Dominico
My words last night had its desired effect. Although I did use my fist, but I think it’s my words to him that did the trick.
I wrapped my hand round the door knob and turned, letting myself in without knocking. The room is empty, the running shower keeping Jayden busy. I sat down on the stool in his room, patiently waiting for him.
Luckily, he didn’t take much time, he walked out few minutes later with a white towel wrapped around his waist, his chest and abs fully on display. I wonder how many times Josephine had to stare at that chest, not because she wants to, but because this fucker keeps shoving it in your face.
He wiped his face with a white towel as he walked fully into the room, ignorant of my presence. I wonder how he protects Josephine with such carelessness and ignorance. He halted abruptly when he finally noticed me. “What are you doing here?” He clipped, trying not to let his frustration show.
“What do you think I’m doing here?” I questioned calmly, my pose more relaxed than it was when he walked in. “Surely I did not come to stare at your unattractive chest and abs.”
He smirked. “I sense jealously.”
Inching for a smoke, I know I can’t because of Josephine. I can’t be smoking when we have a pregnant woman here. “I can’t be jealous of a child I’m about to spank.”
His nose flared with anger, his bravado disappearing into the thin air. “What are you doing here? I thought I made it clear that I shouldn’t be disturbed.”
“I’m sure that does not include me. You do not have the right to tell me what to do or not to do.” My eyes scanned the room, taking in every little detail. “You haven’t picked a pin yet, why? Surely Josephine informed you that we’ll leave very early in the morning.”
“My s**t is none of your business.” Standing at akimbo, he glared at me. “What are you doing in my room Lopez?”
He’s right, I don’t care if his stuffs are packed or if he’s leaving with us tomorrow. “Whatever nonsense you have against Josephine ends tonight.”
“And who are you to decide that?” He countered, baiting on provoking me. “Whatever that is going on between Josie and I isn’t your damn business, so butt out.”
“I met her with puffy eyes.” I slowly stood to my feet and approached him, my height towering over him. “Did you still think this isn’t my damn business?” He casted his eyes away with guilt. “Even though she refused to admit it, I know you both had a fight over me.”
“You bet your ass we did.” He hissed.
“You hate me, I’m cool with that. I’ve had more significant human beings hate me, so yours is just a dust on my shoe. All I want is that you keep Josephine out of this.”
He grabbed a trainer from the bed, released the towel covering his nudity and changed in front me. “No s**t, man to man, tell me what you really want from her? Is this about the s*x you had with her? You couldn’t have enough to her which is why you came back? If that is the reason, do it already and leave!”
I clenched my fist, lifted it and slammed it on his jaw. He stumbled to the floor but quickly jumped to his feet to retaliate but I hit him again, sending him to the floor again. “I heard you like photography, insult her again, and I’ll make sure you’ll never take pictures again.”
He staggered to his feet and smiled mockingly at me, showing more of bloody gums.“Is that a threat Lopez?”
Josephine is the only reason this asshole is still breathing air. “You said you know the evil my family are capable of, but I tell you, you don’t know half of it.” I closed in on him and grabbed his collar. “You’ll go out there and apologise to her, you’ll be the loving friend that she wants.”
“Or what?”
“I’ll eliminate anything or anyone that will cause her pain, anyone including you. Nobody will notice your absence in this world, not even Josephine, I’ll make sure of that.” I shoved him towards the door. “Get your ass out there and apologise. Do. Not. Provoke. Me.”
He stared at me unblinkingly, his mind at war with his heart. My phone pinged and I shoved it out from my pocket, read a message from Zadok, demanding I call him ASAP. Glaring at him one last time, I walked out of his room, walked into the living room, laid a kiss on Josephine’s cheek then walked out of the house into my car.
Watching them interact, watching him make her smile, I didn’t feel jealous, in fact, I feel relieved that things are fine between them. When I saw her puffy eyes and figured they had an argument because of me, I knew I had to do something about that.
Josephine smiled at me and I returned the smile. Underneath that smile lies inquisitiveness. I know she has questions, questions about what happened last night, that only means that Jayden didn’t say a word to her about our discussion.
Three hours into the flight, and Josephine is yet to utter a word to me, not because she’s avoiding me, but because Jayden intentionally kept her too busy for me. The moment he left his seat for bathroom break, I quickly occupied it.
“Jay is not going to like that.” Josephine muttered. She popped a grape into her mouth and glanced at the hallway leading to the bathroom.
“He kept you away from me for three hours, I don’t like that either.” She smiled then lifted the plate towards me. “You want some?”
“Only if you feed me.” I replied throatily. She swallowed audibly, wetting her lips. “Come on sweetheart, I don’t bite.”
She lifted her hands shakily and offered me the grape. Just as I parted my lips for her, Jayden walked in. She had a nervous breakdown instantly and began to withdraw, but I quickly grabbed her hand and guided it to my lips.
“That’s my seat man.” He remarked.
