Chapter 28: Hang on

Nagising ako nang may maramdaman na gumagapang na kiliti sa aking mga binti. Tumaas ito sa aking puson at hanggang sa aking dibdib. Dahan-dahan niyang itinaas ang suot kong jacket. Hindi ko na kailangang magmulat ng mga mata para makilala ito.

"Good morning, Darson," Rex whispered as he gently took my jacket off. I was too feeble to even refuse. I could still feel the fatigue of what happened last night. "Wake up now. Huwag mong hayaan na sapilitan pa kitang gisingin."

Gustuhin ko mang sundin ang nais niya ay tila bagsak na bagsak ang mga talukap ng mata ko. Naramdaman kong gumalaw ang kama, umalis siya. Ilang sandali pa ay malamig na tubig ang bumuhos sa katawan ko.

Napasigaw ako at agad na napabangon. Sumalubong sa akin ang nakangising labi ni Rex, sa kamay niya hawak ang pitsel na naglaman ng malamig na tubig. Sa sobrang gulat at pagkalamig ay natulala ako sa kanya. Sobrang galit ako na hindi ko alam kung paano ito ilalabas.

"I told you, Darson. Don't push my buttons."

Nanginig ang buong katawan ko. Sinubukan kong balutin ang sarili ng kumot pero maagap na inagaw niya sa akin 'yon. Wala akong nagawa kung hindi yakapin ang sarili. Nakatingin lang siya sa akin na parang naghihintay.

"Bumangon ka na," iritadong utos niya. "Let's take a shower."

Nang hindi ako kumilos ay nagtaas ito ng kilay. Bago pa man siya gumawa ng ibang hakbang ay dahan-dahan na akong bumangon. Didiretso na sana ako sa shower room nang iharang niya ang braso niya para pigilan ako.

"Dito ka maghubad," utos niya.

"I am naked," sagot ko. Wala na akong saplot sa itaas.

He shook his head. "I want to see it all here. Don't make me repeat my command, Miss Alpha."

I did what he told me to. Ibinaba ko ang pants ko at maging ang sa loob nito. Hubo't hubad na humarap ako sa kanya. Seryoso lang ang tingin niya sa aking mga mata. At nung bumaba ito sa katawan ko ay isang demonyong ngiti ang sumilaw sa kanyang labi.

"Fascinating," he mumbled.

"I-I'm cold," I complained. "Can we take a shower now?"

He chuckled. "Not yet and I don't care. I am still enjoying this lustful view." He bit his bottom lip as he moved closer to me. Using his index finger, he touched my lips and traced it down to my chest. He stopped there to play those. I sniffed when he pressed it roughly.

Sandali niyang inalis ang kamay niya para tanggalin ang sinturon ng kanyang pantalon. Ibinaba niya ito. Hinawakan niya ang ulo ko at sapilitan akong pinaluhod sa harapan niya. Habang sumisigaw siya sa pagkasabik ay halos masuka ako.

His moans echoed in this room. While I was suffocating, he was enjoying. While I was silently wishing he would stop, I knew he wished it could last longer.

I knew it would happen. I could live like this anyway. I had lived like this before. But what I couldn't accept is that, after all the sacrifices by leaving my family behind and by voluntarily coming back in this hell, he didn't fulfill the promise he told me to. He still messed up with that family.

"Stop!" Mabilis na hinatak niya ako patayo at binuhat papasok sa CR.

Hindi ko alam kung ilang oras ang itinagal namin doon. Dapat ay malinis ako pagkalabas pero hindi, sobrang nandidiri ako sa katawan. Pagkalabas namin ay may mga bago ng damit sa kama na malamang ay dinala ng mga tauhan niya.

Ako ang unang nagbihis dahil 'yon ang utos ni Rex, pinanuod niya lang ako hanggang sa matapos bago siya nagbihis. Sabay kaming lumabas ng kwarto at pumunta sa dining hall. Bumungad sa amin ang dalawang lalaki na matagal-tagal ko ring hindi nakita.

