Gangster's Paradise // Rio (Good Girls)

2. the encounter

Isla sat at the nurse's station, swiftly filling out the paperwork in front of her. As she worked, a voice pulled her attention away.

"Isla!" Lexi called out, walking up to her. Isla and Lexi had been friends since high school, and their friendship had remained strong. Although Lexi was only a nurse who assisted in surgeries, their bond was unbreakable. "Shift ends in 20. Are you staying longer or can you give me a ride home?" she asked.

"I'm going to stay a little longer, but if you want to wait, I can take you," Isla replied, looking up from her paperwork. Lexi reached over and grabbed Isla's long blonde hair, pulling it up and clipping it out of her face.

"I'll have Alex talk to me," Lexi said, adjusting Isla's hair. "Anyway, how's the gangster patient?" she asked, noticing Isla's distracted gaze.

"Lexi!" Isla exclaimed, raising her head in surprise.

"Come on, Isla, you know it's true!" Lexi persisted.

"I... I know, but he's fine. He hasn't woken up yet," Isla responded, her voice tinged with concern.

Lexi nodded and walked away, leaving Isla to finish up her paperwork. Once she was done, Isla made her way out of the hospital and towards her car. She slid the key into the ignition while dialing Lexi's number.

"Hey," Lexi answered her phone. "I went with Alix, sorry I didn't text you."

"It's okay. I just wanted to make sure you got home safely," isla said, her voice filled with genuine concern, as she started driving down the street towards her own home.

"Yeah, I did. Thanks. Get home" Lexi's said Isla hung up and called her sister

"hey lzzy" emma said

"I've been trying to get ahold of you all day" isla said as she heard her another sister annie "what are you doing?"

"on a...girls night?" emma said isla frowned her eyebrows why did she ask it as if it was a question "we would of inv-" isla cut her off

"it's alright I had work I just wanted to make sure you where okay" isla said "I know how it feels you know that" Emma was going throw some marine troubles

"I know I'm....good" emma said "I got to go lzzy talk to y-" emma words abruptly cut off, when Isla's head slammed against the side of her car window, a jolt of fear surged through her body. The impact sent her cell phone flying from her grasp, spinning through the air before crashing onto the cold asphalt. Petrifying friction seemed to be the culprit, robbing her of control in a split second.

Instinctively, she tried to slam on the brakes, her foot stomping down with desperate force. The grip on the steering wheel tightened, her knuckles turning white as her body jerked backward from the sudden deceleration. Her eyes darted around in a mixture of shock and disbelief, scanning the scene in front of her.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, she quickly shifted the gear into park, bringing the car to a halt. With her heart pounding in her chest, she mustered the courage to open the car door and step out, her legs feeling unsteady beneath her. Her pulse incessantly quickened, matching the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Taking a deep breath, she assessed the damage. Her hand instinctively moved to hurriedly feel her head, relieved to find no blood or signs of injury. Her gaze shifted in the direction of a sleek black car, a BMW, with tinted windows. It stood as a testament to the collision bearing a large dent on its side.

"Oh God," Isla exclaimed, her heart pounding in her chest. She hadn't done anything wrong. She wasn't the one who crashed into the car. It had run a stop sign. It wasn't her fault. Her eyes shifted back to her own car, where the headlight was now busted and a noticeable dent marred its surface. Isla bent down, examining the damage closely.

"You just had to go and hit my damn car," a husky voice startled her from behind. Isla jumped, her body tensing at the unexpected presence. Slowly, she stood up, spinning around on her heel to face the owner of the voice. Her big blue eyes wandered over the man standing beside her. Tattoos covered his body, but one in particular caught her attention—the one on his neck. He had a serious expression, and she could see his jaw clenched tightly. He looked angry, really angry.

"I-I didn't," Isla stammered, her voice trembling. The man's dark eyes locked with hers as she nervously played with the end of her scrubs. They stood there in silence, his gaze unwavering. Taking a deep breath, Isla gathered her courage and spoke up.

"Look, I'm sorry about your car, I really am, but you ran the stop sign," she said, her voice filled with a mix of apology and frustration. The man continued to observe her quietly. Isla's eyes darted around the night, her stomach churning with nerves. The bird tattoo on his neck signaled his affiliation with the gang world, much like her patient. She tried not to let her fear overcome her as she spoke again.

"I'm sorry, okay? But you ran into me, so we can just chalk it up to an accident and move on," she suggested, turning to walk back to her car. As she reached for the door handle, the man's hand slammed against the door, forcefully closing it shut. He stood right behind her, his presence intimidating.

"What are yo-" Isla began, but he cut her off with a stern command.

"Don't," he said, his voice low and threatening. Her body stiffened as she heard a distinct click and felt something press against her side. Her heart sank as she slowly lowered her gaze, confirming her worst fears. It was a gun pointed directly at her.

"P-please, let me go," Isla pleaded, her voice trembling, as she felt his breath against her ear. "L-look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just got off a long shift at the hospital, and I..." Her voice trailed off as tears streamed down her face. She was exhausted after working a grueling 48-hour shift, and all she wanted was to go home.

"So, you work at the hospital, huh?" he asked, his voice low and inquisitive, his breath still brushing against her ear. Isla nodded, her head moving in small, quick motions, as more tears escaped from her eyes. "Tell me, is there a man there with the same tattoo as the one on my neck?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I... It's restricted for me to give any personal information about a patient," Isla started to explain, but she quickly cut herself off and closed her eyes tightly, bracing herself for what might come next. The gun pressed harder against her side, causing her to gasp in fear. "Y-yes, he's there," she managed to say, her voice choked with emotion as she fought back a sob.

"Mmmhh," he hummed, his grip tightening around her waist. "You owe me for the damage to my car... We'll be seeing each other real soon." With those ominous words, he lowered the gun and slowly backed away from her, making his way back to his car. Isla was left there, a trembling and sobbing mess, as she watched him leave. As soon as he was out of sight, she hurriedly got into her car, her hands shaking as she fumbled with the keys. The encounter had left her terrified and shaken to her core, but she knew she had to get to safety. She started the engine and drove away, tears streaming down her face and her heart pounding with fear.