The Path to Love

Chapter 5

I got to the building and hopped out of my car. The thing about the gang I'm in is, we're dangerous, but no one at school knows about it. Besides Xavier. Which surprises me. How do people at school manage to not know about Riverside? Maybe they're involved with the Boars. Who knows?

The Riverside Gang. I got involved in this gang by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, literally, and for having a good heart. I was out walking one night because I was angry. Mom was yelling at me for sleeping with her best friends' daughter and was telling me I couldn't keep it in my pants. She's not wrong but I didn't want her to know that, so we fought. I stormed off pissed and was walking around my suburb for a while. When I was walking through an alleyway, I happened to walk in on a drug deal gone bad. Three of the members were beating up some dude. I tried to beat them off him, but it was three against one and well you can assume the rest. I woke up at their headquarters and they told me I could join, or they'd kill me. The choice was rather obvious.

I like being involved with Riverside, it's a sense of family that I never had, and I get to smash people's faces in. it's a win-win for everyone. No, I don't kill people and I don't hide bodies. That's not my job. I just get the goods and if they don't deliver, I get to remind them what they owe, with my fists. Other people in the group deal with the killing and shit like that. I'm not invested in it like everyone else, plus I'm still in high school.

"Anything new N?" I ask, walking in. N lives there permanently. So, do a few of the other guys. Xav and I don't because we're still in high school, but once we graduate, we're expected to move in. Another thing, we all go by the first letter of our first name. So far, there hasn't been anyone who has the same letter with someone else. I think they purposefully do that, so things don't conflict, but whatever. I don't know anyone's first names besides Xavier. I guess we all like the secrecy aspect of it.

"Niles still won't give us our fucking money."

"How much does he owe?"

"10 grand," he replied.

"Do you want me to go straighten him out?"

"We've been keeping an eye on him, right now it seems he's in hot with the Boars, too. We're waiting for their move."

The Boars Gang. Our main competition in this town. They're ruthless and will kill without a second thought. We're known to be a little lenient but once we're done, we're done. People usually prefer to deal with us, but the Boars are pretty good at getting their own deals, too.

"Yo, H, what happened to your knuckles?"

I looked over at J who was giving me a look-over. "I got into a fight at school," I replied, bored.

"Did someone steal your Mars bar again?" He replied, taunting me.

"Tried to force himself on a friend at a party actually. Decided to teach him a lesson." I retorted. They all fucking think I'm a pussy. They don't know me here at all.

"That Sam chick?" N spoke up and said.

"Yup," I replied.

"Have you banged her yet? Or is she available?" J asked me.

"X made a bet with me to do it, it's a work in progress." I lied, winking at them. I avoided his second question. Over my dead body would she be getting involved with a gang member. It's bad enough she associates with me, but then again, she doesn't know about my activities.

Another tip...never let anyone in a gang know how much someone means to you. It could come back to bite you in the ass. Which it has to a few people here. They all got their revenge for it, but it cost them dearly.

"I'm heading to the gym," I replied walking away.

"We might have a job for you later, keep your phone on." N replied.

Walking into the gym, I had my eyes set on the boxing equipment. Perfect for releasing anger and perfect for working the core.

I wrapped my knuckles in tape and started hitting the punching bag. I hissed in a breath as my right-hand knuckles hit the bag first because the knuckles were already cut open. It didn't take long for my knuckles to adjust to the pain. After some time passed, I started to get warm, so I took off my shirt.

I just kept punching, kicking, hitting the punching bag until I had nothing left to give. By the time I was done, I was panting and exhausted. Sweat was pouring down all over my body. I was content.

I took a quick shower and went home. It was almost 7:30 by the time I got home, and I knew a text would be coming in from the guys soon, so I relaxed on the couch. I wasn't hungry, so I didn't bother making myself anything to eat.

It was quiet without Sam here. I was already starting to miss her, but I wasn't going to tell her that. I'm going to wait until she calms down or whatever. She should see it through my side, I stood by and watched her go through all that pain. I don't know why I just didn't get the gang to kill her uncle while he's in jail. She would never have to worry about him again. She'd be free.

That's it. Why didn't I think about that sooner? I'm in a gang for fucks sake.

Her uncle needs to be killed.

She would be free from everything. Her past, her future, her worries regarding him, everything would become much simpler. It would be so easy.

Best part is, it would never come back to me.