Oh, I forgot to say. Rex is in his 50s. Pero hindi 'yon halata dahil sa katawan niyang pinagpaguran hulmahin. And he has two sons, Jag and Michael. They both have different personalities. One is a devil and the other one is a tamed devil.

"Oh." A mischievous flashed on Jag's lips when he saw me. There, the devil. "It's true that the mistress of the clan has come back. Welcome back to hell, Miss Alpha."

"Shut up and eat," I said to him.

Tinawanan niya lang ako.

Umupo ako sa tabi ni Michael pero agad itong tumayo ay lumipat ng pwesto. Bahagya akong nagulat sa ikinilos niya. Sa dalawang magkapatid ay si Michael ang kahit papaano ay nakakausap ko nang matino. I never claimed him to be a friend but if I would have one here, I would definitely choose him. Unlike Jag, Michael is always quiet and is most of the time nowhere to be found. There, the tamed devil.

"How are you, Darson?" Jag asked. Bumaba ang tingin niya sa dibdib ko. "Damn. You got matured. Dad must have enjoyed it."

"We are eating, Jag," said Michael.

Jag laughed softly. "Not my fault. It's noticeable, bro."

"You can fuck her later when I am not around," matalim na saad ni Michael. "You are sickening me."

Napatingin ako kay Rex na kumakain lang. Gano'n na lang din ang ginawa ko. Kumakain lang ako nang tahimik at hindi pinapansin si Jag ka kinakausap ko. Kinailangan ko ring itulak nang palayo ang upuan niya dahil gumagapang ang kamay niya sa hita ko.

"Sure," Rex immediately answered on Jag's request. "You can fuck her later but don't exhaust her too much. I want her again."

"Of course, Dad!" and Jag grinned at me.

I rolled my eyes. What a bunch of thirsty men.

Matapos kumain ay may inutos muna si Rex kay Jag kaya umalis ito. Bago siya tuluyang umalis ay binalaan niya pa akong ipaayos na ang kwarto. Si Rex naman ay malamang na umalis din para sa iba pa nilang gawain. At ito ako, hinahanap si Michael.

"Have you seen Michael?" tanong ko sa katulong.

"Baka po nasa garden, Ma'am," sagot nito bago yumuko at umalis.

Kumaliwa ako sa isang pasilyo at lumabas sa likod. Kinailangan ko pang maglakad para marating ang hardin. Sa bawat dadaanan ko ay may mga bantay. May ibang bumabati at may iba namang walang pakialam. All of them were armed with guns. Well, they must.

Napatingin ako sa isang lalaking nakasunod ang tingin sa akin. Nang mahuli niya ang tingin ko ay ngumisi siya. Kahit na malabo at nakakapagod ang nangyari sa akin kagabi, kilala ko pa rin ang mukha ng mga gumalaw sa akin.

I gulped before I approached one of the armed men. "Hey. May I borrow your gun?"

Kumunot ang noo niya. "We are not allowed to give up our guns."

"Isa lang," sabi ko. "It's been a long time since I held a gun."

"We are no-"

"Hindi mo ba ako kilala?" putol ko sa kanya gamit ang seryosong boses. "I am Miss Alpha. If ever something bad happened to Rextro, I would be the next leader." Malambing na hinawakan ko ang kanyang braso at pinisil 'yon. "And I would definitely be needing a new man. Can I borrow your gun now?"

I mentally laughed when he swallowed hard. When he didn't move, I gave him a peck on the lips. Shocked registered on his pale face. Napansin kong nanginig ito. Sino ba ang hindi? He just kissed the Queen Alpha. If Rex found out, he wouldn't last a day anymore.

"W-why did you do that?" he asked, tensed.

"You are doomed now," I laughed softly. "I could save you from the rage of the king. That is if you let me borrow your gun."

I smirked when he immediately lent me his gun. There was this different satisfaction when I touched the trigger of the gun. I rubbed it with my finger. Fascinating. Life is something nothing and no one can undo once done. And it's such a shame someone invented something like this that can take it in just one shot.

"Hey. You can't handle her a gun." Lumapit sa akin ang isa pang tauhan. "Are you dumb?!"

