Chapter Text
The night seemed darker than usual or maybe it was just the absence of working lampposts that made it seem that way. It also felt colder, the skimpy dress you wore did absolutely nothing to help you against the odd spring chill. Phil had left you closer than the other guys do but still it was far enough to make goosebumps cover your naked legs. With every step you took you could feel your dress hitching up, the light jacket you wore above it served more of as a cover for your butt than for what it was meant to do.
It was also a silent night, the clock marked no more than 1:00 am but everyone seemed to already be asleep. Only the sounds of your heals clacking on the sidewalk and the odd dog barking in the distance could be heard, even the crickets and cicadas seemed to have called it a night. Still, your thoughts were loud enough so it made not much of a difference. It was one of those nights, those that were so calm that your mind felt the need to fill the silence with intrusive thoughts. It willed you to overthink; think about your life and all you had done to get there. Think of what you could have done differently, the decisions you had made, some assertive some…not so much.
It was enough to drive anyone crazy, bathing your mind, body, and soul in regret... but not you. You were way passed regret at that point. Yes, you had been plagued with it before but that was long passed. Now it was resignation.
Yeah, the thought of resignation alone was a sad one, but it still brought a grim smirk to your lips. Cynicism had become you in the past years.
You kept walking amidst the maze of trailers, some of the windows were painted by the flashing lights from televisions long forgotten by sleeping people or even some being watched by the random night owl.
You were thankful for the loneliness, that meant no wondering eyes filled with disgust or with amusement. Because that was what you would get most of the time, that, and some whispered words with the only goal of making you feel ashamed of yourself. Of course, those came from the moralists, the bold would wish you a good night and sometimes even ask how much you charged. To those you would only answer: "You can’t afford me". They would laugh and leave you alone. The people around there were mostly harmless, and even if they were not you were always ready for trouble. The small pistol the boss gave you was tucked in your jacket’s right pocket weighing it down, giving you an almost askew appearance.
In no time you were passing the flashing lamppost that stood right in front of your home. All you wanted was a warm cup of tea and a bath, you would need a good scrub to get the glitter from the dress off your body. You could always go without it but already your skin itched from the cheap fabric and its tacky glittery texture.
You already had a foot on the steps that led to your small porch when your eyes landed on him. He was slung forward onto the door, one hand rattling it, trying to get it open. Your hand was at the small pistol and taking it out in a second. Turning to the street made it obvious he was alone; you had not noticed any unfamiliar vehicles near either. A robber without a getaway or an accomplice. Well, no one said criminals were exactly brilliant, but this was quiet a stretch. On the other hand, going against one in 6-inch heels and a mini dress was not a very bright idea either.
"Hey asshole, get away from my fucking door" Your voice rang out through the silent night making some dogs in neighboring houses bark. You were glad to sound much more confident than you felt, you squared your shoulders up and pointed the gun in his direction.
He turned to look at you painfully slow, and what you could see of his face from the flickering light made you gasp and almost forget he was trying to get into your house. One of his eyes was completely closed with the skin around it a dark purple, more bruises covered that same side of his face, his lip was bleeding and very swollen. He was a mess, to say so lightly.
"I said get away from my door" You repeated, now with less volume but the same resolve.
A weird noise started to come from his mouth, it sounded like wheezing. He put up his hands in a placating gesture, his body leaning against the door. You immediately noticed one of the hands he held up was covered in blood.
"Help" he managed to speak in a voice so soft that you would not have heard if the night had not been so silent. It was like witnessing a car crash, you could not take your eyes away from him but neither did you feel the need to do anything but that.
You did not have a phone on you and to be honest you had no idea what you were supposed to do in this type of situations. Before you could even begin to think further, his legs seemed to give out under him, and he collapsed. On instinct you put the gun back into your pocket and raced up the steps to where he lay on his side, now with both eyes closed.
Up close even with little lighting you could get a better look at him. What you noticed first was the weird assortment of clothes he was wearing, he looked straight out of one of those fantasy movies, all in dark leather of some sort with pieces of fabric crisscrossing his chest and small golden details at his sides.
His face was a mess but that did not explain his collapse. Pushing him onto his back gave you the answer. Plunged into his abdomen was a jagged piece of metal, the part that stuck out was slick with blood. A dark stain covered a good part of his stomach.
Your hands went to his neck trying to find a pulse, the fact that you could feel your own heartbeat vibrating in your head and all through your body made it almost impossible, but after a calming breath or two you were able to find it, slow and weak but it was there. You looked around trying to think of your options.
The neighbors were a no-no, they were not exactly a very supporting community. The police were also a negative, the boss would not like you getting under their radar, and you could bet anything his people would be at your door before the police.
Leaving him there was also a call for trouble. Oh! Damn him! Why couldn’t he have chosen another house to call for help? As much as you tried to act like a cold bitch you could not just leave him there out to die. You closed your eyes but even in the darkness you could still see his bloodied body, broken and pale.
In what can only be described as a rash decision, you got your keys into the doorknob with shaking hands and opened it, turning the lights on, and flooding the small porch in light.
The light made him look even worse, his skin looked ghostly pale, cuts and splotches of blood making a gruesome design on his skin. Not wanting to hurt him even more you pulled him by his clothes. He was very heavy, but then again, he looked to be a good 6 feet and although quite thin he was by no means a small man. Just moving him into the middle of the living room, had a stitch pulling at your side from the effort. You closed the door to the trailer, even forgetting the keys that were still attached on the outside.
When the lock clicked behind you, the danger of the situation you were in washed over you tenfold. You knew this was probably a bad idea. This man could be dangerous, he could be a killer or a rapist. There was a reason he was so badly injured; and someone could still be after him trying to finish him of. But when you turned to him again you knew you could not just leave him out to die, and like that the decision was made.
And well, even if he was dangerous, he was in no state to start a fight. You could easily overpower him if you had to, the pistol in your pocket was pressed into your side in an almost reassuring way.
The shock of the situation filled your body with adrenaline making your mind go quiet and your hands become steady. You half ran into the kitchen, your hands opening drawers and cupboards looking for what you would need. Alcohol, scissors, bandages for his wound. A bottle of tequila for your nerves. It all went inside a big salad bowl that you set beside his body as you kneeled to inspect his most serious injury. The tequila burned your throat as you reached for the scissors.
All you had wanted was a cup of tea and a bath but then again it was one of those nights.