Chapter 2

Author’s POV

Cara just wanted to turn around and go away but those gray eyes had pinned her on her place. She was so shocked that she didn’t even notice the other two guys who were with him.

A small but evil smirk appeared on his lips and it was enough to break in whatever spell she was, pulling her out of it.

She didn’t wait for a second and ran out of there. Her heartbeat increasing due to fear, her whole body shivering but she didn’t stop, she needed to run as far away as possible.

The panic attack threatening to take over her weak self but she didn’t give in.

‘Not right now’ she told herself.

But she couldn’t go far enough when a hand grabbed her arm in a tight grip and pulled her back causing her to collide into a hard chest before pushing her back to the wall and caging her between wall and a hard masculine body.

Cara was so shocked to notice an arm wrapped around her waist and a palm pressed against the wall beside her face.

But when a warm breath started fanning her face and she felt a tingling sensation throughout her body, the shock got replaced by fear, pure fear.

She was so scared, so afraid that she didn’t even have courage to lift her head up and look at his face.

Her chest was heaving up and down. Her hands which were placed against his chest in an unsuccessful attempt to create some distance between them, were trembling.

She felt a finger below her chin putting a little pressure there, urging her to lift her face up and she did but still was not daring to meet his eyes.

Scared that if she looks in those gray orbs which has been haunting her since she first time saw them yesterday, she will become the next target of him and he will do the same exact thing to her which she witnessed few minutes ago.

And the mere flash of the scene she just imagined sent a shiver down her spine. But before those thoughts and fear could engulf her completely, a voice commanded “Look at me”.

She obliged almost instantly but if it was due to fear or because of the soft caress she felt on her heart because of his deep yet soft voice, she didn’t know.

As soon as their eyes met Cara felt something absolutely weird in her stomach. He held her gaze with an emotion unknown to her and probably to himself as well.

But soon that emotion was gone and a smirk plastered on his lips, “What? Are you not daring enough to save him from me like you saved your friend yesterday?” he asked.

And with those words the memories of their first meeting came rushing back to her mind.

Flashback

Cara was in the café taking orders of coffee, some baked cookies and muffins on table number 5, where a teenage couple was sitting.

She has just started working here and this is her second day of work. When she saw the place for the first time, she just fell in love with it’s beauty.

The café was not very big but the coziness this place provided to customers here, was great. The chairs were set inside as well as outside for the customers who like having their coffees or any other refreshments enjoying the nature.

Currently Cara was taking care of the orders for tables inside whereas an another girl Aria who is same age as Cara was outside doing the same.

She met the girl yesterday when she came for interview and became friends with her instantly as she was really helpful. Cara found out that she has been working here for past two months now.

Cara was serving the coffee when suddenly a crashing sound was heard followed by a girl’s scream.

Wait, what? It’s Aria.

Cara quickly came out to check on the girl after mumbling a sorry to the customers she was serving, but froze on her place when she saw Aria standing in front of a table and was shivering badly.

Her head was hanging low but the way her chest was heaving up and down and how her lips were quivering, Cara knew that Aria was crying.

She averted her gaze from her friend’s face to down on the floor and saw the broken tray, cups and spilled coffee.

Then she lifted her eyes from the floor and they fell on the table which was occupied by three giant like guys.

All three of them are big and buff. Cara’s eyes were wide open and her heart was trying to breakout of her chest and run for its life, just at a single glance of their big masculine bodies, which were capable to snap her in two with their bare hands, if they wanted to.

By the looks of their clothes which was dark denim jeans and white or black t-shirt with leather jacket and aura around them, they looked like bad boys.

The bad boys you see in movies or read about them in novels, who like beating people around them for no reason. And just a mere thought sent a cold shiver down her spine.

She looked around to see if someone will come forward to help Aria but no one was even daring to look in the direction.

Her eyes again fell on the guys when one of them who had brown hair and blazing brown eyes gritted, “I told you to bring Americano”. But drink which is spilled on the floor is Latte.

