Saving the Billionaire

Starlight

My heart thumped unevenly in my chest, but for some reason I felt calm. A lot calmer than I felt five minutes ago. I still felt shaky, I still felt sick to my stomach, but I felt calm. The sooner that Lucian Moon arrived, the sooner I could get out of here. The sooner that I could flee this damn town and all that comes with it. Maybe, I could go to the beach. Somewhere where it didn't rain so much. Maybe, somewhere where it never rained. I would be okay with never enduring a thunder storm again. Raising a hand, I wiped my mouth again. Blood. I saw blood. On my fingers, in my nails. No. My eyes burned, my chest suddenly feeling very heavy. I couldn't breathe. My chest restricted painfully as my throat tried to forcefully fed air to my lungs. I can't breathe. I have to get this blood off of me.  My eyes frantically scanned the alleyway looking for any source of water that I could find to clean my hands with. I needed to get his blood off of me. This was so wrong.  

Lightening flashes, momentarily filling the alleyway with light, and I see it. My saving grace. There was a small puddle of water near the trash bin. I rush my way to it, falling to my knees and stick my hands in the water. Scrubbing the water over my palms and fingertips. No matter how disgusting, anything was better than having innocent blood on your hands. I lean back, air leaving my body in harsh up and down motions. My heart beating a million miles an hour and stars dancing in my line of vision. Maybe, I wasn't as calm as I felt. After what seems like an eternity, my breathing slows. All I'm left with is exhaustion. It's suddenly bone crushing. I clench my eyes shut, just wishing that tonight had never happened and that I could just crawl in my shit hole of a shack and sleep. Just sleep. 

My eyelids turn red and I know. He is here. Or, maybe, they are. Maybe, the people that did this came back to move the body. Maybe, they came back to see if anyone had noticed and called the police. I just didn't have the energy to care right now. I just wanted to rest. Just for a little bit. 

A car door slams, my heartbeat thumps all the way to the tips of my ears, and suddenly there are footprints in the alleyway. They are alarming close to me. The footsteps stop and I have the feeling that someone is staring at me. I shiver. My body begins to shake, I feel so sick. I clench my eyes shut tighter. Maybe, if I will them away, they will disappear. There is a sound like clothes rustling together. I whimper. Please, go away.  

"Are you the girl that called me?" His voice is the same. It sounds like the sweetest lullaby I have ever heard right now, in this moment. I whimper again. "I won't hurt you." He is so close I can smell his aftershave, that I can feel his breath on my skin. I slowly open my eyes. 

Blinding green orbs stare into my soul. My voice hangs between us in a breathless whisper, "I'm sorry." I begin to shake with reckless abandon. What occurred earlier suddenly slams into me with a reckless abandon. I can hear the gunshot, I can see those lifeless eyes staring into mine. I see the water turning red as the blood leaves a man who not two seconds before that was very much alive. 

A hand comes towards me and I flinch away, trying my damnedest to make myself as flat with the brick wall behind me as I can. "Please, don't touch me." I whisper, my voice shaking. 

His eyes burn with sadness as he nods. Holding both palms towards me, his melodic voice resounds in my ears again. He speaks slowly and in no more than a whisper as if he is afraid at any moment I will disappear. And perhaps, I would if I could. His eyes are wide. "Okay, I promise, I will not touch you," he pauses, as if he isn't sure if he should continue but after a moment presses forward. "My name is Lucian Moon, you called me?" 

I nod slowly, biting my lip. My body still tense. 

He smiles at me gently, "Thank you," He pauses again. A somber look befalling his gentle features. "I'm sorry, but I need you to tell me where he is. Can you do that for me, please?"

I nod again, pointing my index finger in the direction of my previous home. "He is in there." I whimper, clearing my throat I try to speak louder this time. "I put him in there, so he would be out of view if they came back," A chocked sob escapes between my lips, "I didn't want them to take him if they came back." 

His eyes meet mine once more for  a soul baring second glance. "Thank you, you were brave to do that," He stands and suddenly he looks intimidating, but he turns away from me. "Taylor, can you check it for me?" 

He leans back down so that we are eye level once more. "Would you like to go sit in my car so that you don't have to see?" 

I bit my lip weighing my options. I have already seen one murder tonight, do I really want to chance getting murdered myself by getting into an unknown vehicle with a man that I only knew from one phone and one interaction? But, then again, do I want to stay out here and see Brian's body again? The body that I had to drag into my home? The body that is missing half of the back of the head?

"Can I see something that would prove that you really are Lucian Moon?" I whisper, looking at him with pleading eyes just to humor me. It would make me feel better seeing something that confirmed that he was who he said he was. 

He nodded, "Please, don't move. I'm afraid you will hurt yourself trying to get up." Only when I gave a slight jerk of my head did he stand. "I'll be right back." 

A shaky breath leaves me. My heart racing. I bring my knees to my chest, weaving my arms around them, to ward off the chill I suddenly felt. He was back. His hand extended forwards, a small card within its grasp. I take the slim piece of plastic. Lucian Moon reads along the right side along with his address and other mundane information. His picture was on the left. I glance at the picture and then back at the man standing before me. I hand the piece of plastic back to him. "Okay, I would like to go sit in your car now. Thank you." 

He smiles gently at me. "Of course," He stuffs the license into the breast pocket of his long coat and looks back at me. "Can I carry you there?" 

My eyebrows burrow together. Why would he ask me such a ridiculous question? I'm perfectly capable of getting myself there. I make a move to stand but his hands come to clench the backs of my arms as I fall back. Green eyes dance like fire before me. His hands are like velvet against my skin. "It's just that I'm pretty sure that you are in shock, which means you would more than likely fall." I close my eyes as his voice surrounds me. "I can get you there without you wasting anymore energy than you already have. You've helped me, now let me help you. Please?"

As soon as I give him the okay to touch me, my feet are off the ground. My head is on his chest and I smell his aftershave as my arms go up around his neck. He stops for a moment, looking down at me through hooded eyelashes, tensing before I feel his body relax. I close my eyes. I unconsciously snuggle closer to the warmth his body is offering me. I can feel myself fading away. Away from this night. Away from reality. Away from Lucian Moon until I hear his voice float through the air. "Sleep, you are safe now." 

And I float away carried in the arms of a man I don't even know. The very same man who has a bounty on his head.