Chapter 16
"My decision is final Danielle" Andrew said in a calm, commanding tone.
She felt a knot form in her stomach, something like helplessness mixed with frustration, "No! You can't just lock me up in here!"
Andrew gave her a look of humor and stated the obvious, "Oh I can. You know I can."
Daniella pushed harder, "You are not the boss of me. I'd go anywhere anytime I want to, okay?"
Andrew sighed hard and tried to be rational, "You are very aware of the danger there'd be if they should get their hands on you. And I don't want that. I'm tryna be protective here..."
"Protective my foot! This is imprisonment Andrew Stephen. And for your information, I can take care of myself thank you, " Dani blurted.
Andrew sent her a look that read, "Yeah just like you took care of yourself earlier today huh?"
Daniella ignored him and heard him say while he walked out, "If you are able to break the door down without the keys, then okay!"
Daniella's eyes became stung with tears, "Why are you doing this to me Andrew?"
Andrew stopped, faced her and smiled, "Because with Angus away, you are under me now. Remember? He asked you to tell me so I could help you. Well to make things clear Daniella Mccurly, this...is helping you."
She frowned at his use of her full name. What in the world happened to Danielle?
Walking up to the kitchen counter, Andrew picked up an apple and a pen-knife.
Dani just watched him with arms crossed, "Yeah I remember. The same Angus who you had second thoughts about yesterday, huh?"
Andrew ignored her rash comment and handed the apple out to her, "Want some?"
Rolling her eyes, Dani walked up to him, "And how exactly do you plan to help me? Keeping me here and doing everything alone?"
He smiled, "Wow, smart. That could work!"
Daniella pushed him to the counter and grabbed his sweatshirt at his collar, "Well Mr. That is not going to happen. I am not some kind of employee you can tell what to do. I am saving my brother with or without you."
Andrew pulled her close and took the knife up to her throat, a wicked grin on his face, "I don't want to hurt you Danielle. But you can be so tempting sometimes. I promise you, if I react, you may never like me again." Releasing her and smiling charmingly, he stared at her fearful eyes and continued, "Please understand dear, I can't let them get you."
With his mind made up, he bit on his apple and walked away.
Forcing herself to understand him, Dani sighed and closed her eyes. He must have a good reason for this.
* * *
Matthew observed the crew at the other side of the street. One of the members turned around and walked into the building. Staring up, he saw the signpost; Abao's residence. This was it.
Slipping his phone out of his pocket, he phoned Andrew. As the phone rang, he studied their meticulous exchange of cigarette butts until Andrew answered, "Waddup!"
Matthew frowned at his unusual use of slangs but replied, "The building's loaded."
Andrew smiled, "No need for the cowardice. I'm the one going."
Hanging up, Matthew put his hood on and crossed the street to the café stand.
* * *
Andrew parked the black-blue Jaguar directly in front of the residential building. Studying it inquisitively, he got out of the car.
He seemed to receive looks from everywhere. Precisely, from huge men who stared at him with confusion.
The tough-looking men gave way as he passed, sending their sadistic looks his way, following steadily behind him.
Andrew smiled at their actions but walked on.
Meanwhile, Matthew glanced at his phone and found the message from Andrew. Clutching his rifle, he started towards the building.
Andrew stared at the door that came immediately after a flight of stairs and stopped at it. His followers eyed him from the base of the steps. Immediately, one of them made a phone call.
Andrew turned to the men and eyed them innocently, returning his gaze to the door after it had been opened, "I'm here to see Gustavo Abao, the owner."
The scary looking male yanked the door open and let him in.
Meanwhile, Matthew was outside the apartment, waiting for something to happen before showing up.
Andrew looked around for a while then faced a man seated with a Hound on his lap.
This man grinned wildly, "My boy. I swore I would never see you again."
Andrew tilted his head with a smile, responding in his usual calmness, "Keep your dirty words to yourself. I'm the one to talk." Immediately however, he felt a gun on his head; a warning for the type of words he could use.
Andrew turned to find the man who had opened the door aiming a pistol that close to his head.
Abao laughed lightly, "My building, my rules. You seem to have forgotten Andrew that you are under my roof. Mind your language."
Suddenly, Andrew grabbed the hand of the man who held the gun and pulled him over his shoulder to the floor before him, seizing the gun from his grip. Taking a few steps back, he aimed at them, "No Gustavo. I hold the strings."
Gustavo laughed and screamed several names of who Andrew concluded to be his bodyguards. When none came, Gustavo frowned at Andrew who raised a brow in humor. Walking to the door with his gaze still on the men, he opened the door to let Abao see all his men kneeling, at gunpoint. Matthew smirked at Andrew and clutched his rifle tighter.
Andrew returned his gaze to Abao and slowly shut the door with his foot, " You were saying?"
Gustavo rolled his eyes, "What do you want?
Andrew sighed and replied, " For staters, someone I know was killed in front of your building. "
"And what does that have to do with me?" Abao spat.
Andrew creased his brows and aimed at him again, "For your information, she was abducted by your bodyguards. A murder can not happen in your yard without your awareness, can it?"
Abao knew what Andrew meant but denied, "I know of no such thing, when was that?"
Andrew frowned harder, "Three years ago, Ashley Thomas."
Abao's fear was written all over his face as he replied, "As I said, I'm not aware of it."
Andrew shot at his leg, "I'd go to your head next. Start talking."
"I owe you nothing, " Abao replied with a painful groan.
Andrew eyed him and shot his dog dead.
Gustavo got up in rage, "What madness?!"However the pain in his leg forced him down again.
Andrew now aimed at the other man in the room, " He's next."
Sighing tiredly, he gave up and stared down at his dog, "My men took her."
"I'm listening, " Andrew frowned.
Gustavo continued in gasps, "Angus dropped off Ashley, leaving something very important with her. We took her, brought her here. After the torture, he killed her. By he, I mean the crazy masked devil I never got to see his face. We got what Angus left with her, yes a watch, stained it with blood and placed it right beside her body, all to implicate him."
The other man contributed, "And then, when Angus returned simply to get his watch back before she came back to Texas, he traced her and found her dead there, held her, cried and all. His fingerprints were now found on the body which all my men were careful enough to avoid. Alex called the police who came and caught Angus in the scene. His watch and all... It looked so true. He ran from them out of fear of getting arrested but they assumed it was an escape action. Everything was concluded to be true when her entire property was found to be his."
Andrew lowered his gun. He had doubted Angus for an infinitesimal moment all to hear this afterwards, "Why did Alex want her dead?"
Abao replied with broken words, "She threatened to tell his father all about us. Alex would have been dead by now if she had. We gave him no other option."
Andrew blinked back tears, "Then you took my Ashley away from me."
Somehow, Gustavo felt this little spark of regret, "I'm sorry."
Andrew retrieved a bundle of bills from his pocket and threw it at Gustavo, "I liked your sincerity." Then he walked out with Matthew following him, his rifle still in position in case anyone flinched.