C2 2

Preethi's POV

After I leave Aziel office, I walk down to my bedroom and sit on the bed to think.

I think about the situation with Inezz and then that makes me think about Aziel. He seemed so drained and disoriented when I walked into that room. I always thought about how Inezz felt or how I fell about what has been happening. I never thought about how this could be happening. I never thought about how this could be affecting Aziel. But then again, this situation is partly his fault.

Not the fighting, I mean. The heart breaking. Inezz looked even more defeated than Aziel did. They way she dragged herself into the room and carried the very noticeable bags under her eyes. It made me feel bad for her and want to comfort her, but I know that what her and Aziel had to talk about wad important.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still a little angry and frustrated at the facts she took her anger out on me that day in the ring.

But, I understand where she was a mistake, plus she had apologized for it. I wouldn't want Inezz to be kicked out of the gang almost as much as Timea and Luella. I know I've only been here for a few months and I don't really know Inezz that well, but I've seen the way she acts around the people she loves, so I won't hold her to one mistake she has made. I just hope thay Aziel think the same way.

I stand up from the bed and walk into the bathroom to take a shower. I'm desperately craving hot water on my skin. I strip from my clothes, so I now stand bare on the bathroom rug. I run the water and slip into the tub.

I spend twenty minutes in the shower, until my skin starts to prune and then step out, wrapping a towel around my torso. I walk into the bedroom, cool breeze hitting my legs and shoulders. I shiver and reach for a comfy outfit in my dresser. It takes me a while, but I decide to go with white shorts and a baggy t-shirt that reaches my mid-hips.

I slip the outfit on and go to brush my teeth when I feel a large and sweaty hand wrap around it. I whip my head around to see a huge man standing in front of me. He's wearing all black and has a ski mask covering most of his face.

“Damn, I came just at the right time.” He walks closer to me and I back up slowly. He licks his lips and open my mouth to say something but I'm too shocked for words to come out.

“Where's your gang leader boyfriend?” I looked behind him to see the window open and the curtains are ripped. I back up into my dresser and he corners me.

“L-leave m-me a-alone.”

“Aw, why do you want me to leave, precious. The party's just beginning.”

As soon as the words leave his mouth, I dive to the side to get out of the human trap he had put me. He grabs my my waist and pulls me back into him before I can make it far.

“Where you going?” He hauls me over his shoulder and I wiggle and claw at his back to get myself free. He throws me on the bed, harshly, and I groan as my head hit's the headboard.

“Get away from me!!”I try to roll off but he pins my arms behind my back with one hand and wraps the other around my neck. Before he can tighten it too much thay I can't breathe, I scream out, of my last chances for help.

“Help Me, Aziel!!”

“No one can hear you, bitch. Aziel, won't save you, so I suggest you start praying to God.” He tightens his hold on my neck and I lose my air supply.

My hands fumble to get free and when they do I push at his head and put pressure on his eye to distract him. His grip loosens but it's still strong enough to kill me. My vision starts to get black at the edges and my hands fall on the bed, unable to move.

Am I really about to die like this? Strangled by a sweaty man in a gang house.

“GET THE FUCK OFF HER!!” I hear a deep growl and suddenly the man is ripped from my body and I see three figure standing over another dark figure on the ground. The last thing I see is green swallow me whole before everything goes black.

I open my eyes and I'm laying in my dark bedroom and it was like a world full of darkness and terror. I groan as I sit up and my hand goes to my forehead.

“Oww.”

I look to my right to see that it's empty. Where is Aziel? I push the covers off me and stand up. My legs instantly wobble and I grab the edge of the bed for help. Walking towards the door, I hear grunting and Aziel's voice yelling something, but I'm too far away to hear. I open the door and follow his voice all the way down to the familiar brown double doors.

My hand hesitates on the door knob, even though the grunts and groans, I hear on the other side are urging me to open the door. Last time I came in here, Aziel got angry at me and we got into an argument because I caught him hurting a man.

Suddenly a throaty scream erupts from the other side and I can no longer hold back my curiosity. I push the door wide open, struggling a little. My mouth drops open at the sight in front of me.

A tall and broad man sits in a wooden chair in the middle of the room. He's breathing hard and his face is bruised and cut badly—— blood dripping from his lip. The man isn't tied up or bound to the furniture at all, but he doesn't try to get up. My eyes roam his face and I instantly recognize him as mg attacker. I look at the guy in front of him and my eyebrows raise higher than before, in shock.

