Keifer's POV
I want Jay-jay to stay. I want to hold her tight and never let go. I badly want to.
"What happened, Kuya?" Keigan asked me.
I looked at him with my usual blank expression and shook my head. "Nothing."
"Your face is full of bruises and cuts. How can that be nothing?"
I tried to get up from the bed. My head throbbed, and I was quickly engulfed by dizziness.
"Rest first." Keigan said, trying to push me back down.
I swatted his hand away. "I've rested long enough."
I forced myself to stand and walked toward the bathroom. I faced the mirror and shook my head at my reflection. Jay-jay can literally damage a face with her punches.
To this day, it's still a mystery to me how her punches got this strong. I don't think it's just because she used to fight a lot. She's a woman, and it's pretty impossible for her punches to become this powerful.
Or maybe it's because of how much anger she had toward me.
I tried to touch my face and instantly felt the pain. I ignored it. I've been through worse, but somehow, it felt like the punches I got today hurt more.
Maybe because they came from the person I love.
The events from earlier kept replaying in my mind. I was on the verge of giving up my inheritance. I couldn't keep pushing Jay-jay away from me anymore.
I was going crazy thinking about her and everything that was happening between us. But there was one thing I was sure of.
I have to make sure I wouldn't lose her.
I turned on the faucet and washed my hands. Afterward, I wiped them with the towel hanging beside the mirror. I went straight to my walk-in closet to get changed.
"Where are you going?" Keigan asked.
I looked at him briefly before taking off my shirt and replacing it with a polo.
"You're going to her?"
There's no point in answering. He already knows.
"Please, Kuya... Tell me Honey heard you wrong earlier." he pleaded.
"No. She heard me right." I answered without a hint of regret.
I grabbed a hoodie from my closet and put it on. I was about to walk away when Keigan grabbed my arm.
"Let go, Keigan." I said with authority.
"No." He said, forcing himself to face me. "...I will stop you no matter what."
I looked at him intently. I could sense his fear, but he was clearly trying to hide it. I didn't want to yell at him. I didn't want him to feel like I was the one always in charge of this house. He was still my brother, and I didn't want him to feel scared of me the way he did with our monster of a dad.
I took a deep breath to calm myself. I held Keigan's hands and slowly removed them from my arm.
"Keigan..."
"Why is it always her you're worried about?! What about us?! What about me and Keiren?!" he burst out and started to cry.
I couldn't help but be surprised by how he was acting. I wanted to explain to him why I needed to go to Jay-jay, but I knew he wouldn't understand.
"I didn't mean—."
"NO!" he shouted.
I won't deny that I was a little shocked. It was like he turned into a different person in front of me, but I knew he was just letting all his emotions out. I chose not to react.
"Keigan, I know—."
"No! You don't know anything. You're too busy worshipping your girl that you forget and ignore us!"
"Listen to me!"
"I don't want to listen to you! You don't care about us anyway!"
"No! Keigan!"
Suddenly, he covered his ears and started screaming loudly. "Aaaarrrggghhhh! Aaaarrrrggghhhh!"
He dropped to his knees and screamed like he was scared of something.
I grabbed both his arms and forced him to face me. "Keigan! Listen to me!"
He shook his head while continuing to scream. I even tried holding his face, but he kept dodging me.
"You don't want us! You only want her! You don't love us! You only love her! You don't care about us! You only care about her!" He kept shouting and crying at the same time.
"Keigan! Stop!"
I was starting to get irritated by what he was doing. I didn't know what he was going through or why he had to act like this.
"Keigan!"
"No! You're a coward! You're giving up everything! You're wasting Mom's death!" What he said made me stop.
I-I'm not a coward!
I let him go and stared at him for a moment. I ended up tugging at my hair, letting out a deep sigh.
Hearing Mom's death felt like someone flipped a switch. It instantly shattered my heart.
"I'm not..." I couldn't hold back the tears that started falling from my eyes. "...Keigan, I'm not."
"You don't love us!"
My knees buckled, and I collapsed. I was completely exhausted. I didn't want to let Jay-jay go, but I also didn't want to waste what Mom died for.
I didn't know what to do anymore. I didn't know what kind of fight I was supposed to fight. My mind was blank and I had no plans.
Then I heard someone knocking on my door.
"Keifer! What's going on in there?" It was Honey.
I went to Keigan and tried to hug him even though he kept dodging and pushing me away.
"Keigan..." I called him, but I sounded like I was begging. "...please."
I don't know why, but he suddenly stopped after his hands dropped down. I continued speaking.
"I'm not giving up anything. I will continue fighting for Mom, for Keiren, and for you. But please, don't stop me from seeing Jay-jay..." I heard him gasp.
"...She's my strength and my weakness. Without her is like breathing without air, bleeding without blood, and dying with no killing."
He moved his hands and patted my arms. "You really love her. Do you?" He sounded different this time. Maybe he had already calmed down.
