Painfully sweet

Chapter 2

Sakura exclaimed as freezing water forcefully hit her by the face. "Ahh, fuck!" It was quite a while before she was able to focus on her surroundings. More so on where she was. The very first thing her eyes landed on was that fat ugly man who almost strangled her before she got to this place. There were no bars, she noted and the pig was just a good feet away from her. If she could just untangle herself from the painful knot of ropes that gripped her limbs tight, then she would undoubtedly peel this guy's face off.

"Sweet morning, isn't it?" Sakura didn't bother to reply as she busied herself with untying the rope from her hands. The ugly pig just stared at her in amusement. Giving up, Sakura sat straight against the wall eyeing the man in front of her. She noted his clothes and from what she can remember from last night, he was still wearing the same set, all as they were.

"So, when are you planning to take a bath?"

"None of your business."

"Oh, I forgot. Your idea of a bath is rolling around that muddy pig pen of yours." Sakura was certainly amused to find out that men like him are very sensitive, especially when it comes to kidding around. But he sure didn't seem to be playing around as he stood up, ready to take Sakura in for another round of punches. But she didn't move a muscle. She was sick and tired of their ways.

"You know what? You smell a lot nicer... when you're a hundred feet away from me."

"You really don't know when to shut up." He picked up Sakura effortlessly, ready to throw her like a piece of rock. And Sakura could clearly see where she was going to end up in. Yes, he had aimed her towards the door and commencing countdown.

Zero!

"Leo, put her--!!!" It was Syaoran and the cannon ball has long been released when he started his command. And instead, received a girl flying straight towards him. And to his utter surprise, knocked the air out of him. And surely, he was out. For 3 minutes actually. It was all a blur as everyone hustled back and forth to right things. And Sakura found herself right where she woke up. Everyone was busy around the guy, actually her saviour, But there was one person who stood frozen. She remembered what the guy just called him.

So the pig had a name.

"Hey, Leo!" She called and the dumb-founded man slowly turned his head towards her.

"You are so. DEAD!" And right after she said it, the guy who just fell unconscious was well up on his knees again. His white shirt and baggy pants soiled to the bones, giving a fresh look towards his already ruggedly handsome face. He shot Sakura a quick glance before turning towards that Leo. The big guy had his head hanging low and Sakura almost felt sorry for him. It was a long stare down before the guy quickly grabbed something from his waist.

To Sakura's utter surprise, he was pointing a gun towards Leo. And she didn't even know why she was surprised.

"Didn't I tell you to use your head?" To Sakura, Syaoran looked like a movie star starring in an action flick. And he looked just perfect for the role. Then Sakura's eyes fell back on Leo. She suddenly lost her voice to mock him as pity suddenly got the best of her. And though it may seem stupid, she just felt sorry for the guy. Yeah, he may have been such an asshole, a real one for that matter but to say the least, he really wasn't planning on killing her. And she thought that maybe he deserved the same. To be tortured, but not be killed. Alright, that confused her since one would really choose to get killed over torture.

And what's bothering her even more is that Leo seemed mindless of his current situation. Like he was expecting for it long before this happened.

Sakura, tired of thinking, finally spoke up. And yes, she was starting to ask herself where she was getting all these guts from.

"Can somebody please cover me while that gory stuff happens?" Everyone turned to look at her; even Leo had a surprise look on his face. But Syaoran remained unmoved.

"Do you mind?" Syaoran turned to her and tucked the gun somewhere in his waist. "We'll save this for later." He muttered as he took long strides towards her. Sakura had to wonder if she should start getting scared or what. Then he fell on one knee to level with her eyes.

Maybe he's basically a good person, no? Sakura thought to herself as she stared back into his eyes. And something about them had her feeling something more than being scared. If looks could kill. He placed an arm on his knee and took a closer look.

How closer can he get? Sakura thought as she backed her head until it hit the cold wall. And he was still looking at her. She didn't even know if he knew how to blink. His stare was downright scaring her to death. If it weren't, she could've scared him off by her words.

"You think you can get that jewel from my eyes?" He eased off a little and everything came back to normal. A few of his men started talking something about the way she speaks to people. Of how she never gets tired of throwing insults even when all odds were against her. And they were right. Maybe this girl didn't know when to get scared.

"Just hand it over, and we'll set you free."

"Do I look stupid to you? If looks could kill, I would've been dead five minutes ago. But I'm sure that either way, I'm going to end up dead."

"Now's a good time." He retorted and judging by the look Sakura gave him, he knew she was in for a surprise. His men might've been sensitive over being insulted, but it would take a lot more for him to be.

"Still, I'm not changing my mind about that jewel."

" Why?"

"Because, It has almost cost me my life. So why give it up now if I already went this far?" She was trying her best not to look like some misplaced rat. Although, she already were.

