Chapter Four: Back Down or Else…

 

            * Serena bustled about as quickly as she possibly could. Her mother was gone, once again. Off where, she had no idea. What she did know was that she needed someone to watch her brother and sisters so she could go to that bar and pay off that Cin fellow. She most certainly didn’t want him tracking her down and bothering her anymore. But if she couldn’t find a sitter, she couldn’t go, and she was not, not ever, going to take them with her. What kind of a person would expose little kids to such an amoral lifestyle? Not her. So a babysitter was needed. She sighed. Who could she call?

>>>)(<<<

            The door opened and in from the snow strode in a dark figure. The figure took a seat in the back of the bar at a small table and pushed his coat back. The snow  had been frostier than usual, and Hiiro could use a drink to warm himself up while waiting for Serena.

            “What’ll you have?” The bartender called to Hiiro from behind his counter. The bar was busy, and his waiters were all too busy to wait on the menacing looking youth.

            “ Jack Daniel’s.”

            “Got it. Four bucks.” Hiiro removed the wad of cash from his pocket and threw the few dollars into the table in front of him. He then sat back to wait in a tense readiness. The bar was growing more rowdy by the moment, and as men were getting drunker, they began to get more physical with each other. A few punches had been thrown so far, nothing major, but even so it was still getting rougher. The bells on the door jingled as it was opened, and Hiiro looked up expectantly. A group of men walked in. It wasn’t her. She was late now. He really disliked late people. They threw off his whole schedule.

            “Alright, so here is your hundred bucks.” A voice shook him from behind. How had she managed to get there?

            “Thanks.” He paused, then looked at her sharply. “Join me for a drink.”

            “No thank you. Unlike my mother, I never touch the stuff.” She shook her head in disgust, then blushed at her actions. She knew they were slightly childish, but she couldn’t help it. It was true. And besides. Why would he, a literal whore, ask her for a drink?

            “Too bad.” Hiiro frowned. She was pretty, this one. He wouldn’t mind giving her a night with him for free if she would take it. But he knew she was one of those few women who actually still believed morals were important, so she would refuse if he offered it. Still, there was something else… He watched as she walked away, walked out of the bar, and out of his life.

            “Cin.” A raspy cut the thick air. A man walked forward and sat at the table across from Hiiro. The man was small, thin but built, and his face was covered in long scars, from a knife perhaps. He carried with him a giant garbage bag.

            “Jerry.” Hiiro responded. He had had to come now, of all times. Jerry gave a side smile and looked around warily. He spotted Serena, the only woman in the entire bar, trying to make her way through the throng of men who were blocking the exit to the bar.

            “Feel free to take a look at the merchandise Cin. I’ll be right back to collect on the cash.” Jerry excuse himself.

“Hnn.” Hiiro didn’t know what Jerry was doing, but he didn’t appreciate being left alone in the middle of an important business transaction. Where the hell did Jerry think he was…oh. Hiiro could see Serena’s problem and the fact that Jerry had gone to add to the problem. A dozen guys were all hitting on her, blocking her exit so she couldn’t escape them. She was handling it well as of yet, but she couldn’t possibly hold them off for much longer. Hiiro sighed. Should he help her? Or should he let her deal with it on her own? It wouldn’t do for him to get attached to her- she was too morally upstanding to even consider it. Still, a lady was a lady. But was she a lady? His mind was going back and forth between to mental dilemma to help Serena or not, while Serena herself began to lose control of the situation.

            Serena was having a horrible time. The men in the bar wouldn’t leave her alone. They obviously didn’t get out much to be hitting on her. Was she that beautiful that they should all fawn all over her like this? She certainly didn’t think so. But how could she stop them? She couldn’t get to the door to leave, and she didn’t have the strength to hold one of them off if they decided they wanted to do more than just look.

            “Hey babe. Come on, just one night.” One man laughed.

            “Come on sweetheart. We ain’t so bad compared to some!”

            “No thank you.” Serena replied firmly. “Please move so that I can leave.”

            “What’s your rush?”

            “Move now.” She was fed up with being nice. Then a hand touched her shoulder gently.

            “Let me help you out Miss.” A polite and raspy voice said. “Move for the lady!” The voice continued, until the men had cleared the door for Serena to leave.

            “Thank you.” She told the man who had helped her.

            “Don’t mention it. My name’s Jerry.”

            “Well thank you very much, and good night Jerry.” He caught her wrist in the falling snow.

            “What’s you’re hurry? Stay and talk a while.” He said innocently. Serena removed her wrist.

            “No, I really most be going.” She answered desperately.

            “Why?”

            “I need to get home. Now, if you please,”

            “Come on.” Jerry tried again. He advanced on her and grabbed for her wrist again. He caught it and flung her around, then lost his grip and let it slip away. “Stay babe. We can have some fun, you and me.” Serena shuddered and backed up like a deer caught in the head lights of a car. What she forgot was that now she was backing up back into the bar she had just escaped from. Well, better to be inside than out at the moment. She stumbled backwards into the bar and looked for a place to hide as Jerry advanced again. But there was no place. Fear traveled through her spine and sent shivers through the rest of her body. What was she going to do?

            “Jerry.” A familiar voice rattled in her ears. “ Let her be.”

            “Go away Cin. She’s not interested in you and your sex for sale. She wants a real man.” Jerry ignored Hiiro. Mistake.

