“Ummm…Excuse me,” Emily stammered.
The man looked up from the book he was reading. “Yes, how can I help you young lady?” he replied with a warm, sweet smile.
“I need to pick up some items for James Wallace.”
“James Wallace, huh, you must be the daughter he always talks about.”
“I am.” Emily was a bit shocked that the man would know who she was.
“I tease him about some of the dresses he sends through some times. I tell him they aren’t his color or size. He says they’re for his daughter, but I hadn’t ever seen you so I just keep on teasing him.” The little round man gave a chuckle.
Emily smiled. “Are his items ready? I know he’s had them here a while. He’s really bad about picking them up.”
“I know, he never comes when his stuff is ready.” The man threw his arms up. “I always tell him that I’ll have to send it all through again because it collects dust waiting for him. But actually he came by this morning.”
The surprise showed on her face. “Wow, what a shocker.”
“Sorry you came all this way,” he apologized.
“No, it’s fine. I just stopped by on my way to another shop around here. Actually if you could help me, am I correct in thinking this address is just down the street?” Emily showed the man the business card.
“Yep, that’s just north two blocks, and then hang a left on 85th. It’s about another block.”
Emily was a little off on her estimation, but it wasn’t a big difference. What was another block? Besides she enjoyed walking, riding everywhere made her feel lazy.
“Thank you,” Emily replied.
“It was nice to finally meet you; I guess I’ll have to stop giving your dad a hard time about the dresses now.”
“No, he needs someone teasing him, it keeps him humble. Thanks again!” Emily called out over her shoulder as she exited the store.
She headed north, wrapping her scarf around her neck and closing her knee-length pea coat tighter around her body. It was still winter, but the weather was tolerable. After walking a block the same thought came to her head. “Don’t walk, take a cab.” Emily shrugged it off again. This place was deserted. There were barely any cabs around and no one else on the streets.
Or so she thought.
She was approaching the corner when a large man walking the opposite direction came into her view. He was slightly hunched, his black leather jacket curled tightly around him as if he were hiding his face. His posture alarmed her at first but it was cold out. Emily reasoned with herself that he was probably just trying to stay warm.
The two soon crossed paths. Emily kept her eyes down, gripping the violin case tighter. She felt her body relax after he had passed, but her relief was premature. Within seconds of passing the man, she heard his steps change from their rhythmic pattern. It sounded as though his shoes pivoted on the pavement. Emily didn’t dare glance back. Instead she instinctively began walking faster. She was only about fifteen feet from turning the corner.
“Just get to the corner and run. Just get to the corner and run,” she chanted to herself.
Then she felt it. A cold, strong hand grabbed the collar of her coat, jerking her sharply backward. Her back slammed into the man’s hard chest as he quickly used his other hand to cover her mouth. Dragging her backward, he maneuvered her into the alley about ten feet behind them.
Emily was panicking. With an alarmed reaction she shot her hands toward her mouth, trying to free the man’s grip. She had dropped the violin case and was now wishing she had it. She could have used it to hit him.
Emily knew the best thing for her to do was to fight back. She had told herself that if she were ever attacked she would fight as hard as she could. She always heard that the people who survived assaults were the ones who fought back. But Emily was no match; her attacker outweighed her by a hundred pounds. Even though she was squirming and kicking there would be no eluding the man. He had an iron grip. The criminal was experienced at this and held Emily in a position with her back to him which made it hard to gouge at his eyes or knee him in the groin.
Emily wanted to scream but she couldn’t, she could only taste the salt and oil from the hand that was smothering her.
Once in the alley, he slammed her face first into a cold brick wall. Emily heard her head make a sick thudding noise as it hit, and then felt the painful shock wave rip through her head all the way down her neck. The blow caused her to feel dizzy, but she knew she still had to fight back.
Releasing her hands, she placed each palm flat against the wall. Emily tried to push backward. Her effort was met with another violent slam into the wall. This time her entire body felt the impact. She lifted her right leg and with as much force as she could muster, she kicked blindly behind her. She was hoping to catch a knee, but the flat of her shoe struck his shin. She didn’t hear any groans or shrieks of pain escape him. Instead, the man leaned in close to her ear. She could feel his hot breath on her neck. His breathing wasn’t nearly as fast as hers. It was obvious he wasn’t exerting much effort to keep her in this position.
“Don’t make this hard on yourself.” His voice was deep and scratchy; sounding more like it belonged to that of an animal.
Feeling him move, like he was about to shift his weight, Emily attempted to kick at him again. This time he forced his whole body against hers crushing her to the wall. Her rib cage collapsed under the man’s weight, squeezing the oxygen from her lungs. She couldn’t move. One of his hands was still tight around her mouth; it was getting increasingly more difficult for her to suck air in through her nose.
“Why didn’t I listen to my dad?” she thought.
Emily tried to concentrate on her breathing. She knew if she passed out he could do anything he wanted with her.
With her attacker’s body weight still pinning her to the wall he took his hand from her back and moved down to her waist. Emily hadn’t been carrying a purse. As an alternative she had a small wallet on the inside of her coat.
