Chapter 4: One Memory.

Flashback

"Rania my child always remember that your mom and dad loved you, stay here and you will stay safe"

Mrs. Alejandro said with trembling hands as she hugged her daughter for one last time and kissed her forehead;

"Don't come out of here,

Okay",

Her mother said before closing the walk-in closet door.  

The 9 years old girl who was petrified sat down on the floor and brought her knees to her chest - she cleared the tears from her face with the back of her hand swallowing the dry lump forming in her throat. She leans towards the door trying to hear the noises coming from downstairs;

"Huh..."

Rania gasped when she heard the sound of four gunshots reverberates in the air and then a painful scream filled the air. She covered her mouth with her both hands and closed her eyes while tears rolled down on her cheeks. She kept on praying and hoping that her Mama and Papa will be safe, she kept on repeating her prayers for so long until she lost her conscious and darkness hovered her but she was still mumbling the words; 

"Please stay safe,

please...

please",

Flashback  

*

Daniel looked worriedly at the lady who was still crying and mumbling something beneath her breath. He slowly and gently kept rubbing her back to calm her while he kept on saying her words of comfort. Daniel was never a person to comfort a girl but tonight his own actions surprised him as he comforted the Latina girl who was in his arms. Daniel couldn’t understand what a woman like her was doing in such area of this city. But above all, he couldn’t forget the moment when she walked into the bar every head turned towards her. He saw the way every hot-blooded man eyed her from head to toe and why wouldn’t they after all she was nothing like the women they have ever seen in their life. Even though she was scared and not in her best but in that moment; she was everything from a man’s wild fantasies with that beige sequins dress fitting perfectly against curvature body of her while the hair which once were in a perfect bun appeared slightly disheveled. Her face flushed while her plump lips parted for air but the undoing of a man were those eyes of her which had a mystifying shine in them and a mere glance from them will bring a man on his knees. Daniel had never met a woman with such personality who looked so innocent yet tempting, he never liked a damsel in distress because they needed his attention more than a normal women would but the lady in his arms didn’t asked for any of his attention yet here he was alert and comforting her. Daniel’s thought came to a halt when the lady pulled back from his hold and looked him with those eyes of hers which were now shining like two gems.

Rania stopped crying when she realized that two strong arms held her and she was crying on a hard chest, she smoothly pulled back looking at the figure that was still holding her. A lone tear slipped from her left eye and the stranger in front of her cleared the tears from her face with the back of his thumb. His gaze was fixed on her with concern;

"You… alright?"

The guy asked worriedly in his British accent as he caressed Rania's left cheek with his one hand while concern was visible in his eyes. She gasped when it hits her, he was still holding her - she pulled back from him and gently removed his other arm which was around her waist;

"You are safe here"

Daniel tried to assure her as he pointed towards the old bar, they were in now but Rania didn't speak a word;

"Believe me, lady, we are safe here for a while,

Besides, you are pretty exhausted and you need some rest!",

Daniel spoke slowly as he took her hand in his;

"No matter how much we try to hide the bad guys always get what they want",

She whispered as she lowered her gaze and a sob escaped her lips before she could hold those salty water to drop, they made their way. Rania covered her mouth with her both hands because her mother last words were still roaming around her head and everything about her childhood had faded except that one memory of her parent’s death which still haunted her and gave her scariest nightmares. She shook her head to brush away the painful memory of her parent's death;

"They will get back and kill us...;

I don't want to die, not like my Mama and Papa"

She said in between her sobs and hiccups while looking in the empty space.

Daniel was stunned by the confession of the lady - he was shocked but then he took a deep breath because at this moment he had to calm the lady;

"They won't kill us and you won't die because I won't even let them see you, do you hear me?

I will protect you with my life"

He tried to assure as he gently shrugged her shoulders to stop her from mumbling with herself and lifted her chin up with his hand to see her face. The sadness in his eyes did something to his heart.

Rania looked at him while her lips whimpered; he pulled her close and hugged her. She rested her head on his hard chest and wrapped her arms around his torso and clenched the back of his jacket. They lingered for a while holding each other until their breathing was syncing now. Rania was calmed from the stranger's comfort.

Daniel's mind was slowly analyzing the reason behind her pass out the moment she saw the man being shot by him. Before he could say something to the Latina she slowly pulled back from his embrace and looked around at the place. She looked back at Daniel who was looking her anxiously;

Crying... and the very next moment... in my arms holding me like her life depends on me... But... Then she pulls away...

It shouldn’t bother me but it does… because I want to comfort her and tell her everything will be fine… even though it is something, I never liked nor wanted to do for a crying lady before but in her case, it is different, I want to… I want to be her comforter…

Daniel was pulled out of his thoughts when the lady in his arm sniffed and sat back keeping distance from the man whose gaze was fixed on her like he was trying to read her mind. Rania opened her mouth to speak but he interrupted her;

"What happened to your parents?"

Daniel questioned intently.

"It is too personal"

Rania answered looking away from the guy and stood up to walk away but he grabbed her wrist and stood up;

"Were they killed?"

