*Lucia*
It has been over three days, and I’ve not received any message from Sarah. I couldn’t help but wonder if she had decided to stop bothering me. But that was close to impossible. From what I knew, she would stop at nothing to bring me down. And I am still very sure that she hated me as much as I hated her. Or, maybe Bruno did something.
He would not just keep calm when he knew that I was in danger; I’ve studied him enough to know how much he cares and loves me. He was in his office while I was in the bar. Not as a receptionist or anything; I was just here, keeping my eye on all that was happening around me.
Bruno was busy, and the last thing I wanted to do right now was to bother him. A girl around my age walked into the bar; my eyes laid on her as she walked through the crowd in her black miniskirt. She wore heels and thick makeup. She walked into a bar that was filled with men. I wonder who she was.
This wasn’t the first time I’d seen her in the bar, but I don’t know why I felt suspicious of her. She gave off a type of vibe that I didn’t like. Like she was an enemy or something, she moved her blond hair from side to side. Though she was speaking to men, I could tell that she was looking around like she was looking for someone or maybe she was waiting for a lover. Or was she a spy? But Bruno’s guard was very strong, and it was very difficult, if not impossible, to sneak into the bar and talk less of being a spy.
I stared at her for the longest and as if she felt my eyes on her, she turned back to look at me. Our eyes locked together, and I raised my glass to her, stretching one side of my lips into a smile. I didn’t want her to think I was an enemy or something. She didn’t bother to smile back but instead put down her head to look at her phone.
I almost felt stupid.
But then I thought, why should I feel embarrassed? I could just simply walk up to her and befriend her. I wasn’t the most fun person, but making a friend should not be so hard. I waited patiently for the men who were with her to walk out, and soon they did. I walked up to her, my hands wrapped around my drink.
The hall was rowdy and filled with people. Some danced to the loud music which resounded from the speaker; others sat around tables in two or three as they discussed only God knows what.
I sat down in the empty chair beside her. “do you mind if I sat next to you?” I asked her.
“You are already seated,” she said, not looking at me for a minute. Her hands typed fast on her screen, and I could only wish I could see what she was typing. “Do you care for a drink? Bills on me,” I said.
“Do you know me?” She asked, sparing me a look.
‘Of course, I don’t know you, silly,’ I said within.
“No, but I’d like to get to know you,” I said, smiling sweetly at her,” she scoffed and gave me a look I interpreted like, “Does it look like I give a fuck about you? Talk less of friendship,” I brushed whatever I was feeling aside. That was just my mind trying to trick me. “So what do you say? Let’s get to know each other,” I said, hoping she would agree quickly and maybe I’d get to know about her in time.
“I see what you are doing, but no, I’m not interested,” she said.
Okay, I get the fact that she isn’t interested, but what did she mean by she saw what I was doing? Does it mean that she knew I was suspecting her?
“What do you mean? Nothing’s wrong with being friends with a pretty lady like myself,” I bit my tongue. Why did I say, pretty lady?
“I’m sorry, but like I said, I’m not interested. I’m straight. I don’t do girls,” she declared. My eyes almost popped out of my socket, and I looked around quickly, trying to find out if anyone heard what she said.
What did she mean she didn’t do girls? Wait! She didn’t think I wanted her to be my girlfriend or something. “What do you mean? I never said you should be my girlfriend or something,” I wanted to clear the air, less she left with the wrong mindset.
She turned off her phone, keeping it safely by her side. “I think you know what I’m talking about. I’ve seen girls like you. You try to befriend every pretty and attractive girl you meet in hope one of them agrees to go to bed with you,”
“What?” My mouth was left hanging. What in this world made her think that I was a lesbian? “See, I saw you across the table and thought we could be friends. You are beautiful with blond hair. I don’t get to see many blond-haired girls, and your fashion sense is fine; what’s wrong with being friends with someone like me? I’ve had my eyes on you since you walked in,” she crossed her hands on her chest and made an o with her lips.
I felt like pulling my hair. What was I even saying? Why did I come here?
“I won’t bother you again,” I said and hurried away. I turned to look at her from time to time to see her looking at me. “What the hell was that? Me, into girls?” Huh, that was unthinkable. Not when I have the hottest man by my side. I walked to Bruno’s office. All I wanted to do was get away from the bar as fast as I could.
I walked to the last floor; my legs moved quickly into Bruno’s office.
Bruno wasn’t in his office.
