Threat

MIRA'S POV

Coming home from Louisa's party, it's already 1 AM, I was beyond exhausted. That party had been wild, but now all I wanted was bed.

"Brayan!" I called out, but he was nowhere to be found. I had left him and his one night stand at the parking lot, and now, neither of them were in sight. Where the hell did those two disappear to?

"Brayan!" I shouted again, louder this time.

"Yes ira, what is it? Why the fuck are you yelling my name?" His irritated voice came from somewhere inside the house.

"What have you been doing out there? Or did you both decide to make our right on the porch?" I asked sarcastically.

He smirked devilishly, that infamous look of his making an appearance. "I can make out anywhere even in your presence."

"You're such a pervert." I shot back, glaring at him. His hazel eyes were annoyingly captivating, but I refused to admit that to him. His ego was already big enough. If Brayan weren't my cousin, I might actually considered him attractive but sadly, he was both my cousin and an incorrigible pervert. Besides, Erald was far more handsome and hot that him... he's got everything I truly wanted in a man.

"That I am." Brayan chuckled as he walked away, his arm draped around the bitch he had left waiting. He disappeared inside, slamming the door in my dace. Thank God I wasn't too close, or my beautiful face would have taken the hit.

Annoyed, I stomped toward the door and pushed it open, ready to scold him again, but he was gone. Most likely already in his room with that bitch.

Why was I even calling her a bitch? I didn't even know her.

"Tessa!" I called out.

"Yes ma'am?" She came running.

"Is mela asleep, or she's reading?"

"She fell asleep, while reading. She seemed really tired." She answered.

"Figures."

"Alright, lock all the doors and go to bed. And please, for once, don't forget to turn off the lights."

"Yes ma'am, I will. Goodnight to you too." She smiled sweetly.

"Night night."

I made my way to my room, swaying my hips as I walked in exhaustion. Entering quietly, I found Mela fast asleep. Careful not to wake her, I grabbed some fresh clothes and slipped into the bathroom for a warm quick shower. The exhaustion was hitting hard, and all I wanted was to collapse into bed.

When I came out dressed in my pajamas, I noticed Mela shifting in her sleep, her face contorted in fear. At first, I thought she was just dreaming, but then her body began trembling violently. Went over to wake her up, I touched her hands and they were ice cold, yet she was sweating profusely, her clothes completely soaked.

"Mel!" I shook her gently, trying to wake her up, but she didn't respond. Her trembling worsened as time passes by.

Panic gripped me instantly.

"Mela! Mel! Wake up!" I shouted but she remained trapped in her nightmare.

I bolted out of the room, racing towards Brayan's door. I didn't care if he was in the middle of his little fling. Mela's well being was my priority.

"Brayan!" I banged on the door. "Something's wrong with Mel! She won't wake up, and she's ice cold! Please, come check on her!"

Brayan didn't waste a second. He rushed out of the room and followed me back to ours. Kneeling beside Mela, he tried shaking her awake, but even after a few hard shakes, she remained unresponsive.

"She's having a nightmare." He said staring at her, thinking of what to do.

"Okay," he said , his face tense but composed. "Since you're the closest to her, talk to her in a calm, soothing manner. If she wakes up to us panicking, it might scare her even more."

I swallowed hard. "Okay...what do I say?"

"Just talk to her casually. Reassure her. Stay calm."

I nodded, though inside, I was anything but calm.

Taking a breath, I whispered, "Mel, it's just a nightmare. It's not real, okay? Don't panic. Try to come out if it. Everything you're seeing isn't real."

The moment I finished speaking, Mela jolted awake, gasping.

She hugged me so tightly, as if I might disappear from the face of the earth. After a long pause, she finally whispered,"It was just a nightmare."

I felt warm droplets on my back. Was she... crying?

"What kind of nightmare was it?" I asked gently. "Your hands were freezing, yet you were sweating. Do you want to talk about it?"

She quickly pulled away, forcing a smile."No, Ira. It's fine now. Don't worry."

I studied her carefully, but fear still gripped me. My heart was thundering in my chest.

"I said I'm fine, Ira." She insisted, probably sensing my doubt.

She turned to Brayan, trying to act normal."Hey Brayan. What's up?"

Brayan let out a breath. "I was terrified when you wouldn't wake up."

"It's okay now, Rayan. I'm awake. No need to worry. By the way, did you bring someone home tonight, or were you solo for once?"

Brayan rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh... she's in my room. I left her there when Mira called me about you."

Mela smiled slightly. "Well, since I'm fine, you should go back before she falls into a trance waiting for you."

Brayan rolled his eyes but turned to leave. "Taker care of yourself, Mel."

As soon as he was gone, I turned back to her."Are you really okay?"

"Yes, Ira. I swear, I'm fine."

"If you say so..."

MELA'S POV

I was far from okay. But I couldn't let Ira or Brayan know. There was no way I could explain what I had just seen in my nightmare.

When I woke up, they both looked terrified, and I had to do everything in my power to act normal. Brayan had even left his one night stand behind to check on me.

After spending a while convincing Ira I was fine, I finally got up and headed to the bathroom to wash off my sweat. My ankle ached slightly, making me limp.

"They both care about you." My inner voice commented.

"Yeah, they do... But what if my nightmare becomes real? What if he comes for me?" I asked the voice, my own voice wavered with fear of the unknown, perhaps known.

"No, he won't. It was just a nightmare."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"Alright then, I guess."

I let out a shaky breath, trying to push the thoughts away.

By the time I finished my shower, the sky was already turning a soft shade of dawn. Sitting back down, I picked up my book and tried to lose myself in its pages.

