Chapter 13: too irresistible to resist

COOLER

"Okay, so this is what it takes to be pampered by a Vander," komento ni Mnemosyne, isa sa mga Vander reapers, habang isa-isang tiningnan ang mga papel at cards na nakalapag sa mesa. Bumaling siya kay Poseidon na nakasandal sa swivel chair, tapping the tip of his pen to his head. "You didn't find this ridiculous?"

Nakangiting bumaling naman sa akin si Poseidon. "That's two of seven reapers. Sooner or later, that McLaren is mine."

I sneered at him before facing my other paperwork and ignored Mnemosyne's comments.

"I told him it's ridiculous," paliwanag ni Poseidon sa kanya. "Mukha bang matutuwa si Jaja rito? I mean, have you seen her? She's not a gold digger. Baka sa halip na matuwa ay magalit pa siya sa'yo."

May punto rin naman si Poseidon. I don't think Rustia will be happy knowing I opened some accounts for her to splurge. Anong masama roon? She can do a lot of things to at least temporarily forget about the danger that looms over her—one of which is shopping. But Poseidon made a bet that all reapers will think it's a ridiculous idea.

Now two of them said it is.

Bumaling ako kay Mnemosyne. "Every woman loves shopping, right?"

Mnemosyne made a face. "Yes, but not when it's not our own money. Seriously, this is the best you could think of?"

"I promised her I will protect her," nakayukong saad ko. Remind me why did I say yes to her request? I even need a reaper to protect me, tapos nangako akong poprotektahan siya?

Mnemosyne rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like when she's at gunpoint, she can use these no-limit cards as shields. And it's not just one, but two! Bakit hindi mo na lang ginawang tatlo para 'I love you'?"

Tumawa nang malakas si Poseidon ngunit agad ding natahimik nang tiningnan ko siya nang masama.

"Do not exaggerate, Mnemosyne. There's no such thing as a limitless card. It's just a term used to—"

She waved her hand to dismiss me. "Yeah, yeah, enough with your trivia. I get the picture. But seriously, you think this is for the best? Nilagay mo sa panganib ang buhay niya, and then decided to make her enjoy shopping, ganoon?"

Heaving a sigh, I covered my face with my palms. "I kissed her last night."

"WHAT?!" sabay nilang bulalas.

Yes, what. Ano nga bang pumasok sa isipan ko at ginawa ko iyon? So what if her lips were practically asking to be kissed? Mali pa rin ang ginawa ko. Nang tingnan ko ang dalawa, they all looked as confused as I was.

Si Mnemosyne ang unang nakahuma, she tried to make sense of what I just said. "Wait, so you brought her to the dinner where Cronus announced that you will take over, Poseidon told her about her father's death and the 13 billion money, then she got high and then you lived with her and kissed her?" she asked.

Poseidon scowled. "It sounds so not in order, but yeah, mukhang ganoon nga ang nangyari."

I looked at them with irritation. "When you put it like that, it sounds so wrong."

I started massaging my temple for a headache about to come. I was acting all cool last night, but the truth is my mind is in turmoil. Why the heck did I kiss her? What if it complicates everything? I'm not lying when I say I wanted to kiss Rustia. I really wanted to. Pero bakit hindi ko napigilan ang sarili ko? What if she thinks of me as some sort of a disgusting bastard?

I saw her in her pitiful state dahil sa kanyang karelasyon. Hindi na ba iyon sapat na rason para pigilan ko ang sarili?

Rustia is not the type who lets people kiss her for random reasons. She's not cool about letting any guy kiss her. She looked like the type who does it for love, kaya hindi ko rin alam bakit hinayaan namin ang kung anumang nagtulak sa amin na gawin iyon. Hindi kaya hindi pa tuluyang naaalis ang epekto ng droga sa kanya kagabi kaya ganoon ang nangyari?

What if she expects anything from it?

And... What if I expect anything from it?

See? Napakakumplikado.

And it kept me up all night. Damn it. My gaze shifted to my reapers, silently asking them how to resolve this.

Si Poseidon ang unang sumagot. "Just be good to her. I don't think she's a bad woman. She wants nothing from our business and she does not stick her nose in it. Unfortunately, someone's trying to harm her. If you have no intention of being serious with her, stop giving her mixed signals before it gets out of hand."

"Wow, Red, you're actually thinking with your head, not with your dick," komento sa kanya ni Mnemosyne. "But he's right. You have so much on your plate right now. The least you need is a woman who wants an actual relationship."

That's true. The last thing I need right now is attachment. Also, I have bigger things to handle, like what happened with the shipment last night.

"Let's get down to business," wika ko. The two immediately recognized my business tone and gone was the friendly demeanor we all had a while ago. "The commission is unhappy, right?" The commission, the pinnacle of power within our organization. They were composed of people who were not very fond of me mula pa noon. They also have a problem with Cronus' unorthodox ways in managing the business, but his ways raked the most money. His methods' undeniable success in generating substantial profits has silenced their dissent.

Mnemosyne typed something on her laptop. "Yup, for the past 12 hours, we received 16 grievances since you take over."

