The Cousin of Mr. X

Clara laid on her stomach on the bed, still panting after she came apart under his torture. He made Clara burnt with desire then denied her release, he continued playing with her body mercilessly until she pleaded and begged in his name.

"Xander, what about you?"

"I have to go somewhere else." He wiped his drenched hand with tissue and dumped it in the bin.

"I forgot to tell you one thing. You can't get out from this room for a while, at least for a week."

"Fine… Huh wait! So I can't walk around the garden too?"

Xander leaned in and kissed her shoulder blade, "Just for a week. Can you do that for me?"

"Fine. Just go Xander. I don't need you anymore." She turned her face.

Xander laughed. His laughter was sincere and unrestrained, Clara couldn't help but turned to look at him. She liked to see him laugh, it made him less horrible.

He slapped her butt playfully, "You'll wish me here in an hour."

He was gone and Clara sighed mournfully, she already missed him.

***

It was a warm summer night, Liam slid his balcony door open. He had chose one of the guests bedroom on the corner. It was a comfortable room with bathroom inside and he could saw the garden from here.

He was smoking on the balcony when suddenly he heard laughter. A feminine laughter from above. Curiousity got the best of him, added with Xander's threat, Liam looked up but he only saw other balcony positioned at the left.

"Damn Xander. What did he hide upstairs?" He mumbled to himself.

He threw small pebbles he could find on the ground, they only made a small clang sound when it hit the railing. After several failed attempts, he nearly walked inside when he heard the balcony door opened wider from above.

"Hello?"

Emerged a slender woman with confused look on her face, she eyed left and right and then looked down and saw him. She was a beauty.

Clara gasped when she saw a man with dark hair, his body almost similar to Xander, but his face was friendlier. He grinned from ear to ear.

"Hola pretty!" He shouted.

Clara suddenly remembered Xander's words, she retreated from his sight.

"Hey wait! Who are you? I only want to talk."

"Shhhh.." Clara shushed him and pointed at the guards way. "I can't talk to you."

"Wait miss. I'm Xander's cousin." He lowered his voice.

Clara took a step forward to see him clearly, they were indeed similar, but he had dark eyes.

"What's your name, miss? You must be Xander's woman, right?"

Clara introduced herself, blushing because he said she was her kidnapper's woman.

"Nice to meet you, Clara. I'm Liam." He offered his most charming smile. "Why you said you can't talk to me?"

"Uum.. I don't know if Xander will be mad or not. But you're his cousin.. Why are you here?"

"Long story short, I'm hiding from a man intent on killing me for touching his girl. Xander always rescue my ass, so here I am."

The wind blowing Clara's hair softly. "I think rescuing is Xander's specialty. Noah was also rescued by him."

Inside her heart, Clara could see the man he was. He was complicated and confusing, sometimes cruel, but Clara wanted to believe Xander had a trace of goodness inside.

"That man is loyal to no end. He even punched me once when I made Xander angry." Liam chuckled.

"Really?" Then Clara remembered how Noah shot Mr. Rodriguez's head.

After Noah saw her with Xander, he seemed distant and only talked when he needed to. She kinda missed the old Noah, before she was stained in his eyes.

"He could be dangerous but that's why he is Xander's right hand. I heard your laughter before, what did you laugh at?"

"Oh, I read a comedy-romance novel. Since I couldn't do anything, I just spent my time on books." Clara tucked in her loose strands of hair behind her ear.

"So where did Xander find a beautiful woman like you, Clara? You strike me as a good innocent woman unlike Xander's ex girlfriends. Maybe I'll try my luck at the same place." Liam winked charmingly.

Her face reddened at his bluntness and she couldn't answer him. She was kidnapped on a freaking empty alley!

"It's complicated." She said, "Uhm.. Since you're his cousin, can I ask you something?"

"Ask away, Clara."

Clara looked to the ground on her left side, made sure the guards still at the front side of mansion.

"I want to know about Xander. You see, you are the only Xander's family that I knew."

Liam was silent for a moment, "I am his only family. Xander never told you about his past? That man really can be frustrating sometimes huh?"

Then Liam saw a man in black uniform emerged from the distance, when he walked nearby, Liam greet him and they talked for a minute until the guard made sure everything were fine. When he raised his head to the balcony upstairs, Clara had retreated inside.

"Hey, Clara! You there?" Liam shouted in small voice.

When Clara showed her face again, he said, "I'll see you tomorrow night. At this time."

"Liam, I can't promise."

"If you want to know about him, be here tomorrow. Bye, Clara." He just waved his hand and walked inside.

***

When the sun was set the next day and Xander hadn't came to her bedroom, Clara snapped her book shut and opened her balcony door. She was dying with curiosity about her kidnapper. She wanted to know why he did this.

"Liam."

Liam was already there, smoking his cigarette, "Hey Clara. I'm waiting for you."

"So… Will you tell me now?" She looked back at her bedroom door. "Xander could be here any minute."

He released the smoke from his mouth, "When I told you I'm the only family he had left, it's true. His father died when he was a child, hell I wasn't even born yet. His mother was raising him alone until she too, got sick and die. From early age, Xander learned to fight back so no one could bully him in order to survived in this cruel world."

"My mother and father didn't really care about him, you know. I'm ashamed of their behavior because they did nothing to help him. But he didn't blame me. He still consider me as his family." Liam mused.

"I don't know if I should tell you this or not. I think you are nothing like his other girlfriends, but Xander forbid anyone who knew to mention about the tragedy."

There must be a reason behind all of this. Maybe she, somehow involved in this tragedy. She needed to know. She must!

Clara looked back again, then to Liam, "W-what tragedy?"

When Liam was about to tell him, Clara could hear the key being turned. In panicked state, she didn't say anything to Liam and retreated hastily.

"Xander! I just need some fresh air." Clara said with her back to the window.

Xander approached her and eyed the unfinished book at the bed.

"Sorry, Clara. You must be dying to walk in the garden again."

"Yes, of course. What's the reason I can't walked outside this bedroom?"

Clara shutted the balcony door, but Xander held her hand, stopping her midway.

"Come here, Clara."

He pulled her towards him and kissed the side of her head, down to her cheek and neck.

"Wait, let me close the.."

"Let the fresh air in, I can't wait anymore. I restrained myself for not taking you yesterday. So tonight I'll bed you to my heart's content."

*** End of Chapter 20 ***