𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑥 ✔︎ || 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑑

02

~ phoenix ~

I didn't have time to feel the intense burn in my calves. Nor to take a breath into my parched lungs. Or to release the panicked, petrified tears welling in my eyes.

Just keep running.

As the footsteps that thundered behind me grew louder, I pushed more force behind every step away from those heartless killers. My stocking clad feet began to sting against the jagged gravel of the road. I realised, with horror, that I was running in an unfamiliar direction in an unfamiliar town. Where the hell was I?

All of a sudden, a hand attempted to grab at my arm but I spun out of reach just in time. The scary hulk didn't seem to get the message because he lunged for me again so with all the force I could muster, I rammed my knee up just as his face flew towards me. The sickening crack of bone didn't deter me as I spun back around and continued my mad run into oblivion.

My stomach turned when I heard the click of metal behind me. I watched enough of Tom Cruise to know what that sound meant: guns.

God, I prayed to some infinite force. I don't want to die, I begged. My throat began to ache as I held back a sob. There was no time to cry. But no matter how fast I ran, I couldn't outrun a bullet. Nor could I keep at this speed. Quickly, my legs grew impossibly heavy and I cursed the fattening pizzas and intoxicating drinks that slowed me.

However, before I could come to a halt, the squeal of tyres pierced the silence that shrouded the night. A sleek black sportscar sped towards me, almost invisible against the dark sky. I couldn't stop myself fast enough. My life flashed before my eyes. Bright memories of my friends and family filled my mind along with the crushing realisation that this hunk of metal would finish me before the bullet tore through my flesh.

I didn't want to die.

To my utter surprise and relief, the driver slammed his foot on the brakes just as the vehicle was about to crush me. I staggered on my feet, losing my balance before collapsing on the bonnet. Even through the tinted windshield, I couldn't tear my eyes away from those electric ones that held me prisoner. They reminded me of the blinding flash of light that usually tears through an obsidian sky, just before a manic storm follows.

The owner of the eyes slowly climbed out of the vehicle. A whimper escaped my lips as I stumbled back, trying to get far far away from him. The backs of my feet hit the curb of a pavement and I tumbled backwards. He approached, falling into the spotlight of a streetlamp. I stared in bittersweet turmoil at his bewitching face. Tendrils of black ink crawled out of the collar of his dark suit. Above bushy eyebrows hung locks of hair, so black they seemed almost blue. Sharp angular features gave the murderous stranger an aristocratic look whereas the ruffled hair screamed nonchalance.

Even as I scrambled away into the darkness behind me, he continued to stalk in my direction. I felt finger-like leaves claw at my bare back, a feeling similar to what his predatory gaze was doing to me, as if he was using his eyes to peel away my skin from my bones to flesh out my deepest, darkest secrets. Inevitably, my back hit a hard surface of an unidentifiable building. I was trapped.

"Stay away," I sobbed. My hands frantically felt around for my clutch to find the pepper spray that Tabby had always made sure to stuff in. Except it wasn't there because I'd dropped it minutes ago on my death run.

Eventually, he reached me and crouched over my trembling frame. Thick, loose strands of my hair were plastered across my face. The stranger reached out. I flinched, my head hitting the wall behind me. The immediate pain was forgotten beneath the sensation of those calloused fingers grazing my cheek as they pushed back my hair.

"Кто ты?" he murmured, voice hard but quiet. [Who are you?]

Unable to understand his gibberish, I could only whisper, "Please."

The word had the opposite effect.

The stranger's muscular arms promised no escape as they wrapped around my frozen frame. Cold fingers held my bare thighs tight in his grasp and an overwhelming panic seeped into my bones.

Snapping out of the shock, I began thrashing wildly, clawing at any flesh I could touch and kicking at anything my aching feet could reach. I was sure that I'd gone mad with fear. I opened my mouth to let out a bloodcurdling scream but before I could attempt to tear out my vocal box, a single calloused finger held my lips shut.

"хватит драться со мной, маленькая девочка," he growled in my ear. [Stop fighting me, little girl]

I had no clue what he was saying, or even the language he was speaking, but I knew that it was not the same Italian I was used to hearing in the last week. No, these words were sharper, blunter, like cold, unforgiving steel. I took this as a cue to continue my fighting. I tore my hand from his grip and slapped his face. An angry red scratch stared back at me.

A monstrous rumble left his throat and I froze instantly.

"Aleksey!" he snarled.

Soon, a familiar face appeared. The blond glared murderously at me, clutching a bloody nose.

A chill shot down my spine as he muttered, "глупая сука сломала мне нос." [Stupid bitch broke my nose.]

Then, unexpectedly, the broken-nosed hulk pulled out a syringe with a long, gleaming needle.

I yelped at the sight, pushing against the silver-eyed stranger's chest with all my might. I used my legs to try and propel myself out of his hold but to no avail. "No, please," I cried, "no-"

"STOP!" he roared, in a rough accent.

A sob tore itself out of my throat after I flinched. I clenched my eyes shut to hide the tears and soon, a sharp sting on my neck began to numb all my senses. A shattering weight of fatigue and exhaustion rolled over my body and before I knew it, I was lying cold and limp in the hands of a heartless, murderous monster.

𝑥𝑜
𝖗𝖔𝖘𝖆𝖛𝖎