Claimed by the Cartel

Chapter 7 : Not So Alone

Honey

Of course, my dad canceled on me.

Just when I was ready to forgive him for the last time he told me my dream career was a waste of time. I felt hot around the collar—annoyed and angry. No matter what I did, he never seemed to care. Or be proud of my achievements.

Did he care that I won an award for my research paper on sociopathy? No.

What about my 3.7 GPA? It would have been a 4.0 if it wasn't for my f*****g math class, but no, he still didn't care. Considering he barely scraped by in college, you'd think he'd be patting me on the back.

What did I have to do to get my father to look up from his phone? What did I have to do to make him see me? Just once.

That was all I wanted.

Instead, I felt like a discarded child.

My dad dropped me back off at my dorm building, saying something like, “I'm sorry, Honey. I have an important work thing."

Not the first time. Wouldn't be the last. I didn't think I wanted to give him another chance. But who else did I have?

No one. I had no one. As always, I was alone to process my own problems.

I sighed, watching my dad's car drive off. With a glance up at my dorm window, I realized that I didn't want to go up there. What if Natalie was back? I didn't have the mental capacity to listen to her tell me all about the last guy she slept with.

All she ever talked to me about was partying, f*****g, and drugs, and because of my damn “smile-and-nod" reflex, she thought I wanted to hear about it. All it did was make me feel more alone. What did I have in common with her?

Nothing.

I pulled some corded earbuds out of my shoulder bag, putting one earbud in to listen to music while I went on a walk to clear my head.

Always so loud.

My limbs felt heavy as I wandered around campus in the dark, only illuminated by the fluorescent street lamps. An ache filled my chest, thickness in my throat. My eyes began to well with tears. I watched my feet cast shadows on the sidewalk.

My own dad couldn't make time for me. It seemed like such a little thing to get upset about.

Stupid.

It was stupid.

But the more I thought about it, the faster the tears fell. Two years at college and I still hadn't made any connections. I was still just as lonely as I was as a homeschooled kid in the confines of my mother's condo.

Sure, I made all these strides toward a career, but had anything really changed?

The lump in my throat bobbed as I tried to gulp it down and wipe away my tears, but it hurt. My heart squeezed with a familiar ache. It felt too familiar.

I hated it.

I even dressed up nicely for dinner, preparing a case in my head for why this career path was meant for me. But my dad didn't f*****g care.

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

What was it now?

The ache in my chest morphed into flutters when I saw Roman's name flash across my notifications. I rubbed the tears out of my eyes with the back of my hand. Before I looked at the message, I looked around, wondering where I wandered during my little pity party.

Students were congregating in the common area for free food, but I didn't have it in me to be hungry, so I was in the dark, between buildings.

It's not like I belonged with any of them anyway.

Toward the road, there weren't any cars during the slow part of the night. I could hear traffic in the distance, but nowhere near me. I could disappear off the face of the earth and no one would notice.

No.

I'm not falling down that hole again.

With a deep breath, I checked the message, trying to ignore the way my heart hammered and my face pinkened at the thought of how he kissed me. The way he felt pushed against me. A coil of lust bloomed in my belly.

Roman: I'm in the area. Do you want to get a bite to eat or something? I could pick you up.

Why was he wasting his time with me?

Me: Maybe another time, I'm not hungry. Thanks though.

I wouldn't make good company right now anyway.

Roman: Is this about the other night?

My face boiled, but I didn't have the emotional capacity to answer him. I was too exhausted from all these damn feelings that I couldn't get a handle on. I sighed deeply, taking a seat on a shadowed bench.

I stared at the message, music in one ear, chatter from the main hall in the other, and I felt so disconnected from the world. I needed to feel disconnected, otherwise, all the noise in my head would be too loud. Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks.

Drowning. I felt like I was drowning. And like at sea, my struggle was silent.

Mine and mine alone.

I buried my face in my hands and wept, my chest shaking with every strangled sob. I felt pathetic. Worthless. So alone.

Someone pulled out my earbud and I jolted, gasping loudly. I looked up at an unfamiliar man bent at the waist in front of me. My eyes widened, and a large lump formed in my throat. He had shoulder-length dark hair, straight and silky. Curious light brown, almost hazel eyes. Stubble growing faintly on a sharp jaw.

I was not in the mood to look like a mess in front of another attractive man. Two years of college and no one wanted to touch me with a ten-foot pole, but now I get approached by them all at once? First Roman, then Dante, and now this guy?

“C-Can I help you?" I warbled, practically choking out the words.

“Give me your bag," the man stated.

My head reeled. “What?"

