WHO IS THE BOSS?

He had called it a tomb and he had spelled out everything he would do to her for hurting him and or hiding in his grandmother's apartment. She was dragged into the dark room or whatever by the big man called Bully and had been locked up there. The room was so dark that she couldn't tell day from night, and she didn't know how long she has been in there, but she was sure of one thing. They were starving her. She was sure it has been days since she was locked in there. He was going to starve her to death.

             Devil.

She has grown weak; her lips were thirsty, and she must have emaciated because she could feel her bones on her skin. All she did was lie down there on the cold, stale floor and waited for her death. That was the only thing she felt would put her to rest. Her parents were dead, and she had no other sibling or anyone to go back to. Apollo must have given up on her since he couldn't face Eros.

As she closed her eyes and curled up on the floor, waiting for her death, she heard the clang of an iron door somewhere. Her mind was far too blank and tired to pick up where it came from. Then, there were footsteps and voices of men. She couldn't tell where the tomb was, for the days she had been locked up in there, she didn't hear any sound nor see any light. Sooner, a bright light flashed on her face, blinding her. She tightened her eyes, blocking out the bright light from her eyes.

"Sentarse," [Stand up] a voice commanded her. She knew it was Bully's voice.

But all the bones in her body were too weak to move. Bully grabbed her by the arm and dragged her up to a sitting position.

"Bully, take it easy, she is so weak," she heard another voice say. She didn't recognize the voice, but her eyes were too weak to look up.

She let her head fall, hanging off her neck. Bully squatted in front of her, and an aroma wafted into her nose, awakening her senses, her eyes, and her interest. Her eyes widened as she perceived food. The huge man dropped a flask of food in front of her. Bully was offering her food and a bottle of water. She grabbed it immediately and started to devour it. Bully stood up and watched her.

Cassandra has never been grateful for anything in her life. She never knew there was an intention to give her food. Pain coursed through her throat as she swallowed the first handful. Her throat was so dry, that it hurt, and it felt like her throat was torn as the food passed through it. She grabbed the water and took a long gulp, using the opportunity to get a glimpse of the other man there with Bully. She couldn't see his face clearly because the light was focused on her.

The man walked up to her and squatted down so that their faces were inches apart and she recognized him. She has seen him once, at the seduce me, night, but she still remembered him. He was the only man who had spoken to her like a human since she got here. The smile on his face that night was there, but this time, it was tinted with sadness and pity, pity for her. The last thing he had said to her came to her mind.

          I hope he doesn't choose you.

She more than hoped for that now. She knew he was Eros' friend and must be a very close one to be allowed to come down there. But she was feeling an animosity for Eros Castillo that passed on to everything and everyone connecting to him right at that moment.

"What do you want?" she asked, hoping her voice came out as impassive as she had intended.

"It's good that you are alive. I am not your enemy," Javier replied.

"I don't need a friend," she said scooping the last food on the plate. Her mouth was smeared with food, but she didn't mind.

"Eros wouldn't mind if you are dead."

"Does he even know you are here?" She wouldn't be an object of pity. She knew what he wanted. Of course, they were all the same. If she allowed him to help her out, he would have a condition that would repulse her, they were all the same and she wasn't going to make the mistake of trusting anyone. "You will get nothing from me. I don't need your help."

"Can you stop being cynical?"

"You are all the same. Leave me alone. Bully, please, lock me up." She lay back on the floor and turned her face away from him.

Javier straightened up, hitched his shoulders, and turned away. "I see why Eros is so pissed," he muttered as he sauntered away from her. Bully followed him. Before long, Cassandra heard the gate to the place close and the padlock being jammed. She sniffed and wiped her tears. It was true that she wanted to present a defiant front, but she was broken already.

She could just end it all by crawling and breaking down just as Eros wanted, but she was too prideful to do that. She won't allow him to break her, she won't show him that she was broken. She hopes his friend tells that to him too.

~~~~

Eros sat on a sofa in his grandmother's apartment, flipping his phone and looking at Dimitra who was sleeping sounding on the bed. She was still weak from the near-death attack she had a few days ago. Eros had suspected her of having a hand in the death of the women he slept with, but when she was also attacked and narrowly escaped with her life, he knew there was more to it. Someone was trying to pass a message across to him. The question was, why? Why was whoever it was going after women he slept with? A lot was happening lately and if he wasn't a strong leader he would have crumbled. Nothing really gets to him before now, but this time, he was faced with a lot on his plate.

First, he was pissed with the woman in his tomb who had hurt his pride and refused to acknowledge him. He had been thinking of ways to get her to her knees, to crumble in front of him, to beg for his mercy, and to beg him to take her anyhow he wanted. But she was proving more stubborn than he had thought and more than he had fathomed any woman to be. He didn't know why her attitude was particularly getting to him, to top it all, he didn't know why he hadn't ended her yet. There was something about her, something he couldn't put his hand to yet. He kept convincing himself that he wanted to teach her who the boss was. Once he has succeeded in doing that, he was going to take away that thorn off his flesh. She was a sexy thorn, but she pricked, nonetheless.

Then, there was this mysterious man named Apollo who was just everywhere around his business. He was always in the right kind of places. He had helped catch the thieves whom his rival sent to steal from him. He didn't like the fact that the man was in his business, and he had asked his men to follow the man up. He was always fighting in bars, and he had glaring skills. Javier had advised him to recruit the man, but he felt something was off about the man and it has been worrying him since then. He wanted to see who Apollo was for himself.

He stood up and went over to the dining, poured himself a glass of water, and returned to his seat. His grandmother has been angry with him since he took Cassandra away and kept her where even Grandma Adella didn't know and would never find her. He had also been pissed with the old woman for keeping Cassandra's recovery a secret from him. Her saving grace was that she had been the one that had saved him most of the time when he needed saving, that was why her head was still sitting on her neck.

The door pushed open, and Javier walked in, Grandma Adella and Bully trailing behind him. He wondered how they came in together and he raise an eyebrow at Javier, demanding why he came in with Grandma Adella.

"We ran into each other by the gate." Javier understood the look he gave him.

Grandma Adella looked between them and started toward the kitchen. Eros stood up, the glass still in his hand, staring meticulously at Javier and trying to pick up any reaction from his face.

"What happened?"

*"Ella lo echo,*" [She kicked him out] Bully was quick to answer before Javier could say anything.

Javier shot him a death look, but Bully had a look of amusement in his eyes. He had been there when Javier had tried to convince Eros that he was going to talk to Cassandra and get her to apologize.

"Does it sound funny?" Javier asked. He was on the verge of putting his hands around Bully and strangling him if that was going to be possible. He had wanted to lie that the girl was remorseful, at least to bring her out of that place Eros had put her.

"She is still hard-headed," Eros said and turned away from them.

"Eros, she is broken already, and I am sure she would..."

Eros flung the glass across the room, Bully ducked, the glass missing his head by a few inches. It hit the wall and shattered. Javier stiffened and even Bully looked tensed.

"I will have to kill that b*tch before she acknowledges me," he spat.