Uriel ay kabilang kamay at nag-promise sign. Nakakatakot talaga ang titig nito, madilim at walang buhay. Mistula pang hinihigop siya.

Alexiel scans his surroundings. Right. It was that when those police chased them. Tsk. Pathetic.

“How many days have I'm unconscious?”

“Dalawang araw na,” sagot ni Uriel at hinimas ang kamay ng bitawan ni Alexiel iyon. Namumula iyon at dama niya pa rin ang konting kirot sa higpit ng kapit nito.

Alexiel sits up and quickly hissed. Agad naman itong inalalayan ni Uriel dahil sariwa pa ang sugat nito ay baka bumukas ito.

“Hindi ka pa magaling,” ani niya. Kitang-kita sa mukha niya ang concern para sa lalaki. Alexiel sneered. Funny how this woman was worried at him, a stranger. He could easily kill this girl but she was his benefactor who helped him, maybe he can leave her at peace? Wala naman siguro itong alam tungkol sa kanila? He will only drag this woman in dangerous situation. Better leave her without a bit of knowledge about him.

“I-ito tubig.” Iniabot ni Uriel ang isang basong tubig palapit sa bibig ng binata. The man just looked at ito before sipping a water. Nakahinga ng maluwag si Uriel, buti nawala ang tingin nito sa kanya dahil para s’yang hindi makahinga ng maayos.

“Magpahinga ka muna. Dadalhan kita mamaya ng makakain.” Bago siya makaalis sa kwarto ay pinigilan siya ng binata.

“Where are my things?”

Things? Ang tinutukoy ba nito ay ang mga nakita niya sa bulsa ng pantalon nito?

“Ah, nariyan lang sa drawer ng mesa. Iwan na kita, ah?” Pilit na ngumiti si Uriel ay lumabas ng kwarto. Huminga siya ng malalim at ti-nap ang dibdib niya.

Hooh! Ano kaya ang sasabihin ng lolo at lola niya kapag nalaman nila na may pinatira siya sa bahay nila? Hayaan na nga muna at ipagluluto niya muna ito ng makakain.

---

Alexiel stretched out his hand to reach his phone. He opened it and found that there was no signal in this place. Where are his members though? Nahuli ba ito? Tsk! He doubts it. With Bilial at Gab’s strength and skills? They will surely win against those police lalo na at nasa kagubatan sila they can kill all of them, leaving their corpse rotten. Where the hell is his gun? Did that woman find it? A smirk creeped out on his face. Well, if she found it she better hide it or else it will take her life.

He examined his wound. Hindi na bago sa kanya ito. After all the tremendous training and life nearing death he experienced, it’s just normal for him.

Pumikit siya at muling humiga sa kama. Hindi man gano’n kalambot ngunit okay na ito para hindi masaktan ang sugat niya sa likod. Naalala niya ang dalagang tumulong sa kanya. Is she leaving alone here? But he was wearing a man’s shirt. Perhaps she was living here with her husband? It’s not his concern anymore, he just needs to heal his wound and leave this place as soon as possible.

---

Three days later.

De Luca Household

“Did you manage to find him?” A voice sounded behind Gab as his hand fastly typed on the keyboard.

“It’s the same place as the tracker we found on the place where we left the Underboss.”

Naikuyom ni Bilial ang kamao niya at matalim na tiningnan ang monitor. May nakakita kaya sa boss nila? Did he found a place to hide? Kailangan nilang makita agad ito agad bago pa malaman ng nakatataas ang nangyari. Malakas na bumukas ang pinto ng control room at natahimik ang lahat. Bilial and Gab turned around to see who the intruder was but immediately stood up and straightened their body after seeing the man behind them.

With his coat on his shoulder and his right hand in his pocket while holding a cigarette between his fingers, the man appears unapproachable and scary, with a sloping scar on his lips down to his chin.

He’ll undoubtedly arrive here once he learns what happened to the Underboss.

The man who caused the silence and made the Sicilian family bow down their heads in respect, was no other than the Underboss’ brother, the Don.

His eyes were bloodshot as he stood there with a wavering deadly aura.

“How incompetent.”