He stared at her in disbelief and stated incredulously, “I thought all you hit was your shoulder out there. I guess hitting your head must have happened earlier.”
Nev shook her head in disagreement and looked at the ground and then to the door. “I appreciate what you did, but they will search the buildings once they realize I’m no longer outside. They will find me. I would rather meet my fate on my terms than theirs,” she stated softly.
Nev took in a long, slow breath before attempting to stand. She felt her legs wobble under her but not collapse. The toll of her exertion, fatigue, and injury were taking their toll on her. She moved towards the door and found herself surprised when her would-be rescuer refused to move from in front of it. “They’ll kill you—badly—for the aid you have already provided me. Look, you helped me when you had no reason to. Please let me repay you by helping you now,” she said quietly.
He found himself gazing at her. She was unlike any woman he had ever seen. Her long hair was loosely braided and rested over her right shoulder. The color was similar to that of a summer’s sunrise. Red hair was an unusual enough trait to see in someone, but her blue eyes were really what set her apart. They reminded him of the sea on a sunny day. They were the deepest blue he had ever seen, but within them lurked something powerful. Dangerous, even. Yet, he felt no threat emanating from her and instead felt inexplicably drawn to her. He knew what his sister would say. He knew she would be telling him to just let her go and that involving himself would mean endangering himself. She would, of course, be right. There were more important things, however, than simply being right. “Sorry, Addi. I’ll just have to owe you one,” he said, looking up before shaking his head a bit.
Nev looked at him feeling confused.
“I’m not sure what this fate is you think you are supposed to meet or why you are so determined to have that happen tonight, but I’m afraid there has been a change in plans,” he said.
Nev shook her head disapprovingly.
“Shake your head no all you want. That won’t change my mind about helping you. You’ll see, I am incredibly stubborn about things like this,” he said with a smile. The man moved towards her and put his arm around her to support her weight. “Now, about this change in fate’s plans, I am going to need you to do just as I say.”
He gently and carefully moved her to the corner of the single room apartment and sat her down gingerly. “It hurts a lot, doesn’t it?” he asked, looking towards her shoulder.
Nev reluctantly replied, “A bit.” She was unused to the concerned attention he was giving her and shifted slightly away from him in response.
“Once we get our unwelcome guests to move along, I’ll get you patched up. I’m not a healer, but I can play the part in a pinch,” he assured her. “Alright, when they come in—and they will almost undoubtedly come in—it’s imperative for you to remain very quiet and try not to move. If it was just the enforcer, you could likely do a jig, and he wouldn’t notice. If there’s a prowler, then that is a different matter entirely,” he noted with a heavy sigh.
Nev shook her head in disbelief. “I’ve crossed paths with a prowler before. How is sitting in the corner supposed to hide me from anyone? Particularly a prowler?” she asked doubtfully.
He grinned and replied, “Trust me.”
Nev had only ever entirely placed her trust in one person outside of herself, and that was an incredibly long time ago. It had ended very, very badly at that time. Unwelcome, the memories of that moment crept into her thoughts. They caused her heart to ache. The pain, ever-present within her, stubbornly refused to diminish with time. Instead, it lurked and pounced on her from the edges of her mind—often when she was least prepared.
The man sensed something dark and painful stir within her. He reflexively placed his hand on hers. “It’s going to be alright,” he said reassuringly.
Nev, startled by feeling his hand touch hers, instinctually pulled it back and close to her chest.
He felt compelled to comfort her but was interrupted by the sounds of banging and yelling coming from the apartment next door. “Remember, you must stay still and quiet, no matter what happens,” he whispered.
The man stood and moved towards his desk, where he sat and opened his ledger before scrawling a quick note and closing the book. Nev felt perplexed by his actions. More than anything, she was filled with a sense of impending dread. The commotion from next door had quieted as abruptly as it began. With the heavy silence, came the realization that they would soon reach their door. Nev, despite her supposed rescuer’s reassurances, was sure these were her last moments.
The door of his apartment shook as the enforcer kicked forcefully upon it. With the door bowing under pressure, the man shot a quick look at Nev. He placed a finger to his lips, urging her to be quiet. He then turned and moved towards the door. Taking a deep breath, he focused his attention. Alright, I can do this. Just focus. You will not see her, he thought.
Concentrating, he pressed his mind to conceal the woman sitting in the corner of his apartment. He would learn almost instantly if his efforts were successful. If this didn’t work, he would need to come up with another plan very quickly.
Nev swore the air seemed to grow a bit warmer the moment before the door opened. She closed her eyes as she took in a deep, slow breath. When she dared to reopen them, the enforcer was already in the room. Except for his mud-coated boots, his massive, metal armor
