Nighttime Encounters - Chapter 14
It was Kaiden Calskronin, the man who had grabbed her wrist and nibbled her earlobe. He was staring at her, just as he had the previous night.
“Why don’t you go on your way and stop meddling in our business?”
As the harsh voices of the bullies rang out, Rosia shuddered as if she had been released from the bonds of those deep green eyes.
Adrenaline surged through Rosia’s body, her mind racing quickly. What if he realized she was Trinity and came after her? If that were the case, these ruffians would be the least of her problems.
A man’s calm voice reached Rosia’s ears as her eyes darted about, assessing the situation. “I’m afraid the lady is in too much trouble for me to just move on.”
The rogue flinched at the man’s intimidating gaze, but he didn’t loosen his grip on Rosia’s shoulder. Instead, he forcefully pulled her closer to him.
Pressing his body against her, he addressed the man. “Hey, you should just go on your way. We need to talk to this young lady in private.”
“Yeah, if it’s a long talk, it could take all night.”
The thugs, who had been talking among themselves, turned to Rosia.
“You wanted it, didn’t you?” The big one asked, and Rosia closed her eyes tightly and nodded vigorously.
She gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to beat him up and shake him off. Avoiding that dangerous man was more important than shaking off these filthy thugs.
After assessing the situation, she braced herself against the ruffian and prayed fervently.
I have to deal with an evil spirit that has rolled in. So please go away. Please go.
With her hands clasped together over her chest in prayer, the raucous voice of the rogue echoed over Rosia, “You heard the lady. So, stop bothering us and get lost already.”
The stench emanating from the rogues grew stronger. Rosia covered her mouth with her hand as the nausea surged within her.
Do these guys ever take a shower? How can they smell this bad?
Rosia’s eyes watered as she struggled not to gag. At that moment, the man’s thick eyebrows twitched slightly.
Without hesitation, he strode forward with long strides. “If you want to talk, you’ll have to do it with me,” he asserted, wedging himself between them, shielding Rosia behind him.
He blocked her with his large body and glared at the thugs. In an instant, despite Rosia’s desperate patience, things unfolded swiftly.
The thugs, dazed and deprived of their prey, spat out crude insults.
“You a**hole, you don’t know what you’re doing.”
“Shut up with your fancy talk. Don’t ruin your life by acting all high and mighty in front of a lady.”
Rosia blinked, trapped behind the man’s back. Swept up in his strong arms, she found herself hiding behind him. It was easier to breathe, but she hadn’t asked for this.
“I’m really fine,” Rosia said, lifting her head with a crestfallen expression. The marks she had left behind the man’s ear the night before were still vividly visible. Even the resentful gaze of the hovering soul, as if guarding the man, lingered.
Should she cry? Should she laugh? Rosia contorted her face in confusion at the awkward situation she found herself in. However, the three men were already engrossed in their own fight, paying little heed to Rosia.
“You don’t even seem to be from around here, so where did you get your rocks from?” remarked one of the unpleasant rogues.
The man’s voice cut through unflinchingly, “I’ve had enough of your nonsense. If you clear the way for the lady to pass now, I won’t report this to the guards.”
The rogues scoffed, “Guards?”
“Don’t you know? We’re the neighborhood watch around here.”
“We’ve protected this neighborhood for years. Where did this intruder come from?”
The man calmly received the sarcastic comments from the unruly rogues. “I’ll add impersonating a security guard to the list.”
The man’s composed response seemed to provoke the ruffians’ arrogance. The thugs exchanged conspiratorial glances.
“Maybe shedding some blood will make you realize not to stick your nose in other people’s business,” barked a hefty ruffian.
He hurled his fist into the man’s face, the man didn’t flinch. In an instant, he seized the ruffian’s wrist.
“You attacked first.” The man declared bluntly, snapping the thug’s arm back and crumpling it like a piece of paper.
Agonized screams filled the dimly lit alleyway.
“Ugh!”
But taking one down wasn’t the end of it. The other, watching the situation, seized the moment. With deep scars around his eyes, he used his companion’s scream as an opportunity to attack the man’s back. Fair play was not a consideration.
“A**hole!”
The other one aimed a punch just like his companion, but there was a subtle difference. At the end of his tightly clenched fist, a sharp metal glinted. The sinister blade flew towards the man’s back.
“Huh?”
There was no time for Rosia to debate whether to intervene or not. As if anticipating it, the man swiftly moved, dodging the blade. He swiftly twisted his arm, restraining him, and kicked the knife-wielder in the leg.
As the leg that supported them buckled, his blade plummeted to the ground in a twisting arc. The ruffian, hitting their head on the ground, let out a pained groan.
“What the hell!”
The man had taken them down in the blink of an eye with a swiftness that belied his large frame. Even as the thugs gasped in pain, the man’s breathing remained as composed as ever. His green eyes sparkled calmly, as if nothing happened. The recent scuffle appeared to have had no effect on him whatsoever.
His calm demeanor only aggravated the ruffians further.
“You… do you even know who we are?”
