Chance Meetings?

Chapter 36-Chance Meetings

Chapter 36!

Emily’s Pov

‘Emily,’ Sam looks up into my green eyes, ‘I quit cage fighting to become a member of a street gang. That’s how I’m saving my family from eviction and unrepayable debt. If you can’t accept this…. Then I think this won’t work either.’

Sam’s voice held strength and confidence that took me a moment to hear past that, to what he was really telling me. ‘You’re in a gang?’ I ask, in shock. The look on his face told me he wasn’t joking and the way he cast his eyes somewhere other than me, told me this wasn’t just some amateur-tough act guy gang. This was real.

‘Do you have a gun?’

He doesn’t say anything and I almost choke on the sob rising in my throat, tears beginning to take my vision captive. How could this be? Sam wasn’t the gang type, was he? Possessing a gun was more than I could fathom at this rate, and I could hardly keep my mind at bay when it came to thinking of what other things he could be doing or circumstances to use the weapon.

‘It’s not what you think Em, really. I don’t deal the drugs or anything like that, I just kind of…. go along with them in case I’m needed or something goes wrong. So whatever you’re thinking-‘. His attempt to calm the brewing storm of confusion and anger inside of me was pointless.

‘What if something does go wrong Sam? Do they just use you as a protective shield, someone who can just help them fight their way out of trouble.’ His finger comes to my lips to silence me shortly before we hear a creak in the hallway, hoping Dan hasn’t woken up from my outburst. When we hear nothing more I turn back to Sam and continue, ‘Sorry to burst your bubble but you aren’t invincible Sam. Yeah you made it out of hospital and recovered well, but what if next time there is no more luck left?’ my voice was breaking and with each word that was spoken between us my heart shattered more and more. It was hurting to comprehend what Sam had gotten himself into and had been keeping something so big from me. Now I realise he wasn’t looking at me anymore and my stomach quenched in fear.

‘There has already been a next time Em…. I had to tell you’ his head was cast down, making it hard to tell exactly what was crossing his features at the given moment.

‘What do you mean? I don’t understand…’ I ask, watching the way his fingers caught in his ruffled hair.

‘The week before last I was called in with my partner Jay, they needed one more man because it was a big job. We were sent down to the loading bays and found ourselves in some trouble. I didn’t know what to do, it was purely adrenaline that made me get out of there fast enough….’ His chest rises with the big intake of breath and I found myself, slowly, distancing myself from his slouched form. ‘Oh God…’ I whisper.

‘There were, um…. Gunshots,’ his eyes wearily glanced up at my expression and he continued before I began overreacting. ‘Another gang apparently owned the cargos we were unloading that night and so they killed three of our men. I just ran. Eventually we got out of there but on the car ride back into town, I calmed down enough to process what had happened and I just couldn’t even begin to imagine if any of my family or yours got caught up in something that I was associated with. I-I-‘ he shook his head vigorously, like that would rid him the nightmares still vivid in his memory. ‘I couldn’t keep it from you any longer…’

Silence enveloped us, my mouth was dry, Sam was bent over his thighs and I was trying not to shout something absurd. Heart pounding I cleared my throat to speak, ‘Is there anything else you aren’t telling me? Or was that the only thing?’ Pulling my knees up to my chest I make sure I’m not touching him anymore, Sam’s presence stirs so many emotions inside of me, fathoming this and then having him to close did my head in.