Scars

Chapter 10

“I have a bloody target painted on my fucking back!”

For the second time this night, I felt a mind numbing fear take control of my mind. Along with anger.

“Prin-”

  I cut off Jayden with a punch, aiming for his perfect jaw, but he blocks it. He takes hold of my other hand too, and turns them behind my back and locks me close to him.

  “What else did you expect when you killed of a man that was involved with two different and dangerous gangs?” He spits out the words, the words as harsh as the truth in them.

  My breath, however, is still troubled. Tears prick behind my eyes and I close my eyes to reign in the despair, swallowing audibly. Feeling a bit of pressure on my forehead, I open them again to see his face closer to mine.
His forehead resting on mine, his blue eyes staring into my grey ones.

  “Why did you do it?” He whispered.

  “He… I saw him once beating his daughter and from then on I kept an eye on him. It got clear that the beatings and verbal abuse was not a onetime thing. I went there that day, to scare him into never hurting her again… but I saw him raping her. I- I snapped.”

  Jayden’s eyes hardened slightly.

  “He was sicker than I knew.”

I hum, feeling more in control again. Before I can pull away and start planning the next move, Jayden pulls me closer, releasing his hold on my hands and wrapping his arms around me. He hugs me close to him, his head on my shoulder. I tense in disbelieve, opening my mouth but again being interrupted.
“I… God, I still can’t believe you are still here. After that note you left, and the female body we got from the location your note told us… why would you do that my Princess? Why the location we planned for Marcus? Why that day? Why did you not contact me if you were okay?”

I let him hold me for a while, not answering as I mull over what he said. I know they found a body at the burn location, Chris planted it to make sure that the gang never finds the truth. What troubles me is the constant mention of the note.

  And then there is the fact that none of the events before and after show that he really wanted me dead.

  I pull back.

  He lets me go, only to stare at me for a few minutes and then stepping back, calling someone and leaving the kitchen, where we have been standing for the past few minutes.

  I take that moment to take out my phone and see the time again.

  3:47 a.m.

  I groan, dialling Ryker’s number, knowing that I will have shit ton to explain. I already know I am about to hear an earful from Chris too. Informing him is important, but I can’t have him here because I know for a fact that if Jayden learns how Chris knew about me and was still in contact with me… I don’t even want to think about what will happen.

  Ryker picks up his phone. Keeping the details minimum, I ask him to come over as soon as possible.

  Jayden returns just as I hang up, speaking in his deep voice, “I asked Michael to use the level 8 members to check if what he said was true. I don’t want to trust him just like that.”

  I nod in response, feeling an incoming headache already. Sleep is the last thing on my mind, though, I know I will have to go back to my bed to make it normal for Abby.

  God! Going to college is the last place I want to be right now.

  “What is it?” He asks again, keeping his phone on the kitchen island and then making his way to his refrigerator.

  “I am thinking what I will do if it is true. I mean, if it is a price target, it means that organised –unorganised, small –big, all of them will try their luck…” I hesitate, turning away from him, hearing him shuffle through something, “There is no telling when or where the next attack happen.”

  “Lynnie,” his husky voice calling me the name he used for years made me yearn to seek comfort in his arms, “If what he said is true, I will declare you under my protection. None of those mentioned fuckers will even try to do anything to you.”

  I turn around to grill him on his sudden kindness, but I come face to face with a cup of cookie n crème ice-cream, three scoops with a chocolate stick.

  My eyes widen in surprise.

  Looking back up to him, he smiles that small, barely there smile that makes him look hotter than ever.

  Really, Ashlyn Greene, hotter? You spent last couple of years hating him… remember?

  “W-Wha- I-”

  Hearing me hesitate, he chuckles, “I know your comfort food Lynnie, just because we have unsolved issues and a bit of danger, doesn’t mean I can’t provide you with a bit of comfort.”

  Fuck. Me.

  What do I do?

  I mutter a thanks in response and take it, changing the topic, “I called Ryker and asked him to come, he may bring Ace along.”

  He tenses, before nodding. His phone vibrates and he looks at me one more time before going to pick it up and leave to talk to him. I take a spoonful of the soothing dessert and take it in, almost moaning in delight at the taste.


  A ping on my phone alerts me, snapping me out of my thoughts and ice cream. Taking it out from my back pocket, I took a look at the message Ry sent me, telling me that he is outside my apartment. I grimace lightly, knowing that the two will not react nicely to me being here with Jayden.

  And I will have to explain to them about how I know him.

  I reply, telling him that I am coming in a minute and keep the used utensil in the sink and leave the kitchen. I find Jayden in the living room, still on his phone, though the casual Jayden from before is now replaced by the Gang Leader Jayden Elliot Carter.

