When I woke up, Seb and Pete was having a fight. Stephen was by my side waiting for me to wake up. As soon as they saw me awake, Pete ran to me and started talking all at once. I asked him to move away by gesturing it with my hands since I couldn't breathe and talk with the anxiety. I never knew I had panic attacks inside me; guess there is a first time for everything. But it was horrible so to speak.

Finally, I looked at a really furious Seb and then to Pete who was bleeding slightly as he kept on chewing his fingertip. "Pete, stop... you are bleeding." I coarsely said. I have no idea why I even said that. I should be mad at him, shouldn't I?

Who is cheating me?

Who wants to fuc* with me?

Who wants me dead?

I would give anything to find answers. All big fuc*ing answers; I got up and ran my hands through my hair which was sporting many tangles making it really difficult for me to play with my hair.

"Look, this weirdo thinks I am the one who sent these petty ass*ole's. I am not. Why do I even need to do that? And, look... they are bound by your feet. At least, I won't do this stupidity; besides I work with the special force and FBI; why should I do this? For information...?! please, I have plenty of other ways honey." The last part where he emphasized honey was addressed to Seb which only infuriated him even further.

"So, who sent them?" my voice was broken and coarse. I just felt like keeping on drinking water and Stephen helped me drink since my hands were like jelly.

"There is no evidence backing their story nor is there any evidence at all. They used a disposable phone that they could have disposed of anywhere. Plus they said the phone came to them. They are a pesky group of small shoplifting gang around this part. The Asian is their head as his claim. I believe the local police were fed up with the increase in shoplifting cases just for fun and they are the culprit here. Well, we will keep them longer for questioning. But seriously, where did you get the notion that it might be me?" Pete asked disbelievingly.

Frustrated, Seb punched the Asian and screamed, "Who sent you?"

To my complete surprise, he burst out crying, "I don't know... please, I really don't know..."

Hours later, I was sitting in a new hotel room few miles away from the last place. This time, we booked a cab, then ditched it somewhere remote, caught a bus few feet away from there and hailed a cab here. It was a run, alright. By the time I was in the room, I was exhausted and hungry.

Since we have reached the neighboring state, far away from home, Seb said it will be safe for us to roam free. Thus, the first thing I did was having a tub of yogurt, had two fruit salad and went in search of a gym with a boxing ring. There, I held captive of a punching bag which a guy was already punching too. But, I held the bag, smiled at him and started punching hard, strong and fast.

Even though he was pissed at me, I growled, hollered and screamed as I punched again and again. I could feel the skin on my knuckled rip and bleed. After a while, I could feel the frustrated muscles and throbbing head. But everything that was happening kept me on the edge and I punched harder. A few seconds later, my body shut down and the hard punching boy hanging from up above came crashing into me. But, luckily, the guy stood by my side was waiting for it and held it in place. Nonetheless, I fell down.

He held me his towel wrapped around the shoulders, but I couldn't even pick it up. I was so sore. He muttered something unintelligent under his breath and hoisted me to make sitting on the couch at the farther end. Then he gave me cold bottled water and massaged my shoulders, working down my hands and neck. It soothed me.

"Tell me, no girl has ever bet a punching bag to splinter it; what happened?"

"I don't... want to talk... about it." I was still panting.

"Ok, fine... but still, I am so intrigued. I was pissed when you stopped my session but I was scared when you started to assault it."

I chuckled, but then moaned as he pressurized the spot on my neck. He deepened the massage and I let him to it.

After half an hour, I think I may have slept, anyway, I believe he asked me something about food and I suddenly jumped up and said yes.

"Oh boy, you are hungry. Come on let's eat."

Now when I look at him after I was relaxed, the man was born to kill with his killer abs, sexy smile, chiseled jaw not sharp enough to cut and his warm chocolate but hazel eyes. What pulled me was his hair; the same color as mine but bronzer in the sun. When he smiled, small dimples deepened making him look cuter and younger.

