"You should have let me die", my voice whispered nonsensically as a gentle hand pulled me up onto my feet.

I did not know who saved me, my eyes still blurred by the tears which would not stop. My nerves were numb and caring about the surroundings were definitely not on the top of my list of things to pay heed to. Maybe the man who rescued me did so just because he wanted me to himself?

I know he said something but logic and common sense avoided me as I continued staring into nowhere. My mouth moved on its own accord and the warm hands on my shoulders didn't even register, "They would have left me to die. It would have been better for everyone", my breath came out in short pants. Was I finally coming back to reality? "Ryan would be ecstatic, mom wouldn't care", my lips moved as a small smile graced my face, "I would be happy."

As my mind blurred and overflowing tears came to a stop I wished I could get lost in my head forever. Maybe then I could live in my imagined reality with no interruptions.

A large hand gently grabbed my chin and forced me to look up. My vision cleared for the first time as I focused on the man standing in front of me. How could I not notice him before?

He was tall. Taller than the jocks I had seen around school and almost any guy I had ever seen. His Armani blended into the darkness and his expensive being didn't look like it belonged to streets such as this. His eyes were dangerous. Not the kind of dangerous the men who touched me moments before were, but something beyond. Something I could not comprehend. He looked like the monster under your bed except this one more Armani with a watch that would probably cost me my entire life savings. But would a monster help a random girl on the streets? Would a monster hold me so gently?

No. He was a monster who kept me from being happy. He was a monster. He should've let me die.

I just want to be happy.

"Stop talking", his gruff voice silenced my thoughts and my eyes refocused themselves on the man I didn't know. I could see another figure in my peripheral but the man in front of me demanded attention. I could not look away.

"Chi cazzo permitted a ragazzini come Lei di stare qui in giro", the man muttered in some foreign language as I continued to stare at him. My saviour.

[Who the fuck allows little kids like her to hang around here after dark]

"Avresti dovuto dare loro una morte più dolorosa, fratello", the other man growled and it sent shiver down my spine. Now that I looked at him, he looked equally scary as the one in front of me. Who the fuck were these people?

[You should've given them a more painful death brother]

Speak Rebekah.

"Thank you", I breathed out ignoring anything and everything that happened in the last ten minutes.

Compartmentalize. I could compartmentalize.

The two eyes immediately focused back on me and I hung my head to look at the ...blazer? which was tied around my naked bottom. When did they put that on me?

"You should not be roaming here. This is no place for little girls", the other man told me softly yet somewhat sternly.

I snorted at the sheer incredulity of the situation. Strangers cared about me more than my brother. Strangers who shoot guns and apparently are regulars in this place.

My head blocked itself of any and everything that happened as I looked up at the second giant rolling my eyes, "You think I had a choice?"

"Anyway", I cleared my voice which sounded as if it was on dry crack. To be fair, with all the screaming and crying I had done, this was better than what I hoped for, "Thank you for the save. Truly. But you must have better things to do and I need to take my leave."

Giving them a small smile I went to leave but was tugged back by the first man who glared at me like I had lost my mind. Flinching hard I nervously looked at him. Is this it? Did he actually kill the others so he could have me for himself? Maybe share with the other guy?

Shivers traveled up my spine.

"If you think I'm letting you go out alone after what just happened, you're just stupid."

Well....that was not what I was expecting.

"Why would you help me?", my brows furrowed. He did not look like a man who just did favours for the random person on the street. Maybe ignoring a rape in front of his eyes disturbed his morals but going out of his way to help someone? I wasn't buying it.

My brain snorted when it thought of the fact that I was standing comfortably in the prescence of two guys who literally shot three men in front of me.

Maybe my brain was twisted.

"Don't ask questions", his voice was a warning. He may have saved me from a fate worse than but that didn't mean he did not scare the living suit out of me. Saying this he walked away taking his place in a shiny black car as I stood there with a dumbfounded expression. What the fuck?

"I'm not going anywhere with you", my logical part of the brain thanked me for once.

The second man looked at me with amused eyes, "And why is that?"

"You're strangers. I can't have a rape and kidnapping burdened on me on the same night", my mind spoke as my filter vanished. Immediately the gleam of amusement from his eyes vanished and he pressed his lips together. His face looked thunderous.

The man from inside the car swiveled his face towards me and gave me a hard glare that made me want to shrink into myself and never come out, "Should've thought about that before you decided to take an evening stroll in fucking Stronkers Lane."