"She gives me purpose."
He slowly pulled away from my embrace. "Go ahead. Go to her—but promise me something." he said, looking at me seriously. "...Promise me that you won't give up."
My forehead creased in confusion. Why did his expression change so fast? From desperate, he suddenly looked like the usual Keigan I talk to every day.
"Keigan—."
"Fulfill your promise and I swear that I will help you." he said with a faint smile. "...I will help you become stronger. I will help you face our relatives, especially Clyde. I will help you create a plan."
I'm tempted to say yes. Keigan had never offered this kind of help before. But it's a bit suspicious.
"Tell me, Keigan... What is happening—?"
He cut me off by standing up. He walked straight to the bathroom and I heard the faucet turn on. I followed him and saw him splashing water on his face.
"Just say 'no' if you don't want my help." he said, sounding disappointed.
I took a deep breath. I appreciate Keigan's help, but I'm also worried. I know something is not right. He has a problem—and I need to know what it is.
"Okay... I accept your help."
I saw him smile. "Thank you for trusting me."
"On one condition." I said, and his smile faded. "...You will tell me what exactly is happening to you."
Instead of answering, he suddenly walked out of the bathroom and headed straight for my bedroom door.
Before he could touch the doorknob, I called his name with authority. I saw him flinch.
"I will... But not now." he said almost in a whisper.
He opened the door. Honey and a few maids and the butler were standing still. They obviously tried to listen to our conversation.
"W-what happened? Someone was shouting so we thought—."
Keigan cut Honey off by walking past her. "It was nothing. Please leave."
They didn't say anything and left immediately. I returned to my bathroom. I'm really confused about what's happening with Keigan.
Ever since he came back, I knew something was off. I keep talking to him and asking what happened, but he keeps giving the same answer— That they kept traveling and Dad just ignored him.
Which I find impossible. He was the one who brought Keigan to that place, then he'd just ignore him?
It's getting harder and harder to deal with everything. I have no one I can ask about what happened to Keigan while he was under that Monster's control.
Although... there is one. But my brother is the only one who has contact with him. Dylan.
I heard my phone's message alert. Someone texted me. I quickly grabbed my phone from the bedside table.
It was from Tiger
From: Tiger.
Message: Blue eye, alive alive. D2 cla ni 2mboy Jay-jay. (They're here, he's with tomboy Jay-jay.)
I wanted to smash my phone against the wall. I couldn't understand the message clearly, but one thing was clear— He saw Percy and Jay-jay.
They're probably at KingsGround.
Dammit! Of all places.
I quickly got myself ready. I also treated my facial wounds with medicine and band-aids. After applying the medicine, I walked straight to my walk-in closet.
I opened the glass drawer where I kept my keys. I took one key—different again from before. I also grabbed my wallet and phone. I rushed out of the room and headed straight for the garage.
"Keifer! Where are you going?" Honey asked when she saw me walking out of the house.
"None of your business."
"Uncle is coming. He's going to talk to you." she said, running after me.
"Tell him to come back tomorrow."
"Keifer, what the hell?! Are you even serious about fighting for your family? You act like this is just a game."
I ignored her and walked straight to the car I chose. I unlocked it and immediately hopped in. I drove like I was chasing an enemy. I couldn't help it.
I really didn't like the idea of Jay-jay being at KingsGround. She didn't know what kind of place that was.
Aside from the disco and underground fights, there was also the illegal casino run by Tiger. There was even a strip club there—and, of course, the underground forum where big-time dealers sold drugs. I didn't know what kind of Hocus Pocus Tiger did to keep all his illegal activities hidden from the police.
I gripped the steering wheel tightly and pressed on the accelerator. I needed to get her out of there. And I would definitely put Percy back in his grave if something bad happened to Jay-jay.
I finally arrived at KingsGround Street. Bringing a car here wasn't a good idea. Car theft was rampant in this area. But I was willing to take the risk. I parked my car just outside the building.
As I got out, I saw Dan—one of Tiger's men. He looked like an actor because of how thin he was and the two front teeth he had left. I just couldn't remember which actor he resembled.
"Keifer... What brings you here?" he greeted me before taking a puff from his cigarette.
"Can you do me a favor?"
"What is it?"
"Watch my car," I said and pulled some cash from my wallet. His eyes widened when I handed him three thousand pesos. He smiled widely—even with his two remaining front teeth.
"Keep it safe," I said and walked toward the entrance. The dim hallway greeted me first. From afar, I could already see the flashing lights and hear the loud music.
I could also see some people dancing. I was nearing the main area when I passed one of Tiger's bouncers.
He was dragging a few men along with him. "Let me go! I need to get back at that woman!" one of them shouted while struggling. "Savannah and her friend really pissed me off!" another one muttered behind him. I glanced at them briefly before heading fully inside.
As usual, KingsGround's disco was crowded—full of dancing people. Some women smiled at me, but they weren't the reason I was here. I didn't know where to start looking.