"If you have finished studying me, can I order you... umm, salad? Perhaps..."

I looked at him feigning hurt and scowled. I looked at the menu and saw there were full meals ready to be served. I ordered two bacon sandwich, eggs, sausages, and coke, with flan pudding as a desert. The guy who was about to order a salad for me looked shocked. He ordered himself a Caesar salad and standard BLT with diet cola. I was surprised to surprise him with that much food I ordered.

"So..."

"I am sorry I startled you."

"It's fine, you are not from around here."

"No, I am not." I certainly cannot tell him where I am from. At this point, I am seriously not relying on anybody. Why have I even come to have lunch with this guy?

"So, tell me about you Mr.Stranger."

"I have been born and brought up here all my life but I am planning to fly down to London to pursue my studies there. There is nothing much to tell about me, nothing interesting anyway. Had a girlfriend for all my life until recently she balled up and said she was a lesbian and I was her cover up until she was the legal age, to run away with her wife. I was doomed. So, see... seriously nothing interesting."

"Hmm, that's bad; but in a way what she did was saving her own skin cause as you know how hard it must be for those people to live in this modern day with all those hate and stuff. However, she could have told you."

"That's what I said. She could have told me, and I would have helped her without thinking twice. I am a great supporter of LGBT since let's face it, I have a right to walk as I wish right; they are people and they have as much as right as the next human. Sex, caste, race etc comes next."

"Exactly but people are no naïve and shallow minded to think straight and broaden their view. I mean, why bother and bully people who are not like us? Seriously! We have five different fingers and people expect people to be same as our viewpoint."

"You and I speak the same language. Apparently, none agree with me. They have some yada to talk about when I speak about equality."

I pointed my fork at him, "That's exactly the problem. People are so shallow and crude to give equality but want that just the same." I said, chewing the veggies on my plate.

"You know what? Marry me, please... I haven't seen someone so strong in their viewpoint." He had his hands on either side of the table, leaning in. it was so cute.

I laughed. "Seriously, I was just talking about giving equal rights but where were we? Yes, your girlfriend being a bitch to save her as*." He laughed out loud, throwing his head back and wiping the tears away from his eyes.

"God, you are so funny and serious. It makes me scared. I love you already. When you ordered that, I thought 'man, she is fierce' but now I know... you are fire!" his hand gesture when being excited really brightened me.

"And I am glad you have some creative pick up lines at your pocket."

"Who said this was all pick up lines? Can't a guy..., be serious for a second?"

"Not if you sport that creepy smirk saying you are getting what you want!"

"And seriously, where have our conversation escalated to?"

"I have no idea but my lunch's gone and I think I need a refill!"

"WHAT?"

I laughed at his intelligent expression of being genuinely scared to see me wanting to have another plate of food. What? I am starving. I ordered a plain chicken sandwich and refilled my drink and laughed watching his expression again.

"You seriously eat a lot and you beat that bag to shreds, what are you? Superwoman...?"

"No Mario incarnated."

"Yeah, that guy eats a lot."

We both laughed again. I am so surprised how a stranger could do this to me. But I know for a fact in my heart that it was because this was a stranger who doesn't know my past; was I being able to talk freely. That is the only valid reason he is being friendly to me, otherwise, he may either try to rob me or ditch me. Whatever it may be the reason, I won't probably see him again so let me enjoy while I can. I started to eat my sandwich and I saw him shaking his head.

"How do you eat so much?" he pressed again.

"Wow! You are so judgmental."

"No, seriously, I haven't seen a girl eat this much."

"Are you married to seriously?"

"What?" but when the meaning crashed into him, he doubled over in laughter and the guy sitting next to him looked amusingly at him. My stranger looked at that guy and said, "She is freaking hilarious." I was thinking... was I?

"Gosh, you are so freaking hilarious. Why didn't I meet you earlier?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

He cleared his throat and sat straight looking at me with a goofy smile. "I really wish I saw you earlier."

