Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Alejandro took a different turn from the hallway Freddie and Avril came in through. He and his friends had a different entrance to their hideout that did not go through the club. Avril put so much space between them as they walked, she didn't even want to follow him at all. But she couldn't stand with Freddie, she could not escape and she could not fight the man and disappear.Alejandro noticed how far behind she was, so he stopped walking and looked back at her. She shuddered and almost stepped on her feet when she saw his face. She stopped walking and stood still.

He peered straightly at her for long seconds, then groaned deeply and continued walking. It was as if Avril's heart totally stopped working. His eyes took the life out of her and she couldn't move. He was getting farther away and she was still standing. Could she escape from him? But where would she hide? If she ran back the way they came, and entered the other hallway to the club, would he notice?

Before she could even executive the plan, she felt two strong arms grab her. She screamed as she was yanked off the ground and unto the shoulders of the strange man.

“Hey let me go! Let me go!” she screamed and kicked at him. It was like she was not even there on his shoulder as he walked smoothly. Avril finally gave up on the kicking and she let her hands sway after him as he walked, her hair upturned and danglingover her. She could no longer see the hallway and where they were headed.

Finally, they seemed to have gotten out of the building, as fresh air and light hitAvril's face. She tried wriggling out from her tight position, because blood was already moving to her head. Luckily, the man held her and pulled her down firmly. They were beside a big black car andAlejandro was inserting a key into the door to open it.

“Thank you, Andro,” he said to the man without looking at him. Andro nodded, glanced at Avril and walked away. Andro was one of the bouncers that was standing by the door Avril and Freddie walked through. Alejandro had given him a quick call to bring Avril because he knew she wanted to escape, not that she could. Because the only two exits were the oneAlejandro was moving towards, which led to the back of the house. And, the one with the bouncers. Avril could never get past those trained men.

Alejandro opened the door to his car and looked at shivering Avril. Her legs could hardly carry her.

“Enter,” he said to her. She knew if she obeyed, they would be no going back.

“Please, let me go. I'm begging you, I can't live like this. Please, don't do this to me,” she pleaded and tears flooded down her eyes, as if they had occupied at the door of her eyes and poured out when it was opened. Alejandro, however, was far from moved. Blood didn't move him, was it going to be mere tears that would do that?

“Enter,” he repeated with that same cool, smooth and gentle voice. Avril began to sob louder and choke. She started wiping her tears with her palms repeatedly. When was the last time she cried like this? And this man did not seem to care, more like he was getting bored. Avril saw that look of boredom accompanied with impatience on his face. She was scared he would do something rashly so, she gently and slowly walked into the car and sat down. He heaved a sigh of relief and closed the door on her. It was like he had closed the door to a dungeon and Avril wailed harder when he did so. She covered her face and cried quietly as the car began to move. She didn't care to look at anything, all she wanted was to cry.

“If you keep crying like that, I'm going to lose my restraint,” Alejandro deeply growled. He really was going to lose his restraint because her cries were getting him angry.

“Just kill me and I'll be fine,” she said he surprisingly chuckled. She removed her palms from her eyes and looked at him. He was relaxed on his seat and driving with one arm. His fingers each had gold rings that sparkled against light. Avril's head felt light from crying and her eyes, drowsy. She didn't realize when she fell asleep and slid down onto the seat. Alejandro looked at her through the rearview mirror and averted his eyes almost immediately. Ten minutes into the drive, he arrived at his house and parked his car underground. He lived in a massive mansion, with different rooms for different purposes. It was a really big house.

He called two of his men and they arrived almost immediately.

“Take her to my room. I will be there soon,” he ordered and they were quick to carry Avril.