"Why?" The look he gave her disturbed her a great deal and she didn't know if she should continue. She looked at Syaoran who looked bored but was certainly waiting for an answer.

"Because no one would really wonder where I'd be after I get killed, so what's the point?" The atmosphere around her changed quickly, for the men behind Mr. Gorgeous, that is. Sakura seemed indifferent about what she just said not really caring if she had to add a little bit of drama with her current situation. For all she cares, she might be stepping on the Mafia territory or other stupid underground society or something. For one, no threat has been proved effective against her. She's got nothing to lose, well, at least that's what she had made herself think all these years. And then she had to think back, anyways that's not what's important. And giving the people the idea that she's got nothing to lose helped her a great deal from her past experiences.

"Well, then seeing as you're just alone as you can be, then there should be no problem surrendering that jewel to us, right?" Sakura had been expecting him to smile or something close to that gesture but his expression remained the same all throughout. Maybe she had been watching movies a bit much because based from those selections she has watched, this is the part where the killer acts all proud and victorious that his grin has already went past through his ears, but it didn't seem to apply to her soon-to-be-murderer.

"So what use will it do to someone like you?" He muttered before he stood up then continued. "Quite unnecessary, don't you think? Same as through with the hard work you've put my boys into for the past 3 months." Syaoran eyed the girl in front of him like he still can't believe he was dealing with this until now. The girl must have been dead just as the jewel's supposed to have been retrieved, a long time ago. He can't believe he was still dealing with this. He just can't. And this girl's wasting his time.

But somehow, killing her right now also seemed unnecessary.

Not to mention stupid.

"I don't plan to get my hands dirty just because of someone like you. So hand the jewel to us."

"Someone like me? Maybe what you meant was someone who's in possession of that precious jewel of yours." Syaoran heard her say. She was really digging up her own grave, he thought. He looked around the room and found his men anticipating for something. If he killed the girl, finding the jewel might be impossible, threatening her was of no use seeing that all previous threats were put to waste because they had no single clue about her personal life, more importantly if what she had said about being alone was true. If it were, they had no other way around it. Quickly, he turned around and grabbed Leo by the neck and pointed a gun to his head.

Sakura didn't even have time to blink when all of a sudden, he was holding a gun against Leo's bald head. And she was just waiting for him to pull the trigger, but as she'd thought, it was just another threat. She sighed.

"don't you get it? That this might just be another empty threat?"

"Unfinished business, from earlier." He muttered. Sakura glared at him and she really was starting to hate him more than anyone she hated who're inside the room. There was just no way that she could give the jewel, even if it meant saving everyone's lives. She just can't. Not even her own life was enough to make her surrender it. In the first place, it wasn't really them who owned it. They just owned to it. Whatever. This time though, Leo was looking at her.

Syaoran looked at him then at her.

"Then again, maybe you could save his life." Sakura opened her mouth. Then closed it. She couldn't and she hated herself for it.

A strong shot resounded through the whole place and Sakura whipped her head sideways. She waited for the loud thud from Leo's body but nothing came. Slowly, she lifted her head and found Leo.

Alive but out of breath. Syaoran was looking at wall where the bullet just passed through then picked up his phone which had started to ring.

"Think about it." He said one last time then left the room. Leo was left in the room. "So, you're stuck with me." But the fat guy seemed dead, he stared at the space along the wall. He was sweating profusely and it was obvious that he was shaking.

"You know, life is short."

----------------------------------------

"Hey Eriol, I need some good news." He was running out of time. And the thing he hates the most is compromising. That girl was in no position to make him compromise with her situation, not that she asked him to. He feels that it was what she was trying to get him into. And for what? He keeps reminding himself that she was holding that jewel. And he will be damned if they lost her to it.

"Tsukishiro is dead. There are two heirs to the empire. Yue and Yukito. Apprarently, the oldest gets it. Yue just happens to be a year older than his brother."

"That's your good news?"

"You've never come in good terms with their father. So maybe this is your chance."

"That's crap. They're always after what I'm after."

"Kinomoto, Sakura."

"Look, Eriol. I didn't ask you for some who—"

"Take it easy Syaoran. Apparently, she's not a whore. Well you wish she could since she's just some girl holding your jewel." Syaoran realized he was talking about that rat. He never did care about her name or any other things for that matter; all he wanted was his jewel.

"Of course."

"I'll get back with you."

Syaoran had the urge to throw his top of the line phone that moment but thought better not to. He was getting frustrated and frustrated. Then he remembered Sakura's display of her guts inside the room. Even during those three months they've been hunting her. She really was brave, for a girl. And he thought no other information proved necessary, maybe he'd underestimated her.

"Sakura."