Aziel stands in front of the man and hold a firm glare towards him. My breathing quickens as I see Aziel has a knife in his hands. He's holding it, tight between his fingers. Vius, Kendric, Aminah and a few other people I don't know are surrounding them. Every single person wearing a ln aggressive look on their face. Aziel grabs the man's neck and puts the knife to his cheek.

“I ought to kill you for what you've done, you piece of shit.” Aziel sinks the weapon deeper into his face so it begins to draw a blood. He draws it across his face, leaving a mark.

“I'll fucking kill you!” Aziel punches the man in the face which causes him to drop to the floor.

“Aziel. Please Stop!!” I scream running to him abd putting my hand on top of his. His right one, which is holding the knife.

“Why are you sticking up for this asshole, huh? He asks, not looking me in my eyes.

“He tried to kill you.” Aziel gestures to the injured man. I can feel anger flowing off of Aziel.

“This isn't right. Don't stoop down to his level, please don't. Please.” My hands wraps around his chain and guides it down so we make eye contact. His eyes soften, slightly.

Aziel continues to stare at me as if he's fighting himself. Soon he grunts in frustration and throws the knife down to the ground. He walks to the man and connects his elbow to the man's nose. The man immediately puts his hands to his face, screaming. Aziel walks put the room in anger, slamming the door.

I scan my eyes around the room, looking at everyone who just witnessed what happened. Aminah looks at me in anger.

“What's wrong with you, Preethi? That man tried to strange you on your own bed and you want to live.” She shakes her head.

“If that'd been me, I would've killed him myself,” she walks out the room too with Vius following after her.

Vius walks over to me and wraps me in a hug.

“It's okay, Preethi. I understand. I'm glad you're safe.” He pulls back, still keeping a hand on my shoulder.

“I still wanna hurt him, but I understand.” He sends me a quick smile turns to leave the room.

The remaining people in the room stay and don't move at all. I'm assuming they're told not to, by Aziel. They hold guns in their hands and gave as blank stare on their face. They must be guarding something weapons probably. I face the guy in the chain and walk over to him on the ground. He looks at me, snarling.

I smile at him shortly, before pulling back my foot and using all my energy to kick him in the side. He cries and rolls on the floor, away from me. I crouch down beside him.

“Just because I stopped Aziel from killing you, doesn't mean I don't wanna beat the shit of you.” I stand and take a deep breath, calming myself down, and walk out the door.

I should check on Aziel.

I make my way down the hall and open the door to our bedroom.

“Aziel?” I call out to him. I look to see him, sitting on the bed, holding his face in his hands.

He doesn't respond to my voice, so I walk over to him and stand in front of him, until he lifts his head. He glances at me and stands up, going to past me and towards the door. Before he can get far, I grab his arm and tug him back.

“Wait. Don't go.”

He releases an frustrated breath and looks at me in the eyes.

“Why did you stop me? He tried to kill you. He had his filthy hands on your throat. He tried to take you away from m--- your family. ”

Tears started to appear in my eyes and I couldn't blink them way.

“God, don't you think I know that?! I was terrified when I saw him in the corner of our room. I was scared that I was gonna die right there. That I was never gonna see my family again.”

“I want to kill him too. Way more than you do. Don't think for a second that I'm not livid right now, because I am. But I promised myself that being in this gang and living here was not going to change me, what's over and I damn well intend to keep it. I will not go to that man's level and I won't allow you to stoop his level, either. I am not a killer.” Tears start flowing down my face.

Silence takes over and the room goes quiet. Aziel just stares at me, scanning my face.

After a few minutes of silence he take my face in his hand and leans his for head on mine. His breathing heavy. He stays there for a couple seconds before he connects his lips with mine. I gasp but he doesn't pull away and instead presses his lips harder against mine. My mouth stay still and my eyes wide open in shock.

Aziel pulls back out keep his hands on my face.

“Everytime I look at him, I see him on top of you with his hands around throat. Preethi, I was born into the gang world. My father was a gang leader and my mom worked right beside him. Violence was everywhere, growing up. It's something I learned and a hard habit to break. That man works for Jordan and came here tonight, to kill you. I'm not gonna apologize for wanting him dead because I still do. But I will refrain from doing so, for you. And I promise you. We will get this son of a bitch, Jordan.” He kisses my neck.