“Gently, do not wake her up,” he said and walked away. He went through an elevator in his parking lot there, to the first floor of his house. He entered through a door into a lovely and small living room. He grabbed a stick of cigar from a plate on the table and lighted it. While smoking, he found his way through another door into a bedroom. He entered the closet and gently pulled away a rack of clothes. He held his cigar with his left hand, and pulled open a small compartment that blended well into the wall. It revealed a passcode screen. He inputted his passcode and a passageway opened in the floor, just behind him. He covered the compartment and went in through the opening, down a flight of stairs and into a dimly lit room. A few men were standing behind long tables, counting and dropping bundles of money into shelves behind them. Other men were walking to and fro another door which led to the weapons room. A man was supervising, and as soon as he saw Alejandro, he gasped and ran to him.

“Boss,” he said.

“Did the package arrive safely?” Alejandro asked, looking at the bags of money on the counters beside the men.

“Yes, sir. There was no struggle at all.”

“How much have you countered so far?”

“Twenty million dollars. We just started, sir.”

“Hmm,” he hummed and dragged in smoke.

“The shipment also arrived today. The men are already clearing up the hall.”

Alejandro puffed out thick, white smoke and began to walk around the men. They were strictly counting the money and not looking anywhere else. He walked into the weapon room and saw as the men were arranging military grade weapons into rackets on the wall, and glass counters.

“Everything looks good. We'll send some of this to the Vincaso Family next week. I don't know what they're planning but they're paying huge for it,” he said.

“Yes, boss. I'll get a plane to Italy ready,” the man stated. Finally, Alejandro left the place and went back through the way he came. He took the elevator to the fourth and last floor of the house. That floor belonged to him alone, and he lived privately there. He had a considerable sized living room and kitchen. Housemaids make meals for him whenever he was around.

Walking into his room, he met a bloodied Avril on the floor, crying and choking on her sobs. He was shocked and strode slowly to her.

“Hey, what happened?” he asked. Avril glared at him and jerked off.

“Don't you dare come close to me!” she gritted. Her lips were busted, her right eye was bright red as if she was punched hard. Her nose was bleeding and so was her cheek,from a slice.Red marks were all over her arms, andAlejandro did not like the look of her. His jaws clenched tightly, and his eyes darkened.

“What happened?” he repeated.

“Your-your men. I-I tried to–” she choked and gasped, “to escape. They beat me, and-and brought me here,” she stuttered and shivered. She was feeling cold.

“Hmm,” Alejandro hummed and got on his feet. He glanced at Avril and clenched his fist.

“The bathroom is there. Clean up,” he said and nudged his head towards the door. He turned around and headed out of the room. Outside the room, he reached back and pulled a pistol from behind him. It had been neatly tucked into his trousers all these while. He held the gun firmly and entered the elevator. His sighed impatiently and his eyes darkened even more as the doors of the elevator slid shut.

Chapter 39

Alejandro was a calm man. He was so cool and was always quiet compared to the other men in the Mexican Mafia. But the coolest was often the deadliest. He doesn't give orders twice. Once he had said something, he would not repeat it.And if it was not carried out, the consequences were rash.

What he told those men was simply to take Avril to his room. He did not ask them to hurt her even if she tried to escape. It was a simple instruction, and they failed to carry it out. He located the men easily. They were standing in the lower living room, talking with other me. When they all saw Alejandro approaching with that familiar dark face of his, and a gun, they knew trouble was looming. They just didn't know who made him angry this time.

“Both of you, on the floor,” he ordered while moving his gun from the first man to the other.

“Boss,” one of them called pleadingly.

“On—the—floor,” he gritted. The men gently laid face down on the floor. The other men in the room moved away. Alejandro pointed his gun at their legs and shot two bullets each into both legs. They screamed and wriggled on the floor in pain.

“What was my order to you?” he asked but they did not answer. They continued to groan. Alejandro angrily stamped his foot on the places he shot them. Keep in mind that he wore heavy boots. The men screamed again and rolled on the floor.

“Please, boss. Please,” one of them pleaded.

“Answer the question,” one man from the group of men said.

“You...you asked us to—” he breathed in and out before continuing. “—to take the girl to your room.”

