TOXIC (Dark Mafia Romance)

Chapter 1 (2 of 2, warning: vi*lence)

WARNING: VIOLENCE. NOT FOR KIDS.

Pilit kong pinatatag ang aking hininga at nanginginig kong hinawakan ang clutch ng pinto sa gilid ko. They're here. They came to get me. Marahil ay nagmamadali sila at sinalubong na ako kaysa maghintay sa itinalaga nilang lugar. I was grateful. It saved us both time.

Akmang bubuksan ko ang pinto ng kotse, pero may biglang bumusina sa likod ng sasakyan ko.

Napaigtad ako at napalingon doon, at nanlamig ang aking sikmura sa nakita.

Isang itim na SUV ang marahas na nagpreno sa likuran ko. Bumukas ang pinto sa bahagi ng driver, at namilipit ang tiyan ko sa hapdi nang makita ang isang may edad na lalaking dali-daling bumaba ng SUV.

"Oh, God, please no..." My vision blurred as I recognized the old man running toward my car. It was Kuya Nato, my bodyguard since I was five. "God, please, no..."

But no one seemed to be listening to me.

Two more unfamiliar SUVs stopped behind Kuya Nato's vehicle and blocked the exit.

"God, no, no, no..."

Agad kong binukas ang pinto.

"Senyorita, pumasok ka!"

"No! Go back, Kuya Nato! Go back!"

"Senyorita, ano ba!" Hinagilap ni Kuya Nato ang braso ko.

My heart slammed in my chest, and my gaze swung back to the black vehicles blocking the front road. Wala pang bumababang tao roon. My eyes flew back to the old man grabbing my arm.

Kuya Nato's wrinkled face was twisted in fear. I felt my own stomach roiling. My mother was right. I ruined everything.

I stared back at the vehicles in front of us. The windows were tinted, but I knew the vehicles were bullet-resistant. How many were inside? Five? Ten? Twenty? At may mga SUV pang nakaharang sa likod namin. With that many, even my armored car wouldn't hold up long.

Itinulak ako ni Kuya Nato papasok sa kotse. "Senyorita, ako'ng bahala–"

Itinulak ko rin siya palayo. "No, Kuya Nato! Go back to the SUV!"

"Tatawag ako ng back-up–"

"Go back!"

Bumukas ang pinto ng nakaharang na van sa harapan, at napalipad pabalik doon ang tingin ko. At parang may sumakal sa aking lalamunan nang makita ang isang matangkad at matipunong lalaki na bumaba ng behikulo.

May dalawa pang lumabas na malalaking mga lalaki sa SUV, pero nanatili sa unang lumabas na binata ang lahat ng aking atensyon.

The sky seemed to have gone darker as the man strode toward us, and even from where I stood, the stranger's presence weighed on me like a crushing pressure. My stomach cramped, and it felt like something was squashing my lungs. I stumbled in my stiletto and my hand gripped the car door for support.

I'd met many intimidating men before. My bastard stepfather had been intimidating in his vicious cowardly way. Don Arnoldo Almeda was another. I'd met politicians and high-ranking military and police officials who dominated a room without needing to say a word.

But this man was different.

My heart pounded in my ears as I stared wide-eyed at the man striding toward our car. He was over six feet tall with a large build swathed in an expensive black suit. His dark hair was slightly tousled, and I could make out his angular jawline and chiseled cheekbones even with the distance between us. He was too far away for me to see the color of his eyes, but even then, I could feel the weight of his stare as palpably as a cold gun muzzle pressed to my forehead.