VII : NOXIOUS BEAUTY OF A TITAN ARUM

2303 Words
¤ ♧ ¤ "Mr. Palma, I really don't need this. I can stay at my apartment." Kai steps on the break as he settled his car at his usual reserved car park and looks at her. "You're saying that now after I parked my car?" She just glanced at him before lowering her head, she's still wearing the gown that got drenched from someone's blood and Kai can see how she's trying not to look at it. "Come on, the policemen advised me to take care of you." Lying, he steps off of the car and as expected from Shia, she opens the car door for herself and so he didn't mind showing off the chivalry left in him. "I can stay at my guardian's house instead of bothering you, Mr. Palma. I don't want to carry any debt from my boss." She's still reluctant of what he's offering that Kai isn't much giving care about. Humming, he took a quick look behind before pulling her by hand. Leading the way to his suite, he put on the music of her refusal that he's not listening to until they reached his place. "I have an extra room upstairs, I'll try finding you some temporary clothes to change with." He emitted while pulling her upstairs and shows her the empty guest room he has that was never used yet cleaned and neat. "You can stay here for as long as you needed, while the investigation is still going." Seriously uttering those words, he guided her down to sit on the edge of the bed and heads towards the bathroom. Shia has her eyes wandering around the room. While sitting on the white sheeted bed, she can see everything around her. Beside the neat bed, is a white drawer with golden handles on each layer. The walls are painted in white, giving off the purity color that doesn't match with her bloody gown. On the left side where the door they entered is, there's only one framed abstract painting, but it's big enough to almost cover the whole upper wall. And on the right has a sliding door that connects with the balcony, and the street lights are on show before it. It's a great place, add the fact that it smells good here. But what doesn't is the stench of death clinging close to her. Her deep thoughts is partnered by the sound of running water from the bathroom, and soon follows is the bubbling smell of something minty and fresh. But that wasn't enough to wake her up from remembering what happened earlier. It's stuck in her mind and is unable to flush it off of her head. While still drowning in the flood of disturbing thoughts, she suddenly felt a pair of warm hands circling around her lower leg, lifting it. Almost caught off guard yet eyes are still unknown of emotions, she found herself staring at how Kai leisurely takes the heels off of her feet. "Does it hurt?" He asked, putting on some pressure on it, massaging it very slowly. "I'm fine." She answered, more like she choked it out. "I'm readying the water for you to take a bath yourself. I'm going to find you some comfortable clothes from mine so you can change into something more... cushy than those." Kai uttered before placing both of her feet above the bed and excused himself to go to his room. Appreciating his little gestures but instantly kicking it off of her head, Shia stood up and marches inside the bathroom. She has no time for men, especially him. She has no right to feel welcomed and cared by a Kai Palma. With her shaking hands, she unclasped what she needed to undo and let the sequined dress fall off the floor before stepping in the warm water and found a bit relief with it. While she's trying to go figure how can she help herself get better, Kai on the other hand is so full of thinking about what just happened. But right now, all that he has in mind is to assist his guest. That's just all. Taking a pair of gartered pajamas and a sweater, that are certainly much bigger than her size. This is way better than to leave her staring at that dress the whole night. Thinking that maybe Shia will have a long bath, Kai also pulled himself something to wear and took his own shower before he marches outside his own room and head towards straight on the guest room where Shia is. Respectfully knocking in the door before getting in, he heard no answers so he opens the door wide and steps in. Carefully placing the clothes above the bed and making no sound, he figured that she may have been soaking in water. Silently was about to leave when he was called by a deadpan voice. "Mr. Palma?" Halted to his step, Kai turns his head where her voice came from. The bathroom. Walking close, thinking that maybe she needs something. He stopped right in front of the door, it's partly open so he could hear the sound of water whenever she moves. "Yes?" He choked, before clearing his throat. "There's blood in my hand, I can't take it off." Her voice trembled as she spoke. Softly she uttered, there's the sound of shudder in her tone. But as Shia asks for help, there is no way Kai can tolerate getting in there. He's a man, and no one can change that. "I can't." She whispered through her breath. Cursing silently, Kai shuts his eyes tightly and tells himself over and over again to stay focused. "Just help her, you wanted this now face it." He mumbled to himself, rocking back and forth before deciding to push the door open very slowly. The first thing that welcomed his eyes is the gown that was left on the floor as well as her undergarments. And with a deep sigh, he lifted his right foot to step forward and on and on and on until he reached the gown. Bending forward to reach for her dress, he took it in one sweep and place it at the hamper while still trying his best not to look at her. "Is there anything that I can do?" He asked, quietly busying himself to arrange the shampoos at the side of the sink. "His blood got stuck on my fingers, I-- I don't want to see it on my skin." She answered, still emotionless yet it has a bit hint of shiver as if she's cold. Clicking his tongue, he walks closer to the bathtub and sits on it's side. His eyes saw how her some of her fingers on her left hand have dried blood on it. "I can still hear his voice in my head, he was... really going to kill me." Propping