He took one elegant-looking hand and pulled a switchblade out of his pocket, holding it to his side. “I said give me your bag."

My heart started to race, my knees feeling weaker the longer I stared at the shining knife, blood crusted near the handle.

He'd used it before.

“No," I gulped.

A sense of impending doom filled my stomach and I didn't think, I just acted. I kicked the man's kneecaps, obviously surprising him as I took my chance and dodged him. A toned arm shot out and wrapped around my throat, jerking me backward. I yelped, my back colliding with his chest.

“f**k off!" I snapped, sinking my teeth into the exposed forearm around my neck.

He jolted back, muttering a swear and releasing me in surprise.

I was fast, but he was faster. I was running off pure adrenaline firing through my system. I thought if it came down to fight or flight or freeze, I was the type to freeze, but apparently, I wasn't.

I ducked under another grab at me and I spun around, throwing my hand back into a poorly formed punch. My knuckles collided with his cheek and pain erupted down my entire arm. Honestly, I think it hurt me way more than it hurt him.

Surprise was written all over his face, but he barely flinched when I hit him.

“Leave me alone!" I shouted, preparing my fist to hit him again. But now he was ready for me, he caught my fist and twisted it around, making my arm cry out in discomfort. His hand clapped over my mouth to silence my infuriated scream.

So I bit him again, but he still didn't let me go.

“Hey!" Roman's voice broke through the muffled noises of my struggle. The guy who had me instantly released me, but not before behind slightly as if reaching for the ground and sprinting off into the darkness.

“Yeah, you better f*****g run!" I yelled after him, fuming so hard, I'm sure steam was coming out of my ears.

Roman came to my side, one of his familiar hands clasping over my shoulder. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

“No," I snapped, reaching for my bag, finally realizing that this motherfucker stole my bag with my phone, keys, wallet, and all. “f**k!"

Roman recoiled slightly at the swear.

I pushed past him to see if I could catch a glimpse of the guy who stole my bag, but no. He was gone. “My f*****g keys were in that bag. My phone." I fisted my hands in my hair, so unbelievably pissed off. “Where did he go?"

A twinkle of something appeared in Roman's eyes when I looked over my shoulder at him. Then he said, “Maybe don't go after the armed robber."

“I'm having a really, really, bad night," I said sharply, a heavy breath leaving my lips. I took a few more deep breaths, trying to calm down. “Where did you come from?"

Roman pointed over to the main road where I could see the jaguar from the other night, hazards on, driver door wide open. “I told you I was nearby. I just happened to see you."

“Lucky me," I muttered.

Roman didn't deserve my attitude. He didn't do anything wrong.

“I'm sorry. I'm just having a really bad night. I can't even get in my dorm or call for a new key. Where do you even get a replacement driver's license?" I asked, my mind running in circles telling me all the things I had to do now.

A million different things were settling on my shoulders and I couldn't focus. I couldn't think. It was all too loud. My ears started to ring, a humming echoing through my skull.

Roman's fingertips stroked my chin and I couldn't fight the visible tremble that wracked my spine. “Hey. I've been mugged a few times. Do you want to come over to mine to file a police report? I'll help you get all your ducks in a row."

My shoulders sagged. “You'd do that for me?"

Dimples punctured both of his cheeks as he gave me a smile. “Yeah. Come on, you shouldn't be out here all alone."

A pang of pain shot through my chest again, but I tried to hide it with humor. “Please tell me you didn't leave your keys in your car."

“Eh, if it gets stolen, I'll figure it out. Wouldn't be the first time," Roman said, his thumb running over my jaw again. My shoulders shook. I couldn't help it. All that adrenaline was crashing and I started to feel so tired.

“Do you have ice at your place? I think I broke my hand," I asked, raising my hand to look at where the skin had split, looking quite gnarly. It hurt way worse than it looked.

“Let me see," he said, eyes thoughtful as he lifted my hand. “It's probably just a sprain. Did you hit him?"

I shrugged. “I think it hurt me more than it hurt him."

Roman's lips twitched into a half-smile. “I'll teach you how to throw a punch correctly. That way it'll hurt them more than it'll hurt you."

“You can fight?" I breathed, liking the way his fingers would stroke my palm, his thumb caressing my quickly bruising knuckles.

“I'm a man of many talents," Roman teased, making me feel instantly better when he raised my hand to press a soft kiss where it hurt the most. “Come on, baby girl. Let's get you somewhere safe."

My stomach tightened, cheeks darkening as he led me over to his car and opened the door for me. I got in, buckling my seatbelt as Roman got in next to me. The locks clicked, but I didn't think much of it as Roman put the car in drive, changing gears and taking us down the road and into the night.