The Billionaire's Distressed Bride

A Damsel in Distress

"What do you want?” Henry asked in displeasure.

“Please, I need your help,” Mandy replied.

“Really? You need my help?” Henry scoffed. “Forget it.” He entered the car and shut the door. Mandy was still standing there but he ignored her.

“Come on,” Tyler urged as Henry started the engine, “let's hear what she has to say.”

“Hell no,” Henry retorted. “I have no business with her. She's a stranger, yet, I took punches for her and fought with that bastard on her behalf. And what do I get in return? Nothing. Not even a sorry or a thank you. Instead, she ran after the bastard for whatever reason that I don't care about.”

Tyler reached forward and turned the key in the ignition. The car stopped and Henry glared at him. “What the hell are you doing, man?” Henry asked him.

There was desperate knocking on the window of the car and Henry turned to see Mandy still standing there.

“I know you're better than this,” Tyler said. “Let's hear her out.”

Henry thought about it for a few moments then he sighed. “Fine. I've heard,” he said. He opened the door and Mandy stepped back to allow him out. Tyler also got down and he came around to lean against the car beside Henry.

“You have five minutes,” Henry told her.

“Thank you,” Mandy said, throwing frantic gazes backwards as if she was running from something.

“What exactly is between Bull or whatever the hell his name is?” Henry asked.

“It's a long story. I—”

“Then you better cut it short. I haven't got time,” Henry blurted.

“It all started when I was in college. I was behind on tuition fees and I had no one to turn to for help. I was desperate and I had no choice but to start looking for where to get loans. A friend of mine introduced me to Bull after I explained my situation to him, he gave me the money I needed.”

“How much was it?” Henry cut in.

“Ten grand,” Mandy replied. “But that was not all. Bull was very nice back then and I got too comfortable with him. I hadn't been able to pay back the ten grand before I loaned some more money from him. At one point, everything I was owing him was a little about twenty grand. Then I started seeing his true color. I told my friend to help me talk to him but she refused, saying it was none of her business. I made inquiries into Bull and I realized just how much trouble I was in. Bull knew I couldn't pay back his money and he gave me a simple choice. Start working for him or pay his money immediately.” She stopped to make sure that they were following her story and she was satisfied to see that they were listening with rapt attention. She cast another frantic glance backwards before she continued. “I soon found out that Bull was a drug dealer among many other things and he wanted me to be pushing drugs for him. At first, I immediately rejected the idea, but after much persuasion and sweet talking from him, the thrill of working for a drug dealer and the benefits I would be getting from him began to appeal to me. I agreed and started working for him. I continued working for him till I got out of college a few years back and one day, he told me that he wanted to promote me. He said one of his friends needed a waiter at his club and he wanted me to fill that post. Again, there were added benefits and they were better than what I was getting from pushing drugs for him. I was so engrossed in working for him that I never even bothered to look for a real job.”

“Lemme guess, that club is Merryland?” Henry asked and Mandy nodded.

“After a while, I realized that the club job was not something I was prepared for,” Mandy continued. “Apart from serving drinks and other things by the side, I had to deal with the patrons touching and fondling me as they wished. I complained to bull about it but he laughed and told me to better return to my job if I liked myself. That was when I began to realize how much trouble I was in. I knew I had to find a way to pay Bull's money and be free of him but he wasn't willing to let me go. To make things worse, he approached me one day to tell me he wanted me to go back to dealing drugs for him. The club job was better than that so I refused. He let it slide that time until he approached me about it again this night.”

Tyler was touched by her story and he looked to Henry to see what his decision would be. He had already made up his mind that he would help her out if Henry refused to.

“Where's he now?” Henry asked.

“I don't know,” Mandy asked, looking back again. “The last time I saw him, he was talking to some of his guys inside the club. Please, help me out. I don't want to go back there anymore. My life is at stake.”

“Mandy, Mandy,” Someone called in a singsong voice and all of them glanced in that direction. Bull was approaching with three men behind him and he was smiling in his usual threatening way.

Henry saw the fear occupy Mandy's face as she gasped and ran to stand by his side. “Please, help me,” she pleaded.

“I hope you boys can maintain the same valor you did earlier,” Bull said, rolling the sleeves of his shirt. “You see, no one has ever stood up to me in that way and lived to tell the tale, and y'all are not going to be the exception. Get them, boys. As for you, Mandy, I think it's time to get rid of you. You're not worth my trouble.”

The men with Bull advanced towards the three of them and Henry and Tyler exchanged glances. “You know we could have avoided this if you had allowed me to ignore her,” Henry said.

“We couldn't do that, man. That wouldn't have been fair,” Tyler replied.

The men got to where they were standing. Tyler was never one to shy away from a fight and he threw the first punch. Mandy stepped away as the men started fighting and soon, Henry and Tyler were struggling to stay in the fight. As skilled as both of them were, they were outnumbered and outmatched by the four brutes, including Bull. They managed to get a few solid hits off them men but they received more than they gave. Mandy watched helplessly as the both of them struggled against Bull and his man and she paced back and forth as she tried to figure out a way to help them. She turned her gaze to the car but she quickly dismissed the thought as she couldn't drive. People around were watching the fight but no one dared to interfere because of Bull's reputation.

“Gun,” someone yelled suddenly and there was a commotion. Mandy spotted the gun in the midst of the men but she couldn't figure out who was holding it. The fight continued for a few more minutes and there were grunts and thuds coming from the men. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out and time seemed to stop afterwards.