Love Me Without My Name

Chapter 3 — No Way Out

‎"Hello, beautiful," one of the three figures said smoothly. "Remember us?"

‎Veronica’s heart skipped a beat. It was the same three jerks from earlier, the ones who tried asking her for a gang bang, but she declined, she had probably hurt their feelings.

‎Her drunken state vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp, icy fear. She didn't need to be told, her life might actually be in danger.

‎She clutched her phone tightly, looked at her hands slowly, and instinctively slipped her phone into the pocket of her jacket. Glancing around desperately, searching for anyone who might be walking by, but the street was completely empty. Not a single soul in sight.

‎Without hesitation, she tried to run back toward the club. She had only taken a few steps before the men closed in on her.

‎One of them grabbed her by the waist and yanked her backward while another snatched her purse. Veronica was terrified In that moment. Maybe her mother was right, she wasn't grown after all.

‎"Give me that," One of the men growled, ripping the purse from her grasp. "What you got in here, huh?" His voice was low and intimidating.

‎"You can have it all," Veronica pleaded, her voice trembling. "Take it, please, just let me go..."

‎"I guess little princess is not so tough after all," One of them sneered. "We tried to be nice to you, but you wanted to act like a bitch."

‎"Damn, she's really rich, a princess indeed." the one rifling through her purse murmured as he pulled out a clean wad of cash.

‎"Remove the watch too," he added, eyeing the expensive piece on her wrist. "I bet that cost a fortune."

‎Veronica swallowed her saliva hard, struggling to breath, her pulse thundering in her ears. She had never had such awful experience before, and could see her life slipping away right before her eyes.

‎"Please," she begged, "let me go. I’ll give you anything you want."

‎"Anything we want?" the one who seemed to be their leader repeated with a wicked grin, his eyes dark with cruel intent.

‎They began closing in on her slowly, hands reaching out to touch her inappropriately. Just then, a firm voice cut through the night.

‎"Let her go!"

‎Everyone, including Veronica, snapped their heads toward the source of the voice, trying to see the savior who had come to save the day.

‎"Let her go. Now!" the voice repeated.

‎It was Adrian, the bartender from the bar. He was on his way home when he heard the noise from a distance. Something felt off, so he followed it. Luckily for her, he remembered her face from earlier.

‎"Or what?" One of the men snarled.

‎"Who the hell are you, boy?" another added threateningly.

‎"If you don’t let her go, I’ll call the police," Adrian said calmly. "And I know all your faces."

‎“You look young, and pretty,” the leader among the men sneered. “If you don’t get the hell out of here, we’ll give you a new face.” he stepped forward slightly, cracking his neck.

‎Adrian’s gaze hardened. "Don’t make me do this," he murmured, snapping his fingers as he stepped forward also.

‎"Oh, he thinks he can fight all of us," the man holding Veronica laughed. He shoved her roughly to the ground, as she hit the pavement with a dull thud.

‎"Try me," Adrian said quietly.

‎In the next few seconds, the atmosphere filled with the sound of punches and kicks.

‎Adrian moved with surprising skill, landing precise strikes to their faces, chests, and stomachs. He was clearly trained, likely in karate. One by one, he made them bleed from the mouth, gave them swollen purple eyes, and left their noses broken and bruised. Outmatched and humiliated, the three men had no choice but to run.

‎“This is not over,” their leader growled, his voice trembling. “I promise you.”

‎"Come on, boss, let’s go.” the other two grabbed him by the arm as they fled into the night like the cowards they were.

‎Veronica’s vision began to blur. The world spun into patches of white and black. She tried to stay conscious, but it was no use.

‎"Miss, are you okay?" Adrian rushed to her side, crouching down. "Miss?"

‎She tried to speak, but no words came out. A moment later, she fainted in his arms.

‎"Miss, wake up!" Adrian called, panic rising in his voice. He looked around frantically, but the street was still deserted. He reached for her purse and searched inside, but her phone wasn’t there. He checked the corners too but no ID either.

‎Then he felt something heavy in her jacket pocket. Relief washed over him when he pulled out her phone. He tried to turn it on, but the battery was dead.

‎Adrian let out a heavy sigh. He had no other choice, she was coming home with him. It was almost midnight, and he couldn’t just leave her lying out on the street.

‎He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, studying her features. She looked lost, vulnerable.

‎But then again, what if she wasn’t who she seemed? What if she was a bad person, or worse? What if she was connected with those thugs? Wait... hold up, what if she was a drug dealer? He thought inwardly, staring at Veronica's face.

‎She had been arrogant with him earlier, so why should he even bother helping her? He didn’t want to get into any trouble, but his conscience wouldn’t let him walk away, not if something bad happened to her.

‎After series of silent calculations, he carefully lifted her, draping her arm over his shoulder to support her weight. He stood there, holding her steady, waiting for his cab to arrive.

‎“Let me go…” Veronica whispered, her words broken and weak. She had regained a bit of consciousness, but it didn’t look like it would last.

‎“Miss, it’s okay. They’re gone now,” Adrian said softly, trying to steady her. “Miss?, can you tell me your address so I can take you home?”

‎“Let me go… you monsters,” she murmured again, her voice barely audible as she tried to push him away with no heavy impact.

‎She staggered a few steps forward before her strength gave out completely. Her body slumped, and she collapsed to the ground once more, this time fully unconscious.

‎Adrian let out a heavy sigh. He walked over to where she had fallen and gently lifted her again, pulling her arm over his shoulders as he struggled to get her upright.

‎Just then, his cab pulled up. ‎Adjusting his grip, he bent slightly and carried her into the car, cradling her carefully like a baby, like something fragile. Moments later, the cab pulled away, disappearing into the night.