The Gangsta's Salute

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"If I can still breathe, I am fine."

Alexi's POV:

I stared into the cold eyes of my older brother, not emotion visible in my eyes or on my face.

I refused to give him the satisfaction of hurting me.

So instead, I was going to hurt him.

I smiled at his helpless position, the chains wrapped around his body, the locks secured by the best metal that money could buy.

I had to make sure that my brother couldn't hurt anybody else.

" Cole betrayed you, you know?" I began taunting, sitting on the floor away from the chair he was sat on. " Your darling brother betrayed you. He told me about your insider, your little plan. We were always one step ahead of you." 

His eyes hardened but he didn't speak.

" He told me about Sawyer and Becca being alive. He told me about the traitor. Jayce." I smiled as Tyler's eyes darkened at the new found information. " And then I killed him in cold blood. I shot him and watched him bleed to death." 

He jumped, trying to break out of the almost impossible chains. " You bitch! I'll kill you, I'll fucking kill you." 

I smiled smugly, letting out small, shaky breath. " I should've tortured him, like you did to Asher. I should've tortured him until he was within an inch of his life and then murdered him right in front of you." 

Tyler looked enraged, like he wanted nothing more than to snap my neck.

The feelings mutual, honey. 

" I should've killed you when we were children." 

" You're just like me Ally. Nothing better." He spat, panting from his wrathful tone. 

" I know." I breathed out painfully, "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you" I quoted. 

" You're a monster." His lip curled back as he shot the meaningless words at me. 

" Frater, ave atque vale." 

I pulled out my gun within seconds and shot him, finally ending the hell that I was put through by him. I thought that I'd be comforted by his death but all I felt was an empty hole in the place where I once had a heart. 

My brother was dead.

I was alone.

*******************

I was sat along a bonfire, just a couple of hours after killing Tyler. A bottle of whiskey was in my hands and everyone was sat telling stories about the good times, and the bad. 

" Oh god, remember when the twins first met Astrid "Specialities in explosives, electronics and women. " I was cringing so much." I laughed, taking a small sip of my drink. The liquid burnt my throat but I didn't care, it numbed the pain of my lost heart. 

" I swear, I mentally face-palmed around a hundred times when we all met her." Tay giggled, his giggling causing some of his drink to spill onto the floor. He was the happiest that I'd seen him in a long time. Maybe it was because Tyler was dead, maybe it was because of the empty bottles of vodka lay around his feet. Who knows.

" Or when Sawyer ended up with a knife stuck in his back and a dagger in his leg. He could never walk the same way again." I chuckled, my eyes fixed on the bonfire. The combination of flames was the only thing that I could focus on. It was violent and vicious as the flames battled for dominance and survival.

" Hey!" Sawyer hiccuped. " It wasn't my fault!"

A snort came from the side of me, Jude stared at Sawyer with an amused expression. " How'd you end up getting stabbed?"

" It was hilarious." I smiled. " We had a 13 year old knife specialist in our gang called Devil, short for Devlin but nobody ever spoke about it in case we'd end up like Sawyer. God, I remember the exact day that it happened. I just came back from the shop and walked into Addy trying to stop Sawyers leg bleeding and Shae lay on the floor laughing. Devil came back into the room with another knife and went to stab Sawyer again but Dylan managed to stop him. It was only 2 weeks after I'd brought him home."

" Wait hang on." Jacoby interrupted. " You got stabbed by a 13 year old?" He asked in disbelief.

" I was sevente-"

" OH MY GOD SAYWER HAYNES GOT STABBED BY A CHILD." Jacoby screamed loudly before collapsing into a fit of giggles. I soon followed as Sawyer scowled at him.

" Oh my god." Saywer moaned, clutching his head. " He was dangerous."

" Sorry but I have to agree with Sawyer on this." I held my hands up in mock surrender. " Devil was one of the best kids I've ever taught. He had to survive on his own for the majority of his life. He knew how to defend himself. Not even I could control him."

" Arry could." Taylor slurred, smiling to himself.

" Yeah she could." I took another swig. " Astrid stopped him from killing Jayce. I don't know how but she did."

" Becca hated her at first." I admitted, looking straight at Taylor. " She hated Astrid because she couldn't stay in line. We both knew about her sneaking out, she was rebellious and Bex hated it. Astrid knew too, she knew that Becca didn't like her."

" She was reckless." I said, the flames of the fire catching my eyes. " She always had that rebellious streak. I think she was the only one of us that actually remembered that we were just kids."

" She was like fire." I continued, moving my eyes so I caught Taylor's. " She could burn brightly and vibrantly into any pitch black night. She was energetic and fierce and reckless and strong and warm. She couldn't do everything but she believed she could be anything. She was passionate and a little bit hot-headed, sometimes a little dangerous but she had a pure heart, which is more that could've been said for most of us." Taylor's stared at me, his eyes flickering with recognition at the statement.

" They were the best years of my life." Saywer whispered, sending out a small grin.

Taylor raised his glass, "Here's to the nights we felt alive."

" Cheers."

*.*.*.*.*.*

Hi everyone! 

So this is the second to last chapter! :( But don't worry, I have an announcement coming soon!

And I'll be publishing my new book on Wednesday so please look out for that!

Thank you all for reading this story!

Lotta love, 

Laska xx