***LONDON’S POV***
I make it to the last stall and I find a connecting door. My smile is wide when I slip out of it and carefully close the door behind me.
I know I wouldn’t have a chance against Zane, so I grab the stray iron I find close to the chairs at the other end of the club.
Since they were two, I knotted the door with it, locking Zane inside the women’s bathroom. I rushed to the front and bolt it lock. That got Zane’s attention because he tries opening the door, but gets caught by the iron rod.
“London!” he bellows, his anger raging through the entire toilet.
“I am sorry, Zane, but I am too scared of your punishments. My ass is still sore from this afternoon,” I say quickly as I dash out into the main club, the music blaring.
“London? Is anything the problem?” Reaper asks his voice having an edge of fear to it.
I know I need to control my high heartbeat if not I risk being caught before making it out of here.
“No… No,” I say firmly as I arrange my clothes.
“Where is Zane? I thought he pulled you in that way?” he asks his voice gaining a suspicious note.
I catch my breath just in time to rack my brain to think quickly.
“He went to one of the rooms upstairs, he asked me to send you up with some condoms,” I say, praising my brain for thinking up a reply in apt time.
“Oh, alright, I have got this,” he says.
I wait until Reaper has passed by before I turn and make it to the door.
Sinner is busy letting people in, and I slid on the exit door and make it right through without him catching a glimpse of me.
“Fuck these men,” I say when I make it to the parking lot area.
I start running and the heels make it uncomfortable for me. I don’t stop though, until I graze the bottom of my four inches heel on the gravel and twist my ankle. Pain shoots through my body, my ankle slightly turning drastically.
I scream at the pain and bite my hand quickly, to stifle the pain.
“Ow! Owww! Owwie!” I cry out in pain as it becomes even more difficult to breathe.
My ankle aches.
I look around at the deserted road, I barely know where I am, and it makes pure fear register in me for the first time.
I take off my heels, and take a road I suppose is home. I don’t even know if I want to go to Zane’s house. But that is the only home I know.
I see a flash of light zone in behind me, and I know I have been caught.
Zane would be so pissed off at me, but at least, I would say I tried. I start limping when the light gets closer.
“London? What happened to you?” I hear a familiar voice ask.
Looking at the driver’s side, I see Michael. My eyes bulge in shock, and then, a sprint of hope.
“Oh God, please, you have to save me, Michael, if Zane sees me now, he might kill me,” I beg him.
Michael nods his head as he unlocks his car. I manage to limp to the passenger side and enter.
I limp to the ground as Michael starts the engine, driving towards heaven knows where.
“Why don’t you sit properly?” he asks gently, not wanting to poke the bear.
“If Zane has alerted his men by now that I am missing, they would be looking for me, and I know it would be everywhere,” I say.
Zane isn’t a man to play with, why I got so involved with him in the first place, I don’t know why.
Michael doesn’t say anything, he just focuses on the road, and after a while of driving, he pulls his car to a stop.
“We are at my apartment, London,” he tells me.
It is still dark outside, so, when I check his dashboard, the time is midnight. I know Micah would have waited for me now, I feel so bad about him, but I can’t dare Zane by stepping foot in his house after what I did to him.
“I don’t want to be any trouble to you,” I start as I suppress the tears from rolling down my cheeks.
“Pffttt! That’s okay, London. What are friends for?” he asks kindly.
I don’t answer his question. Friends? I have never had friends in my entire life, the girls at school were mean to me. And in College, only Oliver had been good to me, maybe that is why I had gotten addicted to him in the space of no time, and then, he changed.
Michael opens my side of the car and I step out, but my ankle gives a nerve-wracking pain through me. I shudder.
“Are you alright?” Mike asks his voice full of concern.
“I am, I guess so?” I stutter softly.
He chuckles, and before I know it, Michael sweeps me off the group, carrying me bridal style into his apartment building.
“Oh Jesus, I could limp-walk, Mike,” I muster as I bring my hands towards my face, covering them.
His rich chuckle fills the room as he manages to board the elevator with me in his arms. He was effortlessly strong.
“I know you can, but let me help you,” he lets out.
Being with Michael is nothing compared to how I feel with Zane. Where Zane is dominant, this man is just… helpful.
*
Michael helps me into his apartment and when he closes the door, he places me on the couch.
The room is big, there is a corridor that leads to the main bedroom and one guest bedroom.
The kitchen is facing the living room and it is warm.
“Let me get you a glass of water,” Mike says as he gives me a warm smile, letting me know that he is here with me.
When he hands me the bottle, I drink directly from the bottle.
“Do you have anybody you want to call? I could borrow you my cell phone,” he says offering helpfully.
