With Daniel distracted, I race to the door, making it out and down the stairs without being noticed. Once outside the building, I start racing down the street blindly.
“Daphne! Stop!” Daniel yells at me from a distance.
Picking up my pace, I turn down the first available block I see, but it is a dead-end alley behind a bunch of stores. The buildings are all brick with forbidding metal doors, offering no refuge. I try a few doors, hoping that by the off chance one will open. As I turn to the last one, I look at the head of the alley and see Daniel standing there looking like an avenging angel, dark and brooding. My step falters in retreat.
Daniel catches me before I fall to the ground. His arm wraps around my waist securely. His other hand cups the side of my face under my hair. His thumb grazes my lower lip. My head leans into his large hand, absorbing the comfort being offered. He cradles it like an infant’s head. We stare into each other’s eyes. The world stops and for the first time I see with absolute clarity. I see a future with him.
The warmth of his hand spreads through me, warming me immediately despite the cool weather. In my rush to escape, I forgot a jacket. Something flickers across his features, but he quickly hides it. Slowly, he lowers his head pressing our foreheads together. He kisses me gently. He turns his head to the side, our heads still touching. Every cell I have responds to his authority.
“I promise nothing will ever happen to you as long as I’m around. You are mine to protect.” Daniel vows.
He kisses me again gently. His body tenses. His grip tightens almost painfully on my hair, triggering goose pimples to erupt over my body. He pulls away and there is an icy edge to his voice.
“Don’t. Ever. Run. Away. From. Me. Again.” He says crisply and clearly.
“But-”
My words are cut off by the fierce attack of his mouth on mine. When I try to protest by opening my mouth to speak, he takes advantage and presses his suit. His tongue delves deep in my mouth. In a matter of minutes, things are out of control. My back is pressed roughly against the cold, brick wall. His arms lift me up so I’m looking down at him. My legs wrap around him holding on. His silky hair glides through the fingers of both my hands as he tips his head back in what I can only assume is pleasure. Forgetting where we are, I start to unbutton my shirt, but his hands stop mine, pinning them above my head. His body my only support. He pulls back, shaking his head no.
“Not here and not like this.” He says in a raspy voice, eyes full of heat.
“Then take me back and make me forget. Make me forget that everything is a lie. Please show me what is real.” I beg.
He looks deeply into my eyes, searching for something. The answer. The truth. Something.
“No.”
Then he slowly lowers me, my shirt rides up my back getting stuck on the rough edge of a brick. He releases his hold on me and regains his composure.
“Everything has to be done by the book. I won’t let you risk it all for a quick romp.” He says pointedly with a smirk.
“God forbid you do something spontaneous.” I huff, teasing him slightly.
He pulls me back suddenly when I try to walk away. Something at the head of the alley catches our eyes.
“Shh, don’t move.” He whispers, pulling me behind him.
The rancid smells of rotting food and who knows what else penetrates my senses. I didn’t notice it before being as distracted as I was. Daniel’s body is coiled tight in front of me, ready to strike at any moment. I can barely see passed him. Two figures dressed in black appear at the head of the alley. They pause looking down and nod to each other. One starts to venture down with his hand inside his jacket, when the other calls out.
“There they are.” He points down the street.
They both run off in the opposite direction from where we came from.
“How did they find us? No one knows about Jacques.” Daniel says to himself, turning to me. “Daphne, I need you to trust me.” He kisses my forehead, gripping my shoulders. “We can’t go back to the loft. Do you trust me?”
His voice is full of emotion making me afraid of what may happen. Despite everything that has happened, I know deep down Daniel would never do anything to hurt me. Do I trust him he asks?
Yes, with my life.
I nod my head briskly.
He pulls me behind him as we head for the mouth of the alley. Daniel looks first left, then right. Not daring either direction, he walks quickly down the street in front of us, dragging me behind him, constantly on guard. When we see the same two guys pass the head of this street, Daniel pushes me into a doorway, hiding me from their sight with his body. He leans out to inspect both directions again. Seeing it clear, grabs my hand.
“Come.” He says, barely being heard as a loud car passes.
My palms, sweaty from fear, slip his grip a few times. At the top of the street, Daniel stops looking in both directions again. This time he turns left. We are on a busy street, crowded with people and cars. I glance up to read the street sign and see the Eiffel Tower instead.
“Oh God.” I murmur in awe, but Daniel mistakes my reaction.
He whirls around shoving me behind him ready to fight. When he doesn’t see the threat, he looks to me questioningly.
“I’m sorry. Look.” I point sheepishly.
Agitated, he says, “Daphne, now’s not the time.”
He tugs on my arm to follow.
As we pass a café, a row of sleek motorcycles sit out front. Daniel looks in the building. He quickly strides to one with two helmets on it. He shoves one helmet at me.
“Put that on.” He says.
Then he dons his own, straddles the bike and hotwires it. He extends his hand to me, assisting me with mounting.
“Quickly.” The helmet muffles his voice.
I quickly jump on as he revs the engine with his other hand. Two guys come running out of the café, yelling at us as Daniel takes off. The force by which we take off nearly knocks me off. If it hadn’t been for Daniel holding my hand I would have fallen off. I wrap both hands around his waist holding on tight. He pats my hand then let’s go. With both hands on the handlebars, he speeds up.
Daniel weaves in and out of traffic. His focused energy is aimed at dodging vehicles left, right, stopping short and driving onto oncoming traffic only to quickly swerve into the proper lane. Every time he swerves, I tense forcing my eyes closed.
The motorcycle slows down. We are closer to the Eiffel Tower when I open my eyes. The street is more congested with cars and pedestrians. We are stuck behind two trucks but Daniel slowly maneuvers us between them to come out in front. An accident has the traffic at a dead stop. Daniel looks right, left then behind us. He inches us closer to the intersection when I notice two guys running at us. One has his hand raised in front of himself.
The side view mirror of the truck to our right explodes. I tap Daniel on the shoulder. He looks back at me. I nod in the direction of the guys.
“Gun!”
Daniel sees them immediately and walks the bike a few more steps and changes our direction. We move sluggishly through congested traffic. The passenger window of the car next to us explodes.
We pass cops and an ambulance at the site of the car accident. Daniel speeds up as the traffic lessens, but the guys chasing us are literally right behind us on a police motorcycle.
“Daniel!” I scream.