Safe Hands

38. Little Out-law

The abandoned playground echoed with the sounds of fists meeting flesh and the grunts of boys fighting. In the brewing chaos, Grayson fought with raw determination, taking down as many opponents as he could. Jerry and his gang were there too, battling fiercely against the rival group. The air was thick with dust and tension, broken only by the occasional shout, cries of pain, or curse yelled at innocent ears.

Grayson kept his mission in mind, moving with purpose through the melee. His eyes scanned the crowd, looking for the leader. The fight was brutal, but Grayson was focused, dodging blows and delivering his own with calculated precision. He got to the leader, who was busy with a one-on-one with Jerry, and Grayson threw himself in, running past the bigger boy close enough to brush shoulders.

Suddenly, the wail of police sirens pierced the night air. The boys scattered in every direction, a frantic scramble to avoid capture. Grayson ran as fast as his legs would carry him, weaving through the darkened streets. He narrowly evaded the grasp of a pursuing officer and ducked into a shadowy alley, panting heavily. That was close.

He reached into his pocket, feeling the cold metal of the USB key he had stolen from the leader. Jerry had said it was crucial, a key to controlling the area. Grayson's curiosity burned as he clutched the key tightly. His phone buzzed, breaking his thoughts.

It was Jerry. "Did you get it?" Jerry's voice was urgent.

"Yeah, I got it," Grayson replied, still catching his breath.

"Meet me at the café near Tuna9," Jerry demanded.

Grayson glanced around the dark alley, considering his options. "I can't. I have to go home."

Jerry growled, "Why? We're not joking here. That key is precious!"

"I need to be alive to hand it to you. If I don't head home now, I'll break curfew and my uncles will rip me clean."

"Don't go home with the key," Jerry warned.

"We don't have much of a choice here. I can trash it if you want," Grayson threatened.

"Don't you dare!" Jerry backed on the other side of the phone. "Just hand it over by Monday."

"Fine," Grayson agreed, but his mind was already racing with plans to copy the key's contents just as he had planned from the start.

Grayson walked home, the night air cooling his sweat-covered face. He tried to wipe all dirt and blood as much as possible before he went in to be crucified. As he entered the house, he spotted Alex, Julian, and Russell in the living room. Russell and Julian sat warmly beside a blond man who looked uncannily like a younger version of Alex but with Damien's electric blue eyes.

Grayson tried to flee to his room, but Alex's eyes immediately zeroed in on him. "Grayson, get over here," Alex commanded sternly.

Grayson stopped halfway on the stairs, turning around and groggily walking to the man.

"What happened?" Alex demanded as he took a good look at Grayson's face, noticing the busted lip and a light bruise under his eye.

Grayson fumbled for a lie. "I got into a fight with a friend over something stupid. It's sorted now."

Russell snorted. "I didn't know you had friends."

Grayson shot back, "And I didn't know you had a conscience."

"Enough!" Alex snapped. "I've warned you about getting into fights. Last week it was a fall, and today it's a fight! Are you lying to me?"

Julian's eyes were tense as he studied Grayson's demeanor, suspecting there was more to the story.

"No, why would I lie? Julian was there last week," Grayson argued, trying to act innocent.

Alex pinched the bridge of his nose. "I barely ungrounded you three days ago. Seriously?"

Grayson rolled his eyes as he hung his head. Alex made him sit down while Rosa fetched the first aid kit.

"He loves getting into fights, like with Miles," Russell added smugly.

Grayson glared at him. "Yeah, and the fact that you can't keep your mouth shut for a second is pissing me off!"

"What's with Miles, and who's Miles?" Alex asked. Grayson averted his gaze with a small huff.

Russell hid a smirk. "Oh, a senior Grayson violently knocked down on the basketball court."

Alex brought his gaze sternly at Grayson. "Is that true?"

"Of course it's not!" Grayson interjected. "I was trying to get the ball, and it was an accident, so we collided!"

Russell scoffed. "Keep lying all you want. You made him bleed intentionally and didn't flinch!"

"And why do you care?! All I know is you don't give a crap about anybody but your butt!" Grayson retaliated, on the edge of getting physical.

"That's enough!" Alex barked. But the room was further silenced by Damien's arrival. Grayson froze, knowing Damien's strict nature, all that was needed was Russell's big mouth spilling all the gibberish he was saying and Damien would be taking something to him.

Damien's gaze was cold when it landed on Grayson's face. "What's going on here?" he demanded in a dangerous low tone.

Alex sighed. "Grayson got into a fight with his friends. I don't really get his story."

"Speak up, Grayson," Damien demanded.

Grayson swallowed softly. "We were just joking around, and Bob got upset, so he tackled me to the ground, and yeah, we got into a small fight, and it's all sorted."

Damien's eyes narrowed at Grayson in disbelief. "Well, what with Miles and hurting other students with your fists?"

Grayson sucked in a breath, keeping his anger in check. "It was an accident!"

"Yeah, yeah, keep it up, bravo—" Russell began mockingly but was cut off by Damien's stern eyes.

"You're in so much trouble, Grayson," Damien said, and Grayson's heart sank. A meeting with Damien was the last thing he needed.

Alex stepped in by clearing his throat. "Phone. You're grounded for two weeks, and no stepping out of the house." He reached out.

Grayson reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone, handing it over with a lot of attitude while he refused to spare them a glance. The blond man, who looked like Alex's younger twin, spoke up, breaking the tension. "Boys fight sometimes. It happens. You don't have to punish him for that. I mean, gotta stop them from oppressing you. If he hadn't fought back, they would have certainly picked on him."

Damien raised a brow at the boy. "Not enough excuse."

"Well, you can't ask him to stay put while he gets hit. He is a man, not a girl," Raymond added.

Alex sighed. "Raymond, stop encouraging bad behavior."

"Go to your room. We'll see about those outbursts of yours another day," Damien instructed as he made his way past the living room.

Grayson rose from the couch and was quick to disappear. As soon as his legs hit his room, he got on his laptop, plugging in the key. His heart raced with anticipation as he went through it. Files opened before him, revealing vulgar information, a lot of porn videos, and passwords. Grayson's eyes widened as he read through the contents, including the identity of the key's owner. He copied everything meticulously, his mind spinning with the potential power he now held.

Grayson leaned back, the gravity of his actions sinking in. He knew he was playing a dangerous game, but the curiosity and the need to prove himself were too strong to resist. As he closed his laptop, he couldn't help but feel a mix of exhilaration and fear for what was to come. First, Alex wants to know his past, Damien wants to break his character, then school with Miles lurking around, waiting for the perfect timing for cold revenge.

Grayson wiped the blood that trickled down his nostrils with the back of his sleeve. He couldn't wait to live those moments. After all, Y.O.L.O.

A/N

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