The Contract Keeper's (PLAYBOOK #4)

CHAPTER 3: I knew you were trouble when you walked in.

FELIX

I have never been one to watch, speak or take notice on anything unless it commanded my attention to an alarming point.

As I hold Bianca in my arms, all I can do is stare because once again, purified uncontaminated air trickles into me like music does into ears in a slow melody.

Already hearing footsteps, I finally check her pulse even though I already have an idea of what happened.

To do this, I need to push a brunette curl off her forehead and unbutton the first two pearls of her blouse which is already distracting enough because she has cute side burns.

Laying two fingers on the side of Bianca’s neck, my breath hitches due to the electrifying touch but I compose myself as I realize how burning hot her skin is.

“Bring me ice.” I acknowledge the people that just joined us.

“Is she okay?” Maria joins her other side and actually whimpers when she watches her sister lay still.

“Yes, she just overheated.” I pick up a cube of ice from the cup someone extends. “But this should cool her down,” I start from her forehead and bring it down to her neck slowly.

A dark thought runs through my mind when I skip her lips because I imagine Bianca sucking on it from my fingers. This makes me cringe because she is unconscious and one of my thoughts regarding her is a dirty one.

Ew.

Literally shaking it off, I focus on cooling her down and pay close attention to any change that is occurring on her. It’s small but her frown begins to iron itself out.

“She is not moving.” Maria looks between me and the woman helping me run ice down the sides of her sister’s face. “Felix, do something,” she begs helplessly like Bianca is flat lining.

She is not.

“Fine.” I drop the melting cube and lay Bianca’s head down gently under some lounge pillows. “Let us hope CPR will work.”

If anything, the contact of our lips should scare her straight if not shock her into conciseness because she must have fainted from shock more than anything.

It has been nearly 8years, we are both not children anymore.

“It will,” Maria encourages as I push the sleeve of my t-shirt up and try to warm up my fingers since they are probably ice cold.

I hold Bianca’s nose and lean in as her sister squeezes her left hand. When our lips connect, the aim is to blow air into her but I sink into a soft motion that feels more like a kiss of death the moment Bianca responds.

But my eyes refuse to open to check if she is awake as our lips change direction. It grows deeper until I remember where we are and who we are with.

“Bee!” Maria elates when her eyes flutter before a bright hazel shines through. “Are you okay?”

I remove my head from her view and subtly wipe my lips to ease the tingling feeling that is running like lightening through my body.

“What happened?” I freeze when Bianca holds on to me instead of her sister as we help her sit up. “What is going on?”

Bianca turns to lock our eyes lock and this time, I am the one fighting a faint because her touch and look feels like walking on ice and suddenly hearing it start to crack.

“You fell…” Maria continues in Spanish as her sister touches her bottom lips like she is remembering our not so secret kiss.

“And I am wet because?” Bianca disconnects our hands to wipe her forehead which returns her annoyed wrinkle.

“Felix says you were overheating, we tried cooling you down but we had to resort to CPR.” Maria sounds sure which only proves she must not know what CPR looks like.

Hint: that was not it.

“CPR?” The look in Bianca’s eyes proves she knows there is no CPR like that. “And why was he the one doing CPR when Lucille is a trained nurse?” She asks that part in Spanish.

“Because I just completed pre-med at Brown University and will be attending med school in Sweden this fall.” I answer in English to expose that I now understand Spanish among 7 other languages.

Odessa the overachiever wanted to start with Asian languages after English but our closeness with the Hidalgos is the reason I used when I suggested Spanish instead.

I was not making the same mistake twice and it is coming in handy because I am about to spend time with them.

“Pre-med, you say?” Bianca picks up my hand and scoffs at the exposed veins ver my pale skin. “Let me guess, you will specialize in surgery?”

“Really?” Maria looks at my hand and pouts when I nod to agree. “How did you know bee?” Her big brown eyes move between us like she is watching a tennis match.

“Lucky guess.” Bianca lies and I stay silent since I still can’t believe she remembered.

We didn’t really talk much when we were younger but she saw the books in my room and for our short lived pillow talk, I shared my hopes and dreams due to a s*x high.

Another mistake I won’t be making again.

“I am fine Felix.” Bianca whispers when I hold her by the waist to help her stand off the sofas.

“I know.” I still don’t let her go because though unnoticeable, Bianca is still swaying like she is dizzy.

