Ride Or Die | Book #1 ✓

Chapter 40

"You know Aspen I'm not exactly happy about this." Aster narrowed his eyes at me as he leaned up against the door frame of my bedroom, watching me finish packing up my suitcase. I rolled my eyes as I forced the zipper shut as my clothes were stuffed in it.

"I'm going to 18 in two days, Aster. Plus I'll be with Pierce the entire time, Xander is going too." I added, trying to convince Aster I was going to be okay going to Portland and Seattle by myself without him being on top of me. It had been a week since we bought the tickets and it's been a fight with Aster since I've told him.

"Oh right, not like a rival gang is after you or anything. But no let's go across the country when you've been involved in two shootings in the past month." Aster said sarcastically, earning a look from Evangeline. Evangeline let out a sigh as she turned her attention towards me and pulled me into a hug.

"Just be safe, ok?" She hugged me tightly as I returned the hug back "And call if you need anything at all, I'll try and occupy Mr. Worry over here while you're gone. And have a good birthday." 

"I will, thanks, Evangeline." I smiled as I pulled away. They helped me grab my bags as we made our way downstairs where Pierce had been waiting for me to finish up the packing that I waited last minute to do. Pierce grabbed my suitcase and nodded his head towards the door, signaling we had to go in order to catch our flight on time. 

I sighed as I looked over to Aster, who was still very against me going to Oregon. I understood his reasons why, he was right there was a gang out against me but I couldn't just completely stop living my life because of it. Plus it wasn't the best idea to go across the country with Mr. Gunner who has his own personal creepiness towards me. 

"Promise you'll call every day?" Aster narrowed his green eyes at me I nodded in response before he pulled me into a very tight hug. I wrapped my arms back around him before pulling away. Aster looked over to Pierce with a stern face "If anything happens to her, I'll kill you myself." 

"Got it." Pierce nodded in agreement before looking at me "Ready to go?"

"Definitely." I smiled, slinging a backpack over my shoulder as I big my goodbyes to Evangeline and Aster as we walked outside towards the car. I threw my things in the trunk and got into the passenger seat while Pierce took off down the road, heading towards the airport. 

"Aster really seems to trust me," Pierce commented, glancing over to me before looking back at the road as he kept one hand on the steering wheel. "He's just worried because of everything that has been going on." I shrugged slightly in response. Aster had no reason to not trust Pierce after he was the one to save my life due to Archer's sicko plan, but he was just doing what older brothers do best. 

"Imagine it was Reese or June in my position, you wouldn't be thrilled either that your little sister was going across the country when she was most wanted by a gang that has now caused two mass shootings." I tried to put in perspective for Pierce, he was an older brother and I knew how protective he was of his sisters. 

"Yeah, the day Reese joins is the day I'm going to have a heart attack." Pierce let out a sigh, shaking his head at the thought. Reese was 13, she had only three years left until she was officially allowed to join Crestmont. I knew Reese was going to give Xander and Archer a run for their money with the sass she had. 

"Well, she's definitely going to give them a run for the money." I chuckled at Pierce's worriedness about Reese becoming a Crestmont. "More like a run into the ground." Pierce corrected, sarcasm filling his tone. 

"So I know as Gunner's you all have to join Crestmont at age 16 from tradition, but if someone in the gang has kids are they also required to join the gang?" I asked curiously, not knowing if once you were in Crestmont it meant your family would forever be in Crestmont as it got passed on generation through generation.