Samantha
~
The heavy metal doors closed behind me with a dull clang. Fresh air. I breathed it in as I took a clumsy step outside, my knees almost buckling underneath me. It was happening again. I couldn't breathe. Black dots blurred my vision. I had to calm down, I've been through this before. Too many times. But first- I steadied myself against the door and looked around for something, anything. My heartbeat was skyrocketing; there were so many questions running through my mind. No time to think about that now.
Finally, I found a rusty, twisted metal tube lying between piles of trash on the dark alley pavement. I grabbed it with shaky hands and tried sliding it through the two handles sticking out from the double doors. It got stuck where the tube had bent, but I prayed it would be enough to jam the door from outside. I turned around, vision still shaky and blurred, resting my head against the doors and trying to regain my breath. My stomach twisted when I looked out at this alley. Eerie, dark. It looked so similar to the alley so many nights ago. I shut my eyes, and I could still remember it all so clearly. How he held me up against a wall, held me in a tightening grip that left bruises on my wrist for weeks. And worst of all, the look in his eyes when he saw the terror in my face. Deadly.
I couldn't stand up straight anymore and slid down to the dirty pavement with my back against the door. He was here again, and I was just waiting around for him to get to me. Why hadn't he done something when he bumped into me in there? I knew he'd recognized me.
I couldn't stay here forever. As my heart rate slowed and my mind began thinking clearer, I had the urge to just run, far from here. But Nick was still here, and he promised he'd come for me. They could hurt him, too. And now I knew there was more to the story than he was letting on about. He knew those guys from that night.
Only a few minutes passed with me trying to break through the wall of fog in my mind before I heard a distant clatter come from the front entrance. The alley I was in provided cover from the eyes of people coming out, but my heartbeat still throbbed in my ears.
I scattered on my feet when I saw Nick emerge from the main door, looking around with wide eyes. I let out a relieved breath and was about to call out to him when I saw he wasn't alone. "Walk, Carter!" A deep voice growled as someone pushed him along roughly. It was him, the guy from that night. I breathed in sharply and dropped down to the floor again, hiding behind a large trashcan.
I heard more footsteps and vicious chuckles. He wasn't alone. I scooted to the far end of the trashcan and peeked out at the alley. My gaze began to get shaky and blurry, my palms sweating. Nick was surrounded by at least four guys, including one of the two guys who'd attacked me, who stood taller than the rest. He seemed to have a growl permanently etched on his face, bruises and scars that hadn't faded yet adding to his already menacing figure. Scars that Nick had surely left after he'd left him nearly unconscious on the pavement.
They stopped right in front of the small alleyway, I could see every face perfectly. Nick glanced at the alley, and I realized he could see me. He was the only one who knew where I was. As the guys began mumbling something I couldn't make out, Nick shook his head once, subtly. I knew it was meant for me. My throat seemed to shrink suddenly, fear manifesting itself into a big knot in my stomach. He was telling me not to move.
In a split second, the tall guy landed a vicious punch to the side of Nick's face, making a crushing sound as his head turned sharply. I flinched and gasped, putting a hand around my mouth to keep me from screaming. Another of the guys held Nick's arms behind his back. Nick rolled his head back around and spit out some blood, but his expression remained the same: tense, unreadable.
"Wasn't a smart move, coming back here again," the man said and sighed, wiping Nick's blood from his hand. His expression seemed relaxed and satisfied, high on the violence and adrenaline. And possibly on some other stuff as well.
"Then again, turning on us all those nights ago," he paused to ponder, then chuckled, shaking his head as in disbelief. "And all because of a girl." Nick's jaw twitched at that and he turned away from him. "That wasn't very smart of you, either. You really should have stayed away." He towered over Nick, a snarl twisting its way into his scarred face. Nick laughed darkly, no sign of humor caught in the sound.
"And miss the chance to see you again? I could never." Nick grinned at him, remains of fresh blood staining some of his teeth. The man's snarling smirk dropped into an angry growl, his top lip quivering as he got dangerously close. Nick didn't flinch. "You know, there's something different about you, Terrence," Terrence. He knew his name. "But I just can't put my finger on it."
