Take My Breath Away

The way Debbie was being treated made Carlos' blood boil. He walked over grimly like a soul slayer and, before the two robust men could realize it, he sent one of them sprawling onto the floor

and kicked the other one to the side of the shabby bed.

Carlos helped Debbie sit up and held her in his arms. Her hair was all messed up. He gently brushed the disheveled hair out of her eyes and asked in a whisper, "Are you okay?" There were some scratches on her face. Worried that it might hurt, he didn't touch her face and just blew some dust off it.

With teardrops flowing down her cheeks, Debbie nodded to convey to him that she was okay.

Carlos kept her at a safe distance from the two fallen men, and then he walked back to them. He hauled one man up, twisted one of his arms behind his back, and then with one snap, dislocated the man's arm. The man yelled miserably in pain.

While Debbie was exercising her wrists, the other man's arm got broken by virtue of Carlos' actions.

She was impressed when she saw Carlos take down the two sturdy men so quickly with his own bare hands. Seeing his rage, Debbie started to worry whether Carlos would kill them. Those men cried and yelled as if they were pigs being taken to an abattoir. After a long while that seemed like a century to the men, Carlos finally decided to rest his arms and attend Debbie.

He relaxed his wrists, helped Debbie up, and carried her out of the room. When they came outside, the storekeeper was waiting for Carlos, on his knees. Obviously, he had realized that he had made a huge mistake by messing with the wrong person.

"What happened?" Carlos asked Debbie coldly. Debbie was surprised at the question. Since Carlos had beaten the two men up without saying anything, she had assumed that he would never bother to ask the cause of the matter. 'Did he lose his rationality because of me?'

That thought crossed her mind, but only for a second. She pointed at the lucky peace buckle on the showcase and said, "They forced me to buy that lucky peace buckle and wouldn't let me leave unless I gave them the money."

Carlos glanced at the lucky peace buckle and didn't utter a word.

Debbie continued, "They asked for $28, 000, but it wasn't worth that much. Of course I

he saw his face, all her anger vanished into thin air, because she had done something wrong. "I know I was wrong, so please don't be mad," she pleaded holding his hand with a fawning smile, in a soft voice.

As a tomboy, that was the best she could do to play cute. Actually, even that was killing her.

However, the man didn't seem to appreciate her efforts. He stayed nonchalant and didn't believe a word she had just said.

Debbie felt utterly frustrated. Desperate to prove her sincerity, she raised her right hand and vowed, "I meant every word I just said. I'm really grateful for what you did for me today, and I promise I'll listen to you after we go back."

Carlos suddenly pulled her into his arms. Debbie's heart pounded nervously.

She didn't even know how to react to such a situation. "Don't ever travel alone again," he demanded.

She nodded in a fluster. 'Is...is he worried about me?' she wondered.

But she had doubts. "Carlos Huo, why are you here?" She finally mustered up enough courage to ask the crucial question that was troubling her throughout the day. At the same time, part of her hoped that his answer would be "I'm here for you."

"I was just passing by," he replied casually.

She refused to believe a word he had just said. Thinking that he had come here for her, Debbie wrapped her arms around his neck happily, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him on the cheek affectionately.

'Thank you, Carlos Huo. Thank you for letting me rely on you, ' she reflected.