            Hiiro had seen the entire scene outside as well. From his vantage point in the back of the bar he could see through the tinted windows and out onto the street. Because of his training he could read lips, and the words that had been passed between them were an obvious sign Serena wanted nothing more than for Jerry to leave her alone. Well, he himself was miffed with Jerry for leaving him in the middle of their business transaction, so he figured he might as well help Serena out. Besides. He didn’t like the thought of Serena being forced into anything with anyone. She deserved better than that. At least, that was what his mind was prattling off. He didn’t understand why though. It shouldn’t bother him. But it did. How annoying.

            “Jerry. Finish this business with me and leave her alone.” He gave the man one last chance.

            “Back off whore! This bitch is mine.” Jerry had gone too far.

            “Is she? Serena, come here.” Hiiro growled. Jerry gave a strangled snort. Wait- had Cin just called this girl by a name? If he had, that meant he knew her personally.

            Serena was at a loss. She could either trust this prostitute and go to him, or she could take her chances with the jerk in front of her. She looked back and forth a few times before rushing over to Hiiro. Hiiro stood and wrapped his arm around her. Immediately she felt safer. It was strange to think that she would feel safe with a man who only a few days before had invaded her home and hit on her mother in front of her. But she did, and it was much better than taking her chances with that Jerry man.

            Hiiro stood when he saw that Serena had chosen to come to him. Not knowing what possessed him to do so, he placed his arm around her and pulled her in close. He could feel her press herself into his chest closer, trying to hide from the world. He inhaled the light fragrance of soap and felt slightly dizzy. Her cool skin burned against his own warm skin, and her brought his other warm around her to help warm her faster. It was funny, to think she would trust him. He certainly didn’t deserve any trust from anyone. But if she was going to put her trust in him, then he was going to do everything possible to earn it.

            “Now. Let’s finish our business. And then we end our partnership.” Hiiro told Jerry in his quiet, deep voice. Serena shivered when she heard the lack of emotion in his voice. How could he be so removed about everything?

            “Fine.” Jerry sighed, relieved Hiiro wasn’t going to pull his gun and kill him for messing with that girl. “You happy with the merchandise?”

            “Yeah. Here’s your cash. Now leave.” Hiiro tossed a wad of cash at Jerry, then glared at him, waiting for him to leave. Jerry collected his coat and began his walk out of the bar.

            “She wasn’t so great anyway. I bet a could find a better looking whore on any street corner.” Jerry muttered to himself, making excuses for losing the girl he had been so determined to have only a few minutes earlier. But the thought of tangling with Hiiro in a fight was enough motivation to change any one’s mind.

            Hiiro tensed when he heard Jerry’s muttered comments. That bastard should at least have enough manners to speak well of a moral girl like Serena. It bothered him. In fact, Hiiro was going to set him straight; teach him a lesson he would never forget. He began to move, but a tug on his sleeve made him freeze mid movement.

            “Just leave him, alright?” Serena pleaded. As much as she didn’t like Jerry, she didn’t want anyone hurt on her account. It really wasn’t worth it.

            “Why?”

            “Just, because. It isn’t worth it, you know?” She answered, flustered he would even listen to her plead.

            “No, I don’t know. He insulted you. He should pay the consequences.”

            “But I’m not worth a fight. So just let the consequences slide this one time. Please? And besides. You insulted me last night, but I don’t see anyone beating you up for it. Just let him go.”  Hiiro stared at her. She stared back, even fire in both their eyes. He finally tore his gaze from her smoldering sapphire eyes and looked away.

            “Fine.”

            “Thank you. For helping me with him and all. I really have to get going though. I need to get home.” She said, looking up at him. She had never noticed how handsome he really was. A dark chocolate mop was spread over his head and fell into his eyes dangerously. Eyes as dark as the night sky, yet blue still prevailed in them. He was well built, she could feel it as her body was pressed against his, and his choice in clothing didn’t help much either. Why was she suddenly thinking this? It was wrong to think of any person in such a manner, let alone some man whom she had just met, and was a prostitute on top of it all. She had to get away.

            “Good bye.” He replied quickly.

            “Well, good bye then.” She answered just as harshly, taken aback by his sharp response. She pulled away from his warm arms and began walking towards the door, not looking back once. She didn’t have the courage to do so. If she had, she might have been compelled to stay longer, to get to know this, Cin. But she couldn’t risk that. She stalked out of the bar and into the cold weather.

            Snow had begun falling and the tiny flakes danced in a flurry of swirls, spiraling down towards their final fate as brown mush on the sidewalk. She thought it was ironic, that such beautiful creations as snowflakes could be admired so much, then shoved aside and forgotten as slush on the walkway. A shuffling noise behind her startled her out of her dreams. Suddenly a large leather jacket was draped around her shoulders and a silent figure was walking beside her.

            “Cin?” She asked in slight wonder. What in the universe was he doing?

            “Hiiro. Hiiro Yui. Cin is my on the job name. I’m off tonight.” He answered loftily. Personally, he couldn’t believe he was doing this, but something inside him had willed him outside after her, and then it had furthermore compelled him to walk her home. He didn’t know what to make of her.

            Serena stopped. His real name? Why would he tell her something so personal such as that? He wasn’t what she had expected him to be, no, not at all. “Nice to meet you Hiiro Yui. My name is Serena Tsukino.” She side smiled very slightly and held out her hand.

            He accepted it briefly, then put an arm around her shoulders and led her on. “It’s getting cold. We should get you home to your family.” He stayed with his same monotone voice pattern, but she could detect a hint of humor behind his dull words.

            “Yes, I suppose we should.” She smirked and continued walking, allowing his arm to wind around her more tightly. Why, she did not know. But she was drawn to him; she couldn’t help it. *