“If only I had a purse, he could have snatched it and been gone. But what if he’s not just after my money?” The thought sent chills down her spine.
The man’s rough hand began hunting her outside pockets, searching. When he didn’t find what he was looking for, he eased his weight off her just enough so that he could squeeze his hand between the wall and the front of Emily’s waist.
“No, no please no.” Emily was terrified with what this man’s intentions might be after he robbed her. A sick feeling moved through her stomach as though she was about to vomit.
“Get your hands off her!” a loud voice boomed.
Emily felt the weight of her attacker being ripped away from her. The sudden movement caught her off guard and it flung her down on her side. She was gasping to catch her breath. She wanted to burst out and run, but she couldn’t. She needed air, lots of air and that was all her body could focus on.
She lifted her eyes but was still having a hard time seeing clearly. The alley spun in every direction. In the distance Emily could tell that there was a fight taking place, but it wasn’t much of a fight for one of the men involved. One man was raining continuous punches down on the other. Emily could only hope that the one winning was not her attacker.
The beating was over before Emily caught her breath. Her eyes were focusing better now. She had gotten enough oxygen to allow for things to right themselves, even though she still gasped. A tall figure approached her. Before she could make out any features, he was behind her, lifting her to her feet. His movements were quick but gentle.
“I need to get you out of here. Can you walk?”
Emily was still breathing hard. “Yes,” she mumbled, taking a few steps before her hand flew to the large knot that was forming on her head. She stumbled.
“Let me carry you.” The stranger was not going to ask for her permission. In one smooth motion he scooped Emily up like she was a five-year-old. He hugged her tight into his chest and began walkin
g at a brisk pace. She would have protested to such ridiculous treatment, but her head throbbed, and she wasn’t sure anymore about her ability to walk a straight line.
She cradled her head in her hands in an effort to ease the pain. This prevented her from seeing who carried her, but she didn’t want to look up anyway. She was embarrassed. If she looked into this stranger’s face she would see the same disapproving expression like the one she was bound to get from her father. She wasn’t ready for that.
They didn’t walk very far. Emily heard a door open and felt a wave of warm air rush over her. Before she could fully take in the scenery, she was sitting up in a soft booth. There was a small rectangular table in front of her. She was in a diner of some sort.
“I’m going to get some ice for that,” the stranger said, quickly turning to the counter where a waitress stood gawking at the recent arrivals.
Emily sat still, her head hanging loosely. The pain was bad but that was not what occupied her thoughts. She was trying to process what had just taken place. It had all happened so quickly, her mind was still trying to convince her body that it was real and not some nightmare.
“I need you to call the police. Inform them that there is a mugger in the alley just around the corner.” Emily could now overhear the faint conversation.
“I doubt he’s still there,” the waitress replied with pessimism.
“Oh, he’s still there. Believe me, he’s not going anywhere for a while. Thanks for the ice.”
Emily could hear the man’s swift footsteps coming her way.
“Here you go, this should help a little.”
She slowly looked up as she reached for the ice. If Emily was in any other setting, she might have let out a gasp as her eyes surveyed the man before her. He looked like he was in his early twenties. She estimated he was about six feet tall. He was broad and muscular. His tight sweater and long wool coat hardly masked the size of his build. It was obvious to Emily that this man spent a lot of time at the gym.
But that was not what was captivating about him. Emily was struck by his eyes. They were a large almond shape, with the greenest iris she had ever seen. He had a rich olive tone to his skin and his dark brown hair seemed almost black. These dark features made his eyes stand out all the more. She must have looked like an idiot as she stared at him.
“Now I am definitely embarrassed.”
“Umm, thank you,” Emily stammered as she grabbed the ice from the man’s hand and looked down again.
“You’re welcome. I just wish I could have intervened sooner before you grew that goose egg.” His voice was rich and soft. Yet, Emily knew it could sound powerful as well. When she heard his voice in the alley it was almost like thunder and if her hands would have been completely free she might have covered her ears.
“No it’s not your fault, it’s mine. I know better than to be out walking streets like this alone. My father told me not to, but I did it anyway. I should have listened to him.”
“Well that’s usually what these experiences are for. They teach you something.”
Emily looked up to meet the stranger’s gaze.
“What an odd comment, is he lecturing me? Weren’t knights in shining armor supposed to be more charismatic? That comment almost felt like a scolding.”
But Emily somehow knew that was not his intention. The comment was made without scrutiny. There was more sympathy and empathy in his voice than anything else. No, he wasn’t lecturing her, he was expressing something else, she just wasn’t sure what. Emily pulled herself from her thought process. Once again she was just staring at him. He smiled at her and then broke the awkward silence.
“I’m Alexander.” He extended his hand toward her.
Emily reached for it with her left because her right hand was holding the ice to her forehead. This made for a slightly uncomfortable handshake. He squeezed her hand very softly. His touch stunned her. His hands were so warm. It was cold out and she hadn’t seen him take off any gloves. Her hands always got ice cold the second she stepped outside in the winter, and then took forever to warm back up when she got indoors. Her mother had always said it was a sign of poor circulation. But it seemed pretty normal to Emily. She pulled her hand back and gave a slight smile.
