Her Knight Till Night

Chapter 24

"WHERE'S Clace?" Nilingon ni Rougedrien ang naalimpungatan na si Triumphere sa backseat. Papungas-pungas pa ang huli habang hinihilot ang ulo.

Kunot-noong pinanuod ni Rougedrien ang lalaki sa rearview mirror.

"Did you pass out because of the beer?"

Umiling ito. "Nah, it was probably becaue of stress."

"Nai-stress ka pala?"

"Tsk! I'm also a busy man Rouge." Sagot nito. "Hindi lang puro kalokohan inaatupag ko."

Tumango na lamang si Rougedrien. Nakatuon kasi sa kanyang minamanehong sasakyan ang kanyang atensyon. Mahirap nang ma-road kill.

"He had a problem." Triumphere muttered at the backseat while rubbing his forehead. "That guy probably mourning for E's death?"

Umiling si Rougedrien. "No, he's not a mourner of a person he barely knew."

"Yeah, right." Bumuntung-hininga si Triumphere at tinignan ang relo. "It's already twelve o'oclock."

"It's good you noticed."

"And you're not yet sleeping." Triumphere said.

"I'm taking you home—"

Natigilan silang dalawa nang biglang may tumunog na cellphone. Parehas nilang tinignan ang sariling cellphone at sinipat kung iyon ba ang tumunog. Hanggang sa napatingin siya sa cellphone ni Clacesier na naiwan pala nito sa upuan.

Tinitigan nila iyon hanggang sa mamatay. Namatay naman iyon ngunit nagdaan ang ilang minuto ay muling tumunog ito.

"Triumphere, you answer it."

Maang na napatingin ito sa kaharap. "Why me?!"

"I'm driving, you're seating."

"Tsk! I hate to say how you made sense." Triumphere mumbled before answering the phone. "Clacesier is out for a while—"

"Nasa kamay ko ang girlfriend mo, Ace!"

Kumunot ang noo ni Triumphere pagkarinig sa kabilang linya. Sisinghalan na niya sana na hindi siya si Ace hanggang sa naalala niya na Ace nga pala ang ginagmit na pangalan ni Clacesier.

Pero girlfriend?

Sino ang tinutukoy nitong girlfriend?

Matatanong na sana siya ngunit muling nagsalita ang nasa kabilang linya.

"Kung hindi ka mapapasaakin pwes, mapapasakamay ko naman ang girlfriend mo para maging akin ka. Bilisan mo Ace at baka may magdala na sa motel itong girlfriend mo! Wahaha!"

Iyon lang at namatay na ang tawag. Tinignan niya ang naka-register na pangalan ng caller. It's Wandafa. Tsk! What an ugly name! Pero sino naman itong girlfriend ni Clacesier na tinutukoy nito? At sino din itong si Wandafa?

Napaangat ng tingin si Triumphere kay Rougedrien.

"Rougedrien! Go back at Clacesier's house!"

"Sh*t, Triumphere! What the hell!" Rougedrien exclaimed in surprise. "You shouldn't do that!"

"But here's what should you do. Turn the car around and head back at Clacesier's house!"

"Something came up?"

Hindi na naghintay pa ng sagot si Rougedrien at ginawa ang pinapagwa ni Triumphere. Hinanda na ni Triumphere ang baril habang tinatahak na ng sasakyan ni Rougedrien ang daan papunta sa bahay ni Clacesier.

Hindi mapakali sa biyahe si Triumphere at halos lumundag paalis sa kotse.

"Triumphere what are you so in a hurry about?" Roigedrien asked.

Hindi na sumagot si Triumphere at binuksan ang pintuan. His heart leapt when he found out that it is unlocked. Pumasok siya sa loob at hindi na nagatubling tumaas.

"Princess! Princess!" Tawag niya sa babae. Masyadong mahaba at unique ang name ng babae para maalala niya sa isang rinig pa lang.

"Who are you calling princess?!" Gusto niyang sumigaw kasi puro tanong ang kasama.

"The princess that Clacesier took at England!"

Namilog ang mata ni Rougedrien. Sa tanang buhay ni Triumphere ay doon niya pa lang nakita ang gulat na mukha ni Rougedrien.

"Clacesier took a princess?!"

"No! I mean, he took care of a princess!"

Ngayon ay kumunot na ang noo ni Rougedrien.

