"Kill Me, Attorney." (Law Series #3)

PART TWENTY-NINE: THE ASHES WHERE HE WAS REBORN (1/2)

"TYLER?!"

Isang lalaki ang makikitang naka-sandal sa dingding ng pasilyo. Ang paa nito'y nasa lapag habang ang isa'y nakasandal sa dingding. Naka-suot ito ng puting polo na naka-tuck-in sa itim itong slacks. Naka-rolyo ang sleeves nito hanggang braso. Naka-pamulsa ito at halatang may hinihintay.

Mula sa pagkakatingin sa sahig ay tumingin ito sa nagsalita. Nang makita kung sino iyon ay napalitan ng galit ang kaninang walang emosyon nitong mukha.

"B-Bakit ka nandito?" tanong ng lalaking naka-itim na robe at kagagaling lamang sa prosecutor's office.

Maya-maya'y gumalaw ang lalaki mula sa pagkakasandal sa dingding. Napa-urong ang lalaking kalalabas lang at hindi malaman ang gagawin.

"T-Tyler, I'll explain—"

Ngunit bago pa man siya makapagsalita ay isang suntok ang lumipad sa mukha niya dahilan para bumagsak siya sa lupa.

Napahawak ang lalaki sa mukha niya at sinapo ang pumutok na labi.

"ANO BANG PROBLEMA MO?!" singhal niya habang dinadaing ang dugo na lumalabas mula sa kaniyang labi.

"You..." the guy named Tyler uttered. The look in his eyes was enough to make the man on the floor shiver. "How low can you be?!"

"Tyler, I'm just doing my job!" sabi nito. "Avery's dad plundered. I saw a probable cause. Siyempre, as a prosecutor, I'll do my job!"

Tinitigan siya ni Tyler. May punto ang lalaki ngunit hindi pa rin mawala ang galit sa dibdib niya.

"But you know Avery..." Tyler said. "You could've just told her first. Better yet, you could've informed me."

"Tyler, come on!" sagot ng lalaki habang pinupunasan ang dugo sa kaniyang labi. "Mag pinsan lang tayo. I am not obliged to tell you anything about me."

"Who told you I'm interested in you?" sarkastikong tugon ni Tyler. "I'm being like this because of Avery."

The guy scoffed. "Ah, stupid love."

"As if you weren't kicked out of your house last night because of your so-called stupid love," Tyler replied. "Having sex in the rooftop of your family's house, huh? What a kink."

The guy just laughed. "Are we good now?"

"No," tugon ni Tyler. "When will the arrest warrant for Avery's dad take effect?"

The guy gulped. "Now..."

Tyler looked at him sharply. "You're a sh*t, you know that?"

"You can't blame me," sagot ng lalaki. "I'm just doing my job."

"You mean, MY job?"

The guy looked at him with disbelief. "What... do you mean...?"

A smirk curved on Tyler's lip and his cousin knew what was gonna happen next.

"You....no...no, Tyler, I don't want to—"

"Remember when you took drugs few years back in a party? I didn't tell that to your dad."

"No, Tyler. You gotta be kidding me!"

"You know me," Tyler said. "I said what I said and you wouldn't want to test how a Tyler Scott works."

"Tyler, you're a dick head!" sabi ng lalaki. "Ginawa mo nang black mail sa 'kin 'yan noon to get Traise's case! Until when are you gonna use that against me?!"