Walk In The Dark

It's been almost a year since Dante Torres and Amelia began dating, and they've recently been discussing taking the next big step, moving in together.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay, so I'm totally fine with moving into your place, babe." Amelia smiled.

"Are you sure?" Dante replied, hesitant.

"Yeah! It's your mom's house that's in a shady area, according to you, not your apartment! So I'm good!"

Dante smiled, and wrapped his arms around Amelia's waist. "Well I'm glad!" He kissed her neck.

"Well of course! Just need room for my stuff, and my cat!"

"Of course baby.." Dante chuckled as he kissed her neck again.

"Yay!"——————————————————————-Dante and Amelia decided Dante's place was the right decision, and she was going to move in the next weekend. So this week, Amelia was getting ready for the move; packing, changing her address for all of her affairs, and making sure everything was ready to go.

As she packed, her phone rang. It was Dante's mom.

'Amelia, intentè con Dante, pero no respondiò.. can you help?'

'Ms. Torres?! Qué ocurre..?! Are you okay?'

'I need help. I fell... I'm no hurt, but am slipping trying to get up.... Can you help?'

'Oh my god. Yes! I'm on my way!' She responded, completely ignoring the fact that she would be going to her neighborhood, alone.

Amelia pulled up to Dante's mom's neighborhood, parked her car, and ran towards the house.

"Mrs. Torres?!"

"Oh.. Amelia, up here."

"I'm coming!" Amelia called back to her and ran upstairs. When she got to where her voice was coming from, the bathroom, she found Mrs. Torres hanging onto the sink, trying to stand.

"Mrs. Torres! What happened?!"

"Oh.. my dulce chica. I just slipped while cleaning the bathroom..."

"Oh my gosh. Are you hurt at all?? Necesitas el hospital?!"

"No, no, no, my dulce chica. I'm okay. Just need help."

Amelia helped Mrs. Torres stand and did a once over to look for any bumps, bruises, or cuts. "Are you sure you're okay? Te golpeaste la cabeza?!"

"No, no... I'm fine mija!" Mrs. Torres said as she kissed her cheeks.

"Okay, how about you go downstairs and sit down. Okay?"

"Yes mija. I will."

Amelia helped Mrs. Torres down the stairs, and got her settled on the couch with a glass of water and kissed her forehead before turning to leave. "Thank you for calling me! Please let me know if you feel sick later tonight or anything, okay?"

"Yes mija. Go now. Muchas gracias mija."

"Eres muy bienvenida!"

Amelia stepped outside and took a deep breath before taking the walk back to her car.

"Hola hermosa!"

Amelia ignored the cat calls, but quickly realized they were getting closer.

"HOLA CARIÑO!"

Amelia still ignored the calls from the darkness, but just as she reached her car, she felt something grab her arm.

Amelia jumped and turned around, "what the hell?!"

"Chica, when we talk to you, you answer." A bald man with a neck tattoo said to her.

"Uhm... no.. I certainly don't have to..." Amelia replied.

"Yes... chica... you do..."

"And why is that?!" Amelia was scared, but her adrenaline was racing through her and she couldn't show her fear.

"Because... Bonita...." The man said with a lowered voice, "we know what your man, Dante, used to be."

"What does that mean?!"

"He used to run with us... y'know."

"I'm aware... what's that have to do with me?!"

"Tell the big shot cop to keep his cop buddies off our ass, or we'll have to make an example outta you, to remind him who we are. Got it?"

"I can't do shit about that! He doesn't bother you, and if y'all don't act up, no one will come here!"

The man dug his fingers deeper into Amelia's arm, "I mean it chica. And besides, we think you'd look amazing on your back..."

"Get.. off.. of me!" Amelia barked as she ripped her arm out of the man's grip.

"Just saying girl. Tell him to watch his back too. Pigs have been on us, and your little boyfriend pig said he'd be cool, since he used to run the streets. Tell him to remind his friends." Another one of the men, with the same tattoo, said as they all back away from her.

