Sunrays found their way through the large window and my mind spun, trying to recall every event that occurred last night.

The Call.
The ballistic shouting.

My heart skipped a beat as I saw Matteo's laptop resting on the armchair on the other side of the bed. Did he work the whole night until now?

"Good morning, Cariña. How was your sleep?" A voice coming from my left sounded and my gaze locked on Matteo, who leaned against the door frame with a completely unbuttoned shirt and his arm steadied on top of the frame.

His chest was muscular, trained and his skin looked smooth and glistened a bit. I assume he worked out before stepping into my room.

"Good...and yours?"

I could hardly look away and was startled by his appearance. My eyes were formerly glued to his torso.

"Eyes up here, Cariña."

His simple sentence caused heat between my legs, and I blushed at his remark before clearing my throat. "I'm sorry...Did you just work out?"

He nodded and smiled, coming closer to sit on the bed's edge. "Yeah, I forgot to show you that I have a sort of gym in the cellar."

"You're living in a dream house, huh?" I mocked, sitting upright and barely noticing how the blanket slipped away and exposed my chest to Matteo.

His gaze dropped to my breasts covered up by my black lace bra and his lips parted. I wanted to slide my lips between them, He acted like he had never seen a woman's chest, which seemed pretty unlikely to me.

"Eyes up here, Matteo." I ridiculed him, noticing the red taint on his cheeks.

He moved closer pulling the blanket over my chest, before moving out of the room without another word. Several question marks popped up in my head and I wondered where he went.

My hand groped at the nightstand, sliding my phone in my hand to text Carlos, without the intention of greeting him with a Good Morning since our conversation never ended.

Lara: <<Carlos>>

Carlos: <<No.>>

Lara: <<I forgot to text you, that I stood overnight at Matteo's yesterday.>>

Carlos: <<GIRLLL😭. He must've fucked you real good.>>

Lara: <<No, we didn't do it. And I'll be home after work, try not to think I'll leave you.>>

Carlos: <<Fine with me.>>
      <<Try not to get pregnant. Love ya.>>

Lara: <<Kiss my ass, Carlos. Love you too>>

The door opened and Matteo came into the room with a breakfast board. My eyes widened and the huge smile on his face wouldn't vanish.

"I made you breakfast. I hope you like it."

Pancakes with maple syrup, all kinds of fruits, and a black tea. A look at the fruits assured me that everything I like is on the plate.

"How did you know I didn't like bananas and pineapple?"
He shrugged.
"Intention."

I rolled my eyes playfully and pulled him into a hug, "How can I thank you, Matteo?" My hands slipped under his open shirt over his waist to his back, exploring his muscularity.

"I need your lips on mine, please." The additional please made him sound even more needy and addicted than normally. I didn't hesitate but smashed my lips onto his, kissing him like he needed it the most. Passionate and lustfully. Matteo traced his thumb over my bottom lip, nodding towards the food.

"Try it for me." I sliced the pancake and began eating while adding some fruits to my mouth. He carefully tugged a loose hair strain behind my ear and offered me an affectionate smile. "I'm so proud of you."

"Proud of what?"
"That you're eating so well..."

Did Matteo have bad eating habits? Does he have them right now? Or does someone close to him have such?

"Thank you, I'm proud of you as well, but why are you saying this?"
He cleared his throat snapping out of his trance of affection.
"It's something personal, I'll tell you another time."

𐦍༘⋆.𖥔 ݁ ˖₊ ⊹⟡ 𐦍༘⋆.𖥔 ݁ ˖₊ ⊹⟡ 𐦍༘⋆.𖥔 ݁ ˖₊ ⊹⟡

I drove down the moonlight drunken streets, occasionally shining green, red, or yellow and allowing me to either stop or move on.

I inhaled the strawberry scent in my car and rested my head against the seat. My eyes wandered to the rear-view mirror, noticing three red SUVs with dark tinted windows behind me.

If there's one thing I'm scared of, it's cars, where the driver is invisible.
But I was able to take a glimpse at the license plate. 369704, UTAH. Utah?

I let out a sign, continued driving home, and taking turns to the left, right and the cars behind me did the same.

