Chapter 40

Rihito lovingly caressed her face, he planted soft kisses tracing the stains her tears had left behind on her beautiful face.

"I made her cry again." He sighed.

She cried a lot after hearing him out, he had to stop and pacify her, 'It's really nothing. I'm fine, I'm here with you, aren't I?' He'd kiss her tears away. She'd cry harder, she cried for him, she got angry for him so much that she was ready to hunt his parents down. "No, I want you here with me." He'd pull her down and give her a bone-crushing hug. He'd shut her up with sweet soft kisses until she finally drifted off to sleep.

"Mmm..." She stirred turning to him, she laid her head on his chest, hugging him. "You're really here." She muttered.

"Hmm." He nodded.

"I love it," She smiled rejoicing his feel, his voice, his smell, he was there, she had finally caught him. She then raised her head and cupped his face, "Let me have proper look at your face too." She gazed at him lovingly.

"Haven't you looked enough?" He cocked his head to the side.

"Not enough," She shook her head, "you have to compensate for the entire long week."

"I'll give you my whole life as compensation." He planted a soft peck on her lips.

"Aww." She pulled his cheeks, "Playing cute with me?"

"Oww." He caught her hands, "Do I have to? I'm plenty cute already." He retorted.

"Shouldn't we get going now? It's 4 in the evening, we skipped lunch and I checked this place while you were asleep, there's no food here." He tried to get up but she pushed him down.

"No, I don't want to let go of you yet." She whined as she hugged him tighter.

"ahem," He cleared his throat, "It's not that I'm complaining but if you continue acting like this I may die here of a heart attack."

"You're not allowed to." She raised her head up, resting her chin on his chest, "You're mine, you're not allowed to leave me."

"Wow, I nearly died." His words left his mouth as a whisper.

"Hey, first promise me you won't disappear again, ever." Her words were more of a threat.

He flipped their position, pushing her down, "I swear" He muttered before claiming her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. She moaned against him as his tongue claimed insides of her mouth. Losing herself in the long series of kisses, she ran her fingers through his hair, "You're going to be the death of me." He muttered as he planted soft kisses at the corner of her mouth tracing her jawline then reaching the base of her neck. She shivered under his touch as he continued assaulting her with his hot kisses.

"I want you..." He whispered in her ear and stared into her eyes. Her eyes were clouded with desire for him, she wanted him too, she gave me a slight nod, giving him permission to continue and surrendered herself over.

****

A few hours ago

Teresa had called over Ai at her house as Ryouma didn't want her to go anywhere outside and for the first time, she complied. There were clear instructions for Ai too, so they just planned to spend the day together.

"Rihito's caught, right?" Teresa asked Eros over the phone, "yes, they're together, congrats." He replied. "Oh good, let me call Rina... hmm... forget it, let's let them have their personal time, I'll hit him some other day. Anyway, congratulation too you too, Eros for the successful completion of your mission. Let's all meet up tomorrow for celebration." Teresa then hung up the call.

Just then Ai's phone rang up, panicking she picked up the call, "Yes... I'll be there right away." She hung up and got up to leave.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Teresa asked.

"Call from the hospital, I gotta go," Ai replied, her mother had been admitted to the hospital and she refused to have her medicine again.

"Wait, let me come with you." Teresa reached out for her outer coat.

"No, you stay here, I'll manage."

"I'm not sending you alone. You may need me there." She argued. "If you're worried about Ryouma, don't, he asked me to stay away from the 'plan', your mom needs us there and we're going."

They reached her hospital room and the nurse was trying to convince her to take the medicine.

"Mom!" Ai gave her a scolding look.

"Why did you have to come?" Her mom lowered her eyes.

"that's cause you're behaving like a kid and your kid is here to scold you," Teresa replied entering the room.

"Oh, Teresa's here too." She smiled at her.

"Save the greetings for later, here have your medicine." Ai gave the medicines on her hand.

"they taste bad." Her mom made a face, acting like a child she refused to take her medicines.

"Mom!" Ai glared at her.

"Okay, don't get mad at me." Her mother shook her head in resignation. "Why bother when I'm going to die anyway?" She shrugged, "Say why are you wasting money on a dying woman, save the money for your marriage."

"I won't get married then, I'll spend my entire life being single." Ai retorted.

"Hey!" Her mother glared at her she glared back.

"Come on guys, not again." Teresa jumped in between. "Aunt, why would you say that? Who says you're going to die? You'll live 100 more years, so just quit it, 'kay?" She gestured with her hands on the air "and don't worry about her, you'll see her marriage, your grandkids, even her grandkids, hmm?"

"Once I see her settled with her husband, only then I'll be able to die peacefully." Ai's mom sighed.

"More the reason for me, I won't get married, never!" Ai yelled and ran out.

"Did you have to say that?" Teresa scolded the older woman, "I'll go see her." Teresa sighed shaking her head.

"I won't get married, I'll die a single," Ai said determinedly.

