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( The Beauty Inside… )
CHAPTER 14&15
By, Naomi Cindy B.
Joel’s hammer has almost cracked Juliet’s head open when police sirens suddenly started sounding loudly.
Joel retracted his hammer and flew into the darkness immediately.
The sirens kept getting louder and Juliet slowly opened her eyes which were soaked with tears.
Her body was still shaking and she’s still full of fear and panic as the police car stopped not far from her.
Four cops came out of it and rushed to her, they were led by a female.
“Miss , are you ok?” The female asked, squ-atting beside Juliet.
She only cried more and shivered more badly.
“I’m detective Swan from the district station, calm down and tell me what exactly happened” the female cop said gently.
“Joel…. Joel….he almost…. killed me” Juliet hiccu-pp-ed .
Swan’s eyes wide-ned.
“That motherfu-cker” she muttered.
“He killed .. a lady….in that corner” Juliet hiccu-pp-ed again.
“What the…” Swan stood.
One of the remaining three followed her while two of them stayed with Juliet.
A taxi stopped shortly and Gina came down with Merritt.
“Juliet!’ Gina shouted, running to her.
“Mum!” Juliet stood and Gina hu-gged her so ti-ght immediately she got to her.
“Gosh! my baby!” Gina started stro-king her hair, kizzing her hair at the same time.
“I was so scared, I got so scared baby” Gina cried.
“Mum he almost killed me, he told me he’ll send me to where he sent dad to, I’m so scared, what if he comes after me again?, Just what if…” Juliet said fearfully.
Gina kept hu-gging her.
“Calm down for now, your heart is beating too fast” Gina replied and Juliet closed her eyes.
“And where did you put your phone!, Your line was not reachable!” Merritt said loudly.
Juliet broke the hu-g with Gina and went to her.
“I left it on flight mode since morning” she said and Merritt quickly hu-gged her too.
“I was so scared, I thought I won’t be seeing my bestie anymore, I was scared Juliet” she said, stro-king her hair too.
“He killed a lady” Juliet said and Merritt quickly broke the hu-g.
“What!, Another murder?”
She quickly dialled Kent’s line.
An ambulance arrived immediately and they all went to the corner where the lady’s corpse is lying.
Gina looked away from it immediately she saw it.
It’s too gory to look at, the hammer destroyed her head completely and the stabbed areas look hideous too, especially her eyes.
She was moved into the ambulance and Kent arrived with the cameras.
Merritt started snapping the scene while Kent made the report.
“Detective Swan” Juliet suddenly called and Swan faced her.
“You’re the one who killed Joel seven years ago right?” Juliet asked.
“Yes, I know your next question will be how it was possible for him to come back after I shot him in four delicate places, I was shocked too when I heard he’s back” Swan replied.
“Meaning the body you burnt seven years ago wasn’t his own, someone definitely rescued him” Juliet said.
“Yes, sure” Swan replied.
Another car came and Juliet recognized it immediately, Justus.
He came out, breathing heavily.
“Mr Justus?” Juliet said and when he sighted her, he rushed to her.
“Are you ok?” He quickly asked, looking at her thorou-ghly.
“How did you…
“I saw the news of the attack” he replied and saw her peeled knees and palms.
“We should get them treated, come with me” he said, taking her hand.
Juliet looked back at Gina and Gina smiled lightly, meaning approval.
She left with Justus in his car.
∆∆∆∆∆∆∆
ROMEO’S ISLAND, 1AM**
“Mum don’t do it!” Romeo shouted, despair decorating his voice.
“Mum please!”
“Mum!”
“I love you don’t do this to me!”
“You can’t leave me!”
“Don’t jump!”
“No!!!!!”
He woke up from his nightmare, sweating profusely while shivering badly.
“Mum” he whispered, getting her frame from the bedstand, he hu-gged it ti-ghtly.
He stayed in that position for almost ten minutes, letting out tiny tears from his eyes.
After releasing the frame, he still kept shivering so much so he got his drugs container.
He took a pill of tranquilizer with shaky hands and left the room, going to the freezer downstairs.
He got lukewarm water and swallowed the pill with it, that was when he started calming down.
He noticed the TV is still on, he was watching one of his movies before he slept off, he must have forgotten to put it off.
He got the remote and made to put it off but his thumb pressed the next bu-tton instead.
The news channel tuned in and his arm dropped when he heard the breaking news.
Joel visited Allen avenue an hour ago and murdered a lady, he attempted to murder another lady but the cops sirens made him leave.
In the resume submitted by Juliet, he’s so sure she wrote Allen avenue as her street, and the fact that she went home an hour ago too…
He quickly picked his phone and dialled Ben’s line.
“Boss” he picked in a sleepy tone
“Find out the name of the lady who was killed and the one who was almost killed by Joel in Allen avenue one hour ago” Romeo ordered.
“Killed?, What!” Ben said shockingly.
“Do it now!” Romeo yelled and hung up.
He started roaming around the living room, impatiently waiting for his call.
He rushed to pick when he finally called.
