Cainan is having a brief discussion with some close business friends when he feels a tap on his shoulder. He turns around and sees Shawn and he expects to see a lot of emotions on his face, but doesn’t think anger should be one of them. It’s there and needs to be dealt with.
“Mr Ola. What is it you want?”
Shawn opens his mouth to speak, but he’s beaten to it. “To say thank you,” Neriah completes, coming to put her arms around Shawn. Shawn tosses her hands away and glares at her, a gesture of Cainan notes.
Cainan nods, although feeling the heat between them. “Yes, as expected. We should talk privately.” He suggests to Shawn before turning to the men he was just talking to. “I’ll be right back.”
He walks on and Shawn turns to Neriah. “Don’t follow me,” he warns, and she nods and halts in her steps, knowing he’s furious with her for what she just did.
He leaves Neriah and follows Cainan, who leads him to a private spot in the hall.
“Do it,” Cainan speaks up immediately, his encouragement taking Shawn by surprise.
He frowns, “Do what?”
He rolls his eyes. “I’m pretty sure your girlfriend has told you everything, and that means you know I kiss her and you were coming over to knock my teeth out earlier. She was right to stop you there because hitting me in public would cause stare and attention and we both know how much I hate attention, but now you should hit me.”
Hearing him beckon for his retaliation weakens Shawn and frustrates him even more. “Why did you kiss her?”
His eyes widen in disbelief, “Seriously, you need a reason? Because I like girls that are a pain, sassy, but demanding and I think you’re going to have to man up if you hope to keep her or else people like me wil—”
Shawn cuts him off and doesn’t let him finish before slamming his fist into his face. This sends Cainan back a few steps but doesn’t take him down. Shawn wasn’t hoping to take him down, either. He wanted to leave a mark and as Cainan’s hand goes up to touch his mouth and it’s bleeding from the deep cut it has and satisfaction appears on his face.
“Stay the fuck away from my girlfriend or you’ll be sorry.” He warns before walking back to Neriah. He takes her hand and walks out without uttering a word. They take a taxi and Shawn gives the man Neriah’s address, although he still doesn’t speak to Neriah.
The taxi reached the house in twenty minutes and they both step down and Shawn pays. When he turns to Neriah, she’s already at the door, opening it. Silently he follows her, but Neriah stands in his way and prevents him from going inside.
“Let me in, Neriah.” He says, looking up at her.
She crosses her hand over her chest stubbornly, “You realise those are the first words you’ve spoken to me in almost thirty minutes, right?”
He groans loudly, not ready for the fight that he senses coming. “What do you want me to say?”
“What you did to him for starters and you came and pull me away like a child and you know I hate that.”
“I’m sorry,” he apologises, his head dropping in regret.
“What happened there that changed you this way?”
“I punched him, okay?” He answers, looking up into her eyes. “He wanted me to.”
“What? Why would he want that?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugs after heaving a deep sigh, “something about me manning up. Cainan is sick and twisted and he has a way of getting into people’s heads.”
Neriah stares curiously at him. “Did it work?”
“I bust his lips. Never done that to anyone before,” Shawn responds with a sly smirk.
“Why do I find you hot for doing that?” She asks, biting her lips and pulling him closer.
Shawn raises a brow at her. “Are you doing what I think you’re doing??”
She winks at him. “What do you think I’m doing?”
He kisses her lips, and she responds, kissing him back before wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
“Come inside.” She beckons with a smile.
****
“What the hell happened to you?” Exclaims Samantha as she approaches Cainan, who had a bloodstain on his inner white shirt and bust lips, “who did this?”
He pushes her hand away from him when she reaches it out to touch his lips, “I’m fine Samantha, we are leaving,” he says, taking her arm and leading her away from the hall.
“What’s wrong with you?” She demands, wiggling her arm from his grip.
“Can you just do what I say without asking me stupid questions for once?” He growls in annoyance.
She yanks her hand away from his grip and frowns at him. “You’re being a jackass again. Why are you picking on me when all I’m trying to do is help?”.
He runs a shaky hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, but this night is not my best, so can you please listen to me and let us leave?”
She glares at him but still enters the limo and he does too before they drive off.
“Tell me who did this?” She suddenly asks after a while of silently staring out of the window and saying nothing to each other.
Knowing she will not drop the subject, “An employee I fired a while back?” He replies and his answer isn’t a lie.
“He must really hate you,” she mumbles aloud.
He chuckles before saying, “You always hit, claw, slap and kick me every single chance you get because you hate me as well.”
She doesn’t deny it, “I hate you in a good way.” She takes his hand into hers and brings it up to get lips to kiss it.