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It's then that I hear the men who were following me getting closer. Panic rises up within me again as I glance behind me.
"Is everything okay?" the stranger asks.
I shake my head frantically. "No, those men-" but before I can finish my sentence, the men in question skid around the corner and nearly crash into me. And they certainly would have if the stranger hadn't pulled me out of the way just in time. Oddly enough, by pulling me out of the way, he puts himself between me and my four pudgy friends.
"Hey, watch it!" one of the men yells as he tries to steady himself.
The stranger stands firmly, his arms crossed over his chest. "You should learn to watch where you're going," he tells them.
The men bristle at his tone and take a step forward, aggression radiating off them in waves. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" one of them snarls.
"Who am I?" he repeats with what nearly sounds like amusement lacing his deep voice.
2
ANTONIO
"OOF!"
A small squeak of surprise echoes down the now silent alley, replacing the sounds of my previous argument, as a small woman crashes into my chest. I catch her by her upper arm, trying to stop her from tripping over the sharpest pair of stilettos I've ever seen someone wear. I mean, someone could be seriously injured if found at the wrong end of those things.
"I'm sorry!" the woman squeaks apologetically. "I didn't see you."
Obviously not.
"No problem," I grunt. Not the first time a woman has thrown herself at me.
Her eyes meet mine but even in the dimly lit alley I can see the golden-hazel tint as they stare widely up at me, clearly in a panic. She glances over her shoulder.
I follow her line of sight and wonder, "Is everything okay?"
Her attention snaps back to me and she shakes her head so fiercely that her brain probably rattles in her skull. "No, those men-"
Her words are cut off by the scuffling of shoes as four men round the corner into the alleyway. The pack of them trip over each other clumsily, like children who haven't quite found their footing. I drag the woman out of the way, positioning her behind me just in time for one of them to catch his balance.
"Hey," he yells at me, "watch it!"
The way their eyes glow with the thrill of the hunt is all I need to know.
I fold my arms over my chest and widen my stance. "You should watch where you're going."
They respond to my aggression with their own.
One of them barks, "Who the fuck do you think you are?"
A grin spreads across my face. "Who am I?"
I take a step forward, feeling the rush of adrenaline pulsing through my veins as I relish in the thrill of the fight. My eyes scan over the group as I size them up, taking note of their weaknesses and strengths. From the looks of it, they're just a bunch of amateurs out to prove themselves.
"Let's just say you don't want to find out," I growl, my voice low and menacing.
"What do you want with her?" I demand, trying to draw their attention away from her. "Why are you following her?"
They exchange a look, and one of them steps forward, a sneer on his face. "That's none of your business," he says. "We were just having some fun, that's all. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"
The woman behind me recoils visibly at the man's words and I can feel her trembling, her hand gripping the back of my jacket tightly. I can sense the fear radiating off her, and it only fuels the fire in my gut.
"Fun, huh?" I say with a smirk, looking each of them in the eye one by one. "Well, I'm all for a good time myself. So why don't we make a deal?"
