Chapter 3

After giving the police my statement, I found my way back to the hotel room. I said down on one of the chairs on the balcony as I called Erica on video call.

"Buenos dias Nick." Erica smiled.

"Not so buenos over here, you are never gonna believe what just happened."

 I took my shoes off and put my legs on to the table.

"Umm you don't look so hot, whats up?"

"Umm, nothing much I just witnessed a shooting and a bleeding man."She almost droped her phone.

"You are joking, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, hopefully the man is to. Thanks to you actually, all your studying out loud got to me. Because of you I know exactly what I needed to do."

"At least some good come from my  studying.I flap one exam. I am seriously considering sleeping with the professor."

I know she's saying that just to make me smile.

"Is he hot?" I asked tastingly.

"Like lava." We started laughing.

"Miss you Nick."

"I miss you to, we'll see eachother before you know it,a week goes by quickly."

"I know and I am so sorry but I have to leave,I have to get ready for classes."

"Love you, miss you, good luck with the professor."

"Thank you Nick."

After hanging up the phone I went to take a shower before returning to the balcony. I ordered room service ,there was no way I was going out for dinner. I kept thinking about the man, I remember him now so clearly. His hazel eyes,the delicate features of his face,full lips,brown/blondish hair.He was gorgeous. I wonder how he was doing. I pulled out my phone and turn on G****e maps. Founding the restaurant I search for the closest hospital, before I knew it I was dialing the number on the hotel phone.

"Hospital Santa Catalina, buenos dias."

 A woman answered the phone.

"Hi there was a shooting, at a restaurant today. I was just wondering how was the man doing."

"I am sorry we are not allowed to give information about our patients."

"I know,look I was there when it happened, I helped him. Can you just tell me if he's gonna be okay." She hesitated for a moment.

"He is going to be just fine, that's all I can say."

"Thank you, that's all I wanted to know."

 I felt a sensation of relief, and I also felt very good about myself.I helped someone. For some reason that was exactly what I need to feel right now, I needed to feel useful.

The next four days I was enjoying myself, I completed the tour with Miguel, spend my time on the hotel pool. I felt recharged, ready to take on the world. 

I haven't talked to Erica this last two days, we lterally lost a sense of time because of the time difference.

I decided that this evening I would go and take a walk, the weather was generally quite warm, but this evening you could feel a breeze in the air. I put on my favourite pair of jeans, a red blouse and brown high heel sandals.I had a route planned on my G****e Maps, doing a full circle around the hotel. Madrid was buzzing with people, full colour and music. I was following my routine when I got distracted by people gathering around a street music player. He was playing a chello. Back home I had a chello but I just haven't played it in years. Trying to get back on my route I took a wrong turn and ended up in an ally. I stopped to take a look at my phone,when I turned around to go back my path was blocked by three man.

"Buenas noches.¿Podria subirse al coche por favor? (Good evening. Could you please come to the car.)I locked eyes with all three men before taking a step back, behind them a black car, with an open door.

"You lost me after "buenos noches"."

 I said as I put my hand in the bag and intertwined the keys between my fingers.

The first guy who did all the talking, made a gesture to the man behind him. He started walking towards me, when he got close enough I punched him in the face and pushed him back into the two guys trying to make my escape.All of the sudden I was being lifted up in the air and being put in the car.The entire time we were driving I was being held down by two men,but I never stopped moving or kicking even trying to bite. I couldn't exactly say how long the drive was,we came to a house with big black gates. As we drove in I wasn't paying attention to the house or anything. I was just looking at that gate closing and the possibility of me not walking out ever again.The car door opened and I was being pulled out, I managed to kick one man and tryes to the gate but to no use, I was grabbed by the hand and being pulled into the house. They brought me upstairs ,we passed several servants but no one seemed to say anything, no one reacted to my crys for help.We stopped in front of the door which I assumed to be the bedroom. The man simply knocked before a voice came from inside.

"Adelante." (Come in.)

 The man opened the door and gestured for me to enter,but I didn't move, I didn't even flinch. The man came behind me ,put his hand on my back and I have to say slowly nudged me into the room.

Once inside I didn't really know how to react at what was in front of me. It was the man from the shooting, lying in bed, bare chested with a robe around him,next to him some sort of medical equipment,his hand hooked to an IV.

"Come closer." He said.In my state of shock I did as he said.

"Nicole Walker I presume." He knows my name.

"Yes."  My voice came out as a whisper.

"My name is Alessandro Benavente. It's a pleasure to meet you, especially after it was brought to my attention that thinks to your intervention Im here ,alive." My brain was doing circles like hamster on a wheel. What was this, why did he bring me here. Was this his idea of "thank you for saveing my life"?.

"If what you wanted was to thank me a simple card would have been enough, you didn't need to bring me here especially not in the way you did."

He took a good look at me,his eyes focusing on me.

"Please come ,have a seat." He gestured to the chair next to his bed. I approached him and slowly sat down.

"How did you even find me?"

 He seemed amused by my question.

"Thanks to you actually, you called the hospital from your hotel room,asking about me. It was easy from there." Just judging from the place he lives in ,you could tell he was a powerful man.The question was what he wanted with me.

"You know I remember the shots, the burn, the pain.But most of all I remember you, I remember your eyes,your beautiful face and your angelic voice.I had you present every step of the way, willing me to live." His words made me smile a bit, Not the part about my beautiful face or my angelic voice,but the fact that I gave him the will to live.

"While I was in surgery under anesthesia,I was dreaming about you. Even without knowing what you did for me, from the moment I opened my eyes I wanted to find you."

"Well mission completed, here I am. But like I said a simple "thank you" card would have been enough."

Somehow in the middle of all this I managed to relax. Maybe this was just a man trying to thank a woman for saving his life and after that we would go on our separate ways.

"I'm really glad you're okay. You definitely made my vacation memorable."

He smiled.

"It is getting late, I really should get going back to my hotel, I have some packing to do."  I got up from the chair.

"I really wanted to get to know you better..."

 He said while pressing a button next to his bed.

"Which is why I can't let you leave."