her legs, she pulls it close to her using her right hand. All the guilt washes over him. What if he didn't left the family, what if he didn't let the last mission to kick himself off of the gang? Maybe he wouldn't cause this innocent woman someone to be scared of. And in return, he will suffer hiding from the world. But the reality says that whatever happened, it already happened and what was done cannot be undone. Shia's looking at the bubbles of the waters, yet it is obvious that her mind is thinking about what bothers her the most. "Here, let me." Kai leisurely pulled her left hand and rubs it with water and soap so gently until it went off. "I think it's gone now." He displayed her a small smile, placing her left hand above her knee. Tucking the strands of her hair that escapes from the low bun, he noticed that she has a faint scar behind her left ear. Fondling that scar, Shia's head leaned close to where his hand, is causing him to get touched by that small gesture. Is it possible for her change so suddenly from a cold ice into a melted chocolate? Cupping his hand on her left cheek, he realized how peaceful she is when she closes those freezing cold eyes. Without the glare she always give, without giving him something to swallow painfully. Kai just noticed how long her lashes are, how the edges of her face are so defined. She's perfect in her own way, it's just that there's something in her that leaves an empty place in a jigsaw puzzle. And it's making her the mystery to solve for Kai. His curiosity towards her always lits up whenever he thinks of her, it's making him think of how a woman like her could be so void. Got wind of what he's doing, Kai withdraws his hand from her face and awkwardly sniffs. "I uh-- I left the clothes you can use for tonight above the bed." He uttered without looking at her in her eyes. "If you need anything, just knock on my door." Licking his lower lip, he nodded his head and goes off of the room. Once he stepped inside his room, is also the time when he find out he's been holding his breath. "What the hell was that?" He asked himself and sat on the edge of his own bed while washing his face with both of his hands with a long and deep sigh. Rethinking of what just happened, he lay himself down to sleep. Back flat on the soft mattress, right arm above his forehead while the other rests over his flat belly. Eyes are staring at the ceiling as deep thoughts have drowned him. Shia Rivers, it's been weeks long since he's got the time to spend with her. From hour to hour and whenever he steals glances at her. Is it a crime? Yes it is. How come? Shia has been attacked tonight, and it's all his fault. "Wait, what?" He asked himself and pushes his body to sit up straight. Recalling what Shia told him earlier about what happened. She mentioned something about what the suspect said to her, told her that he's going to kill her. How could it be when all that Zombie told him is that his grandfather is just going to use Shia to bring him back to the gang? He knows that his grandfather is no keen over threats. He will strictly tell his minions to kill the person he wants to be killed. Scratching his eyes, he's killing himself from this stress. While still trying to reach the surface from being submerged of his own thoughts to the point that he got startled from the ringing if his phone. Scratching the back of his head, he stretches his arm to pick his phone up. The screen told him that the call is coming from an unknown number. A sudden hunch that it might be a call from one of the gang members, he hesitated to answer yet eventually he picked it up. Lifting his phone close to his ear, he instantly heard someone's panting real hard. "Who's this?" Directly he asked with a voice that could scare even the strongest man on earth. It took the caller a while before he could answer and from the voice, Kai could tell who it is already. "I've been painted red, man. I got trapped in a f*cking pit. I had to run. Look, I suggest you to leave the city and find a place somewhere no one will know know you." He pants. "Zombie? What's going on?" He stood up abruptly and walks close to the closed window and peeped through the gaps of the blinds. "I don't have the time to explain, man. But I'm going to need you to listen to me." Zombie even coughed a couple times before he continued. "Take my advise, bring no one with you. Even the girl, leave her at the city. I got teacup to watch her from afar." "Teacup? She's not reliable in this kind of assignments, Zombie. She's just a little kid." Kai shook his head negatively as if Zombie could see him. "Years changes a person, Hue. But that's not what you should think about. I'm being chased right now, I don't know if I could lose them." "What? Who? Why are they after you, Zombie? Where are you?" He asked a pile of questions to him, slightly panicking yet kept his voice down. "You don't have to worry about that right now, man. Once I got myself out of here, I'll come and meet you." Zombie told him with confidence. Kai was about to reply to him when Zombie suddenly yelled in pain from the other end of the line. "Zombie? Zombie!" He hissed in silence but the call was ended. Did he get himself in trouble for helping Kai? Why are the people around him starts to get in so much distress? After living a quiet four years, is this now the time where he will be disturbed and be let out in public of what kind of life he had before? Putting his phone inside the pocket of his sweatpants, he marches outside his room barefooted and headed towards Shia's room without knocking at all. But an empty room welcomed him and an opens door to the balcony. The wind makes the curtain dance and it's dark outside. With pounding heart, Kai heavily walks towards the balcony and shoves the curtain away from his path. And when he found Shia standing before the banister of the balcony calmed his heart and pulse. Guess he's just being too paranoid, when he believes to himself that when Shia's with him, she will be safer from the outside and also from his own.
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