Brittany draped the quilt over sleeping Bella and sighed, she was grateful that her friend finally stopped crying and went to sleep
"You should get some sleep too," Aaron's voice said softly from the door but Brittany paid him dust, she was not ready to talk to him after what he had done to her, treating her like trash. She stood up and went to the kitchen to get some water
"I haven't thanked you for coming over," Aaron said following her to the kitchen but she ignored him yet again
"How long are you going to ignore me?" He asked and angrily placed the glass of water on the kitchen counter, splashing some of it all over her body
"Do you expect me to jump on you the moment I see you after treating me like trash? Sorry Mr. When I said I don't want to talk to you I meant it, I am only here for my friend"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel that way, it was just that I wasn't ready for the way I was feeling"
She gave a hollow laughter and glared at him, "You should not have sought me out if you knew that you weren't ready, you came on to me even when I kept pushing you away but when you finally had your way with me, you remembered that you weren't ready"
"No Brittany, don't think that way, it...."
"I am not ready to listen to anything you have to say because I'm leaving" She cuts him off and moves past him
"You're leaving? What about your friend?"
"You can take care of her, I have a store to run" she replied and carried her bag
Aaron didn't want her to go, not only because her presence calmed Bella's nerves but because he enjoyed having her in his house and would love it if she stayed, desperately, he grabbed her hands
"Please stay, I will pay you for your service"
Brittany scoffed, "I won't accept money for taking care of my friend"
"Er... don't see it that way. Whatever sales you think you would have sold today, I'll double it, just don't leave"
Brittany sighed as part of her softened at the desperation she saw on his face, "how long will this continue?" She asked
"Not for long, I promise"
"Alright, I'll stay. Let me prepare something for her to eat"
"That you darling," Aaron said with relief but she rolled her eyes
"Don't call me darling" she warned
"Alright ma'am"
Brittany could not deny that she loves being this close to him but they still have a lot to settle between them. If anything is to happen between them again, she wants to know exactly where she stands with him, she had caught him staring at a picture in his wallet, it was a picture of a lady and she assumed that was his wife, he had closed the wallet when he sensed her presence and she didn't say anything about it, she figured that his wife was dead and he is still in love with her.
She watched as he spoke with someone on the phone before going towards the door to open it. She admired his dedication to his friend and how he was making sure that Bella was safe.
He opened the door and a man handed over something to him, it was a cloth, well what looked like a cloth because it was torn "We found it on the eastern shore" the man said and Aaron's face paled, there was undeniable anguish on his face that he was trying so hard to hide
"Is that Daniel's clothes?" Bella asked as she chose that moment to wake up and enter the living room, "no! My husband is alive, go and search more, look for him. Nikolai Klaus can't just die" she wailed and Brittany gave her a warm hug
"He is not dead," Aaron told her, sharing her belief
"Then allow me to go search for him, I'll find him" Bella wailed and Aaron swallowed
"You don't have to, it's too dangerous. I'll go instead" he glanced at Brittany, "Can you stay here with her? I'll put more men outside and you'll both be safe"
Brittany nodded and helped Bella to a sofa, "Aaron" she called softly when he was about to head out and he turned and stared at her, "b..be careful" she murmured with feelings
Their gazes held for a brief moment and he nodded once and then, he was gone.
*
*
Daniel grunted and opened his eyes, he immediately snapped them shut against the ray of sunlight that hit him, he was surprised that he was still alive. After being injured by gunshots as he delved into that water, he had thought that was the end and he could only think of one person, "Bella", he had lost consciousness while still in that water and that was when he saw his mother, urging him to wake up, he tried to swim against the tide but the pain from the shots won't let him, luckily, he had sighted a log in the water, he had no idea where it came from but he quickly fought his way towards it and held on to it, he allowed the log lead him to wherever he had lost a lot of blood and he was feeling so weak already, unconscious welcomed him once more in the water and this time, he thought it was death but in his state of unconsciousness, he more of felt something like fish, a dolphin that came his way and helped him towards shore and deposited his unconscious form there on the island.
His lips felt patched as he rolled over, if he doesn't get help soon, there is no way he will make it out here alive. Groaning, he staggered up and started limping, he dragged his injured feet along, he would fall and force himself to stand up, "Damn you father, I'll get you for this" he cursed with each fall and shooting pain he encountered.
By now, everyone would have known his identity, that he was sure of, he thought of Bella and cursed once more, "I'll kill you dad, I promise I'll kill you" he clenched out. Just then he heard the sound of a chopper, it came closer and he sought for a cover, his men would be looking for him, that he was sure of but he was also sure that his father would still be looking for him to make sure he was dead, he hid behind a tree and observed as the chopper landed and much to his relief, Aaron came down and his eyes searched the area, he had been checking each island and this is the last one, he hoped to find his boss here.
He was about to give up hope when he saw a figure staggered out from behind a tree, "boss" he called out and urged the men to run towards him, Daniel fell just when they got to him
"Took you so long to find me huh?" He said with a smile before sliding into unconsciousness.
*******************************************
"Boss, Nikolai's right-hand man is back and he came without a body" Nicholas Calvin's men informed him, he had asked his men to keep a close eye on his son's wife but they got there just when she was being carried away by some of his son's men so he had asked them to keep a close eye in case Daniel shows up.
He knew that they were looking for Daniel, he was also looking for him, he wanted to be sure that he was dead, that way, he would have the peace of mind he so desired
"I'm sorry son, I am your father but if only you were not bent on avenging your mother and taking everything away from me, that way we would have made a good team" he muttered
He had been informed when the guy Aaron had gone out but just like his boss, he was so meticulous such that his men had lost him, he had been angry with his men, why can't they be competent like Nikolai's men? In anger, he ordered them to watch out for him when he returned and now he was being told that he returned alone?
Could it be that he didn't find Nikolai? He would have to watch out for Nikolai's wife, if he was found, she would definitely want to see her husband, and that way, he would know where he was and finish him off.