This made me shrivel up as I looked down at my shoes. This was my fault.

***

Fifteen minutes later I sat in a black SUV as it cruised through the city with the two giants sitting in the front. I was glad they gave me space. My chest still felt like caving in on itself and my mind kept coming up with flashes of memories of the night.

"Where do you want us to drop you?", a voice broke through my reverie.

I looked up to see the man who had introduced himself as Niccoló speak to me through the rearview mirror.

I could not go back to Ryan on the same night. What if he took me there again? What if he called up someone to take care of what the men in the alley couldn't finish? What if he-

"Capretto?", he said in some foreign language once more but I knew he was talking to me.

[Kid]

"I- uh", where do I go?

"Do you have anywhere go?", Niccoló asked me softly. His voice was so different to how he spoke before and his personality was more gentle. But I could see the devil which never left his eyes still brewing beneath the surface. The other guy however had remained silent the entire time as he continued to drive. I was thankful for that because he scared the living shit out of me but for some reason I wanted him to address me again. My saviour.

Coming to a split second decision I blurted out adress of the one friend who wouldn't question me and would hopefully house me for a single night, "Take me to 16, Lemongrass Avenue."

{FYI if it's not very evident, I have never been to New York or America for that matter so please don't attack me for all the bullshit places I make up.

Thank you.}

Niccoló's eyebrows furrowed as he shared a look with the other guy but they said nothing.

Twenty more minutes of a silent drive, we finally came to a stop in front of a large white house. I never knew Sandy was rich.

Before I could even get out of the car, the first man had gone and rung the doorbell while Niccoló helped me out of the car. It was easy to ignore the limp in my legs and the still open cut on my hand when adrenaline still flowed through my veins. I didn't know these people. My flight or fight could come in handy at any time.

By the time I reached the door, there was a woman standing in front as the man in Armani talked to her. She curiously looked at me.

"Can I help you darling?"

My mind protested. Why should I disturb the life of this family? This nice, happy family who were probably having a nice quiet night. What right did I have to just barge into the home of a girl who I had known not even for two months. Maybe she did not even like me. Maybe.

My head shook furiously as I came to a conclusion, "No I-"

"Rebekah?", a voice interrupted my denial. A familiar voice.

There stood Sandy with wide eyes as she took me in and a confused frown. Her eyes took in the men behind me, slightly widening before returning to my face.

"That's Rebekah?", the woman smiled, "come in honey. I keep telling Sharon to bring her friends home but she never does. Oh we just finished dinner but I have some leftovers I haven't packed yet. Come in darling."

My brain remained dumbfounded at the kindness of the woman who didn't even know me but I did not let it show. I had been vulnerable enough in a night for a lifetime.

"Thank you ma'am", I gave her a polite smile before turning to Sandy, "I'm sorry for barging in but could I stay the night here? My brother is not at home and my mom is out of town and I just didn't feel safe enough at my house."

The lie slipped out easy and Mrs Rivera seemed to believe me but Sandy's eyes narrowed.

"Why are you wearing a blazer underneath? Where are your pants?"

"Got jumped when I came out of my house", I smiled easily, "Wasn't pretty. And the pants were tattered in the ruffle, almost falling off. These men were passing by and offered to give me a lift here as well as offering me a jacket. Defintely not my night."

I laughed.

No one else did.

I dared not look behind knowing the men could expose me any second. But I could not be weak little Rebekah again. I did not want to go back to my memories.

I had honestly forgotten about them for most part but as soon as I remembered I wondered how I could ever forget. Even for a minute. Their prescence itself was an entity you could not ignore.

"Okay", Sandy accepted but her eyes still portrayed her disbelief at my lies, "Come in. We could finally have that sleepover we were planning for so long. Mind you Lexi's going to kill us when she finds out we did it without her."

I was grateful to this girl for not asking me questions when it was obvious enough that I was lying.

Sandy then looked up at the men as I turned to them too. Their eyes bore holes into my skull but I maintained the easy smile on my face. Niccoló nodded. I breathed out in relief.

But my eyes went back to the man who first held me. Who shook me out of my reverie. Who was gruff but brought me a strange comfort. The man who didn't speak to me after we got into the car. I wanted to hug him. I did. But he did not look like someone who would appreciate that. So I settled for a look that conveyed just how thankful I was and something in his eyes reflected his acceptance of my gratitude.

As the door closed behind us I hoped to someday meet my saviours once again.