He eases up and takes a deep breath, looking down. "I'm suppose to be dead, Riley. Over and over. I'm suppose to be dead. Ever since... people... found out I'm surviving gun shots, being stabbed, and tortured, they want to kill me. They want to test...
"I witnessed his dad shoot him..." Slade doesn't take his eyes off me.
"He's the cop that rushed me to the hospital..." I push my eyebrows together.
Riley gasps. "Dad... is this the boy you were searching for four years ago?" Riley asks.
Slade nods. "Yea"
"Holy shit" other guys and a girl walks up.
"What are you doing here?" Slade asks.
I try to form words, but Riley cuts me off. "I bumped into him at school... he's uh... going throng a lot. So I offered our help" she says softly.
"Thought you didn't want help? Thought you had your little family?" Slade raises an eyebrow.
I sigh. "I was a clueless fourteen year old who thought I was safe"
"And what happened?" he crosses his arms.
"Well turns out all they want is me dead" I say fast and in anger.
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"I told youuuu" Slade smirks.
"Slade" the girl smacks him. "We will gladly help you, Scar! I'm Beth! Rileys mom!"
"Thorn, Slades dad" the tall guy my height says.
"Ethan" a guy with brown hair says.
"Dallas" the one with black hair adds.
"Wait... so you're Riley Archer?" I turn to Riley and she nods with a smile. "Oh... that's what you meant when you said you have a chaotic family..."
Slade wraps his arm around my shoulders. "What's going on with you?" he asks.
"Same as four years ago. Gangs and mafias want me dead and one gang is after Kehlani at this minute. And my so called friends told them where I was. Before they tortured me, hence my face. I escaped in time as they raised that knife up to my heart, and Riles over here gave me your address in case I needed help. And I didn't want it. This was my last resort... but I really need it. But I didn't know she was an Archer" I trail off.
"Well you came to the right place" Dallas says.
"Do you have a home?" Ethan asks.
I shake my head. "No, i don't have parents. I was living with my friends, until this of course"
"You can live with us" Slade lets go of me and I look at him with a big smile.