Fires of Fate

Chapter 4: Debt Collectors

Angel

The afternoon sun slipped lazily through the dusty window, illuminating the worn-out furniture and faded photographs that lined the walls of my small room. I squinted against the brightness, the warmth doing little to ease the heaviness in my chest. My mind was a jumble of thoughts from the night before, a wild whirl of passion and fleeting intimacy that felt both exhilarating and bewildering. I could still taste the remnants of Alexander's kiss on my lips, but that was a world far removed from the reality I had to face.

With a reluctant sigh, I dragged myself out of bed, forcing my feet to hit the cold floor. I knew I had to eat something, but the thought of facing the kitchen felt daunting. Just as I was contemplating skipping breakfast altogether, a sharp knock echoed through the quiet house. I froze, my heart skipping a beat.

The sound came again, louder this time, reverberating against the walls. Who could it be? I hadn't seen or heard from my foster father in weeks. He had always been more of a ghost than a guardian, rarely checking in and never really caring. I approached the door cautiously, peering through the peephole. My breath hitched when I saw two men in leather jackets standing on the porch.

I opened the door a crack, my pulse racing. "Can I help you?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Are you Angel ?" the taller one demanded, his voice gruff and authoritative.

"Yeah, who wants to know?" I shot back, annoyance bubbling beneath the surface. The last thing I needed was more trouble in my life.

The man exchanged a glance with his companion before stepping closer, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "We're here about your father. We need to talk."

Alarm bells rang in my head. "What do you mean? I don't have any debts."

The man smirked, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Well, you might want to ask your father about that. He's been a little behind on his payments, and we're here to collect."

Collect? My stomach twisted at the word. I hadn't spoken to my foster father in weeks, and now, out of the blue, these men were here, threatening me because of his mess.

"I don't know anything about this," I protested, stepping back as they pushed their way inside, shoving the door wider. "Get out of my house!"

"Not until we've had a little chat," the second man said, a smug grin spreading across his face.

My instincts kicked in. I needed to get out of here. I turned to flee toward the kitchen, but the first man grabbed my arm, holding me in place. "You can't run from this, Lena," he said, his grip tightening painfully. "Your father thought it would be cute to put you on the hook for his debts. Now, you need to pay up."

"Pay up? I'm not paying anything!" I yelled, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I struggled against his hold. "You can't just come in here and threaten me!"

"Watch it," the second man warned, stepping closer. "You think we want to do this? You're just a kid playing dress-up in a grown-up world."

"Stop calling me a kid!" I snapped, my anger flaring. "I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be," he replied, leaning in so close I could smell the stale cigarettes on his breath. "Your father gave us your address for a reason. He thought we'd come to collect. Now we need to figure out how you're going to help pay off his debt."

"Help? I'm not your errand girl," I shot back, my mind racing for a way out of this.

The first man shook his head, his eyes narrowing. "You might want to rethink that attitude. You have options, but they're limited. You either help us find him, or we'll have to take matters into our own hands."

Fear coiled in my stomach, but I held my ground. "I don't know where he is," I said defiantly. "And even if I did, I wouldn't help you."

He leaned closer, menace dripping from his words. "You don't want to see what happens if we have to find him ourselves. You might want to think about your future."

I stood frozen, my heart racing as the implications of their threats sunk in. They weren't just here to talk; they were here to intimidate me, to remind me of how powerless I really was.

Suddenly, the door burst open behind me. I turned to see Sara standing there, her face pale and wide-eyed. "Angel !" she shouted, taking in the scene with alarm. "What's going on?"

The two men exchanged glances, their demeanor shifting slightly as they assessed the newcomer. "Just a family matter," the first man said smoothly, though the tension in his voice suggested otherwise.

"Get away from her!" Sara demanded, stepping in front of me protectively.

"She's in this with us now," the second man shot back. "You should leave if you don't want to get hurt."

"You don't scare me," Sara retorted, her voice unwavering. "You're nothing but a couple of thugs. Leave her alone, or I swear-"

"Or what?" The first man laughed, his arrogance infuriating. "You think you can intimidate us?"

"I'll call the cops," Sara said, her phone already in her hand.

"Go ahead. You think they're going to help you?" he sneered. "This is a personal matter, and we have all the time in the world."

I felt a rush of anger mixed with fear. They thought they could push me around because of my father's mistakes, but I wasn't going to let them. I would fight back. "Get out of my house!" I yelled again, my voice growing steadier as I found my resolve.

Sara's presence strengthened my courage, and I took a step forward. "You need to leave now. I won't help you with anything."

The first man's expression darkened, his patience wearing thin. "You think you can just refuse us? You have no idea what kind of trouble you're in."

"Maybe I don't, but I won't let you threaten me or my friend," I said firmly. "We're not afraid of you."

"Fine," he replied, straightening up. "But this isn't over, Lena. We'll be back."

They turned and walked toward the door, but not before casting one last glance back at me. The tension in the room hung heavy, and I felt my heart racing as they left.

Once the door slammed shut behind them, Sara rushed to my side, her eyes wide with concern. "Lena, are you okay? What the hell just happened?"

"I don't know," I replied, shaking my head in disbelief. "They said my father gave them my address. They want me to help collect his debts. I don't even know where he is!"

"We need to figure this out," she said, her voice steadying as she took a deep breath. "You can't let them intimidate you. We'll come up with a plan."

I nodded, but the knot in my stomach remained. My foster father had put me in this position, and now it felt like I was trapped in a web of lies and threats that I had no control over. I needed to find a way to confront him and put an end to this chaos.

"First, we need to get out of here," Sara suggested. "You can't stay alone right now. Let's go somewhere safe."

"Yeah," I agreed, my voice barely above a whisper. "Let's go."

As we walked out of the house, I took one last look back at the place that had never felt like home. I had to find a way to break free from this nightmare. I wasn't going to let my father's mistakes define me any longer.