Game of Love Ch. 10

"Eric, I am so sorry." Riya apologized, squeezing his shoulder. "I had no idea that this was going to happen. Maybe we should go to a different restaurant or my hotel?"

Eric shook his head. "We're already here, Riya. I don't mind. And by the way..." She chuckled happily, holding Riya's hand sweetly. "...this is Adrianna, a very good friend of mine. And err... she's also Sergio's sister."

Riya almost gasped when she heard that. Her eyes widened but she played it cool and shook the young lady's hand powerfully.

"Nice to meet you, Adrianna."

"Same!" Adrianna smiled. "Anyway, I was just going outside for some air. I will see you later."

Eric nodded and Adrianna quickly left. Riya and Eric went and sat on an empty table, a distance from where Sergio and his family were seated. Sergio's mind completely shifted to Eric. Though he had his back to him, Sergio couldn't help but check the boy and he was also shocked to see Riya after such a long time. God knows he wanted to go there and talk to her.

Trevor saw it but he caressed Sergio's cheek, getting him back to him. He then kissed his cheek, chuckling like he was horny. Sergio gave a sheepish smile although he was very much still thinking about Eric.

Kim saw it and she felt like she was burning in anger. She balled her fist, clenching on the table cloth. She wanted to punch something. In fact, seeing Eric in that restaurant made her fume. She was really mad and she was ready to do something bad.

Giada on the other hand had her eyes on Eric and she also had an evil grin. Her temper sparked as she remembered what he had done to her a few days back. He had literally humiliated her and made her look a whore in front of David. She wasn't worried about him seducing Sergio because she had taken care of that. He was there to seduce him, right? Well, she had a few plans up her sleeve and she was gonna deal with him that night.

"Excuse me!" Giada said, rising with a smile. "I need to go to the rest room."

She chuckled happily, took her purse and left. She was watching him, feeling all excited. It was time for payback.

***

"Eric Hernandez, huh?" Riya teased, taking a sip of her juice. "When I heard about the name, I was kinda shocked and happy that you decided to leave that cursed name. And look at you..." She laughed, raising an eyebrow. "...you're super rich and there's just a lot that I have to ask you."

"Um... Well, a lot happened while I was in Australia and if I tell you everything, it will take us the entire night. So we'll just talk about it another time. But let's just say that leaving Zelda for Australia was the best thing ever for me. I finally ran into my destiny and right now I am happy."

"And I'll say cheers to that." She raised her glass, chuckling a bit loudly. "I am glad that the witches that wanted your death can now witness your success."

"Amen!" Eric raised his glass, laughing.

The two friends were having a great time catching up, talking about how their lives had been the last five years. But they were mostly talking about Riya and her life. She had a quite interesting life the past five years. Her husband was as loving as ever, his family adored her and their business was going just fine.

"And when should we be expecting a little nephew or niece?"

"Isn't that too early?" Riya chuckled nervously. "I am still enjoying my marriage."

"Really?"

"Yeah!" She shrugged. "And what about you, Eric?"

"Me?" He gasped. "What about me?"

"Don't tell you're still single!" She raised an eyebrow. "I am sure you met some rich Australian guy and you're in a really serious relationship."

"Errr..." He chuckled, biting his bottom lip. "No!"

"Oh my God, you're serious, Eric!" She gasped, shaking her head. "You're very beautiful, sexier than any guy I have ever met and you're super rich. What are you waiting for?"

"The right man." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know but I just feel like that. I will get in a relationship, don't worry."

Riya laughed, touching her chest. She was staring at Eric like he'd just said something so horrible. She was about to say something when suddenly, something happened. A tall muscular guy with well shaven hair, smoky gray eyes and a beautiful honey skin came out of nowhere and took a seat at their table.

He had a smile on his face and his chin was propped on his hand. He was staring at Eric, smiling brightly, almost like he was flirting with him. A frown appeared on Eric's face and he began wondering who the man.

"Excuse me, sir!" Riya said harshly. "Didn't you see that this table is already taken? Can you please leave? We're having a very important conversation."

The man leaned back on the chair, winking at Eric. "I am sorry but I just couldn't control myself anymore when I saw your beauty, mi senor!"

"Excuse me!" Eric frowned, arising an eyebrow. "I am sorry, like my friend said here, we're having a really important conversation. There are a lot of empty tables. You can go and sit on one. Thank you very much."

