~Nandini~

I silently walked in-between the two testosterone filled men. I know Kero was occasionally glancing towards me because whenever I made an eye contact with him he glanced away getting caught off gurad. On the other hand Manik didn't glance back once. 'Karoos', I mentally whined.

I munched on the grapes what was handed over by Kero and twitched few times as the tangy juice irritated my salivary buds. I did ofer them but both of them refused it. Good for me. I am so hungry.

"Boss we are almost there", Kero stated. I glanced up to see the main road just few meters away. Kero handed me over his coat and silently asked me to wear it since I was shivering in cold. The weather has oddly become chilly and since I couldn't dry myself up after the dip my teeth were cluttering against each other. I was thankful to him since I was still unsure whether either of the guys could make out my dangling boobs. Even though they weren't really huge but still they were of decent size.

Manik watched Kero intensely as he handed me over the jacket and the way he looked at him blame my over excited hormones it felt like he was going to straggle Kero with his own hands. 'That's interesting', I decided to play along with this. A Jealous Manik would be a treat to watch.

As we stepped on the road a car that was parked few feet away approached us. It was a jet black Mercedes with a red flag on it. The nearer it came I could see a royal logo on it. It was an R with a crown of it.

The chauffer got down from the car seeing Manik and opened the back door for him. Manik who was walking ahead of me and Kero stopped and turned to look at me. As if my legs had it own mind, I walked towards him. He put his hand against my small back and urge me to go come with him.

The chauffer was visibly surprised to see me but then lowered his eyes as Manik gently pushed me silently asking me to get inside the car. From the corner of my eyes I watched Kero getting inside the front seat of the car which meant I and Manik would be sitting together in the back seat.

Quietly I entered the car and shifted towards the other side to make space for him to get inside. The chauffer closed the door once Manik made himself comfortable on the seat.

"Penthouse, David" Manik replied curtly.

"Yes Sir" David side glancing towards me. What was that look on his face?

"Do you want me to switch of the AC", Kero asked me holding the controller in his hand. He is so sweet.

"Don't you think you are bit more worried about Miss Murthy than it is required Kero?", Manik's curt voice made me shiver. But I am so enjoying this.

"She is shivering MM, I am sure you don't want your hostage to fall sick soon?" Kero asked sarcastically.

"Why don't you mind your own business Kero?"

"Umm! I would like if you could warm the inside temperature a bit", I replied to irritate Manik even more.

"Sure"

"And thanks Kero, that's really sweet of you", I held his left shoulder and squeezed it gently. Manik watched my hand and looked away.

The journey was dead quiet. No one spoke a single word. I wanted to listen to music but then I can't really ask for that, can I? It would be too much to ask for in the given scenario.

"How are you feeling now?", Kero asked hesitantly.

What has happened to me that made him ask this question? "Why did you ask me that?"

"After what happened yesterday..."

I didn't let him complete the sentence. What has happened to me yesterday? What is he talking about? I frowned when I asked the next question, "What are you talking about?"

"You almost died yesterday princess. My lover boy seems to be too concerned for you".

"MM", I could sense a scowl in his words. I almost died? 'I mean what the fuck on the earth?'

"What do you mean by I died?" I asked Manik this time feeling confused.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at me. "Looks like you had zoned out that time as well".

Kero who was looking ahead suddenly snapped his head back to watch me. I looked down fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. 'He wasn't suppose to tell that in front of Kero. Or doesn't it mean he already knows about it?'

"Yesterday you were almost dead Khu...I mean Miss Murthy. If it wasn't Manik you who saved you from that blast you would have been dead".

My entire blood drained from my body. How come I don't know about it? I looked at Manik then who was busy taking out his ray ban shades from the back pocket of the car.

"Than....", Manik didn't let me complete my sentence when he spoke in a no nonsense voice.

"You should thank that young boy seated in front of you. If he wasn't there you would have been nothing but a black melted piece of meat".

I snarled at the choice of his words. Such a dick he is for using disgusting words then looked at sorry who had nothing but lots of concern in his eyes. What I gather from the information is that both the men saved me from dying and that I should thank both of them.

"The car in which you were sitting was on fire. If it was not Kero who without giving a second thought not fearing of his own life leaped inside the car, broke the handrail where you handcuff was fasten and took you out of the car", Manik said uninterestedly. 'Asshole'

"But it was you who saved her eventually", Kero deadpan.

