CADEN'S POV

New York,
03:12 am

I stood straight in the telephone booth while holding the telephone in my ear. Four clueless police cars passed by me in a heartbeat, siren echoed in the silent alley for a few more seconds. I smirked looking at them as two of them turned towards the right and the other in the left direction on the highway.

Idiots!

Picking up two suitcases that I had placed on the floor of the telephone booth I walked out of it and went into another alley where Elijah had parked my car a while ago as per the planning. Throwing the bags at the backseat I sat into my Lamborghini Aventador. Removing my black leather gloves I threw them at the passenger's seat.

The Key was already in the keyhole, I just twirled it and started driving. Turning on the radio at its full volume I started vibing on it. I glanced at my half-covered face with a mask and a cap in the car mirror. " Finally ". I muttered.

Caden Torres! my name. Terror!! they call me. Stealing is what I'm an expert in and today I did the biggest hit of all time. I freaking cleared my hands on a jewelry shop.

I chuckled at the thought of how easily I fooled those cops.

I was deep in thinking but suddenly a girl like my age ran to cross the road and came in front of my car. I pulled the break immediately but the timing between the speed of my car and her sudden appearance matched perfectly. The car pulled stop a second later hitting her. The girl yanked away on the empty road because of the force.

Panicked, I immediately rushed towards her. Sitting on my knees I pulled her on my lap. She was trying her best to keep her eyes open but it was looking painfully hard.

I tapped my finger on her chubby cheek. " Hey...hey...hey... don't close your eyes". I said removing her hair from her pale face. Blood was running down from her forehead wetting her hair as well as her face. She somehow gulped nodding slowly at me.

I lifted her tiny figure in my arms only to realise her leg was fractured and was bleeding too. That's the moment I realised that I've f*cked up a big time.

I carried her to my car and made her sit on the passenger's seat. I made sure to buckle up the seat belt around her before running towards the driver's seat to drive towards the hospital.

" Please little one, stay conscious". I said glancing at her from time to time as she was whimpering and moving her head here and there in pain.

Finally, I reached the hospital, I picked her up in my arms, and rushed inside the hospital. Some nurse and yard boys came running towards us and helped me lay her on a structure.

She was clenching my sleeve in her tiny palm, breathing with her mouth heavily. Her tears were rolling down mixing with her blood. She was muttering something but I didn't understand as her voice was too weak. I bent down to her level and brought my ear near her lips. " H-Hunter". She breathed out before they took her to the ICU.

Some doctors got inside the ICU too one of them was my friend, Draven. I rubbed my temple outside. There was a small glass window on the ICU door. I peeked inside as they were hurrying to connect some machines on her. Some were busy connecting IVs while some were trying to stop her blood flow.

I backed off when Draven came out. " You brought her here?". He asked looking at all the blood stains on my clothes as well as on my hands.

I nodded." She came in front of my car out of nowhere".

" Are you f*cking serious Caden?" He gritted widening his eyes. " Did you notice her condition?" He lowered his voice realising people's gaze on us.

I ran my fingers in my hair out of frustration. " Draven, I just want her to live. Nothing should happen to her and there shouldn't be any police case. You know what trouble this girl can cause".

"I'll try my best. We'll have to start surgery in twenty minutes. Get her documents filled till then and pray for her survival ". He said before walking passed by me. I glanced at her for the last time before heading towards the hospital reception counter to fill the documents. Reaching there a lady handed me a paper and a pen.

F*ck the first question.
Patient's name?
I wrote Elly and moved towards the second one.

Patient's age?
F*ck this too.
Writing 20 I moved towards the third one.

Relationship of the guardian with patient?
The options were: Family member/Boyfriend/Husband. I clenched my jaw at this question.
Boyfriend!

I somehow filled that useless formality with lies and went towards the ICU again. The green light outside the door was indicating that the operation is going on.

My mobile vibrated in my pocket. Pulling out I glanced at the screen. Scott. I cleared my throat before picking up the call.

" Hello?"

" Where are you, Cad?" His tensed voice asked from another side of my phone reminding me that I was running from cops with bags full of jewelry that we have stolen a while ago.

" I'm- I'm at-"

" City hospital, giant road". He completed my sentence.

" Stop f*cking tracking my number". I growled.

He does this every time.

" Calm down, dude, I was just tensed about you. What are you doing in a hospital? You injured ?" He asked.

" I'm alright. I found someone on the road who was is need to be in the hospital". I said glancing at the vulnerable state of the girl who was struggling between her life and death, all because of me." I'll be back by the morning". I said gaining a little okay in response from him.

By roaming, sweating, peeking inside I killed the time. After like decade a nurse came out, removing her mask she spoke. " The patient had lost a lot of blood. We need an AB- negative Blood donor".

That's my blood type but there is no way I'm gonna spend a drop of my precious blood on any random girl.

Truth to be told, I'm scared of needles.

Draven rushed out signalling me to follow him only to get me to a nursing room to suck my blood as he knows my blood type.

" Isn't that needle too long?" I gulped looking at the size of the needle in his hand.

" Stop freaking out?". Draven pushed me on the bed frustratingly and the needle started to withdraw my blood thow venipuncture.

After like fifteen minutes he came back making me sit up immediately.

" Half of the bottle has filled now. That's enough. I don't think I have more blood. I'm already feeling dizzy". I started fanning myself with my palm.

" It's four in the morning Caden, and her blood type is the rarest one. We have run out of this. We at least have to wait till eight if we order it now. But she needs it now. We luckily have found you. So please control your cowered ass for some more minutes please". Draven scolded come pleaded.

I lay back again looking at the bottle filling up with my previous blood drops.

Soon we walked out of that yard and went towards the ICU room again. Draven went inside while I stood outside looking at her from that same small glass window.

She was sleeping peacefully now. Her forehead was covered with a white non-sterile bandage. Her leg was heavily plastered and hanging up a little with the support of a robe.

Draven said her forehead has got injured badly, two of her rib cage bone have broken, her left leg has been fractured.

I sat outside on a chair, resting my head on the wall behind I looked up, feeling bad, yes I felt bad. No matter how many times I've robbed shops and houses but no one has ever got physically hurt because of me, bleed because of me. But this girl is in this condition because of me.

At least she survived. I sighed.

" Caden?". Draven called. I lazily turned my head to look at him. " Go get some rest. We'll think about what we have to do with her tomorrow. I hope her guardians find her as soon as possible because-" He stopped making me frown my eyebrows.

" Because?"p I asked.

" Because she's in a coma right now and I can't give any guarantees that when she'll wake up". He tightens his lips making a thin line.

" Are you serious?" I stood up. My eyeballs were about to fall.

" I'm f*cking serious and you need to be too. Find her guardians as fast as you can. We can't hide her from cops for a long here ". He left petting my shoulder as I run my fingers in my hair.

I went back to my apartment and lay on my bed. Looking at the plain white celling I thought about what the hell I've done.

Whenever I tried to close my eyes, her pale face was all I was able to see. I rolled left and right but the word she whispered in my ear was echoing inside the walls of my brain.

Hunter?
Who he could be?
Maybe her boyfriend.

I just hope he isn't any rich man. If he'll find her out in that condition because of me, and if I'll get arrested, all my secrets will get reveal one by one. And that'll be the last thing I'll ever want to happen.

• Souls don't meet by accident.

Chapter published on: 16 December 2021.