Megan found herself in a complicated situation. Being the only daughter and heiress to one of the most powerful and prestigious families in New York comes with its pros and cons.
The alley behind the abandoned warehouse reeked of piss and rotting garbage. Somewhere in the distance, water lapped against the docks and a car alarm wailed before cutting off abruptly. It was past 2 AM and the streets were dead, exactly why Damian had told her to meet him here.
She should have known better.
"Don't even try to come close to me, do you know who I am?" She said in panic.
The leader of the gang stepped into the flickering light of a dying streetlamp. A jagged scar ran from his left eye down to his jaw, and when he smiled, gold teeth glinted. He laughed out loudly.
"You are quite the Barbie Princess, aren't you? The only daughter of Damon Blackwood? The richest man in New York?" He smirked, flicking ash from his cigar. "Judging by how you are dressed, you do really come from money. Pretty thing like you shouldn't be here among low lives like us."
"Don't even try to mess with me, you will regret it." She threatened.
"Relax Princess, we are not going to hurt you if only you cooperate."
Megan ducked a few inches back because they were coming closer with every step. Shadows from the broken streetlight made their faces look monstrous.
She instinctively pulled her heels, held it with two hands in a threatening position.
"If you dare come closer, I will use this to bust your brain." She said with a threatening voice.
"You are quite the fierce one, I like that princess. I wouldn't want to hurt you before I get a taste of you. Just get your ass into that car and let's make some dollar deals off your ass with your Daddy." He kept coming closer, the scar on his face twisting with his grin.
"Boss we can just grab her ass into the car." One of the gang members spoke out in frustration.
"Nah that's way too boring, I need to play with her a little more."
"Y'all will regret this, just wait until my boyfriend comes with the police."
"Your boyfriend? Hahaha." He laughed, blowing cigar smoke in her direction. "You are way too naive princess. You have no idea your so called boyfriend set you up."
"What… no you are lying. Damian would never do such a thing, I know him very well."
"Then where the fuck is he? Why hasn't he called? He used you as collateral for the loan he is owing us, fifty thousand bucks, so it isn't our fault princess. Just follow us into the car."
The words hit her like a slap. Damian. The guy she'd been seeing for three months. The one who said he loved her. The one who convinced her to sneak out tonight because he had a "surprise" for her.
He sold her out.
"You assholes won't get what you want. Come lick my ass bastards."
"Boys, grab her."
She immediately dropped the heels and pulled out the pepper spray in her bag, spraying it directly into the members' eyes. They screamed in pain and she took off without her heels, tearing the strap of her dress off so it wouldn't make her trip. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, her bare feet slapping against the wet pavement.
"You two incompetent fools go after her."
"Boss our eyes, we can't see, it hurts."
"Shit."
The boss ran after her but couldn't find her because the buildings had so many corners and it was pitch black except for the occasional flickering streetlight. Megan used that opportunity to hide behind a dumpster, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might burst out of her chest. Her bare feet were screaming in pain, cut and bleeding from broken glass and rough concrete. Her expensive silk dress was in shreds, hanging off one shoulder. Blood trickled down her shins and she could barely breathe.
She used that opportunity to call her brother Tristan that was her only hope, she would face the consequences of sneaking out later, he picked up on the first ring.
"Megan." His deep voice came through.
"Tri…Tristan." Her voice cracked.
"Megan where are you."
"I'm sorry Tristan, I'm in trouble."
"Stop apologizing and tell me where the fuck you are."
"I don't really know brother but they are chasing after me."
"Alright calm down, take a deep breath. I need you to turn on your location, I will use my tracker to get to you. Stay wherever you are and don't make a sound."
"Okay."
She could hear him moving already, heard the urgency in his breathing.
"Megan."
"Yes?"
"Don't hang up."
In a jiffy Tristan was able to get her location. He grabbed his baton and gun he kept for security purposes, loading it with bullets. He wasn't thinking straight. All he wanted was to get his sister out of trouble. He didn't think of taking security along with him.
He ran down the stairs in the dead of the night, pulled into his car and drove off at maximum speed. The security man at the gates almost lost his balance but he had to open them and he dared not question him because he knew how ruthless Tristan was and he loved his job.
Tristan drove like a man possessed, running red lights, not giving a fuck if he got into an accident. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched so tight it hurt. Someone was threatening Megan. Someone put their hands on his sister.
They were going to die tonight.
When he got to the exact location he pulled out of his car, slamming the door so hard the whole vehicle shook. His blood was raging and boiling. He went into the alley and with every fast step he took he screamed "Megan where are you!"