He asked hesitatingly trying not to sound like intruder;

"It's none of your business"

Rania snapped on him and pulled her hand back.

Daniel unknowingly felt dejected by her words but before he could say something, they heard loud footsteps and men voices getting closer to them. Without wasting a moment - he grabbed the lady's hand and pulled her behind the rustic wooden bar's cabinet. Before Rania could comprehend, she was pulled out of her seat and pushed to a small space between the wall and the corner bar cabinet. She was about to protest when she heard footsteps – she stiffened as the voices got nearer but every thought vanished when the English man hovered over her covering her like a shield because her sequin dress shined even in the dark room just by the light that illuminated through the window because of the street lights. Daniel tried to cover her with his body, he reached to unbutton the few top buttons of his shirt because from the closeness of the lady he felt the heat rising in him and it reached till his throat. He felt his throat dry as he swallowed the dry lump but soon, he regretted the decision of unbuttoning his shirt's top buttons because now her warm

breath was fanning the bare skin of his neck;

It's not the right time to overreact my stupid body!

Daniel thought to himself as he took deep breaths trying to calm his mind.  

He looked at her, she was breathing slowly as they heard few men came in the empty broken bar. They searched the complete room while talking to each other and yelling out loudly meanwhile Rania inhaled a deep breath as if she was running out of breath;

History is repeating itself,

Back then I was alone but this time I am with someone whose life is in danger because of me,

He must have someone waiting for him unlike me!

Rania thought to herself.

Daniel looked the lady in front of him and he sensed her heavy breathing and knew she was going to have a panic attack any moment but before she could scream or cry out loud. She looked up to Daniel with terror in her eyes; the sounds of gangsters grew closer to them. They were now searching under the bar table with smashing and throwing everything which came in their sight. Rania closed her eyes and was about to scream when the English man gently pulled her closer while burying his face in the crook of her neck. Daniel wrapped his arms around her and brought his lips close to her ear;

"Stay strong,

you are a strong girl",

He whispered against her earlobe;

Rania opened her eyes taking deep breaths but found the pair of blue eyes staring her with care. She looked away and took deep breaths meanwhile Daniel leaned again;

“Close your eyes and think about good things”

He whispered but this time he was unknowingly breathless.

Rania pulled back and leaned on the wall.

Daniel was somehow disappointed that the lady pulled away meanwhile one of the gangsters cursed out loud and fired in the air. The sound of gunshot scared Rania and she hugged him strongly, her arms sneaked beneath his jacket and clenched the back of his shirt. She covered her face in his exposed skin, Daniel’s breath was caught in his lungs;

Good Lord!!!

Why now,

Why tonight out of all nights, you are making me feel this strange thing and in the most unusual circumstances!

He thought to himself while a shiver ran down till his spine, he got goose bumps from the touch of her skin against his. Daniel closed his eyes and inhaled slowly to calm himself meanwhile one of the gangster's member came close to him, hearing the footsteps close to them Rania's hold grew tight around him. He buried his face in the crook of her and took a deep breath to calm his heart but the sound of shattering glasses made the lady in his arms press her body flush against and hide her face in his chest as if she was trying to hide herself from someone. Daniel couldn’t stop his mind from lustful thoughts and it made him groan in frustration but he had suppressed it by pulling her closer while burying his face in her hair and just by inhaling her sweet scent he felt himself wanting more.

Torture… this woman is nothing but a sweet torture killing me slowly with need… and I bet she is not even aware of it… 

Daniel thoughts were interrupted when he felt the lady in his arms was shaking.

Fear taking best of her as the French man kept on smashing everything in the room. Before she could calm herself; she was trembling in fear. She closed her eyes trying to stop her tears from falling but it was too late because as always, they made their way. Daniel felt like a heel for being ignorant and only thinking stupid things while he should be calming the lady. He felt his heart ache when he felt the warm fluid on his chest – he holds her carefully as if she was the most precious thing he has ever held in his arms;

"I think they are in the next broken building,

let's go check in there!”

Said one of the men and they left.

Daniel gently rubbed her back trying to soothe her because she was still crying. He held her in his arms until he was sure the men had left;

"They are gone,

we are safe, you are safe!",

He said as he leaned close to her ear.

The lady in his arms had calmed while her breathing was normal but it seemed she wasn’t in mood to let him go and for some unknown reason he liked the way she held him like she was scared to lose him but soon the bubble of his thoughts was popped when the lady’s hold loosened around him.

Rania loosened her hold and slowly pulled back with teary eyes. She cleared the tears from her face and looked at the English man whose intense gaze made her look everywhere but not him. He turned to check around for assurance that they were alone. He pulled her out of the small space by holding her wrist;

"Let's get out of here before they come back"

Daniel said as he leads the way.

Rania didn't protest and walked quietly with him with her head low which filled of thousands of questions as they kept walking but suddenly - she bumped into something hard. Rania looked up it was Daniel's back - she gasped in terror and hides behind his back as she holds his jacket strongly. She closes her eyes as if she saw a ghost standing in front of them but in reality, it was a monster that was standing in front of them;

One Monster who kills people without having mercy on them!

*