Loving a Dangerous Life (editing)

Chapter 26 - Tats

"Jams what are you going to get?" I asked, peeking over at the design sheet he has in his hand.

"I think this one on my back." He said, pointing to a tattoo on the page. It looked like flames to me.

"What, no 'I love mom'?" I teased him, chuckling. James tried to wack me with the paper, but I ducked, grabbing the paper and brandishing it at him, forcing a smile onto my face. "To slow, Jams," Jams is the nickname that I had called my brother forever.

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up. What are you getting?" He asked. I pointed to the design on my paper. It was a small arm tattoo, and I loved it. There were flowers and butterflies twisted around a dagger, and it was totally me. It was badass, and it reminded me of Alex. It ran from my shoulder to my wrist on my left arm.

It was the last thing I would let myself get to remember Alexander by. I had his ring, his hoodie, and a tattoo, along with priceless memories.

The tattoo artist grabbed my paper and signaled to the chair. I pulled my sleeve up past my shoulder and smiled as the needle pierced my skin. It wasn't too painful, just slightly uncomfortable.

I was addicted to pain.

"So, Jams, tell me, you got someone yet?" I wiggled my eyebrows at James and he laughed, turning his head on the chair to look at me. He lay on his stomach as the other tattoo artist worked on him, a red blush coloring his cheeks.

James blushed.

James Yulle, my brother who claimed he would never date anyone, never catch feelings, blushed

"Yes?" I asked, staring at him. "Eight years ago you said you would never get a girlfriend?" I said. James laughed, playfully glaring at me. He flipped me off. "Oh, careful, I might have to tell mom that you're being rude."

"To answer your question, yes there is a guy. He's part of the student government office at my school." He said.

"Oh, let me guess, he's top of the class, and prom king?" I teased. James glared at me again. I threw my head back, laughing.

"Bro, I'm just kidding, I always knew that you would get a person someday." I laughed. James grumbled.

"What about you?" He shot at me. My smile faded.

Every time I thought I would be happy, Alex popped up.

"Unrequited love sucks." Is all I said. James looked sad.

"Your life seems so sad," James said. It might be, but other people have it worse.

"At least I'm not the one that had to get Mom's permission to get a tat." I grinned at him before suddenly remembering something. "Oh wait, hold up, what's the deal with mom and dad? When I left they were always arguing and shit like that. I thought they would divorce?" James snorted, rolling his eyes and then yelping as the needle pierced his skin in a sensitive place.

"Nah man after you went away, they made up. Seems like one of their kids has to die for them to realize why they got married in the first place." James said. I forced a laugh.

It took three uncomfortable hours for my small tattoo to be done. James was done about thirty minutes after me. The whole time we had talked about what had happened in the eight years I was gone. I didn't talk much about myself because of the other people in the shop, but James told me everything I had missed in the past eight years. Apparently, Levi had given up her dream of becoming a famous actress, and instead become a singer. She's always had a beautiful voice, it's just always annoyed me. James is on his way to becoming an engineer, and I swear to god, my family has grown so much without me. I was the youngest person in the family, but right now, I felt like I wasn't even part of this family.

It doesn't really matter if I wasn't part of this family or not, because either way I will protect them, or die trying.

Alex's POV

Aron grabbed the glass of whiskey from my hand, setting it on the counter.

"What the hell do you want?" I snapped. I had been so angry with everyone ever since Audrey left. It's been three days, but still, we hadn't been able to find her. She had taken the tracker out of her fucking phone. She was so damn smart and fast, but I was far too determined to find her and punish her.

We had managed to find out the flight that she had gotten on, and it had gone to New Jersey, but after that, we had no clue. I told Aron to check every hotel in New Jersey to see if Audrey had checked it.

That had been yesterday.

She could be anywhere by now. Hell, she could be dead by now by my own fucking father.

The call I received the day Audrey left was the second biggest reason I was so stressed about this. Because of that call, I have to find her, and I have to find her now.

"I found her," Aron said. Those words made me stand up faster than I had thought possible considering I was drunk. My mind was just about as fucked up as my heart right now

"She checked into this cheap ass hotel, and the people told me that she left it yesterday. When I asked them where she went, they said that she went to her parent's house. I threatened them a bit, and I got an address." Aron said. Excitement seared through me.

"When can I leave?" I buttoned the top buttons on my crinkled dress shirt, running a hand over my face and trying to clear my thoughts. It's been a long three days, but things were finally looking up. Aron looked at his watch.

"The flight is ready when you are." I nodded energy flooding through me for the first time in days. I went upstairs to my room and threw my clothes into a suitcase, not noticing what I was packing. I moved around my room in a mad frenzy, and Aron leaned against the doorway, watching me.

"Alex, listen to me," Aron said, his voice dead serious. I stopped what I was doing, and looked up at him, my toothbrush dangling from my hand. "You have to be careful. The deal with the French gang was just sealed off, but the Canadian gang is angry as ever. If they find out about you and Audrey, your little Bonnie and Clyde thing is over." He said. I nodded.

"I'm the fucking Mafia king, if anyone hurts her they are chained up in the base within the hour," I said. Aron nodded.

"Good. Hurry up and go get your girl. You don't find a girl like that every day."

The flight there was too long. I closed my eyes, trying to sleep, but I was too restless. I was filled with worry about Audrey, and surprised that she thought I didn't love her. In the last three days, I had read her note so many times that it had turned into a very thin piece of paper.

I was angry. So angry, but not at Audrey. I was angry at her boss. He had ruined this. He had made her run. And I will kill him for it. I will kill him for what he did to her, and I will kill him for what he has done to me.

No matter who he was to me.