I park the car in front of the company, take my purse from the seat next to me, and get out. Nearly having a heart attack, a stocky man appears in front of me and greets me with a captivating smile on his face. He is over a meter ninety tall, with longer black hair that is styled and a short beard.
- May I help you with something? - I ask in a concerned voice, measuring his figure. At first glance, I can tell that he is wearing a designer suit.
- I'm sorry if I startled you," he replies. I have to admit that his voice sounds sexy. He's someone in his 30s, an incredibly handsome guy. - I'm just passing through and just noticed you. I wanted to ask for directions.
- I see, so where are you going? How can I help you?
He smiles at me in a way that three-quarters of women would now have heart palpitations, so I'm not at all surprised that I'm charmed by his appearance.
- I'm looking for the "Devil Night" club.
A feeling of heat is coating my body. I don't understand why the words from this man's mouth cause me such anxiety. Perhaps it's because this is the club I was in last time and the first time I met Jackson there after several years?
- I know where it is. I will explain to you how to get there.
As I explain the way to him, I feel his intense gaze on me. I have the feeling that he is even burning a hole in my face. I also wonder why he doesn't use the GPS like any other person, although it's none of my business, so I don't ask out loud.
- Thank you for your help. You are as kind as you are beautiful.
I force a smile, and then evade him, wanting to enter the company as quickly as possible, but he doesn't allow me to do so, speaking to me again:
- You are so nice, you have to be careful who you make friends with. Some just might not be a good fit for you.
When I turn to face him, I notice that he is smiling cynically.
- I'm listening.
- I only say this out of concern," he declares, then adds. - Thank you for your help.
I stand still and watch him as he drives out of the parking lot and disappears from my sight. I keep thinking about his words and wondering if this was some kind of allusion. Was it actually a stranger asking for directions, or did he specifically approach me because he knew who I was?
This time I am up to jumping with fear when Kai overtakes me from behind and grabs my shoulders.
- What is it, boss? - he asks in an amused voice, and I turn to face him and punch him in the chest with my fist.
- Are you crazy? Do you want me to have a heart attack?
- In fact, until you went pale on your face.
- A while ago I was accosted by someone who was acting strangely," I declare.
- Then why do you talk to strange guys? What if he would hurt you? - He stomps on me, and I roll my eyes.
- Not in broad daylight. Even more so not in front of the company. Don't panic. He just wanted to ask me for directions, so I helped him. I didn't think he would start throwing around strange texts.
- Meaning? - Kai queries.
- What a beautiful and nice person I am, that I should be careful who I hang out with," I answer him.
- Evidently he was hitting on you.
- It was definitely not a hookup," I mutter, then I grab my friend's hand and lead him to the company. - Let's forget about it. It's time to get to work. We have a tough day ahead of us.
- Until I feel sick of working. Can I go home now?
- No worries. You'll be back in eight hours.
*
I leave the company last. There was so much work today that I didn't know what to put my hands in. Walking through the parking lot, I glance at my watch and only now realize that it's already reaching twenty-one o'clock. I'm tired and all I can think about is taking a relaxing bath and going to bed because tomorrow I have another hard day ahead of me.
I open the car and am about to get inside, but someone stands beside me and slams the door in my face. With frightened eyes, I look at the person, and a stone falls from my heart when I notice that it is Jackson.
I don't know what he's doing here, but on the one hand it's good that it's him and not the man I met before work.
- What are you doing? Why are you here? - I ask as I face him, my back leaning against the car. Jackson is right in front of me, mirroring me with such a gaze as if he wanted to perform some cruel crime on me.
- I have been waiting here for several hours. I already thought you wouldn't come out.
I still don't understand what he is playing at. First, he reproached me about the past and gave me the money with interest, not wanting to have anything to do with me anymore. Then he said that he nevertheless wanted to know the reason I left him, and now he has been waiting for me in front of the company for many hours for no reason.
- Why are you here? - I renew the question.
- For this reason. - With wide-open eyes, I look at the photos that appear in the gallery of his phone. In them, I am me in the company of the disturbing man I met this morning in this parking lot. - Your former self would have dismissed him, while here you looked charmed. What were you talking about?
