Kidnapped By The Mafia

Safe, at least?

Tears came soon before I knew it, blurring my line of vision as I stumbled back. The metallic tang of blood filled my senses as I tried to make sense of what just happened.

"Melena, it's okay." The same voice soothed. Relief washed over me when I recognised the scent of the familiar cologne.

"Noah?" I rasped, my voice barely a whisper. What is he doing here? I remember Alex telling me clearly that he had sent him away for some work.

He knelt down before me, his eyes tensed and his face filled with worry. "It's me." He confirmed, his voice gentle. "Tell me, does your head hurt?"

I paused for a moment but gave him a slight nod. Noah wasted no time. He took off his coat and wrapped it around me and gently pulled me towards the bathroom, with a firm grip on my back. Cold water splashed against my face, momentarily shocking me back to my senses. He cleaned the blood trickling from my temple, his touch was surprisingly soft and comforting.

"How do you know him, Melena?" He asked, voice hard as he glanced back towards the bedroom.

I shook my head, unable to speak. Every time I tried to form words, the image of the attacker's face filled with so much rage flashed before my eyes.

He noticed my discomfort and softened his tone. "Hey, we don't have to talk about it right now. Just tell me, you feel strong enough to walk?"

I nodded hesitantly, the adrenaline slowly draining from my body, leaving behind a dull ache. Noah helped me out of the bathroom and towards the bed.

"Stay here." He instructed, his voice firm. "I'll take care of this."

"No–" I grabbed his arm as soon as he turned to leave, my fingers were practically digging into his flesh. "Take me with you."

His expression softened. He let out a small chuckle and crouched down in front of me, cupping my cheeks, his thumb gently stroking a tear track I hadn't realized was there, his face inches from mine. "I'll be back soon. I promise. Right now, I have to find Marcellus and—"

His words were cut short by a sound that sent shivers down my spine. The bedroom door burst open, exploding off its hinges and slamming against the wall with a loud bang.

This felt like déjà vu. No, not again. That guy's men probably came here to look for him. I clung to Noah instinctively for protection in an attempt to hide myself. God, I just wanted to disappear somewhere. Noah wrapped his arms around me tightly and I was buried in his chest.

"What the fuck?"

It was the voice I recognised all too well, my head snapped up in response.

In the doorway stood Alex, frozen like a statue. It wasn't the unusual stillness that made me uneasy. It was his face. He didn't look at me, not yet. His gaze was locked on my arms, clinging to Noah as if my life depended on it. He then saw the man on the floor, obviously dead, the crimson red pooling around his head. And finally, he saw the gun, clutched tightly in Noah's hand which he used to shoot.

Before I could even utter a word, Alex let out a laugh. He rubbed his temples, as if contemplating, before pulling out his own gun from his jacket's inner pocket.

Unlike Alex, it was rare to see Noah loose his cool. He looked a bit at edge, as if he saw something in Xander that I was missing. "Put the gun down, Marcellus. Let's talk."

His words only seemed to make Xander more angry. In a second, he was across the room, he yanked Noah by his collar, the fabric ripping with a sickening tear.

"We're way past that, wouldn't you say, motherfucker?" He snarled, tightening his grip on him.

Noah stumbled a bit from the sudden force, his face contorting in mild discomfort, but Alex didn't relent. "You disobeyed my direct order. You think just because you play bodyguard you think you can do whatever the fuck you want?" He punctuated each sentence with a violent shake while slamming Noah against the wall, sickening thuds echoing in the silent room.