Hana hurried her steps, but the men behind her seemed to do the same. From the corner of her eyes, she saw one of them slip a hand into his pocket, and her heart sank to her stomach.
Her blue eyes scanned the alley for the nearest escape, but there was none. If she could get to the other end of the alley, she might get help or an Uber. Her arm shook as she tried to remove her phone from her purse.
Their footsteps closed in on her. She turned to them briefly to yell, “Fuck off! Leave me alone.”
They laughed but didn’t stop walking. Hana hadn’t expected them to stop, given how shaky her voice had sounded, but she had hoped that for once something would work in her favour.
“We will leave you once we get a taste,” one of them said. The voice was louder above the rain. Fear tattooed a sharp line in her chest, and she almost missed a step. “What do you think about that, Arnold?”
Arnold, or whoever it was, answered, “I concur.”
The rain was pouring harder, making navigating in the dark or seeing beyond a few yards hard. The water dripping down her phone’s screen made it difficult to type in her password. Her heart raced. If she didn’t find an escape, the men might rape or kill her.
Hana could not let either of that happen to her. She would not let it happen.
Why didn’t she listen to Leah?
Walking and typing became hard for her to do. Hana stopped thinking of a way out. She acted.
Without warning, she bolted.
Her legs moved faster than they had ever done in her entire life. Even quicker than it did the first time she heard her father hit her mother. She was close to the end of the alley when a force from behind knocked into her. She gasped out a sharp breath as her elbows and head scraped the hard, slippery floor.
The rain blinded her for a minute, slowing down her reaction. Intense pain spread through her scalp. Hana touched the side of her head, and something red and sticky clung to her fingertips.
For a moment, her mind went blank. Hana saw nothing but felt the strong arms on her wrists, pinning her to the ground. She smelt him again.
That beer and weed from the coffee shop.
Something tugged at the hem of her dress, and an unwanted hand sneaked between her thighs to fondle her panties. Hana’s thoughts flooded her mind. Her body jumped into alert mode, and she kicked the hand trying to steal her innocence.
No.
No. Please.
Her father would kill her.
More muscular arms wrapped around her ankles, and a sob caught in her throat. Hana was helpless against the caress, the touching, the unwanted kisses. One of the men flashed a pen knife, and chills ran across her arms. Hana gulped down her cries. They were touching her in places no one had ever done before. She needed help.
“Please,” she whispered.
“You should have answered when I asked,” the man who spoke to her at the coffee shop said. He twirled a lock of her hair around his finger and licked his cracked lips. She was surprised she didn’t throw up. “Now you wish you did.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. The man held a hand to his friends, and the other slipped his knife into his pocket. “I have money.” Her heart was in her throat, but Hana continued, “Check my wallet. Take it.”
“We don’t need money,” the second one screamed, and tears fell down her cheeks.
The rain had subsided to a manageable drizzle, but Hana wasn’t sure anyone would hear her.
Fate must have been on her side. Someone stumbled to the far end of the alley to smoke a cigarette, and she screamed, “Help.” Her voice was a faint whisper, and she yelled harder, “Help!”
A callused palm closed over her mouth before Hana could make more noise. The smoker was not moving. He was watching. Hana had to do something. She had to get his attention. If the man left, she would be utterly alone. The three men must have been thinking the same thing she did because the hand on her mouth never left.
When one of her assaulters stood to meet the smoker, Hana felt all hopes of escaping this situation evaporate. If they hurt that new guy, it would be her fault. Her mind was in a turmoil as the man approached the smoker. No one moved as the two of them conversed. Whatever he said to the smoker must have satisfied him. He blew out his cigarette, stomped it, and walked away.
She was alone again.
She was alone with them.
The hand on her mouth dropped, but she didn’t have the strength to fight them. They pulled her to her feet, and one of them whispered in her ear, “We will finish this in a better place.” He pressed something to her back. It cut through her dress, and the cold end of the blade pricked her back. “Move, sweetheart. And smile for us.”
Fear stopped her from doing the opposite. She moved. They burst out of the alley and onto a busy road, making sure to stick to the sidewalk. Hana was drenched. So were they. She wasn’t sure who offered her a wet coat, but she found one in her arm. The stern eyes directed at her told her not to do anything silly, so she reluctantly wore the coat.
