Chapter 2: The Little Mouse
661 Words
Lucian's POV
The alley grew silent.
The stench of blood lingered in the air as my men cleaned up the mess.
I watched her flee into the darkness.
I could have killed her.
I should have killed her.
Yet I didn't.
And I didn't know why.
I stood beneath the flickering streetlamp, a cigarette resting between my fingers.
One of my men cautiously approached.
"Boss, should we find that girl?"
I didn't answer immediately.
I was still savoring the conversation we had earlier.
She had been terrified that much was obvious.
Yet she threatened me.
I had seen the fear in her eyes Yet there was also something else.
Stubbornness.
An unwillingness to back down.
Interesting.
Most people cried.
Most people begged.
Most people ran.
But she...
"No."
A faint smile tugged at my lips.
The man looked surprised.
"But she'll report it—"
"I said no."
I finally looked away from the darkness.
"She'll run."
The smile widened.
"Let her."
As I turned to leave, something caught my attention.
A small plastic card lay near the curb.
I walked over and picked it up.
The streetlight illuminated the photograph.
A young woman.
Curly brown hair.
Freckles.
A stubborn yet determined expression.
"Maeve Sterling..."
I muttered under my breath.
My smile widened.
"So that's your name."
My men exchanged confused glances.
I flipped the card between my fingers.
"Find everything."
The nearest guard straightened immediately.
"Everything, boss?"
"You know what to do."
My gaze turned cold as I looked directly into his eyes.
"I want a full report by tomorrow."
"Yes, boss."
I slipped the ID card into my pocket.
Maeve Sterling.
Somehow the name suited her.
Taking one last drag from my cigarette, I looked toward the road where she had disappeared.
A dangerous smile appeared on my lips.
"Let's see where you run..."
My voice dropped.
"Little mouse."
---
Maeve's POV
I didn't sleep.
I couldn't.
I spent the entire night tossing around in bed.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him.
The gun.
The tattoo.
The veiny hands that screamed power.
The dangerous eyes.
The way he smiled at me.
The way he kissed my hand.
A shiver ran down my spine.
The thoughts consumed me until sunrise spilled through my apartment window.
For the first time in my life, I considered skipping class.
But missing lectures wasn't an option.
At least not for someone on a scholarship.
By the time I reached campus, I had managed to hide the dark circles beneath my eyes behind my oversized glasses.
"Maeve!"
Someone suddenly yelled.
I looked up.
My best friend tackled me with a hug.
"You look horrible."
I blinked.
"Good morning to you too."
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"I'm serious."
She stared directly into my face.
"You look like you fought a ghost."
If only she knew.
I had encountered something much worse.
I forced a smile.
"Didn't sleep well."
Even the lie tasted bitter.
I couldn't tell her about last night.
Not yet.
The entire day passed in a blur.
For the first time ever, I didn't enjoy the lectures.
I didn't enjoy the smell of books.
I didn't enjoy the peaceful, orderly atmosphere of campus.
No matter how hard I tried, my thoughts kept drifting back to the alley.
Back to him.
And each memory sent another chill through my body.
By afternoon, exhaustion finally won.
I managed to convince myself I was overreacting.
He didn't know who I was.
He didn't know my name.
He didn't know anything about me.
The encounter was over.
Done.
Finished.
The thought comforted me.
I breathed out a sigh of relief as I walked out of the economics building.
Then I froze.
Across the street.
A black luxury car sat silently beneath the trees.
The tinted window slowly rolled down.
A familiar pair of dark eyes met mine.
And a slow smile appeared on the driver's lips.
My pupils dilated.
My blood turned to ice.
- Writer