"That's because you didn't know how to perform CRP".

Wait a minute. They had to perform CPR on me, which mean I was almost dead. And Manik kissed me when I was lying dead? Okay technically it wasn't a kiss, kiss. but he touched my lips.

"Just to save you kitten. Don't get any ideas out of it. I wasn't playing hero saves the girl and falls in love with her game".

I closed my mouth with my hands realizing that I have said that load. How embarrassing it is. I was lying dead and all I am thinking is his lips on me. What the fuck is wrong with my hormones. 

Kero sniffled a giggle and immediately changed his expression when Manik gave his a look.

Like a wounded pup I curled myself in the corner of the seat and rested my head on the plush head-rest of the expensive leather. I don't remember when I dozed off.

**

I woke up when Kero called my name softy. "Umm I am sorry I must have slept".

"I understand you haven't slept well last night. We were rather not in a position to do that".

The more I conversed with Kero the more human I found him. Beneath that strong muscular tough look resides a man who shows emotions.

Held the door for me and I hoped down and steadied myself on the ground. We are in the city and standing infront of a very posh apartment. There were security or I should say Mafia soldiers everywhere. They were wearing navy blue suits and golden AR logo embalmed on their suit pockets.

I didn't realize when Kero has put his hand on my small back and urged my to move towards the elevator. As I approached the huge marble cladded lobby a very beautiful brunette greeted me near the entrance and escorted me towards the lift. Kero slowed his pace and walked right behind me. His hand was gone from my small back. As I approached the lift I saw him standing in the middle of four humongous sized soldiers.

He was throwing some orders, which I didn't understand because he was speaking in a different language. That much be their secret language. Every mod family has unique language which is non decodable.

He glanced sideways towards me and gestured his guards with this fingers to move away. I turned to look at Kero who has stopped with the departed guards to talk. And suddenly I wanted him beside me because certain someone was looking even more dangerous in his den.

Apart from oozing perfection he looked deadly to me right now. He radiated so much much power that he might as well burn me.

The elevator ding as he pressed the hall call button and looked at me one more time silently asking me to enter. The thought of being alone with him in a confined space made me shiver. And after what happened in the lake today in the morning I have no control over me.

Me being me, I composed myself not showing an inch of nervousness walked straight towards him taking a deep breadth.

The elevator door cut both of us from the rest of the people present in the lobby. I could see Kero, glance towards me being oddly calm.

**

The approach to the top floor of the apartment was oddly quiet. The sexual tension was still very strong. The only thing I noticed is Manik Malhotra was fidgeting. Gone was the calm and composed man. I wondered why.

As the door opened a deafening cry erupted from the space. I couldn't help but to block my ears. Manik almost sprinted from the left and walked straight towards staircase that dominated the floor. People around him hustled behind. He took two steps at a time before he vanished from my view.

I walked towards the stair and stood there for few seconds before decided to check out the source of the noise. The first thought that came in my mind was did he kidnap someone else? A Kid? Because from the shrillness of the cry I could make out that it was of a kid or a baby.

When I reached the landing the crying was stopped. I slowed my step as perspiration beaded across my forehead. Did he inject pacifier? That's what these monsters do to their hostage. That's what he did to me. I was in rage. He can't possibly abuse a kid. That son of a bitch, 'I am going to kill you if you touch that kid', with that determination I took two steps at a time and reached the top floor. There were three doors connected with a huge sitting area in the middle. Only one door was ajar from where sniffling sound was coming.

Without a thought I walked towards the door and pushed the door open. Two pairs of eyes looked at me as if I am a ghost but my eyes were set on another pair. A boy, nestled comfortably in Manik's arms holding his t-shirt with his tiny fingers and his face was red from crying.

"Get out of the room", Manik snarled take care not to scare the kid in his arms as he patted him in a fatherly manner.

My eyes switched towards the woman who was standing here visibly nervous and almost pleading me to go out of the room.

I took a step inside the room. 'What are you going to do with this kid?", I snarled thinking about all sorts of horrible thoughts.

"That's none of your business".

"You cant hurt this kid".

"Just get the hell out of here Miss Murthy", this time his voice was one octave high. And the kid must have heard the tension in his voice. He started crying yet again. I wanted to reach him but this voice made me stopped midway.

"Daddy!"