“Tell me” he said quickly.
“The lady who was killed is…. Juliet…
“No!, Not that dumb genius right?, Tell me it’s not her right now” Romeo interrupted with wide shocked eyes.
“Juliet Meyers” Ben said and Romeo inhaled.
“She shares same name with her, but the one who was almost killed is Juliet Hayes, the dumb genius, she was just slightly wounded” Ben replied.
Romeo hung up immediately, falling on the couch heavily .
He remembered when she begged him for a ride the other time and closed his eyes.
******
HOSPITAL**
Ah!, Ah!, Ah!, It hurts!, Ah!!” Juliet shouted as her ankles got m@$$aged by two nurses respectively.
Her hands has been treated and bandaged, likewise her knees, they were plastered.
“I told you to get your ankles treated, I can sense you’re one stubborn girl” Justus said.
“Girl?, I’m a lady!, I’m 25!….ah!!!!” Juliet screamed again as the nurses started m@$$aging again.
“25?, Wow!, I’m just a year older, nice” Justus smiled.
“You’re twenty six?, I heard my boss is 27” Juliet replied.
By now, the nurses have finished m@$$aging, they applied treatments and left.
“Yes, Romeo is one year older than me, but he behaves like my kid brother right?” Justus smiled.
“Of course, that big headed gr@$$hopper” Juliet smi-rked.
“He hates giving rides to anyone in his car, he hates letting anyone into his house, he can’t sleep on his bed with another person, he loves being lonely as f*vk, I’ve been expecting him to ditch the B4 but it’s surprising he hasn’t” Justus said sadly.
“But….why…does..he seem to hate you and chairman Thiago that much?, She hates madam Mona too” Juliet asked carefully.
” Romeo was once a cheerful boy full of love, but that was when his mum was still alive, everything changed when his mum died seven years ago, because of me” Justus said guiltily.
“You?” Juliet asked curiously.
“His mum died by suicide, she jumped down a skyscrap-e r, right in front of Romeo” Justus said and Juliet’s eyes wide-ned.
“What!” She covered her mouth.
“The cause of her death was kept from the public because Romeo wanted it that way” Justus said.
“Sui… suicide?” Juliet said, still in shock.
“Haven’t you heard of his fears for elevators?, He can ride it up but he can’t ride it down because all he’ll be imagining is his mother jumping down, same with plane landing, he gets panic attack” Justus said.
“I know” Juliet said slowly.
Justus stood at once .
“We nee-d to go now, it’s past 2, you should get some sleep” he said.
Juliet tried standing up but her knees and ankles hurt a lot, maybe because it just got treated.
“When you sleep, the pains will subside before tommorow” he said, bending in front of her.
“What?” She asked.
“Get on, I’ll give you a piggyback ride to the car” he replied.
“Um… really?, I’m quite heavy” she said.
“Get on already” he replied and she smiled before getting on, hanging her arms on his ne-ck.
He stood and started walking out of the hospital.
“Thanks Mr Justus, you’re a nice person” she said.
“Can you stop using honorifics?, I’m just one year older anyways” he replied.
“But…
“Shush, just call me Justus” he interrupted and she smiled.
“Justus” she said.
“Good girl” he replied.
“Lady!, I’m a lady!” She protested.
“Sorry” he laughed as they got to the car.
He dropped her inside it gently and got in too.
“Allen” he told his driver and he drove off in obeisance.
“Do you hate my brother now for almost making you get killed?” Justus asked.
No answer came from her.
“You aren’t answering” he said but it’s still same.
He looked at her and saw her asleep already, her head dangling from side to side.
“Sleeping beauty” he smiled and gently placed her head on his shoulder.
He stared at her throu-ghout the drive to her place.
“Hey” he tapped her when they arrived, she opened her eyes slowly.
“Huh?” She replied drowsily and looked out of the window.
“Oh!, We’ve arrived!” She said, opening the door.
Immediately she stepped on the ground, a sharp pain gripped her ankles and she fell on the car.
“Easy” Justus said and came down too.
Before she knew it, he carried her in a bridal style.
“Justus..
“Shush” he replied and she kept quiet till he got in and dropped her on the couch.
Gina and Merritt are waiting already.
“Thanks Mr Justus” Merritt smiled knowingly.
“It’s fine” Justus replied.
“She’s available for marriage Mr Justus, anytime you plan to come for her” Gina said.
“Huh?” Justus said.
“Mum!!” Juliet shouted.
“Goodnight in-law” Merritt waved.
Justus smiled as he left the house.
“Merritt I’ll kill you tommorow” Juliet glared
“I told you he’s my spec, he’s handsome and…gosh!” Gina gushed.
“Mum stop already!” Juliet shouted.
“You’re 25 yet no boyfriend, all you can do is crush on Rex, I’m tired of you” Gina said and fell on the couch heavily.
Though Gina is trying ha-rd to cover up the sadness on her face with jokes, it’s still so obvious.
“Joel, when will he stop?, After killing my husband, he’ll go ahead and kill my daughter too?, That monster” she said.
