CHAPTER THREE

GRATUITOUS ATTACK

Tulio was driving her home after the fight that she didn't watch until the end. Getting into the vehicle and putting on his seat belt, he turned to her and asked:

" Are you okay?”

He was really not normal for asking her this and looking out of the car where the people were dispersing, she managed to smile:

" Am I okay? You're the one who just fought! Let me see " she turned his face, holding his chin and looking at his face to see if there were any injuries. " At least they didn't hit his eye again this time. I won't save you anymore, be warned. Once in a lifetime is enough for me.

He also laughed and started the car. He didn't want her to realize that her touch had caused him to feel differently.

" I'm fine. Let's go? Where were you going?

" To the manicurist, but I must have already missed my appointment. You can drop me off at her salon anyway.

" Did you like the music? " He gave her a quick glance and kept driving.

" I love it, Tulio! Thanks, it came in handy.

" Were you really scared?

" Of course I was, man, you always scare me, you know? " She joked, and he looked away from the street just enough to speak to her in a serious voice:

" You scare me too.

Cloe didn't know what to say, and they remained silent until he left her in front of the manicure salon.

Cloe spent the weekend thinking about and reliving the whole unusual morning she had had, and on Monday morning there he was, waiting for her at the door to take her to school. They chatted about trivia, such as the movie they had watched over the weekend and her rehearsals for an event she would be playing in two months. It became routine for both of them to be together, even if only to and from her classes.

One morning when Cloe got up early, after watering her plants, getting ready, drinking her coffee, and waiting for him, she noticed that she was either a little early or Tulio was late. She decided to wait for him on the sidewalk and soon Milla, Jake and Shay joined her.

" Milla, who Cloe hadn't seen for days and who were neither friends, just acquaintances, approached her and her body posture showed that she was ready for a fight.

" Excuse me? " Cloe asked, startled.

" Sorry, my ass! You were fucking the little playboy from Sambra, weren't you? " Milla raised her voice and took steps forward, getting closer to Cloe, maybe seeing that the girl was retreating, seeing her supposed weakness, the girl seemed to grow. Milla was almost two of Cloe's, both in size and weight. Shay and Jake looked like they wanted to see blood and were getting ready to join Milla. " Why did you come to take a shine to Tulio's side too?”

“ Milla, I really don't know what you are talking about! " Cloe took another step back. " I dated Cris for a few days and I'm not dating anyone right now, it must be a misunderstanding...

" Fuck! Just because you play the piano, you think you are better than us here. Now you are hitting on Tulio, thinking you are the best of us. Get real, bitch, he's a lot of sand for your little truck! " As she said this, Milla seemed to get even more inflamed, her voice was very loud, and Cloe saw that the three of them would make fun of her and tried to get in, opening the gate, even with her back turned, groping the gate in an attempt to open it and thinking that there wouldn't be time to unlock the door before they attacked her. She couldn't see Tulio's car approaching, but she heard a motorcycle engine.

" You're full of shit," Shay said. " You must be going crazy for Tulio, but we're going to slice your pussy open with this! " Shay pulled a knife from her waistband, which until then had been covered by the T"shirt she was wearing. Cloe was trembling and felt afraid, they were going to finish her off and they wouldn't listen, so she knew that nothing she could say would help. She was just trying to get to her gate and hide in her house. Milla stopped her from going through the gate and into her house, and when Cloe turned around, the woman held her by the hair tightly, preventing her from leaving.

" You kept quiet, didn't you? That means that whoever keeps quiet consents! " Enraged, Milla was twisting Cloe's hair, forcing her to bend down, and she was already expecting the stabbing, when the motorcycle's noise got louder, the loud exhaust announced that it was a strong motorcycle and swallowing hard, Cloe turned over Milla's heavy hand and saw when the rider stopped, leaned the motorcycle on the stand and removed the helmet. She knew it wasn't Tulio, because the biker was taller and she faced Gringo.

" What's going on, Milla? " He came walking slowly and Milla released Cloe's hair. Shay and Jake also took a step back.

" Nothing, Gringo, we were just talking to Cloe. " Milla was smiling at the man, but Cloe could tell she was scared. Milla's smile, though false, vanished from her face when she saw Tulio standing on the sidewalk. Cloe hadn't seen him there either. " Tulio? " Milla's voice came out ragged. Gringo walked away and leaned against Tulio's car, just watching and waiting to see what the women would do.

" So were they going to attack Cloe, or did I misunderstand? Am I crazy?” Tulio peered at the women, Cloe's heart hadn't even had time to recover and was still beating wildly.

" No, that's what we were telling Gringo, we were going to talk to her, nothing more than that.

" And you are a hairdresser? Why were you grabbing her by the hair, or am I a liar? Correct me if I am wrong, please.

Even Cloe was afraid of him, the coldness with which he looked at each of the three women, more like prey about to pounce, and the women sensed it. And for the tiniest second that he only looked at Milla, fists clenched at his sides, clearly furious, it was enough for Jake and Shay to run out and he ignored them, concentrating only on Milla and making her cringe, waiting for the blows.

" I think, given the facts, that one or two broken fingers would be sufficient, which would you prefer? Shaved head and two broken fingers or intact hair and five broken fingers? " Tulio spoke softly, even Gringo couldn't hear him from where he was, but Cloe and his wife could hear him very well, and Milla knelt in despair and trembling. Tulio was a step away from her when Cloe asked him:

" No! Please, Tulio, don't hurt her " his voice came out low, the request was sincere and seemed to make him stop, but he still didn't look at her, his icy eyes were still on Milla, eager to punish her, he seemed to taste blood. " Please, I'm late for class. " She asked, her voice firmer and louder. Then he looked at her, his expression calmed as if by magic, his clenched fists relaxing.

" Shall we go then? " he asked, pulling away from Milla.

" Yes," Cloe ran to his car to get him out of there soon. Gringo laughed at them, relaxed in the back of Julius' car, grabbed his helmet and sped off, the powerful motorcycle engine roaring out of sight.

Tulio didn't even look at Milla, who remained in the same place, dropped to her knees and pale as death. Opening the door for Cloe, Julius turned, sat in the driver's seat, and drove away.