"Trust me kid, the scars you left here, I'll double on your-"
"-Ah, right, it's the scars. How could I forget?" Nick interrupted with a grin as if suddenly remembering. Terrence had had enough and he yanked Nick from the collar of his shirt. One of the other guys who wore a blue cap spoke up.
"Easy, Ter! Remember what Red said." He urged, a strange concern in his voice. Terrence didn't let Nick go.
"If Red didn't want you alive, I'd kill you right here." He growled, making the marks on his face appear deadlier.
"You really shouldn't frown, Ter. Brings out the scars." Terrence jabbed Nick in the stomach sharply, Nick let out a groan and doubled over. I flinched back and shut my eyes as my mind scrambled. My heart was pulsing in my throat, and my heart got heavier with each blow I could hear landing on Nick. I couldn't let him get hurt like this. I had to do something. This was all my fault.
"I know the girl came with you. And I know you're protecting her. Why don't you bring her out here? I promise we'll show her a good time." Terrence got menacingly close to Nick's face, a sick smirk on his face. Nick didn't respond, instead, his jaw tensed and his eyes narrowed. I could tell Terrence was enjoying teasing him, poking at him until he finally reacted. "I decided I'm going to let you breathe long enough for you to see me grab her, hold her down and-" Nick bashed his head into Terrence's forehead, making Terrence scream in agony and a powerful smash echo through the alley. Terrence pressed a hand to his forehead in sheer surprise as blood dripped down his face.
Now it was Nick who was scowling; deadly, vicious eyes holding Terrence's gaze. The rest of the guys stood still as Terrence laughed darkly and shook his head. He gave one of the other guys a quick nod, and the man who was holding Nick back was joined by another. He got a hold of Nick's hair and yanked it back so that he faced the open sky. Nick let out a growl, Terrence got closer as he spoke: "I used to admire your fearlessness, you know kid? But now... now I know you're just plain stupid. And all this for a girl. What a shame."
Terrence balled his hands into fists and landed a strong uppercut from below Nick's uncovered jaw, followed by another punch into the side of Nick's neck. Nick gagged and writhed back in pain.
My pulse throbbed and my hand was shaking when I remembered I had my phone with me. Dark spots threatening to drown out my vision, I grabbed my phone and clicked on the screen, ready to call for help. No battery. I had to do something, anything. Terrence wasn't going to wait for his boss anymore. He was going to kill him.
Despite the rest of the guys shouting at Terrence to let him go because of Red, he ignored them, landing punch after punch on Nick. Another one into the side of his face, his stomach. He doubled over, unable to withstand the pain, and dropped to his knees all the while the other two guys kept holding him back, emotionless.
Nick was struggling to find air, to recover. I could already see the cuts on his face, the sweat dripping from his hair. His eyes, defeated and wounded, staring into the ground. That was it. I couldn't take that anymore. Seeing him in agony like that, it provoked a reaction in my body. The look on his eyes was what made me able to stand up on my two shaking feet.
Terrence was about to throw another deadly punch, and I just couldn't let that happen again. "No!" Someone shouted as I struggled forwards, out of the darkness and dropped my fear-filled body right in front of Nick. It only took me a split second to realize I was the one who had screamed. And the beady, diabolical eyes that stared back at me in confusion turned even darker with amusement, his lips playing into a grin. My insides twisted, nothing seemed real anymore.
But the thing that made me most afraid was when I turned to look at Nick, bloody and bruised on his knees, and the look of pure fear and misery in his eyes as he stared at me just inches in front of him. "Sammi... no." He barely croaked out and shook his head. It was fear and agony for me.
"Sammi, is it?" A terrifying voice spoke up next to my ear. It sent shivers through my body, I could just stare straight ahead while my mind went into complete panic and my grip on reality faded.
Terrence grabbed my hair and I yelped as he yanked me backward right next to his ear, his grin had faded. Nick struggled to get out of the men's grip on him as he shouted my name, but they only pinned him down harder. The next words Terrence said made fear engulf my entire conscience and my heart stop. "Now, where did we leave off?"