The Sweetest Thing (Book 1) ✓

33 - Long waited hug

      Emily

"Umm, you sure you don't want to check what's happening outside? Maybe help your boss with whatever the problem is? I'll stay here and wait, don't worry about me." I knew that it was almost impossible to persuade this big guy, but I had nothing to lose at this point.

"Not happening. I have my orders. And all of them include you." Shit! That doesn't sound good. He was still walking toward me, while I was making little steps backwards, trying to maintain the space between us.

"I-I...I'm sure we can come with something that will work for both of us..." The man stopped for a second, like he was really thinking about it.

"Hmm, what do you have in mind?" I didn't have anything in mind! And looking at his smug face, he knew damn well that I wouldn't even try with some seducing. We both knew that it won't work. He wants to see me in pain, of that, I was sure. How the pain was inflicted – I don't think it mattered to him. He was blaming me for the big SWAT hit on my neighbors...his organization lost a lot of money and I was sure I had nothing of value to offer to him.

"I...well..." He started moving again. I was feeling the wall behind me and knew that I was getting out of options. The one and only thing for me right now was to fight...with all I had and hope that it was going to be enough.

I was trying to come up with a plan when he took the last few steps that separated us. It was now or never. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves and concentrate on the current task – survive. He was rising his hands when I struck his throat with all the strength I had. He looked shocked by my action, like he didn't see me attacking him in any way...or at least not succeeding at it. Somehow a managed to hit him in the right spot where it was now difficult for him to breathe. I didn't wait for him to get his bearings. I just body-slammed him with everything I had in me and that make him lose his balance, making a few steps backwards, while still struggling to take a breath. I hit his body again, this time he couldn't stay on his feet any more – he fell. I was so shocked it worked, that it took me some precious seconds to come to my senses. When it happened, he was already breathing, even thought it was sounding very painful. I didn't wait for him to recover, I was sprinting to the door, wanting to get as far away for this big man, as possible. He tried to catch my foot while I was stepping around him, but I didn't let him have it. Instead, with every last drop of energy I had in me, I stomped between his legs, striking his most sensitive parts of the body.

"Get your fucking hands off me, you asshole!" The howl that came from that big man lying on the floor in fetal position would be etched in my mind forever. His whole face was red, his hands were cupping his family jewels, trying to ease the pain I inflicted. In every other case I was going to feel sorry for him, maybe a little ashamed of my actions, of hitting him there...but right now, in this specific situation – I was happy that I managed to put this mountain of a man on the ground...helpless. I was ecstatic.

This time I got to the door without any more problems, there was no one else that could stop me. I opened it and took a look around. There was no one in the hall. I heard some voices to the left of me and decided to try my luck with the opposite direction. I was taking turn after turn, trying my best to stay closer to the walls and listen to what was happening around me, but I couldn't make any words at all. There were a lot of voices, some were angry, some were scared. I lot of the men were sounding like they were running, some were fighting, I was pretty sure, there were sounds of guns added to all the noise.

I was making another turn, desperately trying to find the exit when I came up to the barrel of a big weapon.

"What the fuck!" I was still in shock; I came so close to being shot in the face that I didn't even register the voice of the figure behind the rifle. In the next second, I was engulfed in the hands of the big figure in black. He was holding me so tight that it was hard to breathe. All the parts attached to his body armor were digging into me, making it quite uncomfortable.

"Umm, Cleo, do you mind leaving my girl alone?" Now that was a voice I could recognize everywhere, even when it came from a big figure, dressed in all black. The one holing me loosen his grip and I managed to take a full breath while taking a little step towards the new guy.

"Sorry, sorry...she just scared the shit out of me. I was this close of shooting her."

"Well, I'm really happy that you are slow with your reactions, Cleo." I was ecstatic I was no longer alone that I was on the verse of crying. All the emotions and stress were finally catching up to me, making my whole body shivers.

"Hey, easy there, Cupcake, I've got you." The moment Dax put his arms around me, it was like my body knew that I was finally safe and decided to give up. "Hey, hey...easy there...stay with me, Cupcake, stay with me."

"Mmmhm..." I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the feeling of being in Dax's arms. I didn't know that I'll feel so overwhelmed the moment I met him, but I was happy that we were in a place where I could be vulnerable around him.

"You okay, Cupcake? Are you hurt?"

"I'm...fine...I'm fine."

"Dax, let's get out of here, later you two can hugs all you want." I knew that we were still in danger. I could hear the shouting of the unknown men and the gun shots that were getting closer and closer to the place we were right now. The problem – my body didn't want to cooperate at all.

"Can you walk, Cupcake?" I was sure Dax already knew the answer. The moment I met them, all my energy left me.

"Umm..."

"Cleo, where are the others?"

"Luke and Rafe should be close; do you want to call them here?"

"We'll go to them, it'll be easier. C'mon, Cupcake, just hold on me and we'll get you quickly out of here." I knew that it wasn't safe for Dax to have his hands full with me and not with his weapon, but I couldn't make my body to start working. My eyes were getting heavier by the minute and I was fighting with myself to stay awake. I knew that it was I lost battle, but I tried my best.

"How did you...find...?"

"Shhhh. We'll talk later. Now we need to get you safely out of here." I had a lot of questions, but I knew that it was better to keep quiet, so I kept my mouth shut and let Dax hold me bridal style while we were in search for the others from his team. The last memory I had from that house were the voices of his teammates shouting at us to quickly take cover. After that everything went black.  

***Lily managed to show to herself that she didn't need help to safe herself. But having Dax and his team in her corner are definitely a big bonus...

What would you do if you were in her place? Wait for someone or act on your own?