Do you believe in Angels?

Chapter 24

"Get away from her!" he roared, charging into the room. "Don't make me repeat it"

The men turned in surprise, momentarily letting go of Melanie. Noah didn't waste a second. He swung the pipe with all his might, striking the man with the taser in the head. The man crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Another man lunged at Noah, but he dodged and brought the pipe down on the attacker's knee, causing him to collapse with a howl of pain. Melanie, seizing the moment, kicked at the third man, hitting him in the shin and causing him to stumble.

"Noah, look out!" Melanie screamed as the remaining two men rushed him from different angles.

Noah spun around, using the pipe to fend off one attacker while delivering a swift kick to the other. He fought with a relentless intensity, driven by his need to protect Melanie. He swung the pipe again, connecting with another man's shoulder and sending him crashing into the wall.

The last man standing hesitated, fear flickering in his eyes. Noah took advantage of the moment, grabbing a nearby fire extinguisher and spraying it directly into the man's face. The assailant staggered back, coughing and rubbing his eyes.

"Run, Melanie!" Noah shouted, pulling her up. They dashed out of the room and down the hallway, their steps fueled by adrenaline.

They burst through the emergency exit, into the cool night air. Mia was waiting outside in the car. "Get in!" Mia yelled, opening the door. They jumped in, and Mia floored the gas pedal, speeding away from the restaurant.

Melanie stared down at her palm, which held the tiny camera chip that she had been clutching so tightly as they drove away. She cast a quick glance at Noah, who was unwinding by pressing his temples. Melanie became concerned when Noah remained silent and avoided eye contact. 'Why is he not saying anything? Is he angry with me?' Melanie sighed. They saw police cars going to the restaurant's direction making Melanie realized she messed up this time.

"Melanie are you okay?" Mia asked glancing Melanie from the back view mirror. Melanie nodded. They stopped the car two blocks away from Melanie's building. Noah got out and assisted Melanie in exiting the vehicle. Mia also jumped out and gave Melanie a hug. As they embraced, Melanie discreetly placed the chip into Mia's jacket, believing it was the best course of action at the moment.

"I'm glad you're okay Mel" Melanie hugged her back. "Take care, we'll talk about this tomorrow okay?" Mia uttered before she drove away leaving Noah and Melanie alone on the side of the road.

Noah remained silent as they started walking towards Melanie's building. The night air was cool, but there was a palpable tension between them. Melanie kept stealing glances at Noah, who stared straight ahead, his face tight with unspoken frustration.

"Noah..." Melanie began, her voice hesitant. He didn't respond, just kept walking. She felt a pang of guilt and a knot of anxiety tightening in her chest.

They reached her building's entrance, and Noah finally turned to face her. His eyes were a mix of worry and disappointment. "Why didn't you tell me, Melanie?" he asked, his voice low and controlled.

Melanie looked down at her feet, unable to meet his gaze. "I didn't want to bother you. I thought I could handle it on my own."

Noah's expression hardened. "Handle it? Melanie, you were almost seriously hurt-or worse. Do you have any idea how scared I was when I got that call? You can't just go off like that without telling anyone, especially not in the middle of the night."

"I know, I'm sorry," Melanie whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I just didn't think..."

"Exactly," Noah interrupted, his voice rising slightly. "You didn't think. You didn't think about the danger, you didn't think about how it would affect the people who care about you."