Destined to Danger. Book 1

It was late afternoon, and the cool breeze of the wind was gently blowing against Emma Foster's straight, dark hair. Coming back from another day of classes, Emma had her headphones connected to her cell phone and sometimes she played with her fingers, closing her eyes and letting herself imagine herself listening to Chopin's ninth symphony, memorizing every note she heard in order to reproduce it when she had the chance.

What happened was that Emma was a music student, and that until then was her true passion. Of all the instruments, the piano was her favorite. She loved the feeling of being in another world when her fingertips played soft notes, starting a different melody every time. And that made her imagination open. However, the studies, the part-time job while she couldn't get anything better, and many other responsibilities that existed around her, prevented her from practicing and playing as she really wanted to.

But listening and reproducing was a talent that few people had, but which, fortunately, belonged especially to Emma. That's why she listened and imagined that she was producing that sound. She just listened and learned each note by herself.

However, while still listening to the symphony, Emma turned into a tighter and more empty street that she always used to shorten the way to her own house. The piano melody that reproduced in her headphones was interrupted when her ears caught a new sound.

Startled, Emma stopped her steps and slowly removed the headphones, her eyes widening when she realized the movement right in front of her. She heard screams of threats and soon after saw men running after a single other man who soon after fell to the ground, receiving kicks and punches from everyone else. That made Emma's heart instantly race and made her uneasy. She was afraid, she was petrified, but she wanted to react. She should react. Allowing so many men to beat just one was inhumane.

"What do I do?" she asked herself, hiding behind a wall. The men beat each other with hatred, they seemed to want to kill him. Emma then looked around; there was no one, only she was there. Then, taken by a sudden courage that still made her legs tremble, the girl took a deep breath, closing her fists and eyes as she simply screamed at the top of her lungs, "Police! Police, please, it's those vandals over there. Arrest them!"

A few men stopped, looked around, and frowned.

"Oh my God!" Emma already felt the urge to cry, but she reached for her cell phone, disconnecting the headphones when she entered the YouTube application. "It's this or nothing! Universe, please protect me," she closed her eyes before turning the phone to the highest volume and simply opening some random video of police siren sounds. Was it a silly idea? Emma knew, but in the moment of despair, that was all she had left.

Again the men looked around, but they paid attention when another movement was present and the sound of shots was heard a few meters away. Emma cringed even more, dropping her phone to cover her ears as she ducked all the way down.

"Police, someone call the police!" she screamed again, desperate.

The men didn't even know where that female voice really came from, but they didn't want to risk it when they heard her scream again, while the sounds of gunshots became more and more audible. They ran, fleeing in fear of being arrested or killed, leaving the man lying on the ground in his own blood while he was still in agony.

And when at last the shots ceased, Emma's body fell to the floor. Her hand rested on her chest, the girl's heart was racing. She thought about running too, running away before more men appeared, but in addition to her legs still being trembling, her good heart didn't make her simply leave a person behind in those conditions, without even knowing if he was alive or not when only she was there again.

She took a deep breath as she approached uncertainly, afraid that the man was already dead, but she heard him cough and felt instant relief. The man spat blood and was startled when he noticed Emma next to his body. The man's hands shook, he reached for the weapon, but groaned in pain when he moved and a burn took his left rib.

Emma was startled by the fact that the man was in a lot of pain; she should have predicted it, but it was still scary to see and hear. But the man didn't even seem to care about his own pain. He wanted to get up even weakly, but he fell to the ground again, groaning in pain.

"Take care," Emma asked without thinking, ducking down when he tried to get up again. "I won't hurt you, I swear."

The man denied it; he seemed bewildered, but Emma dared and touched his face, finally making him stop moving.

"You're really hurt, I think you must have broken something," she said. With his eyes blurred with the blood that trickled from his cut brow, it was hard to see her, but still, he tried. Emma's voice was sweet, perhaps her appearance was beautiful.

The man took a deep breath when he finally lay on the ground and touched his ribs. Emma was still worried about him; she saw him raise his eyes with great difficulty and without even knowing the woman in front of him, she heard him trying to thank her.