I looked at him and furrowed my eyebrows. "Why not? Holding a gun makes me calm."

"The King Alpha won't feel calm if he found out about this," he threatened.

I chuckled. "Didn't I make you feel calm last night?"

He smirked. "I would do it again if I needed to." And those were his last words.

A loud thud that came out of the mouth of my gun echoed in the silence of this hell, sticky blood spilled on the floor, interrupted conversation around – and a pathetic piece of shit like this breathless man finally met his demise.

"There you go. You are calm forever." I kissed the tip of the gun before I gave it back to the owner. "Don't worry. You won't die yet. No. Not because of my kiss. Thanks." And I ended it with a flirty wink.

I walked out with a wide smile plastered on my face. Dinaanan ko ang mga lalaking nailing na lang habang nakatingin sa akin. May mga ibang tauhan na nagmadaling linisin ang bangkay ng lalaki.

Dumiretso na ako sa garden. Hindi naman ako nahirapang hanapin si Michael. I saw him sitting on a wooden chair and staring at the canvas. Nakatalikod siya sa akin kaya hindi niya ako pansin. Huminto siya sandali para magbuga ng usok.

I stopped a few inches away from him. I watched him puffed smoke in the air. I could feel his frustration.

"You just came back and you already hit one man," he said without diverting his gaze at me. "Truly, the queen alpha is back. No more lonely and silent night for this place."

"What are you painting?" Tumabi ako sa kanya at pinagmasdan ang kasisimula lang na guhit, ni hindi ko pa mahinuha ang punto niya.

"I don't know." He ripped off the canvas to start a new one. "Damn. This is frustrating."

I nodded. "You must need a model."

He looked at me, lips half parted. "I like the idea. Could you do the pleasure?"

"Sure!" I stood up and took off my clothes until I am completely naked. Naglakad ako sa pinakaharap niya at ngumiti. "Am I doing it right?"

He smirked. "Stood still. I'm just going to get your angle."

"Noted."

I stood, still. Hindi na bago sa akin 'to, ang maghubad sa harap ng maraming tao. Minsan ko nang ginawa ito para kay Michael. And when Rex first introduced me on his entire clan, I was completely naked. I watched how thirsty men daggered a lustful look at me. I spent the whole night celebration without clothes.

"Why did you come back?" he suddenly asked.

"I love this family," I teased.

He chuckled. "We never loved you."

"I know."

"Done," he said. "Put back your clothes."

Kinuha ko ang mga damit ko at nagbihis uli saka tumabi sa kanya. Ginuhit niya ang anggulo ko, hindi pa detelyado. Pero alam kong kapag natapos na niya ito ay kuhang-kuha niya. Mabilis siyang makakabisado ng mga imahe. He could draw a detailed art with just a single glimpse.

"I can't save you anymore," he whispered.

Mapait na ngumiti ako. Siya ang tumulong sa akin para makatakas no'n. Kinalaban niya ang sariling ama para sa akin. Kahit naman gano'n si Rextro ay hindi mapapantayan ang pagmamahal niya sa mga anak. He would burn down an entire town just for them. He would raise a damn hell if something bad happened to one of his sons. I saw it once.

"Wala ka pa bang girlfriend?" I asked.

Tinawanan niya ako. "You know my type, Darson."

"Okay. Let me rephrase it. Wala ka pa bang boyfriend?"

He shook his head. "I had once but he didn't last. When he found out about my family, he immediately skedaddled my life like a scaredy-cat."

That made me laugh. "I would do the same if I were him."

Sandali siyang tumigil sa ginagawa para masahihin ang kanyang mga kamay. Tumayo ako at pumunta sa likod niya. Hinawakan ko ang balikat niya ang mahinang minasahe 'yon. Madalas ko itong gawin dati sa kanya.

"How 'bout you?" he asked. "Wala ka bang naging boyfriend?"

Without hesitation, I responded, "Wala. But I found something more than a boyfriend."

"I see."

"Family." Napangiti ako nang banggitin 'yon. "I think I was loved by that family. Delusional, right?"

