Back To The Stars: ROMANCE: ALIEN (Alien Invasion Abduction SciFi Romance) (Fantasy Anthologies & Collections) (15 page)

Chapter 4:

I kept checking everything to make sure that Victoria was fine. The runway was all set and before I could realize what was happening around me, the show started. It had some really outrageous and unique apparel. Frankly, it looked more like a costume party to me than a fashion event – or maybe it was. Maybe, it was a costume party and they just forgot to inform me about it.

As Victoria went backstage, she was all set for her entry. Just like every other fashion show, she was expected to arrive in the end in order to thank everyone. I knew that only a few minutes were left for that to happen. I have always had a strong sixth sense and I knew that a killer was out there, waiting to murder Victoria.

I could feel it in my bones that something bad was about to happen and I had to act fast if I truly wanted to stop it. I looked above and just when I thought that I was able to tackle everything, I saw the mouth of a sniper coming from the roof. I don’t know how they were able to do it, but they drilled a hole in the side roof and were targeting Victoria from there.

I knew that only a few minutes were left for Victoria to arrive. I could either go backstage to stop Victoria or I could go to the roof and stop the murderer. I knew that the backstage could be crowded and I couldn’t stop Victoria forever. Going to the roof seemed like the best alternative. I rushed directly to the place where I thought the shooter was and tried to climb as fast as I could.

I knew that it was a matter of life and death and even a second’s delay could change the game. I didn’t really know Victoria and that was certainly not the time to contemplate anything. All I knew was that she was my assignment for the day. I was given a task for saving her life and was able to do anything in my power to do the task.

I rushed to the place where the shooter was located. Although I was really swift and entered it quietly, but I knew that the shooter would be able to sense my presence. The moment I entered the roof, I saw a strange looking man who was his gun pointed at the main stage. He was simply waiting for Victoria to arrive so that he could take her life once in for all.

I couldn’t run towards him. I knew that it was too hard and every second mattered. I simply took my gun and before he could realize my presence nearby, I shot him. The moment he turned towards me, my bullet was already able to cause prominent damage. I took a perfect headshot and didn’t allow him to sense anything at all. He simply fell on the ground and his body was left there. I tried to check it without really touching anything to figure out more about the murder.

He was a professional shooter and someone must have given him money to shoot Victoria. Not only he terribly failed in his task, but he also lost his life. Taking a life takes gut and courage. I have never been very keen on killing people. In fact, taking a life is the last thing that I can think of. But at that moment, I had no other choice.

I could only save one person – either Victoria or the shooter, one of them had to die. I am really glad that I choose Victoria as she was my client and we always need to pick our client before anything else. I decided not to stay there anymore because the police would be there anytime soon. I cleared every piece of evidence and then silently exited the building.

I knew that my job was done and that Victoria was saved. I smiled as I silently exited the building, putting an end to the day. When I woke up that day, I had no idea that it would end up like this. Little did I know that I could end up attending a fashion show, killing a shooter, and would even have sex with an exotic beauty! Life certainly has its strange way of unraveling things to us.

Without thinking much about the recent events, I decided to hit the bar. I was craving for some alcohol and simply wanted to put an end to the day.

Chapter 5:

The next morning, I woke up with one hell of a headache. Maybe last night was too much. I lost the count of my drinks after a while, but I didn’t want it to stop. I simply gave my car keys to the bartender and told him to keep it coming. I don’t really know what I was drinking for. I didn’t even have enough money. I was living with limited money as everything was going to Sal.

All my profits were getting earned by Sal as I owed him a prominent debt, which was not going anywhere. I knew that I had to serve for at least a few more years to be free. Maybe, I was drinking for my pain and sorrow. I knew that I won’t be truly happy in my life and will always be chained.

Earlier, it was Anthony, and then I was tossed to Sal. Tomorrow, it would be someone else. I knew that I had lost it. I still had my body, my wisdom, and my smart ways that helped my protect people like Victoria. I was proud of it, but then there was a part of me who knew that I was losing it.

Everything around me was losing its charm and I wanted to restart it. I wanted to go back in time and do things differently. But that’s the worst thing about life, it doesn’t give you a second chance – not always. Sometimes I wonder, when I moved to Mexico and met Ila, I could have simply stayed there. It was next to impossible for Anthony to trace me in a different country. Maybe, I was given my second chance but I let it all go.

I didn’t utilize my second chance and came back to where I started. At that time, I was more concerned about Ila’s safety. I was given a mission to save her and I was ready to do anything in my force to accomplish it. I crossed an entire country and made Ila escape it in order to get her happy ending.