He looked at Riya, raising his shoulder in a half shrug. But he got the greatest shock of his life when the man took his hand and kissed it. He quickly withdrew his hand, swallowing down his frustration. He glanced at Riya and she was just as shocked as he was.

"Excuse..."

"Don't pretend as if you don't know me, Eric." The man said, throwing air kisses at Eric. "I know that I am not as rich as you are but..."

He tried to take Eric's hand but Eric retaliated and he furiously rose from the chair, breathing like he was ready for war. He was staring at the guy, fighting the need to slap him. But to his shock, the guy was still smiling at him.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? Don't touch me! Get the fuck out of here before..."

"Is that how you wanna play it?" The guy roared, getting up furiously. "This is how you play with men's feelings, use them and dump them?"

"Excuse me!" Riya snapped, getting up. "What the hell do you want and who the fuck are you? My friend says he doesn't know you so can get lost?"

"Really? He doesn't know me?" The guy laughed manically, now focusing on Eric. "So we're pretending now, Eric? What am I to you, just some toy that you can play with at night?"

Eric felt a fresh swell of rage rise in him. Fury vibrated through his being and his mouth flung open but to his surprise, he couldn't speak. He didn't know who the man was and neither had he ever seen in his life before.

The man was so loud that he got the attention of everyone in that restaurant. Sergio got shocked with what he heard. Inwardly, he was seething and his fists started clenching. He had no idea why he started getting angry.

Kim was beyond shocked and Giada was enjoying the show with an evil grin on her face. Trevor on the other hand had never gotten as excited as he was at that particular time. He was happy that Eric's secret life had come to the surface right in front of everyone's eyes.

"You're talking nonsense!" Riya chuckled bitterly. "Get out of here!"

"You don't know anything so if I were you, I'd keep quiet." The man warned, now staring at the boy that was beyond shocked. "This is between Eric and I. So Eric, this is how you're gonna deny me for the rest of your life? You can't deny that what we have is special. I know you have a lot of guys that are probably richer than me but I love you so much. Aside from the fact that I give you a great fuck, I love..."

Without a moment of hesitation, Eric flung his hand forward until he came in contact with the guy's cheek. He stung the guy with a sound like the cracking of a bullwhip. His hand stung from the impact and the guy clutched his cheek in pain and shock. He had expected that and honestly, he felt like he was bleeding.

He moved his hand from his cheek, glancing at it. But then he started chuckling, wearing that same flirty smile again.

"Why..."

"Enough!" Eric barked, raising his finger in warning. "I have had enough of your foolishness. Get out of here before I deal with you in a way you won't like. I may look small to you but you don't wanna mess with me."

"Really?" The man laughed, getting closer. But Eric took a step backwards. "Are you gonna deny me in front of these people just like I am not that rich? Are you ashamed of me? Well, you don't seem like it all those times we make love at night."

Sergio's heart rate increased and his body flushed. His clenched fists began trembling in anger. Each time the guy opened his mouth, he got angrier. His knuckles had become white from clenching his fists too hard, and he had his teeth gritted from effort to remain silent, his hunched form exuded an animosity that was like acid-burning, slicing, potent.

"And if you're too ashamed to admit it, then you should stop hiding it." The guy said with a stern face.

"Look, dude, whoever you are..." Eric warned. "...stop this madness because you're messing with the wrong person. Don't make me angrier than I am..."

"You can get angry all you want but it won't change the fact that i love you." He said confidently. "I know it's all about sex for you..."

"How dare you!"

Eric raised his hand to slap the guy but got shocked when he caught it instead, gripping it tightly. He pulled Eric close to him, breathing on his face. He smelled of cigar and liquor and Eric had to move his face away. He tried to move his hand but the guy was just too powerful. He gripped Eric's waist, bringing him closer while caressing his hand. Eric was simply mad but he couldn't pull away from the guy.

Sergio's face became red with suppressed rage. And when he saw the guy grip Eric's waist, that was it for him. He pounded his fists on the table and went rushing like the hounds of hell were after him. He didn't even know that he was headed there.

Sergio gripped the guy by the collar harshly, ripping him away from Eric. Then he slammed his fist into his jaw sending him flying to the table before he tasted a surge of coppery blood. The table broke in half and the guy gave a low groan feeling like every bone in his body had been broken.