I began reading, and after some time, I turned to stretch out my neck because it's hurting. I turned over to see Ira sleeping, she looked so peaceful while sleeping and more so she looked beautiful.

But my mind drifted.

To Erald.

His deep commanding voice... cold, yet strangely soothing. The way his emerald green eyes seemed to pierce through people. His tanned skin, sharp features... it was no surprise that Ira was obsessed about him, he is every girls dream man. But for sure he isn't my dream guy.

I never had one.

"Oh you did, until he broke that dream." My inner voice said reminding me.

"Yeah, right."

"But Ira said she isn't obsessed about him." The voice said scolding me.

"I bet, then why is she always talking about him?" I asked.

"She's in love with him, I guess."

"Love indeed."

"Whatever." The voice replied dramatically.

But was he really just some rich heir? Or was he something darker?

The name Valentino Balecentra echoed in my mind. My mother has told me about him, a ruthless Mafia leader, feared by all. If Erald was truly his son, then what did that make him?

I thought all those were just some stupid fantasies and that there aren't such things as mafias. But it turns out it's all true, my act of staying indoors all the time has brought me shame in some way because I don't know what all happens in the outside world but I still prefer staying indoors, no matter what.

Is Ira going to be safe around him?

Would she become a target?

A million terrifying thoughts ran through my mind, but I had no answers.

And that scared me even more.

What if Mira ends up suffering in between all these? No, I can't let that happen, I have to do everything it takes to make sure Erald doesn't fall in love with Ira but on a second thought, if he fell in love with her I'm sure he would do everything to protect her from any danger.

But what if he doesn't know how to love? Or doesn't know what love is? Or perhaps he doesn't love because he might have a dark heart that has no space for love or a dark heart that doesn't want any epitome of light. I do have lots of what ifs but no answers to them.

"Well, he is a human so he can also fall in love." The voice said.

"You're crazy, you seem to be forgetting he's part of a mafia family."

"Not all mafias are heartless." The voice replied but I ain't going to be arguing with it because, it's pointless.

*****

I got back to the book I was reading. I got reading for some time when I saw the sun light brightening the room, I realized that it's already morning. I quickly woke Mira up so we could go eat breakfast and dress up for the day or rather make plans for the day.

"Ira wake up, we need to plan for the day." I said to her but she just grumbled still sleeping.

"Ira, Erald is here looking for you!" I said with a stern voice even though I knew it isn't true. Promptly, after I said those words Ira got up immediately like the house is in a chaotic mess and her dad was coming over.

I got her there.

"Where's he Mel?" She said trying to fight off the sleep in her eyes.

"He's outside." I said with a strained smile.

"Really Mel!! Are you serious?" She said, with a brighter look that I have never seen in her.

"Yes really, go wash up quickly so he wouldn't see you in this mess, your hair is in a chaotic state." I said, with a stern expression knowing fully well why am doing this.

"Okay, let me quickly wash up."

This best friend of mine is crazy, how does she even think that he would come here looking for her. I mean they both never talked not even once.

She went inside the bathroom to wash up. And before I knew it Ira is already out. Trying to brush her black hair.

"Mira wait up," I said. "The truth is Erald isn't here, I just said that to get you off the bed."

"Mel." She said with her eye brows furrowed together. She gave me a murderous gaze.

"I am sorry." I said trying to play guilty, but honestly am not. I was trying to wake her up but she wasn't ready so the only way was to use Erald's name and look what we got here, it worked.

"No, you're not." I heard Mira said.

"Yes I am." I told her.

"You're lying Mel, and don't forget I'm your best friend, I know when you're lying and when you're saying the truth. So don't even try to fool me." She said, deadpanned.

"Okay, yes you are right, my sorry wasn't genuine because I tried waking you up so we could plan for the day but you didn't wake up so I had to use his name." I said, sarcastically.

"I know that since from the start when you told me that Erald was here, yeah I did fall for it at first but when I got to the bathroom and I thought about it. Why the heck would he even come to me, in my house. That's when I knew you were lying. But it's okay, I was just tired, I came back late last night or rather middle of the night hence that's why i couldn't wake up early." She said shrugging it off, as she packed her hair into a bun.

"Sorry though, this one is genuine." I said apologetically.

I heard my phone vibrating and I checked and saw it is an unknown number, I didn't pick it. I rejected the call, not ready to talk to any stranger this morning. But the same number called again, I decided to pick it up.

"Hello." The person on the other side said. I immediately recognized the voice, my so called dad. I left Mira's room immediately.

"What's the problem? You've called to beg as usual right, well let me burst that bubble of yours, I am not accepting any apology so don't you ever call me up, ever again. Telling you this for the millionth time." I said feeling angry, hurt and many more emotions that I couldn't tend to name them.

"Mela, Mela, Mela. I didn't call you up to beg for your forgiveness. Fuck you and your forgiveness." He said laughing briefly.

"I called because I wanted telling you, I am never, I repeat never going to beg or apologize anymore because I don't care, actually I never did. One more thing from today hence forth, you would obey each and every order or command of mine." He added with an air of confidence.

"And why the heck do you think I would do that? As you must know I despise you more than anything in this world. You disgust me to the core, you are a beast. I wish mom knew what sort of human you're. I would never obey any order or command of yours." I said, with a seething anger, my body had began heating up inside.

"This man just has so much guts." My inner voice said fuming also.

"Hahahaha." He laughed, making my body cringed.

"You have no choice but to obey me or else, your mom and sister would be dead and you would have no one to blame but yourself for their death. You already know what I am capable of doing, don't you." He said the latter more of a rhetorical question.

I could feel my body went from a heated body to a body as cold as the ice within a second. It felt as if my world came crashing down right before my eyes and I could do nothing to save it from crashing.