Raphael had his hand encircled around Nicole’s waist as he supported a limping Nicole in her steps. They were heading to the other victim’s ward.
Nicole stopped walking for a brief moment and sighed. She felt she needed the short walk break.
Raphael caressed her waist as if telling her she will be fine. She understood his touch and smiled at him.
“Why don’t you just let me carry you Nicole?”Raphael asked once they began walking again.
Nicole shook her head. “I need to exercise my legs by walking”
“If we keep walking at this rate we will reach the other victim’s ward by sunset and before we get downstairs it will be midnight”
Nicole tried to hold in her laughter at Raphael’s reply.
Raphael sighed and in one scoop, he picked her up bridal style.
Nicole had her lips parted and encircled her arm around his neck as he began walking.
Her eyes observed the multiple glances she got from people in the hallway and her face turned red.
“Raphael people are watching us” Nicole whispered immedately.
“So?”Raphael replied unfazed.
“Put me down. I can definitely walk”Nicole whined.
“Not a chance my lovely wife”
“Raphael I swear I can walk fine. Just put me down please”Nicole persisted further.
Raphael looked down at her and looked back up.
“Let’s go home quick so I can fuck that sweet, warm, wet mouth of yours wife”Raphael sniggered.
Nicole could feel the blood drained from her cheeks and her face was absolutely flushed of colours.
She knew it would be fruitless asking Raphael to put her down so she might as well enjoy the warmth of his body irrespective of the multiple stares they got.
She rested her head on his chest as he kept on walking and suddenly felt the urgency to sleep off in his arms.
“Good kitten” Raphael lowly groaned.
Soon enough, they had reached the other victim’s ward. The door was slighty opened. Raphael pushed it more with his leg and walked inside with Nicole in his arms.
The patient in there was aroused out of his light slumber by the sudden whiny sound of his door been pushed open.
His eyes flittered and he blinked severally till his vision was adjusted, trying to make out the features of his two guests.
Raphael dropped Nicole down and she almost gave out a cry at the loss of the body contact.
“Relax”Raphael motioned to the patient who tried to sit up.
“I’m fine. Please who are you two?”the patient asked meekly as he finally sat up straight, his back leaning against the cold walls of his ward.
“I’m Nicole and this is my husband Raphael. I was the one that crashed into your car”Nicole nervously stated.
She browsed the young man’s features. His eyes widened in surprise even though he knew fully well who they were the moment they stepped into his ward.
“Oh”was all he said.
Nicole exhaled and gave him pleading eyes. “I’m really sorry. I’m deeply sorry for putting you through this… i”
“It’s fine”he quickly interrupted her from speaking more.
He gaze narrowed to Raphael who stood close to Nicole and had his arms crossed against his chest. “Tell your wife not to get too tensed up. I’m fine now”
Raphael leaned in closer to Nicole and caressed her braids. Nicole looked up at him before facing the patient. “I’m glad you are better now”
“You should also be careful with how you drive Mrs Nicole” he admonished in a slightly acrimonious tone.
“It wasn’t her fault”Raphael at once stepped in to defend Nicole.
“The brakes were faulty. Look mr…”
“Miles”he completed for Raphael.
“Yes Mr Miles. I’m sorry for what you had to go through. Be rest assured that your bills are well taken cared off”
He gave a gloaty smile at both Raphael and Nicole. “You shouldn’t do that you know. I can take care of my bills”
Raphael slightly upheaved his hand at him.”That’s the least we can do. Don’t be bothered about that. Here…”
Raphael tucked in his hands in one of the front pockets of his pants and brought out his business card.
Nicole was so surprised at Raphael’s kind gesture.
In the function they attended, Raphael never gave out his card to anyone. Reverse was the case as he kept on recieving endless piles of business cards with the promise of reaching back to them.
Miles hesitated before collecting it.
