I reached the correct door and stepped inside. The apartment was blanketed in shadow, but I noticed a candelabra with three candles sat on the dining table to my left. The slab of wood was covered with a clean white tablecloth and the chairs were shined spotless. Two places were set at either end, and a delicious roast chicken lay on a plate between them. Red stood beside the table with a wide smile on his face. He stepped away from the table and gestured with both hands at the setup.
"Surprise!" he called out.
I shed my coat and raised an eyebrow. "You have a date tonight?" I asked him.
He chuckled. "Yep. I thought my new roommate might want her first dinner in our apartment to be memorable, so I fixed up something special."
I tossed my coat over my old chair and strode over to the table. The scent of the cooked bird sank into my nostrils.
"It looks nice," I complimented him.
He scooted around me and pulled out the chair closest to the door. "If you would, mademoiselle."
I took a seat. He flitted around me and dragged the plate of chicken close to me. A large carving knife and two-pronged fork lay beside the fowl. He picked them up and used the knife to point at the parts of the bird.
"Dark or light meat?" he asked me.
"Dark," blurted out of my mouth.
He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were a lighter kind of gal, but your wish is my command."
He stabbed the thick thigh and carved into the meat. Dark-red blood poured from the thin wound. The life essence spilled onto the plate and puddled at the bottom. I leaned forward. My reflection in red stared back at me.
"Damn it!" Red cursed under his breath. He turned to me and gave me a goofy grin. "Looks like it still needs a little more time in the oven, but while we're waiting we can-"
"I'm going to go for a walk." I scooted my chair out and stood.
Red's face fell. "But-"
"I'll be back in fifteen minutes. It should be done by then," I promised him as I strode over and snatched my coat. "You can call me if it's done sooner."
Red stretched out his hand towards me. "Come on, Leila. I thought maybe we could enjoy each other's-um, company the whole night," he persisted.
I opened the front door and paused to look over my shoulder at him. "I just need some fresh air, that's all. I'll be back."
I stepped into the hall and shut the door behind me. The hallway and stairs were eerily quiet as I made my way outside. The street was deserted. A few streetlights flickered in greeting to me.
I felt the weight of my gun on the back of my hip as I walked down the concrete steps of the stoop. Going for a walk at this hour wasn't my brightest idea, but I needed air. That stuffy apartment suffocated me. The cool, smoggy air of the city offered more release.
I paused half a block down and looked up at the sky. A few clouds lazily floated above the rooftops. The waxing half-moon glistened among the stars it overshadowed. I sighed and hung my head. I felt like one of those stars, and the whole world was the moon. The bright lights and loud noises of this life drowned out the frustration I felt at my job, my car, my apartment, even my roommate.
"Get over yourself, Leila. . ." I murmured.
I stuck my hands in the pocket of my coat and strode onward. The clack of my feet against the sidewalk was the only noise I heard. I felt like I was the last person on earth.
Then the ugliest of humanity intruded on me. I was five yards from the mouth of an alley when my ears caught the sound of voices.
"Is that all you got?" a rough voice twanged.
"He's gotta have more. Maybe it's in that coat of his," another rejoined.
"I-I don't have anything else, honest," a third, softer voice insisted.
I stepped into the mouth and looked down the alley. The weak light from the streetlights meant my eyes weren't completely useless in the darkness. Two of the thugs from yesterday surrounded a stooped figure who's back was against the brick wall of one of the buildings. The dark red coat looked black in the darkness, but recognized his pale skin and subjugated demeanor. It was the man from my apartment building.
The thugs stood on either side of him and a foot off. The blade of a knife glistened in the weak light behind me. My shadow cast itself over them, and they looked up from their easy prey. The one farthest from me frowned and squinted his eyes before a grin slipped onto his slimy lips.
"Well, well, if it ain't the chick from before. Come to keep your promise to have some fun with us?"
I reached behind me and wrapped my hand around the handle of my gun. "I think you two boys need to run along home. It's past your bedtime."
The man's grin only widened. His companion and he glanced at each other. They tilted their heads back and laughed. The young man between them cringed.
The thug returned his attention to me. "Don't you know it's the one night of the year we get to stay up? And it looks like Santy Claus has brought us a present for being such good little boys."
The coated stranger pressed his palms against the wall and raised himself to his full, short height. "Please leave her alone! She doesn't have-ugh!" The lead thug had slammed his fist into the man's gut. The stranger crumpled to his knees and wrapped his arms around his stomach. The thug sneered down at him.
"Stay out of this, faggot," he growled. He pulled his foot back and gave the man a vicious kick in the side. The stranger cried out and rolled onto his undamaged side. He curled into a fetal position, and I heard his gasps as he tried to breathe through his bruised ribs.
I whipped out my gun and pointed it at the men. "Now, now, boys. That's no way to play."
The thugs froze. The man closest to me turned to the other one.
"What now?" he asked him.
The lead thug loosened and grinned. "She ain't got the guts to-" The bullet flew within an inch of his head and embedded itself into the wall to my right and behind him.
A little bit of smoke floated from the hot barrel of my gun. I shifted the barrel a little more to the left. "I won't miss the second time," I promised.
The closest thug stumbled back until he stood behind his companion. "C-come on, boss, this guy ain't worth it." He turned around and bolted into the deep darkness of the alley.
His boss took a step backwards and glared at me. "You'll regret that, bitch." He turned and fled into the shadows.
I lowered my gun and strode over to the stranger. He breathed heavily and his body was tense. I knelt beside him and looked at his face. I had to give him credit. The guy could take a beating. Both eyes were black and he had a cut lip that bled down the side of his chin.
I put my hand on his shoulder. "You okay?" I asked him.
He raised his head. His slitted eyes fell on me and a blush came to his cheeks. "I-I'm fine."
"Then prove it by standing. I don't know how long those guys will take before they bring reinforcements," I warned him.
The stranger crawled up to a prostrate position and set his palm on the brick wall. He climbed to his feet, but one step forward and he cried out. The man collapsed to his knees and clutched his stomach.
"It feels like my insides are burning," he hissed.
I holstered my gun and grasped his shoulders."We should get you to a hospital so a doctor-"
"No!" I started back. He turned his face away from me. "No doctors. I don't like doctors."
I frowned. "Then what do you suggest we do?"
"I-I live close by. I just need to get there and-" He tried to stand, and again his legs failed him.
"How close?" I asked him.
"The Meyer Apartments," he revealed.
My eyes widened. That was my apartment building. "Which room?"
"Room twenty-two."
I started back. My old room. He looked up at me and tilted his head to one side. "Is something wrong?"
I shook myself. "N-no, I was just thinking how to get you there."
"I can walk. It isn't far," he
insisted.
"Hold still for a sec." I hefted one of his arms across my shoulders and sighed. He was heavy, but my shoulders could bear the burden for a short distance. "Come on. Let's get you home."
CHAPTER 5