"Okay, okay, calm down." Teresa rubbed her back. "Only your mom can get you all riled up."

"Obviously I'll get mad if she keeps on talking rubbish." She shouted.

"Calm down, everything's going to be fine, your mom's going to be fine and we'll find your prince charming too, that way you happy, your mom super happy." Teresa smiled at her.

"I'm serious, I'll die single." Ai narrowed her eyes at her.

"Sure, sure." Teresa laughed.

*****

Ryouma had landed at the airport and immediately he fished his phone out to call his wife, the ring went but no one picked up the phone. He then called Aaron, "where are you?" Ryouma asked him as soon as he picked up the call.

"Keeping a watch on your wife and her best friend?" Aaron replied.

"Teresa's not picking up her call, she's still there?" He enquired. "Wait, her location changed." Ryouma's narrowed his eyes at the coordinates on his iPad.

"Let me check, yeah they're together," He checked on the coordinates of the tracker on Teresa and Ai respectively, "Okay then Ryouma, I'll go back to my work, following them, hmm? Bye." He hung up on him.

He then looked back at the screen, they were not inside the hospital area, and soon he noticed another red dot, tracker he had put on Eros, "Oh damn, Ryouma's going to have my head for this." He started the engine and went on his way after them.

****

Teresa slowly opened her eyes as it slowly adjusted to the darkness, she looked around her. "Again?" She blinked. "I thought I was done getting kidnapped over and over again," She sighed. She then realized she was not alone, she found Ai lying unconscious next to her. The last thing she remembered was them having coffee together and then blank. They were inside the trunk of the car, it was quite spacious.

"Ai!" She whispered as she shook her. "Come on, wake up."

Her best friend stirred up and slowly opened her eyes, "Teresa? What's..." She noticed her hands were tied up, "What's this? Where are we?" She got up and looked around panicking.

"Relax first. and from the looks of it, we're kidnapped." Teresa smiled nervously.

"Kidnapped?" Ai almost shouted then immediately lowered her voice.

"First, let's try to get this off before anyone comes." Teresa pulled her hands close and started working up on the rope. Once both of them slipped out, they slowly opened the door and stepped out, they heard few voices so they snuck back in and acted as if they were still unconscious, a man approached them and when he was about to touch Ai, the other man called him out, the man shut the door and went to the other guy, they took a sigh of relief and gave their escape another try. They were at a parking lot, they noticed. Slowly sneaking out, they closed the door behind but when the footsteps neared, their heartbeats sped up, "Now we're dead!" They thought but just then they heard a familiar voice, slowly peeking in she saw the familiar face, it was Eros.

"What are you doing here?" The two guys eyed him suspiciously.

"I was sent here too. Didn't you get the instructions?" Eros narrowed his eyes at them, trying his best to deceive them, "I'll check upon them, you keep an eye outside and you," he then spotted Teresa and his eyes were wide open, Teresa just smiled at him nervously, when the guy in front of him was about to turn around, Eros whispered something at him and sent him out.

When he was about to approach them, another guy barged in, the girls hid behind the car as Eros talked to the guy, Teresa then noticed, Eros had been gesturing something keeping his hands behind.

"On the count of 3?" She tried to decipher, Looking at the exit she whispered, 'Okay, Ai, let's do this.'

They hid and tiptoed behind the cars. Just when they were near the exit, Ai tripped and fell attracting unwanted attention. "Run!" Eros shouted at them, Teresa helped Ai up and tried to run but other men lined up at the exit door, blocking them. "Oh no!" They stepped back.

"Trying to act smart, eh?" The guy punched Eros on the face and now the three of them were surrounded.

"Sorry." Ai apologized for getting all of them in trouble.

they were 5 vs 3, "We're outnumbered but do you think you guys can manage to run if I distract them?" Eros asked. "I've already contacted the police, they must be on their way." He added.

"Let's not act stupid and just wait for the police." Ai suggested, "I second that." Teresa agreed.

Just then a car entered the place honking the horn, the car stopped in front of them, they were blinded by the headlight, this was a chance, Eros started hitting the guy beside him, Teresa and Ai nodded at each other and threw other two guys on the ground.

The other guy grabbed Ai from behind, just then he felt a sharp pain on his arms, "Let's not involve the ladies?" The stranger spoke, on a closer look Ai recognized him, it was Aaron.

"Ladies, go sit on the car, we'll finish this in a few minutes." He smiled at them as he threw the guy on the ground.

When the girls were about to walk to Aaron's car, another car drove in, they stared at each other, debating whether they walk ahead or just wait outside but when the man got off from the car, Teresa recognized him right away, she ran into his arms and took a sigh of relief.

Just then, the noise of gunshot filled the atmosphere, all of them stood still, "Don't you dare move." the guy with the firearm warned them, and pointed the gun at them, "All of you gather in one place," He ordered. When they all lined up, they heard the siren as the police cars entered the place. When they finally thought all was over, the guy with the gun fired.

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