She fumbled for her keys as she managed to get into her car. She slammed on the gas and gunned it out of the development before coming to a stop and breaking down into a full-blown panic attack of tears, as her OCD was demanding her to get her hand sanitizer to use on the wound.

She managed to calm herself down after several minutes, and made the call to Dante.

'Hey baby!'

'Dante! Are you home?!'

'Yes.. what's wrong my love?!'

'I have to talk to you.. can I come over?!'

'Baby, of course. You have a key...'

'Oh right. Sorry...' she sniffed. 'Don't be mad, okay?!'

'Baby.. what is wrong?!'

'I have to tell you in person, I'm on my way. Should be there in five..' Amelia replied.

Amelia parked and Dante's and couldn't run up to his apartment fast enough.

Dante was waiting at the door for his love. "Baby.."

"Hi baby." Amelia fell into his arms and lost it. "You can't be mad.."

"Let's go inside.."

Amelia and Dante sat on the couch, "now my love. What happened?!"

"Okay, so, your mom called..."

"Okay... why didn't she call me?"

"She did! You didn't answer! She fell and didn't get hurt, but needed help getting up, so I went!"

"Amelia.."

"Dante! What was I supposed to do?! Let her lay there until one of us could get in touch with you?! No! Not an option..." Amelia sniffed her tears away.

"Baby.... I.."

"Dante... I didn't have a choice! And I'm not done yet.."

"Okay..... oh shit... baby your arm?!"

"That's what I'm getting to..." Amelia sighed. "So, as I'm leaving your mom's house, I start getting cat-called, the usual shit, but this time, they didn't stop. They kept yelling, and then they started walking towards me. And the one guy... he's liked bald headed and has a neck tattoo.. anyway, he comes up and fucking grabs my arm and tells me to tell you to tell your other cops to back off of them, or they're gonna..."

"What did he say baby?......"

"He told me that you used to run with them, and I said that I know that, and then they said something about you promising to be cool towards them or whatever, and then...... he said, that they'll have to 'make an example out of me', to remind you who they are, and then....." Amelia started to breathe heavily again.

"Breathe baby... it's okay. You're safe..." Dante said as he rubbed her back.

"And then they said, 'we think you'd look amazing on your back'..." Amelia's breath hitched as she dropped her head into Dante's shoulder. "I'm sorry baby! I know that's why you told me not to go there alone, but I didn't know if your mom was hurt badly or not, and I didn't wanna risk waiting for an ambulance or something..." Amelia cried.

"Christ!" Dante snapped. Before he got too mad, he comforted Amelia. "I'm so sorry baby. It's okay. Thank you for taking care of momma. And I'm sorry I didn't answer her... fuck! FUCK!"

"I'm okay... just got my OCD going bad since a stranger touched me and broke skin a little, but I used sanitizer to help... so I think I'm okay.." Amelia took a deep breath.

"I'll be right back.." Dante jumped up and ran to his bathroom. "Okay baby.. here we go."

"Thank you my love.." Amelia kissed Dante's temple as she leaned over so he could do some wound care on her scrapped arm.

"Thank you baby. That helped a lot.." Amelia smiled up and Dante as he stood up.

"Good baby, I'm glad. And fuck, I'm so sorry. I promise you, it'll be okay. They won't touch you.." Dante kissed the top of her head.

"I love you.." Amelia smiled up at him. "Oh... I think I fed kitty, so he should be good!"

"You sure, wanna go check?"

"Yes please... sorry. OCD.."

"You're fine baby! Don't ever be sorry for that, or anything! Let's go take a trip! And I assume you're staying over here tonight?"

"Yes please! But after Sunday morning, you won't have to ask.." Amelia smiled.

Dante walked back over and reached out for her hands. "And I cannot wait. I love you, so damn much."

"I love you too...."

After being assured that her cat, and home, would be okay for the night, Dante made sure her apartment was locked and taken care of before leaving to drive back to his place. "I'll bring you back first thing tomorrow, and then we are you moving you in here. I'm not waiting till Sunday.."

"Are you sure babe?!"

"Absolutely.."