Imagine Us

Chapter 24: Eye For An Eye

"I knew it." I whispered. "I knew it was going to happen." I managed to say through my shaky voice.

"No, Alexa, stop." He shook his head and spoke slowly. "It has nothing to do with you. I promise. Just let me explain."

"Don't lie!"

He took a few steps towards me slowly and carefully. "Alexa, we haven't been going to meet-ups to discuss any way to even hurt you. You have to believe me."

...

There was a long pause between us. Caiden looked really genuine. But still...

I spoke up quietly. "You've killed people?" My voice trembled.

He looked down in defeat and sighed. "I've been meaning to talk to you about it." I cupped my mouth and looked away in horror. "I know I should have told you way earlier. I was meant to do it last week after I drank but I couldn't just bring up that."

Trying to completely ignore about how special that night was, I came back to the original topic. "I'm not stupid, Caiden. You're in a gang for goodness sake. I expected violence but...but ten people?" I asked with much sadness in my voice.

"Oh shit, okay, no, Alexa. Listen to me. Chase was over-exaggerating. I've - I - ... seven people." He gave in. He didn't seem proud of it as of this moment but it didn't help his case whatsoever. One would have already been too much but seven? I was going to lose it if I had seen him kill Riley.

"Oh my God." I mumbled under my breath and began to pace.

"I know that doesn't make things any better... I'll give you all the details."

I gritted my teeth. "And why would you want to tell me? Why does it matter whether I know or not?" I spoke with much venom in my voice.

"Because now, I actually need you to trust me." He had a defeated look on his face - the most I've seen out of him.

I was shocked by that statement and taken by surprise.

I folded my arms and took a deep breath. "Okay, go tell me." I said as if hurrying him on.

Caiden sighed. "Beginning of last year..." he began. "I was caught in the crossfire between a Brotherhood and Corleone shoot-off." He spoke slowly. "I was supposed to stay in the van but then I saw Michael, my uncle, Jonathan's father, getting outnumbered so despite his orders earlier, I got out of the car and shot three Brotherhood guys dead to help him out." I listened intently. We escaped the rest of their gang uninjured." He sighed and put his hands in his pant pockets. He looked down. "A few months later, we were ambushed by the Brotherhood at our previous hideout which was in an underground tunnel in the city." He looked back up at me with the same, disappointed expression. "They followed Riley who didn't disguise himself properly when he went out." I gasped. "There was about ten of them and there was only Chase, Noah, Jonathan, Michael and I at the scene. Noah had already had a bad gunshot wound on his arm so I forced him and Jonathan to leave. The gang set the whole place on fire. Chase managed to bring down two guys and Michael one before he was shot multiple times. He - he -" He looked down and took a deep breath.

I could tell this was hurting him and I actually felt so sorry.

I walked up to him. "Caiden -"

"You have the right to know." I sighed and much to his surprise, I gently pulled his arm to sit down beside me. He leaned forward and looked down. "I told Chase to get Michael out of the scene. I remember getting so fucking angry in a split second. I got out from where I covered myself and I just - I just kept shooting and shooting. I didn't care anymore that there was fire all around me and they were shooting at me. I just wanted them all dead. I managed to kill the four remaining. I was fucking raging. I was then pushed out of the way of a falling pillar by Chase and we ran to the van where Jonathan tended to Noah and Michael. The look on Jonathan's face,...it - it..." He blew through his mouth. "I hated myself for it." He stared coldly into space. "We tried to put pressure on the wounds but he just bled out like crazy. The last thing he said to me was that I was ready to take over and that he's proud of me." He scoffed. "It was like a movie - saying his last words and all. He then spoke to Jonathan. He was, umm, he was inconsolable. And then...he, uhh -"