Chapter Four

“WELL at least he’s clean.”

Etel couldn’t help but comment on the gunman’s lair. Yup, she still got time for that. And yup, she’s out and trying to help them seek her gunman out!

“Let’s be quiet,” Lucifer scolded.

She shook her head and tailed the guy quietly. However, the detective behind her snickered causing her to be irritated and annoyed. He’s been laughing at her ever since they came. And she knew it had something to do with what happened earlier.

Which brings us here, early in the morning. At Detective Judas’s penthouse. Etel was facing her phone while waiting for the Detective to finish cooking their breakfast.

Feeling like someone’s staring, Etel looked up catching Detective Judas staring at her. She gave him a frown on her face— indicating that she was asking him what’s wrong.

Detective Judas leaned back at the kitchen counter with his right hand rubbing his chin.

“Out of all the victims I handled, you’re the calmest of them all.”

Smirking, Etel let go of her phone and raised her hand, shaking uncontrollably since yesterday; when she moved in.

His face instantly morphed into a concerned one.

“Hey, why are you still shaking? Do you need something?”

“No, I’m okay, just scared and anxious, and—…”

“...Traumatized,” Detective Judas muttered while looking at her intently. He walked towards her and put his hand over hers. Judas rubbed her knuckles with her thumb, clearly empathizing with her. “You’ll get through this, you’re a strong woman, Madam Etel.”

She smiled sadly. “I know, thank you.”

They lock gazes for a second. Etel feels like she was sent into another dimension full of blooming flowers and butterflies as she looked at the Detective’s dark eyes.

Everything felt gloomy and romantic. The lights dimmed and the only focus of the light was there, on top of them, showing how they are openly throwing each other sweet gazes. Butterflies on her stomach are trying to figure out how to calm themselves as the staring contest became longer.

Her mind was blank. She couldn’t think of anything— not even the possibility of a bullet could pierce the glass from Judas’s penthouse— no, nothing. Everything inside her mind lowered its way down to her stomach; to join the butterflies flying.

Etel never thought that a simple stare could make her feel anything like this. Mindless, gloomy, and… romantic.

Growing up, romance was always a side thing for her. Romance was never her priority because she thought it was just a waste of time and she had so many things on her plate. It was already marked on her head that romance is just there to entertain— distract people on their journeys. With that thought, she avoided it. Not until now.

At the most unnecessary time.

Her thoughts went into chaos after hearing a loud thump across the room. Etel immediately pictured a bullet from the neighbor hotel trying to penetrate her. Hands shaking she went down and covered her head while tears started streaming on her cheeks.

Fear coated her seeing Detective Judas stand up. She grabbed her from under the table making him stumble in the ground.

Etel gasped and the detective groaned.

“I’m sorry,” lips twitching, she mouthed at him.

Detective Judas took a deep breath before joining her under the table. He fixed her looking-like-a-nest hair by putting strands of her hair behind her ears.

He had a crooked frown on his face and his reddish lips were facing downwards as he looked at her.

But then, Etel couldn’t focus on the emotion plastered on his face as her mind went somewhere else. She was worried that another bullet would try and trouble them again and that Detective Judas would get as he was shielding her using his body.

“Hey…” He lulls as he cupped her face to face him. And that’s when Etel noticed the emotion he was wearing.

Etel was breathing at an abnormal speed. Judas started to panic. He didn’t know what to do, so he absent-mindedly stood up.

“No, stop!” He was grabbed by Etel again but this time, he didn’t let her stop him and grabbed the opportunity to fill a glass with water.

But as he turned around, that opportunity crushed after witnessing what’s in front of him.

Meanwhile, Etel had never felt comfort like this before in her life.

The feeling of warmth and comfort against what thing she is hugging is calming her nerves as she needs them. She tightened her arms around it as she likes the feeling of it like a firefly being drawn in a dangerous fire.

