The Gang Leader's Best Friend

Chapter Four

It wasn't like the movies at all. Men sitting around a poker table in dim lighting, with smoke filling the room as they drink while talking about how they cheat on their wives and dispose of any guy who gets in their way. Maybe I've seen Casino and Goodfellas too many times.

I felt as if I just stepped into a movie scene. It was like a whole house business on one floor. What once was a cement parking garage turned into the ultimate getaway. There were at least ten rooms lining the entire room, all with different doors and served different functions. The middle area was interesting. There was a small kitchen on the back wall with a dining room table, a living room set up with a pool table in the middle of the room, and then a conference table closest to me. There were five rooms on each side, each looking twice the size of my bedroom or bigger. The room was lit up by industrial lights hanging from beams and a skylight letting in the mid morning sunlight. There was people scattered amongst the entire building, with a brunette girl sitting on one of the couches sharpening a knife, two blonde boys standing in the kitchen, and a blonde girl standing right in front of us, "Hi Xavier, Hi boys," as her eyes switched onto me, "Hi girl I've never met before."

Shyness crept over me, as I gave a slight wave. Xavier's voice deepened and boomed across the entire building; it felt like, "Everybody! Time for a meeting!"

Suddenly people started coming out of different rooms and from different directions. The girl from the couch moved to the left of the end seat, a couple guys came out of the second room on the left, the boys in the kitchen came and took their seats. While lost in my midst of people watching, everyone took a seat, even my brothers. I was the only one standing, when I felt the urge to vomit rise up in my throat. Xavier was sitting at the end seat of the table all the way to the right. The seat next to his right is empty. That must be Zach's seat. The brunette girl is sitting next to him, sending daggers in my direction. And she must be Eden. Xavier's mood changed into a serious tone, "Ladies. Gentlemen. As many as you know, Zach was injured yesterday during the raid."

Watching everyone at the table, I noticed Eden tense up as her eyes were no longer on me, they were on the table. Xavier kept talking, "Don't worry. He's at home, safe and healthy. But in exchange, we have a new member. Meet Ariel Collins, the girl of the Collins family."

All eyes were on me, as I realized my arms were folded. Giving a slight wave, I feel tension in the room grow. Eden finally speaks, as she seems distant yet unhappy, "Why is she here? We don't need any more members, Xavier."

Xavier looks to her with stern eyes and straight eyes, "Are you the boss, Eden? Do you get to decide if we need any more members?"

She looks like she wishes to argue, but fights against it. She looks at me, even more unhappy as she does the first time she acknowledges my existence. Xavier's face changed, as he looked at me with a sincere reassurance, "Ariel, I'd like to introduce you to everyone."

Acknowledging starting to his left, "This is Eden. Next to her is Grayson and Emerson. Across from them is Gunner, Knox, and Mac. Of course, the rest you know because you live with them."

Everyone softly chortled, including me, "Hi, I'm Ariel. It's really nice to meet you all."

I got a bunch of mumbled hellos and greetings, then Xavier stood up, "Everyone, go back to what you were doing. I'll give you a tour of the building."

Everyone stood up, and Xavier approached me. He gave me a soft smile, "They will warm up to you eventually. They are kind of cold."

Laughing away the awkward, "To be expected when you join a gang."

We started walking towards the first door to the left. It was a room with walls covered in bunk beds. There were about twelve beds in the room, as Xavier began to explain, "This is where people stay for whatever they want. We've got enough beds for everyone."