Against all odds

Chapter 34

It was Daniel calling. "Whats wrong? Are you okay? "

"Yeah, Im making a run for it right now. I dont know where I am, and I dont know what happened after you guys got those drinks but Im okay."

"Fuck! I dont know what happened after you punched that guy. Shit my head hurts." He complained, "Ill pick you up."

"Dont Im fine. Just follow my location I sent you and call the police if I stop before getting to my hotel?" I asked not wanting him to see me like this.

"Okay I will."

"Thank you. Ill text you when I get there. Bye. "

I got out of the building blindly turning down some streets when I heard someone running behind me. I speed dialled Lisa.

"Hello?" she answered sleepily

"Someone is running behind me". I said speeding up around another corner.

"I dont know where I am. I have Daniel following my location, but dont know who it is, and I need you to guide me back to the hotel I sent you. "

"Okay turn the left at the next street." She instructed. A few streets later the man got closer.

"hes closer now. Black hair. Between 175 and 180 cm. blue t-shirt and grey sweats. Mid 20s. Youd probably smash him as far as I can tell. I think white shoes Im not sure. I gave her a rough description of the guy chasing me."

"Okay turn right. Stay calm I got you. Ill call the police if you hang up. Keep running." I heard her voice shake.

"How far?" I gasped.

"You got this."

"Hes closer. Bright eyes. A little bit of a beard, pale." I described the man further.

"Tease him." Lisa instructed.

"Alex!" the man hollered behind me.

"French accent. Ill tease him and run. How far?"

"7 more turns."

I suddenly stopped the man run right for my waiting teaser as I demonstrated its purpose, I took a good look at the screaming man to describe his face to my friend as I recognized him.

"Charles? Why the fuck are you chasing me?! Fuck I thought you were going to kidnap me!"

"Why are you threatening me!" he whined.

"Lisa it was Charles. Im fine. Thanks for waking up." I said to my friend and hung up after telling her goodbye.

"I have to call Daniel or else hell call the police." I sighed helping the Monegasque off the floor.

"Danny? Im fine. I apparently was chased around Monaco by Lord Percival himself." I rolled my eyes.

"OH, right I remember now!" He said he would take you back. He said full of embarrassment.

"Right. Thanks anyway." I hung up soon after that.

"Now why did you think it was okay to run after me when I didnt recognize you? Do you know what that does to a woman when a man you dont know is running after you? God, I dont even remember much of last night and I thought I got raped again or worse and then you run after me like some lunatic? Fuck! Dont do that ever again. "

"Im sorry. I didnt think about that." He said remorsefully.

"Lets just go."

Charles flat was the location where we were supposed to meet today. Well, at least some of us. It only ended up being Daniel, Lance, Max, Mick, Lando and all of them were already there when Charles and I arrived at his flat.

As Charles unlocked the door to his apartment Daniel came up to me immediately giving me a hug. "Man, I was really worried about you. Dont do that ever again!" Pierre was the next to hug me. "Im glad youre okay. I was so worried about you last night. Was that the guy you punched?" I just nodded. Max pulled me in after that: "He got thrown out by security after we told them what happened. He cant go back to that club again in his life." Mick was the last one to hug me. "I was so scared for you when you passed out and this guy was just there groping you. Thank god youre okay."

"For quite some time this morning I wasnt!" I snorted, "I thought he got me and I- I dont know- Im just glad nothing happened." I decided to keep my concerns away from the guys. and making my way to the balcony where Lance and Lando were Standing.

"We were there nothing would have happened." Lance tried calming me down.

"You guys werent there. You were getting drinks even though I was feeling like passing out any moment!" I argued.

"We didnt fucking know! You agreed not to drink today. We would have taken better care of you if we knew you couldnt handle one beer and a few mocktails!" Lance insisted.

"I can handle one beer, Lance. My mocktail got fucking roofied and before passing out from that fucking rape drug I saw that same fucking guy groping me and kissing my neck. Now thats nothing I havent felt before. You know getting touched without my consent and all that stuff. I bet you havent woken up to a guy finishing in you or three guys sticking a bottle into you. Or getting punched by a guy to have fucking sex with even though you didnt want to? I assume you havent and please correct me if Im wrong but if you have felt that and wake up after you got roofied and the last thing you remember is a guy groping you, you usually assume the worst and run as long and as fast as you can to safety. Now I apologize for freaking out, but I need some time to calm down. Ill walk back to the hotel. Have an enjoyable day." I said taking a deep breath slipping into my heels and leaving the apartment for the second time this morning.

This time I walked back to the hotel without someone on the phone with me and I had to navigate through half Monaco to get back to the hotel.

I had ignored a few wolf whistles behind me when a pickup drove past me with a group of people inside "Hey Baby! Where are you going?" they hollered at me as they drove off.

To say the least today was a shit day.

When I got back, I had many missed calls from Mick, Daniel and Max and unread texts from the others except Lance which I expected. I grabbed my running clothes and after a quick shower I got into my running gear after texting Lisa: Going for a run. Call help if I dont respond by tonight. Love you!

I then left with only my key card, a bottle of water and some money. I planned on going to Lavrotto beach, see the Casino run down to the harbour and then go from there. So I started running. At the harbour I took a short break to look for a place I could go next as I wasnt ready to go back to the hotel where I was sure Mick would be waiting for me.

I decided to go to Fort Antoine and look around on the half island it was located on and then visit the Exotic garden a few kilometres away. I walked through the garden taking pictures of the prettiest flowers I found and then ran up the Tete de Chien where I took a longer breaker before hiking down the other side of the mountain and running towards the Throphe Alpium. After that I got a quick snack in La Trubie while walking around the little town and running up another mountain to see the convent at the top.