“Anything else?” Alejandro asked.

“No,boss,” they both answered.

“Why is she having blood on her body? Why did you raise a fucking fist on her!?”

“We are sorry. Please, have mercy,” they pleaded.

Alejandro scoffed and shifted the direction of the gun to their heads.

“Please...boss,” the first man pleaded, though he knew it would be worth nothing. One of the reasons why the second man did not beg.

“Stop! Stop right there!” a woman's voice rang. Every single eye in the room turned to the top of the stairs, by balcony. Every eyes including Alejandro's and the men on the floor. Avril was standing there, still bloodied and panting heavily.

“Please, don't kill them,” she pleaded and seeing that everyone was staying still, she raced down the stairs.

“The men are not at fault here. I am. I tried to beat them and find my way out,” she explained.

A man scoffed and said,“you, beat them?”

Avril shot him the deadliest glare and he raced a brow at her. Obviously, she was the tough one.

“I don't know what you're called. Alessandro or something Freddie called you. But please, don't take a life here. Please,” she pleaded again.

Some of the men laughed quietly about how naive Avril was. They knew Alejandro was not the one to listen to anybody. But the shock on their faces when he lowered his gun and pushed it back into his trousers, was quite frightening. He had just listened to a woman. He just spared their lives.

“It's Alejandro,” he corrected Avril. She nodded and sighed.

“Thank you, Alejandro,” she appreciated. He groaned deeply and glanced at the men still on the floor.

“I assign you to her. You're her men from today because she's the reason you are still breathing,” he stated and began to walk towards the stairs. He passed Avril without saying a word. The men on the floor managed to sit up and she stared at them. While the other men stared at her.

“We are sorry for beating you up,” the silent one finally spoke. Avril nodded and looked at her hands that had blood on them. She had truly entered the bathroom and tried washing the blood when she had a strong urge to go downstairs. She followed her instincts and had met the scene at the very right time. If she had been a second late, it would have been too late.

“Don't you need to clean up?” the man who had questioned her earlier asked.

“Can you show me somewhere else? I don't want to go back up there,” Avril said. He nodded and beckoned on her to follow him, which she did. He took her to a larger bathroom, probably the public restroom in the house. She thanked him and washed her face and arms there. Some of the wounds were still bleeding fresh blood and she dabbed toilet paper on them until they stopped. She loved herself in the mirror and prayed the slice on her face would heal and not turn into a scar. It was from the ring of one of the men.

A knock came on the door, so she left the mirror and went to open it. The same man who showed her there wasthe one standing.

“Yes?””

“Alejandro wants you in his room. Right now,” he said.

“Right-right now?” she stammered.

“Yes. Said I should not returnwithout you,” he added. Avril gulped down and stepped out of the bathroom. She followed him upstairs and he left, only when she had knocked and entered.

“You...you called me?” she asked. He was dripping wet and was standing in front of the mirror, toweling his hair. He wrapped a towel around his waist too.

“I want you to know that what I did today was a favor for you. I do not like being interrupted like that. Neither will I spare you next time if you meddle in my business,” he drawled in his usual calm voice and his Mexican accent.

“Yes, sir,” Avril mumbled.

“Also, I made a man rich because of you and I don't intend to let you escape. You won't be able to escape from me because I own Tijuana. And if you even attempt it, I won't kill you. Butyou will beg for mercy.”

Avril's legs suddenly began to wiggle a little. She was scared so much she wanted to pee.

“I bought you for a reason. Now, get on the bed and let me utilize my money,” he ordered and turned around. Avril staggered backwards in fear when she saw his face. He looked tensed and still angry. He was a very hairy man but his hair was silky and hugged his body. Avril's eyes averted to the bulge in his towel and gasped. Freddie had said she would regret not sleeping with him. Becauseshe would pray her master was soft on her.

“Please, I'm begging you. Don't do this to me. Please, Alejandro,” Avril begged.

