Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Elaine's Pov

“Well, well, well, look at what we have here.” One of them spoke, “A woman who is all alone.”

“What are you doing here, baby? You should come with us so we'll have some fun. I promise you'll like it.” Another said, stalking towards me. I gulped and shifted back, my voice was stuck in my throat. Although I was in front of a shop, there were hardly anybody passing by, and even if they were, they all ignored what was happening.

“Stop looking elsewhere while we are speaking to you, hotcake, it's disrespectful.” Another cooed, his yellow eyes fixed relentlessly on me.

Fear gripped me like a vice as the men closed in, their predatory gazes pinning me in place. My legs trembled, and my back pressed against the cold, hard wall of the shop behind me.

“Come on, don't be shy darling. We'll take good care of you.” One of them smirked, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. He reached out, his fingers grazing the fabric of my sleeve, I flinched, pulling away as my heart hammered against my chest.

The men began to surround me, their laughter filling up the air, the heat of their bodies pressing in as I tried to shrink away. My heart pounded in my chest, the weight of fear suffocating. Before I could even scream, two of them grabbed me roughly, dragging me towards nearby. I struggled, kicking and flailing but they were too strong.

"Help!" I managed to choke out, but my voice was swallowed by the empty street.

The moment we were hidden in the shadows of the alley, one of them shoved me to the ground, his heavy weight pinning me down as his fingers ripped at my clothes. Panic surged, and I gasped, feeling the fabric tear. My vision blurred with tears, and I tried to push him away, but my strength was nothing compared to his.

"Don’t fight it, sweetheart.” He sneered, his smelly breath hot against my face as he leered over me. The others watched, laughing, egging him on.

“No, please. Don't do this to me, I'm begging you. Please.” I cried out as they continued to tear away my clothes, leaving me bare. The cold wind whooshed around, making goosebumps rise on my body.

“Don't worry, cupcake. You'll enjoy this very much, I'll show you just how pleasurable this is going to be.” Just when I thought it was all over, the man on top of me was suddenly ripped away. I didn’t even see what happened, one moment he was there, and the next, his body slammed into the wall of the alley with a sickening thud. He groaned in pain, slumping to the floor, and then he became motionless.

My eyes widened in disbelief. Someone else was there. A hand suddenly touched my shoulders, gently, and I flinched, terrified, “Please leave me alone. Please.”

“Elaine.”

I looked up, my vision still blurry from the tears and there he was, Zade. Without thinking, I grabbed onto him, clinging to his chest like he was my lifeline. I buried my face in my chest, my body shaking uncontrollably. Zade didn't say a word, his arms wrapped around me protectively but his attention was on the other men, who had frozen in place, their faces pale with shock and fear.

Zade’s gaze flicked to his friend, who had appeared behind him like a shadow, "Take care of them," Zade ordered, his voice as icy as ever, “Make sure they understand their mistake.”

His friend nodded, cracking his knuckles with a grim smile before moving toward the remaining men, who immediately scrambled back in panic.

Zade scooped me up into his arms as if I weighed nothing, cradling me against his chest. His touch was surprisingly gentle despite the anger that was radiating from his body. I held on tighter, too shaken to even lift my head, my fingers gripping the fabric of his suit as he carried me out of the alleyway.

I could hear the sounds of scuffling behind us, the grunts of the men being dealt with, but Zade didn’t stop. He just kept walking, his grip on me firm, his pace steady as if nothing in the world could touch us now.

We had walked directly out of the alley and his car was parked a little outside the street. He fluidly took me to his car and slinked inside, locking it and rolling down the windows. He was about to make me sit on the chair but I held him even more tightly, I wasn't willing to. For now, just his very scent was comforting to me. I could not let go, no, I couldn't afford to let go. It felt like if I did, those men would be able to catch me again and do whatever they wanted to me.

That thought made me hold on more.

Zade swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, “I'm not going to let go of you, Elaine, I just want to remove my jacket so you can wear it. You're cold.”

“Cold?” I didn't even realise that I was shivering.

“Yes, Elaine. You're cold.”

I loosened my grip slightly, still shaking but allowed Zade to take off his jacket. He wrapped it around my shoulders, the warmth and scent of the fabric instantly soothing the chill that had settled into my bones.

“Better?” He asked quietly, his voice softer and almost tender, “Sleep Elaine, I'll take you somewhere safe.”

“Somewhere safe?” As if I was put into a web of illusions, his voice began to lull me to sleep, my eyes began to close gradually.

“Yes. You won't be touched ever again, Elaine. Since I've gotten you now…” I couldn't hear the rest of the words that he said since I zoned out, my breathing following the sounds of his heartbeat. And not long after, I fell asleep, liking the embrace of the man who had saved me. I had no idea just what was in store for me.