By Chance

ch 26 part 1

Raven

"Raven! I need to show you something." My dad yells. I glance at Gabriel to Cole and back to Gabriel. I shoot Gabriel a worried look before walking into the larger room. "What?" I ask walking over to the table. My dad stands up. "Come with me, I walk to talk." He says and walks over to his office. I tense but follow him anyway.

He shuts the door behind us and sits down in the chair behind his desk. "I want to know if you trust me." He asks. "No." I say boredly. "Then why are you agreeing to come with us to get the girl?" He says leaning back confidently. Douche bag. "Because all the evidence lines up and I'm praying that your not completely heartless." I say bitterly. That gets his attention. "You don't mean that." He says. "Yes, I do. And it's going to take a lot to change my opinion." I say with no emotions showing on my face. He sighs. "How do you know the boy." He asks. "How do you not know him? He was at almost every birthday party, family event, and holiday since I was six." I say sarcastically. He's silent for a few seconds then recognition flashes in his eyes. "Gabriel." He whispers. "I'm almost surprised it took you this long figure it out." I say holding back a few colorful words. "Why do you hate me?" he asks looking away from the desk and finally at me. "Do I really need to answer that?" I say sarcastically. "Yes." He says. I roll my eyes. "You left my mom without telling her why so she thought it was my fault, She started drinking and smoking. Her hating me and drinking doesn't go well for me. Do you the bruise the cheek was the first?" I say think of how many excuses I had to come up with to reassure my few friends. "And me knowing that the only reason it was like that was because you wanted to escape to some gang." I say bitterly, looking up. "If it weren't for Gabriel i'd still be trapped in that hellhole. It took you a year to acknowledge my existence and even then you sent Cole instead of coming here yourself. As a matter of fact if it weren't for Cole you probably would of still been ignorant to my life in general." I say glaring.

I get up and walk out refusing to cry over something so small. I have bigger problems then felling sorry for myself.

I'm about to walk back into the makeshift training room when I hear Gabriel and Cole arguing. "So whoever wins gets dibs, if I win you can't stop me from stealing her. If you win I won't try." Cole says. I freeze where I'm standing. I can't believe there betting on me. Cole sees me over Gabriel's shoulder and smiles at me. I glare at him. I'm almost out of the room when I hear Gabriel say "Leave her out of this." I listen more interested in what is happening. "Or how about-" "Just drop it." Gabriel says sharply cutting him off. I smile to myself, happy to know he would stick up for me. I see the muscles in his back tense. I'm about to go up to them to stop them but a hand lands on my shoulder. I flinch and turn around to see the guy from earlier standing behind me . He shakes his head. "Let them finish, it's a test to see how much self control he has." He say quietly enough for them not to hear. "Seriously, if he didn't have a lot, Cole would be level with the freaking concrete by now." I say frowning. The dude shrugs and leans against the doorway. I walk out just as my father walks in and shouts "Boys, let's go."

Gabriel

Currently I have no idea where we are going. I'm sitting the middle of a black SUV. Raven sits next to me. Cole is driving and Raven's dad is sitting shotgun. Adam is sitting in the back with all of the guns that were there when we got in. "Where are we going?" asks Raven. So I guess I'm not the only confuse one here. "A shooting range. We need to work on your aim." Adam says. She nods.

***

So far it's been an hour and we're still not there so I'm making a safe bet that it's outside. Raven's fell asleep. She seems to do that a lot on car rides. Her dad's been shooting me glares through the rear view mirror since we've got in the car, Adam's staring off into space, and Cole's staring at the road like he's ready to murder it, his knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. Why, I have no clue. He sends Raven a hateful gaze making me automatically tighten my grip around her shoulder, earning me another glare from her dad. Well isn't this just a joyful, happy ride.

We pull into a gravel road that turns into dirt one after about a mile. A wooden structure stands behind a shielding of tall pine trees. Of course it won't actually be legal. I shake Raven to wake her up. She mumbles something inaudible and leans forward, rubbing her eyes. We all get out and walk to the back of the car, where all the guns are. Adam tosses me a handgun that says Kimber on the barrel. Raven looks around the pile, her eyes light when she sees the one she wants. She pushes past Adam and grabs one near the back. it has a black matt finish and is a little smaller than mine. There's something carved on the handle and when she moves her hand I notice it says Raven. I give her a questioning look and she smiles. She turns to her dad. "You kept it." She says. He nods. Her smile widens. "I got this 5 years ago for my birthday." She says giddily. So I'm guessing she big on guns.