“Mummy” Merritt said sadly, sitting beside her.
“I’m scared seriously, I’m scared, what if that beast comes after my baby again, what if?” Gina started crying.
Juliet stood and managed to limp to her.
She sat on her left side . “Nothing will happen to your baby mum” she said, hu-gging her together with Merritt.
******
NEXT DAY, BULLET NEWS*
Merritt came out of the building exhausted, she actually went to work earlier than usual because she’s aware there’ll be much to be report about yesterday’s murder.
She has only spent an hour but it has been tedious.
She got coffee from the stand again and dialled Juliet’s line as she walked back to work.
“”How’s your ankle and knees faring?” She asked.
“I’m at work already” Juliet replied and she gasped.
“What!, You were told to rest today you crazy girl!” She shouted.
“Stop scolding me, I’m hanging up” Juliet said and really hung up.
“Is she kidding me?, She went to work with bad ankles and knees?” She said, trying to try her line again but someone bumped into her
Both the phone and coffee fell, her phone screen cracked.
“What the hell!” She shouted, looking up to see the same guy who bumped into her yesterday.
“You again?”
“I’m sorry…I was just…I…
“Now you destroyed my phone and poured away my coffee” she said, trying not to let her heart race too much as she stylishly stared at him.
He’s perfect!
“I have money this time around” he said, bringing out a black card from his pocket.
He took her palm and placed it on it.
“When we meet again, I’ll take it back, spend as much as you want because the access is unlimited, 056 is the code” he said and winked before leaving, leaving her speechless.
Merritt watched him till he went out of sight then she looked back at the card.
“What just happened?” She said in confusion.
A message made her phone buzz and she quickly picked it from the ground, it’s from “SELFISH FATHER”
*STOP BEING A REPORTER AND COME BACK HOME WHEN I’M STILL NICE*
She threw the phone away immediately, hissing before going back in.
*******
JEWELL BOOKS*
“My girl!” Lovelyn shouted when Juliet showed up in their floor.
She’s not wearing heels because of her leg, she’s wearing flat shoes on a short skirt, leaving out her plastered knees.
The bandages on her hands has been removed.
“You should have rested, why did you come you stubborn girl” Lovelyn said, hu-gging her
“I just can’t sit at home alone, I don’t want to” she replied, breaking the hu-g.
“It must have been so ha-rd, I can’t even imagine how scared you’d have been when Joel was in front of you” Lovelyn said.
“I wish he killed her” Rhonda replied bitterly from her desk.
“I’ll never be like your br@in cells, ok?” Juliet said and Rhonda sneered.
“But you….who told you to be in a ponytail today?, It fits you, you look more pretty” Lovelyn complemented.
“Aww!, Thanks!” Juliet smiled and Ben p@$$ed by their desks, entering Romeo’s office.
“Miss Juliet is back” he reported and Romeo looked up from his laptop.
“She came to work?, Is she badly hurt?” He asked.
“I don’t think so” Ben replied and Romeo rang the bell connected to Juliet’s table.
Juliet limped in and Ben left the office.
The first thing his eyes caught was her plastered knees and her ankles that are still red, and the slight bruises on her palms.
He looked at her face to talk but stopped.
He has seen so many ladies in ponytail but hers is….
He stylishly rolled his eyes away from her hair.
“Why are you here?” He asked, looking at her knees.
“I… don’t want to stay at home alone” she replied simply.
“Go back home” he replied.
“No I don’t want to…
“It’s an order, stay home for the rest of this week” he replied.
She was about to protest again when Mona came in.
“Why the hell are you here?” Romeo demanded immediately.
“I brou-ght you lunch son” she replied, dropping it on his table.
Romeo stood and grabbed the lunchbox immediately, he threw it on the ground.
“Romeo just one chance is all I ask for, one chance Romeo, just one” Mona cried.
“I don’t have chances to spare and I’m never gonna forgive you seriously, now get out, and anytime you step in here again, I’ll call the cops on you” he said seriously.
Mona kept crying in front of him but he doesn’t seem moved.
“Get out!” He yelled.
“Behave like a human for once!” Juliet shouted back before she could realize.
She blinked after saying those words and Romeo turned to her.
“Say that again” he said, glaring at her as he started coming closer.
“I’m not behaving like a human?” He said, his eyes becoming more and more angry at each word .
“What do you know?” He said, still coming closer to her.
She started moving back too, wishing she hadn’t said that.
She wished she could call out the bold Juliet right now but it’s not working, she’ll have to fidget in front of him like a puppy again.
“I just asked what you know about me!, Tell me!” He yelled again, scaring her more.
She started shivering in fear as his eyes bored into hers dangerously.
“Tell me how to behave like a human” he said.
“I….I don’t mean to….
Romeo suddenly grabbed her wa-ist, shocking her.
He pulled her closer and their faces mirrored each other.
She could feel his minty fresh breath on her face as their eyes met.
“Say it to my face right now, tell me to behave like a human…. Juliet”
TBC