THE ISLAND WOLF - EPISODE 50

“Jandro,” Avril called with her body shaking, and her heart beating fast. His eyes moved from Arturo to her and they were the darkest and coldest look she had ever received since she knew him.
“Alejandro, it’s not what you—”
“Cover yourself, Avril,” he cut her shut. She swallowed and pulled the blanket over her body. Arturo was standing there, not knowing what to do.

“How long has this been going on?” Alejandro asked as he diverted his gaze to Arturo.
“Alejandro. I… Its—”
“Arturo, I asked a question. You know I don’t repeat words,” Alejandro drawled. He was still standing by the door.

“What I did was not wrong. It’s not against our code,” Arturo said with a new courage. He stood straight and looked his brother in the eye. Alejandro scratched his beard and nodded.
“Yes. It’s not wrong. What’s wrong, is trying to bed my woman in my room and on my bed,” he gritted and began to take slow strides towards Arturo.
“How dare you?” he asked and Arturo moved backwards.
“Alejandro, this wouldn’t have happened if you did not cancel our meetings. I wouldn’t bed her behind your back.”
“Did you not just say you did nothing wrong? Why do this behind my back if it’s not wrong?”
“Because she asked me not to tell you. She preferred we do this behind your back,” Arturo lied and Avril gasped. Alejandro gazed at her and her heart almost jumped out through her mouth.

“Jandro, please, don’t believe him. I never asked him anything. I—”
“Don’t talk,” Alejandro cut in. Avril could see his veins popping out. She exhaled and ran her hands through her damp hair. Arturo was trying to complicate things for her. But Alejandro trusted her, right? But this was his Mafia brother here. They’ve been working together for years and Alejandro would trust him more than a lady he met six months ago.

“Get out of my room,” Alejandro ordered. She thought he was referring to Arturo, but his eyes were on her.
“Jandro?” she called but he didn’t avert his cold gaze from her. She huffed and wrapped the blanket around her body more. Then she stepped down from the bed and walked past the men to her closet. She grabbed the first dress she saw and walked out of the room, angrily. She entered the living room and wore the shirt. Dumping the blanket on a sofa, she strode into the kitchen. She grabbed a vanilla flavored ice cream can and leaned against the counter. As she scooped it into her mouth, she felt angrier at herself for not telling Alejandro since Arturo approached her. If she had told him, he would have dealt with the issue well. And Arturo wouldn’t be causing problems and blaming it on her. The more she felt anger, the more she felt fear. She had always been careful to not get on Alejandro’s bad side, because that side was hell. What would she do if he decides to punish her? Or worse let her go as his woman?

No, her life would be hell if that happened. When she first arrived six months ago, she would have done anything to not be his woman. But not now that she already knows the privileges of being his. If she should be an ordinary woman, she would be doomed. Nana and the others belong to the other masters, even though they’re not marked by them. No one can touch them much for fear of involving the Masters. But she? No one could even glare at her behind her back. That was how much they feared her.

