Yvette stumbled from the bar, feeling slightly buzzed. The cool night air cleared her head. She glanced at a nearby group of men, her eyes cold and hostile. She stopped. The men continued their conversation, oblivious to her halt. They turned, noticing her hesitation, and moved to approach her.
“Let go of me, or I’ll chop off that hand and feed it to the dogs,” Yvette warned.
The men froze, surprised by her ferocity. Quickly regaining their composure, they spat on the ground and laughed crudely. “Come on, darling, you’re with us. No need to play hard to get.”
“Let’s go to the back alley,” Yvette said, casually rolling up her sleeves and stretching.
Seeing her seemingly acquiesce, the men eagerly followed. Ten minutes later, in the alley, the cocky group lay scattered: some with busted heads, others with broken legs, one with a crushed nose, and one so badly beaten he was unrecognizable.
They had attempted to drug her, believing her unconscious. She had opened her eyes—sharp and focused—revealing she hadn't been affected. She was prepared. How dare they use a short-acting drug on her?
Ten minutes later, they were pinned to the ground, taking a beating. Every attempted counterattack resulted in more pain. Terror replaced their swagger. They realized they might die.
Yvette, arrogant and playfully mischievous, wiped the blood from her hands on her jacket, tossing the bloody fabric to the ground. The men watched, petrified. They begged for mercy.
“Please, we were wrong! Let us go!” “We have cash! We can pay you!” “Don’t hurt us! It’s our first time! We swear we won’t do it again!” “Please, I’m begging you…”
Grown men begging a girl. Yvette remained firm. “First time?”
Under her gaze, one man stammered, “I meant… second time! Yes, the second time! We’ve paid before!” The others echoed him.
With a smirk, Yvette produced a black pill and shoved it into the mouth of their leader. He gagged, clawing at his throat.
“It’s a dissolving pill—no need to waste your energy. I don’t like wasting time on nonsense. Want to leave a last message?” Yvette said coldly.
“I’ll talk, I swear! Please, give me the antidote!” he pleaded.
Two years earlier, a girl had been drugged and assaulted at a bar, the act recorded to blackmail her. She had taken her own life. Her grandmother, thwarted by a bribed police officer, had also succumbed to despair.
“We really didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” one man confessed. “We were just having fun. But that girl took it too seriously.”
They didn't dare look up.
Yvette lit a cigarette, a wave of irritation washing over her. She extinguished it and texted Eagle King. She tossed a small box at their feet. “Eat this, and you can leave.”
The box contained colorful candies. They hesitated, suspecting a bluff, but ultimately ate the candy and fled.
Silence fell. Yvette stood alone. “Come on out. How long are you going to hide?”
Jeremiah emerged. “Good moves.”
Their eyes met. They recognized a shared loneliness, a past they couldn't escape.
“Did you want to kill them but hold back because of me? You noticed me a while ago. You had plenty of chances to kill me, so why didn’t you?” Jeremiah asked.
“It’s a hassle,” Yvette muttered, reaching for candy, realizing she’d given her last to Eagle King.
Jeremiah was amused. “A hassle? That’s… that was the reason she didn’t kill me? Just how scared of trouble is she?” After more than twenty years, it was the strangest thing he’d ever heard.