His Private Investigator.

“Unbelievable! Three hours of my life wasted just for someone to smile at me and say, ‘We’ll get back to you.’” I muttered, adjusting the strap of my bag as I walked. “Get back to me for what? Just say no and let me go home in peace.” A gunshot rang through the air, cutting off my muttering. I stopped abruptly, scraping my shoe against the pavement. Before I could even turn to see where the sound was coming from, another shot cracked through the darkness, followed by the screech of tires somewhere ahead. “What the hell?” I clutched my bag and ran. I didn't care to know where the shots were coming from. I hurried toward an abandoned kiosk and crouched behind it. Seconds later, tires screeched against the pavement. I looked around the edge of the kiosk and saw a black car speeding around the bend. The driver lost control, and the car slammed into a tree beside me, glass scattering across the road. I flinched. The driver's door flew open, and a man stumbled out, holding his shoulder. Blood soaked part of his shirt, but he kept running. Then he spotted me and changed direction, hurrying toward the kiosk. “Please,” he whispered when he reached me. “I need somewhere to hide.” I looked past him and saw three masked men running toward us, one holding a gun. “Come on.” I grabbed his arm and pulled him behind the kiosk. He crouched beside me, breathing heavily as the men came closer. “Check the car. He couldn't have gone far.” one of them shouted. The footsteps came closer. I pressed myself against the kiosk and held my breath. One of the men moved past the kiosk, close enough for me to hear the crunch of dry leaves beneath his shoes. The other two spread out, checking the road and the spaces between the nearby buildings. They moved past us, scanning down the street. Neither of us moved until the voices and footsteps faded into the dark. I turned and looked at him. “We can't stay here,” he whispered. His eyes remained fixed on the road. “They haven't gone far.” I glanced in the direction of the voices. He was right. Waiting there meant risking them coming back to the kiosk and finding us. “My apartment is down the street. You can hide there until it's safe”. He looked at me. “You're sure?” “No. But you can't wait for them to find you here.” He nodded. He waited until the road was completely quiet before stepping out. I followed closely behind as we hurried toward my building, both of us glancing back whenever a sound came from behind us. He kept one hand pressed against his shoulder, his movements becoming more careful with every step. When we reached my apartment, I unlocked the door, pulled him inside and locked it behind us. I checked the curtains before turning away from the windows. He leaned against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment. “Have a seat.” He lowered himself onto the sofa while I went into the bathroom. I came out with my first aid box and set it beside him. “Let me see.” “It's fine.. I can take care of it,” he said calmly. “You can't do that with one hand.” He looked at me. “I don't want to trouble you.” “You're already in my apartment hiding from some men who tried to kill you. I think we're past that.” A faint smile touched his lips. “Fair enough.” “Good. Now sit still.” He sat back while I carefully moved the torn fabric aside. The cut wasn't deep, but it was still bleeding. “This might sting,” I warned him. I took out the piece of glass, cleaned the wound and pressed a fresh piece of wool against it, and held it in place with a bandage. He barely reacted, except for the slight tightening of his jaw. “There. You should be fine,” I said, packing the first aid supplies away. “Thank you.” I nodded and sat back. For a while, neither of us spoke. The apartment remained dark and quiet. I glanced at the bandage again. “So, are you going to tell me what I just got myself into?” He looked at me. I raised an eyebrow. “You don't have to give me your life story. Just enough to know whether I should be worried about someone coming after me next.” “I don't think they're interested in you.” “That is strangely reassuring.” A faint smile crossed his face. I folded my arms. “You know, you could at least look a little more grateful.” He glanced at me. “I thanked you.” “Yes you did.” “And I meant it.” I studied him for a second. “Fine. I'll accept that.” Silence settled between us again. Outside, a car passed slowly along the road. I waited until the sound faded before speaking. “Why were those men after you?” He hesitated before answering. “I don't know.” I frowned. “You don't know?” He shook his head. “No.” “You're telling me three armed men chased you down the road and you have no idea why?” “I wish I did.” I couldn't tell whether he was lying. I kept wondering, who was this man? Was he involved in something illegal? He didn't look like a criminal, Not like I even know what a criminal is supposed to look like. Maybe he was mixed up with the wrong people. Or maybe he was important enough for someone to want him dead. I pushed the thoughts aside. “You're not making it easy to trust you.” “You shouldn't trust me.” I looked back at him. “What’s your name?” “Ronan.” I nodded. “Veda” “Veda”. “Yeah”. He glanced at the bandage on his shoulder. “I suppose I should thank you again, Veda”. “You already did”. “Not enough” “Whatever you say.” Headlights swept across the curtains. We both turned. A car had stopped outside. A door slammed, followed by approaching footsteps. Ronan's expression hardened and I held my breath. He moved toward the window and carefully looked through the curtain. After a moment, his expression eased. “My ride is here.” I nodded. He opened the door and stepped outside. I followed him to the doorway. A black SUV waited at the roadside and a man in a dark suit stepped out and opened the rear door. “Sir.” Ronan gave him a brief nod and turned to me. “Thank you, Veda”. “You're welcome”. He gave me a faint smile. “Good night, my savior”. A small smile tugged at my lip. “Good night Ronan”. The man opened the rear door and Ronan got in. He closed the door, walked around to the driver's side and got behind the wheel and the car pulled away. I remained in the doorway watching until the taillights faded into darkness. I hadn't expected a chauffeur.