Roses & Guns

7. A Deal with the Deviless

< Anastasia

(Ashton's P.O.V.)

"Have a nice day." I smiled at the customer as I handed over their order. They smiled back and disappeared out of the doors just as Liam walked in.

"I thought you were working today?" I asked him, because Liam skipping work was highly unlikely.

"I was, got a break so I came here. You've been avoiding me and we have some things to clarify," he explained.

Yeah. Clarification.

Exactly what I wanted from the ever so charming Anastasia.

"I don't know what to say to you," I told him honestly.

"Why did they let us go, Ashton, despite knowing that I'm a witness to one of their murders? Why do you want me to shut up? Are they blackmailing you with something? We could go to the police!"

Of course, the police. The clearly sensible choice if you ever witness a murder. Not so much if your dead parents happened to have an unknown history with the killers.

"What would it be, Ashton? Answers or cops?" She had given me a choice, and being the not-so-sensible person I am, I obviously chose the former. Seems like I was more hung up on my parents than I thought.

"You'll get me in trouble for talking during work, Liam."

"But—"

"Just trust me on this okay? I know what a murder is, and I know its severity but there are things that are more important, so just trust me on this, please." I knew how wrong I was. I knew that my parents had been long dead now and I knew that it wasn't my place to decide if someone getting killed was more important or not. I knew I had no right over other people's life and I knew how selfish it was to trade justice for someone's life with secrets. But currently I was the one making the choice and I wanted answers.

I really wanted him to understand, I really did. He was my best friend. The four of us were a group, tough as a cookie. I couldn't do this without them.

He didn't answer for a while. After glaring at me forever, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. But know that I'm here for you okay?  You can tell me anything."

I smiled at him gratefully. I knew I could tell him anything, I just didn't know what to say. Was trying to know about your dead parents an excuse worthy enough to let a murder slip?

It was obvious that he was freaking out on the inside. After witnessing a murder, who wouldn't? But he was trying to hold it in for me and I didn't know how to ever thank him for that. He probably thought my life was on the line or something. Liam wasn't too strong at holding back emotions, we all pampered him like that, he was the baby of our group, never needing to deal with things on his own. But now he couldn't talk about it to anyone other than me, and I wasn't even a good option considering I was deliberately avoiding having to talk. Ivory was his basic support system, and having to hide stuff from her? There was no guarantee of how long it would take before he broke. I felt miserable doing this to him. Awfully miserable. But then my parents' faces would pop in my head again and assure me that what I was doing was right.