Velvet Chains

Rain hit like bullets. Not soft, not pretty..just cold, relentless, soaking through your thin dress as you ran barefoot across cracked pavement. Your lungs burned, each breath sharp and uneven, but you didn’t stop. You couldn’t. Not when you could still hear them. “Find her!” “She couldn’t have gone far—!” Your heart slammed against your ribs as you turned the corner too fast, nearly slipping. Your hand caught the brick wall, skin scraping, but you pushed off and kept going. You shouldn’t have been there tonight. You knew that. Girls like you didn’t belong in places like that club—dim lights, expensive liquor, men who looked at you like you were something to own.. but you needed money and you thought you’d do anything for it. And now? Now someone was dead and you’d blame yourself now if you weren’t busy running. Your stomach twisted violently at the memory—his hand grabbing your wrist, the smell of alcohol, the way he laughed when you told him to let go. You hadn’t planned it but here you are. The knife had just… been there. And then— Blood. Too much blood. You swallowed hard, forcing the image away. Keep moving. It’s all you can think of. Keep— Headlights. Blinding. A car screeched to a stop inches from you, and before you could react, the back door swung open. “Get in.” The voice was calm. Commanding. You froze. Every instinct screamed at you to run. But behind you? Footsteps were getting closer. “…Please,” you whispered, not even sure who you were begging anymore and you knew what would most likely happen if you didn’t. “Get. In.” Something in his tone made your body move before your brain could catch up. You dove inside. The door slammed shut. And just like that— The car sped off. You didn’t realize you were shaking until minutes later. Your hands wouldn’t stop trembling in your lap, your breath still uneven as the city blurred past the tinted windows. You weren’t alone. You could feel him before you looked. Slowly—hesitantly—you turned your head. And— Oh. He didn’t look real. Dark suit, perfectly tailored. Black hair slightly damp like he’d just stepped out into the rain. A watch that probably cost more than your entire life. But it was his eyes that caught you. Sharp. Focused. Dangerous. He was already looking at you. “Are you done staring?” Your face heated instantly, and you looked away. “You picked me up off the street. I think I’m allowed to stare.” A quiet exhale that almost sounded like a laugh. “Fair.” Silence filled the car again, thick and suffocating. You swallowed. “Why did you help me?” “I didn’t.” Your brows furrowed. “You literally—” “I removed a problem,” he cut in smoothly. “Whether that benefits you is irrelevant.” Your stomach dropped. Oh. So this wasn’t kindness. You forced your voice steady. “And what problem am I?” This time, when you looked at him, his gaze felt heavier. More… deliberate. “You stabbed a man,” he said. Your throat tightened. “I—he—”, “I’m not asking why.” Something about that made it worse. He didn’t care? Not about what happened. Not about you. Just the facts. Arguably worse.. then what business did he have helping you? “And now,” he continued, “you’re being hunted by people far worse than him.” Your blood ran cold. “…What?” He leaned back slightly, studying your reaction like it was something interesting. “You didn’t think he was just some random drunk, did you?” Your mind raced. No. No, no, no— “I didn’t know—I don’t know who he was” “Clearly.” The word wasn’t harsh. But it wasn’t kind either. You pressed your hands into your thighs, grounding yourself. “So what, you’re just going to… what? Drop me off somewhere and let them kill me?” He didn’t answer right away and that terrified you more than anything. Finally— “No.” Relief hit too fast. Too strong. Until— “You’re coming with me.”