07

I don't answer him, I can't, I direct my attention towards some bravery, supernatural secret strength that could aid me at the moment.

He roughly grabs my shoulder and whirls me around so now I'm looking at him but his mask is hidden by the dark hoodie he has on. I want to knee him in the balls but my knees nearly give out when I see the blade now pointed to my throat. It's big, and so close to my throat that if I move, it's over for me. Starlia dies tonight, except she doesn't want to die, Starr needs to live a bit longer.

“You just love it, don't you? Making men fall for you and pretending you're some docile lamb.” he snarls, the anger in his voice exploding through the voice modifier.

“No,” I swallow, “No.”

“Oh but yes,” he chuckles, “I know it's your essence and the fucked up thing is you don't even have to try,” he groans. “You have us ready to lick the ground you walk on and you..” he trails off, adjusting the blade closer, so close if I swallow, my throat will get nicked. “You just love it!”

“I didn't mean to,” I whimper, knowing there's nowhere to run to, the tears start coming. He's not a creep, he is a stalker from the club. “It's my job, I'm sorry if you—”

“Shut up,” he snaps, “I like you better when you're quiet. Has nobody ever told you that?” he casually remarks.

“Doesn't matter, you're never going to steal another heart ever again.” he draws with a sigh, making me cry harder. I knew the job could do things this crazy but not once did I imagine I'd die because I was good at it. “You know, I thought I wanted to see other hearts break like you did mine with your constant rejection.” He groans, the blade caressing my skin.

I tremble in shuttered whimpers but he doesn't care, I don't even know who he is, I don't know how I landed myself a psycho fan but Lord help me. If I don't die, I'll never walk the streets alone again, I'll repent from my sinful ways. Just please, please Lord.

“Oh,” he gasps. “A religious slut.” He chuckles, and it's then I realize I'm speaking my pleas out loud. “You're dying, so it's good to pray, maybe then you'll go to heaven when I kill you. No,” he shakes his head, slightly moving the blade against my skin. “that won't do at all, I need you in hell so I can see you when I get there.”

He's not just crazy, he must have escaped prison or a heavily guarded psychiatric hospital. This man is a deranged serial killer and I'm his main course tonight. “Hey, go on and be blasphemous, you won't get into heaven then.”

I shake my head and he cracks his. “Alright, have it your way. But know that for your disobedience, I'm going to have to punish you with a slow death.”

“No, please!” I cry out, begging for my life, a life I've complained about forever. “Please don't kill me, I-I..I'll do anything just please..” I trail off, my emotions getting the better of me. I cry, the tears bluffing my vision but the large blade still shines even then.

“Killing you will hurt me too, pretty girl but I have to, I need to kill you.” his voice lowers, only to rise with more fury behind it. “If I can't have you? Nobody can.”

That's it?

It's me he wants, I'll negotiate with him, I can try to plead my case, or at least trick him until one of the rich men chasing me hires bodyguards for me. “I-I will be with you,” I stutter in a desperate attempt to survive. “Just please don't kill me, I'll be yours, all yours.”

Again, he caresses the side of my face with the darn blade. “How would you like it if I fucked you while your soul leaves your body?”

I whimper, unable to form the words to deny the disgusting offer. He seems set on killing me, and now the sicko wants to fuck my corpse. “Is that a yes?” his head tilts, “Oh, you're a perfect pretty thing.”

My pretty thing.

My pretty thing.

My pretty thing...

His words ring in my head a thousand times, echoing as if each echo has its own louder echo. This isn't the first time I've heard it, but trying to remember makes my head pound and ears ring. Besides, where I heard the pet name doesn't matter, surviving the serial killer/stalker does.

“I heard your pussy gets tighter when you're scared,” he moved closer, grinding his erection against my thigh.

I shriek, closing my eyes while I pray to a God who left me alone in this world by taking my brother. “I think I'll keep your body and fuck you a few more times before you begin to rot.”

