75

As if all my senses had been abandoned, I made my way through the many celebrating people and tried to orient myself somehow, which was easier said than done in my condition.

The tears kept running down my warm cheeks and no matter where I looked, I could only see blurred outlines and dark shadows, which made me gasp for air more and more uncontrollably.

My heart was already pounding painfully against my ribs and I was becoming more and more aware of what I had just done despite the chaos in my mind.

I had not only left my only friend here alone, but also grossly insulted what is probably the most dangerous man in this city without batting an eyelid.

Not only that, but I'd said it straight to his face like he was a normal, unimportant person. How stupid could a person be...

"Oh God, he's going to shoot me for sure," I sobbed wistfully and finally recognized a small café that was already closed, but gave me information about where my small apartment was. At least a glimmer of hope in a sea of ​​tears.

My feet were already hurting from these old flip flops, but I skilfully ignored this fact and continued to flee from the unknown and also from the question of what he would do to me now.

Certainly not a good thing...

While I only casually noticed that the loud bawling of the revelers was getting quieter and quieter, I slowed my steps and turned out of breath into a small, narrow side street.

So Emilio Torres...

He was the man with no name...

The man who had been haunting my mind non-stop for a week and who I kept telling myself was the victim of the story. But he was certainly the culprit... So I had helped a criminal who had probably shot someone innocent before he stormed into my office injured...

So I was even an accomplice... Really well done!

With this bitter thought, I finally arrived at my barely lit street after the next corner, which was deserted in contrast to the city center.

There was not a peep to be heard, only the distant sound of the waves and the evening wind, which made my hair dance playfully in all directions.

And then another realization came that made me despair again...

My key was in my pocket...

"It's called karma," I told myself and felt more and more ashamed of it all. Even if he hadn't been Emilio himself, what gave me the right to taunt him like that? I didn't know him and although he had such a bad and criminal reputation, I also had to admit that he didn't strike me as evil at all...

Of course I felt something like a slight panic when we first met, but that was more due to his injury and all the blood and not because of him personally...

Although he radiated something dominant. Something that immediately made it clear to respect him without ifs and buts, but his looks, no matter how cold and expressionless they seemed, showed me more than just what he wanted to reveal about himself.

There was so much more in the dark irises when he looked deep into my eyes. It was like he wanted to read me, like he wanted to protect me... I couldn't explain it to myself, but that didn't matter anymore.

I would probably never see him again after my performance today. Or else he would simply shoot me after my public exposure to him... There was no other possibility in my confused thoughts.

Exhausted and utterly dejected at the same time, I leaned my back against my front door and only slowly slid down to wait cross-legged for Carlos.

I just hoped he would bring my bag and if not he had a spare key. So I would get in anyway, the only question was how long I would have to wait here alone.

So while I was enjoying the fresh breeze and playing with small pebbles on the street in front of me, I kept telling myself that I didn't give a damn about Emilio. Unfortunately, the opposite was probably the case.

He seemed so interesting in his whole way that it suddenly seemed logical to me that all my thoughts revolved only around him. How could they not? After all, with his first appearance he had completely turned my whole, boring, planned life upside down. In addition, this charisma, which had an almost hypnotic effect. Surely a thousand women lay at his feet. Women who were rich and elegant and not like me who dropped several condoms in front of her old flip flops...

"Idiot!" I hissed angrily at myself because I didn't even want to think about him and I wish a big hole in the ground on the beach had just saved me from all this embarrassment...

"You should really think about expanding your vocabulary, Isalie," I suddenly heard someone coming from my side and immediately felt pleasant goosebumps all over my body from his dark voice. It was as if a thunderstorm were breaking over my sensations and everything was flashing and raging.

With bated breath and flushed cheeks, I was reluctant to lift my head and look up at him.

He stood there as if completely composed. Nothing seemed to bother him and that's what made me more and more nervous again, while he just looked at me curiously and held my bag in his hands.

"How do you know my name?" I asked in a trembling voice and then slowly got back to my feet to stand carefully and look into his eyes, which had drawn that dark haze over them again.

He was fascinating...

"Your name is sewn into your pocket," he explained, walking slowly towards me, making my eyes widen and I could hardly think straight.

I pressed my back against the door behind me more and more tightly and watched him tensely as he came closer and closer until he finally stopped right in front of me and I had to raise my head a little to be able to look at him.

"It was my mother," I whispered into the silence, feeling his breath on my forehead as he looked deep into my eyes, seeming to pierce me with his gaze.

My breathing quickened. My heart could barely keep up with my fast pulse and when he suddenly gave a barely noticeable grin and leaned past me, I listened intently as he put the key in the lock, never taking my eyes off of me.

"You should always label what belongs to you, otherwise you run the risk of it being taken away from you. You shouldn't let that happen."

His voice seemed so calm and relaxed, but I suddenly noticed how his chest tightened and he took a step closer to me, so that there was no longer a fit between us, which almost drove me crazy. Even a blind man would have seen those sparks ignite their fireworks between us.

"You're right," I breathed, completely overwhelmed by my feelings and wanted to take my eyes off his beautiful face, but I immediately felt his fingers under my chin, which made me wince slightly before I looked up at him again intimidated.

"Don't open the door for anyone. Especially not for this idiot. He's certainly not a man with good intentions."

He looked at me expectantly and although he let these words calmly pass his lips again, I still heard this slight threat from them. Almost as if he knew more about him than I did, when he didn't even know Carlos.

"Okay," I breathed, still completely taken by his dominance and although it had felt so overwhelmed, I already missed this feeling of intoxication when he suddenly took a step away from me and also let go of my chin.

"There's a card from me in your pocket in case you ever need help. That idiot shouldn't be your only friend," he explained with a raised brow while handing me my bag, which I carefully accepted, gazing at his eyes .

"And you want to be my friend?" I asked despite my inner tension and looked at him a bit confused, but he just smiled and then turned his back on me without saying anything.

He disappeared, unfortunately taking with him this addictive high that was almost making me want to run after him, but I pulled myself together and quickly let go of that crazy thought and, heart pounding, turned to my front door for the key to turn around and go inside.

Emilio Torres was gone... but he remained a part of my thoughts and that wasn't about to change anytime soon.