Chapter 6 Chapter 6
Hailey’s POV
The fluorescent lights of the grocery store buzzed overhead as I wandered through the aisles, my cart half-empty and my mind completely elsewhere.
‘Are you thinking about giving in to him… to get back at Sophia?’
Benita’s words had been replaying in my head like a broken record ever since she’d said them.
I have tried multiple times to erase it, but it just kept coming back. I didn’t know why, but was I willing to accept Damien just to get back at Sophia?
No! Of course not, I wasn’t that kind of person. I didn’t use people for revenge, no matter how much they’d hurt me.
But then why couldn’t I stop thinking about him? Everything about him seems special and designed to last longer in my head.
Is it the way his voice had dropped when he’d said my name? The way his gaze had held mine, like he was looking straight through every wall I’d ever built.
I grabbed a box of cereal without even checking the brand and tossed it into the cart.
This was ridiculous. I needed to focus on getting my life back together, not obsessing over a man who was completely off-limits.
Sophia’s father, for God’s sake. That’s totally off limits!
I shook my head, trying to clear the fog, and made my way toward the checkout counter.
The line wasn’t long, just a few people ahead of me. I stood there, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, when suddenly a group of men shoved past me, cutting straight to the front.
They all looked dangerous, but even though that’s a cheat.
“Hey!” I called out, my voice sharper than I intended. “There’s a line, you know that well.”
One of them, a guy with a greasy ponytail and a stained jacket, turned to look at me. His eyes were bloodshot, and he reeked of alcohol even from several feet away.
“Mind your business, sweetheart,” he sneered with a smile, cupping his face.
“Excuse me?” I stepped forward, my pulse quickening. “You just cut in front of everyone. That’s not how this works.”
Another one laughed, a harsh, grating sound. “Feisty little thing, aren’t you?”
“You’re a grown-up ass cheater.” My voice was ice-cold, but they just laughed it off and exchanged glances among themselves.
The cashier, a middle-aged woman with tired eyes, quickly rang up their liquor bottles without a word. She looked nervous, like she’d seen this before and knew better than to intervene.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay quiet as they paid and sauntered out, laughing amongst themselves.
When it was finally my turn, the cashier scanned my items quickly, barely making eye contact.
“That’ll be forty-two dollars,” she murmured.
I handed her the cash, and as she gave me my change, she leaned in slightly. “Be careful on your way out,” she whispered. “Those guys… they’re trouble.”
My stomach tightened. “Thanks,” I said quietly, grabbing my bags.
Outside, the evening air was cool, the sky a dusky purple. I clutched my grocery bags tightly and headed toward the corner where I could usually catch a taxi.
The street was quieter than usual. Fewer cars and people roaming on the street.
I was so focused on searching for a taxi until a whistle pierced the air, sharp and mocking.
I froze on the spot and slowly turned around, and my heart plummeted.
It was them. The same group from the store, their eyes piercing at me.
They were spread out across the sidewalk, blocking my path. The one with the ponytail stepped forward, flipping a knife open with a casual flick of his wrist.
“Pretty little damsel all alone by the road searching for taxi at night.” He drawled.
My mouth went dry instantly. “I… I don’t want any trouble.”
“Should’ve thought of that before you opened your mouth back there,” another one said, circling around to my side. “Are we not a cheat again?”
I backed up, but there was nowhere to go. The wall of a building pressed against my spine.
“Give us everything you’ve got,” Ponytail said, his voice cold now. “Phone, wallet, jewellery. All of it.”
My hands trembled as I set down the grocery bags, but I clutched my phone tighter. “Please,” I whispered. “Just… just take the groceries. Take my wallet. But not my phone. I need it.”
“And who informed you we were up for negotiations?” He laughed, a cruel, ugly sound.
“Please,” I said again, my voice breaking. “I’ll give you everything else. Just not the phone.” I pleaded, my voice trembling with each word.
“Shut up.” He stepped closer, raising the knife.
The leader pulled back his hand, ready to strike, and I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the blow.
I awaited his hand on my cheeks but felt nothing until I heard the sound of a car and my eyes flew open.
A car skidded to a stop just feet away from us, headlights flooding the darkened street.
Relief flooded through me. Oh my god, I lost hope in the police years ago, but look at it now, they’re here to save me.
I anticipated for the door to open, and when it finally does, my heart skipped, and it got hard to breathe properly.
It wasn’t the police! It was Damien.
He stepped out slowly, his hands buried deep in his pockets, his expression carved like stone. The headlights cast shadows across his face, making him look dangerous.
The air seemed to shift around him, crackling with an authority that made even these street thugs hesitate.
The men exchanged nervous glances.
Ponytail tried to recover his bravado. “Keep moving, man. This isn’t your problem.”
Damien didn’t respond. He just stood there, utterly still, his dark eyes sweeping over the scene with cold calculation.
One of the other men shifted his weight. “Didn’t you hear him? Walk away before you get hurt.”
Still, Damien said nothing. But something in his silence was more terrifying than any threat.
The leader raised his knife higher, trying to regain control. “I’m warning you….”
A gunshot exploded through the air.
I dropped to the ground in fear, my hands flying over my head as the sound echoed through the empty street.