Damned If I Do *Matt Murdock* (book one of Damned)

4) (When food is gone...) You are my daily meal

Vera was just five minutes from home, when she walked past one of the possible short-cuts and someone grabbed her backpack and yanked her sideways. She cried out in surprise and fell down as she was thrown off her balance. She hit the ground with a loud hiss.

Co to sakra-

"Hey, beautiful," hoarse voice spoke up above her. She immediately found its source – a man in a soil hoodie.

She stumbled back on her feet, heart hammering violently against her chest, one single thought screaming in her head.

RUN.

Before she could make a move, he shoved her against the wall of the alley. He approached her slowly as if he was cornering an animal, his head inclined on side.

"Where are you going, sweetheart?"

Pepper spray. Why didn't she have her purse with her pepper spray?

"What- what do you want?" she asked him, voice shaking. Maybe if she was fast enough, she would be able to slip out. Right?

His lips curled in an approximation of a smile. It was a mean, terrifying smile. "I don't want to hurt you. Just gimme you wallet and phone and we're good, hm?" he was inches from her, laughing in her face. Vera felt his hand on her hip. She fought a shiver and looked away.

What the hell was she supposed to do?

He was just one man; surely she would be able to flee him? She just needed to distract him for a moment and use it to her advantage.

She had spent an hour beating up a punching bag. It couldn't have been such a difference to hit a person, right? It could not.

Remembering the keys, she made a rash decision. She slid her free hand in her pocket and grabbed them firmly.

3...2...1.

Vera jerked her knee to his groin.

He made a shocked noise and stumbled backwards - that was all she was waiting for. She aimed her fist armed with her keys at his face. She let out a painful whine as her knuckles collided with his cheekbone.

It was a huge difference. No one ever told Vera it would hurt her so much.

"Bitch!" he yelled, still bent forward as he had gotten kicked in his balls. She didn't hesitate. She turned on her heels and sprinted her way down the alley.

Only to be shoved into a wall again. Doprdele. It never occurred to her the man might not be alone.

"You're looking for trouble, aren't you?" the other man hissed and she saw a reflection of a blade.

Vera wasn't stupid. She knew she couldn't fight two men of which one had a knife. She wouldn't stand a chance.

Dizziness taking over her, her legs gave up and she sank in the cold ground, trying to merge with the wall.

"Please, p-please don't," she sobbed, tears stinging in her eyes, hands suddenly trembling. She was too scared to care how desperate she looked or sounded.

He's going to gut me, a quiet voice shrieked in her mind. They are going to gut me and leave me bleeding to death over my wallet and phone. "I'll give you everything!"

He snorted and the first man entered her field of vision too. There was a little blood on his cheek. She didn't know if it belonged to him or her; she didn't give a shit about it though.

"Oh, beautiful, you should have thought it through before you punched me to my face," he spitted out the words and took another step forward. "We'll take it one way or the other."