"No," he responded. "I believe in you. The Hardens."

Natigilan ako. "You know them?"

Mahina siyang tumawa. "I watched you from afar, Amira. Nakita ko kung paano ka nila itrato. Malamang na si Daddy ang dahilan kung bakit iniwan mo sila para bumalik dito. I feel sad and pitiful of you at the same time."

"Why?"

"Because you are so dumb to make a deal with the devil. You really think Dad would let them survive, Amira? I'm afraid, no. I saw how furious he was when he found out how they treated you. You are not allowed to be loved, that's his words, remember?"

Tumayo na siya at niligpit ang mga gamit. Ipinasok niya ang mga 'yon sa kanyang bag bago ito nilagay sa kanyang likod.

"You fucked up not just yourself but also the family who treated you good." He shook his head in disappointment. "What a mess."

"I saved them," I responded.

He laughed, mockingly. "You couldn't even save yourself, how could you save them?"

He left after that.

Ilang minuto akong natulala sa kawalan. Nabalik ako sa huwisyo nang may humipo sa hita ko. Napatalon ako sa gulat nang biglang sumulpot si Jag. Tumawa ito sa naging reaksyon ko.

"You are acting like a virgin," he teased.

"And you are acting like groping makes you cool when in fact it makes you look like a fool trying hard to be cool and someone who picks on women because you are no stand against real men."

Nawala ang ngiti sa labi niya. "Say it again."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "There you go. Babae lang naman ang kaya mong kalabanin. You are always hiding behind your Dad's shadow-" Napapikit ako sa inis nang dumapo sa pisngi ko ang kanyang mabigat na palad.

"You are annoying as hell, Darson." He smirked. "Anyway, pinapatawag ka ni Daddy sa opisina niya. After that, proceed to my room. I prepared you something good."

"Sure." Bahagya pa akong tumawa. "I want you to show off, Jag. Don't bore me again just like before." Saka ko na siya nilagpasan. Narinig ko pa ang mahina niyang pagmura sa akin at pananakot pagkatapos kong makipag-usap kay Rex.

Hindi na ako nag-abalang kumatok, basta na lang ako pumasok sa opisina ni Rex. Naabutan ko siya sa kanyang cell phone, may kausap. Nang makita ko aya agad niyang ibinaba ang tawag. Naagaw agad ng pansin ko ang mga nakakalat na documents sa kanyang lamesa.

"Have a seat," he motioned the chair.

I just sat there and waited for what's this meeting about.

"Why don't you look at the documents," he said.

Pabagsak na kumuha ako ng document sa lamesa. Sa unang basa ko pa lang ay agad akong natigilan. Nilukot ko ang papel na hawak at itinapon 'yon sa kanyang mukha.

"Are you scared of me?" I mocked.

He laughed. "After reading those, you scared me."

Ako naman ngayon ang tumawa. "What now?"

Pinagsalikop niya ang mga kamay sa ibabaw ng lamesa.

"That's the original copy of your history," he said. "I gave Mrs. Harden a copy. You know? I care so much for that family. I pity them for accepting a family-wrecker like you."

Imbes na magalit ay tinawanan ko na lang siya. "And... what about it?"

"Let's elaborate the documents, shall we?" He let out a heavy sigh. "So, galing ka pala sa bahay-ampunan? You never had the chance to meet your parents. Doon pa lang ay nagpakita ka na ng pagkasabik sa pagmamahal ng magulang. Kapag may umaangat ay nagagalit ka. Kapag naramdaman mong mas may minamahal kesa sa 'yo ay umaalis ka. According to the statement, you almost killed one of your friends there just because you felt they loved her better than you. You are a sucker of love and selfish for wanting it all."

Nanginginig ang mga kamay ko habang nakikinig sa kanya.

"Are you entertained about my story?" I mocked, trying hard to conceal how mad I was by bringing back that long history.