“Should I undress you myself? You might not like that,” he stated and her tears flowed down her eyes. She realized she was in a mess she couldn't get out of. Her friends were also in this same mess. If she wanted to get out of this alive, then she had to play along.

“I will undress myself,” she said with a bolder voice and removed her shirt.

“That's my girl,” Alejandro cooed as he watched her remove every piece of clothing on her until she was left in her undies.

“Get on the bed,” he ordered in a much darker tone of voice. She exhaled and walked to the bed then climbed in. He followed after her, climbed the bed and removed his towel leaving him totally naked in front of her.

Chapter 40

Avril woke up very late and alone in Alejandro's large bed. Her whole body ached and she could hardly lift herself to sit up. Her hair was a mess. It was all over her face and was as scattered as a rice field that was hit by a storm. The bed was not any better. It was like lightening struck it and turned it upside down.

After minutes of just lying there and looking up into the ceiling, she gathered strength and sat up. She rested her back on the bed frame and touched her forehead that was blazing hot. Her head even ached badly. The events of the previous night replayed in her mind and made her cringe.

“I won't think about it. I won't think about it,” she whispered to herself. She looked around the room and saw her clothes on the floor. It was then she remembered her charm bracelet. She had forgotten about it the previous day.

Slowly and gently, she placed her legs on the floor and wrapped the blanket on her naked body. A step she took was accompanied with a scream. Her legs were heavy and so sore, like she carried the weight of the world on her thighs. But she needed to get to her clothes and check for her bracelet. She continued to take painful steps until she reached them. She peered in but didn't see any sign of gold. She could not bend down, that would be World War III.

“How am I going to get this?” she asked in her mind. Then, she looked around the room and sighted a long pole used for decorating a shelf. It was a long way to the wall and Avril could not risk going there when she could just shift the clothes with her leg and endure the pain.

She exhaled deeply and shifted her heavy leg to the clothes.She began to scatter them and saw no sign of the bracelet. She looked around for her bra where she had actually hid it, but did not see it anywhere.

“It must be on the bed. That's where I remember putting it on last,” she muttered to herself. She turned back to the bed and walked there. Under one of the pillows was her bra and the bracelet stuck in its sling. Avril sighed in relief and sat down then took the bracelet.

“Thank God I found you,” she mumbled and kissed it. She hooked it into her wrist and stared at it with a smile on her face. At that phase of her life, the bracelet was her most treasured possession.

The door opened and a fully clothed Alejandro walked in.He was wearing a leather jacket and trousers,with those thick boots and big rings ladenon all fingers. Avril tensed and shifted uncomfortably.

“You keep doing that, you will die of hypertension someday,” he drawled in his usual smug voice.

He walked past the bed and towards a closet. Then he opened it and pulled out a white fluffy bathrobe. He turned to Avril and showed her the robe.

“Do you like this? It's mine and smells like me,” he said.

“I hate the well you smell,” shereplied and her throat hurt. She gulped down painfully then rubbed herneck.

“Women like the way I smell,” he stated and began to walk towards me.

“Great. Go give them the bathrobe then,” she retorted and scoffed under ber breath.

“Does your throat hurt? Do you need something hot for breakfast?”

“Go away. I don't want anything from you,” she mumbled and looked away. Alejandro walked to her side of the bed and dropped the robe beside her.

“Can you walk?” he asked.Avril shot him a glare and shifted from him.

“I was a little too hard on you last night, wasn't I?” he asked again and yet, Avril did not reply. His presence alone irritated her beyond explanation.

“Wait for me,” he said and went into the bathroom. Avril looked at the bathrobe and liked it immediately. It was a pure white cotton fabric with feathery trims. She picked it up and had the urge to smell it to see if it really smelled like Alejandro. She was about to sniff it when he returned to the room and she dropped it back on the bed.