Eric had been caught by surprise. He stared at Sergio like he'd just grown a set of horns. He was so shocked that he couldn't even move. He hadn't expected that to happen. How in the world had Sergio come just in time to save him?

"Sergio!" Kim barked, quickly rising from her chair. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

But Sergio's eyes were only on the man that he wanted to kill. He knelt down, picked the guy by the collar, raised his head and gave him the hardest punch ever, literally smashing his skull on the concrete floor.

"You rascal, bastard!" He cried, breathing like a monster. "How dare you touch Eric? How dare you even talk to him?"

"Sergio!" Kim screamed as she rushed to the scene, covering her mouth. "Stop it! What are you doing?"

But Sergio was deaf to her pleas.

"How dare you touch Eric?" He punched him harder.

There was so much force in every blow. Sergio rained blows onto the guy as if he meant to smash him into the very earth. He just didn't want him dead, he wanted him smashed, obliterated, nothing to bury. In just a few seconds, the guy's face was painted red with his own blood and he began crying like a ninny.

Everyone got up to watch the fight and some tried to stop Sergio but he just pushed them away and continued punching the guy. His fists were bloody but he didn't care. Kim had never seen him act the way he did before. He was a monster.

"How dare you touch him?" He roared. "You shouldn't have touched Eric!"

Trevor was sitting at the table white as chalk. His eyes and mouth were wide open in an expression of stunned surprise. He had a lot of questions running through his mind. They'd been sitting comfortably enjoying their moment so how did it turn from that to what he was seeing? He couldn't believe he was seeing Sergio as a monster.

Giada on the other hand was beyond shocked and angry. That wasn't what she had expected to happen and honestly, she was a bit scared. She just stood there mad as a maggot. Her eyes were wide open and so was her mouth.

"You bastard, you touched my Eric!" He shouted venomously. The guy's face was red with blood and he kept on crying.

Each punch he gave him, the people gasped. They watched in shock. Eric slowly covered his mouth in shock, his eyes widening when he saw how angry Sergio was. He'd never dreamt of ever seeing Sergio like that, ever!

"I won't spare you!" He slammed his fists onto the guy.

"Sergio, stop it!" Kim yelled. "Are you trying to kill him?"

She tried to grip his arms but he retaliated and pushed her away. She went flying to a table but fortunately for her, some people held her. Kim couldn't believe her son had done that to her. She furiously pushed the people who had held her and went back to her son.

"Sergio, please, stop this!" She pleaded. "You are gonna kill him. What's wrong with you?"

But he didn't stop. Riya had her mouth covered and her mouth almost popping out of her sockets. Whatever had made Sergio act like that must have been deep and she admired something about it. But why was he defending Eric, she thought? She thought they didn't talk to each other. Did he still love Eric?

"I will kill you!" He roared, face contorted with the venomous outburst. "How dare you touch him?"

The guy had never experienced pain like that. Distantly, he heard frantic screams from people but they were obstructed by the blood pounding in his ears.

"Why did you touch him?"

"Somebody, my son!" Kim cried. "Please!"

Some men ran to Sergio to stop him but he was just too powerful to stop. He kept on punching the guy with the intention of killing him.

Eric started getting scared, really scared. "Sergio!" He hollered. "Please, stop!"

But nothing was stopping Sergio.

"Sergio, please, stop for my sake!"

When Sergio heard that, he stopped his fists mid-way, trembling like there was an earthquake occurring right in his body. His eyes were blood red and the look he gave the guy was just to scary. He groaned angrily but some people gripped him, taking him away from the man.

The guy looked dead. He was wincing on the floor, trying to move but he was just too weak.

"Oh God, take him to the hospital." Kim cried, staring at the bloody guys. "Call an ambulance before something goes wrong. I am extremely sorry. I'll pay for all your hospital bills and any damage."

Some people carefully picked up the guy and carried him away from there. The spot where he'd been lying was bloody. Some even wondered if he was gonna survive it. Kim called her guards and ordered them to take Sergio out of there and they did.

Riya quickly rushed to Eric and held him tightly, rubbing on his shoulder. She was so scared and she was in tears.

