"Over there!" My chasers got closer, making me look in their direction. I saw their flashlights approaching from the woods.
I looked at the guy from school. He is out of the car now, looking at me with worry.
"Evelyn, what are you doing...."
I quickly ran towards him.
"Help me....please. They are going to kill me," I shuddered, my hands shaking. He held me as his eyes moved to the men approaching.
"We have to leave, please....."
He didn't say a word but moved me behind him, shielding me as two other guys got out of the car.
"They are armed men, Mario," one of the guys said to the guy from my school, reminding me of his name.
Mario took out something that looked like a gun, making my heart drop.
He cocked it and I heard the other guys cocking theirs too as they walked toward the front of the car.
What are they doing?
"Get in the car," Mario said.
"What...?"
He opened the backseat door for me, urging me to get in.
I entered the car, and he closed the door after me. My heart kept on pounding as I watched them from inside the car.
The next thing that happened made me flinch. My chasers, all dressed in black attire, took out their guns and aimed them at Mario and his friends, but Mario and his friends were first enough to fire their guns at my chasers.
"Ah!" I screamed, covering my eyes and also ears with my hands as they went on firing their guns.
The terrible sound stopped, making me open my eyes slowly and look at them. Mario walked towards the dead chasers on the ground.
I watched as he shot the dead bodies all three times, making me let out a whimper.
Terror washed me as I thought of who Mario really is.
Are they.....
My heart pounded at my thoughts.
Are they gangsters?
Mario and his friends approached the car while putting their guns in their back pockets, making me shift on the seat. His two friends entered the driver's seat and passenger seat. Mario opened the back door where I was, making me shudder as he joined me and shut the door.
My entire body weakened at the fact that I just fell into the wrong hands.
Mario looked at me.
My breath hitched.
"Are you okay?" He asked, looking at me with worry.
I didn't respond but kept staring at him.
He furrowed his brows slightly at me.
"Where are we going from here, Mario?" His friend in the driver's seat asked.
"Take us home," Mario said, sounding like an order.
What?
His friend started the car and turned the wheel. We began driving to where he calls home.
At this point, I don't know what to do.
Should I scream?
It is very late, and the road is lonely. No one will hear me or save me from them.
But they literally saved me from those bad guys. Maybe they are not that bad.
But why do they have guns?
What are they?
Are they gangsters?
I stared down at my hands resting on my slightly dirt-filled thighs. I felt my nerves calming down, but my thoughts were still wondering.
"Evelyn," Mario called, making my heart pick up.
I looked at him.
"Who were those guys? Why were they chasing you?" He asked.
"I..... I don't know." I stuttered, dropping my gaze as my parents came to my mind.
"Who ever they are, they killed my parents." I said, tears rolling down.
"They burnt our house and came after me." I sobbed, staring at my hands as my tears dropped on them.
I heard a sigh from Mario. He held my hand, making me look at him momentarily. He had a concerned look on his face.
"I am sorry for what happened," he said.
I sniffled.
"But you are safe now. I assure you that nothing will happen to you." He said, making me look at him.
He nodded. "You are safe. Trust me." He said, looking at me with all seriousness.
My eyes moved to his friends and then back at him.
"Who are you guys?" I asked.
His face twitched.
"Wh....why do you all have guns?"
"I uh....." He paused, caressing my hair slightly. "You don't have to be scared, Evelyn. We are not going to hurt you. I could never hurt you." He said, looking into my eyes.
"That is Lucas and Manuel," he said, gesturing at his friends.
"They are my most trusted and loyal friends. If you don't mind, we are taking you home so you can take a shower and change your clothes," he said, his eyes moving down my attire.
I dropped my gaze.
"You need to relax your nerves. You look traumatized. I can't tell how long you have been running, but I can tell how you are feeling right now. You need to rest."
I stared at my thighs, still feeling unsettled.
"Lucas, you need to speed up." He said to his friend, handling the wheel.
"I am doing my best," Lucas said.
"Are you sure about this, Mario?" The other asked. "Won't this get us into trouble?"
"I will make sure it doesn't," Mario said, making me look at him.
"You are safe with me, okay?" He assured me.
I nodded slightly as he rubbed my knuckles with his thumb.
I am still curious to know why they all have guns.
They killed those men without looking back. It was terrifying.
Mario looked nice at school, but after seeing him kill those men, he looks different to me now.
He spoke to his friends with authority. It makes me wonder if they are his friends or servants.
I am confused.
And paranoid.
But I have no choice than to keep still. As much as I am terrified of being around them right now, I can't do anything but trust them.
I just hope I don't fall into another danger.
I am yet to recover from the trauma Nana put me in. I can't believe she is an accomplice of my parents' murderers.
It is unbelievable.
She was like...she was like family to us. She was like a mother to me.
She has been with us since I was little. We were nice to her. Why did she do this to us?
She let my parents get killed and was about to hand me over to their murderers.
It is really heartbreaking. I can't believe this.
