Chapter 18 - She Is Mine (1/2)

Wirata stopped. The voice that she recognized well without the need to turn to look at. Inside she felt tired of her poor fate.

What the heck?!

Of all the hundreds of restaurants in Vegas, and he happened to be at this one, right here, right now, and right behind! Wirata thought with sick. She pretended not to hear him and continued walking to Bernardo's table.

”Wirata!”

The aggressive voice called again. Wirata ignored and walked to Bernardo. She stopped in front of him. The Grand Costa mafia gave her a charming smile and extended his hand in front but before Wirata accepted, the tall figure came to stand behind her.

Wirata then turned to look, pretending to be surprised a little. Stefan Mackenzie, all big and powerful in his prime looks. Beside him, there was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair holding his arm.

Bernardo lifted his eyebrow when he saw Stefan followed his guest, and stood behind her with no consideration, ill-mannered as usual!

”What's up? Didn't think I'd see your face here.”

Bernardo spoke with a calm voice. Stefan nodded. The expression was clear that he didn't like the face of the man in front of him.

”Me either.” Replied with a cold voice and looked at Wirata. She looked at him, too.

”Mr. Mackenzie.”

Wirata greeted him with a formal tone. At the end of the day, he was her boss. She didn't know before that the two men knew each other and it looked like they were not fond of one another, saw the waiters were intense with a pale face. Wirata didn't know what kind of situation she was facing at the moment.

Seeing her boss's insidious face, his eyes were looking at her like she was doing something wrong and it displeased him very much.

”Didn't you hear me, Wirata?” He asked with a serious voice and stared and waited for an answer. Before Wirata could find the answer, Bernardo turned to look at her and asked...

”Do you know him, Wirata?”

Wirata thought here came her luck. Now, she had two men asking her questions. Wirata could feel the tense atmosphere around her.

At the corner not far, the restaurant manager and the staff gathered there. They were watching very closely. Since seeing the two godfathers walked in. Stefan Mackenzie and Bernardo Costa, these two influential and powerful businessmen (mafias).

Once in the past, they were facing each other just like this and the restaurant had to close for five days for repairs! Good job that they both paid for it! And now they were eyeing each other as if a tiger and a leopard that had encountered the same delicious victim!

”Do you know her, Stefan?”

Bernardo changed target to ask Stefan when nobody seemed like to say out. A hint of laughter in his throat. He felt an interesting thing was going to happen.

Stefan moved his eyes from Wirata to Bernardo. The thing was he hated talking to Bernardo, rather liked to give this bastard's smirking face with something more worth his time, like... his fists, for example!

The two men stared without breaking eye contact, yes, they were communicating in silence, then Stefan jerked his head to signal Bernardo, Bernardo nodded in agreement.

The two enemies understood each other just only using gestures. Both sent a language that no one understood except the two of them. And everybody's watching with different thoughts but the same feeling they had in common at this moment was...fear.

”Andrea, please wait for me at the table.”

Stefan said to the woman hanging on his arm without moving his eyes from Bernardo. And Bernardo did the same...

”Wirata, please wait here, I will be right back. And if you're hungry, please order whatever you like.” He said with a smooth gentleman's tone to Wirata. She nodded a little, didn't try to make any move to stir up the already bad and unsafe situation.

Still did not understand the attitude of the two influential tall and muscular men that didn't talk. Then they walked out of the restaurant. The manager and staff turned to make eye contact with relief.

”Thank God! Such a relief! I was thinking, how long it would take to fix the shop this time!”

Wirata saw the manager let out a sigh of relief and whispered to the waiters who were gathering near him. She saw a staff walk 'Miss Andrea' to a table at the corner.

Wirata sat down, her head was thinking of leaving the place but then was thinking again about uncle John's agreement with Bernardo. She already gave her words and here she was, already wasted her night, so let's not make it truly a waste. It was only an hour or two to eat and then uncle John would get another month to sort out his problems.