I shake my head, signaling no.
I watch Michael disappears into the hallway and he brings back a bowl of water, and a first aid kit.
I guess the first aid instrument box loves me so dearly these days.
“Let me see your leg,” he offers while he waits for me to start the conversation. I don’t do it though, but the silence becomes so strained between us.
“You don’t have to take care of me,” I tell him.
Before he could reply, there is a barking sound and then, I see it. Michael’s dog.
“Oh my God, Jase,” I murmur as I open my arms for the dog to come to me.
He does and he even licks my cheek making me giggle.
“You remember the dog’s name,” Mike says sounding amazed.
“I did. I just didn’t have the time to pet him well the last time…” I trail my words as a memory of the last time filled my mind.
“I am sorry Zane went down on you like that. He is some kind of caveman when it has to be with me,” I say as I ignore his gaze.
Mike is rubbing my sore ankle and he stops to stare at me.
“It’s okay, nothing’s broken. And today, I could make it out of the club alive,” he says making a small joke about tonight.
That made me laugh though.
“What happened after I left?” he asks now pulling out a bandage from the kit and starting to wrap my ankle with it.
“I locked Zane in the bathroom and adrenaline coursed through me, making me run,” I tell him.
Mike nods his head as he stands.
“Your leg is all fixed now. I have a shared bedroom you can use. Also, London, you are welcome to stay for as long as you want, no pressure from me,” he tells me.
No matter how generous this offer is, I still feel guilty for invading into this man’s life and crashing into it like that.
“You don’t have a wife or girlfriend that cares about you housing a random lady?” I ask shocked feeling my voice.
My question pulls out a small laugh from Mike’s lips.
“I am as single as the next bachelor,” he tells me.
Walking to me, he places his hand on mine, helping me stand.
Truth be told, my ankle feels much better now that he has massaged it. He assists me to his guest bedroom and I slid into the bed.
“I have some clothes for you to sleep in if you don’t mind, I’ll go fetch it,” he says as he dashes out of the room.
A few minutes later, I hear a knock on the door.
“Enter,” I say, my voice small.
Michael walks in and hands me his clothes. A pair of blue shorts and a grey sweatshirt.
“Thank you,” I murmur, the mood really awkward.
“We are friends right?” he says warmly.
“Friends,” I mutter out smiling.
“Good night,” he says.
“Good night,” I reply.
After Michael leaves the room, I make sure to close the bedroom door before going to bed.
I change into the clothes Mike left for me and they are big but slightly fitting. I cover the sheets and sleep.
Well, the only thoughts running through my mind are those of Zane. What I did to him, how he fucked me up with his death-filling threats.
Tears hit the back of my eyes as I force myself to gulp in large breaths.
It gets hard though, really difficult.
Somehow, I miss Zane, I know I fucked this up, but his reaction to me was not the best. I wonder what he might be doing now.
I know tracking me down to punish me will be the first thought on his mind, but what will he do when he doesn’t see me roaming the streets?
Micah!
The words hit me like a thunderbolt as I think about him.
All this is my fault, I started the lies when I asked him for money. I was so desperate to leave Oliver, he was too abusive and would have killed me if I hadn’t paid back his money.
Well, I gave gotten into a deeper hole of problems because Zane isn’t bluffing when he says he owns me.
Shivers run down my spine as I start crying, fat ugly tears rolling down my cheeks.
“This isn’t going to be easy at the very least,” I murmur to myself.
I don’t know when I fall asleep, but I wake up with a headache that could kill me. I make it to the bathroom to wash my face before brushing my teeth with an unopened toothbrush I find in a closed cabinet.
I open the door for the first time since I went to bed last night and head to the kitchen, to my surprise, Michael is there chopping some fruits.
“Good morning, angel, how did you sleep?” he greets as he nods to the chair in front of the wooden table.
I take the seat.
“Good morning, Michael. After from a bad night and a throbbing head, can I say I slept well?” I ask my eyes warming up to his as tears fill it.
I shift my eyes from Mike’s view, to embarrassed to make him see the tears building up there.
I hear his audible sigh as he carries the platter of food and pushes it in front of me.
Waffles and eggs. A bowl of assorted fruits is on the corner and he smiles wistfully at me.
“I didn’t know what you wanted after being hungover, but believe me, I knew you would be hungry, now, dig in,” he tells me as he hands me some cutleries.
I don’t wait for a second invitation to dig in. The waffles melt in my mouth as I moan.
“Jeez! This is so well made,” I tell him.
“I am a baker and I own a bakery downtown,” he tells me grinning from ear to ear.