‘Are they angry because she made a mistake of bringing wrong drink?’ Cara thought.

“Please forgive.. me… I must have … misheard ….” Aria stuttered but it was stopped with a gasp leaving her mouth, when another guy who had blue eyes just like Cara but much colder, kicked the empty chair with his feet.

“Misheard or you were busy in ogling dudes your age, huh?” the same guy said with a smirk on his lips and glancing in direction of brown eyed guy.

‘But they are overreacting over a small mistake’.

“You made a mistake and now you need to be punished. Call your manager, I am going to get you fired today” the first guy said.

“No.. please no… I am sorry…you can punish me in other ways but not this.. please.. I will do anything” Aria cried.

Aria comes from a poor family and does not have anyone in her house who earns money.

She only has her grandmother who is not well and needs treatment but because of lack of money she is unable to get proper treatment.

Aria is trying to save money for her grandmothers treatment as well as for their basic needs.

She can’t afford to lose the job for any reason. And Cara also knows that Aria really needs this job.

Upon listening to her words both the brown eyed and blue eyed guy’s smirk widened and the look on their faces was a clear message that they had something bad in mind.

The situation in front of her was telling Cara to run out of there as fast as possible and hide somewhere in the back so that these guys won’t be able to see her.

But she can’t do that. Her heart won’t let her.

Cara has a very big problem and that is, she can’t ignore the people and turn her back on those, who need help.

No, she is not some social worker or a person who can’t see injustice happening around her or anything like that.

But she just can’t be okay knowing someone is in dire need of help but no one is ready to help.

Somehow it is related to her past.

The brown eyed guy stood on his feet and walked towards Aria, standing in front of her, the smirk still in its place as he asked, “Anything, you said?”

Aria was really scared but did not back away afraid to move from her place and nodded her head. Cara noticed that there was something more than just this situation, between Aria and this guy. The look in guy’s eyes told her so.

The guy lifted his hand and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and then retreated his hand back pushing it into his pocket as he said, “How about the night at my place?”

Both Aria and Cara’s eyes widened at his words and now Aria took a step away from him. He chuckled at her reaction and was about to again cover the distance between them when Cara strode and stood right in front of her friend.

“Please….sto..stop” Cara stuttered.

“And who the hell are you?” brown eyed guy asked in irritated tone.

This time the third guy who was sitting with his friends lifted his head from his phone and his eyes fell on the girl who was standing in front of his friend, staring into his friend’s eyes.

“Please.. let her go… we under.. understand it was her mistake and we will pay more attention… next time..” Even though Cara was shaking from inside she tried saying in firm voice.

“You…” John was about to shout at her.

Third guy cut his friend off, “John…”.

John turned around to look at his friend but his eyes were fixed on the trembling body of the girl standing in front of them trying to help her friend.

“Chase she is…” John swallowed his next words when Chase’s hard cold gray eyes met his brown ones, sending a warning to go against him. John cursed under his breath and settled down on the chair where he was sitting earlier.

“So, you want to help your friend…” Chase asked again fixing his gaze on the girl.

Cara lifted her eyes and they met with his smokey gray ones. Her heart could not help but beat louder in her chest but this time not because of fear but something else… something very different.

Chase’s eyes shifted from her face to her throat and he noticed her swallowing hard, his eyes travelled down to her shivering hands which were fisted to her side.

He again stared into those ocean blue orbs and said, “I don’t like repeating my words”.

Cara quickly nodded her head answering his question. His low, cold and deep voice scaring the hell out of her. But she didn’t want to show her fear to them.

Her heart telling her to take a good look on him and appreciate his hot and sexy features but the cold look on his face and those gray eyes were daring her to break the eye contact.

“Okay we will let your friend go and we won’t get her fired… that’s what you want right?” Chase asked leaning back in the cushioned chair, his eyes not leaving her face.

