Chapter 2 Brother Eric

Naomi was surprised to see her brother waiting for her at the airport. She had planned to take a taxi to her brother's holiday villa as it was an early morning landing and she had told him not to worry.

"Thanks, Mia, for being a wonderful travel companion, my brother is already waiting for me." Naomi said as she gave Mia a hug.

"I'm the one who should be thankful. My journey was enjoyable and hopefully my stay will be equally enjoyable as well." Mia said and Naomi could see the worry on her face.

Mia was just looking around checking if Luke had arrived to pick her up. Naomi went to meet her brother who now looked very impatient.

"Always want to keep me waiting." Eric said as he took his sister's suitcase and started pulling it to his car.

Naomi kept looking back to see if Mia had been picked up but could see her just standing with her suitcase next to her.

"Eric I'm really worried about the girl I sat next to on the plane." She slightly pulled her brother's jacket and he stopped abruptly and looked back at his sister.

"Already I'm regretting why I woke up early in the morning to come and pick you up. The fact that you are saying a girl means you don't know her." Eric said and he turned and started walking towards the exit.

"Please my lovely and understanding brother, at least let's wait until her boyfriend comes then we can go. It's her first time here and the boyfriend seems not to be trustworthy." Naomi pleaded with her brother.

Eric did not want it to be his problem, so he allowed his sister to go and check on Mia whilst he stayed in his car. Naomi thanked her brother and rushed to check on Mia.

When she got there and saw two guys talking to Mia. She assumed that one of the guys was the boyfriend, Luke.

"Oh...., Mia it's fine now I had come to check if you needed me, but I can see you are ok now." Naomi said and was about to go when Mia responded.

"I don't know Naomi these guys are telling me that Luke went to Spain three days ago and would be back in a few days' time." The expression on Mia's face was that of someone who did not trust what was happening.

"Excuse me guys what are your plans when you take Mia with you?" Naomi was suspicious of the whole thing, so she had to ask.

"What do you mean? Luke asked us to take her to our apartment until he is back. We are doing him a favor you know." One of the guys said but still Naomi did not trust them.

"Thank you for your kindness but I'm taking Mia with me now. Here is my number just call me when your friend comes back, and I will bring Mia to him." Naomi said as she helped Mia with her luggage and started walking towards the exit.

The two guys gave each other a side glance and one of them grabbed Mia's suitcase that Naomi was pulling.

"Whom do you think you are? Luke asked us for a favor and we are not going to let him down because of you?" The guy refused to let go of the suitcase.

"Naomi what is happening here?" Naomi turned to see her brother now standing in front of her. Eric had left his car because he thought his sister was taking long.

She explained the situation to her brother and Eric turned to Mia.

"Do you know these guys?" He asked looking straight at her in the eyes.

"No, I don't. They got my details from Luke." Mia replied looking scared.

"Gentleman the girl doesn't know you and her boyfriend is not in the country. She is my sister's friend and so shall come with us. Your friend can contact us when he is back." Eric took Mia's bags and the three walked to his car.

Luke's friends could tell that Eric was an influential person, so they gave up after they had followed the three to Eric's car.

Naomi opened the door for Mia to get into the passenger's seat and she closed the door and went in to sit next to her brother in the front passenger seat.

"Mia met my big brother Eric and Eric meet my newfound friend Mia." Naomi smiled as she introduced the two to each other.

"Nice to meet you brother Eric and thank you for helping me." Mia said shyly and Naomi chuckled.

"Brother Eric! That's a good one Mia." Naomi looked at her brother to see the expression on his face. He shot a glance at his sister and Naomi started laughing. She could tell that Eric did not want to be called brother Eric.

"So, Mia why did your boyfriend not come to pick you up? Did you force yourself to come here when he didn't want you to come?" Eric stunned his sister with his question to Mia.

He could see that the expression on Naomi's face had changed. She was not happy with him asking this question.

"Naomi, I have to ask if you want me to house your friend." He tried to clarify but still could see that his sister was still not happy about his question.

"Ok Mia you don't have to answer me, I know my sister thinks I'm being rude." Mia could see Eric looking at her through the rear view mirror when he spoke.

"It's ok Naomi brother Eric has the right to know." Mia did not want to hide anything from Eric since he was helping her.

"Please Mia I would appreciate if you called me Eric." He said and again Naomi laughed.

Mia narrated her relationship with Luke the same way she did to Naomi.

There was silence in the car as Eric tried to understand the situation from a man's point of view. He looked at his sister as if he wanted permission to speak his mind out.

"Eric, say what you want to say I'm no longer scared of the truth." Mia said as she could see that Eric did not want to upset his sister.

"From a guy's perspective I don't think this guy is interested in you. I wouldn't send some random guys to pick up my girlfriend." He tried to be honest.

"Naomi, remember I told you the same thing as what Eric has just said. It's just that his father made me come and I had no way of refusing." Mia responded truthfully.

"Let's wait and see when he returns from Spain, maybe we are wrong." Eric tried lightening the situation. Deep down he knew what he was saying was the truth.

The three were quiet for the rest of the journey and Mia had now closed her eyes. She was thinking about what Luke was up to and what he would say about her not going with the friends he had sent.

'Why can't he tell me the truth and free my father from the bondage that he feels he is in?' Mia was thinking when Eric announced that they had arrived at the villa.

She opened her eyes to see the beautiful villa that Naomi called her brother's holiday home.