After Hayley stormed onto Rob and June in their home, she drove out to Jacksonville Avenue. She got out, walked into a coffee shop and ordered a cup of chocolate drink. She sipped her drink as she took a walk around. Mirabel would be so devastated to hear about this incident, and she wasn't about to announce their breakup yet. Rob was dumb. If Mirabel gets to find out he cheated on her with June, he would be in for a tough time. June would also lose Mirabel's trust fund she had set up for her career.
The sun was setting and Hayley decided to head back home. She took out her phone and booked a room at Luxor Hotels and Casino as she walked back to her car. She suddenly noticed a man had been walking behind her all this while. She held on to her phone tightly and quickened her pace. To her surprise, the man also quickened his pace. She turned slightly to see if she could recognize him, but she couldn't see his face because he had his hoodie drawn tight and kept his face down. Terrified, Hayley quickly turned into a nearby street and kept walking faster. Still he followed, now another man had joined him. Hayley broke into a run. She had to get to her car but couldn't retrace her steps because the men were right behind her. She ran into different streets trying to lose them as she tried to call 911. She suddenly got to a dead end and turned to see the men approaching steadily.
"What do you want?" she yelled as she fumbled with her phone.
One of the men pulled out a knife and slapped her phone away from her trembling hands.
Hayley closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands, cowering in fear as the man with a knife raised his hand to slash her with it.
"STOP!"
Hayley heard someone shouting in a loud voice. It was a male's voice, but she didn't dare open her eyes. The assailants also halted when they heard the shout and turned to face the person who had shouted.
Dexter, who had followed those men, had shouted just as one of the assailants tried to stab her. He noticed an iron rod nearby, threw it up with his foot and held it with his hands. The other assailant pulled out a broad knife from his side holster and advanced towards him while his fox-eyed partner held his razor-sharp knife to Hayley's throat and warned her not to make a sound. Dexter stood straight, tall eyes bulging with rage as he stared at his opponent - some punk-looking dude. The man charged at Dexter. He aimed at his face, but Dexter dodged the first swing and met the second with his rod. Dexter knew he wasn't trained as he clumsily swung at him. The weight of the iron met his opponent's blade and knocked it off his hand. Dexter swung at his opponent and got him on his chest and then legs with a second blow. His opponent staggered back and lurched forward again and this time Dexter hit him on his head and he crashed to the ground with blood flowing from his head. Dexter turned to face the other who had thrown Hayley to the ground and advanced towards him. This one had a jagged scar running from his fox eyes to his cheek. He stopped in front of Dexter and cracked his neck. He had a menacingly fierce look on his face. Dexter fell into a defensive stance as he took on his foe.
"You...little..." The assailant took a lurching step forward with each word. On the third, he swung "Wimp!"
Dexter dodged the first and countered the second with his rod. He aimed for his nose and connected. Blood splattered on the ground and, in a rage, the assailant charged with his blade and held up going with a four-swing. Dexter dodged the first and met the second with his iron rod. The weight of the rod met his opponent's blade's back but not far enough to knock the blade out of his hand. The fourth striking sliced the fabric of Dexter's shirt mid-section. It missed the flesh behind it by perhaps a centimeter. Dexter swung at his opponent and managed a smirk this time at the spryness of his dodge. He hates to admit it was an impressive body style. His opponent lunged forward, grabbing Dexter's swing rod and stabbed him in his stomach. Dexter groaned in pain as he held his opponent's hand and tried pulling it out. His opponent pushed it in and twisted it as he glared into Dexter's eyes. Dexter headbutted him, and he staggered back, leaving the knife in Dexter's body. Dexter pulled it out as his opponent lunged a blow at him. The bloodied knife clattered on the ground as Dexter returned the blow. He swung his rod at him and the first got him on his neck, but he dodged the second. The assailant punched Dexter in the area he had stabbed him and elbowed him in the back. Dexter groaned in pain.
He grabbed his opponent's arm, twisted it and punched him in the face. Furious, he jabbed him in his throat and his opponent began coughing out blood, but Dexter wasn't done. He picked up his rod and swung at him. Swing Swing swings his opponent dropped to a knee, tried to stand up and fell back again.
Dexter held his stomach where he had been stabbed. He glanced at Hayley who was stooped facing the wall, still covering her face with her hands. Dexter staggered towards her and touched her shoulders. Hayley cringed in fear the moment she felt a touch.
"It's....alright," Dexter said in a hoarse voice. He spat out blood and grabbed Hayley's hand, helping her to her feet.
Hayley, trembling, looked at the man who had saved her. He was so handsome, even with the bruises he had on his face. She noticed there was blood on his shirt. Glancing behind him, she saw the two men that had attacked her lying on the ground unconscious.
"Thank you," she said with a shaky voice and ran out of the close. She halted, looked behind, but she didn't see the man who had saved her. She also remembered she had left her phone. Walking stiffly, she went back and saw Dexter sitting on the floor groaning in pain.
"You need to go to the hospital," she said as she grabbed her phone and helped him up to his feet.
Thinking for a second, she decided to drive her car so he wouldn't have to walk the distance to her car.
"Let me get my car," Hayley said and ran to her car.
She drove her car down to the street and helped him get in. She drove down to the hospital and Dexter was admitted.
Exhausted, Hayley checked in at Luxor Hotel and Casino. In her room, she checked her phone. The phone screen was cracked due to the fall as the assailant knocked it off her hands. As she showered she thought about what had happened. Why had those men attacked her? Who sent them? Who was the man who had saved her? Her phone rang but she ignored it. It kept on ringing and angry Hayley slammed it against the wall, and it went silent.
A lot had happened in one day. From Mirabel's news, Rob and June's affair to this attack. Attempted assassination. Why had she been attacked right after finding out about Rob and June? Could it be... No! Rob wouldn't dare. June could but Rob? She doesn't know. She had to lie low in the meantime since someone wanted her dead.
Hayley went to visit Dexter three days later at the hospital. Now he was much better. Dexter stared at Hayley. He was so aware of her beauty. She looked like an Irish model he had once seen in a magazine eight years ago. Her red helmet of hair, the creamy skin, the way her long body sprawled in her chair, her soft hazel-green eyes filled with anxiety. She was probably frightened by yesterday's ordeal. She looked so pure and delicate that he just wanted to hold her, to reassure her. Hayley seemed unaware of the emotions she was causing. She fumbled with her phone and said quietly, "I wanted to thank you for saving my life."
The sound of her voice further entranced Dexter. It was not sultry or inviting. But it had such a velvet tone, it had such regal confidence and yet was so warm, that he just wanted her to keep talking.
Hayley caught him staring at her and blushed. To avoid their eyes meeting, she looked at her surroundings. She noticed Dexter's ring on his third finger. She hadn't expected this gorgeous-looking man to be married. She wondered who his wife was and what she looked like.
"Is your.....wife aware you are hospitalised?" Hayley asked in a scratchy voice.