CHAPTER SEVEN: NO REPAYMENT PLAN

Damian POV

I escape the alley, walking hazily from the borders of my doom, the alley that used its predatory jaws to covertly lick up my good fortune, turning me into a pauper in minutes.

“Watch where you are going, stupid!” a driver curses out as I wander into the road.

Damn… I am actually running mad. Mad not just from obscurity, but from the weary decision I took today. To give away all I had to the kidnappers. What if they didn’t return Caleb?

Moreover, the phone call keeps ringing in my head. “My contact? Who was my contact?”

Then it hits me. I didn’t read the terms and conditions from my last loan. I saw the glorious smile on the faces of those guys when I signed. No wonder. The pressure from the barman and the lender was immersive. When I wanted to sneakily call one of my friends to break down the conditions of the last loan, they flared up.

Turns out this is all a setup.

Immediately I enter my room. The smell of rum welcomes me like a long-lost lover. The stench envelops the room like smoke, desperately looking for an escape route.

Then I see him. The man who put me through all the stress. Caleb, lying flat on the floor, bruises all over his delicate skin. His muscles are exposed and inviting. He is just the perfect guy I would love to hold and vent.

But he is unconscious. I need to treat him right away.

My mind is a mess. I quickly put on my coat and tear through the shelves. In two minutes, I turn the contents of the shelf upside down, papers scattered all over the balcony, to the floor, and even to the dried liquor lingering over unwashed sheets.

“Hooo my God! What the hell have I gotten myself into?” The reality of my mistakes begins to shatter me like a moving train, crushing through every fragile thought I try to hold together.

I drop the papers as blood drips from the corner of my nose. My back soaks in cold sweat. I pick Caleb up and head for the door. I need to take him to the clinic and get him treated. But then I sense movement.

“Oh thank goodness… my baby is awake.”

I rush back in with him in my hands, my heart pounding violently against my chest, gently placing him on the dusty bed. My fingers tremble as I hover over him, afraid he might slip away again.

“Breathe, Caleb… breathe,” I mutter.

Then bang, a loud knock invades the serenity of the room like a debtor coming to collect his cut.

My heart slams against my chest. “Whooooo!!!” I answer, raising my voice.

“You owe, bitch! Come get this door before we break it to the ground!” another thunderous voice rings out from outside the door.

I gasp for air as all the hair on my arms stands on end. My breath ceases temporarily as I freeze in shock.

Bang! The knuckles of the door give way. And I see a giant standing before me, his muscles bulging, yearning for action. He has dead eyes, and his aura could rend mountains and boil oceans.

Then the barman walks in smiling. “Did you read the terms and conditions of your contract? Did you check who the contact was?”

“I collected a loan two days back, and you are here to get a percentage of that loan? Is… is that even fair? And who the hell is Vengeful Steffan?”

The barman stares at me mockingly. “I’m not the manager. I’m only a barman, and my duty is to enforce authority.”

He then stretches his worn-out suit. “You desperately cried for help two days ago. Now your boyfriend is safe, right? Pay the 5%, and we’ll be back next week.”

He points at the giant smoking beside him. “That’s Vengeful Steffan, your loan contact, and he will be the enforcer of Kingsman Laws.”

Immediately he says the words, Steffan the giant walks towards me. “Damn… I’m sooo going to enjoy this.” He says.

“Stop!!!” I roar in annoyance. “What the hell is wrong with you? Wha… why is he…” The more I try to speak, the more the words get stuck.

Caleb, who has just woken up, cuts in. “Babe… ba… bae… what the hell is going on?”

“Sorry I had to drag you into this. In order to release you, I had to take a loan, and the terms…” I am in the middle of explaining all the juicy details when Steffan’s punch shatters my ribs.

It feels like being hit by a truck.

“Ahhhhhhhh!” I gasp for air. My breath ceases temporarily as I cough violently, spitting clots of blood from my mouth.

“That’s enough carnage! You don’t have to kill him. If he dies, who will pay the loan?” he the points at Caleb. “This weak-ass princess in a dude’s body?” The barman laughs at his own jokes, then takes out a pocket knife.

“You see, Mr. Damian, according to the Kingsman laws and conduct code, ignorance isn’t an excuse. Now I’ll let you go about sorting my money, or next week you’ll lose a finger.”

He then beckons for Steffan with his fingers. As they walk out of the room, my heart softens as I turn to Caleb, meeting his infuriated gaze.

“What the fuck was that?” Caleb speaks out with so much disgust in his voice.

“I did it for you, babe. I couldn’t stand by and watch those bad men deal with you. I needed to save you!”

“Save me?” His voice gets louder.

“Bringing debt upon us! You call that saving me? How stupid are you?”

His words cut deep, piercing my heart with a thousand needles. The way he says the words. The manner he speaks. His hand gestures and annoying looks.

Was this the guy I put my life on the line for?

He stands up angrily and enters the bathroom to wash up, and my heart marvels. How could someone from a coma be this strong?

I sigh deeply, pick up the cleaning tools, and, painstakingly, I begin to put the house in order. Every shattered glass reminds me of the grievous mistakes I have made. Then my phone rings once more.

“Hello?”

“Step out now!” His voice comes out sharp from the phone

, almost deafening my eardrums.

Why the hell was he shouting? What’s happening outside?