CHAPTER 2

CILLIAN

"Bloody hell" I say for the hundredth time tonight.

My side hurts like hell, at this rate I might probably be dead before Ethan comes with backup. I've been in this bloody alley for more than 30 minutes and each minute, the bleeding gets worse. I knew I was going to die someday but dying like a bloody chicken in an alley wasn't what I envisioned. This night wasn't supposed to end like this.

I fucking didn't see this coming, Bloody Ricci and his men laid an ambush on me after calling a truce, that's not how things are being done here. In the Mafia, our word is our bond, we live by a code but what does a man like Ricci Morenó know about codes and being an honourable man. Fucking slimy bastard.

I feel like I was pushed down a thousand flights of stairs, could still taste blood in my mouth and for the uptenth time tonight I spit it out. Well if I'm going to die, I might as well get comfortable in this bloody place. I'm sure Ricci and his soldiers are already tearing the place apart searching for me, it's only a matter of time until I'm found.

I move forward a little bit, using the wall as support and then something caught my eye, well not my eye but my attention because I could barely see a thing in this dark night. I heard someone breathing heavily, must be one of Ricci's men. If I die tonight I better be dying with a company then.

As I walk further into the alley, I notice the silhouette get smaller, I could see a little bit thanks to the light pole across the end of the alley. Lad must be hunched over waiting preparing for an attack, better him than me.

With all the strength I had left in me I swiftly hit his head on the wall and wrapped an arm around his neck while covering his mouth with the other. I heard him yelp, well not him, because he sounds like she.

"What in the bloody hell?" I whispered

"You're a bloody woman, what's a woman doing out here by this time of the day, It's Awfully late". I asked

"Ouch" she bit me.

That's when I realised I still hand my hand over her mouth and probably her nose too.

"What the hell was that for?" I asked her

"Mmmmmm" she moaned, probably holding on to her head from how hard the hit was.

"That was for hitting my head so hard on the wall. For God's sake what's wrong with British men. Damn you guys are pretty violent"

"Not that I usually apologise to people but for what it's not, I didn't know you were a woman".

Bloody hell, how could she be a woman? I moved to check on her to know if she's okay but then something strange happened.

She let out a breath of relief, like she was grateful I wasn't someone else, like she actually felt safe with me here.

"Sorry for biting you, but I actually thought you were someone else".

"I noticed ".

Funny, she's actually relieved to have me here, people are never relieved when I'm around, they don't feel safe, they feel scared.

"This is a first" I say

"What is?", "You hitting a woman?"

"Well that and the fact that you're actually relieved to see me, nobody has even been"

"Hmmmm" came her reply.

I laughed, with all the pain in my body, I actually bloody laughed.

"What's funny?"She asked and damn did her voice sound good, and for the first time since this conversation started I noticed she isn't a Brit.

On a good day she'd probably be using that mouth of hers for something better, down between my legs with my dick shoved down her throat while I'm seated and having a good smoke, then she wouldn't have the chance to ask questions.

Why the hell is everywhere getting darker?

All I see is black, I can hear the strange woman calling me "Mister" and trying to wake me and I'm out.

************************************************

AZELIÁ

Fucking bastard, I don't need this right now, I need to be home and sleep this terrible day off and not be here with a drunk Englishman. It was getting really cold and I had nothing on me other than the bar uniform.

What do I do now…

I'm startled by a vibration from a cell phone, I reach into the back pocket of my pants to pull out my cell phone and check who it was and ….

"Bloody hell" I curse.

I left the bloody phone at the bar all because of that bastard. I get startled again by the vibration and move in search of it and find the vibration coming from the strange Man's pocket.

"Hey Strange Man" I whisper " You have a call" I whisper again but he doesn't move.

" I hope this day ends soon"

I get on my knees and hands and try getting over him to the side of his pants where his phone was. I moved his hand a bit, it was getting in the way and that's when I felt it, something wet and sticky on his side. He's wounded and bleeding and unmoving.

I think I may have a dead man on my hands and that's the last thing I need right now.

************************************************

I hear the vibration again, the person wouldn't stop calling, what if they already know he's dead because who calls someone by two in the morning. I put my hands in his pocket and get his phone out to check who's been calling. ETHAN. Who in God's name is Bloody Ethan?

His brother or maybe his son but then his son should probably be asleep by this time of the day. Every normal person in the world is sleeping, except me and this man and Ethan, but then I'm pretty normal, can't say the same for Strange man here and Ethan.

The phone starts vibrating again. I'd have to pick to know who Ethan is.

"Hello" a deep voice with a British accent answers, and Damn Ethan's voice was fire, if we were in a different situation I'd have swooned. His voice is totally swoon-worthy.

"Hello" he repeats and then…

"I'm looking at the tracker right now and I see you're in the alley beside the brawling brutes bar, an Alley Cillian, a bloody Alley".

" Our soldiers have been stationed at the area, don't know how busy you are, so we're just hanging around waiting for you for your order".

"Are you …" I cut him off.

"He's been shot, he's bleeding and really in a…" the line went dead.

"God, please let him be alive. This wouldn't look good".

Nobody it's going to believe an illegal latina immigrant who was found with a dead British man in a dark alley at East End. The news headlines would probably read "Illegal latina immigrant kills a man over payment". I'd be tagged a fucking prostitute.

The next minute I hear a car reeving and a red car comes into sight. I can't tell what kind of car it is even with the reflection of the light from across the street.

A man gets down and walks towards the dark alley, towards us after a few seconds I couldn't tell where he was but I could still hear his footsteps.

"Over here" I say as a means of direction, even when I know he can hardly see a thing too. Where are the bloody stars when you need them?.

"Who are you?" Ethan's voice asked.

I'm getting confused here, is he asking what my name is or what I do for a living. Pretty confusing.

"What's your name?"

I hear his footsteps get closer and closer and then he stops. I wonder what he's doing right now, can give anything in the world right now for light, or anything that brighte……

My thoughts are being interrupted by a bright light being shone on my face and I feel pain at the back of my head and the world goes black.