On the other hand, Lucifer looked up at the Detective; totally confused— confused at two things, first, he hates hugs but he, too, likes the feeling of her body against him. Second, what to do. He thought that the Detective could help him out but contrary to his belief, Detective Judas just folded his arms across his chest as he looked at them like a couple in a Telenovela.

A ONE GLASS OF MILK.

That’s all it takes to calm the practical Etelvina.

After what happened earlier, the guys have been very careful of their actions. They lift their feet so slowly to avoid making noises, they open the doors quietly, and they hold the glasses tight— as if trying to break with bare hands— and it is bothering her.

She couldn't just sit there and watch them act like hiding from a serial killer— although she is but that's not the case.

"I got a tip," Lucifer whispered.

"Tell me, what is it?" Detective Judas asked, also in a whispering tone.

"A witness showed up last night telling where they saw Tino's hiding."

Tino's the alias of her gunman. If Etel were to be asked, it was quite a handsome name. And she would definitely go on a date just based on the name.

Unfortunately, he turned out to be someone who wanted to kill her for a living.

“Where was it?” Judas whispered back as if she couldn’t hear them.

Lucifer glanced at her before scooting near Detective Judas. “It was in…” On the other hand, Etel couldn’t understand what he said because it was too low.

“Wow, I didn’t think about that.”

“Yeah, I was shocked too after hearing that.”

Etel gave them a deadpan look. “You know there’s another person in the room, right?”

“Right…”

“So, what is it?”

“Madam Etel, we can figure it out ourselves. You should stay here, I’ll ask another officer to look after you.”

“No!”

“I’ll look after her.” Both Etel and Detective Judas gave Lucifer a questioning look after hearing what he said. He nodded at them, ensuring that he’s being serious.

But Etel remained stubborn.

"If you want to look after me, look after me while looking for my gunman at his hiding spot,” she said with a shrugged.

Lucifer shook his head out of disappointment. “We can’t do that, woman—”

“Etel.”

He nodded. “—Miss Etel, you’ll be in danger if we do that.”

She took a deep breath. “I can’t continue living like this! I don’t want to be here, convincing myself that my life is not on the verge of death because I can’t! And I don’t want to think like that! Because if ever I die, no one… no one would take care of my family. My cousin… my aunty… please, let me do this for them. Just this once.”

“No!” It was Detective Judas.

“Yes!” She answered.

“No, I don’t approve.”

“Well, I approve!”

“Madam Etel, this is for your own safety and…”

Etel didn’t listen to him and continued arguing. “Well, if you really care for my own safety you wouldn’t say that and you would agree with me—”

“Enough!”

His voice boomed in the whole room that only the cricket's noises were the only thing you can hear at the moment. Judas and Etelvina went stiff after hearing Lucifer shout. He looked so disappointed as he exchanged glances with them.

“Stop acting like a child two of you, and I agree with the woman...— Miss Etel. She should come."

"What?"

"What!"

Same word different tones.

Etel looked at Lucifer with such glory in her eyes.

"Thank you for agreeing, I appreciate it!"

"But in one condition." Her shoulder went slack immediately after hearing what he said.

Pouting, Etel asked, "What is it?"

"You will wear a bulletproof vest underneath and you'll need to wear hard hats. Everyday. And you will also undergo therapy."

"Okay, deal!" She agreed with no hesitation.

Lucifer folded his arms. "Are you sure? Because bulletproof vest can be very uncomfortable and hard hats are annoying. You still in?"

"A deal is a deal. No turning back."

"Fine, get ready, we're off to precinct first. You'll be riding with me." Said Lucifer before lifting himself out of the room.

Detective Judas look defeated. And Etel wondered.

"Why didn't you contradict his decision?"

"Because I liked it."

"Why do you look so defeated?"

"Because I didn't think about it like that," Judas replied. He put his hands inside the pockets of his trench coat. "Let's go, we're gonna make you look like a Coke Mismo plastic bottle."

She scoffed, cannot believe what he just said. But she cannot do anything. She's stuck with him.

His words, not hers.