Is Jackson following me? Where did he get these photos?
- Where did you get these?
- They were taken by a man who was with him. You fell into a trap, and they sent it to me. They are my enemies, Alice. Now you are also in danger.
I immediately recall the words the man said to me. Referring to the topic about making friends, did he mean Jackson?
- He asked me the way to Devil Night. I wanted to be nice and just help him out," I say in a timid voice.
The brunet rubs his face and pulls his hair back.
- It would have been better if we had not bumped into each other again. Now I have no choice but to take you under my protection. It's getting dangerous.
- What are you talking about? Why did you mess with the wrong people again? Hasn't the past taught you anything! - I jump on him, measuring him with a furious gaze. He, however, twists his mouth in a smile.
- I think we are connected by a bad fate, Alice.
- Bad fate? You got me into trouble again! I already got you out of them once! I thought you'd see through it and understand that it's possible to live differently, but as you can see, you love to cause problems. What have you done this time? Do you owe someone money again?
- Ever since I met you at the club, I wanted to know the truth about our breakup, but I tried to stay away from you to protect you. On the bridge, I treated you in such a way to get you to let go of me. I wanted to separate our paths because I would rather not get you in trouble again, but fate actually mocks us. They somehow found out that you were and still are important to me, so they want to take advantage of that. I realized that our separation won't help me do anything about it. You are already in their sights, so I have to keep an eye on you.
- Why, Jackson? Why can't you lead a normal life like others, but keep getting into trouble with dangerous people?
- This time it wasn't my fault either," he explains, and I look at him with pained eyes. - "Devil Night is a club that started to belong to me after my friend died. They were the ones who killed him. His enemies became my enemies with the takeover of the club.
- What do you mean they killed him? Who are these people?
- They are not usurers who want to get a refund. It's much thicker than that, which is why, since I saw those pictures, I realized that I have to have you under my protection at all times. I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you because of me.
My knees buckle under me. I'm getting weak.
- So why did your friend prescribe this cursed club to you?
- He had no one else, and wanted to repay me for the help I once gave him. I saved him when he was attacked. He felt that he would soon be killed, so he prescribed the club to me. He didn't think, however, that after his death they would take up arms against me. They are terrible, ruthless people who take pleasure in the death of their enemy.
- If they had a tussle with your friend, why are they hunting you now?
- They believe that the enemy's friends are also their enemies. They won't rest until they've killed everyone.
- Is this the Mafia? - I ask in a trembling voice.
- Something like that.
I'm scared as hell. My whole body is covered with goosebumps, even though it's warm outside.
- So since I'm somehow connected to you, I've automatically become their enemy? - He nods in response. - What about your girlfriend? She is also in danger.
- Suzy is trained. She can fight. We went to classes together. That's where we met," he says in a hushed voice. He sounds as if he is stupid to talk to me about the present girl.
- What will happen to my life then? How am I supposed to function normally?
- Until our tug-of-war is over, there is no chance for you to live a normal life. You have to be disconnected from your daily life.
- You're kidding me, right? I have a company to take care of.
- So let your most trusted man take care of it for now. My enemies already know everything about you. There is no way I would let you go anywhere alone.
- This is terrifying, Jackson said.
Until I met him, I damn near missed him, but now I wish I could turn back time and move on with my life, just without running into him five years later. I'm afraid. The thought of being in danger scares me to the point that my stomach starts to hurt from nerves.
- I'm sorry, Alice, but from now on, you depend solely on me.
- Tell me this is a joke.
- I would like to.
He takes the remote control from my hand and closes the car with it, then grabs my hand and pulls me towards a luxurious black motorcycle. He sits down on it and hands me a helmet.
- Don't look at me like that. I am your bodyguard now. I take responsibility for your life," he declares.
I feel like crying, especially since I'm tired after working all day. This day is a nightmare.
- I hope my grandmother is still watching over me," I whisper quietly as I put the helmet on my head and take a seat behind Jackson. I tentatively grab him around the waist, and he clasps my hands tighter on his stomach.
- Everything will be fine. You're safe with me," he reassures me.
Let's hope this is true, since his friend lost his life.