Mr. Mysterious, Who Is He?

CHAPTER 4: YOU’RE NOT SAFE HERE

The soft breeze from the air conditioner swept across my skin, sending a chill up my spine. It was cold, yet somehow I felt warm, an impossible contradiction. But not when I looked at him. Not when those piercing green eyes locked into mine from across the room. The warmth wasn't from the air; it was from the way his gaze settled on me like I was something more than just a waitress in a crowded Los Angeles club.

I hadn’t dated anyone since high school. Not a single serious date since my world fell apart, since my brother was thrown into prison and I was left to keep us both afloat. Romance didn’t exist in my world anymore and every second was spent scraping enough together to send him money or keep a roof over my head; there was no time for anything else.

“Evelyn! We should go. The party’s starting,” Molly calls.

“Uh, right,” I say, snapping out of my daze. I gave the green-eyed man one last glance before turning away.

The rest of the shift went by in a blur of clinking glasses, shouted orders, and music thumping through my bones. Table to table, I moved like a machine. Tired feet, aching back, a fake smile stuck to my face but the tips were good tonight; enough for a care package, enough to help my brother buy a few essentials. That was worth the pain.

With a final tray in hand, I made my way toward a table near the green-eyed man’s corner; my arms were shaking slightly from exhaustion, so I moved slowly, careful not to spill anything. The last thing I needed was to draw attention or worse, get scolded by the manager.

“You free after this?” A deep voice asks, low and close; I turned and saw a man from the table I was serving looking up at me with a smirk. Then he reached out and took my hand gently at first, but with a touch that felt wrong, too wrong.

“I’m sorry, sir,” I say, trying to pull my hand back with a strained smile. “Can you please let go?” I ask politely.

But instead of listening, he squeezed tighter. “You are free, aren’t you?”

I tried again to pull away, but his grip held strong. My breath caught in my throat.

“I think there’s some mistake…” I tremblingly say.

“Oh, so you’re not free?” He interrupted, voice mocking as his hand slid to my back, then lower, too low.

I froze.

The music played; people danced, laughed, drank and no one saw.

“Sir… Please…” I whisper, still trying to stay calm; my heart pounded against my ribs.

His hand moved over my ass. He was bold, smirking as if this were just some joke. “See? You like it...”

“No, I don’t… please stop,” I say, my voice barely a breath. My chest burned from holding back tears.

He didn’t listen. His hand moved lower, sliding beneath my skirt. My whole body locked up; I couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t think.

“Please, no… sir, n-no…” I whisper again, trying to push his hand away.

“Don’t do this,” I say, eyes filling with tears that blurred my vision. One drop slipped free, then another.

I’d been through darkness before but this… this was the kind of moment you never forget; the kind that stains your soul.

I looked around in desperation. Faces passed in blurs. No one noticed; except him.

The green-eyed man I didn’t know the name was.

He’d seen me from the moment I set down the tray. His eyes hadn’t left mine. And now, like fate snapping into place, he stood.

“Let her go,” The green-eyed man’s voice rang out, low and sharp like a blade.

The predator ignored him, still clutching me.

“I said, let her go!”

In an instant, the green-eyed man was at our table. He reached across and grabbed the man’s collar, yanking him up with a force that shocked everyone around us. My breath escaped in a rush. I stumbled back, finally free.

That predator barely had time to react before a fist connected with his jaw. “Ugh!” He groans, stumbling backward.

Everyone in the club stopped. Music still played, but the atmosphere had shifted. Every pair of eyes turned toward the commotion.

“You don’t touch a woman like that,” The green-eyed man growls; his tone colder than ice.

The predator wiped blood from his lip and then lunged. Another punch flew. A loud thud followed as they crashed to the floor.

“Oh God,” I whisper, still frozen in place. I looked down at my crumpled uniform, hands trembling as I smoothed it out. My skin still felt stained where the man had touched me.

When I looked up, they were already fighting; hard.

Guests gasped and backed away as the two men traded blows. Fists slammed into jaws. A table overturned. The dance floor became a war zone. Shouts filled the air, some cheering, others terrified.

“Oh my God, what have I done?” I murmur, forcing my legs to move.

I shoved through the crowd, my heart pounding.

By the time I reached them, the green-eyed man had the predator pinned to the floor. “If you ever touch her again, you’ll lose more than your teeth,” He snarls.

“Ugh!” The predator whimpering in pain; his lip split and bleeding.

The green-eyed man raised his fist again.

The manager stormed in, face red with rage. Both men froze. The music cut off. You could hear a pin drop.

“What is going on here?” The manager bellowed.

My lips parted, but I couldn’t speak. I looked at the green-eyed man, his chest heaving, his fists still clenched. I looked at the predator, slumped on the ground, groaning.

Then everyone looked at me.

“Evelyn,” The manager growls slowly, stepping forward. “What happened?” He asks.

Before I could respond, the predator spat blood and spoke up first. “She led me on. She was all over me then that psycho attacked me!”

My jaw dropped. “That’s not true!” I respond.

But the room shifted; whispers, doubts. The predator held his cheek and winced for effect.

“She was flirting with me. Ask anyone!”

“Liar!” Molly shouts from the bar, running over. “I saw it! He grabbed her!”

“Enough!” The manager cut in; voice sharp.

The green-eyed man stood, his glare still locked on the predator, but he didn’t say a word; he turned to me, eyes softening just a little. “Are you alright?”

I nodded slowly, unable to speak.

Then the manager turned to me. “Evelyn… In my office, after this! We need to talk,”

My heart sank.

The music resumed. People went back to their drinks. Just like that but the problem still ongoing.

I couldn’t move. I stood there, trembling.

Molly wrapped her arm around me. “Evelyn… Are you okay?”

“No,” I whisper.