06~On The Run[3]

[Emily]

“Get off her!” someone shouted from behind him. The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't see who it was. He had a gun pointed at the man’s head.

The man raised his hands and slowly got off me. Stepping down, my saviour's face finally came into view, and I was shocked by who it was.

“Are you alright?” He asked me, and I nodded my head, speechless. I never thought he’d be my last hope. I stepped down from the car and realised there was a different gang of men pointing guns at the man, and his men.

“What are you doing, Cyrus? I thought I warned you not to cause trouble here?”

“And I thought I told you not to interfere in my business," Cyrus sneered back. He looked pissed, but he was outnumbered and could do nothing. I avoided looking at him and prayed that this would all end soon so I could get the hell out of there.

"If you don't want that then get out of here." 

“I will, but I’m taking the girl with me.”

“No, you won’t. She owes you nothing, and so she comes with me”

Cyrus's men moved closer, trying to initimidate the other men but they stood their ground.

“Don’t let this turn bloody, Cyrus. She’s not going with you, and that’s final.”

“Is that a threat?” Cyrus let out a laugh, finding the situation amusing. He looked briefly at me, but I turned away from his gaze.

“Take it how you want to.”

“ You’ll pay for this, Alan. Mark my words, you will. And you, miss, you better watch your back.”

He called his men off, and they climbed into the van before driving off. He looked at us through the rearview mirror, and there was an evil grin plastered on his face. I watched them retreat until I was certain they were out of sight before letting out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. The men waited a few moments longer to ensure they wouldn’t return.

“I should have listened to you when you warned me to leave. All this wouldn’t have happened if I had done what you'd asked.” Suddenly, so overwhelmed that I started crying. The worst would have happened if he hadn’t shown up.

The bartender, Alan, pulled me in for a hug. I didn’t care that I barely knew him; all the problems I had been facing for the past few weeks suddenly crashed down on me, and I sobbed as I’d never done before.

He held me close until I finally calmed down.

“Thank you for saving me. I would have been—.” I broke out in tears again. Just thinking about it hurts.

He moved back slightly and said, “It’s nothing. I don’t help people that often, so I’m not a good person. And I’m sorry about the way I spoke to you earlier. You were being so stubborn, and I just lost it.”

“It’s okay. I should have listened to you, too.”

“Cyrus is a dangerous man, someone not to mess with. His threat means nothing to me because he needs me. The same can’t be said for you. I'd advise you to leave New York for a while because I know he’ll try to find you. His pride’s been hurt, so he won’t let it slide.”

I nodded, overwhelmed by everything. But I knew I had to listen to him this time, and so I smiled at him and said, “Okay, I will.”

Alan gave me his number and told me to contact him if anything came up. I thanked him, and he shook my hand before turning to leave. He opened the door, but I called him, halting his steps.

“I have a question.”

He nodded as if telling me to carry on.

My voice was shaky as the words tumbled out of my mouth, “The man I met the other night, his boss- what’s his name?”

“You’re safer not knowing that," he said before disappearing behind the door.

My heart sank. Just thinking of how dangerous my baby’s father could be made me disappointed with myself. There was no way I’d allow my child to be tainted with the impure deeds of its father. I had to go away, raise my child somewhere far away. It was the only choice I had at the moment.

I took a moment to collect myself before taking my bag that lay forgotten on the ground. I made my way out of the alley and hailed a taxi. As I sat in the backseat of the moving vehicle, the lyrics of ‘August’ flowed through my lips as I thought of everything that had happened. I was determined to put distance between myself and the disturbing events that had unfolded today.

Little did I know that it would be an impossible task to do.