Bile rises in my throat but I hold my breath, scared to move, scared of the sword-looking blade that's playing so close to my throat. “What do you think?” he asks, pressing the blade into my skin but I'm so still, I don't know if he's drawn blood or not.

“Come on, I've told you.” he says in a whiny tone, as if bored with me. God, I can only pray he is but his next words say different. “Pretty thing, I don't want to kill you but if I do? Then nobody gets you, that's a fair game.”

“Cornering scared women is a diminishing practice.” someone says, making him pull me in front of him with the blade to my throat still.

I can't see who it is, not because I'm covered in tears but because the man stands in the shadows.

“Help!” I scream out, choking on the lump in my throat. “Please help me,” I beg, my faith in survival partially restored.

“Let her go or I shoot,” he says.

My captor groans in disapproval, his blade getting extra dangerously close to my throat. “Shoot and I'll slice her throat before the bullet comes close to me.” he warns, “Move.” he whispers to me, pulling me backwards. I do as I'm told, staring my chance at survival in the eye with blurry eyes.

He continually drags me with him, pulling me to the corner where he drops me on the ground and I swear all the air gets stuck in my lungs.

I'm not dead, he left, and the shadow man rescued me.

A gunshot rings out, and I cover my ears, looking at my captor's scream with a gun wound. The man who just saved me runs to me, crouching down next to me.

“Are you okay?” He cups my face, with shaky hands. I know this face, it's the delusional alcoholic from the club. “ fuck, tell me you're okay.” he urges, but I'm too scared to speak, too taken with what just happened. “ Tersorro, Say something, please.”

I open my mouth, trying to say I'm fine, to thank him, but instead, I puke, coughing when it ends up choking me.

Mr Moretti rubs my back in a soothing circular motion. “Breathe, you can do it.” he coos, his voice soft and relaxing.

I'm still coughing when two men appear from the direction he did, I cling to him with my nails on his jacket. “Boss, we heard a gunshot.” one of them says.

“I shot it,” he casually retorts. “Someone attacked her, check. He can't go from with a bullet in him.”

“Noted,” they answer in unison, proceeding to go in the direction my captor went.

“That's it, good girl.” Mr Moretti continues to rub my back while I find my rhythm again.

“He's going to kill me,” I blink through the tears,

No, nobody is going to touch you. He's gone. You're okay, are you okay.”

I nod, sniffing. “Thanks.”

“It doesn't matter what end of the world you're in, it's unsafe to walk alone at night.” he scolds, the concern gone. “Especially in dark deserted alleys.”

“I was taking a shortcut.” I sniff.

“Where are you going at this hour?”

“The villa, the um...” I trail off, now wondering how he found me. “I'm going home.”

“What's your address? I'll take you.” he offers but I shake my head.

He's weird too, he just might be a creep too and with my recent luck he might bomb my entire Villa, sending my roommates and me to the afterlife so I can't give him my address. How did he even find me? Not that I'm ungrateful for his heroic work.

“I can go alone, I'll manage.” I rise, using him for balance. My legs are shaking, like they might give out beneath me.

“I'm not leaving you alone, you were attacked.”

“You shot him.” I gulp, the thought only now sinking in. Nobody has ever shot someone for me, not even my brother.

“I'll drop you off at home.” he offers, and I shake my head. “Okay, then you're coming to my hotel with me.”

What?

His hotel, is he expecting sex as a thank you? I do understand he just saved my life but the sex is too far, who asks for it as a thank you?

“I'm not going to touch you,” he says, as if hearing my thoughts. “I'll even book a room for you but I'm not leaving you in the street.”

“Okay.” I nod.

“You'll tell me your address?”

“I'll go with you to the hotel.” I say, I can't put everyone else at risk, but Kade I'm okay with putting at risk. This man had a gun, he could potentially finish the job the other one left unfinished but for some reason, I trust he won't.