Ace's Angel - Ace Merrill

I'm in.

To say it was tense inside Ace's house was an understatement.

The cobras were glaring at the constrictors and the constrictors were glaring at the cobras.

Angel sat in the middle, completely torn beside which side to sit on.

"We're here now." Ace started as his monotone voice broke the tension. "You wanted to talk, so talk."

Chains glanced at the others before turning back to Ace.

"We need to know if you're all actually serious about helping, this isn't cute little crimes worthy of a night in cuffs. This is big time, we're the big leagues."

A couple of the cobras fidgeted slightly as they cautiously allowed it to sink in.

Chains continued, noticing their silence. "If you actually want to help it could end badly for anyone. If we've proven anything already, it's that actually ending someone's life is a real possibility." He glanced over at Angel briefly before back at Ace. "I'm sure by now you've realised we're all capable of it."

Ace nodded slowly, knowing full well he was referring to his younger sister. The girl he had opened his life too, was capable of killing someone.

"So I'm gonna ask one question and one question only. Knowing killing is on the cards, from them or us. Are you in?"

Silence fell in the room. Angel looked up at Ace as he turned to look at her. His eyes scanned her face, she was scared, any of them could tell but there was something more. Something only Ace understood, she had found someone she didn't want to lose. And Ace had found her.

Eyeball glanced between Ace and Angel, not fully understanding their silent communication but he knew his place. He exaggerated a sigh as he slammed his hands on his knees, standing up.

He confidently sauntered over to Angel as he crashed down next to her, his arm resting around her shoulder. He gave her a warm smile as she relaxed into his side.

"I'm in." He mumbled as Ace stood up himself up.

The moment he stood, every other cobra stood also. Ace walked over to Angel and offered his hand out to her. Eyeball nudged her as she reached up and took it.

Angel let him pull her up as she felt his other hand snake around her waist.

"I'm in." He mumbled down at her as she gave him the best smile she could muster.

Leaning forward she wrapped an arm around him as she snuggled her head into his shoulder.

Chains stood slowly as his breath quickened seeing this man with his sister. Gritting his teeth together and biting his tongue, he tried to offer Ace a smile but it came out more like a snarl.

"So what are we actually gonna do?" Eyeball mumbled as he glanced at the constrictors. "It's pretty obvious whoever these cock-knockers are, know where you are."

Chains nodded slowly. "They know our house." He grumbled as he thought of the past two times they'd visited.

"They don't know this one." Charlie mumbled under his breath as Billy nodded slowly beside him.

Knuckles instantly clenched as he shook his head, having heard Charlie's mumble.

"That's not an option." He snapped at the cobra.

Billy and Jack moved either side of Charlie without pause, as their way of showing if he went for Charlie, he'd lose.

"Easy." Chains snapped, holding a hand up to stop Knuckles.

"The cobra's right." He grumbled as he ran a hand through his hair and tugged, hating to admit how it was true.

"You're kidding right?!"

"Be fucking real!"

"We ain't leaving her here!"

The constrictors all began firing out their protests as Ace instinctively held Angel tighter.

"SHUT UP!" Chains snapped at all of them.

Silence fell in a split second as Chains turned his attention to his younger sister, noticing the way she had an arm around Ace's waist and her other hand was clinging to his shirt.

"Merrill." He bit as he locked eyes with the head of the cobras. "Would you give me a moment with my sister?"

Ace nodded slowly as he reluctantly let Angel go. She took her brother's outstretched hand and allowed him to pull her back out the front door and onto the street.

"Wayne..." Angel mumbled as they slowly crossed the street.

Chains turned to her slowly, he hadn't heard his real name in so long and he knew she was only saying it now it was just them.

"You know I'm old enough to make my own choices." She continued as he led them back into their own house.

She took the lead and went upstairs into her room, hearing his footsteps following her.

"But he's-" Chains started but was interrupted by her as she spun to face him.

"He's the exact same as you!" She almost snapped at him. "He's a cobra, you're a constrictor, ironic they're both snakes huh?" She snapped sarcastically.

"And if that's not enough for you, let's look deeper. You're both in charge of two very clearly not so friendly gangs, you both carry weapons, you've both got those tattoos on your arms, you've both got shit family situations and you're both secretly fed up of the big tough guy act!"

Angel let out a deep breath as she sat down slowly on her bed. Chains stood there in silence, unsure of how to react to his sister's outburst.

"And you both love me." Her words came out so quietly it was a surprise he heard.

"Now you've just got to work together to sort this."

Chains sighed as he sat next to her. Angel reached under her pillow and pulled out her notebook, gently tossing it into her brother's lap she watched as he flicked through, his eyes scanning over the incomplete poem of Ace Merrill.

It was then that he realised, his sister had fallen for Ace, the man who was everything she needed and more.

"You need to work together..." Angel repeated as she watched her read.

"Because I love him too."