Chapter 59
‘I’ll ask again: who did this to you, Maria?”
She starts trembling.
‘Stop, you know very well you scare me when you talk like that.”
She tries to remove the grip I have on her forearm.
You’re hurting me, Inara, stop!”
‘m disconnected from the world. Maria got beaten. I wasn’t there to protect her. Usually, I’m the one who comes home with
bruised face and she’s the one who runs to treat me.
Who?”
Promise me you won’t do something stupid.”
he sighs.
hope it wasn’t Khalid who dared to do this, because believe me, this house might actually go up in flames.
I was going to my brother’s last night and a man followed me until I was in a small alley. He pinned me against the wall and hen started hitting me. I don’t know him. He hit me until he realized I couldn’t stand anymore.”
My heart breaks.
What did he want? Did he steal your bag?”
He wanted to hit me and make me suffer.”
He knew you work here?”
She bites her lip.
Maria, don’t try to lie to me.”
He knows you.”
It’s not about my father? It’s about me?
‘Explain.”
“I don’t want you doing anything foolish.”
She sighs and pulls a crumpled paper from her apron on which an address is roughly written.
“He told me you had to meet him at this place today at 4 p.m., otherwise he’ll beat me every day until my body can’t take it anymore and I collapse for good.”
Son of a bitch.
I let go of her forearm. I try to contain the rage that’s threatening to make me explode.
Some little bastard went after Maria to get to me. Doesn’t he know my address? Couldn’t he just wait to bump into me in the street and face me directly? I’d rather be violently taken myself than have a single hair on Maria’s head touched.
10:25 pm $
Chapter 59
Chapter 59
Inara
MAIN VILLA
9:45 a.m.
“Inara, wake up.”
Maria’s voice wakes me. I open my eyes with difficulty after this night. She’s turned away, tidying up my dresser.
“Does Khalid need me?”
“Yes, he wants to talk to you.”
“Is Hakim here?”
“He didn’t sleep here.”
What do you mean he didn’t sleep here? Wasn’t he supposed to be here last night, that’s what Alexander told me, isn’t it?
I walk over to Maria to kiss her forehead but she steps back, avoiding all contact with me. I’m surprised by her behavior since she’s usually so caring and affectionate towards me.
“What’s wrong, Maria? Did I do something wrong?”
“No, my darling… I’m just sick, I wouldn’t want to infect you.”
Her voice is barely audible, like she’s been crying or screaming. What kind of excuse is that? Maria would never have pushed me away even if she were sick.
Why is she keeping her back to me? She prefers folding my clothes rather than looking at me.
“Maria?”
She nods her head without turning in my direction.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you.”
“You don’t think you’ve seen my face enough?”
She lets out a nervous laugh,
I understand that something’s wrong. I quickly grab her forearm to make her turn toward me. I widen my eyes. Her right eye is bruised, her cheek is red and covered with a mark showing she received a violent blow, and her lower lip is slightly split.
She immediately lowers her head. I try not to boil with rage at the state of her face.
“Who did this to you, Maria?”
My voice is dry.
“Let it go, it’s nothing.”
10:26 pm
Chapter 59
1 calm my heartbeats.
“He’s a killer.”
WAREHOUSE
4:04 p.m.
“Were you looking for me?”
My boots click against the floor of the old warehouse where he told me to meet him.
A filthy, remote place: there’s a bed in the back of the room with a yellowed mattress, multiple crates whose contents are hidden under sheets, a wooden wardrobe, water dripping from the ceiling, walls full of holes and peeling paint, and a single old lightbulb that flickers every few seconds.
He matches Maria’s physical description.
“They told me you had guts, but I didn’t think you’d come alone.”
He flashes a crooked smile.
One thing’s certain–I’ve never seen him before. A face like his, I’d remember. Which means someone sent him.
“You thought I’d bring in the cavalry? Sorry to disappoint, but they only show up for real threats.”
He laughs. The cynical sound nearly sends a chill down my spine.
This man looks like a vagabond.
Even from a few meters away, I can smell him like a goat from miles off. His clothes are filthy and torn in several places, like they’ve been chewed by a hyena.
All the enemies I’ve had over the years don’t have henchmen like this. Sure, they do the dirty work, but they also represent them. Usually, they’re always well dressed and groomed.
“You don’t know me, but I know you very well.”
“I got that impression since you went after someone I care about.”
“It was the only way to make you come, wasn’t it?”
Very few people know about my relationship with Maria. He’s well–informed.
“You could’ve called and I would’ve come without you going after her.”
“You think you’re powerful, is that it?”
I hold his gaze without answering.
“Forgot to introduce myself–call me Paco.”
“Isn’t that a bird’s name? A parrot, right?”
“You should learn to shut your mouth.”
4/5
10:25 pm
Chapter 59
“You weren’t going to tell me?”
“I don’t want anything to happen to you because of me.”
I’m about to yell at her but I hold back.
“Look at the state of your face.”
I turn my eyes away so I don’t have to look at her. I clench my fists. I bite my lip to stop a salty tear from rolling down my cheek.
When it comes to my loved ones, I lose all control over my feelings and actions. These aren’t tears of sadness that threaten to fall but tears of hate.
Maria is the most precious person I have in this world. She places her hand on my shoulder.
“I’ll go to that meeting! If he has to beat me up to leave you alone, I don’t care!”
She widens her eyes.
“Stop saying things like that!”
“I swear I’ll do it! He’s an animal!”
“Calm down, Inara.”
“I can’t calm down! Look at your face! It looks like he crushed it with his shoes! Fuck!”
“You’re losing control. You know very well what happens after that.”
Exactly, I know it all too well. Last time, it ended very badly. I don’t want it to happen again. Never again.
“What does he look like?”
She doesn’t answer.
“Tell me what he looks like, right now.”
She hesitates a few seconds before saying:
“It was very dark. He took out his phone and turned on the flash saying you deserved a detailed physical description.”
Psychopath.
“I’m listening”
“Olive skin, about thirty years old, a scar that covers half his face and another gash on the side of his lip shaped like a cross. He’s tall and has brown eyes.”
I don’t think I know this person. He went after Maria to get to me and probably lure me into a trap.
“He has three tear tattoos under his right eye, one of the tears isn’t filled in.”
Tear tattoos. Two filled. One that isn’t.
“You’re lucky to still be alive.”
3/5
10:26 pm
Chapter 59
I shrug.
“And you should learn not to go after women, you see?”
“You were really hurt that I went after your employee. That’s what we call collateral damage.”
+23
“She’s not just an employee and you know that, otherwise you wouldn’t have targeted her to get to me. I don’t accept anyone. touching my family.”
He smiles–and it makes me burn with rage.
Breathe, Inara. Don’t act without thinking. You have to stay calm to avoid making a mistake.
‘Be thankful, I could’ve done worse.”
I’d rather you go fuck yourself thoroughly–in every sense of the word.”
He yelps in mock offense, then laughs.
They warned me you had a big mouth, but I didn’t expect you to be this vulgar.”
Whoever gave you this mission didn’t tell you everything about me.”
You underestimate my employer. I’m the executor of a brain bigger than yours and mine combined.”
pretend to yawn in boredom.
I’m surprised he chose a filthy bum like you to do his dirty work. I’m downright offended.”
5/5
