CAGED HEART (COMPLETE)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE (Ex-Partner)

Honest feelings and bad timing make the most painful combination.

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Leon's POV

Ghost was going to kill me.

Shit.

He would definitely kill me this time.

Lahat kasi ay sinasabi ko kay Vie. Wala na akong inilihim sa kanya. Alam kong hindi niya maintindihan kung ano ang totoong trabaho ni Ghost at kung ano talaga ako, pero ang talagang tumatak sa isip niya ay pumapatay kami ng tao.

"So, you killed fifteen people inside the cage when you were still a cage fighter before?"

Magkaharap kami noon sa mesa at nakalatag sa harap namin ang mga reports na ipinadala sa akin ni Ghost. Lahat ay ipinakita ko na sa kanya. Kailangan ko ang tulong niya at kailangan niyang malaman kung ano itong papasukin niya.

"Yeah. And I am not proud of it," mahinang sagot ko habang isa-isang tinitingnan ang mga post-mortem photos na pina-print ko para mas mapag-aralan namin ito.

Mahina siyang napa-wow. "Fifteen. You are deadlier than Johnny."

"Fifteen, twelve, or one it doesn't matter. Bottom line is we are still killers," napahinga ako ng malalim.

"But you got out. Right? Like what you said. You were out from cage fighting and you had a new life. New job. Why did you come back to that hell?"

Nang tingnan ko si Vie ay talagang naghihintay siya ng sagot ko.

"Because my boss needed me and I couldn't say no. He was the one saved from the cage and he was also the one who put me back there again. This is still part of my job, Vie. I need to fight inside the cage to get the trust of your dad and people around him. And that includes you." Paliwanag ko sa kanya.

"But are you sure that my father is involved in this? I mean... Jesus." Naitakip niya ang kamay sa bibig niya at napapailing pa rin nang makita ang mga litrato ng biktima. "Look at this. Only a monster could do this kind of thing."

"He is involved but there is someone more powerful to him that are pulling the strings. Gahaman ang tatay mo sa pera. Sa power. Kaya sigurado ako na hindi niya palalampasin ang ganitong klaseng pagkakataon. People are paying millions of pesos just to kill these kids. For them, hunting them like a wild animal is a game. To ease their boredom. The lives of those kids are nothing for them. And if you want this stop, you need to help us. I need to make sure that your loyalty will be with us. With me."

Napakagat-labi si Vie at napasubsob ang kamay sa mukha.

"Don't you like this at all, Vie? You living with me away from your father and Johnny. Nakalayo ka na sa kanila at hindi ka na nila magagalaw. After this you can even go far away from this kind of life." Sabi ko pa.

Umiling siya. "I-I can't do that." Malungkot niyang sagot.

"What do you mean you can't do that? Babalik ka pa rin sa tatay mo? Kay Johnny?" pakiramdam ko ay umakyat ang dugo sa ulo ko. "To that asshole that keeps on harassing you and treating you like a whore."

Sinamaan niya ako ng tingin. "Hindi mo alam kung ano ang nangyayari."

Natawa ako ng nakakaloko. "I think I know. You are letting those men to treat you like that, that's why they are treating you like that. Like you are piece of meat that they can touch any time they want. Me? I will never do that you."