"You don't need to say thank you," she said, smiling.

"Please…" he asked quietly, coughing again, "get me out of here. It's dangerous."

"Me? But…how? I could call an ambulance, but that's all I can do."

"No, no hospitals," he said, blinking his eyes with difficulty.

Emma reached into her purse for a small pink handkerchief. She dared to touch him, and with the handkerchief, she wiped the man's eyes that were still full of blood. And as if a miracle had happened, the man opened his eyes to the maximum, finally noticing her, making her also notice his blue eyes like the most beautiful sea.

"Please…" he asked again. Emma didn't know what to do, but she wanted to help him. She was entranced by the man's eyes, but she touched him fearfully, trying to lift him. The man was heavy, which made her moan low from the effort she used, but she couldn't even move him. She thought about calling for help from any passerby, but paid attention when she heard footsteps approaching where they were. She stood up alertly, seeing two men with guns in their hands stop in front of where they were.

"Do not kill me!" she asked, raising her hands in surrender. It was pure instinct, and she was still shaking. She couldn't run from there even if she wanted to while the weapons that gleamed silver when meeting the sun's rays were right in front of her.

The men looked at each other and then looked at her.

"Who are you?" one of them raised his gun, making Emma startle even more.

"M-My name is Emma Foster, I... I'm a student." she showed her bag, as if that changed anything. "I have nothing to do with him. I swear, I was just trying to help."

"To help?" the other man asked, approaching without pointing his gun. "Why? What do you get out of it?"

Emma blinked uncertainly. The man was tall, had an odd mustache, but was young.

"Anything," she said quickly. "I swear."

"Leave her alone, you idiots," the injured man said. Quickly, the one holding the gun towards Emma ducked.

"Boss, are you okay?" he asked, putting the gun away.

Emma saw him lift the man easily, supporting him so he wouldn't fall. Meanwhile, the other, who was still looking at her, slowly put the gun away and came a little closer, thanking her.

"Thanks for saving the boss."

Emma smirked again and nodded, still cringing, unable to form a verbal response.

"Boss, we almost got those bastards! But those motherfuckers were faster," the one holding the man said. "Everything is fine."

"Not well, boss. Your face is completely bruised."

"I've been worse," he laughed at his own situation.

"Let me help," the man, who thanked Emma, took a new handkerchief from his shirt pocket and tried to approach, but heard the other's wheezing and quickly stopped.

"She already did," he pointed.

"Who is she?"

"Because she helped you, boss?"

"Because she's good," the injured man said, smiling at Emma.

The girl took a deep breath; maybe those men would let her go in peace, but she still thought about running and fleeing. All she had to do was obey her trembling legs.

With a slight nod, the boss ordered his subordinate to approach Emma. The man made her take a step back, still intimidated when he walked towards her, but before the woman could get more scared, he reached into his pocket for his wallet and opened it, taking out about twenty hundred dollar bills.

"Thanks," he asked again, this time holding up the money for Foster.

Emma had never seen so much money as she did at that moment. But she denied it, looking into the dark eyes of that man. Emma denied it and said, "I didn't do anything else, you don't need that."

"Of course, you did, you saved the boss's life," the man shook the bills. "Take it at once."

"No, thank you." Emma finally managed to feel her legs a little firmer as she turned to go back all the way she had already done. She prayed that those men wouldn't shoot her in the back; she was pale from what she had been through, and all she could think about was getting as far away from that alley as she could.

"Hey!" the boss called her. "Pietro, do something!" he sent it to the man holding the bills."

"But what can I do, boss? Any ideas Ramon?"

"You really are an idiot." this Ramon said. "Stop right there or I'll shoot you!" he screamed. In that instant, Emma's eyes bugged out and her fear returned. What should have stopped her spurred her to run and seeing her so desperate, made Pietro laugh.

"What a stupid girl!" he said, returning the bills to the wallet. "Let's go, those skunks might come back." He called, but the man known as the boss denied it.

"No."

"No?" Pietro asked, confused. "Why not?"

"Because now you have only one mission."

"What is…?"

Ramon smiled roguishly, looking at his partner's face when the boss said: "Find the girl."