“Yes.. please…” Cara replied with great difficulty again swallowing the lump in her throat.

“Okay I will help your friend and save her from these bastards” he said pointing towards his friends who were staring at their friend curiously.

It was very rare that Chase would interrupt his friends when they bully people for no reason. Most of the time he just sits besides them doing his own thing and letting them do whatever they want.

‘So what’s gotten into him today’ both John and George were curious to know.

“But for that you will have to answer one question of mine” Chase said folding his arms over his chest.

She frowned at his words thinking, ‘what does he want to ask?’

When she didn’t say anything he commanded, “Come here”.

Aria held Cara’s hand and she turned around to look at her scared friend. Aria slightly shook her head telling her silently that she doesn’t have to do anything for her sake.

Cara gave her hands a light squeeze assuring her that she is okay and turned around to stare into those gray eyes which were still fixed on her.

She started walking in his direction trying to hide shaking of her legs and stood few steps away from him.

Chase noticed the fear on her face. The way her body was shivering , her hands clenched together trying to control the tremors in them, her forehead was covered in cold sweat and he knew she is terrified. But she is putting a strong front for others to see.

‘So why did she come forward to help her friend when she herself is scared like this’ Chase was wondering.

“Do you know who we are?” he asked keeping the coldness in his voice.

She shook her head in no, not able to say a word.

He wanted to ask if she remembers him, if she recognized him because he did, at first glance.

But after seeing the fear in those familiar blue orbs he decided against it and changed the question.

“Why did you come forward to help her?” he asked observing her face.

“Because…she need…needed help and you are supposed to… help your friends when…when they need help..” she stuttered out fiddling with her fingers feeling extremely uncomfortable under his gaze, simultaneously cursing herself in mind for stuttering.

Chase got up from the chair and stood in front of her. He was towering over her 5’6 body with his 6’4 height.

Cara wanted to take a step back when he came so close to her but his next words froze her on the place, “Don’t even think about it or else with your friend, you will also lose this job”.

She didn’t move. His sinister voice hard to disobey.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Ca… Cara..” she replied immediately.

Chase’s heart thumped in his chest when he heard her name, confirming that she is the same girl he is thinking she is.

Tears started stinging the back of her eyes as she was getting intimidated by him but she didn’t want to shed them so she casted her gaze down.

“Look at me..” he commanded in his menacing cold voice but Cara didn’t want him to see her tears.

He didn’t let her disobey his command as his right hand reached up to cup the back of her neck, pulling her closer and making her look right into his eyes.

A gasp left her mouth due to surprise as her front collided with his chest. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest that for a second she thought, even Chase must be feeling it beating where their bodies were connected.

“I told you earlier, I don’t like repeating myself. So never make me repeat, okay?” he said calmly but his face was void of any emotions.

She just kept staring into his eyes but when he put a little pressure on her neck where he was holding her and repeated, “Okay?” She nodded her head.

“Good..” he whispered as his eyes fell on her quivering lips for a moment then he again locked his eyes with her teary ones which were bothering him, “I like your name. What does it mean?” he asked.

“It.. means..Ioved one…or Darling… or beloved…” she replied.

He smiled at her and said, “Beloved… I like it…”.

He removed his hold from her and took a step back, his smirk again starting to appear on his lips, “Now you can go”.

Cara’s eyes widened and she blinked few times trying to check if she heard right. She glanced in direction of his friends and even they looked surprised.

‘Didn’t he have something to ask?’ she thought.

“Why? Don’t you want to go? Want to have chat with me? Well, I don’t mind” Chase asked sitting on his chair but eyes still glued to her.

Cara shook her head.

“Then go” he said picking his phone from the table, “And don’t worry.. you or your friend… no one will lose the job” he said.

Cara didn’t waste even a second and turned around and ran inside taking Aria with her.

And he just kept staring at her retreating back with same smirk on his face.

‘Never expected to see you again Cara’ he thought.

Flashback end