But did she really get her happy ending? It makes me wonder sometimes if I was truly a savior or just a villain who let Ila work for a monster like Anthony. I knew that Anthony would be taking advantage of her. He would be manipulating her and Rick won’t be there to help her. He would be overdosed by his own drug and would be occupied to create more drugs by Anthony.

All they had was money and no free will. But they were at least better than me. I neither had free will or money. I was living for Sal, trying to pay my other half of the debt. At that moment, I realized the reason for my drinking. I wasn’t celebrating the accomplishment of my mission. I was drinking to drown in the ocean of my sorrow. I was sad. I was depressed, knowing that I would never be getting my happy ending. I won’t be free, not until I would die.

I knew that I was addicted to a lot of things. I was addicted to alcohol, to drugs, and most significantly to betting. I knew that after Sal, I would be going to some other place in order to bet and will get myself in trouble once again. As I woke up that morning, I left my bed after a few hours. Somehow, I didn’t even want to get up and be dressed.

I saw my reflection in the mirror and I realized that I wasn’t treating my body that nicely. I was wearing a green boxer and nothing else. Yes, I had a great and chiseled physique. I loved those abs and curves, but underneath that sculptured body was a sad man. I was not free and it felt like I was a captive in my own body.

“What have I done to myself!” was all I could say as I looked at myself. It hit me that one moment when I realized the mess that I have created in my life. At that moment, I knew that I had to do something. I could stay like that forever and ruin myself with the passage of time. I could stay a nameless and anonymous entity my whole life until time would wipe me from the face of the earth. I could have given up on myself that day, but I didn’t.

Instead, I decided to move the wheel. I decided that I would change and be a different person. I couldn’t be same sad and depressed man anymore. I wanted to fight for my share of happiness because no one else was going to do it for me. Sometimes, you have to be your own hero and it was my time to save me from myself. I picked my soul up from the floor and tried to gain the sense of self-esteem that was somewhere lost along the way.

I finally decided that I will work my ass off in order to get myself out of the debt. I will go to Sal and ask for more work. I won’t say no to any kind of work and will do it all. I was ready to even work as a chauffeur and take him to the places he wanted to go. I was ready to kill people and break their lives if it meant that I would be able to set myself free. I was ready to do anything for my happy ending and no one in the entire universe could stop me from getting my happiness.

I washed my face and got myself ready. I decided to walk to the bar where my car was placed and then thought of paying Sal a visit. I knew that I had to talk to him about my future. I couldn’t simply let different seasons simply pass me by. I didn’t want to simply exist anymore. I wanted to live.

I won’t be betting anymore. It was only my addiction to betting that has gotten me into such a mess. I was a better person before this and taking someone’s life was the last thing that I could have thought of. Time certainly can change us in the most unexpected way. I was a whole new person back then and even though I got lost in between, I was trying hard to find my way back home.

The only thing that I had to do was get my debt clear so that I could go wherever and whenever I wish to. I would no longer be answerable to anyone else. I would give up betting and start working just like any other person, trying to make my life. I would find love and then start my life from square one. I would get my happy ending as well. It surely seemed hard but it was not an impossible task. I knew I will get my happily ever after. I deserve it. I have earned it.

The moment I entered Sal’s place, I realized that he was having someone inside. He wasn’t alone and disturbing him like that didn’t seem right. Instead of going inside, I kept waiting for him outside. I already knew what I was supposed to say. I would ask him for work, as much as he could give me – small or big. I was determined to pay off his debt by the end of the year by any means.

“Hey! Larry! Come in, we are waiting for you!” I heard his voice as I decided to go out and sit near the waiting area. I had no idea that the person who came to meet Sal would be waiting for me.

I was pretty sure that it was a new assignment and I was ready to accomplish it as well. I didn’t want to say no. It took a while to realize what I wanted, but it is better late than never. I finally knew what I wanted. As I opened the gate, I saw Victoria sitting on the opposite side.

I was certainly not expecting her to arrive and meet Sal the next day. I thought she was a big fashion diva and had some place else to go.

“Wow! What are you doing here?” I asked her, as I was not expecting her to visit Sal’s place.

“I promise Sal, I took care of everything. I killed the shooter who was after her life and I knew that I couldn’t stay there anymore after the killing. When the coast was clear, I left the place so that no one could come after me,” I said in order to clear things out. If Victoria was there to complain about me, I wanted Sal to know everything.

“This is not why she is here for,” Sal answered in order to calm me down.