“I don’t think I can thank you enough, Alexander. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what might have happened.” Emily used all her strength to suppress the familiar sobs she felt developing at the base of her throat. She was embarrassed enough without bawling like a baby. She could do that later. Besides she already felt inferior around this man. He radiated strength and confidence. He had not shown any anxiety or given any indication that this was a stressful experience for him. It was like beating up muggers was something he did every day.
“Like I said, I’m just frustrated that I couldn’t do anything sooner,” Alexander replied with sincere remorse. He was staring at her. He had never taken his eyes off her, not since the moment he had come back with the ice. Normally, that would have made her extremely uncomfortable. But there was something oddly familiar about Alexander. She knew she had never seen him before. His face was so unique he would undoubtedly stand out in any crowd. His features were soft and smooth, delicate for a man but still stronger than you would see on a woman.
Yes, there was something she recognized about him. She just didn’t know what. Emily felt drawn to him. It was similar to the effect the violin had on her. Emily suddenly remembered the case she had dropped.
“My violin,” Emily gasped. “I have to go back and get it. I hope it hasn’t been taken.” Emily began to stand up but Alexander was quicker.
“I don’t think so, you aren’t going back there. Stay right here where it’s warm. I’ll go back and look for it.”
Before Emily could argue, he was out the door. “Okay, I’ll stay here,” she whispered, as she sat back down.
Her head was still throbbing. She wondered what on earth she was going to tell her father. He would have a heart attack if he knew what had just happened to her. Emily wasn’t sure telling him was the best idea. But she absolutely hated lying to her father. She had never told her dad the truth about what had really happened that night she had her accident. There weren’t any other cars on the road so it was only her BMW and the guardrail that was damaged.
It was two days after Emily’s mother had died and Emily was beyond upset. She needed a quite place to think, away from all the funeral preparations and visiting family so she headed to her family’s vacation home in Cooperstown. She was crying most of the way and her eyes were swollen and blurry. Emily had not been paying attention to how fast she was going down the steep curvy road that ran along the lake. All she was aware of was the literal pain she was feeling in her heart.
When the deer jumped in the road, she slammed on her brakes and turned the wheel, immediately regretting the decision. Her actions sent the car into a spin and Emily instantly had a strong feeling like that was it, she was going to die. She had never been as shocked as she was the moment the car came to a stop right before it went over the edge.
The story Emily had told her father was that once at the lake she had stopped at the local country store. While shopping for groceries, someone had hit her car and taken off. Her father had bought the whole story and never asked any questions.
“Do I need to lie to him again?”
She compared the recent incident with the memory of her car accident and determined that telling him would ensure her being placed on house arrest. He was already paranoid about her safety and this would just make it worse.
Emily looked up as she heard the door open and Alexander came striding through holding her violin case. He had a big grin, looking as though he had found hundreds of dollars.
“I believe this is yours.” Alexander presented the case to her as if it were a fine wine.
“Thank you so much. I can’t believe it was still there.” Emily examined the case.
“Not many people walk these streets. They’re sane
enough to take a cab.” There was a touch of humor in his voice, but he quickly grew more serious as he continued. “I waited by the alley for the police to show up, just to make sure your attacker was taken into custody. I figured they would need a witness if they were going to arrest someone.”
“That was smart. I would hate to think of the guy doing that to someone else.” Emily looked up from the case to meet his gaze.
“They need a statement from you, if you want to press charges. I let them know where you are. An officer will be here shortly. I hope that’s okay, I understand if you don’t want to talk about it right now.”
“No, no, I’m fine; I would rather get it over and done with.” Emily wasn’t completely telling the truth but she figured it was best to do it like a band aid. Just be quick and get it over with; at least that was what her mother had always said.
The waitress interrupted by setting down two steaming cups of hot cocoa.
“I am real sorry ‘bout what happened to ya sweetie. This is on the house. I hope it helps.”
“Thank you so much.” Emily smiled at the waitress.
“Yes, thank you.” Alexander nodded.
“No problem.” The waitress turned and walked away.
Emily wrapped her cold fingers around the mug and released a soft “hmmmm” sound. All she needed now was her mother’s mug and she would be feeling much better about everything. Emily looked up to see Alexander staring at her again, this time with a big smile.
“You love hot cocoa don’t you?”
“How could you tell?” Emily was truly curious how he would know that.
“Your face and shoulders relaxed when you touched the mug. The ‘hmmmm’ was a dead giveaway.”
Emily gave a slight chuckle. She hadn’t realized she was so easy to read. It often embarrassed her to be observed so closely, but Emily felt oddly comfortable with Alexander. She sipped her hot cocoa in silence for a few minutes, glancing up to see Alexander’s warm smile every so often.
The diner’s door opened once more and an officer walked through. Alexander stood up to greet him and shake his hand. He motioned toward Emily.
Son of Eden, a Paranormal Romance Page 3