  Deciding to keep the matter of my heart on pause for a while, I pass him and open the front door and peek out.
My two friends stood in sweats and hoodies, leaning on the wall behind. I hiss, gaining their attention in seconds and motion them to follow me. I turn around and step inside, hiding my face so as to avoid their eyes holding questions.

  “Ash, what the in the bloody fuck are you doing here?”

Before I can answer to Ace’s question, Jayden steps out of the living room and I close my eyes in exasperation, wishing I was anywhere but here as I felt glares coming from my friends.

“Michael will be here in half to take the man, you can use the living room to inform your friends about today.”

Jayden turns and leaves, still in his boss mode. I sigh heavily, “Follow guys, I have a lot to tell you all.”

“Yeah you definitely do. Why are you with him? Here? Actually what is he doing here?”

“Ry, sit down first. Both of you.”

I gesture them to sit, which they do before I wipe my suddenly clammy hands on my shorts. I have no idea how to go about this, but decide to tell them as much as I can without any involvement of emotions. I take a seat on the arm of the love seat before speaking.

“Jayden and I, we have been friends from my first grade. His younger sister was my best friend-”

“-The one that had an accident and died five years ago.” Ace interrupted, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“Yes. That’s what happened. It actually happened right in front of both of us. I, Sarah was standing right next to me and,” tears well up in my eyes as I recall that day and I look up to stop them from falling down my cheeks, “The car hit her and it was the time when Jay had joined the gang some months back. Anyway, for some reason Jayden and I have not been in contact, though with Kane matter, he found about me obviously. As you can see, I am in no trouble from your gang for it, though I didn’t tell you this because I didn’t want you all to treat me differently.”

“Alright… so how come he is here? And what are you doing here at this time?” Ryker asks passively, a little too cold for my liking.

Confused at his sudden behaviour, I frown at his but continue.

“About that. Jayden bought this building as an investment, but the contract mentioned him living here for some months to get acquainted to the regulars. And to answer your second question, I had an attack happen in my place tonight.”

“WHAT!?”

I wince at the sudden loud voice, giving them both a sheepish smile as they look at me in disbelieve.

“How the hell did it happe-”

“What about Abby?”

Ace looked positively tense as Ryker asks about Abby.

“She is fine. She has no idea that something like this have happened. Three men, amateurs, two of them are dead. One by me and Jay killed the other one, the last one is currently in the guestroom of this apartment where we interrogated him… turns out, the other gang has made me a price target. These were the first ones to try claim that.”

They both sit still for a moment, processing everything. I understand that they would need some time, it is a lot considering they had half a night’s sleep.

“What about Mr. Ryland? He is gonna help?” Ace inquires, his burrows still in a frown that they have set themselves in from the start of the conversation. Not that I blame him or something.

“Yeah… but from afar. Lets just say that Jayden won’t take it well if he got to know about me and Chris being in contact.” When I say this, all I can think of how bad things would go if Jay finds the truth of Chris knowing that I was well and alive.

I shudder, shaking my head slightly to make the horrid thoughts disappear.

“I can’t believe Abby slept through it.” Ace breathes out, a chuckle following it turning the mood lighter instantly as we three think about the girl that is the weakness of all of us. There is no doubt in any of our minds, that if it ever comes to the point where she is threatened, even Keith will start using weapons to save her.

She is the sunshine that we all needed in our lives, and the one year that we all have been together feels like we have known her for all our lives.

“So, when do we tell her?” I ask, wanting to know what they have to say.

“She is not going to like how each one of has been lying for the past year… I hope she likes us enough to forgive us.”

I hum, agreeing with Ryker as Ace nods. We all know we need her, it’s just scary to think she may not want to be our friend again.

“I will tell Jayden that we are leaving, you guys can go to my place and probably call the others and update them. Then we all will go to college today as normally as we can. But we tell her about it as soon as possible. Okay?”

I stand up not waiting for their replies, knowing they will agree. It’s not like we have another choice in this matter. 

I find Jayden in his room, his shirtless back towards me as he stands next to a wooden desk, leaning over to look at something. A large, tribal tattoo adorning his left shoulder and arm. I knock on the door, not wanting to gawk at his well build back and the mystic ink.

The knock serves its purpose as he turns around swiftly.

I struggle to control my breath, forcing my eyes to look at the floor. Though the few seconds it took me to do so were enough to print his defined and muscular torso in my head. I clear my throat, pushing the image in the back of my head before addressing him.

“Jay, we are going back to my place. I have informed them already and we will tell Abby as soon as possible. But we are going to be late at college so… bye.”

I turned on my heel, hearing his deep voice call me but I pick up my pace and leave, closing the door behind me with a slam.

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Love, Rupanshi.