NOTE: For a better reading, when I point out in the chapter listen to the song "Yellow" by Coldplay.

-----

"Laur..." Camila pinched my arm lightly, and I flashed a cynical smile.

"Dana." I shook her hand firmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I can't wait to get to know you better, I love to get to know my girlfriend's friends... Ally has become a great friend, right Allycat?" I asked the shorter girl, who smiled and hugged me.

"Absolutely, after all, it's kind of hard not to like you, Laur." Ally said, and I smiled, kissing the top of her head.

"It's also not hard to hate me..." I said, smiling straight at Dana, seeing that she continued with her prepotent posture. Camila looked at me suspiciously. "After all, I know how to be a pain in the ass when I want to..." I smiled at Dana cynically, to then look towards Camila. "Baby, do you want something to drink?"

"No. I'll wait here for you." She said, and I smiled, inching closer to seal our lips in a quick peck.

With a tilt of my head, Mani understood my message and stood beside Camila, starting a conversation. And I pulled Dinah by the wrist and dragged her to the bar. I ordered a drink and my best friend did the same thing, and then she quickly asked me if I had a plan.

There was no way we could do what we did to Drew. That bar, besides being a crowded place, it had security cameras scattered all over, it would be too risky to try to kill Dana there.

I looked at Dinah, but the bartender appeared with our orders. Dinah grabbed two of the glasses and I grabbed the other two, and then we went back to our group. All I said to her was: Wait for my signal.

I handed one of the glasses to Ally who smiled gratefully and I kept the other one. I promptly hugged Camila's waist and smiled at her, I was going to cling to her tonight, I wasn't going to let her be alone with Dana. And I was sure my friends would have my back.

I knew cynical people, but there was no one as cynical as Dana. She talked in such a fake way with Camila and made her laugh in such a sincere way, which made my heart clench even more. Was I like that with her at the beginning too? So calculating and mean?

*(Play the song – Yellow by Coldplay)*

A slow song started playing and I smiled. I held Camila's hand and asked her if she would dance with me, at least that one song. She promptly got up from where she was sitting and followed me to the dance floor. Only then did I realize that it was 'Yellow' by Coldplay that was playing. That song was so sad, but it had a good beat... Why was it playing in a nightclub?

I hugged Camila's waist and she hugged my neck, resting her head on my shoulder, leaving our bodies close together.

"I like this song." She said softly, and I smiled, pulling her even closer to me as our bodies swayed to the rhythm of the music.

"I like you." I said, closing my eyes and sighing.

"I like you too." Camila said, to then hide her face in the crook of my neck and rub her nose against it, making me shiver. "I think this is my favorite place in the world."

"This nightclub?" I asked, confused, and she lifted her head, staring into my eyes. She had a cute smile on her lips.

"No, silly, your arms. It's a very comfortable place to be in and it's safe. I feel so safe with you." She said, and I smiled, leaning down to kiss her lips calmly for a while. I closed my eyes tightly, strongly wishing that that moment lasted forever, but it ended when I pulled my lips away.

"Promise me that you'll understand me no matter what happens?" She frowned. "Because I swear that I'll try to do everything to protect you, I wouldn't bear to see you suffer." I hugged her, and she sighed, hugging me back.

"What are you talking about? Lolo, you're scaring me." She hugged me even more tightly. "Why do I feel like you're saying goodbye?" She gripped the back of my shirt, and I felt my heart pound in my chest. "You said you wouldn't leave me!"

"And I won't, baby." I kissed her forehead. "You said you'd never abandon me, and I say the same thing, I will never leave you. We're going to stay together, like it's supposed to be." I smiled and kissed her forehead. "No one will hurt you." I whispered more to myself than to her.

We stood there, hugging each other, even after the song ended and a more upbeat one started playing. When we started kissing, everything around me was forgotten, and after we pulled away from each other, we went to look for a more private place so we could be more at ease and where no one would disturb us.

I was kissing Camila as if it was the last night of her life, or worse, as if it was our last night. Our lips wouldn't unglue not even for a second and our tongues danced in such an intimate way that it was magical. In those kisses there were no ulterior motives, it wasn't a carnal thing, at least not on my part. It was all the love I felt for Camila that had to be shown somehow, and kissing her was the only way I found to do that.

I don't know how long we stood there, in our 'bubble', but I think she grew tired of using both her lips and tongue since she pulled our lips away in a gentle and sensual way. Her lips were swollen and even more beautiful, and that only proved that Camila's mouth was kissable at any time of the day.

"I think we should go back and keep the girls company a little, Dana must be feeling uncomfortable." I didn't say anything, just held her face, stealing a little peck. "Laur..." She chuckled against my lips, and I smiled, pressing her even more against the wall. "Baby, I'm serious..." She said against my lips, and I opened my eyes, separating our lips.

"Ugh... Fine." I said unwillingly. "I think we should go home." I smiled mischievously, and Camila laughed, hugging my neck and sealing our lips once again.

"Later. And I promise to make it up to you for being such a wonderful girlfriend." She said, kissing my cheek and intertwining our hands.

