Rat and Cat

Ari didn't stop to see his reaction, the second he let go of her, she sprinted as fast as she could. 

Now she had to get away from not only the bodyguards left behind by Noah but also Nicolai. If she was caught, then Ari knew that it was going to be game over for her. 

Thus, she ran as if she were the last batter of her team and the team depended on her to hit the base as fast as possible. Ari found herself battling against the time as it ticked past, again. However, there was nothing new about this, it had always been like this, and maybe it would be like this always. 

With her bare feet, Ari rushed out of the hospital and then headed down the street. The sense of apprehension was quickly replaced by a shot of adrenaline, as well as the inherent need to escape from everything that suffocated her. 

She needed to get away as far as possible. So far, no one would be able to reach her. 

Free. She wanted to be free. 

A dark figure chased right after, and Ari felt the adrenaline slowly dissipating from her body, replaced by tremors that spread all over her limbs. Fear of getting caught caused her nerves to turn jittery, and she started to shake like someone had placed her in a vibration mode. 

'Stop shaking, you fool! This is not the time to act like this,' she scolded herself and somehow managed to calm the chaotic emotions. But then disgust lurched into her stomach before high-pedalling up to her throat. It happened so fast that Ari had no idea what and when it happened. 

The scent of blood oranges, cigarettes, and alcohol enveloped her. 

No! She would rather not be caught. 

She turned her head and gazed at the figure behind her. Her eyes clashed with Nicolai's blood-red eyes. They were even darker than the last time she saw him, it was as if they were dripping with blood thirst and that thirst would only quell after he had spilt blood. 

Her blood. 

Ari shuddered as she turned around and ran even faster. It was a good thing that she was once a marathon runner in her school because all those friendly races were finally coming to her use. Ari knew that she had to get out of here, the taxi stop wasn't far, and maybe if Ari tried her best, she would be able to get away from Nicolai. 

"Look at you run, you resemble a stray cat that stole a fish," Nicolai taunted her from behind, causing her anxiety to rise from its slumber. "What did you steal, huh? For you to not stop even the slightest, it must be really pricey, right? And dear God, where did you get that temper from? You nearly f*cking broke my nose." 

'Good, I wish I had broken it,' Ari thought while breathing through her nose. She ran towards the taxi stand. Soon it came into view and Ari breathed a sigh of relief, it was done. 

She was going to get her ass out of this mess once and for all. 

Ari increased her pace once more, even though her calves were literally screaming at her to stop and breathe. She ignored their pleas as others had ignored hers, but then a heavy weight landed on her back and she flinched when a strong arm wrapped around her neck before squeezing her windpipe. 

All the air left Ari's lungs as she tapped on the arm. 

Her eyes stared at the strangers on the streets, hoping that they would help her, but when she saw the fear in their eyes, Ari knew that no one was going to help her. 

She was on her. 

F*cking selfish world. 

As Nicolai crushed her windpipe and started to drag her towards a dark alley, survival instincts kicked, and she elbowed and bit Nicolai with every ounce of energy that she could summon. However, she might as well be fighting with a wall because Nicolai didn't budge if anything, he tightened his hold on her throat making it impossible for her to breathe. 

'I can't breathe,' Ari shook her head while trying to get even the smallest amount of air in her lungs. 

Panic started to claw inside her chest when she saw black spots dance in front of her eyes. She stomped on his shoes with a ferocity that Ari didn't know she had in her, but Nicolai didn't even flinch. He dragged her inside the alley and Ari knew this was it. 

She was a goner. 

She opened her mouth to plead to Nicolai, but apart from coughs and haunted whispers, nothing left her mouth. Like one of the stupid bimbo who ended up falling into the hands of a serial killer just because she was stupid enough to not sense the danger. 

Ari was that bimbo. She knew that as she was the one who pushed this maniac off his edges. 

As her eyes started to roll into her sockets, Ari threw her head back in a last-ditch attempt to get away from Nicolai.

She was worried that if she was a step too late, he would chop her up and throw her in the trash can behind them. 

Her weight was nothing compared to his, but Nicolai might have not expected her to still have some fight in her. He stumbled and Ari made another run for it. However, she didn't even take three steps before his massive weight slammed against her back.

Ari found herself pressed against the brick wall with Nicolai behind her. 

She coughed and drew in as much air as she could in her burning lungs, her hands pressed against the wall as she tried to push herself away from the grimy wall. 

"A f*cking fighter. I love them," Nicolai whispered in her ears like one of her f*cked-up nightmares. "Come on, fight me more. You can punch me harder, you know? I won't mind. I want to draw blood. More and more blood. Doesn't matter whose." 

"G—-Get the f*ck off me," Ari choked as she tried to shake off the weight pressing down on her. If this goes on, she would die with this man pressing down on her. 

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