They pushed Hana towards the road and stopped. What was happening? Would she let them do this to her? They could kill her after they had gotten what they wanted. But if she tried to leave now, they could stab her. No, they wouldn’t stab her to avoid calling attention to themselves. She could try to run. What were the chances of surviving a stab wound to her lower back?
Hana’s mind was working fast. She put on her best ‘help me’ face, willing the people passing by to notice her. No one did. Everyone seemed to be minding their business, and for the first time, she understood why this state was called the city of the uncaring. No one saw the fear on her face. No one heard her silent plea for help.
Her heart beat faster. She had to do something, and she had to do it now.
“Is the car coming?” someone asked. A car honked in the distance, and Hana gulped. If they found a car, it would be truly over for her. “Don’t even think about it,” was harshly whispered into her ear when she opened her lips. “Put a fucking smile on your face. Smile for your fucking daddies, sweetheart.”
As if hearing Hana’s quiet cry for help, a couple moved close to them. They stared at Hana, and she tried to call their attention without moving her lips, but the knife dug deeper into her back. Hana faked a smile at the couple, and the lady grinned. Tears rushed to her eyes, and she prayed for them to take it as a sign, but they didn’t.
The hope in her chest burned out when the couple flagged down a cab, leaving her with these evil men. Life was moving, but she wasn’t. She had to save herself.
She had to act or die trying. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and the ringtone blasted through the air.
Hana looked up.
A tall man typing on his phone was on the opposite side of the road. His face was familiar, but her brain was too clogged for her to remember. He plugged the phone to his ear and drummed his foot to the floor. Her phone was still ringing. The men were arguing about their next step, but she was no longer listening.
Her mind was on overdrive.
There might be a way out. A dangerous one.
Ten seconds later, the man across the street hadn’t spoken. If Hana had to make a guess, she would assume he was on a call or was waiting for the call to connect. But she hoped it was the latter.
She did the only thing on her mind. She curved her hands around her mouth and screamed like her life depended on it because it did. “Baby.”
Everything stood still. The man’s head jerked in her direction, and the men moved an inch away from her. That was a smooth move on their part. The hand holding the phone to the man’s ear dropped, and she nodded.
It was working. This could work.
Her eyes watered again. “Over here, baby. I’m here,” she said in a loud voice. The man stared at her, so confused. She had his rapt attention. That was all she cared about. But she needed to do more to make this more believable. Hana waved frantically. “I’m coming over to you.”
Hana didn’t look left or right. Her gaze was on the man who could save her from these rapists. Ignoring the car honks and screams thrown her way, she crossed over to him. Her life was on the line, and she would do anything to save herself.
The tall stranger was still stunned, so she took advantage of it. Hana palmed his cheeks, but he didn’t move. She might regret this later, but it was the only way out. “I’m so sorry,” was the only thing Hana muttered before kissing him.
Someone was kissing Calvin. Not just anyone. The pretty stranger who yelled like a banshee from across the street. He only came out of the restaurant to call Diane. She was supposed to meet him here. Who was this? Why did she call him baby? Wait, what if Diane had sent her to him? No, she wouldn’t. It didn’t make any sense. The strange girl moaned against his lips. She was too loud, too eager. Her reactions felt scripted because he wasn’t kissing her back. Was she okay? Calvin knew he had to end this if he needed answers and also avoid possible issues with Diane, but the girl only wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into her embrace like they were lovers catching up. She was wet to the bones, but she smelt nice, and he almost forgot that he should be putting an end to this. Thinking of Diane gave him the courage to peel her off him. His lips were poised to reprimand her, but she shook her head. “Please, play along.” Damn. She sounded like an angel. And Calvin wanted to make
