Chapter 2

"She is inside, sleeping." Nana answered.

"Go get her," the man ordered.

My heart dropped.

"When am I getting paid?" Nana asked.

What? Nana?

"You get paid after we get what we want. Her father was useless to us. The boss wants the girl, so go get the little bitch." The man snarled.

Terror washed me as I covered my mouth with my palm, taking shaky steps back, but I stumbled on something that made a sound.

I shuddered in absolute fear.

"Child?" I heard Nana's voice and more than one footstep approaching.

I let out whimpers as I quickly got on my weak feet and ran towards the first thing my instinct picked up.

The window.

I climbed it and was about to jump down.

"Hey!" I heard another voice and a grab at my ankle.

My heart dropped.

I screamed, falling off the window and landing on the ground. I didn't remain there. I quickly got up on my feet and ran into the woods.

"Hey! Stop!"

"Get her!" I heard a different voice.

"Don't lose that bitch!"

I let out whimpers and sobs as I ran for my life, panting tiredly as I ran past tree after tree. I sensed them speeding up on me.

I can't even tell how many they are, but they are seriously chasing me.

I can't feel my heart anymore.

I don't know where I am running to.

A scream escaped my mouth as I fell on the ground, injuring my knees.

I winced at the agonizing pain, looking behind me. I saw flashlights approaching.

"Don't lose her!"

I got on my feet and continued running. Panting and whimpering continuously as I ran towards nowhere in my mind.

My parents' murderers want to kill me.

My parents weren't enough for them.

Nana....

I can't believe she is behind this.

I continued running till I found myself on a route and a fast speeding car was approaching with its lights attacking my eyes.

I let out a gasp, expecting to be knocked by the car, but it stopped an inch close to my legs.

I let out a breath, still standing and shuddering like never.

"What the hell?!" An unfamiliar male voice from the car.

"Are you blind?!" another male voice asked.

"Evelyn?"

I froze at a familiar voice.

I looked at the passenger seat and I saw a guy recognize from college, who has been making advances in me poking his head out of the car and looking at me with surprise.

"Over there!" My chasers got closer, making me look in their direction. I saw their flashlights approaching from the woods.

I looked at the guy from school. He is out of the car now, looking at me with worry.

"Evelyn..."

I quickly ran towards him.

"Help me....please. They are going to kill me," I shuddered. He held me as his eyes moved to the men approaching.

"We have to leave, please....."

He didn't say a word but moved me behind him, shielding me as two other guys got out of the car.

"They are armed men, Mario," one of the guys said to the guy from my school, reminding me of his name.

Mario took out something that looked like a gun, making my heart drop.

He cocked it and I heard the other guys cocking theirs too as they walked toward the front of the car.

What are they doing?

"Get in the car," Mario said.

"What...?"

He opened the backseat door for me, urging me to get in.

I entered the car, and he closed the door after me. My heart kept on pounding as I watched them from inside the car.

The next thing that happened made me flinch. My chasers aimed their guns at Mario and his friends, but Mario and his friends were first enough to fire their guns at my chasers.

I screamed, covering my eyes and ears with my hands as they went on firing their guns.

The terrible sound stopped, making me open my eyes slowly and look at them. Mario walked towards the dead chasers on the ground.

I watched as he shot the dead bodies all three times, making me terrified. I thought of who Mario really is.

My heart pounded at my thoughts.

Are they gangsters?

Mario and his friends approached the car while putting their guns in their back pockets, making me shift on the seat. His two friends entered the front seats. Mario opened the back door where I was, making me shudder as he joined me and shut the door.

My entire body weakened at the fact that I just fell into the wrong hands.

Mario looked at me.

My breath hitched.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking at me with worry.

I didn't respond but kept staring at him.

He furrowed his brows slightly at me.

"Where are we going from here, Mario?" His friend in the driver's seat asked.

"Take us home," Mario ordered.

His friend started the car and turned the wheel. We began driving to where he calls home.

At this point, I don't know what to do.

Should I scream?

It is very late, and the road is lonely. No one will hear me or save me from them.

But they literally saved me from those bad guys. Maybe they are not that bad.

But why do they have guns?

I felt my nerves calming down, but my thoughts were still wondering.

"Evelyn," Mario called, making my heart pick up.

I looked at him.

"Who were those guys? Why were they chasing you?" He asked.

"I.... don't know." I stuttered, dropping my gaze as my parents came to my mind.

"Who ever they are, they killed my parents." I almost sobbed.

"They burnt our house and came after me." I sobbed.

Mario held my hand, making me look at him momentarily. He had a concerned look on his face.

"I am sorry for what happened. But you are safe now. I assure you that nothing will happen to you." He said, making me look at him.

"You are safe. Trust me." He assured me.

My eyes moved to his friends and then back at him.

"Who are you guys?" I asked.

His face twitched.

"Wh....why do you all have guns?"

"I uh....." He paused, caressing my hair slightly. "You don't have to be scared, Evelyn. We are not going to hurt you. I could never hurt you." He said, looking into my eyes.

"That is Lucas and Manuel," he said, gesturing at his friends.

"They are my most trusted and loyal friends. If you don't mind, we are taking you home so you can take a shower and change your clothes," he said, his eyes moving down my attire.

"You need to relax your nerves. You look traumatized. I can't tell how long you have been running, but I can tell how you are feeling right now. You need to rest."

I stared at my thighs, still feeling unsettled.

"Lucas, you need to speed up." He said to his friend, handling the wheel.

"I am doing my best," Lucas said.

"Are you sure about this, Mario?" The other asked. "Won't this get us into trouble?"

"I will make sure it doesn't," Mario said, making me look at him.

"You are safe with me, okay?" He assured me.

I nodded slightly as he rubbed my knuckles with his thumb.

I am still curious to know why they all have guns.

They killed those men without looking back.

Mario looked nice at school, but after seeing him kill those men, he looks different to me now.

He spoke to his friends with authority. It makes me wonder if they are his friends or servants.

I am confused.

And paranoid.

But I have no choice than to keep still. As much as I am terrified of being around them right now, I can't do anything but trust them.

I just hope I don't fall into another danger.

I am yet to recover from the trauma Nana put me in. I can't believe she is an accomplice of my parents' murderers.

It is unbelievable.

She was like family to us. She was like a mother to me.

She has been with us since I was little. We were nice to her. Why did she do this to us?

She let my parents get killed and was about to hand me over to their murderers. It is really heartbreaking.

I got a rub on my knuckles, making me look at Mario with my tears-filled eyes.

I dropped my gaze, feeling my heart tightening as I thought of my parents.

God, this is terrible.

********

My eyes rested on the huge mansion after I got out of the car. It is a very huge white mansion with lights igniting it.

It is almost bigger than ours that got burnt. My heart tightened at the thought of the tragedy I witnessed.

"Evelyn," Mario called, getting my attention. He extended his hand to me.

I wiped my flowing tears as I took his hand.

"Welcome to my home," he said, smiling.

"It is very beautiful," I said.

"Thank you," he said, leading the way up the broad stairs leading to the entrance door of the mansion. His friends are following behind us.

"Um...about what you asked, Evelyn," Mario said, stopping us on our track and making me look at him.

"We have guns because we are mafia men."

I froze.

He nodded.

Did he.....did he just say mafia men?