My paranoia activated and quickly I developed a plan in my mind to assure myself, that I was not being followed. If I take a turn
into Sally's road and then on the main street again, I would drive a circle and if they'd have a proper destination they wouldn't do the same.

My stare rested on the rear-view mirror. The cars took the same turn as I did and drove the circle together with me. That's it. I'm being followed. I'll die.

What if they're Matteo's people? "Call Matteo Diaz," I ordered the hands-free system. "I'm sorry. For this particular action, a stable internet connection is required. "
Fuck.

I punched the glove compartment and sped up, driving to my mother's house. In Gabriel's old
nightstand drawer, he always kept a gun he bought with drug money. He taught me in the
Woods how to use it, but that was six years ago and I don't know where he kept magasins.
On the other side, I'd put my mother in danger. But she's not in danger as long as we have a connection with the police.

Gabriel grabbed after my hands and forced them to grip the gun tightly. Panic rose in my body once I remembered, that the object I held in my hand killed millions of people throughout history.

"You have to grip it strongly. If you fire the gun it recoils and might hit your face and kill you instead of the enemy. You have no muscles so hold it with two hands and far away from your body."

I snickered and turned my head to look at his face. The deep red scar slashing through his right eye reminded him constantly of his history. He has had it since
the sixth year of his life. Every time I asked why he had it, he shut me down.

"Everybody has muscles, Gabriel." I educated, noticing how he rolled his eyes at my remark.
"Oh, you are a smart one, aren't you? Now quit talking so much and aim at the tree bark."

I obliged and aimed, hoping I wouldn't hit something else. Gabriel rested his chin on my head. "Don't be scared, pequeña mariposa. Don't be scared to defend yourself and what you love. All you need is trust
in yourself."

I swallowed and fired. The tree got shot at a bit higher than the goal and a glimmer of pride glistened in my
brother's solely black eyes. "Just like that. Good job." He looked like he had the wish to say more than that.

The only thing keeping me from liking my brother is his constant drug consumption and abusive side. But did I dislike him, if I got thrilled, that he was finally home or that he was spending time with me? Why is life so complicated?

"Promise me, Lara. To run from your enemies. Run and I got your back. Every time."

Now, he wasn't able to protect me. It's just me and my mother.

I drove into the little street towards my mom's
house and didn't dare look back and tried my best to seem unbothered. My mother opened the door with a huge grin, pulling me into a deep hug.

"Oh Lara, my little gi-"
"Where did Gabriel keep his magazines?"
I slammed the door shut behind me and locked it as quickly as possible.

Her smile faded quickly and terror appeared in her innocent brown eyes.
"In his wardrobe."

I rushed upstairs, gesturing for my mother to follow me. Once I pushed the door open, thousands of memories punched me in the guts. That's the room of sins.

Lifeless white walls decorated with vinyl records from different genres such as artists of soul, R&B, rock, Latin, or rap. His e-guitar is standing in the corner. The desk he never used, since he dropped out of school one month after we moved here, a red-stained rug, and a bed. I rushed to his nightstand and pulled with shaky hands the gun out of the drawer.

"Lara Maria De Alcantara Sequeira, can you please explain what's happening right now? I'm worried." My mother warned, ogling me nervously.

"Look. I'm being followed by some cars and I don't know what's happening right now, can you look outside the bathroom window if you see three red cars with tinted windows?"

I opened Gabriel's wardrobe shaking each piece of clothing (which were mostly hoodies or baggy jeans) properly to hear a metallic clinging. I tried some more until a magazine fell out of the pocket of the hoodie I gifted him for his 17th birthday.

Quickly I reloaded the gun and handed it over to my mother who came back with a confused frown. "There are no red cars."

I stopped in my movement. "What do you mean no cars?"
"I guess they pulled off. Should I call the police?"

"No, it's fine. But please take the gun. It's reloaded so be careful. I guess I know what's happening." I assured her while rushing down the stairs.

If there's one person who knows what's going on. It's Matteo Díaz. Maybe the people who called him, threatened him about something? That they will take me into hostage? Oh yeah? Have fun with that.

