SAVANNA (VERONICA)
I didn’t think much afterwards and stepped toward him, only for him to turn alert.
“Stop right there,” he said hoarsely, his voice strained but still commanding.
“Turn around and leave if you want to stay alive.”
I stopped, raising an eyebrow.
My gaze noticed the trembling in hand where it pressed against the wound.
Dying, and still so arrogant?
No wonder, he was one of the Abrahams’.
Although not as much as his uncle, he was nowhere less.
“People are after me,” he continued through clenched teeth.
“If they see you here…
you’ll die with me.”
His warning carried genuine urgency.
Ah, so that was the issue?
I wondered who chased him.
However, I didn’t bother.
Money was more important to me right now.
I crouched down beside him anyway.
His eyes narrowed immediately at my action, suspicion flashing across his nearly pale face.
“Did you not hear me?” he demanded weakly.
“I did,” I replied calmly.
My gaze was focused on his injury.
It was a gunshot and seemingly from a distance.
I carefully checked the wound, the bullet had left grazing the skin deeply.
“You’re losing too much blood.” I said after a while.
He stared at me as though trying to understand my intentions.
His grey eyes filled with confusion and suspicion.
“Just leave.” He spoke again, this time he sounded even weaker, due to blood loss.
“I can help you,” I replied, my tone was calm and composed.
Blood and bullets were things I was too used to, just we were used to everyday food.
For a moment, distrust filled his expression completely.
His eyes searched my face, clearly expecting fear or hesitation.
Instead he found only quiet observation.
“You?” he rasped in disbelief.
“A kid?”
“You can keep arguing,” I held his gaze indifferently, “or you can let me help you to stop the bleeding before your body goes into shock.”
His jaw tightened at my words.
Still thinking.
I could understand the reason for his distrust.
The more money and power you had, the lonelier you were.
“They’re chasing me.” He spoke after a while.
“They’ll not let you leave if they see me with you.” His words were turning more fuzzy due to his blood loss and weakness.
I looked around and then recognized the places where Veronica once had been insulted by her bullies.
I pointed toward a dark corner near the old stone wall where the ground dipped slightly.
“There’s a dog hole behind that wall,” I said.
“It leads through to the other side of the field.
No one uses it anymore.”
Nathaniel’s eyes followed my gaze.
“You hide there for now,” I continued calmly.
“Press the wound hard enough to slow the bleeding.”
He blinked and looked at me as though what he heard was the most ridiculous thing in this world.
“You’re asking me to go into the dog hole?”
My patience was running thin now.
This spoiled child still had to be royal with life at stake?
I didn’t snap at him though, “yeah, if you ‘truly’ want to survive.”
A sigh left his lips.
He gazed at the dog hole and frowned.
“Fine…” He muttered.
However, before he could move, I mentioned the most important part.
“If you survive…
remember to transfer money into my account.”
He paused.
For a second he simply stared at me.
The disbelief in his eyes was almost amusing.
Probably not understanding to be amused or shocked.
He didn’t have many options though, more precisely, none except agreeing.
With a visible effort, he forced himself to move toward the hole I had indicated, disappearing through the narrow opening just moments before distant footsteps began approaching down the road.
Two men emerged from the darkness shortly afterward.
They looked tense as though they lost something precious to their dear lives.
And I certainly knew what that was.
One of them noticed me immediately.
“Hey, Kid.” He called sharply.
I looked up slowly from the ground where I was crouching, my sharp looks were gone, now replaced with a look of a kid, just as they mentioned.
“Did you see anyone run through here?” he demanded.
I blinked blankly.
Then pouted, before slowly shaking my head.
My hands moved lazily through the damp soil near my feet, picking up clumps of mud and crushed leaves.
I rubbed them together absentmindedly, smearing the mixture across my fingers while quietly covering the faint traces of blood that had dripped onto the ground earlier.
“I dd-didn’t see anyone.” I spoke childishly.
Thanks to Veronica’s appearance, she actually looked innocent.
Those men watched me with visible disgust.
“Ugh, What the hell is she doing?!” One of them muttered under his breath.
The other man scowled.
Good, to them, I was just a stupid, fat kid.
He gave the area one last glance before turning away.
“Let’s go.
He couldn’t have gotten far.”
The two men disappeared into the darkness moments later, their footsteps fading quickly down the road.
I remained crouched for another minute, calmly rubbing mud and leaves between my fingers.
Only when the night returned to complete silence did I finally stand up again and went to the other side through the dog hole.
Due to weight loss, it was easier for Veronica’s body to move through it now.
Nathaniel Abraham was lying there, eyes closed.
Hearing my sound he flinched at first, then seeing me he relaxed.
I crouched beside him.
“They’re gone.” My tone was calm.
He didn’t say anything, only watched me quietly.
I didn’t bother though, I focused on his injury, and looked around to find some wild leaves that would suffice to stop his blood.
And thankfully, found some.
I used them, but before that I placed my hand over his mouth.
“Try to keep quiet.”
He groaned in pain, his eyes turned red as he tried his best to endure.
Once the blood stopped, I used Veronica’s clean scarf to bandage his wound.
Once I was done, he looked almost about to lose consciousness, but hanging onto the edge.
He would lose it anyway, and before it was too late, I took out my pointed hair clip and dipped it in his blood, while holding his wrist.
He frowned, watching me with droopy eyes.
“What are you doing?” His voice barely a whisper.
“My bank account.
Don’t forget your promise.” I muttered as I wrote Veronica’s account number on his wrist.
He stared at me, but I didn’t really pay attention.
I needed money and I couldn’t let go of the chance.
As soon as I finished, sounds of cars came in our direction.
He stiffened.
I peeked through the hole only to see a few men in black suits looking around.
Then— “young master?” An alarmed tone called.
Immediately, he relaxed.
Seems these were his men.
I didn’t bother to stay anymore and stood up.
I was about to leave, when…
“H-hey, what’s your name?” He asked.
I didn’t turn, instead, “not your concern…
Just, don’t forget to send the money.” I quietly reminded him again before disappearing into the darkness…