Ride Or Die | Book #1 ✓

Chapter 42

"Just the usual shit." Pierce shrugged, leaning back in his chair as he looked across the table to Amelia "You know, prison record, suspension, family issues."

"What were you arrested for?" Lana looked at me with concern that she was hearing my new boyfriend had a prison record. Her eyes flickered from mine to Pierce as she laid her arms on the table and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Which time?" Pierce retorted and I closed my eyes shut tightly, not surprised Pierce would say something just like that. "Ok, how about you Lana? I mean how has everything been with Gavin?" I changed the subject immediately, bringing up one of Lana's crushes that she had for years on end.

"Oh you know, same old same old. He just got back with Jessica though so you know how that goes." She let out a deep sigh but her eyes soon widened in realization "I completely forgot to tell you, but it was reported that Cayde was temporarily arrested for gang violence."

"Lana!" Peyton shot her a glare "Why would you bring him up! We all agreed to not say anything."

I sat up straight, fixing my posture as the realization of keeping everything a secret was going to be harder than I thought. There was a rule about Crestmont and when someone was told about Crestmont they became a threat to themselves, as any rival gang would go after anyone who knew the smallest details about the gang. I wanted to tell them everything about Cayde and how he's been making my life a living nightmare, but I knew I couldn't.

"Hello, my name is Serena. How may I help you guys today?" A server with dark black hair and golden brown eyes, dressed in black dress pants with a white blouse and a black apron tied around her waist approached us. She pulled out her notepad, hovering the pen over the paper as she waited for us to give our orders. 

We had already been served our drinks by another server who brought over a tray of water with a pitcher in the middle of the table. I stared down at my glass, twirling the straw in the glass as I zoned out from reality. I began to think about Cayde and when I had seen him last, not being able to get seeing him out of my head. 

"Aspen." Pierce snapped me out of my thoughts, making my eyes snap over to the server Serena "Oh, sorry I'll have the filet mignon." I said bluntly as I folded up the menu and handed it back to her. Everyone gave me a confused look, being able to tell I had been off but I knew Pierce knew why I had been and that it was about Cayde.

"Nice going, Lana." Nolan rolled her eyes at her, as he leaned back in his chair and gave her an Are-You-Serious look. "What?" Lana said defensively "I figured she'd be happy to hear he got arrested, even if it was only temporary."

I was happy that Cayde had gotten arrested temporarily but hearing them say he was found to be involved with gang violence, made it all more real. I had known that Cayde was involved with gangs now as some way to get back at me but hearing it out of Crestmont had made it surreal. 

"What gang?" Pierce spoke up, rubbing his clenched jaw as he stared intently back at Lana. She pushed her blonde curled hair behind her shoulders as she furrowed her brows together "I can't quite remember, V..Vi-Vip..Vipers, that's what it is."

"Vipers?" I whispered, my body going into shock the more I thought about it. I looked over to Pierce with a face of worry as I knew this just got a whole lot worse "So he's not working with the Coinstons..." 

Cayde wasn't working with the Coinstons, which was somehow even worse. He was involved with a gang named the Vipers which I could only assume was a west coast based gang. If Cayde wasn't working with the Coinston's that meant I now had not one but two gangs after me..the Coinstons and The Vipers. 

My anxiety started to spike and I felt like I was going to suffocate while I drowned in my thoughts. Pierce's hand squeezed my leg, making me snap out of my thoughts as he leaned into my ear to whisper. "Don't worry about it right now, we will talk about it later," Pierce reassured and I could tell he was worried but was putting it aside for now. He just wanted me to enjoy my birthday and not have to worry about being chased after by gangs.