"Are you sure you want to drive home alone? Don't you want to stay? It's too dangerous to drive on your own."
I smiled comfortingly at my mom while hugging her.

"Don't worry mom. I'll call the police if something happens. Plus, I guess I just imagined everything." That's a lie.

She sighed and nodded. "Text me when you're home, little girl."

I started the car again with an unhealthy pounding heart and drove down the avenue. There were two roads which led to my home. One through a little neighborhood, which is not so practical. But even more unpractical is the other turn in the woods. The street lantern lightened the road with many holes up and I stopped my car once the lights turned red.

No.

The same three SUVs stopped behind me and I wanted nothing more than to run out of the car and punch in their ugly faces. What will happen to Mom? Will they get her as well?

As soon as the light turned green I sped up my car and the next "fuck" moment followed right after. The road leading to the neighborhood was closed due to a company renewing the street.

Great, now I'd need to drive into the woods. Alone. With my possible murderers and vomit coming up my throat. The tall tree's added up to the spookiness of the same woods, Gabriel used to go with me. Without any street lights. Just my car.

I cussed in Portuguese as the stones slowed me down and my phone still didn't have any signal.
Next to the pine tree two police officers stood and talked to the radio. I stopped my car promptly and screamed, rushing out of my car.

"OFFICERS!" I shouted and they looked at me stepping closer. "How can we help you, Miss Sequiera?" Miss Sequiera? Do the officers in San Jose need to know everyone in the city by name? Maybe those were the officers who visited my house years ago.

"I'm getting followed right now. By three SUV's for a long time now." The officer nodded at the other and the other man with a beard pulled his phone out and called someone speaking in a language I couldn't understand.

"Can you tell me more?" His gaze rested on the cars behind me, parking peacefully as if they were eating and watching a movie inside. "Well...They always took the same turn as I did, even if I drove a car-" I stopped as I looked at the police car and noticed how the license plate was missing.

No. This can't be. Those aren't real officers and as soon as I saw the disgusting smile on his face, I knew I was involved in a dangerous game.

"Wait...Do you know Gabriel Sequiera? Were you investigating his case?"
"No." He answered too quickly.
"Oh? Okay, I can show you a picture, let me get my phone."

I sauntered as relaxed as possible into my car but decided to start the motor as quickly as possible and speed away. The fake officers shouted and the SUVs began driving faster than last time. Tears formed in my eyes, rolling down my cheeks and my shaky hands nearly caused me to make an accident.

Suddenly a grey sports car drove towards me and I stopped.

I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.

My hand slid on the passenger seat to grab my keys and I searched for my secret knife. A man with 3 others in suits stepped out of the car and I couldn't believe my eyes.

Matteo?

His brows were drawn together and he immediately grabbed after his gun aiming at the car behind me. It didn't take a blink for him to shoot at their wheels and they decided it would be best to steer away as fast as possible.

His bodyguards joined the shooting and the sounds of bullets firing filled the air and I clasped my keys harder.

"Track them down. I want to know which motherfucker sent them." Matteo ordered as he walked over to me. Mistrust filled my face, as he opened my door.

"Lara?"
"DON'T FUCKING CALL ME LIKE THAT! WHAT'S GOING ON?!" I screamed, pushing him away as he tried to pick me up.

"Get into my car and we will talk about it. I promise I won't hurt you."

I couldn't hold it back anymore and vomited straight on the passenger seat. Caught escapes my throat along with sobs of fear.

Matteo gently tugged my hair behind my ear and then into his fist, preventing it from falling in front of my face.

He did some comforting shushing sounds, to assure everything was okay, which is absolutely not the case. "Breath Cariña. It's fine now. I'm here. You're safe now."

"The fuck I a-" I vomited again and never ever have I been more embarrassed. Throwing up in front of your business partner/possible dating partner, you barely know. And oh no, the smell after I'm done in here will be horrible. The disgusting taste in my mouth hinged, even after Matteo used a hanky to clean my mouth and handed me a bottle of water.

He stroked my back, kissing my temple. "Please explain to me..." I received a downward smile and his jacket lying around my shoulders. "Let's get into my car first, it's not the best choice to stay here."