Chapter 6 Big Mess

Amanda’s POV I looked up at him, tears still streaming down my face. "I really didn't come to steal anything," I managed to say between sobs. "I just wanted some food. That's all. I'm grateful for the meal, and I want to go home now." He watched me for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he spoke, his voice firm but not unkind. "Stop crying. I didn't poison you. Eat your food, and I will have my men take you home," he said. I gave him a small smile, sniffing back more tears. "Thank you, but you don't have to do that. I can go on my own," I replied, trying to sound brave. He shook his head. "If you’re not a spy, then you will allow my men to drop you. In fact, I change my mind. I will drop you personally," he declared. I bit my lip gently, knowing I was in a tight spot. The truth was, I didn’t have a home to go back to. I had done embarrassing things in front of him already, but after a deep sigh, I nodded gently. "Okay," I said quietly. I finished the food on the plate without leaving a single crumb. It was warm and made me feel alive, something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Before we left the club, he whispered something to one of the bodyguards and handed him the wallet I had stolen earlier. Then he continued leading me through the club to an underground garage. It was filled with about seven sports cars, each with a unique, luxurious color and design. My mouth fell open in awe. "Who is this guy, and how come he is so rich and seems powerful?" I wondered silently. He snapped his fingers at me, breaking my train of thought, and motioned towards one of the black shiny Benz SUVs with tinted glass. Despite my suspicions and fear, I felt like I had no choice. I was in too deep to turn back now. I entered the car, which was cool and smelled nice, though the man's scent was still a thousand times better, I thought, before quickly pushing such thoughts out of my mind. We drove in silence for a while, the city lights blurring past. Finally, he broke the silence, turning to look at me with a questioning look. "Where is your home address?" he asked. I opened my mouth to answer, but no words came out. I was completely tongue-tied, not knowing what to say since I had no home to speak of. I bit my lip, looking around the plush interior of the car, trying to gather my thoughts. "I have to say something," I thought to myself. An idea flashed into my mind, and I blurted out the address of the house I used to live in before I was thrown out. He nodded without a word, punching the address into the car's navigation system as the vehicle sped up. The silence that followed was heavy, hanging between us like a thick fog. I was tempted to ask him to play some music to break the tension, but I wasn’t mad enough to actually do it. We arrived at the address before long. He got out and opened the car door for me, waiting as I climbed the porch of the house. "Damn it," I muttered under my breath. I kept up my pretense, acting like I still lived there. Before I reached the front door, he caught up to me in long strides. "Here, this should help you survive before you get another job or figure yourself out. This city is dangerous, and you're lucky you met me in a sober mood. I would have killed you without batting an eye." His voice was calm, almost gentle, but the underlying threat was palpable. I could detect a subtle accent in his speech. "Thank you," I whispered, my eyes glistening with appreciation. He held my hands briefly, dropping a few neatly folded dollar notes into my palm. I didn't dare to count the money until his car had zoomed off. When I finally looked, I was shocked to see $500 in cash. "I have never received this amount in my life. This is too much! I hope he didn’t make a mistake. Is this a trap?" I wondered, a mix of fear and excitement swirling in my thoughts. "Well, he won’t see me again because this is a big city." I turned around and started trekking back to the factory, making sure his car was truly gone. The night was chilly and quiet, the streets seemingly more dangerous than ever. But none of that mattered now. I was just happy to have had a good meal and enough money to last me for a very long time. "I might even have enough to buy a cardigan for the cold," I said to myself, smiling at the thought. Unknown to me, someone was secretly following me. As I walked back to my simple home behind the factory, I couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious man. He was scary and powerful, but also calm and didn't make me feel uncomfortable in a bad way. He had mentioned he could have easily hurt me, which was frightening. Yet, I was relieved he never tried to take advantage of me in a sexual way. "I’m glad we won’t see each other again," I sighed, feeling safe but also a bit curious about him. I made sure the money was tucked safely inside my bra. Feeling a bit lighter, I skipped back to my little shelter behind the factory. It was just a rough shack made from old wood and metal, but it was mine. The factory was quiet and dark, like a big empty shell, but it gave me a place to stay. My shed was nothing fancy, just thrown together, but it was where I could be alone. As I got closer, the shadows of the night made everything seem bigger. The only sounds were the distant city noises. I wasn't as scared as before, thinking now about the money and how it might help me start fresh. I wrapped myself in an old blanket inside the shed, sitting on the hard ground. It was cold, but I planned to buy a warm sweater tomorrow at the thrift shop. I curled up, thinking about what I could do next with the money, and drifted off to sleep, feeling hopeful about the future.