“Thinking about what?” Alejandro’s voice rang through her head. She flinched and almost let go of the ice cream. Alejandro was standing by the kitchen door. His hands in his pocket and his face looking normal.
“Jandro,” she called and stood erect. She had been leaning on the counter all these while. He grunted and gazed at her. Avril could not pinpoint what he was thinking, or why he was looking at her that way.
“You good?” he asked. She swallowed and looked down at her ice cream. She scooped a spoon into her mouth and did not look up at Alejandro.
“Hey,” he called and walked to her.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“What type of hurt?” she asked in return.
“The physical type,” he answered.
“I’m all good then,” she stated and turned away from him, towards the counter. She placed her ice cream can on it and continuing scooping into her mouth. Suddenly, she felt his strong arms encircle her body and his cologne hit her nostrils. Her breath was totally taken away.
“How long has this been happening?” he asked. She scoffed and rolled her eyes.
“Don’t ask me. It’s not like you care. You already believed I have been sleeping with him. Why do you still want to know how long?” she retorted and she heard him chuckle. She turned her face to look at him.
“You think I believe that?” he asked and she furrowed her brows.
“Arturo’s a pathetic liar. I also suspected he’s been trying to bed you, and I want to know how long that has been happening. I am just angry he almost had his way,” Alejandro explained.
“Wait, so you’re saying you were just acting like you believed him?”
“I don’t act. I showed him my real emotions. I was angry with both of you,” he drawled and placed both hands on the counter, locking her in.
“You should have told me what he was up to. If you did, he wouldn’t see you bare,” he muttered into her ear and his breath against her skin made her shudder.
“Are you angry because he saw me bare or because he attempted to force himself on me?” Avril asked.
“Arturo saw what I was protecting for me alone. I don’t think I’ll be able to look at him the same way again.”
She chuckled and scooped ice cream into her mouth. Alejandro was angry because Arturo saw her naked. He was a bad boy when jealous.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” she apologized and leaned against his chest. He lifted a hand and gently stroke her hair.
He grunted and dropped his hand from her hair.
“How were you when I was away?” he asked and she turned around to face him.
“Good. But really angry you did not call,” she answered.
“Sorry about that. It was bloody and I didn’t want to leave a trail by making calls,” he replied. She shrugged and her eyes trailed down to his fingers. There was a little blood on his spare shaped ring, and tiny drops on his fingers too.

“Jamdro?” she called and grabbed his hand with her left hand, the right hand dropped the ice cream can.
“When did you get this?” she asked.
“Not my blood,” he answered and walked to the sink.
“Whose?”
“Arturo. You didn’t expect me to let him go just like that, did you?”
“What did you do to him?”
“A few blows to the face. That’s all. He’s my brother, can’t get rid of his balls,” he drawled and washed his hands. Avril huffed at him and walked out of the kitchen.

“You better be headed to the bedroom! And I should not meet you with that dress on!” he yelled after her.
“In your sorry dreams! I’m going to give Manny work to do!” she yelled back.

He only chuckled softly and walked out of the kitchen.

*
Arturo arrived home with deep cuts in his cheeks and jaw. He had a bleeding nose too. Alejandro had hit him and he could not hit him back. He was their leader and they couldn’t question him or do otherwise. He, Arturo, was extremely angry that Alejandro was protecting a slave that much. He never cared about anyone else aside his brothers. But he just hit one of his socalled brothers because of a weak human.
“I’ll show him how to treat a slave,” he gritted as he walked upstairs into his room. All his men had cleared off his path after they saw him approaching with a disdainful face. Only his men by his door were standing.
“Get me Nana,” he ordered them and walked inside immediately. He banged his door against the door frame and walked to his mirror. He looked into his face and puffed out hot air.
“Just because of a woman,” he muttered and pulled a stick of cigarette out from its pack, which was on the bureau of drawers. He lighted it and began to smoke fast and angrily.

The door opened and Nana stepped in, wearing skimpy skirt,and crop top.
“Master, you called for me,” she said and blinked repeatedly.
“On the bed,” he gritted.
“Yes, master,” she replied with a smile.
He huffed and glared at her.
“If only you knew what you were in for, you wouldn’t smile,” he said with a cold voice and threw the cigarette into an ashtray on the vanity.

**
Avril was making plans on how to corner the man who personally owed her money. She had lent it to him, because he begged her on the road saying his little daughter was ill. It was a out two days later she heard he was just a druggie with no family. She approached him and demanded for her money and that was how the race began. He would run whenever he caught sight of her or any of Alejandro’s men, and he would never be caught.

So, Avril and her men were marking strategies on how to get him. A man from Arturo’s mansion ran into the garden, panting heavily.
“Avril, it’s Nana,” he announced immediately he caught sight of them. Avril startled and looked at him.
“Your friend, Nana,” he repeated.
“Nana? What happened to Nana?”