Sixteen? That's lower than I expected.

"Just 16?" Paninigurado ko.

"Well, it's 28, but Apollo already took care of the first twelve and is still taking care of it... And you're down to 9, and 6... and 0. Now, zero grievances," natatawang saad ni Mnemosyne.

Apollo is my cousin, a hacker, and acting on his own will. Kung ako ang masusunod, I would have let the grievances reach the council at nang sa ganoon ay baka maari pang mabawi ni Cronus ang desisyon niya.

It's hard to talk to him about it, dahil gaya ni Cronus ay tingin sa akin ni Apollo ay kaya kong pamunuan ang negosyo. It's good to have their trust in me, but at the same time it's burdensome.

I shook my head to rid of the thoughts. "Ang warehouse na pinangyarihan kagabi?"

"Eros and Hermes already cleaned up," Poseidon replied. "Sinugurado nilang walang anumang makakapagturo sa atin nor any sign of a transaction took place."

I nodded to myself. "And Hechanova?"

Napasimangot si Poseidon. "He's furious, of course. You shot first."

"I shot him because he can't keep his mouth shut," sagot ko. How dare him talk about my brother? "And the merchandise?"

"I sent half of them sa port kung saan nila kukunin," sagot naman ni Mnemosyne. "The other half is back in the inventory."

Dahil sa kaguluhan, Hechanova has a loss. Even if I shot him first, we did the clean-up and they failed to retrieve the sold merchandise kaya kalahati na lamang ang makukuha niya. He can negotiate about it, but not with me dahil baka hindi lamang tama sa binti ang aabutin niya. He kept crossing the line so he got what he deserved.

"But seriously Zeus, you have to manage your anger," komento ni Poseidon. "Araw-araw ay nagiging katulad ka na ni Cronus. You don't hesitate to shoot now."

Pinaningkitan ko siya ng mata. "That's coming from you?"

Poseidon is the most feared reaper. He can get all giggly and cute especially when he asks you not to cuss when he's around and the next second he can blow up your brains without remorse. Sa unang tingin ay tila normal lamang siya kumpara sa ibang mga reaper but if I had to rank them of who has the most loose screws, it's Poseidon. So, it's best not to provoke him or underestimate his capabilities.

Poseidon's words cut through the air with a weight that demanded attention. "I'm different from you, Zeus. I've been brought up differently. While you, you've always been seen as the kind-hearted Vander, or at least that's the perception everyone has. But just this once, can't you prioritize yourself? Can't you be a little selfish and stand up for yourself?"

It was clear that Poseidon was speaking from a place of genuine concern and urgency. Nagpatuloy siya sa kanyang litanya. "You've always put others before yourself, always shouldering responsibilities and burdens that aren't yours to bear. Kailan mo ba isasaalang-alang ahng sarili? When are you going to put first your own desires and ambitions? Don't let yourself be taken for granted or walked over."

Marahil ay naramdaman na ni Mnemosyne ang tensiyon sa paligid kaya agad niyang pinigilan iyon. "Poseidon, stop digging deeper for your grave." She faced me. "May mas malaking problema tayo. We settled the problem with Hechanova but his brother is getting none of that."

My brows furrowed. "His brother?"

Iniharap ni Mnemosyne sa amin ang laptop. She showed us a picture of a buffed guy. May malaking peklat ito sa kanang mata, as if it was slashed by a sharp object.

"Apollo sent me this file. This is Brusco, Hechanova's brother. He once worked as a contract hitman sa isa sa malalaking drug cartel sa Mexico. He retired though after losing his right eye and left leg. Still, he's not staying cool after hearing what happened to Hechanova."

Poseidon shook his head. "What a loser! He was shot in the leg and cried to his brother?"

Inignora ni Mnemosyne ang komento ni Poseidon. "Ayon kay Apollo, he booked a flight to the Philippines kaya mag-iingat ka, Zeus."

"He's coming home for of his brother, I'm sure he will understand, I also did it for my brother," sagot ko. I was taking shots kahit alam kong malabong maintindihan niya ako. I cannot just tell him I shot his brother because he started talking about my brother, can I?

Gayunpaman, I have to deal with it. "Arrange me some time to meet with him kapag nasa Pilipinas na siya," I told Mnemosyne.

"Got it, Zeus. But just so you know, it will be hard to keep him on the track kapag nandito na siya. He was a retired sicario, an experienced hitman. I don't think he will be here like he's on vacation."

I know that so in the next few days, I have to watch out for my life. Still, naniniwala akong I can somewhat talk sense to him, and maybe he can give a stab or two kapalit ng tama ng baril ng kapatid niya.

***

Pagkauwi ko ay naabutan ko sa sala si Rustia. She sat there uncomfortable, waiting for me. Pagkapasok ko sa pinto ay nag-atubili siyang tumayo, silently debating with herself.

"Uhm, Cooler? Pwede ba tayong mag-usap?" tanong niya. She made a gesture waving to the vacant seat in front, away from where she sat.

Good idea because having her near is gonna make me lose my mind again.