“Freddie told my friends that you were on the ship with those African women. He said you were friends. Was he correct?” Alejandro asked as he pulling out some things from a drawer beside the bed.

“Yes,” Avril replied.

“You might want to see them. So, I arranged for them to have breakfast with you. They've been here for about an hour and you were sleeping throughout.”

“Chidi and Nana are here? In this house?” she asked with excitement.

“Downstairs, teasing my men in the kitchen,” he answered and turned to face her.

“Time for a bath. There'swater in the tub already but I do not know how you like your bath water and what temperature. So, you'd have to tell me. Very hot, just hot or just warm?”

Avril peered at him and couldn't see any trace of that darkened look he carried the previous day, when he wanted to kill those men. Or when he was having sex with her. The Alejandro standing and asking her about bath water was totally different.

“Just hot. I feel pains all over and need a hot bath,” she found herself replying.

“Okay. Give me a minute,” he said and went back into the bathroom. He changed the water temperature and returned to the bedroom.

“You didn't answer my questions earlier,” he said as he walked towards her.

“Which is?” Avril asked.

“Can you walk?I was a little too hard on you last night, wasn't I?”

“I—I can walk a short way. Yes, you were hard,” she gulped down because shecringed at the thought of what he had done to her last night.

“I will take it easy next time. Until you're used to having it my way,” he stated.

Again, Avril cringed and got goosebumps. So she was really stuck with him and would get next times as a sex slave?

“Come on, let's go to the bathroom,” he said while standing right beside her. He tried to pull away the blanket covering her but she yelled and jerked off.

“When did you get here so fast? And what the h.ell do you think you're doing?” she snapped.

“Taking your blanket off? Is that a crime when I was the one who covered your body last night?”

Avril stared at him and sighed.

“Don't remove my blanket. Get away,” she shoved him from her side and placed her legs on the floor again. He chuckled softly and with one swig, he swooped her into his arms. She yelled and tried to hit him, but strength failed her. He took her to the bathroom and dropped her into the bathtub, together with her beloved blanket.

“The towels are over there, when you're done. Don't take long, that Nana of a girl is taking away the peace of my home,” he said and began to walk out

“Alejandro?” Avril called and he turned back to her.

“Why do you seem different from yesterday? Are you bipolar or something?” she asked.

“No. This is me,” he answered.

“Then why did you try to kill those men yesterday?”

“Because the same chocolate humans love are lethal to dogs,” he answered and walked out of the bathroom. Avril could not understand what he meant by that.

Chapter 41

After about twenty minutes in the hot soapy water, Avril finally washed and drained the tub. She let in fresh water and rinsed herself before stepping out. Blood began to flow freely through her veins again, and the aches reduced. She walked to the towel rack and pulled out a large towel which she used to wrap her body. She looked at the wet blanket on the floor and did not know what to do with it. She had pulled it out after Alejandro left the bathroom and left it on the floor there. However, in order to look neat,she folded the wet fabric and dumped it in the tub.

Her hair was still very wet and dripping water all over her face and body. She looked around and fortunately saw a blow drier. She had never used it before but decided to try her luck. She actually used it well and got her hair damp instead of totally wet. She was in a hurry to meet her friends so she stopped blow drying and left the bathroom. When she entered the room, she saw Alejandro loading a gun on the bed. The bullets were on the bed too.

“You spent approximately twenty two minutes. Impressive,” he cooed without looking at her. A long, thick and brown cigar was in his mouth and the butt was lit up.

“I don't like that smell, Alejandro,” she said and stood still by the bathroom door.

He looked at her for about five seconds, taking in all her appearance, then looked back at his gun which he had finished loading. Avril waited for him for about two minutes, and when it appeared that he was not going to stop smoking, she walked to the bed and tried to pull the bathrobe. Alejandro dropped the cigar and grabbed her hand. She screamed as he carried and landed her on her back, over the bed. He pulled away her towel with one fling and pinned her arms down to the bed, with just one strong arm of his.