“Oh! Is this about my drinking problem? Were you trying to reach me last night? I am sorry I had no idea when my cell phone died. I just drank too much and I had no idea where I was going!” I kept blabbering, not knowing what they were expecting me to say. Maybe, I was a little drunk and all the whiskey that I drank last night didn’t really leave my system so soon.

“This is not what I am for, Larry. I am here for you,” she finally got up and answered me in her husky voice. That was the first time when I really heard her voice. She wasn’t whispering anymore like she did the day before. She was talking out loud and it felt amazing. I loved her voice to the core as his mere voice was able to turn me on.

“What do you mean? Sal, what is happening?” I had no idea what she was talking about. I simply turned to Sal in order to figure the entire situation out. He simply looked at me and smiled. That was a wicked smile and I knew that he had nothing to add. It was only Victoria who was able to answer my questions.

“What is happening?” I asked her one more time.

“After you saved me last night, I asked Natasha to dig more information about you. She did some research and we got to know about your past. I called Sal and asked him more about you. I really wanted to thank you, Larry, for saving my life. I know I could have simply left a note as well, but I wanted to do something big. I mean, you saved my life, right?” as Victoria mentioned Natasha, I couldn’t stop thinking about our brief encounter that happened yesterday. I wondered if Natasha told Victoria all about it too or not. I decided not to bring it up as it would be a little inappropriate. I mean, I was there in order to protect Victoria and not to fuck an exotic beauty.

“You have already given the payment to Sal for the assignment, I guess. That is more that what we can ask for. I mean, this is my job. This is what I do,” I answered her honestly.

“Yes. This is what you do, Larry. You are a savior and I need someone like you in my life to protect me. I travel all over the world and visit so many places. I know that there is someone out there who is after my life. You and I, we both know that someone hired a professional shooter to kill me. It means that this is not over so soon, Larry. I need you to protect me and be my bodyguard in the long run,” she said and informed me about her true intentions. I didn’t know what to do. I was serving Sal and it was all up to him.

“I don’t know what to do? I think you should ask Sal!” was all I could say.

“I forgot to tell you one more thing. In order to thank you for what you did for me yesterday, I thought of doing something really meaningful for you. When I asked Sal about you, he told me that you are serving him because of some stupid debt. Well, I took it off. I have given Sal all the money that you owe him.  You are no longer entitled to Sal, anymore. You are no longer answerable to anyone at all, Larry. You are free!” the moment she said those words, I found it hard to believe.

The only thing that I was hoping for all these months was to be free. I simply wanted to live my life on my own terms. I never thought that it would take that one day to change my life. It was that one moment that changed the entire course of my life.

“What are you saying? Sal, is this true?” I asked Sal in order to confirm if what Victoria was saying was true or not.

“She is saying the right thing, Larry. You are a free bird now,” Sal replied me with a smile on his face. I was finally free and at that moment, I could feel as if someone has taken off all the weight from my shoulders off. I never thought that my freedom would mean so much to me until I got it.

“I don’t know how to thank you enough, Victoria. Thanks a lot for everything!” I said as I hugged her. I could smell a sense of lavender that was coming from her hair and hypnotized me. I am not a bug hugger and hardly show my emotions, but that was an exception. That was a different day and it certainly demanded a gesture like that.

“I have a job opening for you, Larry. I know you are a free man now and you can do whatever you want to. You are no longer entitled to answer anyone. Not even me. I won’t force you to take this job, but I would certainly insist that you think about it. Protect me, Larry. I need someone like you to protect me. I want you to work with me as my bodyguard. The perks would be unlimited. You don’t have to answer me right now. Here is my card. You can take the whole day to contemplate, but before midnight, give me a call and let me know about your decision. It was nice meeting you, Larry McGee!” Victoria said as she let go of me and looked at me with a glitter in her eyes.

It was too much for me and I didn’t know what to do. I needed some time to think about it. At that moment, all I knew was that I was not a slave anymore. I was the king of my own will, the writer of my own life, and I wanted to make the best out of it.

“I will certainly call you and let you know about it before midnight, Victoria. Thanks a lot for everything!” I said as we hugged one more time. She leaned towards me and passed a kiss on my cheek.

“Anytime, Larry!” she said before she left the room by changing my life.

“This is unbelievable!” was all I could say as I looked at Sal. I was still not able to believe that it happened, so soon and unexpectedly.

“Now when you are free, Larry – what is it that you are going to do?” Sal asked me.

“I have no idea, Sal. I have no fucking idea!” was all I could say.