I got a rub on my knuckles, making me look at Mario with my tears-filled eyes.
I dropped my gaze, feeling my heart tightening.
My life has been ruined in just one night and I can't do anything about it.
I can't believe I am an orphan. My parents are gone. I am never going to see them again.
God, this is terrible.
How am I supposed to live without them?
They were all I had.
Now I have nothing.
I have nothing at all.
Nothing.
********
My eyes rested on the huge mansion after I got out of the car. It is a very huge white mansion with lights igniting it.
It is almost bigger than ours that got burnt. My heart tightened at the thought of the tragedy I witnessed.
"Evelyn," Mario called, getting my attention. He extended his hand to me.
I wiped my flowing tears as I took his hand.
"Welcome to my home," he said, smiling.
"It is very beautiful," I said.
"Thank you," he said, leading the way up the broad stairs leading to the entrance door of the mansion. His friends are following behind us.
"Um...about what you asked, Evelyn," Mario said, stopping us on our track and making me look at him.
"We have guns because we are mafia men."
I froze.
He nodded.
Did he.....did he just say mafia men?
"I am telling you this because we are about to go in, and you will meet my entire family," he said.
I looked at the entrance door, feeling a lot of things.
"And I am telling you this because...." He paused, taking my hand.
I looked at him.
"Because I really like you," he said, making me feel weird.
"I want you to know that I will do everything to keep you safe and trust me, you will be safe here. Those bastards that killed your parents will not harm you, I assure you that," he said with all seriousness.
Why is he telling me this? He barely even knows me.
"You have nothing to worry about," he said, caressing my arm.
I need to understand something.
"Are you.....are you really mafia men?" I stuttered.
"Yes. But you don't have to be scared. We only deal with bastards like the ones we handled earlier." He said.
Why does this feel strange to me?
And by the way, he ordered his friends, he seemed to be their boss.
An actual mafia man is standing before me right now.
What I have always wanted.
Why does it feel strange?
"Let's go in. You need to relax." He said, holding my hand.
We headed towards the entrance door. My heart braced itself as we walked into the house.
My eyes took in the glory of the house. It looks like a hall with high ceilings and curtains. The huge chandelier ignited the house, giving the spotless tiles a glitter.
The place is like a castle.
Mario led me further into the house. I heard voices as we walked, making my heart pick up till we got to where I believed to be the living room.
"Mario, honey," a woman said, standing on her feet with a glass of wine in her hand. She is a blond, tall, curvy and extremely beautiful woman dressed in her red night robe. She looks in her late thirties or early forties if I am not mistaking.
Could she be his....
"Mum," Mario called, confirming my thoughts.
I saw three other people seated on the golden sofas and looking at us.
At me, specifically.
One of them is a guy with brunette hair that looks around Mario's mother's age and the others are two women. One has dark hair and looks my age. The other is blond and looks around Mario's mother's age.
She looks very much like Mario's mother. They might be sisters. They were all dressed in their night attires.
Are they all mafia people? As in an actual mafia family?
"We weren't expecting you back so soon. Actually, we thought you would be spending the night out like you normally do." Mario's mother said, smiling.
"No, mum, something came up. Where is dad?" Mario asked.
"Upstairs. Who is your friend?" She asked, looking at me.
She was looking at me in a pleasant way that felt fake.
"This is Evelyn. My schoolmate and friend," Mario said, placing his hand on my arm.
"Oh,"
"Evelyn, that's Mrs Candela Morelli. My mother," Mario said.
"Nice to meet you ma'am," I managed to say.
"Same," she simply said as her eyes scanned my appearance. I felt awkward by her stare.
"That's my aunt, Dolores," Mario gestured at the woman who looked like his mother.
She gave me a slight smile.
"My uncle, Dante and my cousin, Mimi", Mario gestured at the others.
Mimi gave me a bright smile and Dante gave me a nod.
"I still have more family members who must be in their rooms," Mario said.
"Why does your friend look the way she looks, honey? Was she in some type of trouble?" Mario's mother asked.
"I found her in a very critical situation, mum. She almost got killed by her parents' murderers but the boys and I were able to stop them. Her house was burnt down so I decided to take her with me and give her shelter."
The awkwardness I was feeling increased after Mario said that. His mother's eyes moved towards me, making me drop my gaze.
"I hope you don't mind me doing that, mother?" Mario asked.
It sounded like a dare.
"No, son, but you should have talked to me or your father about it first before bringing a total stranger into our home."
I fiddled with my fingers nervously.
"I just told you who she is to me, mother." He said.
"Your friend, I heard you, but what if you attract her enemies here and disrupt the peace of our home?"
He scoffed, making me uneasy.
"I didn't think helping a friend in need was a very bad thing to do, mother." He said, sounding angry.
"Honey, that's not...."
"Your mother is right, Mario." A very deep voice chipped in, silencing the room and making my heart skip a beat as I looked in the direction.
My lips parted.