THE BUSINESS TRIP

Understand why you make mistakes, babe, and forgive yourself.

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CHAPTER III

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THE MANSION WAS large and luxurious; nothing like where we lived in. It was a massive, Greek style home with large steps leading up to the humongous pillars that toward up to meet the overhanging roof over the second floor. The colour pallete was kept simple with greys and whites and bits of gold to accentuate important details and to add finishing touches onto it. The windows were large and had shutters beside each of them, but none were closed and bright green vines hung down from the windowsills and the roof, framing the houses beauty.

I almost considered becoming a gold digger and marrying this man.

Daniel jogged up the large steps, past the pillars and towards the front door. I followed after him and watched as the door swung open before he was even given the chance to knock.

“Daniel!” Vincent exclaimed as he opened the door wider for us to step into his home. “And the beautiful Araceli.” He took my hand in his and bent down to place a kiss on the back of my hand.

I let him because I was too busy being awed by the interior of his home. It was just as beautiful as the exterior - if not more. The colour palette continued but this time, there was more greenery and there was a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The room was completely lit up from the sun outside with its ceiling windows and there was no light bulbs in sight.

“Vincent,” Daniel said in a greeting tone as we followed the man through the hall towards his backyard. Daniel's men followed behind us and stood at attention once we finally took a seat at the garden table outside.

Vincent looked at me and I realised that I hadn't uttered a word to him since I came here.

“H-Hello,” I said shyly, tucking my hair behind my ear and looking down at my hands. I was never the type to become shy around men, but Vincent was a rich and powerful man who was still hot in his late forties and owned a house that I was simping after. Of course I couldn't help but be a little bit intimidated. “You have a lovely home.”

He let out a loud laugh and beckoned for me to walk over to him. I looked to Daniel, seeking his permission to which he just shrugged before I got up and made my way over.

As I reached him, he placed both his hands on my waist and pulled me down onto his lap. Completely taken by surprise at the action, I let out a small squeak which made him chuckle. In my ear, he muttered a small 'thank you' before he turned his attention to Daniel and the two men started talking about business.

I got bored when they started talking about arms and more territory and that was two sentences into their conversation so instead, I took the time to admire the beautiful scenery.

We were right in the middle of his garden, surrounded completely by green grass and beautiful wild flowers. The sun bet down hard on us, but it wasn't overbearing as we were only just into the throws of spring. Birds chirped and bees buzzed around us, ensuring that even when the men would stop talking for a few seconds and become silent, it was never really silent.

The garden had no fence to block it off. It was densely surrounded my large, green trees that were only starting to bloom and get their leaves back.

I turned my gaze to Pablo who was standing at the door with one of Daniel's men and he met my eyes at that time. With a small smile, he quickly went crossed eyed but then brought his eyes back to normal before anyone could see. I rolled my eyes at him and then turned back to the conversation at hand.

I was beginning to squirm because Vincent was getting too handsy. One hand was really gripping my waist to the point where it was almost painful and the other hand was slipping further and further up my thigh, inside my blue sundress.

With a small whimper that I wasn't sure anyone else heard, I tried to push his hand away. His grip only tightened on my thigh though and he squeezed my waist as if warning me. I sighed and stopped fighting him, only to have Daniel get up out of his seat and pin a hard glare on Vincent.

“No.”

There was something about the way he said it that made me look at him in shock. Something told me that shit was about to go down, and I wanted to see when it happened.

“Come on, Daniel. All of the merchandise and ammunition for only that price. Do you want to give that up, just like that?” Vincent asked, looking at Daniel with a smirk growing on his lips. I looked between the both of them as they stared at each other intensely.

“I've told you before, Vincent, we don't deal like that. Araceli, come here,” Daniel said harshly, his eyes cold as he stood up and began to walk towards the door we came out from.

I made to get up and follow him, but before I could Vincent, had already gotten up. He secured his arm around me and held me close to him. It was then that I realised he wasn't planning on letting me go.

“She is just a girl. Is she worth losing out on this offer?” he asked as I struggled to get out of his grip.

“We're not into human trafficking. Do you not get that?” Daniel said through gritted teeth before his eyes narrowed on me. “I said come here.”

“I'm trying!” I snapped at him as Vince laughed loudly as if this whole situation was funny or something. It only made me more frustrated and I fought harder to get out of his tight grip.

“It doesn't matter if you're into that or not. The truth of the matter is I want her. And I'm trying to get her the calm and civil way, but at the end of the day I always get what I want.” He grabbed my chin and held my head against his chest so my struggling would remain useless as tears of frustration started to blind my vision.