We headed back to where the girls were. Only Ally and Dana seemed to be having fun, Normani and Dinah were tense and they were talking quietly to each other. I hugged Camila from behind and then we stopped beside the tall table they were sitting at. Dana cracked a few jokes about our reddened mouths and evident delay, and Camila laughed awkwardly while I just rolled my eyes.

My girlfriend was wearing a high-waisted printed black skirt that was quite loose, a long-sleeved shirt that resembled a sweater, and her inseparable Jeffrey Campbells, the same color as the sweater. Camila loved those high heels and she must have one of each color. They made her legs look even more beautiful.

While Camila socialized with Dana, I took advantage of her body heat and ran the tip of my fingers on her belly under her shirt, which didn't seem to bother her. As to not waste my night, I started talking to my friends, whose voice tones gave away how apprehensive they were... Normani and Dinah had never been as involved in a case as they were involved in this one.

Everyone was talking and having a good time, and that was when Camila tapped my hand, and I looked at her.

"I'm going to the bathroom with Dana." She said smiling, and I tensed immediately. "I'll be right back."

"I'm going with you, I need to touch up my makeup." Dinah promptly said as she got up, and I smiled in relief. "We won't be long, come, Mila." Dinah pulled my girlfriend to her side and hugged her shoulders, smiling broadly as if nothing bothered her.

"Mani, you look tense, is everything alright?" Ally asked, and I looked at my best friend.

"Yes." Normani smiled unconvincingly. "I just have a bothersome headache..." She shrugged. "Long day, you know how it is, right?!"

"I know." Ally laughed and drank a bit of the content in her glass. "Uhm... Am I the only one who didn't like that Dana person very much?" The shorter one asked, and I smiled.

"Thank you! I thought I was the only one." I said laughing, and Ally smiled.

"Nope." She said with a laugh, and then we looked back and saw that they were coming out of the bathroom.

They approached tranquilly, and in a possessive way, I wrapped my arm around my girlfriend's waist, knowing that if she was in my arms she would be safe.

Ally pulled Normani to the dance floor, and I signaled Dinah, who asked Dana to accompany her to the bar. The woman promptly got up and accompanied my friend, and I smiled, leading Camila to one of the high chairs so that she would sit down, and so she did. Her legs parted so that I could fit between them, and then I hugged her waist, leaving our faces close.

We didn't kiss, we just talked. Camila spoke very close to my ear so that I could hear her, and sometimes she bit my earlobe, which made me laugh.

"Girls, have you seen Mani?" Ally appeared out of nowhere, scaring the shit out of me.

"Uhm... No." I said, already picking up my phone and looking at Dinah who was talking to Dana. "She must have gone to the bathroom." I smiled, and then I felt my phone vibrate.

Normani: I went home, took a cab. I need to do some research, if you need anything, call me.

WAS NORMANI CRAZY? Of course I'd need her, I didn't trust Dana.

"She went home, she wasn't feeling well... I think she saw her ex-boyfriend here." I lied, shrugging with a disappointed expression.

"She could've warned me, she left me all alone there." Allyson said with a pout.

"Don't worry, Allycat, I'll dance with you. Lauren doesn't mind." Camila said excitedly, to then get off her chair and steal a quick kiss from me. And then they left together to the dance floor.

I smiled and encouraged them, and soon enough the two of them began to dance in the middle of the dance floor in a funny and unique way. It felt good to see them happy and having fun, it gave me a certain peace.

"You made her fall hard for you." I heard someone say, and I looked to the side, coming across Dana. I tensed up immediately and stopped smiling. "That doesn't surprise me at all, you always do this with your cases, you manage to be even more dirty and wicked than any other hired assassin." Dana laughed, to then drink the content of her glass. "Does Camila already know that you're rich because you kill people?"

"You have to disappear, you hear me?! Stay far away from Camila!"

"For one hundred million dollars, honey? Not a fucking chance, I'll guarantee my retirement with this money." She said laughing, and I stared at her seriously.

"You'll guarantee your death if you lay a finger on my girlfriend!"

"I'm not afraid of death, honey." She smiled cynically. "Drew was stupid, he was always very impulsive." She continued speaking, and I remained tense, staring at her. "You're also stupid, you fell in love with your case..." She snapped her tongue and shook her head. "You're actually even more stupid, haven't you heard that love kills?"

"And who's going to kill me? You?" I laughed ironically. "I'm not afraid of you, Dana." I said sincerely. "Try to kill me and see what happens... I'll tear your head off and send it as a gift to the next person who tries to come after Camila. I'm in it to win this time, no one will take Camila away from me."

"That's what we'll see. I want to talk to you in a quiet place. Meet me on the beach today, under the pier. In an hour. No funny business, Jauregui, and no firearms allowed. May the best one win." She said with a smile, to then drink what was left of the drink in her glass. "Oh, and tell Camz-" She uttered the nickname with an ironic tone. "that I had to leave, but that I loved to hang out with her tonight." She winked at me and then walked away.

I followed the woman with my gaze and she skillfully disappeared among the people, and I felt a huge weight coming off my shoulders. Soon enough, I felt a presence at my side and came across an apprehensive Dinah.

"What did she want?"

"The reward..." I said, and Dinah sighed. "Relax, I'll end this today, I have a plan. I just need you to..."

...

TO BE CONTINUED...