Guns and Roses

Twenty ~ Rya

I feel the rage start to fade as we drive home. Kira and Reggie haven't said a word since we left Angels and I'm starting to wonder if I permanently scarred them.

"I didn't think it would be too bad tonight" I tell them honestly. Usually, it doesn't get too rowdy until closer to midnight.

Kira chuckles "It's okay. I just can't wrap my head around how you can work there"

I laugh "Neither can I" Reggie cracks a smile too and the mood starts to lift "But, Liam knew my mum from way back and offered me a job years ago"

I hum along to the song playing and then Kira starts singing along. Quinn joins in and I have to laugh at his dramatic, over-exaggerated dance moves.

We pull into my parents' street and I see Reggie's face go a few shades paler as he spots the house. It's pretty obvious as to which ones there because there's a pissed off police officer sitting on their doorstep.

I park up in the driveway and spin to face them. "Look. You have nothing to be afraid of. My parents are a little bit weird but they're harmless"

I get out of the car and the police officers head lifts "Hello Rya. You brought friends home. Has that been authorized?"

I laugh at him "Come on Freddie. I'll let you in"

A grin grows on his face and he gets to his feet. "The dog hasn't been going mental at the door so I'm going to guess that Guerriero took it out"

I nod and pull my keys from my back pocket "Probably" The others have caught up and I gesture to Freddie "This is my mum's ex" I say.

He scowls at me "I'm also here to check in on her and make sure there aren't anyone in here that isn't meant to be"

I pat his chest and then unlock the door. "Poor Freddie. You can't even get in"

I open the door and can immediately hear mum singing from the shower upstairs. She's belting out some tune from a few years ago. After she got out, she was convinced that she was going to catch up on everything she missed and is currently working her way through every number one for the past thirteen years or so.

We all go into the living room and then a thud from upstairs makes Kira jump. "FUCK!" Mum screeches mid-song. "Shit! Shit! OW! What the fucking shit!"

I roll my eyes "Drink anyone?" I ask. Quinn laughs and has a seat on the couch. Nobody wants anything so I sit beside him.

Freddie sits in Karma's armchair and rests his elbows on his knees. "You heard about this documentary that's on tomorrow?" He asks me.

I shake my head "What's it about?"

He smirks "Your mother" I raise an eyebrow "Well, all of us really. It's all about how Chris became a big boss, Kat became one of the best lawyers in the country, I became a police detective and your mother... well, you know the story"

"What you saying Frederick?" A voice says from the doorway. I turn and see mum standing there with a grin in her face and in a blue fluffy dressing gown. "Oh Rya, you have friends round"

I nod "They wanted to ask you and Dad about organised crime"

Mum looks shocked and starts to laugh "Sure. I think I can handle a few questions. Just let me go get dressed" she turns to go back up the stairs but stops. "Oh look, Viktor's back just in time"

"Did you know they found Rob's camera?" Freddie calls after mum that makes her freeze again "It's got everything on it. From the very beginning until the day we got out"

Mum purses her lips and then nods "Oh" she says and then turns to walk up the stairs.

The door opens and Dad walks in with a scowl on his face. He sees me and his face relaxes "I thought someone had broken in" he says.

I get to my feet. Dad and Freddie in the same room was never pretty. "We're going to go upstairs, get some questions ready and then we'll come back down. Ok?"

The four of us rush up to my room and get all of our stuff out to start. I hear the slam as Freddie leaves and then Mum going down the stairs.

We sit for an hour or so, talking about mob mentality and everything that we already know.

"Viktor!" Mum screams "Put me down or I swear to god I'll stab you!"

There's a yelp of pain from my dad "Fuck! What the fuck Bella?"

I stamp my foot on the ground "Guys! Shut up!"

Quinn frowns at me "Did your mum just stab your dad?"

I shrug. Honestly it's a possibility. I go into mum and dad's room and look around under their bed for the box. When I find it, I carry it carefully back through to my room.

I place it on the bed. It's a simple red velvet box. It's old, it was Lisa's when she was my age. The little gold clasp is fragile so I'm careful when I open it.

Inside, is a collection of photos. I pick the first one up to see a young woman sitting on a wall by a beach. Her long blonde hair is covered by a sun hat. I hand it to Kira "That's my grandmother" I tell her. I pull out another one to see the same woman standing next to a smaller red headed woman. The next is the blonde woman holding a small baby with a head of dark hair.

The final one, is of a group of five children. They're all about ten or eleven years old. A girl with red hair stands at the front, her face angry. A similar looking boy stands behind her, a proud smirk on his face. A small skinny boy stands beside them and has a healing black eye. Another boy has a protective arm around the small boy but a smile on his face. It's my father. The last boy stands slightly off from the others. Taller and broader than the others, his face serious. Oliver. He saved my life.

They're only children. They didn't deserve the life they got.