Daniel let out a dark and humourless chuckle that sent shivers down my spine before speaking. “Do you really think I'm someone you can blackmail?” he asked, his voice low and dark as I stiffened in fear. “The truth of the matter is, let the girl go and I won't blow your fucking brains out.”

He took out his gun from the waistband of his trousers within a second, taking it off safety and pointing it at Vincent's forehead as I shut my eyes. The tears of frustration quickly became tears of fear as the reality of the situation dawned on me.

Vincent's men pulled their guns out and aimed at Daniel, but then Daniel's men pulled their guns out and aimed at Vincent's men. Even though Daniel was targeted, we still had the upper hand because Vincent would die either way.

There was a beat of just pure silence and anticipation before I felt the arms of Vincent slowly let go of me and then they were completely off me. I opened my eyes quickly, checking if anything was in my way before I darted over to Daniel, running into his open arm and staying far away from his gun.

He pushed me behind him and started walking to the door backwards as his men did the same.

“Come on, we need to get out of here,” he said, taking my hand in his and running - almost sprinting - through the hall, down the stairs and into the front yard where his car was parked.

If it wasn't for the fact that I could easily get the life shot out of me, I would've basked in the feeling of my hand being in his. Unfortunately, I couldn't do that because the sound of shots being fired took over my senses as the guards started firing at us, probably receiving orders from Vince to do so.

Daniel didn't falter. His grip on my hand tightened as he pulled us past the grand, over-the-top water fountain, getting closer and closer to the car.

Just as we were about to make it, he cursed loudly, letting go of my hand to hold his left shoulder in pain. One of his men turned around quickly and shot at whoever shot Daniel, killing him in seconds.

“Oh my God, are you okay?” I asked, reaching him as he staggered a little but he still didn't stop.

“It doesn't matter. Just keep running,” he told me relentlessly. We reached the car seconds later and instead of getting in the front seat like he was before, he got into the back as I got in with him. Pablo jumped into the drivers side and soon we were off. A few bullets hit the car, but they only left dents as we sped off past the gates and down the gravel road.

I looked over at Daniel who was clenching his teeth in pain and felt my heart lurch. Blood was pretty much running down his shirt like a fountain.

“Are you okay?” I found myself asking as Pablo sped through the dirty road of the old town. Daniel looked at me and glared as if I was the cause of all his problems. I mean, maybe, perhaps it was a stupid question, but I was only trying to be helpful.

“What the fuck do you think?”

“Daniel,” Pablo growled, getting protective of me already.

Pablo and I had been my good friend ever since I rocked up to the mansion at the tender age of fifteen looking for a job. He thought I was too young to be put in the circumstances that I was in and I was, but I didn't have a choice. My initial option was to become a stripper or something, but he pulled some strings and got me my job as a maid.

Ever since then, he's been like an older brother to me. He's watched out for me and thought me how to play football.

Daniel huffed and leaned back into his seat at Pablo's warning, but said nothing more. I stared at his wound in increasing worry.

“You're going to bleed out,” I said, grabbing a handful of his shirt and beginning to rip it. He looked surprised at first, but left me alone as I tore his shirt up and pulled it off his torso. Without caring about proximity, I scooted closer to him and tied it tightly around his wound.

“Fuck,” he hissed out in pain as he pressed down on my leg so hard, I thought my foot was about to break through the floor of the car. I tightened the my knot and made sure that I had the cloth securely tied around his wound before pushing away, feeling relieved that his hand was finally off me.

Not only because it was painful but also because my pussy was beginning to soak my underwear and it was not the time.

“Thank you,” he said, leaning back against the seat and closing his eyes. He then looked to my thigh and winced. “I'm sorry about that.”

I looked down to the red handprint on my brown skin and only shook my head. “It's fine.”

Pablo spoke up from the front as we stopped at a gas station. “I'm going to get more fuel, but after that I'll take you to a friend of mine. She's a retired doctor.”

Did I trust the fact that she was retired? No. But I had no say in it because Daniel only nodded his head before he drifted off into a deep sleep.

“It's about an hour from here,” Pablo said, not realising that Daniel was aslesp so I spoke for him.

“Well then, you better start driving.”

I almost lost him once. I was not prepared to lose him again.

*****

I had to use find and replace to fix the mistakes in this, lmao. Let me know if you find the word Marco again.

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xx ommy