Getting Angel into the car was easy. The hardest part was getting her to reply to Calvin with more than one-word answers. His angel had not spoken to him since his driver came around to pick them up. Calvin wanted to hear her voice again. “How old are you?” he asked. No reply. His angel curled against the window, and her arms wrapped around herself. Tapping on a button by his side, a black screen rolled up to provide them some privacy from the driver. The silence was starting to get to him. Calvin was a loud man like the rest of his siblings. He loved noise, music, and talking. As a businessman, he knew how to work the crowd in his favour, but this woman was difficult. “What’s your favourite colour?” Nothing. “What’s your favourite food?” Her head snapped to him. Unmasked anger burned beneath her gaze. “Can you stop?” she croaked out. She shivered violently, and her whole body shook. He wished he could do more for her than offering an oversized jacket, but the only option was t
Kyle. Hana rolled the name on her tongue, and a small smile lifted the corners of her lips. She liked the name. She liked the owner of the name. And maybe she even liked this place. If he let her, she would jump over the long couch, watching as the city slept. “Thanks, Kyle.” Kyle’s grey eyes blazed with something intense, and Hana tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear. If she had to hazard a guess, she would say his mind was straying to indecent places. But in his case, the thought didn’t disgust her. The only thing that mildly nauseated her was his familiarity with the hotel receptionist and his flimsy excuse afterward. If the young man wanted to sleep around, that was his business, but lying to her would do nobody any good. Someone like him would never lack female attention. “Um, so… you were going to show me to the room.” “Right.” Kyle laughed. They continued to the main bedroom, and a small gasp left her lips when they entered. The curtains
“What?” sputtered out of Hana’s lips. “If you lie, I’ll kiss you. So, don’t lie.” Hana’s heart skipped a beat. She backed away from Kyle until her back hit the sink. Kyle’s grin only widened. He took slow steps towards her until he was right in front of her. This chase was different. Her body welcomed it. A part of her wanted to know what it felt like to be kissed by him. To be kissed willingly, not due to a situation. “How will you know if I’m lying?” she asked. His eyes lowered to her hands, and she balled them into fists. Hana hated lying because her hands were a giveaway. His hands came on either side of the sink, trapping her between his body and the cool surface behind her. The truth was that she liked this position very much. His eyes were greyer up close, his lips poutier, and she almost gave in to the urge to kiss this man. “I’ll know,” Kyle whispered. “I have my ways.” Hana didn’t doubt this sexy man for a second. If seductio
Hana had fast learned that lying was a terrible idea with Kyle. She didn’t know how he found out her tell-tale, but she couldn’t deny the butterflies that exploded in her stomach each time he kissed her. She had agreed for him to stay in the room with her, but the tension was palpable. It also didn’t help that she wasn’t feeling sleepy. Kyle pointed at the flat TV on the cream wall. He had been silent for longer than she thought possible. While she sat, he stood. “Do you want to see a movie? Anything?” “No, thanks.” Running a hand over her dress, she replied, “This is fine. Thanks.” “Are you sure you’re not hungry?” Kyle asked. He had asked more than once, and she had given him the same answer. He backed away from the door to sit on a chair further from the bed. Hana didn’t like the distance between them, but it helped to keep her thoughts clean. “Even a bite?” “You can get something if you’re hungry.” The words were hardly out in the
The room was deathly still, same with the two occupants on the bed. Calvin had not moved an inch since he switched off the lights, and Angel rolled off to the other side. It was past midnight, and the rain had only worsened. He couldn’t sleep. How could he with an angel in his bed? Angel was stiff, but her light snores told him she was asleep. Calvin wanted to hug and kiss her. Even in her sleep, she wasn’t completely relaxed. What could she have experienced that made her so standoffish? Was it the incident with those bastards? That alone was enough to make anyone wary, but he suspected there was more to Angel’s behaviour. She was guarded. And he wanted to be let in. To take away her pain, and that alone made him worry for himself. He wasn’t the type to get attached to anyone. His sister would tease the hell out of him if she knew he had a crush. Diane Ross wasn’t permanent. A fuck buddy who had forced her way into a less temporary position. S
Hana’s heart galloped like a crazed horse. Kyle was staring at her like he wanted to devour her. The longer he stared at her, the less she thought about her mother. She wet her lips. He was kidding about the kiss, but she wasn’t joking about her reply. Kissing him made her forget about life. She wanted to live in the moment with this man. She touched the pendant peeking from his collar when he didn’t move or act on his joke. “What’s this, Kyle?” Kyle broke out of his trance. His eyes lowered to her object of interest, and he took it off. He moved to a kneeling position, and Hana sat up because it didn’t feel right lying down when he wasn’t. She was shy, confused, and shocked as he hooked the necklace around her neck. Her fingertips brushed the heart pendant with a green gem in its centre. There were initials engraved into the silver pendant. She couldn’t read the letter, didn’t want to because her attention was only on Kyle.&nb
