Devil's Gambit

Chapter 30

"Wait-"

"Go. Don't come back down. There's a pistol in your nightstand, use it if anyone other than the people in this house come upstairs." Axel glanced nervously back towards the window, pushing Harley more harshly as the man dug his feet in slightly, wanting to pry more information from his brother first.

"Axel," he pleaded in exasperation. "What the hell is going on?"

"I- I don't really know, but there are lots of people with guns walking down the street."

That response only left Harley with more questions than answers, but he decided that was enough for now as he heeded Axel's words and ran upstairs. Axel chewed on his bottom lip in worry, rushing to the safe shoved in a coat closet where they kept their own guns locked away and hidden.

Harley quickly found Jackie as he arrived at the top of the stairs, for she was walking down the hall towards her and Axel's room with a laundry basket full of clothes perched on her hip, her large belly causing her walk to look slightly like a waddle.

"Jackie!" Harley breathed, rushing forward to take the basket from her.

"Harley?" She asked in confusion, allowing the man to take the basket from her hands as she stared at him, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Something's going on outside, we don't know what, but we have to stay upstairs and make sure no one comes up," he explained in a panic.

"Are you serious?" Jackie gasped, one of her hands immediately shooting up to hold her stomach. "Like, a gang fight?"

"No idea. Just people with guns."

"Where is Axel-" she began to freak out, moving to go downstairs before Harley shot a hand out to stop her.

"He's downstairs. We'll be fine, we just have to lay low for a bit." Harley stared at his feet for a second, thinking over the situation again, before a jolt of fear pierced through him, constricting his heart. His head whipped up to look at Jackie with wide, panicked eyes.

"Lucas, Daniel, and Elijah are out. We need to get a hold of them," he gasped. Harley then began to lose his cool as he desperately fished for his cellphone from his pockets, and now it was Jackie who had to remind him to hit the brakes.

"I'm sure they're okay, something like this has happened before, where there were some people shooting at each other in a nearby street. They'll stay away until it's safe. Axel has probably already called them, but try Lucas at least."

"You're right," Harley breathed shakily, fingers trembling as he pulled up Lucas' contact. He paced slightly as he waited for his boyfriend to pick up, Jackie waiting next to him with bated breath. There was a click on the other end of the line, and Harley froze, perking up in hope.

"Hey," Lucas' deep face filtered in.

"Hey-" Harley choked, almost forgetting to breathe for a moment. "Did Axel tell you-"

"Yeah, Axel called to inform. . ." Lucas glanced down the street worriedly, squinting his eyes against the sun as the rays reflected off of the trucks rolling down the road, whose beds were filled with people brandishing rifles. "I'm afraid we're not in a good spot. They're here."

"Luke-"

"Elijah went off to Nana's to make sure she stays safe. I have Daniel with me," Lucas pursed his lips, meeting Daniel's own worried gaze. The two were usually very confident in their abilities to escape danger, but this, whatever this was, shook them to the core.

Which is why Lucas decided he needed to say something to Harley, to prepare for the worst.

"Harls," he began, voice hitching with emotion, as Daniel's fell even more. "I just want you to know, need you to know that I love you."