Chapter 51: Chapter 17 - Who the f*ck is Shawn? (2)

T Y L E R

"Son of a bitch!" I heard someone cursed but I wasn't sure whether it was real or just a friction of my imagination. Being beaten up by a dozen men reminded me of that time when I was beaten up by Blake Ryan, the asshole who was working for Villain X, except that this time it felt a hundred times worse. Although each man only hit me twice, as instructed by their boss, those men were strong and each blow felt stronger than the previous one.

I felt a hand grasped my arm and started to shake my body. "Man, wake up." Another set of cursing. "Santa Madonna! I can't believe they did this to you. You're just a boy."

I tried to open my eyes but they kept fluttering as my lids felt so heavy. I felt so tired and worn out. After a full minute of trying, I was finally able to open my eyes. "Mario?"

I heard him chuckle. "Yeah, who else do you think?" He put one arm beneath my body to support me while the other grabbed my arm. "Come on, man. We gotta get out of here." I knew he wouldn't be able to carry me if I didn't help him so I forced my body to work and pushed myself up using both elbows as footing. We finally managed to put me in a sitting position.

"Why are you here?" I asked and couldn't help the sarcastic tone in my voice. "Why are you helping me?" For these last few days, he had never shown anything resemblance care or offered me his friendship. All he has ever done was ordering me around and scolding me when I wasn't on time. Now as I looked at him, trying to help me back on my feet, I had to admit that he wasn't the person I would expect to rescue me from this godforsaken place.

Mario crouched beside me, his arm was still supporting my back as if he was afraid I would fall back if he let go. "Does it matter? We need to get out of here. I'll explain everything later," answered him a deep low voice that I could barely hear.

I gave him a firm nod and let him support me all the way to his car outside.

Once we settled in, he punched my arm lightly. It was a very light punch but my worn-out body screamed nonetheless. "What's that for?" I glared at him from the seat beside him.

He spared me one look as he put the key in the ignition and turned. "For being stupid. I've told you that you must come instead you were being stupid and refused to do the job." He waved his hand at my bruised body. "Do you think I want this to happen to you? I don't. But you made your goddamn choice so it's all on you."

We stayed quiet as he drove out of the alley and into the New York busy traffic. The sky above has turned dark and I wanted to kick myself for making Autumn wait for me. "What time is it?" When he didn't answer, I pulled out my phone and stared at my cracked screen. "Shit!" It was eleven PM. I've told her that I wouldn't be gone for long yet I left her for nearly five hours.

She sent me several messages asking where I was. I quickly sent a reply, telling her that I wouldn't come home tonight and that she should have dinner without me.

As the screen dimmed, I was able to see my reflection. I had bruises all over my cheekbones and when I looked down and pulled up my sleeves, I could see bruises everywhere as well. I was sore and battered and there was nothing I could do about it.

I looked up at the road and realized where we were heading. "No. Don't take me home," I quickly informed Mario which earned me one quizzical brow. "I don't want my girlfriend to see me like this." The last thing I wanted was to cause her to worry. I knew if she saw me like this, she would cry and that would break my heart.

To my surprise, he didn't say anything but he drove past the building where Autumn and I lived. He only stopped a few miles outside Manhattan, in front of a tall building with red-painted bricks. He helped me get out of the car and supported me all the way to a room on the third floor.

"You should sit." Carefully, he put me down on the couch and walked towards the front to close the door. I shrugged off my coat and made myself feel comfortable on the couch. "Tell me, how many rounds did you get?" He took a seat across from me and put his arms on top of his knees as he leaned forward and slid his gaze on any visible bruises.

"Two."

Mario nodded thoughtfully. "Not so bad. I've suffered three."

I looked at him in disbelief. How could twenty-four hit by baseball bat considered as not so bad? "Are you joking? I wasn't even sure how I managed to stay alive."

"The big boss won't kill you. You're a good asset, he won't let you die if he thinks you're still useful." He stood and walked towards the fridge and when he came back, he had frozen peas in one hand. "Here." He handed the bag of frozen peas and I shoved it against my back where it hurt most. "I prefer peas over anything else." Mario shrugged. "They fit better to my back, knees, or shoulder, and when they're hard they kinda massage my muscles like cold beads."

I nodded. I preferred a bag of frozen peas as well. "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you? Is that why you sounded like you didn't want me to come?"

He brushed a few strands of hair from his forehead. "Yes. I feel bad for leading you into a lions' den." He dropped his gaze to the floor and I watched his jaw tightened. "But the big boss' order. I can't do anything about it."

"So you knew they sent photos of my girlfriend and threatened me to come?"

His brows scrunched and his dark eyes narrowed with thought. When he finally answered, his reply was unexpected. "I didn't know but I would guess that's what they'd do."

I leaned forward, causing the bag of peas I put between my back and the back of the couch to drop. "What do you mean?"

Mario's lips set into a grim. "That's what they did to me."