“I just need space.” Bianca insist more firmly. “Seriously, move back Dominaka.” She disconnects our hands to adjust her top.

“As long as you are sure.” I comply by stepping back because though a little watered down, her accent is still thicker than ever which brings me comfort.

From her clothes to her calm demeanour, Bianca has changed so much already and unlike I thought before it has nothing to do with her growing up but letting her usual loud & colorful light dim.

I smell trouble.

BIANCA

I passed out, he claims.

I overheated, he insists but I know my knees buckled at the thought of being Felix’s bride and not enough air was entering my lungs the more they kept talking.

I am not a smoker. I have lived in the Dominican since I was a teenager so I was used to the weather. Overheating did not even make sense but as I run an ice pack over my exposed collarbone and neck I find it annoyingly cooling.

“Was the bastard right?” I frown because I am feeling better by the second.

“You have a bruise behind your neck.” Felix walks into the kitchen with his hands in his pockets. “Is that a lover’s bite or?”

“I burned myself with a curling iron.” I hate how automatic it comes out but it has been my catchphrase this week hence the high neck blouse.

“Really?” Felix stops across from me which means there is an island between us. “But I thought your hair is naturally curly and bouncy, especially here.”

“It is.” I pull my band down to release the greasy natural curls. “I wanted looser, bigger curls,” I ruffle it up to prove a point.

The only reason I had it up was because I was overdue for a wash day but had been too busy and too jumpy to stay still. Even when Felix walked in a second ago I nearly flinched but I know I am safe here.

“Okay Bianca, whatever you say.” Felix clearly doesn’t believe me and I hate how transparent I still am around him. “Anyway, I think it is best if we spoke before the meeting.”

“Why? Is something wrong?” I run my fingers through the tangled curls and wince because it feels disgusting.

If I knew he would be here, I would have at least passed by a salon and gotten a quick touch up. Make him regret ever letting me go or whatever the songs say.

“No but it is no coincidence I am doing our lockdown in Hidalgo territory.” Felix tenses for some reason like he sees something he wishes he didn’t see on me.

“I didn’t think so.” I overheard him on the phone and it seems Odessa is doing hers with the Choi Dynasty while Ivan roams free.

I might be inactive but whatever threat has the Dominaka descendants spread must be big because everyone seeks their help when they are in trouble.

“Chase and my sister’s engagement fell through.” Felix rubs the back of his neck like he is getting more uncomfortable. “Not everyone knows this but it is because she fell in love and he got her heartbroken.”

I didn’t know the first part but Chico’s reason was public knowledge among the mafia cousins. He went from calm and sweet, to bold and brave because of that fling.

“Okay, is he a mundane? Or home base? Is it even a he?”

I can’t help the proud smile on my face because I have no doubt Odessa deserves a little normal. We might have fell out of touch but I know people like her remain the same and she has always deserved good things.

“Worse.” Felix doesn’t hide his annoyance as he adds, “he is a famous NBA player. Blonde, good looking and rich even before the basketball. It was doom at first sight but he makes our little robot human.”

“How so?” I lean over the counter and notice the relief in his eyes.

“For one, Didi laughs more than I have ever seen and has had this sparkle in her eyes that is not from music or family.” Felix’s jaw ticks when she adds, “she also cries more too and has this terrifying super autopilot now.”

“Oh,” that can’t be fun to see but “it doesn’t sound so bad.”

I have shed a few tears because of boy and it seems like a rite of passage for girlhood which sucks because we already get periods and contractions.

“It is when it ended with a broken heart.” Felix looks me dead in the eye when he says that part. “I would do anything for my sister Bianca, she means everything to me.”

“I know,” somehow comes out as I sit straighter. “I am the same with Maria-Gloria, she is my world.”

“I know,” Felix agrees with a nod too. “Which is why we are having this talk.” I follow Felix’s eyes below and to my surprise my n*****s are piercing through my silk blouse.

Oh, this is what has been making him distracted but wait—

“Talk?” I flick my hair to cover my chest.

“Yes,” Felix looks at his hands. “We really need to talk Bianca.”

I drop the ice pack because of all the things my mind is running across my loaded mind is sensing trouble. That intuition arrow is flicking at the red zone and it’s pointing at one skinny Russian called Felix Dominaka.

What now?