“What is it?” Abigor asked while drumming his fingers on the glass table impatiently.
“The Spanish believe that Salvador Paulo was killed by someone close-by, like a friend, family or a girlfriend. . .” Ben started as his leg jumped up and down on the floor.
“According to my sources, Salvador was a really reserved person. He had a few friends who knew next to nothing about him, so we can strike off the friends possibility for now. And if we talk about family, they love and trust each other more than anything”
“Not family either then” Abigor commented as he nodded.
Ben rubbed his chin and looked down intently at the table as he continued “Which leaves us to the girlfriend option. . ”
He sighed as he continued “. . the Spanish believe that Salvador had a girlfriend who he had been seeing for quite some time. She was a really mysterious person and no one there ever saw her face, but they believed she was a foreigner”
“How is that possible?” Abigor interrupted with furrowed brows.
“Whenever she came to visit Salvador, she had her whole body, including her face, covered with what the Muslims call a ‘burqa’, it’s a religious thing” Ben said as he read the notes from his phone.
“Was she Muslim?” Abigor asked, a bit confused.
“We don’t know that, but I think most probably no” Ben said, thinking hard as Karl nodded in agreeing with him.
“It’s a good way to hide one’s identity, maybe she used it to prevent people from seeing her face” Karl commented as Ben nodded.
“That’s right”
Abigor didn’t say anything and kept staring at the light blue file with a heavy heart.
Ben’s next word surprised him “But I heard that they found a body of a woman on the day Salvador Paulo died”
Abigor’s sharp gaze snapped at him “What?”
“Yes,” he said “they believe it was Salvador Paulo’s girlfriend”
“What the fuck” Abigor gritted; it was a dead-end yet again.
“Boss” Karl interjected, as Abigor looked at him to continue “There was a mysterious woman there”
“And?” Abigor grumbled.
“No one knew anything about her” Karl continued “She was a foreigner to them”
Abigor breathed heavily; he knew where it was going.
“Sounds familiar?”
Abigor’s chain of thoughts was broken by the closing of a door as he turned back to look at Aria, standing in a simple black top and beige coloured trousers with white shoes.
“She looks beautiful in anything”
He thought while staring at her shamelessly as she walked graciously towards him and picked up a sandwich from his plate, munching happily.
He raised a brow at her actions as she looked at him with innocent eyes “What? Everything here is mine if you forgot”
Karl and Kahlil snickered from beside as Abigor turned to look at them so fast; it looked like his head would snap. His glare quieted them down.
“But something here is mine” he commented slowly while looking at her up and down with a smirk.
Before she could process what he said, his hand went around her waist as he swiftly pulled her on his lap encasing her in his strong hold.
“Wha-”
He interrupted her by clicking his fingers, all the while maintaining his stare at her. Karl stood up from his chair and nodded.
“We will wait outside” he commented while dragging away with him. The door slammed close leaving them all alone in the apartment.
“What did my sister want yesterday?” he said, getting straight to the point as Aria sighed.
“She just wanted to do some shopping for her baby” she answered, getting comfortable on his lap because she knew he wasn’t letting go any moment soon.
“She still shops for him? I thought that brat was old enough” he grunted while sipping in the orange juice casually.
“I’m not talking about Ethan! It’s for the kid she’s pregnant with right now” Aria replied hastily.
“She’s pregnant again?”
Aria rolled her eyes at that and hid a small smile, Anna was correct about Abigor not knowing.
“And she called you just for shopping? Nothing else?” he asked sceptically as Aria nodded.
“And to inform that she’s pregnant I think,” she said, because she couldn’t tell him about Anna’s insecurities and that she had promised his sister an escape plan in case something happened.
“Why? Because you are the father?”
She chuckled at his remark and slapped his biceps playfully while leaning her head against his shoulder “Your mother was also there”
He stiffened at that “Mother?”
“Yeah, I don’t think she likes me that much. Even threatened me a bit” she told him the words his mother had told her, deliberately skipping the details that included her and Anna’s talk.
He patted her head gently “She is always like that, don’t take her seriously. I ignore her most of the time” he tried to comfort her as she sat up straight on his lap again, her legs dangling and slightly touching the ground.
She nodded a bit as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and stared at her ethereal face glowing brighter than anything he had ever seen.
Her full lips were slightly swollen still from his attack on them last night and this morning. Her bright brown eyes were now hidden behind dull blue contact lenses, but still, they managed to mesmerize him.
He knew something was brewing in that pretty little head of her’s. He just couldn’t decipher it yet. She looked so calm, so serene and so peaceful.
Was it the calm before the storm? Would the storm break them completely, shatter them? Or would it bring them closer?
He didn’t know the answer to any of it.
“You look pretty”
His sudden compliment made her eyes widen and her ears turned red “Thanks?” she replied, dumbfounded and confused.
“You know. .” he started as he ran his fingers through her golden locks shining brighter in the daylight “. . you can tell me anything, I may not look like it but I am quite considerate about things concerning you”
Her heart squeezed in her chest as it kick started at an inhuman speed.
What’s wrong with him?
It almost felt like he was hinting at something.
“I can tell you anything?” she whispered her question as his other hand went to cup her face and kept his stare fixed on her’s.
“Anything”
“You piss me off” she said with a slight smirk as his jaw ticked in annoyance and he squeezed her jaw roughly and painfully.
She whined pathetically at the pain and clawed his hands to break free.
Abigor knew she wasn’t giving her hundred per cent to break free and was just putting up a facade to appear weak in front of him.
It always felt like she had a wall around herself. No matter how much he banged on it or tried to force his way in, he never managed to break it. It enraged him to no end.
He wanted to first break her walls, make her vulnerable and then mould her back to his own liking. He wanted her to be dependent on him, both physically and mentally.