4

The music stopped all of a sudden. Deanne looked up from her phone. People had grown quiet on the dance floor and around her. Then slowly a music played in the background, soft to the ears, soothing to the heart. It was her favorite song. Next moment Mauricio was standing next to her, his hand extended. He was smiling down at her, his eyes expectant. She took his hand and he led her gracefully to the dancefloor. People were already dancing slowly to the music, in pairs. Once in the center, Mauricio let Deanne put her palm flat on either side of his chest while his arms circled carefully around her waist. She stood a good foot lower than him. He held her closer to his body. She shivered under his touch. Mauricio smiled at her reaction and began guiding her slowly across the dancefloor, in rhythm to the music the band was playing.

"Did you ask them to play this?"

Mauricio nodded a yes.

"How did you know that it was my favorite song?"

"I have had my fair share of time with women. It kind of gave me the idea what is the ideal song for your type of girls."

Deanne bit her tongue. Of course, he must have been with many women. He knows his way around with women pretty well. I mean… look at me! In his arms already.

"Hey! What are you thinking?" Mauricio pulled a brake to her thoughts.

"Nothing!"

Mauricio turned out to be a good dancer. He twirled her in circled and took her in his arms, pulled her closer to his body and lifted her above the floor, everything so effortlessly and gracefully. She felt like a princess, just the princess gown was lacking in that moment. One thing though she was afraid of – what if it all disappeared at a single strike of the clock. She was breathless from the dance; it was all too much for her. "I think we should sit. My driver will be here anytime soon." Mauricio surely slowed down but did not stop. He looked into her eyes. She could not see the earlier vibrant blue shade. It was dark. Then he looked down at her lips and licked his slowly.

"Can I…." he was looking back into her eyes. He is seeking my permission. Deanne's throat burned with anticipation as she agreed. He inched slowly, closer to her face and placed a peck on her lips. Deanne opened her eyes that were closed. He was moving away, and she wanted more. She stood on the tip of her toes to claim his lips. But Mauricio whispered slowly against here ear, "Not here, Dee!" Heat spread all across Deanne's body. She needed more and she was ready to go to the end of the world for it.

"Wh…" before she could continue further with Mauricio, somebody grabbed her by her arms and separated her from his embrace. Bertin was looking down at her and again back at Mauricio. He was furious. "Let's go Deanne. This place is not safe."

"It was, until you happened to interrupt."

"But…." Bertin was looking past her, at Mauricio.

"Wait outside Bertin! I will be with you in a short while."

"He…."

"He is my friend. Now obey my order and wait outside." Deanne was shouting by the end of her conversation. Bertin looked down at her with softened eyes and turned back to take the way he had entered.

Deanne looked at Mauricio and raised an eyebrow. He laughed at the way she suggested their further adventure. You have no idea what I have in mind. Taking her hand like earlier in the evening, he led her into the serving room and then back into the kitchen. It was already being cleaned up and the few workers back there, bowed to Mauricio. Deanne was in awe of the rooms and the people before her. The rooms were bigger and the number of people working there were more than her expectation. She let Mauricio drag her all through the way till they reached the end of a storage room. He retrieved a key from his pocket and opened the door. Stepping outside, Deanne saw that they were in an abandoned alley. There was not much. Just garbage cans, stray cats and a couple of garbage littered on the street.

Mauricio was hot on her back. He held her by her arms and pulled her closer, "So, you are used to giving orders, huh?" Deanne could feel the heat on her cheeks. Wetness pooled between her legs. The way he whispered in her ear – it was enough to drive her insane. She grabbed him by his collar and pulled his face closer to her. "So, you are not going to order me to kiss you?" Mauricio asked.

"I am going to take what is mine!" She did not let Mauricio to come back with any other response. He was caught off guard as Deanna captured his lips. She went slow and encouraged him to open up. He got goosebumps as she nudged his lips to open. She played with his tongue as her hands gripped the base of his neck, pulling him closer. She was getting lost when a gunshot rang close to her ear. She felt herself thrown to one side of the alley while Mauricio ran forward in the direction of the perpetrator. He ran faster than the person before him could anticipate and kicked the gun out of his hold.

"Deanna, run!" Deanna heard it clear as a day.

"Bertin!"

Mauricio did not give Bertin any chance to speak. He punched his face, then his ribs. Bertin was immediately on his knees, coughing blood. Mauricio bent and retrieved the gun. "Go back to Damien and tell him to return what is mine…. If he wants his daughter. Otherwise …."

"Otherwise… what?" Deanna was behind Mauricio, looking down at poor Bertin.

Mauricio laughed loudly. His voice echoed against the empty alley walls. "I want to do things Dee…. So many things….. fast, slow, like this…." He had turned to her, face close up against hers like earlier. He spoke in a whisper against her lips as his hands started with her face and slowly moved southward, touched her breasts and he was continuing to move his fingers down.

"Stop! She is innocent Mauricio. You can't punish her for her father's wrongdoings. Please let her go." Mauricio turned to see Bertin bent on his knees before him, his hands clasped together and tears in his eyes. He was pleading. Mauricio loved the sight of helpless people, begging before him. He sat cross legged on the concrete before Bertin, "Actually Bertin, I would like to see Damien this way rather than you. So, would you mind going back and dragging his not so sorry ass to me if you want her back in one piece? Or only the thing will do." Bertin quickly looked past him at Deanna, but it's meaning was not lost on Mauricio. "And Dee.." he looked at her from the corner of his eyes, "don't try to run. This locality is mine. I will catch you one way or the other. So why not save all the effort?"

Deanna stood behind him. She felt betrayed. Her limbs were frozen enough to let her react in any way. Even her eyes did not permit her a single drop of tear. She felt stuck. Mauricio got up from the street and walked back to her. A helicopter came overhead to where they were standing. A thick rope was thrown down. Mauricio pulled Deanna close to himself, circling one hand around her waist, and with other he grabbed the rope. At his signal their feet left the ground and Bertin was left with wounds and tears to fetch what Mauricio had ordered.