"We had a bargain, Xavier. How could you go back on that!" Mrs. Laura was past Caring as she glared at the grandson of a man she truly cared about and was like a father to her.
"I can't just sit pretty in a tux and wear Rolex watches day in, day out entertaining business ideas and implementing few when I know Maya is out there gagged and being tortured," He banged the oak desk in front of him, "Every day is a risk. Every teeny second."
"You putting your life in danger, in search of her won't do you any good. That is not even a sensible thing to do especially when you don't know where to look." Mrs. Laura's voice was a monotone, as she appeared unaffected by the wave of emotions in Xavier's eyes.
In a black jacket, patterned red and black tracksuit, she was looking the part of a woman who was wearing a business thinking cap. Something she doubted Xavier still wears.
She too was concerned about Maya. Heck, she had become even closer to her during the past few days because of their schemes which had been a big flop by the way, and unavoidably she had entered into trouble. She was a sweet girl which was a sharp contrast to the man in front of her, but what he was about to do now won't bring Maya back in any way.
"Sensible? I don't even know what it is. I see her everywhere. I can't even stay in my apartment, do you know I have been living in Melissa's newly purchased condo?" He stood up from his seat, wiping the film of sweat on his forehead, "I can't function properly without Maya. I need to find her, bring her back to me before any harm comes to her else I'm screwed."
Mrs. Laura pursed her lips, "Xavier," her voice was a throaty plea, the man in front of her was insufferable but yet she couldn't neglect the motherly smothering affection for him that rears its head whenever he looked this vulnerable in front of her, "You need to trust Dan. He is the best there is and he'll surely get you results soon."
"How long is soon? Next week? Next month? Frickin next year?" The thought of spending that much time without Maya clamped his heart coupled with the thought that just facing another day without seeing her cheeky smile and hearing her sharp retort was a pain.
"Xavier, if you need to help, you can't do that by being a mess." She gave him a sidelong glance, "And you my boy, you are a huge mess." She raised her brow at his polka dot shirt and check trousers. She knew that was something Xavier will be caught dead wearing on a normal day.
Melissa had selected his clothes. He had let her because he doubted he could bring two pieces of clothing and make it work on his body. Waking up from bed was enough chore, he didn't need to add one too many.
"When you are done putting yourself together then you need to go back and look in for clues, go through the blackmailing emails once again, check everything thoroughly," she held his shoulder, "Even the smartest of criminals are not excused from dropping foolish clues that get them roped in."
The clack-clack of her heels minutes later indicated to Xavier she was gone because his vision was clouded by the dark dark cloud his life has become in the past few days.
Every day was a long insufferable blur he wanted to end desperately but yet was scared of yet another fresh, painful chapter the next day.
His phone rang. He grumbled. It was Jasmine. One of Maya's friends.
They both were worried sick and he doubted that hearing Jasmine puke her guts out and threaten to castrate him with colorful interesting word choices that will make a pope curse if anything happened to Maya, which was exactly what Jessica had done will bring rays and sunshine to his day, but still, he answered the call.
He deserved every of their glaring mock derision, their snarl, anger. He was even angry at himself for being the root of all Maya's problems. It'd all stemmed from him. All him.
"Hello," she sounded breathless.
"Hi," His voice lacked enthusiasm and indicated she was the last person he wanted to talk to but that shouldn't be a crime, because it was the truth.
"I've got something, we have got something."
He bolted, sitting up in his seat. His eyes were wide.
"When you say we? How many exactly?"
"Your mother, Jessica, Melissa, and I?"
He paused for more than a second.
"How fast can you get to Melissa's condo without being flagged down for speeding past the allowed speed limit?"
He grabbed his keys, loosening his tie with another hand, "I won't know unless I try, now can I?"
"Will you make that decision faster if I told you that your father has got Maya, will that help?"
"Jesus fucking Christ! The bastard." He mumbled under his breath, even as the elevators chimed while taking him down directly to his private garage.
Someone was going down and he had quite an idea who the bastard was going to be.
He disengaged his car security, waved one of his drivers who was about standing up off and then entering his car, his thought a blur of spilled blood of a particular man and finally having Maya in his arm, he sped off.
***
She spat at him, her eyes blazing with fury.
He attacks her, his hand wrapped around her hair so tight, she choked.
"You are going to eat your food, be a good girl and do all my biding and maybe just maybe I might seem you fit enough to be something more than just a good lay," He released her leaving her weakly sprawled on the dirty floor, "If you play nicely and ditch the tough girl facade. I just might go easy on you when I finally decide to have you under me."
Maya shivered in disgust, "You do have some guts and the level you are willing to condescend to is despicable. Why go through the trouble of making us believe it was some fan, I should have known nobody else could clog such gurgling filth in them and not feel like throwing up except the beast himself. You are a monster!"
He chuckled. "The plan was to scare you and make you leave my good for nothing son but you didn't take an easy out as always," he shook his head, his face grim, "You were always so defiant and the years didn't make you change in any way. You even dared to move into his house, throwing your explicit whoring lifestyle right at my face proudly." He Bent down so he was at eye level with her, "You are filthy, Maya. Just like your mother, even though you wear fancy clothes now and wear a fake ring on your fingers, you are nothing more special than your whore of a mother who brought you forth."
"I might be the daughter of a whore, but I have more dignity than a man who almost murdered his wife just to get me out, unprotected. You are a shameless animal!" Her eyes flashed with despise. She knew that she just might die, Mr. Dominic was not the sanest man she knew, but she cared less as the hate wanted a way out so desperately.
He growled and then gave her a malicious smile, he crawled so close to her, that her body shuddered, irritated even as his hand moved to the straps of her nightgown then he stopped looking at her, "Did I ever tell you I like them feisty and this whole show is only turning me on?"