I bored my gaze on him, wondering if this lummox is incapable of understanding situations around him. “This is my jet, which automatically makes every seat mine.” Josephine pulled her hand away roughly, her eyes silently pleading with Jayden to let things go.
Jayden ready for a witty comeback, ignored me for the sake of Josephine. He settled on a seat further from ours which made her frown. “You just made him upset again.”
Aloof to their connection, I shrugged nonchalantly. “He’s human, and it’s only natural for humans to be upset every now and then.” Her face disagreed with my concept. “If you keep on defending him, I might end up getting upset.”
She pondered on my words. “What happened yesterday between you and Jay?” How can she be so beautiful even when she’s trying to act angry. “Dominico?”
Prying my eyes off her, I picked up the magazine on her thigh. “Nothing happened, we talked.”
She scoffed. “At what point in your conversation did he get bruises on his jaw? You know he couldn’t chew this morning.” Serves him right. “Dominico? Aren’t you going to say anything?”
Apathetic, I stared at the man in question. “I don’t regret hitting him, he got on my nerves and that was the end result.”
Aghast, she stared at me, dumbfounded. “You can’t just destroy people’s face just because they disrespected you. That’s barbaric.”
“You find my actions barbaric?” She double blinked. Being barbaric is shooting him right here then shove his corpse off my jet. “Let me guess, he’s the noble one.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not trying to judge anyone or define anything, I’m clearly stating a fact. You can’t just hit people just because you can.” I kill people because I can, this bastard is lucky. “What did he do?”
Insult your honour, but I care for you too much to turn your friend into your enemy due to his careless words. “I instructed the maids to move your stuffs to my house.”
“What?” She barked. “You can’t be serious.”
“Why won’t I be?”
“I told you that I’m not getting married to you immediately.” She gritted out the words slowly as if talking to a child. “Why did you have my things moved without my permission?”
“I am yet to see the issue here.” I drawled. “Living with me doesn’t entail getting married. You told me that you aren’t getting married to me ASAP, that you’d prefer I court you, but you never said anything about our living condition.”
“I’m not living with a man who isn’t my husband.” She insisted.
I drummed my finger on my knee. “Yet you lived comfortably with Jayden for months. You’re pregnant for a man who isn’t your husband, what’s the harm in living with him?”
“Everything!” She snapped, drawing Jayden’s attention. “I’m clearly attracted to you, but I’m not attracted to Jayden. Do not compare the two situations.”
My tightened lips stretched into a smug smile. “You’re attracted to me?” It’s easier to make a woman who is attracted to you fall in love. “For what it’s worth, I’m insanely attracted to you too.”
She turned red on the cheek, but tried miserably to hide it. “That’s besides the point Dom, let’s get back to the important issue. I’m not living with you, please do not force me.”
Scratching my stubble, I stared out through the window, considering other options. “Fine, although this will mean going back to my word, I’m ready to do it for you. I’ll have my men return the bags back to your parents house the moment we land.”
“Leave it at your place for now.” I stared at her quizzically. “At least until I find an apartment. I don’t want to face my parents just yet, and returning my bag will mean facing them whenever I want to pick it up.”
“What do you mean by you’re not ready to face your parents?” She avoided my gaze. My jaw clenched, I grasped her jaw unexpectedly, causing her to gasp. “I want you to look me in the face as I say this. You’re going to either stay with me where I can ensure your safety, or you stay with your father. I will never allow my pregnant fiancé live alone.”
“She can stay with me.” Jayden offered. “My lease for the year hasn’t expired yet, at least I still have a house.”
“Just shut the f**k up if you have nothing important to say.” I bristled at his suggestion. “You think you can protect her?”
“I’ve been doing that for the past four months.” He reminded me smugly. “I don’t mind doing it again.”
He thinks he can protect her from my enemy? To them, he’ll be an annoying pest that they can easily get rid of. “You’ve protected her thus far because of you little charade of hide and seek. Nobody was interested in Josie, a simple woman who waits on other people for a living.”
“Your point is?”
“My point is that when you get to New York, they’re going to know you as Josephine Eluta, the fiancé of Dominico Lopez. My enemies will automatically become yours and I need someone to protect you, not a clown to keep you entertained.”
Deep in thought, she caressed the grape. “They don’t have to know.” She finally responded.
“What is that suppose to mean?”
“I can live with Jay as Josephine Eluta, they don’t have to know about us until we get married.”
The fact that she considers this an option pains my heart. “Do you know the implication of what you’re saying?” She nodded, crushing my heart further into smaller pieces.
Seeing them together is going to start a story, a story that I most definitely do not want. She disappears from public eyes for four months together with him, then reappear again with him, now pregnant. “They’re going to think he’s the father.” I explained just in case she missed the point.
“Why should that matter? I’ve never cared what the paparazzi has to say, most of them are just telling lies to make a living.”
“So you prefer living with him than living with me.” She kept mute, but her eyes said all that I needed to know. Unable to sit tight and take her betrayal, I stomped to the bedroom.
Yet again, I lost her to Jayden.
Aksara