Calvin woke up alone. Alone and naked. At first, he didn’t think too much of it until he went to the bathroom. It was empty. No, no way would Angel have left without telling him. Right? That was not how to repay a kindness. Didn’t last night mean anything to her? What if she went downstairs to get them breakfast? The thought sounded ludicrous, but he held onto it. He looked out of the bathroom window to the skies that were bluer after last night’s rain. His angel wouldn’t have done that to him. He didn’t even get her name or address or anything. Calvin wobbled to the room, dragging the sweatpants he picked up from the foot of the bed over his waist. Angel had folded Calvin’s clothes, but his sister’s dress was nowhere to be found. Her side of the bed was still warm. It couldn’t have been long since she left the room, but how did he miss her getting up or the sound of the door opening? He wasn’t such a deep sleeper. A pathetic sound tore out of his lip
Footsteps pounded behind Camilla. How the heck was he so fast? He sounded close, but she didn’t look back to confirm her suspicions. A sudden pressure on her hair made her screech to a stop. Pain spread through her scalp, and she bit into her lip to stop herself from screaming. The copper taste of blood filled her mouth. She placed both hands on her head to ease the pain.The pressure finally reduced, but the pain lingered. Vanya stopped in front of her, the ends of her long ponytail wrapped around his fist. Her breath rushed out in ragged pants. Tears pricked the back of her eyes.Camilla took one step back, but the tug on her hair reminded her she wouldn’t get far. She had always prided herself on her long hair, but now she wished it wasn’t lengthy.“Let. Go,” she whispered, her voice shaky.“The phone.”“No.”Vanya reached for her handbag, his hand tight around the strap. She tried to yank it from his grip, but it was nearly impossible. His grip was steel. They struggled, mostly her
Deep breaths. Inhale and exhale.Camilla May McKenna could do it. She could handle the simple task of taking pictures of a cheating lover and prove to her best friend that Vanya, her boyfriend, was a scum. KJ, her youngest brother, always told her evidence was key. He was the same one who told her men hated shopping and never went on that adventure without a woman unless sex was involved. So, the second Vanya walked into the boutique, she had rushed to the bathroom to call her best friend Faye. If Vanya was at the boutique, then he was with someone else. Faye was in class. All she had to do was get evidence, so Faye would leave the cheat.Retrieving a tube of pink lipstick from her purse, she reapplied it and fluffed her hair. From the mirror, her hair was flat on the sides from her consistent touching. Wasting no more time in the bathroom, she smacked her lips and walked out. Vanya hadn’t met her. He wouldn’t recognise her, so there was no need for her to use a disguise. Cold air r
Sweat rolled down Calvin’s forehead. He hid a frown as he dabbed on the evidence of his anxiety. This was a regular date with his wife. He shouldn’t be nervous, but unlike other dates, this one was special. Different. It was an anniversary date. Last month was the one-year anniversary of meeting Angel on that rainy night. His wife had suffered an abrupt illness, so he couldn’t take her out. They had rescheduled it for today, making sure it fell on the same day. 10th day of the month. Instead of celebrating a one-year anniversary of knowing each other, it would be a thirteen months celebration. Calvin adjusted his suit in front of the mirror and ran a hand over the front of his jacket. He had no reason to worry. Life was good. His babies were fine. His wife was awesome. The cast of season two were already getting ready for production. A smile took over his lips as those thoughts solidified even more.The bedroom door opened, and Calvin stopped fussing with his tie. Angel strutted in,
Calvin waited in the car while his wife and sister-in-law visited their mother’s grave. His fingers drummed on his knee as the seconds went by. He couldn’t understand what they felt. Losing both parents would drive him insane. But the ladies had taken it in stride. Cara seemed to be the most affected.It was only a few days after the new year. Cara had spent it with them but returned to school the next day. These days, she spoke more often without prompting. The cast of season two had already been selected, but he wanted to give her a spot as an extra.IfLance agreed. But Lance would have to.Browsing through his phone, Calvin sat up when he heard approaching footsteps. He looked up to see Cara and Angel. Cara’s eyes were red with tears, and Angel looked to be consoling her. They stopped a few feet from the car and Angel hugged her sister. He waited behind, not sure his presence would be wanted in such moment.Soon, both lad