“It’s my card. Feel free to contact me Mr miles”
Miles scrutinised the card before adopting a pleasant smile. “I sure will. It was nice meeting both of you”
Raphael gave a slow droop of his head and helped Nicole to her feet once more.
Nicole flashed Miles a smile before facing Raphael. “I can walk Raph”she whispered with reddened cheeks noticing he was about bending to pick her up again.
“Are you sure?”
She gave a slow nod and he reluctantly agreed and assisted her hobbling steps.
Miles watch them go.
He had his lips pulled in tightly and his brows twitched slightly.
“Jackpot”
RUSSIA
The salty air kissed her cheeks and the wind whipped her hair across her face. The roaring wave banged across the rocky shore of the beach.
She would have been more enthralled by the natural beauty of the beach if not for the figure that ate her attention.
Alina listened to her dad thunder orders to his goons on the phone and a sad look washed upon her face.
She never liked this criminal organisation he ran. She hated it the more knowing that her father was bent on ruining Raphael for the sins of his grandfather.
She wished her grandfather was alive. Unlike Armani;his ruthless and vicious counterpart, Andrei was a man with a generous heart.
Although feared, Andrei never spilled blood unnecessary except when his loved ones were under threat. He advocated for peace between the two groups and was willing to form a marriage alliance by marrying off his eldest son Lev to Armani’s daughter, Maya.
Unfortunately things didn’t walk out the way he planned and both him and his son lost their lives in the process leaving Ivan bittered and resentful as he had lost his father and elder brother.
Armani was smart to pass the mantle to Raphael, his grandson after usurping his own son inlaw from the seat. He moulded Raphael to be as ruthless as he was, probably that was his mistake.
Raphael never followed his orders and he was brave enough to challenge Armani’s right in his Mafia. It always left Armani disappointed yet pleased at how daring his grandson was.
Alina knew fully well that if Raphael’s authority, power and existence vanished, the mafia would crumble with no one coming in to replace him. Armani would be at cross roads if Raphael ever had an untimely demise and his mafia would fall, giving her father, Ivan, the broad gateway to destroy him totally.
She wished she could stop what she saw as madness that would spark an unending flow of blood but she was helpless. She felt like she was the only blood of Andrei that actually didn’t hate Raphael.. which she probably was.
“Child what are you thinking?”Ivan cut through her disarray thoughts.
“Dad can we take a walk?”She offered, standing up.
“Why not”
He stood up with her, his two hands placed behind his back as they began walking down the sandy wet beach.
Alina watched some of his goons try to accost them but she hoisted her hand at them, stopping them from following her and Ivan any further.
“Don’t come please”
They narrowed their unyielding gaze to Ivan who gave a slight nod.
“We have enemies my dear. Having guards around is a good thing” Ivan began as they walked.
“Dad..”She pushed off multiple strands of her hair out of her face and tucked them behind her ear.
“We have enemies because we keep on creating enemies. If we can just for once make peace…”
“Is this why you called me to walk with you?”Ivan’s triggered tone shot back at Alina.
Alina felt chills run down her spine.
“Dad please hear me out. What you are doing won’t solve anything. It will only aggravate the situation more. We will end up creating multiple enemies for ourselves”
“Now look here young lady”Ivan pointed his index finger at her.
“I swore on your mother’s, grandfather’s and uncle’s graves that I’ll avenge their deaths and I’ll. Do you know what it means to loose your father, only brother and the love of your life? Alina, I bet you, Raphael won’t think twice before snuffing the life out of you and yet you are here worried about him? What is wrong with you?!” Ivan yelled exasperated.
“I’m sorry father.. I just”Alina voice whispered, tears seeping out of her bleary eyes.
Ivan stared at her, his facial expressions contorted in rage before turning back and walking away from her.
Alina stretched out her hand to call after him but she instantly paused in her steps as she felt something sharp pierce through her shoulder.
Her eyes trailed from her father’s walking footsteps to her shoulder which now had a crimson, red stain on it.