When she agreed with herself, Wirata ordered some food, couldn't just sit here waiting like an idiot, couldn't she? She had no ideas what's happening out there, but what she should do for herself, for now, was to install her energy as much as she could, in case she needed it. Two strong thugs to fight with, obviously, she would need... a lot!

*****************

Stefan led Bernardo to the parking lot behind the restaurant. The bodyguards of both sides immediately rushed to join their bosses. The situation looked serious as the war kind of situation!

The parking lot was surrounded by three walls and the restaurant in the front as the fourth wall. There were 'Entrance' and 'Exit' ways on each side of the building. Now Stefan's bodyguards' cars had parked at the 'Entrance' and Bernardo's at the 'Exit'. Each car had a driver ready behind the steering wheel, meaning they were ready to drive off any time their bosses gave an order.

”Tonight I came here just to eat, Stefan.”

Bernardo spoke out first. His hands in his pockets, stood leaning against a car trunk.

”Me too.”

Stefan replied with a strong gaze towards Bernardo. He stood with his legs apart and folded his arms across his chest, sending some signal to his enemy that he wasn't in a good mood to mess with.

”So, what is the problem?”

Bernardo lifted his brow. Because Stefan who made a call to meet out here. As both of them had a long history. They had collided and fought with each other on and off all these years. And when it happened, shops, places, and the innocent people who unfortunately was near got injured. Causing the two mafias to use a manly agreement that if they bumped into each other and thought of violent activity, they would find a suitable place for it, so no one would get suffered which was an unusual thing ever happened in mafia phenomenon.

”The problem is that Wirata is my woman.”

Stephan announced, his dark blue eyes fixed on Bernardo. That announcement made Bernardo raised his eyebrow again. He had only talked and looked at the woman for less than five minutes. Therefore Bernardo still didn't know much about John's step-daughter.

But since Stefan said that she was his woman... that pulled his attention in right away. Once his woman was taken away by Stefan. And maybe this was his turn to teach his enemy a lesson, what it felt like to lose his favorite bird from a cage!

”Your woman? That must be a joke, Stefan. This one I'm sure she's an independent lady, I even asked her stepfather for permission to take her out for dinner. I'm a manly man, never snatched anybody's woman as some dog did!

Bernardo said. Stephan listened, lifted a corner of his mouth up mockingly.

”That was an old story, Birdie. Your woman, she escaped from you by herself, nothing to do with me. She came to me asking for help. But, tell you what, I don't give a shit about this anymore.”

Bernardo narrowed his eyes, felt so irritated. He didn't like anyone called him 'Birdie'. People said his full name. Family and close friends called him ... Bern ... which was his short name. But Stefan always knew how to make him feel itchy under his feet and wanted to kick somebody's ass...Stefan's ass for the start.

Then Bernardo came to realize that it's his enemy's tricks trying to make him angry. So he stayed calm, just for a little more longer.

”Me either, I am easy going as you know. Let's forget the past and start the new, shall we? I like Wirata. And she is here with me, I picked her up from her house. So... what is your story?”

Bernardo gave the statement, his eyes challenge Stefan to answer.

”Listen, BIRDIE! I don't care where you picked her from, but she's going back with me.”

Stefan said in a confident tone, so sure that he could do what he said.

”Hey! It's not that easy. Who do you think you are? It's up to the lady who she wants to be with. And as we see, she's with me tonight, and she's not your woman. I'll make her mine.”

Bernardo made the announcement clearly. Stefan's face was stern, his eyes went dark. He moved a little and that made his men move to get ready as well.

”Tell you what, let's get it over with!”

The end of his words, the bodyguards of both parties moved immediately as it's usually the saying before they jumped at one another, but this time Stefan and Bernardo both raised their hands up at the same time and shouted out...

”Stop!”

Just like that. Then the bodyguards understood that the two bosses wanted to have all the fun to themselves. They were allowed just to watch! No participation! And that was not fun.

”Chris, Cliff ... You two go watch the police. If you see them come, call immediately.”