Stephan’s entire countenance changed on the turn of a dime. “I don’t fucking think so.” He scowled, advancing towards her menacingly.
The hallway was lowly lit at this time of night so it didn’t matter what went on. No one would care. This was New York, anyways. Everyone managed to mind their own business unless there were gunshots. And any bullet holes that ever scarred the cream colored walls were quickly caulked over and freshly painted.
Reaching out a hand to grab her wrist, she winced from the pain of his grip. “Let go of me.” She protested, struggling to pull back from his iron hold.
“She said let her go.” Familiar honey tones permeated the void. They were dauntingly stern.
Amber peered up at Stephan, her heart eradicating in her chest. His aggressive stance didn’t change.
He spat. “Nobody asked you gringo, so move along and mind your own business.”
“I’m already involved. I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Charles crossed his arms. He firmly planted his feet, standing tall and strong.
Stephan reached a hand to his back pocket and produced a small switchblade, pointing it threateningly towards Charles, he play-stabbed the air. “I said move along.”
Amber’s stomach began to twist when the steel glint came into view. Who the hell did she bring home with her, a Spanish Guerrilla? Out of all the stupid decisions she had made in her life, this perhaps was the worst.
Looking Stephan in the eyes, she begged him softly. “Don’t do this. Just let me go and you can go home. We can forget about this.” Her entire body shook and trembled beneath his grip. Whether or not she was drunk, she still knew fear, even though it was less prominent than it may have been another time.
Contemplation creased his brows for a second. He rubbed his jaw out of frustration. The power he had so demonstrated just seconds earlier was waning out of his control. He didn’t seem to like that one bit. Charles didn’t exactly wait for Stephan to act. Ex-military and accustomed to these kinds of situations, he lunged towards Stephan. Unprepared, Stephan slashed towards him with the knife, barely missing as his assailant dodged to the left. Twisting around, Charles grabbed his wrist and easily dislodged the knife.
Stephan stared in horror. Pain surged through him from the audible cracks of his own breaking wrists. He yelled to an unmerciful Charles, “When a woman tells you to let her go, you fucking do that! Remember that!” Charles boomed with anger, rage exuding from his pores. His protective nature had taken over completely, masking him into someone totally different.
Staring in utter admiration, Amber watched the scene play out. Stephan let go of her hand just in time as it began to go numb. Rubbing her wrist she stepped back from the two quarrelsome males. Her eyes darted at the doorway of her neighbors, hoping no one would pay attention to the commotion. Of course the fact that no one even bothered to care made her suddenly feel very unsafe in her own home. What was this city coming to? She could be getting raped right there and no one would give it a second thought.
Her pocket vibrated, her phone ringing the familiar Melanie ring-tone. Looking at the men who were cursing back words at each other, Charles releasing the demon onto Stephan, she decided to answer it real quick.
Pressing the green talk button, she muttered, “What do you want?” She posed the question in hopes to shorten the conversation.
Melanie was seriously slurring her words. “You get home okay girl? If you’re in the middle of doing that sexy hunk over there, I’ll leave you two alone.” Yes, she went there. Melanie always went there. She was a little horn dog. It was horrible. Money, fame and sex were the main three things she thought about in that sassy head of hers.
“Everything’s good. Night.” Amber hushed her friend. Besides, how drunk she was her friend would be going to bed real soon and waking up with a huge hangover the next day. Sucked for her, but it wasn’t Amber’s problem.
Charles finally let his captive go, howling in pain. There was an understanding between the two now. Stephan was headed towards the door cradling his injury like a baby. He uttered curses in low barely audible tones as Charles watched him leave.
“Good riddance. I should’ve broken more than that.” He growled while smoothing the creases in his shirt. “Are you alright?”
She nodded, unsure as how to act or feel at the moment. She wanted to tell him thank you, fall in his arms and everything would be okay. But the stubbornness of her previous convictions drilled through her thick skull. She couldn’t tell which was stronger, her feelings of doubt towards him or the fact that she hated him for his deceitfulness.