"Hmm..."

Suddenly I felt the whole place silenced. I looked up from my plate with a burp on my lips when I saw them. Five men in black clothing walked towards me with Tom in front. I gulped and then sighed. I slouched in my seat and crossed my hands. People started to look at where Tom was looking and then seeing me than to him made them visibly hungry for gossip.

My stranger guy was sitting with this bizarre expression, looking at Tom.

As Tom got near to me, he slapped on my stranger's shoulder and sat flipping the chair so that he was sitting like that on a horse. He supported the other hand on top of the chair and then smiled all this while his eyes never left mine.

"We meet again pumpkin." His voice was anything by warm and lovely.

"Don't call me that." I looked away.

"You know I was trying to protect you. You know I was. Otherwise, they would have ripped you to shreds if I didn't intervene." He had a point and now he looked pissed.

"I don't know what to think," I confessed. It's true.

"If I am right, they have given you three nasty warning to show that I am not in business and you are on your own. You know I wouldn't let anything happen to you. Girl; the first package was with me and I could have given it you the moment I realized you are stronger, older and bolder to handle the truck. I needn't wait till you were freaking eighteen. I didn't. So thank me for that!"

"Tom," I gritted my teeth, he is making it look as if I am at fault here or reversing the effect. "You could have let me know. You could have given me a word. I trusted you. I loved you..."

My voice horrifically cracked. You know there is a point where sometimes your anger and betrayal reach to a point where you break down crying. I hate that point.

"Honey, I know you do... I can't let anything happen to my dear Evangeline's daughter but she did a big mistake to show her tough sides. And now I can't wash my hands-free from the blood of brotherhood."

"There is plenty that I still don't know, huh!"

"Plenty..." he looked at me, wiping the tears from my face. "Listen, find it fast and give it to me. Don't waste any more time. They are really angry."

"Who are they?"

"You will know. Honey, remember... you are running out of time."

"Fuc* I know that. I need to stop running!"

"You can once you find it for me. You will be safe then."

"How can I trust you?"

"Trust me on that, please..."

He was silent as he gestured his men to walk out and they did, one by one, looking at everyone intensely. They knew they couldn't mess with these people who were dressed like SWOT team; only difference they were fully in black, but they weren't. They were freaking mafia with an intense and intimidating power.

Before Tom got up to leave, he said once again reminding me that I was indeed running out of time.

I suddenly felt suffocated and scared that he found me. I'm indeed in trouble. The heavy meal was quickly evaporated and I needed more. I suddenly felt sick, hungry and craving for something sweet. My guy was still sitting with this bizarre expression which I think was surprised since he looked like a bit constipated too.

"What was that all about?" he asked after finding his voice.

"I got to go, I am sorry. Thanks, it was fun."

"Wait... you can't just leave, I... I want to be your friend. I don't even know your name..."

"Friend or in my pants?" I wiggled my eyebrow and he scrunched his brows and huffed to feign hurt.

"I am not that kind of a guy."

"And I am not really the girl who talked to you just minutes earlier. I am sorry. I really changed and I can't help it. Anyway, thank you for your company. At least you helped me forget for a while. Don't utter a word about what happened because my uncle is pretty nasty." I was already up with my jacket in hand.

"That was your uncle?"

"Yes..."

"Cool! Well, hey... wait, give me your number."

I contemplated the consequences. He was fun and I was able to talk to him freely unlike Shaun and Sebastian. I looked at him and then smiled. "Give me your number; I will call when I am free."

I picked up my phone and saved his number. By the time I remembered I don't know his name, I was already out of the cozy diner.

I walked hastily to meet Seb who apparently had gifted me thirty missed calls and four text messages; the final one warning me he saw Tom in town.

I scoffed as I walked down the street at my leisure.

_________________________ 

Enjoy, more drama to come! :D