"He took care?"

"I mean he is taking care for the princess."

"So—the heck are we still doing here for?! Let's get the hell out and alert Clacesier for petes sake!"

Napamura si Triumphere sa sinabi ni Rougedrien. Dali-dali nilang tinungo ang kotse ni Rougedrien.

"I'm going to call for Clacesier." Triumphere said and looked for Clacesier's name on his contact.

Nang tumunog ang phone na nasa gilid niya ay napamura ulit siya sa sobrang asar.

"F*ck!" Nakalimutan niyang naiwan nga pala ni Clacesier ang phone at nasa kanila!

"Yeah, you just called Clacesier's phone." Rougedrien muttered in a dead tone. "Do you know of a place where Clacesier might be?"

"I don't!" Triumphere said and rubbed his forehead. "Saan mo ba siya huling nakita?"

"I dropped him off at his house."

Nanlaki ang mata ni Triumphere sa sinabi ni Rougedrien at napaisip.

"You dropped him off at his home?"

"Yeah and Clacesier were not there just now." Rougedrien said.

"And Wanda called Clacesier because he was not at the house."

Kumunot ang noo ni Rougedrien. "Wanda?"

"Yeah, Wanda is Clacesier's obssessed fling. Anak ng mayaman na ka-bussiness partner ni Clacesier. May ari siya ng isang bar—" Natigilan sa paghilot sa sentido si Triumphere at tinignan ang repleksyon ni Rougedrien sa rearview mirror.

Nakatingin din pala ito sa kanya. Tulad din yata niya ay may iniisip rin ito.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

"Where is that bar you are talking about?"

Yes I am.

__Clacesier's POV__

THIS night have been a long one. I went home only to leave and drink another bottle of beer here. I choosed to be alone now since Rougedrien is already at his house, Triumphere is too drunk to even join me, Icell is busy...at something, and Drozell is I think, chasing some bad guys he isn't even responsible of chasing to.

"Hey pretty boy," Tinapunan ko lang ng tingin ang babaeng tumabi sa akin.

Just another typical club girls. I wouldn't even be surprise if I'll be ramming my c**k inside her anytime. Easy girls like her is not troublesome to get on bed. The only glitch that can happen is if this girl believes in commitment. And I'll be spending my life with a nagger and a trigger. Nagger for the wife and trigger for my job. I just hope that babies are not part of a family.

"Where have you been all my life?" She asks, obviously flirting with me.

I don't feel like answering at this moment. I don't even feel like flirting. But I could use some past time with this girl. I'll rent her for the night.

"How much?" Tanong ko. I want to skip the talk and sh*ts. I just want to get her to bed right now.

She laughed flirtatiously and ran her finger against my chin, sliding down until it reached my collar. She opened one button and whispered something sexy. It's vague and all I can think of is someone else voice. She pressed her lips and pushed her tongue inside, I moaned as I remembered how it felt. To be kissed by Quiceleth always rendering me senseless.

Naramdaman ko ang pag-upo niya sa aking kandugan. I touched her skin, then I remembered touching her velvet skin. But there is something wrong.

What is wrong?

Everything. This woman's lips, touch, and voice isn't hers. Titiisin ko nalang ba ito? Will I let this woman be my rebound?

I guess so. Wala naman mawawala sa akin.

Then I remembered Reese and that's what urged me to push this girl off me.

"What the hell?!" Agad na singhal ng babaeng kahalikan ko.

Inignora ko siya a inisang lagok ang alak at binaba iyon sa lamesa. I strode out of the stool and walked away, walked away from the slut. I don't care if she kept cursing and screaming at me.

I found myself in a sea of cheering people in that part of bar. The women clad in a two piece bikini are dancing by the pole. All the guys hissing and clapping while watching the girls dirty dancing under the steamy rhythm of the song.

"Clacesier?!" I turned my head and spotted Rouge and Sphere coming at my direction.

As soon as they reached me, Sphere began talking reluctantly as if he was in panic. I can't hear anything by the loud music so I asked 'What?!'.

"She's missing!" Iyon ang narinig kong sinabi niya ngunit hindi ko pa rin maintindihan dahil wala akong kaalam-alam kung ano ang ibig niyang sabihin.

"What?!" I repeated, the sound of the hissing and beating mixing with my voice.

