“Did you get lost or something?”another joins in.
“Don’t worry, we’ll save you,” a third says.
Right before five men materialize out of the darkness to surround me.
“And show you a good time,” the first guy says, which sends all of them laughing.
Even the calming sound of the ocean sounds like a hissing warning now, growing louder and louder.But I can hardly hear it over the pounding of my heart.
I stand up, clutching my plastic bag to my chest and take a step back, the sand lodging between my feet and the flip-flops feeling like shards of glass.
The men are of varying ages, most in their late twenties, except for the man who spoke first, the one who promised me a good time.He’s older, with scraggly shoulder-length hair and teeth that look too big for even his long skinny face.
“I was just leaving,” I mutter.It’s a totally inane thing to say.Especially since they’re standing in a closed circle around me and clearly have no intention of letting me go anywhere.
“I’ll call the police,” I say, raising the hand in which I’m still clutching the phone.
And like the universe is mocking me, the damn, useless thing beeps and the screen dies.That makes them laugh.
The air around them is thick with the fumes of alcohol and not all of them can stand up straight.But the old guy’s eyes are sizzlingly bright and I’m sure he’s sober enough to do know what he’s saying and deliver on it.
He takes a step closer, and I throw my phone at him, screaming, “Help!”as loud as I can.
I just keep screaming it, drowning out their laughter as they close the circle around me even tighter.I kick and punch too.Thrash in their grip as two of them grab me.
“A feisty one,” the man with the burning eyes says as they push me down into the sand.“She’ll be a lot of fun, you’ll see.”
Sand is in my mouth, tearing up my throat as I continue screaming.The sound of my new track suit ripping as they struggle to remove it sounds like an explosion.And it was brand new.What a dumb thing to think at a time like this.
The heat of the desert sun warms my naked skin where I only expected to feel winter cold.And a moment later the man pushing against the back of my neck goes flying into the rocks, landing with a satisfyingly loud crunch.
Matteo doesn’t say anything, he just grunts and groans and makes monster sounds as he beats them all up.Even the ones who are trying to run.
It’s only as I see him slam the head of the sizzling-eyed man into the ground, blood mixing with sand on his long face, do I realize this is real.That this isn’t some fantasy my mind’s come up with to protect me.
Men are groaning all around, some just breathing hoarsely, some crawling away, the thud of the man’s head against the ground the loudest sound.
I stand up, the top of my tracksuit hanging uselessly around my neck as I walk to him and lay my hand on his shoulder.
“You found me.”
He stops killing the man and stands up, cupping my cheeks in his bloody hands.The sand on them scratches my cheeks but they’re so wonderfully warm.
“I’ll always find you.”
“And you saved my life.Again.”
“I’ll always do that too.”
He hugs me close, holding me so tight I can hardly breathe.But I don’t even want to breathe.I don’t need to.Not when I have him supporting me.Looking out for me.Saving me.My ear is right over his heart.It’s thumping loudly in his chest, but growing calmer with each passing moment.Just like my own.
“Are you all right?”he asks.“Did they hurt you?”
“Not as bad as you hurt them.”
He releases me from the hug and drapes his jacket over my nakedness, then keeps his arm firmly around my shoulders as he leads me away from the dark, bleeding mounds in the sand that he created for me.
“I’m taking you home now,” he says and I nod.“And this will be the last time you run.”
