He promised to himself that he won't get back to his old life.
He was done with running, with killing, with those sleepless nights where all he could do was lay in bed and let the guilt eat him alive.
But it was so fucking hard to forget about his old self when he looked in the mirror every single day after returning from Colombia. The images of Red Fly's dead body flashing before his eyes, his thoughts screaming in his head.
It's your fault! He's dead because of YOU. Tom will never see his family again! YOU killed him!
Because he was certain that they could win this time. That they would all come home in one-piece with hands full of money. Soaked in Tom's blood. They lost, again. This time there was no return, no back-up plan.
Santiago lost everything. His friends, their trust and faith that they put in him since military times...He lost a chamce for a normal life, for finding peace and home on this god-awful planet.
Always a loose game. Always homesick.
Santiago Garcia, a man of nothing.
And then...there was her.
His only salvation. His latibule, the reflection of his mind and soul...
Hailey Rikard.
'°´
JUNE 21st, 2019.
NUEVO LAREDO, MEXICO.
His knees were becoming a problem. He got old, no scratch that, he was old. Way too old to be alone, without a wife or a kid. He didn't even had a dog or any other animal. He was alone and stubborn.
That's how he ended up here - on the empty Walmart parking lot in the middle of night, thirsty for something else than the apple juice that currently was the only thing in his fridge. He could've waited with that till the morning but his stubbornness wouldn't let him.
He was leaning against his car, right after buying some neccessary food to fill the empty space in his fridge. He even bought some vegetables and fruits and that didn't happen very often when he was coming back from the store. Usually he never carried any bag, it was just him and his whiskey or beer laying on the passenger seat, shining in the light of the street lamps he was passing on his way back home.
Santiago was a mess. That full of rage kind of mess that wasn't looking for a rescue. His silent cries for help were not meant to be heard.
Until the moment he stopped at the lights and saw a woman sitting at the bus stop. She couldn't see him, keeping her head down low, when all of a sudden she was approached by a man.
Santi cursed himself and squeezed the steering wheel. He should go home. He shouldn't care.
He shouldn't have parked on the pavement and walk out of the car, ready to punch the shit out of that guy who was forcing himself on her.
"So, you wouldn't mind if I took you home, beautiful?" he heard his disgusting gravel towards her.
Motherfucker.
"I would," he stepped in, making himself known. "Get the fuck away from her."
The girl was taken back by the sudden change in the situation, looking at him in pure fear, her posture totally frozed.
The man chuckled dryly and shook his head.
"Or what?" he challenged him.
"Or I'm going to smash your fucking head off." Santi growled, his fist clenching. "I'm not going to repeat myself."
He eventually gave up, throwing a few curses at him and then walking off. When he was nowhere in sight anymore, Santi turned to the girl.
She was still shaking but not from the cold. Her dark, big brown eyes were looking at him with both gratitude and anxiety.
"You alright?" he asked, tilting his head.
She nodded briefly.
"Come on, I'll give you a ride." he murmured, watching her eyes go wide. "Relax, I won't try anything."
To his surprise she followed him to his car and took the front seat. They drove off, tension slowly filling the air.
"You should be more careful next time. Walking around the streets at night is dangerous. Especially if you're a woman. That's basically how people are being trafficked. It starts from situations like this so you're lucky that I was nearby."
She remained silent letting him scold her. And again he was suprised that she didn't fight him about that and gave up on defending herself, trying to explain what was she doing at such a late hour, like every other girl would do.
"What's your name?"
"Stop the car." she rasped suddenly.
"Exotic." he hummed in response.
"Stop the car, please."
He gently pressed on the brakes, realising they were on the outskirts of the city. She grabbed the handle but he was quick to stop her by putting a hand on her arm.
"Woah, woah. Where do you think you're going, huh?"
"Home. I live nearby, it's only a hundred meters away."
"Then let me-"
"No." she protested, her voice firm and gentle at the same time. She sighed, getting her hair out of the face and forcing herself to look at him.
She was beautiful.
"Just...leave. You've helped me enough already."
"Leave you and what? Let some other motherfucker kidnap you and sell like a piece of meat?!" he raised his voice but seeing her expression he cursed himself again. "At least let me walk you home."
"I don't want you to." it was clear that she didn't trust him. He wasn't worth trusting but he couldn't just leave her in the middle of fuckin nowhere. "Please."
"No."
"Yes."
"I'm trying to be nice."
"And I'm trying to get out of your hair."
"That's not happening. It's my way or the highway."
"How can I be sure you're not going to kidnap me and sell me like a piece of meat, hm?" she deadpanned.
Touché.
"Okay you have a point, but-"
He trailed off, suddenly getting lost in her beauty that was playing some weird, inexplicable tricks on his mind.
"How about just fifty meters?"
"Twenty five."
"Forty."
"Thirty five. And that's final."
"You're stubborn, you know that?" he asked, turning off the engine of his Ford and getting out, revealing himself to the cold breeze.
They started walking, shoulder to shoulder, hands hid in the pockets. Santi caught himself checking her out a couple of times but again he blamed his nature. Everybody (including himself) knew that he couldn't resist a beautiful woman. And that's what she was to him. A masterpiece created by the God himself.
"What's your name?" he repeated the question, feeling that she wouldn't answer him.
She responded with dead silence.
"Oh, come on. We know eachother for..." he looked at his watch, trying to read the time in the darkness, that surrounded them. "Twenty minutes. I think I deserve to at least know your name?"
"Just call me whatever you want." she grumbled, visibly annoyed that he still hasn't shut up.
"As you wish Peanut." it rolled of his tongue with ease.
She parted her lips, cringed by the little nickname.
"Peanut? Really?"
"Yeah. You're small and-"
"Just shut up, please." her fingers travelled to the bridge of her nose. "It's already been forty meters so you can go now."
"Really, Peanut?"
"Just go, okay?" she pressed, frustrated. "I- I'll be fine."
"Okay. But if you die don't hunt me in my dreams!"
She showed him her middle finger, slowly increasing the distance between them, blending in with the night.
'°´
an: i'm in my oscar isaac era 😩🛐
let me know what do you think so far and see you in the next one! <33