Chapter 5

Evelyn POV

“Excuse me,” I say before stepping around him and running back inside. What the fuck just came over me? Lisa was frantically trying to take orders, and I quickly stepped in, rushing to the kitchen where I see a heap of dockets. When Lisa is finished, she comes out and helps me cook while we keep an eye on the door. Orion just sits in the corner watching. Always watching. His presence doesn’t bother me like it did the first few days he was here. He had pretty much become a piece of the furniture.

After we serve everyone, I grab my tray to go clean tables. I had just finished stacking the tray and was about to head out the back when I hear the doorbell chime. Lifting the tray, I turn to see who entered. Two men entered, looking around before their eyes fall on me and I gasp as panic rushes through me and my heart rate speeds us till I can hear it pulsating in my ears, my hands trembling and I feel clamming as adrenaline pulses through me paralysing me until I hear Lisa scream and realise I had dropped the tray of plates I was holding as they smashed around my feet. The noise making me flinch as my gaze drops. Lisa rushes out with a towel and I drop down scooping the glass up with shaking hands.

“Shit Evelyn you okay?” she asks but I feel nothing but fear, too scared to even answer.

“Evelyn stop, you’re cutting your hands“ she says, making me look at my hands which were indeed bleeding from the glass cutting my fingers and palm. I didn’t even feel it and I can hear my breathing coming quick and I start to hyperventilate, the room and everyone in it watching with worried eyes as the room trembles around me. I realise I am having a panic attack as everything slows down except for the erratic pumping of my heart.

It was them, the men that killed him in the alleyway. I feel Orion move near me, and he takes the tray from hands. Lisa rushes out the back, but I am frozen in place, paralysed by fear. I feel Lisa grip my arms, pulling me to my feet and taking me out the back. Orion follows us into the kitchen. I see Lisa rummaging through my bag. I try to find my grounding place, remember what I need to do to ground myself, yet my mind just goes blank.

Lisa opens my bloody hand and drops two pills in it before handing me a glass of water. I quickly swallow the pills.

“What are they?” I hear Orion ask her.

“Valium, she has panic attacks sometimes.” After a few minutes I feel my heart rate slow to a normal pace and my body start to relax. Lisa is quickly rushes around the kitchen, and I gather my bearing and look down at my hand, which has a tea towel wrapped tightly around it. I peel it off before rinsing my hand under the sink, wincing at the sting before reaching for the first aid kit and wrapping my hand.

When I go back out, Orion follows, and my eyes fall on the two men who were watching me. I close my eyes, willing myself to hold it together. My shock only grows when I see Orion sit at the table with them. I also notice that everyone else is gone. Lisa comes out behind me.

“Where did everyone go?“ she says, placing her hands on my shoulder. I shrug, not able to take my eyes off the three people sitting in the booth. Lisa follows my gaze before looking at me.

“You okay, Evelyn?” I nod but say nothing.

“How about you go home? I can ring Merander and ask is she would come. I know she is looking for work again, the last place she was at shut down? So, go I will be fine on my own.” I look at her and I can tell it worries her. I haven’t had a panic attack in ages, so it was a little out of character for me.

“Go, I will be fine, promise,“ she says, handing my bag to me. I nod before taking off out the door. I walk home, my mind in overdrive. Wondering if they recognised me, wondering how Orion knows them. When I get home, I flop on my bed and close my eyes. Opening them, I hear a knock on the door. Getting up, I hesitantly peek out the window and find Orion at the door. I groan before walking over and unlocking the door.

“How do you know where I live?”

“Lisa.” He shrugged. He leant against the handrail watching me.

“Are you going to invite me in, or do I need to stand out here and freeze?” he asks, and I step aside, opening the door wider. He walks in but has to duck his head to stop from hitting it on the doorframe. I stand awkwardly. I have brought no one here, let alone had someone show up here.

“What do you want?” I ask, folding my arms across my chest.

“I wanted to make sure you’re okay,” he says turning to face me after looking around.

“I’m fine you can go now,” I tell him. He raises an eyebrow before stepping closer and I step back.

“I will not do anything,” he says, reaching for me and pulling me to him. I feel my heart race at his proximity. I shove him back, and he looks shocked. I see hurt in his eyes which I find odd. I barely knew him.

“How do you know those two men that came into the cafe?”

“They’re my mates, why?”

I shake my head. “You have friends like that?” I ask. He seemed so gentle, yet I could tell he had a mean streak.

“My idea of mates and your idea are two different things, and what do you mean, like that?” he says defensively, crossing his arm across his shoulder.

“They…” I couldn’t finish, not wanting to remember that horrid night.

“They what? Evelyn?” he says stepping closer.

“It doesn’t matter, you need to leave,” I tell him and open the door. He looks at me, but he doesn’t move.

I suddenly hear someone walking up the steps out the front, and my eyes dart outside before I feel my breath catch in my throat. I stumble back terrified as I watch the two men from the alley walk up the steps before stepping inside my van. I go to run to the back when I feel hands wrap around my waist and realise Orion grabbed me.

“Calm down, Evelyn, they won’t hurt you,” he says. I ignore him, knowing exactly what those monsters are capable of as I struggle against him, but his hands don’t loosen. I bite into his hand, making him release me, and I run to the bathroom before locking the door. Orion's voice calls out on the other side of the door.

“Open the door, Evelyn,” he says as I search the bathroom before seeing the window. I raise it slowly before lifting it enough to climb out. Halfway through the small window, I feel hands on my hips before I’m ripped back inside the van. I scream before a hand goes over my mouth.

“Shh, we won’t hurt you,” says a voice below my ear.

“If I remove my hand, do you promise not to scream?” he asks, and I feel tears burn my eye before spilling over and running down my cheeks. They were going to kill me. I should have run and left the city that night. I nod my head, and he removes his hand. As soon as he does, I scream as loud as I can before I hear him growl and he clamps his hand back over my mouth.

“Put her in the car,” calls a voice from the door, and I see his handsome face as he looks inside the bathroom. His silver eyes dazzling and hypnotic as he stares at me. The man walks me out of the bathroom, and I see Orion sitting calmly at the table.

“They won’t hurt you; I promise. We will explain when we get you home.” Home? What did they mean by home? They were going to take me. I start to thrash against my captor, but he is stronger. My thrashing only seems to annoy him as I feel his breath on my neck.

“We can do this the hard way or the easy way,” he says. Panic courses through me as I drop my weight and go limp to try and slip out of his grip. 

“Hard way it is then” he says as he grips my ankle. I kick my legs, my foot connecting with his face, and he grunts before ripping me toward him and gripping my arms. The man pulls me to my feet before wrapping his arm around me, holding me in place against his chest. I hit and scratch at whatever I can. He rips my head to the side, and I scream as I feel him bite into my neck. My screaming dies in my throat as black dots dance before my vision, and the room becomes dull. I try to force my eyes open as I feel them start to droop. What did he just do to me? My last thoughts fade as it plunged me into darkness.