Christmas was a big deal for the McKenna family, but that wasn’t always the case with Hana. She adjusted her dress a few times, and her husband scooped her up before she could tug on her sleeves one more time.“Baby, you need to stop that,” Kyle warned. She hugged his neck, her eyes closing as she let out a breath. “Everyone already loves you, there’s no need to be nervous.”“Well, yeah, I guess.”Hana’s stomach grumbled. He frowned and placed a hand on her stomach. “Hungry?” “No. Just a bit nervous.”“Don’t be, okay?” he said in a patronising voice. “I love you, and my family loves you.”Hana wasn’t only nervous for herself, she was for her sister too. It was the first family dinner with Cara, Hana, and the entire McKenna clan. After her discharge from the hospital, Cara had gone cold. Or should she say,
Night rolled by without Kyle showing up to the guestroom. Hana curled under the sheet, her eyes filling with tears. Should she have been upset about the loss of their child? Yes, she was. She was hurt. Her heart was shattered for their child, but at no point did she blame her husband for that.If any one should be blamed or punished for it, it was Baba. But Kyle was driving a wall between them with his constant self-blame. They lost a child and should grieve together not push each other apart. She meant what she said about not wanting a fight with him. She had missed him too much to let what was supposed to be a shared suffering drive them apart. He was seeing it as a loss, but she saw it as a gift.Maybe others wouldn’t see it that way, but that was her. Baba pushed her. She fell on her belly but lost only one baby. What if she had lost all? She had so many more positives to be thankful for. One, her sister. Two, her babies. Three, her husband. He mi
Calvin should be a happy man since his kidnapped wife was back home, but he hadn’t gotten the courage to tell her about the babies. He also couldn’t get rid of the guilt that had taken over his chest. No matter what anyone told him, it was his fault. His stubbornness brought them here.Someone tapped him. He looked up, and a fake smile took over his lips. It was his wife.“What are you thinking?” she asked.“Nothing. Just getting ready.”Angel placed a hand on her waist. “Really?”Calvin hadn’t heard his beautiful wife enter the bathroom. She must have caught him staring into space. He tended to do that more often these days. They were getting ready to head to the hospital for their evening checkup. Cara was still there, but she was feeling better than she did last week. His wife had formed a habit of reading a chapter from her favourite romance book to her sister.
Hana’s eyes peeled open slowly. She had gotten so used to her new home that the change had her shutting her eyes again to be sure this wasn’t a dream. This… this didn’t look like where Baba kept her.Where was he? Where was Cara? Each time she tried to remember everything that could have led her to this point, her head throbbed. Someone squeezed Hana’s hand. Groaning softly, she turned to the side and saw Kyle. A minute or two passed. That, that couldn’t be real. Was she dreaming? Was this heaven?“Baby,” he whispered, his fingers brushing her cheek. He was real. Wait, were both of them dead? Did Baba kill her? How did he get here? The heart monitor beside her beeped out of control, and Kyle palmed her cheeks. “Hey, princess. Relax, it’s me. Your dragon prince.”“Kyle?”“Yes. Yes,” he whispered. “I’m here.” Hana winced as she tried to sit up. Her h
They found her. It had been a week since Calvin’s mother gave them the tip about the tracker in the pendant. In that time, they had all worked tirelessly to find Calvin’s wife. Within that time, Calvin experienced too many breakdowns to count. This ordeal wasn’t one he would wish on anyone, not even people he loathed. He sat in his wife’s office, phone in his hand, waiting for a call or something that would take him to her. His heart was broken and hollow, and had stopped beating right a long time ago.This was pain. This was torture.Coming to the office wasn’t actually for him to work. Her absence was driving him insane because her scent was everywhere. He was tired of his whole family fussing over him, so he had promised them he would show up at work to use it as a distraction. That didn’t work. Because he found himself in her office, sometimes just touching all the things she touched, staring into space or pacing the