The darkness seemed to swallow his voice, but he kept moving forward, past dumpsters and puddles of God knows what.
After a while he heard that familiar voice. "Tristan I'm over here."
He kept shouting "Megan" and followed the voice. The gang members heard it too and followed. They got there before Tristan.
"You wanna play hide and seek princess? Too bad the game isn't fun anymore, we caught you early." The leader with the scar grabbed her arm and yanked her out from behind the dumpster.
"Wait until my brother gets here, y'all are fucked up."
"Hahaha first your boyfriend now your brother. Stop with the empty threats. Even if your brother gets here he won't be able to take on the three of us. We will beat him to a pulp and make extra money off of him." He blew cigar smoke in her face.
Megan coughed, trying to pull away from his grip. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, see the dead look in his eyes. This man had done this before. He would do it again.
Unless Tristan got here.
As they were about to grab her, gunshots fired through the alley, taking down three of the gang members. They dropped like puppets with cut strings, the sound echoing off the brick walls.
"Holy shit." The leader cursed, spinning around.
Tristan walked forward through the shadows, gun still raised, anger and rage rolling off him in waves.
"Tristan." Megan whispered with a smile on her face. Relief flooded through her so fast she almost collapsed.
"Princess you didn't tell me your brother is a gangster…"
He couldn't finish. A fist connected with his scarred face so hard Megan heard the crack of bone.
"How dare you mess with my sister." Tristan's voice was ice cold, dead calm. That was worse than the yelling. That meant he was past anger into something darker.
"Spare me sir, I didn't know…"
"I will show you how I deal with fucks like you."
Tristan beat him mercilessly, breaking his jaw until blood spilled out, grabbing his shirt and tossing him across the wall like he weighed nothing. The man hit the bricks with a sickening thud and slid down, leaving a red streak. His gold teeth scattered across the pavement.
Megan stood frozen, her back pressed against the dumpster. She had never seen her brother like this. Tristan was always controlled, always measured. The perfect son, the perfect businessman, the perfect brother. This man in front of her was a monster.
The other members were groaning in pain from the gunshot wounds, crawling across the dirty ground trying to get away. Tristan stepped over them without a glance.
His eyes were only on Megan now.
He crossed the alley in three strides and grabbed her shoulders, his hands surprisingly gentle considering what they'd just done. His ice blue eyes scanned her from head to toe, taking in the torn dress hanging off her shoulder, the bare feet covered in blood and dirt, the scratches on her arms, the way she was shaking.
His jaw clenched even tighter. A muscle ticked in his cheek.
"Did they touch you?" His voice was rough, strained.
"No, I got away before…"
"Did. They. Touch. You."
"No Tristan, I'm okay."
His eyes dropped to her feet, saw the blood, the way she was barely standing. Something dark and murderous flashed across his face. He looked back at the gang leader's unconscious body like he wanted to go finish the job.
"Tristan, please, I just want to go home."
That snapped him back. He pulled her against his chest so suddenly she gasped. His arms wrapped around her, one hand cradling the back of her head. She could feel his heart pounding, feel the adrenaline still pumping through him.
"Don't ever fucking scare me like that again." He said it into her hair, his voice breaking just slightly.
Megan's hands came up to grip his jacket. She was shaking now, the shock finally hitting her. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"
"We're going home." He pulled back just enough to shrug off his jacket and wrap it around her shoulders. It swallowed her whole, still warm from his body. "Can you walk?"
She looked down at her bloody feet and shook her head.
Without a word, Tristan bent and scooped her up like she weighed nothing. Megan wrapped her arms around his neck automatically, the way she used to when she was little and he'd carry her to bed after she fell asleep during movie night.
But this felt different.
The way his jaw was clenched. The way his arms tightened around her. The way he looked at the gang leader's body one more time with pure murder in his eyes.
"What about them?" She whispered.
"I'll have someone clean it up." He started walking toward his car, not even glancing back at the men bleeding out in the alley. "Right now I'm getting you home."
Megan laid her head against his shoulder, exhausted and overwhelmed. She could smell his cologne, feel the steady strength of him.She was safe now. She didn't see the look on Tristan's face as he carried her. Didn't see the way his eyes darkened when he looked down at her in his arms, her platinum blonde hair spilling over his jacket, ice blue eyes starting to close.
Didn't see the way his grip tightened possessively. Didn't know that in his mind, he was already making plans. Plans for anyone who ever thought they could hurt what was his. Because Megan was his to protect.
And God help anyone who forgot that.
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