Episode 12

   Leyne pushed Tez away with one of his hands.

Leyne: Stop doing that! You’re confusing me. Why are you kissing me?

Tez: I...

Tez stared into Leyne's eyes, as if he were diving into them. Their faces were almost touching, and he started to lean in again.

Leyne turned his face away.

Leyne: I don’t want to be confused by your crazy intentions anymore! You kiss me for "who knows why?" And I haven't forgiven you.

Tez: What you need to know is that I won't do anything to hurt you again. You have my word.

Leyne: So you won't take me back to those bandits?

Tez: No. I promise! From here you'll go back to my house with Rodrigo.

Leyne: With Rodrigo? And you?

Tez: I have to finish this. I didn't come here for nothing. But I shouldn't have involved you. I didn't want you to get hurt... I'm sorry.

Leyne: {Wow! My heart raced again. I feel like an explosion of feelings is mixing everything up inside here. Fear, hurt, love... And admiration...}

Tez: Leyne?

Leyne: Ah.. Yes?

Tez: Are you feeling better?

Leyne: I don't know... I'm feeling a lot of things. And... I have one more question.

Tez: You can talk.

Leyne: You said... From here I'll go back to your house with Rodrigo, right?

Leyne: So, you're not going to let me go though?

Tez was silent for a few seconds before answering.

Tez: While you're in danger... No. I won't let you stay away from me.

Leyne took a deep breath and looked away from Tez.

Tez: I know it can’t be pleasant to hear that. But, if everything goes right. You can go soon. I just need to finish this, so that no other innocent person suffers at the hands of a Maldonado again.

Leyne: So they're used to doing this? Let me guess... The girl in that portrait, your sister... Her death had something to do with them, didn't it?

Tez: Yes... She went through the same thing you did. These people partner with large companies, because they are a trusted group and experts in marketing, they get partnerships quickly...

Leyne: Yes, what companies are looking for most is good publicity.

Tez: As soon as the Maldonados get involved with the company, they get lower positions for other members of their criminal organization... They quickly found a weak spot. They embezzle money, blame some employee, or even a partner of the partner company itself, and then break up the partnership.

Leyne: They break up the partnership after the embezzlement!? As if they were apprehensive about the damage that the partner company would cause them... In fact, many times large companies and partnerships end up like this... So as not to get involved in scandals, or suffer criticism.

Surprised, Leyne became thoughtful.

Tez: When something gets out of hand, I believe they eliminate the loose ends.

Leyne: I'm a... A loose end. If I had stayed in jail, they would have been sure that I wouldn't bother them anymore. That even if I could prove my innocence, no one would believe me... The funny thing is that I didn't believe for a moment that anyone would help me, or that they would believe me. But they do. They want to kill me because they know that at some point someone will listen to me.

Tez: But that doesn't matter anymore, because they won't touch you.

Leyne: Did you believe me?

Tez: I knew you couldn't have made up that whole story. And I know techniques that let me know when the person is lying. But still... I confess that I asked them to look for information about you.

Leyne: Well done. If I were really an enemy, I would be like a Trojan horse. You are the one who should distrust me the most. I'm not offended, after all I broke into your house.

Tez held Leyne's chin and made him look at him.

Tez: You don't have to be afraid now. This nightmare will be over. I'm going to set you free from it.

Leyne: Tez... I prefer it when you talk to me like that. I feel like I'm important somehow...

Guided by the strong feeling he felt, Tez gently held Leyne's face and kissed him. The kiss was reciprocated for a few minutes.

Leyne: Are you going to keep doing that whenever I'm talking? You don't like listening to me?

Tez: It's not that...

Leyne: Then why do you keep not telling me why?

Tez: Do you need a reason to kiss someone?

Leyne: It's not like I'm not available... But I wanted to know what the person kissing me has in mind.

Tez: I have many things in mind...

At the same moment, Tez pulled away from Leyne, visibly uncomfortable

Tez: You don't need to know these things.

Leyne frowned.

Leyne: If you don't want to tell me anything, don't even think about kissing me again! This ends here!

A mischievous smile appeared on Tez's face.

III

Diverting Leyne's attention, Tez picked up his cell phone and dialed Rodrigo.

Tez: I guess he must be arriving, since he's not answering.

The cell phone rang, with Rodrigo's number on the screen, before Tez had even dropped the device on the table.

Tez: Glad you called, can you come back today?

[Guaco: No. He can't...]

Tez's voice changed drastically.

Tez: YOU BASTARD! IF YOU HURT HIM I'LL KILL YOU!

[Guaco: Such consideration for a simple employee, huh!? Or is it something else? My boss said this young man brings back fond memories for him, so he asked us to corner him and take him.]

Tez: WHERE ARE YOU?

[Guaco: Oops! It’s not you who makes the demands. You know very well why we did this. Surely you've already found our fugitive, and even more surely you were thinking of a plan to get ahead, weren’t you? So pay attention, the case is very simple. Bring what's ours, and we'll deliver what's yours. You have until midnight.]

The call ended.

Tez punched the door of a cabinet that was on the wall, and split it in half,

Disappointed, the man leaned against the wall and slid down until he was sitting on the floor. Leyne got out of bed and hugged him.

Leyne: I understand... Tez, everything will be alright. The plan was partly like this anyway. I'm still here, we go back there and you get Rodrigo back... Okay?

Tez: Leyne...

Tez's gaze mingled tension and admiration. He let go, letting his head be hidden in Leyne's thin, gentle arms, and he stayed there, clinging to him.

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