I felt frustrated. I wanted to see him right now. I wanted to be with my man. I stepped out. One of his men, who walked around to ensure nothing went wrong, was about to walk past me when I called him back, “Where is Bruno?” I asked him.
“I don’t know. Isn’t he in his office?”
If he was in his office, would I be asking you?” I almost cursed this guy. He was big without a brain. Maybe I should call Rave. Rave didn’t answer his call. Did Bruno go out? But he wouldn’t go anywhere without telling me first.
I tried calling Rave again, and this time, he picked up. “Where is Bruno?” I asked him. “He is in the dungeon,” he replied. “What is he doing? Why is he there,”
“I have to go. Bruno will be back in a while,” Rave said and ended the call without answering any of my questions.
I walked down the dark hallway leading to the dungeon. When I got there, the armed man quickly opened the door for me. I walked inside the dark dungeon. The smell of rotted old iron filled the air. I could see Bruno’s stiletto at a distance. I walked towards him. “Lucia, what are you doing here?”Bruno asked when he saw me.
There were two dead men on the floor at the side. They lay with their eyes open, facing the ceiling in their pool of blood. Bruno had splashed blood on his clothes. There was a small dagger covered in blood on his hand. He must have killed the men on the floor. I didn’t ask him why he killed them. Right now, that wasn’t what I wanted to know.
“You weren’t in your office. Rave said you were here, so I came down to find you.” He nods. “Is everything alright?” I asked him. My voice was low, laced with concern. My eyes moved around the dungeon as I awaited his answer.
“Everything is fine now,” he said and paused. “They were spies,” he pointed at the two men on the ground. “They have been giving information to a rival. The nerve of whoever planted them here,” he growled. His eyes were red with anger. I wanted to keep him calm but then thought it was better if he showed his anger instead of keeping it in.
“Who is this rival?” I asked. It was no news that Bruno had a lot of rivals and that they had been at his neck. I wanted to know which one it was this time.
“I don’t know for now,” he said.
“How about these guys?” I pointed to the two men on the floor, “they didn’t know either?” I knew that there was no way anyone could withhold information from Bruno. No matter how loyal they were, he had the worst torture method, and they would end up spilling out whatever they thought they could hold back.
“They were thugs hired from the streets and gave no idea who hired them.” He said.
I knew that was the truth. He had ended up killing them because they didn’t know who sent them. “I see. Well, we have to look for whoever this person is. It shouldn’t take much time,” I said.
“My men are already into it,” he said. He flung the dagger on the ground close to the lifeless bodies. I turned around when I heard footsteps behind me. It was Rave.
He stopped in front of Bruno. “I have done what you ask,” he said.
“Make sure they all pay heavily. Some street things could sneak into the club, street thugs?” He sounded like he couldn’t believe his eyes. “Is that how low my security has become?” Rave’s bow deepened. He knew that he was only spared because he was Bruno’s cousin and the only family member alive.
“I’ll make sure I fix it,” Rave said.
“Fix the bodies, too,” Bruno said, and we walked out after he had cleaned his hands with a white handkerchief. He held my hands as we walked out. When we got to his office, he walked into the restroom at the side. I heard water splashing. Bruno was washing his hands, and the drops of water on his face when he returned proved that he had washed his face, too.
“Are you alright?” I asked him. He looked angry. He was so angry that I felt chills in his eyes. His eyes softened when he looked at me. “Everything will be fine,” I assured him, though I wasn’t sure myself.
If this person could bring men into the club, he could do anything and Bruno wasn’t sure if he had other men in the club. His phone signed. He brought it out of his pocket, and for a moment, I could see anger flash through. His grip on the phone tightened.
“Is anything wrong?” I asked him. I recognized that expression. That was how I felt, too, when I received Sarah’s messages. He looked up. His grip on the phone softened. He placed the phone inside his pocket. “Everything will be fine,” he said, walking to take his seat behind his table. He picked a file on the table.
“What have you been up to today? You know you always have exciting gists to tell whenever you sit at the bar, and you have been there since morning.” And how did I forget to mention that Bruno was a gossip? Who would have thought? He would always listen to me while I spoke about what I’d witnessed at the bar. He was never tired of listening and has never cut me off, even if I spine off key most times.
I contemplated telling him about my experience with the blonde girl. I was about to start speaking when his phone beeped again. He brought it out.
His eyes changed when he looked at the screen. He squeezed the file in his hands, crunching the paper. And that was when it clicked.
Nothing was alright.
Trouble was brewing.