"When you didn't get the love you wanted there, you escaped the orphanage. And that's the start of you, getting in family by family. Creating a new identity and leaving it after you get bored or after you didn't get what you want. One, you burned down their home before you left. The other one, you killed their daughter because they loved her more than you. And the last one, you killed your father when he loved your sister more than you. Lahat ng pamilyang dinaanan mo ay sinira mo."

I laughed. "True. But there's something wrong with the second to the last statement. I didn't kill him just because I got jealous the way he loved his own daughter better than me. I killed him when he tried to harm me, when he tried to rape me. There, I fixed it for you."

"You are really a bitch and thirsty for attention," he ridiculed.

"Is that all?" I furrowed my eyebrows. "Are you done with that old boring story?"

"I'm afraid you can't have a new story anymore after this, My dear." Sumandal siya sa swivel chair at humalukipkip. "I didn't know you are this devil. I don't want you here anymore. You are such a threat. You crave for a love that doesn't suit you. You are out of your mind."

After all... I still got hurt with those words. I can't be accepted even in this hell. I mentally laughed.

"Are you sending me out?" I asked.

"No." He laughed. "You are going back to that family, Amira. You love him, right?"

Natutop ako sa kinauupuan ko. "W-what?"

"Archeon left his home to find you. He's at risk now." He chuckled. "He won't survive long, you know his condition. Hinahanap ka na rin ngayon ng mga pulis sa pangunguna ni Mrs. Harden at ang isa niya pang anak. They thought you are with her son and using him as a prisoner. You want to play game? All right. Go, Amira. Run and look for him before it's too late. Let the game begin."

Nablangko ang isipan ko sa mga sandaling ito. Archeon.

Lutang na nakalabas ako ng opisina niya. Naglayas si Archeon para hanapin ako. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang mararamdaman ko.

Napatalon ako sa gulat nang may humila sa akin papasok sa isang kwarto. Tinulak ako ni Jag sa kama at pumatong siya sa akin. Tulala lang ako habang nasa ibabaw ko siya. Hindi ko maalis sa isipan ko si Archeon. I need to find him before it's too late.

"I heard Dad is setting you free," Jag said. "Are you going to look for that sick man? Is he good in bed?"

Nabalik ako sa huwisyo. "Better than you."

He laughed. "Let's see..."

Wala sa sariling napangiti ako. Hindi ito mangyayari kung hindi nakisalo si Rex at kung pinanindigan niya lang ang pangako niya sa akin na hindi papakialaman ang pamilyang iyon. Siya ang rason kung bakit takot na takot akong magpakita sa mundo. I may be the reason of the downfall of that family but he contributed to it.

No. I won't let it pass just like that. Time for my revenge.

Habang busy si Jag sa paghalik sa akin ay inabot ko ang vase sa gilid. Walang pag-aalinlangan na binasag ko 'yon sa ulo niya. Umangil ito at agad na bumagsak sa akin kaya tumakas ako. Dumugo ang ulo niya at halatang nahilo.

"S-shit," he cursed.

Ako na naman ang pumatong sa kanya. "You have had enough pleasure, Jag. You go in hell first. Prepare my grand entrance." Kinuha ko ang basag na piraso ng vase at inilapit 'yon sa kanyang leeg. "It won't take long and we will see each other again. Let's continue this make out session in hell. Send my regards to the devil." I cut his throat and watched him cough blood.

I smirked when he stopped resisting.

Umalis ako sa ibabaw niya at pinunasan ng tela ang dugo sa kamay. Binalingan ko pa ang kama na tila dinesenyohan ng dugo. Humarap ako sa salamin at nag-ayos ng sarili.

"I'm coming back, babe..." I whispered in my reflection.

Kinandado ko ang pinto bago lumabas. Sa pinakalabas ay may naghihintay ng sasakyan. Pumasok ako roon. Pinagmasdan ko ang mansion ni Rex hanggang sa hindi ko na ito matanaw. Sa ngayon ay payapa pa ito pero hindi matatapos ang araw na ito at isang dagok ang darating sa angkan nila.

Sumandal ako at pinahinga ang likod. Hinawi ko ang luha sa aking mga mata.

Hang on, Archeon. I won't let you fall alone.