“Please, not now. I'm begging you. I can't take anything now,” Avril pleaded tearfully. But his eyes were darkened with lust again and he had his way with her. It was short but Avril still cried. Her ego was being bruised and she kept having fears of living that life forever.

When Alejandro was done with her and zipped up, she was still lying face down into a pillow and crying. She felt the bathrobe thrown on her back.

“Wear that. Your friends are coming in,” he said and she heard him walk away.

Did he not just say he would take it easy on her next time? Or was his definition of easy different?Because none of what he just did to her would be tagged as easy.

“Bast.ard,” Avril gritted as she sat up on the bed. She pulled on the robe and got on her feet. Tears were still glistening on her face and she was about wiping them away when the door opened. Her friends, Chidi and Nana entered, with each girl holding a tray.

“Oh my God!” Avril exclaimed as she sighted the girls.

“Avril! Ahhh,” they both squealed and hurriedly dropped their trays on a table in front of a big sofa. They ran into Avril's hands and hugged her tight.

“Girl, look at you,” Nana cooed as she looked Avril over.

“That island did you good. You're ten times more pretty than the last time we were together,” Chidi stated.

“Yeah. I look good,” Avril chirped and they laughed.

“Your hair is fuller and shinier. Your face? Man! I see why Alejandro bought you for a whopping twenty million dollars,” Nana blurted and Avril frowned.

“Yeah,” she muttered under her breath.

“Hey, cheer up. Have you been crying? Look at all these tears,” Chidi began to clean them with her palms.

“Alejandro had se.x with me a few minutes ago...again,” Avril stuttered and her eyes turned teary.

Chidi hugged her and rubbed her back.

“It's fine, babe. It's what we all are going through.”

“I had three rounds with Arturo before he let me come here,” Nana said and Chidi disengaged from the hug and glared at her.

“She acts like she's hating her life,” Chidi attacked Nana.

“Hey, I live in a city where a stray bullet can hitme while I'm chilling in my own room. Why won't I hate my life?”

“Okay, maybe you hate the insecurities. But the se.x? Nana, you won't trade it for anything else.”

Nana smacked Chidi on the shoulder.

“Hide my secrets a little in front of Avril,” she ordered jokingly and Avril chuckled.

“Arturo said he wanted an innocent girl like me, not that Nana of a girl,” Avril stated and Chidi laughed.

“Arturo said that? Gosh, I thought he loved my se.x more,”Nana cooed and frowned.

“Avril, don't worry. You'll get used to this type of life soon. It's not a good way to live, but do we have a choice?” Chidi asked and smoothed Avril's hair.

“Hmm, I don't know if I can fit in. I don't want to be a sex slave.”

“Sit down. Are you sore? My first night with Alejandro, girl, I couldn't walk well for days,” Nana stated and helped Avril sit down.

“What? You slept with Alejandro before?” Avril asked.

“Who hasn't? Even Chidi has. He's the hottest amongst the Lucian Brothers and the richest. And, they kind of share their women. Most times, there's an og—”

“—Nana!”Chidi yelled at her.

“Oops, I talk too much,” she said and pinned her lips together.

“Who are the Lucian Brothers?” Avril asked.

“The Mafia brotherhood that runs the underworld ofTijuana,” Chidi replied.

“And Alejandro belongs?”

“Belongs? Ha! Alejandro is Mafia Lord and Capo of the Lucian Brothers,” Nana answered. Cold ran in through Avril's damp hair into her body.

“What does "the same chocolate that humans love is lethal to dogs" mean?” Avril asked and the two girls gasped.

“How did you know about that?” Chidi asked in a whisper.

“Alejandro told me this morning,” Avril innocently replied. Chidi grabbed her hand and peered at her.

“Avril, that is the brotherhood code. And they only say it to those they're about to end,” Nana explained. But before I could ask another question or even say anything, Alejandro entered the room.