"Princess have been kidnapped."

I was dumbstruck when he said that. I don't want to believe what I heard clearly. I don't want it to be true.

I stood there unable to process what's happening until one thing happened.

At the stage where the previous girls have been performing, a girl. Dressed with nothing but a bra and panty on stood at the center of the stage. She hugged chest as if to protect herself from the eyes of everyone. As if to warm herself from the cold.

My heart stopped beating for a second. My body became numb.

The guys reacted violently upon seeing Quiceleth. They laughed and fought just to have her as their next woman they'll be taking home in bed.

In bed!

Just the thought of it made my anger boil. My eyes seethed as I watched them hauling over her. My teeth gritted, my fist clenched itching to punch and kill everyone.

Her tears rolled down.

And I lost it!

"Clacesier, don't!" But it's too late to stop my rage.

Howling like a mad man, I charged without any control and a plan at all. The crowd turned into a disaray of rowdy and choatic noise. All the people was surprised by my sudden appearance when I grabbed the gun at my back pocket and pulled him by his collar. I did not think twice at all when I shot him on the head.

They screamed and picked their own weapons. Lahat sila ay humarap sa akin ngunit baril lang ako ng baril kung sino ang makikita ko. I just want to come closer at her, I want to grab her as soon as possible. While I am making my way towards her, my gun ran out of bullets.

I gritted my teeth and just used my hands. I elbowed a chin, kicked another one's groin and punch another on his stomach. I hated it. I want to kill them all but I need to protect her first.

Someone had managed to hit me with a bottle. Staggering back, my hands managed to pull me up. Saka ako gumanti ng suntok. The noise of a gunshot resonates the whole bar, I turned my head to realize that Rouge and Sphere were already helping me.

My actions are at haste when I already spotted Quiceleth. F*ck! She is already pulled by a godd*mned b*stard!

Nang sa wakas ay mapuntahan ko na siya ay sinuntok ko ang isang lalaking humihila sa kanya.

"Anong kailangan mo! Akin yung babaeng 'yan—"

"No!" I screamed, almost blinded by the rage. "This girl is mine!"

He doesn't have the rights to own what is already mine.

Mine!

I screamed at the top of my lungs and hovered over him, 'causing him to fall down. Tinaas ko ang nakakuyom na kamao at sinuntok siya sa mukha. Hindi pa ako nakuntento ay muli ko siyang sinuntok. Again and again.

"She. Is. Mine!" I kept on pounding my fist against his skull.

I want to let him know that I own this girl and that no one can take hr away from me. Ever. No one won't dare!

His blood are splurting and splattering on my face. He is already dead and I am not planing to stop killing him, I'll kill him ten times, hundred times so they would know what I can do to protect her.

She is under my protection and she's mine!

Tumigil ako sa pagsuntok at dahan-dahang nilingon si Quiceleth na napamaang habang tinitigan ang ginagawa ko.

I stood up and looked at her wide and surprised eyes.

I know it now. I want her. That's why I want to protect her.

I will make her mine, she's going to be mine.

I took a step forward and ate the space between us. She backed away but I caught her by her cheeks. Imprisoning her possessively.

Then I claimed her lips, hungrily. I kissed her like I am branding her as mine. She grunted. Sinubukan niya kumalawa pero wala akong balak na pakawalan pa siya. Mababaliw ako kung bibitawan ko pa siya ngayong nahahalikan ko siya ng ganitong kadiin. I drank her tongue, her fragile mouth whimpering everytime I bite them down.

Gusto ko pang halikan siya na parang pagmamayari ko siya. My kisses are branding her as mine.

Then I pulled away to look at those eyes.

But my mind became blank when I stared at those eyes. She is looking at me the way Reese looked at me when she called me a monster. She is looking at me like those horrified girls look at me.

She backed away hastily, as if she is desperate to get away from my grasp.

No, no! Hindi pwedeng pati siya.

Please you can't be. Say something, say that you are not afraid.

That you are not terrified of me.

But her expression says it all. Trembling lips and shivering hands. Eyes wide with horror, and a pale face as if she have seen a monster.

Monster...

My head throbbed painfully. My thoughts collided with the memories of that night. And just like that my anger palpitated.

I lost all my control, and all I want to do is hurt her for letting me feel this way.

I'm not a monster!

Then my hand moved to strangle her.