Burning Bridges

Chapter 03

It's time for the thing I've been dreading all night. But I have prepared for it all afternoon. Got ready? Check. Eaten the most diabetic-ridden burger I could've had? Check. Shaved my legs? Check. What? Even a criminal like me enjoys looking pretty.

That leaves me now at the top of the Crown Heights Gang rooftop, ready for my entrance. And of course, I'm gonna make it a dramatic one. A few of the members that I've spotted in the last couple of days were right in the middle of the small parking lot. Buildings covered the entire area that had doors that probably led to the member's homes. Everything looked pretty up-kept and industrial. Not bad for a gang like them.

Mr. Jones says they're the rattiest people he has ever dealt with, well, besides himself if you ask me. Crown Heights Gang likes to breach banks and infiltrate other's shipments. But it's time for them to pay. But me as well in the process since I'm stuck here for who knows how fucking long. But as I've said, I'm pretty loyal-

"Hey, who's up there?" Shit. I was in the middle of my inner monologue. "Come out with your hands up!"

Begrudgingly, I agreed and jumped down from the roof. Immediately, about ten of the gang members here enclosed the gang leader and I into a circle, while I pretended to look shocked that they had found me.

"What are you doing here, miss?" he questioned again. Like most of the other members here, they wore a variety of black and street clothes. And if the AKs and Uzi's on their backs wasn't a hint that this was an organized gang.

"Miss? Excuse me. It's the twenty-first century! You can't just assume my gender like that-" I retorted back with my arms still up. I felt handcuffs being harshly clamped onto my arms behind my back by another man.

"Shut the fuck up! You have no right to be speaking to me like that!" While a big part of me wanted to argue back, it was probably smarter for me to remain quiet so that I don't end up with bullets in my head.

"Now tell me why you're intruding on my territory," the same man declared once again. Silence met his answer.

"You will answer me! Seize her possessions right now, Bones." A man with ashy blonde hair made his way over to me and patted me down. Of course, I didn't bring anything with me, but that didn't stop him from continuing his search.

"Get the fuck off of me! I have nothing on me!" I screamed back at him, swatting his arms back as much as I could with handcuffs. He grunted in response yet unwillingly stepped back.

"Oh, so NOW you speak," the gang leader commented at my little freak out.

"Look, you're sending me mixed signals here. Telling me to shut the fuck up then asking me questions. You're more confusing than my last Tinder date that brought me to Burger King-"

"For fucks sake, shut up, woman! Ember, you deal with her," he commanded at my feminine-like sarcasm that was buried deep into my personality. At that, another man stepped forward with a hood and a dark mask over his face.

He strided next to me to loosely grab onto my arm, enough strength to get my attention but also enough for me to break free if I wanted to. He mumbled a quick "let's go" or something to me, but I was too focused on figuring out if I knew him. His racer jacket looked really familiar-

"Listen here," Ember declared lowly, but I couldn't make out the rest of what he was saying since I spotted a three-pointed crown tattoo when he released my arm. Oh no. We were safe from the others behind a cement wall of a garage in the compound.

"Hello? Are you even listening to me?" he asked with exasperated intent. I could feel the warmth of his body next to mine as I was leaning against the wall.

"I only listen to those that take me seriously," I retorted back, feigning a yawn.

His growl caught me off guard as he lightly held onto my forearm. "Look, I don't know what kind of trouble you're trying to get yourself into, but I know you're planning something. I recognize you from yesterday." Shit. Shit. Shit.

Masking my surprise, I claimed, "Well, nice to meet you Em, I'm Raven." I smiled while he only looked at me with disgust. Tough crowd.

"It's Ember," he muttered.

"Yeah, I know. That's what I said. Haven't you been listening to me?"

"That's not what...okay Raven. Now tell me why you're here." Ugh, time to gaslight them.

"You see," I started while shuffling closer to him. From here I could see every individual eyelash on his dark blue eyes. "I'm running. I was affiliated with The Snakes...but a couple of days ago I kind of got upset at one of the members and let's just say, he's hospital ridden for now. And I guess the gang didn't like that...so they chose him over me."

Even though I was lying, I could see the wheels turning in Ember's head. I don't know a lot about him, but he seemed to believe me. Now I just need to gain their trust.