The Heart Thief

the heart thief - |32|

Millie

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          Returning from my walk, I slid my hands into my pockets and strolled towards my apartment. Sunday was a quiet day, and as I approached the entrance of my building, a car horn blared, startling me.

           I spun around, and there was Isaac, waving from the driver's seat. I quickened my pace and reached his car, spotting Shane in the backseat.

           "Hey."

           Isaac's expression turned slightly frantic as he implored, "Could you please get in? We need to leave."

           Without a moment's hesitation, I opened the car door and slipped into the passenger seat. He wasted no time in pulling away, the car's engine revving to life.

          As we merged into traffic, I couldn't help but wonder about the urgency in Isaac's voice. "What's going on?" I asked, glancing between him and Shane in the rearview mirror.

           Isaac's grip on the steering wheel tightened, and he took a deep breath before responding. "It's Roman," he said, his voice laced with concern. "He's in trouble, Mills."

            My heart skipped a beat at the mention of Roman's name, a sinking feeling washing over me. "Trouble? What happened?"

           Shane leaned forward from the backseat. "We can't say but show you."

           The tension in the car was palpable as Isaac drove us to an undisclosed location. Finally, we arrived at a building tucked away in a remote corner of the city with a few cars parked around it. The muffled sounds of a crowd and the faint glow of neon lights spilled from the entrance. Isaac parked the car and we got out.

          "Stay close," Isaac said, as he grabbed my arm in a tightly secure hold. Shane led the way, and I followed closely, clutching my phone tightly. We entered the dimly lit, makeshift arena, where a crowd of spectators cheered and jeered, their faces obscured in the shadows. I could barely hear anything but my heart, which was beating crazy.

          At the center of a boxing ring, two shirtless fighters were going at it with raw intensity, pounding each other's faces in, their bodies glistening with sweat under the dim lights. Every time one of them landed a punch, cheers and claps burst across the room. I couldn't count how many people were in here; there were too many, squeezing each other. There was nothing but smell of sweat and blood. Why did Isaac bring me to an underground fight? Squeezed in between the two men, they found us three empty seats.

           "Where's Roman?" I asked Shane, hoping I was loud enough for him to hear the question.

           He leaned forward, "Somewhere around, I hope," he shouted back. "He told us to meet him here."

           I nodded, bringing my eyes back to the ring, where the two fighters continued to beat each other mercilessly. I flinched at every crack of bone and every blood. I kept stretching my neck to see if I could catch a glimpse of Roman in the crowd, but he was nowhere to be found. I tugged at Isaac's sleeve.

           "Did he say anything else to you?"

          He shook his head in response. Before I could ask anymore question, the fight was already over and a body was picked out of the ring. The crowd fell silent as the announcer came on the ring.

           "Ladies and gentlemen, and now, this might surprise you, but our next contender is a first-time fighter, willing to spill blood for the sake of love. If the lady of his heart is present among us, his victory depends entirely on your support, and his loss, your silence. I give you, the one in love, the only, RH!"