It kept on spreading, some of the ruby liquid dropping to the ground and leaving off dark, red spots on the sandy shores.
Her trembling fingers swiped up some of the wet liquid that was seething out of a hole in her flesh.
Blood.
She had been shot but no sound was heard. She had been shot by a silencer.
Then came another piercing pain.
This time was at her abdomen. A wet, ruby red stain covered it and like it’s bloody counterpart, it was spreading, tainting her pink top and giving off awful deep red stains.
Then came the wave of pain, so intense it had her knees buckling to the ground as she screamed out.
“Father!”Alina’s horrified scream rang out.
Ivan turned back only to notice Alina’s dying frame on the sandy ground.
Alina could barely hear her father’s deep voice amongst his yelling of orders.
“Open your eyes Alina please”her father whispered as he crouched down to her.
What happened next, Alina had no idea as she gave herself off into the darkness that seemed to surround her vision.
“For every drop of blood you shed, Raphael will pay for it with his. I promise you my daughter”
* * * * * * * *
“What! How? when? Where?”Maxim yelled in shock as he bolted up from the sofa.
The muscles in his jaw kept on clenching and unclenching as he listened to his father speak over the phone, giving details about Alina’s shooting.
“Father I’ve been hospitalised for a week that’s why you couldn’t reach me earlier. I deeply apologise for that. I can’t believe Raphael had the temerity to send an assassin to gun down Alina” Maxim replied over the phone. Just the thought of Raphael had a grenade being blown up in his head.
He at once cut the call.
His chest heaved with rage dancing in his eyes.
His beloved sister was fighting for her life in the hospital, lying unconscious for about a week whilst Raphael was living peacefully with his dear wife.
Maxim felt like shooting every breathing thing related to Raphael as images of his sister gunwounds kept on flashing through his mind.
He breathed in to calm his torrentious emotions and proceeded to dial a number in his phone.
“Hello miss”Maxim said with a dangerously calm tone for someone that was seconds away from embarking on a shooting spree.
“Good to hear from you again”Leila’s voice replied back.
“Did you know your boss’ wife was involved in an accident?”
Leila had her brows wrinkled. She did know but how did he know.
“I do but how do you know?”
“Well” he began with a deep chuckle.
“Her car crashed into mine miss”
“Bummer”Leila replied undaunted.
“Leila was her accident really an accident?”Maxim asked with a mischievous smirk.
“What the fuck do you mean by that?”Leila shot back.
“You know when I analysed the situation clearly, only one person stood a chance of gaining from Nicole’s death. And that one person is you. So you tell me, was it an accident or not?”
“What do you think?”Leila replied his question with another question.
She was playing smart.
“Leila what makes you think Raphael would be yours if Nicole had died?”
“What do you mean?”Irritation played in Leila’s tone.
“If Nicole had died, she would just be out of his life, not out of his heart. He might even not want to move on again. You still wouldn’t have gotten him”Maxim explained.
Leila sunk in her breath, hearing him talk. Although it pained her to admit it but he was right. There was no guarantee that Raphael would have been her’s if Nicole actually did die.
“What is your point miles?”
“Before you first erase her out of his life, take Nicole out of Raphael’s heart. Make Raphael hate her and push her out by himself. Then jackpot. Once he feels nothing but hatred for her, you step in”
Leila had her eyes widened in utter amazement. “How am I going to do that? He loves her so much?”
“Love can turn sour Leila. Love can turn to hatred. Love can turn to pain. Love can kill Leila. I just gave you an idea, you don’t expect me to tell how to work it out do you?” Maxim cockily asked.
“Fuck it no”leila shot back with a hiss.
Maxim laughed. “You get Raphael and I get Nicole. Deal”
“Deal”
Maxim cut the call and his eyes rolled in disgust.
“Nicole you are so pretty. I almost feel sorry for you. It is really a shame that such a pretty face like yours will be wasted. Well I won’t be the one to end your life. Your death will come from your darling husband Raphael. Very soon”