"Sure," sagot ko. I placed my coat on the side at umupo. Napansin ko ang pagkabalisa niya. She was fidgeting and silently battling with herself. "I also have something to say and give to you."

"M-mauna ka na," sabi niya.

I did not hesitate at nilabas ko ang dalawang card at mga dokumento mula sa dalang case. Maingat na inilapag ko iyon sa harapan niya. "These are for you."

Kunot ang noo nang tiningnan niya ang mga nilapag ko. Una niyang kinuha ang mga dokumento at tiningnan ang mga ito. Every time she flips a page, mas lalong kumukunot ang guhit sa kanyang noo.

"I transferred some property under your name," panimula ko. "I'm sure you're not comfortable living in a house with a guy, at hindi ka rin naman pwedeng bumalik sa apartment mo so..." I gestured to the papers that she was holding. "The first one's a home sa isang kilalang subdivision. I picked that place particularly dahil maganda ang seguridad. There were quite a few good reviews about their security. I also picked a one-hectare agricultural land sa hindi kalayuang probinsya. May nakatayo na ring bahay roon, just in case you wanted some peace, farming is a good avenue. Please let me know if there is a particular place or property that you want so I can do the necessary arrangements."

"H-ha?" She was at a loss for words. She picked up the cards with shaking hands.

"The cards are for you too. You can use them in—" she cut me off.

"Hindi ko 'to matatanggap," sabi niya at mahinang itinulak sa direksyon ko ang mga cards at dokumento. "Alam kong pinag-isipan mo 'to, and you exerted a lot of efforts for this, pero Cooler, hindi ko ito matatanggap."

"Hmm, why?" tanong ko. Kulang pa ba iyon? If there is something she wants, I'm sure we can work on that.

She bit her lower lip and forcedly smiled. "Magiging honest ako sa'yo. What you did just..." Napabuga siya ng hangin. "Sa halip na matuwa ay nainsulto pa ako."

I grabbed the documents and shoved them back to my case. "Sorry, hindi iyon ang intensiyon ko."

She smiled bitterly. "I know, and I totally understand. Hindi mo ako obligasyon, pasensiya na kung iyon ang ginawa ko. I obliged you to keep me safe but then I realized that it was not the right thing to do." Muli siyang yumuko at tiningnan ang mga daliri, just so she could avoid my gaze. "Iyon din sana ang sasabihin ko sa'yo."

I have a bad feeling about this. Yes, I did go to a lot of trouble just to give her this, ngunit mukhang hindi ko iyon masyadong pinag-isipan. Dang it, I should have listened to the reapers that this is such a ridiculous idea!

"Binabawi ko na ang sinabi ko. You don't have to protect me. I'm sorry if I was being too reckless by asking that," sabi niya.

It felt... weird. Noong sinabi niyang kailangan ko siyang protektahan, I felt burdened. I had so many doubts. Pero bakit ngayong binabawi niya iyon... Why does it feel... so wrong? I tried to think of various reasons why I felt this way. Maybe I was sad because... I felt like she don't trust me anymore? Nalulungkot ba ako dahil nabigo ko ang bagay na hindi ko pa naumpisahan? Is this about my pride?

I ignored the part of my brain which claims it's more than pride.

"Oh..." walang ibang salitang lumabas sa bibig ko kaya nagpatuloy siya.

"It was wrong for me to do that," she said, avoiding my gaze. "I appreciate your concern, at maganda sa pakiramdam na may taong handang promotekta sa akin, but I don't want to be a burden."

Bull crap.

There must be other reasons.

I crossed my arms. "Who said you were?"

Umiling siya. "Uuwi na ako. Maybe I will stay with my brother. Pulis si Brad kaya kahit paano ay magiging kampante ako na hindi ako mapapahamak."

I don't have the heart to tell her that we have quite a few incompetent people in uniform, kaya hindi dapat siya magpakampante dahil lamang pulis ang kanyang kapatid.

Okay, naisip kong baka hindi siya komportable sa poder ko kaya kumuha ako ng bahay at lote para sa kanya. It doesn't occur to me that she wanted to completely leave under my wing.

"Is Red coming over more than often makes you uncomfortable?" Tanong ko. Isa iyon sa nakikita kong rason kung bakit gusto niyang umalis. I had him stationed in the area just to be sure, lalo na kung nasa trabaho ako.

"H-ha? No, hindi iyon—"

No way that was the reason.

"Is this about the kiss?"

Napaangat siya ng tingin sa akin, lips slightly parted. Bigla akong napatitig doon, remembering the soft touch of her lips.

"NO!" mabilis niyang sagot. She looked away. "I told you, ayaw kong maging pabigat sa'yo—"

I rose from my seat, unable to contain the overwhelming urge to express what I had been feeling. May sinasabi pa siya, pero tila naging blanko ang utak ko dahil isa lamang ang laman niyon.

I must be losing my mind. I kept diving in headfirst. Without a word, I closed the distance between us, my hand reaching out to cup her cheek, and gently pulling her for a kiss.

I now get why a bee is lured to a flower, why a moth is drawn to the flame.

Indeed, some things are just too irresistible to resist.

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