In the Arms of You | ✔️ | EDITING

Chapter 29: Marcus Holt

Neither of us knew what to do after what just happened. Soon enough we start to come up with a plan to get Diana back. "We could...no that won't work because we don't know where they live," Zach said pacing back and forth.

"Well, first off we need to know who took her. Do you know who took her?" I asked him. I was just as worked up as he was, and no not just because we kissed less than 3 minutes ago.

I sat down on the couch and try to calm down. The stress is getting to me, I knew that. Zach went into the kitchen to get something, he then quickly came back out with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Whoever it was left this note." He said handing it to me. I looked at it and quickly scanned at what it said: 'Zach if you ever want to see your mother again, I suggest you leave Lena alone and forget all about her. Love is something that can corrupt you, my boy, do as you're told and your mother is free.'

I had no words for a moment. Then I looked right at Zach and gave him a pissed off expression. "What?" He said to me shrugging his shoulders confused. "Are you a fucking crazy!" I shouted at him. Why on earth would he bring me here when the note clearly says: "...leave Lena alone and forget all about her... do as you're told and you mother is free."

"Why on earth would you even think of telling me about this if you knew the risk. They could do something horrible to your mother. They could kill her Zach. Did you not think of that?" I shouted at him. He held his hands up in defense.

Zach put his hands down as I crossed my arms across my chest. "Speak," I said, clearly angry, no pissed is more like it. "I couldn't leave you out of the plan and suddenly drop off from the face of the earth and you coming after me to tell you what happened and why I wasn't speaking to you." He explained fast as if he was about to be beaten or something.

"I would never lie to you like my father did to me and my mother."

I stared at him for a bit, fumbling with the paper as I looked at him. I was pissed at him and astonished. After I had given him the silent treatment for who knows how long, he still would tell me the truth, no matter what. I looked at the note and turned it over to see if there was anything on the back of it. It was small, but it was there.

Evidence of who it could be, at least who I think it could have been. I began to study to note once again, looking between the words and a connection to the signature on the back. MLH. Who could that be? Soon enough it clicked into my brain.

"Lena, are you even listening to me?" Zach shouted knocking me out of my trance. "Sorry, what?" I said to him. "Seriously, Lena, you're not even listening to me!" He said angrily. I look back at the piece of paper and whisper an answer only needed two words.

"Red Phoenix." I had a hunch it had to be them, but I wasn't 100% positive about it. "What?" Zach said, obviously confused. I stand up and walk to where he is standing, or more like standing and glaring at me for ignoring him.

"Red Phoenix, does that mean anything to you at all? Anything you may have seen or heard? Anything?" I told him, trying to get memories stirring in his pretty little head. Wait, what? Just because he kissed me doesn't mean anything does it? Sure I may like him more than I should, but he just kissed me to shut me up, right?

He looked at me as if I was crazy. "No, why the hell would I know what that means, Lena?" He said. I throw my hands up into the air in frustration. "Zach, please just dig deeper into that big head of yours and think!" I said to him, the note falling to the floor in the process.

Zach picked up the note and looked at the initials on the back. "Marcus Lionel Holt." He said. "My father?" He said a little confused. "What does he have to do with all of this?"

I sighed. "Yes, Zach you father has a whole lot to do with this." Zach looked at me and I could tell he didn't believe me.

"Zach, your father is head of Red Phoenix, the most dangerous gang in the United States. I've met him and I've been to the headquarters with Luke." I told him, trying to explain things to him.

Luke? Is he apart of this as well, Lena?" He said a bit pissed off at the mention of Luke's name. Yeah he was jealous and I have to say, it's cute. Woah, wait I don't think that I just need to concentrate on finding Diana, yeah, concentrate.

"Yes, he is and he will stop at nothing to keep me with him, even kill someone who gets in his way." I waited for him to process all of this information before I continued. "Zach, your father is a highly dangerous criminal," I said flat out to him, not beating around the bush.

Zach started to speak. "That's why he was always home late, Lena. He was part of that stupid gang for a long time. He would lie to us as to where he was going and he wouldn't come back for days on end. That's why my mother broke things off with him. We never knew what he was doing, but we always knew that he wasn't where he said he was going to be."

I pulled Zach into a hug, wrapped my arms around him as he did the same to me. "I'm sorry Zach. This is all my fault that these things are happening to you guys. If I would have never come here, things like this wouldn't have happened. I wouldn't have met you, your mother, Iza, Alex, Amy, Quinn, and Bret, you would have all been safe."

I cried as I spoke, tears running down my cheeks, but I ignored them.

"It's all my fault," I said as I cried. I felt Zach move his hands through my hair, trying to soothe me, to claim me down. "No, it's not Princess. If it's anyone's fault it's mine. I should have done something a long time ago with my father, even if I didn't know what he was up to, I could have figured it out."

"No, Zach it's not your fault it's mine," I said.

All mine.

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Hey, y'all, so quick little authors note here. Okay, so I don't know if I'll be able to post next week or not because I have a lot of stuff going on. Homecoming is today, next Wednesday I'm taking the PSAT because in the spring of 2018 I'll be taking the SAT so I've gotta prepare for that. Also on Thursday I have an oral presentation for my college class and I've got to prepare for that, and in the other public speaking class, I'm doing another oral presentation so I've got a lot of stuff to do within the next week. If I don't upload next Friday, October 13 then I'll do my best to have two chapters out on October 20th, it just depends on how things work this coming week. I also have this coming Monday off so I may beable to write the chapter then I don't know. So yeah hope you've enjoyed this chapter and looking out for chapter 30 soon!