"I hope you are happy!" Kim snapped, pointing angrily at Eric. "I hope you're happy with what has happened here because it was your fault. Whenever my son is near you, he always gets into some sort of trouble. Why did you come here? Why do you keep following him like a dog? I don't know what you've done to my son but whenever you're around, he always gets into trouble. He almost killed someone, your stupid lover!"

Eric had no words. He just remained standing there with tears in his eyes. He was yet to recover from what had just happened.

"But you listen to me!" She warned. "Nothing is more important to me than my children. And today, I am making a vow to you as a mother. I'll soon distance you so far away from my son's life that you won't even appear in his thoughts again. I am ready to become a demon just to protect my son from the likes of you. And that is a promise!"

"What are you saying, ma'am?" Riya said hoarsely. "And what did Eric do that you're telling him all those things? Your son just saved his life from..."

"I don't care!" She snapped, furiously rubbing a tear from her cheek. "You just knew me as an overprotective mother but today Eric, you've made a nemesis and I'll destroy you for the sake of my son. That is my promise!"

Kim furiously turned and stormed out of there like a whirlwind. Eric couldn't fight his tears. They came flowing and Riya held him tightly.

"Let's get out of here!" She started taking him out.

That had been very bad and Eric knew it.

***

Sergio entered the house, furiously folding his sleeves. He was breathing harshly, anger boiling deep in his system, as hot as lava. It churned within, hungry for destruction and he knew it was too much to handle.

He looked at his hands and saw the guy's blood. It was a bit dry and it just got him angry. He took off his shirt and started wiping that blood off angrily. But not all of it came out. He threw the shirt to the floor and remained with only a vest.

"Are you out of your mind?" Kim stormed into the house with her daughter behind. "What the fuck were you thinking? You could have killed him."

"He was misbehaving with my Eric!" Sergio snarled. "Didn't you see that?"

Kim was done with Sergio's crap. She walked up to him, pulled his arm and when he turned to look at her, she connected her hand with his cheek. It hurt a whole lot but Sergio just stood there with a mark on his face from the impact. He was still mad and God knows that if that wasn't his mother, he would have done something terrible to her.

"What do you mean my Eric?" Kim snapped, breathing like a monster. "How dare you say that shit to me, Sergio?"

"He was trying..."

"And so what?" Kim screamed in his face. "So what if he was misbehaving with him? What is your business with that? How were you sure that boy wasn't just trying to hide his dirty deals from the public?"

"Because I know Eric!" Sergio yelled. "He's not like that. Whatever that man was saying was total nonsense. Eric would never do that and..."

"Shut up!" Kim snapped. "Shut the hell up before I forget you're my son. You had almost killed a man today. Look at your hands!" She pointed. "They're bloody and you think that's normal? That boy will put you into nothing but trouble and I will not sit down and let that happen."

"Please, understand, mom!" Sergio said with a sigh. "Listen, what I did..."

"I don't wish to hear anything about that. You almost killed a man like a monster. Everyone saw that today and all because of what, a stupid boy that doesn't even deserve it? Do you know what this might have done to your image, our reputation? When will you stop acting stupid and..."

"If you call what I did stupid then I am stupid. I agree!" He chuckled bitterly. "But I have no regrets about what I did. Whoever tries that again on Eric is gonna go to hell and that's my promise."

Kim furiously smacked him across the face again. "Don't you ever mention that boy's name in this house ever again? I forbid you!" She warned. "We were having a good time. Everything was going well until he came to this city. All our plans are being ruined by him. Did you even think about how Trevor felt when he saw you acting like a monster? This was supposed to be your beautiful evening together but my son just had to act stupid for a boy that doesn't deserve it."

"But mom..."

"Enough!" She stomped her foot on the floor, taking a harsh breath. "Now you listen to me. You're not going to get out of this house until after your wedding day. Do you understand?"

Sergio chuckled bitterly. "That's your decision. It's not like I have a say in it anyway. You can do whatever the hell you want."

He made a quick turn and started rushing upstairs, leaving Kim in shock.

"Sergio!" She yelled. "Get the hell back here. I am still talking to you. Sergio?"

"Why are you yelling at him, mommy?" Adrianna asked, shaking her head. "What would you have done if you were in his shoes? Eric..."

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" She said harshly, furiously turning. "I don't wanna hear that boy's name in this house."