I planned to find Tiger, but I stopped when someone grabbed my shoulder. It was one of the bouncers.
"It's been a while since you visited. What brings you here?" he asked seriously.
"I'm looking for someone. Maybe you could help me find her."
"A woman, huh?
Who is she? I'll check with security." I looked around, hoping to spot her.
"My girlfriend. She's probably still wearing a high school uniform."
"Boss Tiger's friend?" I nodded, still scanning the crowd.
"She's at the bar counter. Almost got into a fight earlier," he said, pointing toward the nearest counter.
I frowned. She almost got into a fight—here in KingsGround of all places.
I thanked the bouncer and made my way to the bar counter. With the crowd dancing, it was hard to walk through. Someone even tried to wrap their arms around my neck, but I quickly pushed them away.
I hadn't even made it all the way when I finally saw her. She drank from a shot glass and suddenly closed her eyes.
What did she drink?
I looked at the person she was talking to, who seemed to be waiting for something to happen. When she opened her eyes, she smiled—and even laughed—while talking to the woman beside her.
My curiosity burned. I needed to know what she drank.
The bartender was about to take the glass Jay-jay used, but I quickly grabbed it before he could.
"S-Sir Keifer," the bartender greeted me nervously.
I ignored him and continued what I was doing. I stared at the shot glass for a while. I even smelled it and used my finger to taste the last drop of the drink. I knew something was off, but I couldn't quite figure out what. I turned to the bartender, who still hadn't moved from his spot in front of me.
"What did you put in this drink?" I asked in a serious tone that sounded more like a threat.
The bartender couldn't answer, but fear was clearly written all over his face. He swallowed several times.
"S-Sir—"
I quickly grabbed his collar. He should be thankful for the counter between us, or I would've already hit him.
"Sir! That was Ma'am Savannah's order! I couldn't refuse!" he explained desperately.
"If I find out what you put in this drink, I will rip you into pieces," I threatened before letting him go.
I slammed the glass down on the counter and immediately started looking for Jay-jay among the crowd. It took me a few minutes, but I finally spotted her. She was dancing and laughing with a girl I was sure she didn't even know well.
I just stood there and watched her, because that was the only thing I could do. I couldn't even walk closer to her. If I did, I might not be able to let her go.
I wanted to stop and run back to her, but Keigan's words hit me like a punch. Mom's death would all be in vain if I gave up now. I wouldn't let that happen.
I'm sorry, Jay…
I froze when I saw her looking at me. I almost took a step back— Until I noticed something.
She was looking at me as if she didn't know me. The woman she was with suddenly whispered something to her. Jay-jay's expression changed and she walked away.
I was about to follow her, but it felt pointless. I wouldn't be able to stop her anyway.
I have to stop her. I looked around. Hoping I could find something to use to make her stop and leave this place. I kept scanning the area until I saw Tiger's office.
He was the only person I could think of who might have the resources I needed right now.
I quickly walked toward it. I just nodded to the bouncers standing guard.
I opened the office door, and the first face I saw was Percy's. He was about to drink from the glass in his hand but stopped when he saw how I was glaring at him.
"And here you are, you bastard!" I said, pointing a finger at him.
"You talk like you're not one," he shot back, raising an eyebrow at me.
"You're just sitting there drinking while Jay-jay is in danger!"
"Relax, Keifer…" Tiger interrupted. "…There's no Forum or Underdog Fight tonight. It's not that dangerous of a night."
I turned to him. "I'm not talking about the dirty Forum and the fights. Someone's giving Jay-jay a weird drink," I said, pointing toward the dance floor.
"Tsk! Looks like Jay-jay's losing control," Percy said, finally putting his drink down.
He stood up and looked at me.
"I don't know what your problem is, but you're seriously messed up," he said irritably. "You made her cry, and now here you are acting like you care."
"You don't know what's really going on."
He smirked. "Oh, but I do, Keifer. I know exactly what's going on. Your revenge failed, and karma hit you back. You fell for Jay-jay."
I wasn't surprised. David never failed to report every little detail of my plan. I thought he didn't care about my plans back then—he even told me it wasn't a good idea to have a girl in our section because of what happened to Ella. And yet here he was, suddenly caring about Jay-jay.
"I have no reason to deny it to you."
"But you denied it to Jay-jay."
Because I had to.
"It's not your business to stick your nose with," I answered, my face completely expressionless.
He didn't respond right away. He just stared at me for a while before turning to Tiger.
"Sorry, but I need to take Jay-jay home. She might start causing trouble soon."
Tiger just nodded at him. Percy walked out, but not without giving me a sharp glare.
I still didn't know what he was really up to. I didn't trust him at all, but it seemed like Jay-jay had found someone she could lean on. For now, I'd let her stay by his side. But if he ever did anything to hurt her, I would kill him and make sure he never came back alive.