Gangster in Love - Camren

11

The next day is spent recovering. Lauren wants me to relax, so we put in a sedate documentary about space and cuddle up on the couch.

After a while though, Lauren feels like mischief. "Psst, Thunder." My dog looks up at her, head tilted to the side and his ears perked. "Up!" not waiting another second, Thunder leaps onto the couch next to us. He snuggles in so that he's tucked under Lauren's arm, front legs sprawled on her lap. "Good boy!" she kisses Thunder on top of his head, patting him firmly on his haunch.

"You know he's not allowed on the couch. How many rules are we breaking?" I can't even pretend I'm chastising her, reaching across to rub Thunder's belly.

"Well, you might as well hung for a sheep as for a lamb." She winks, and I groan, rolling my eyes. "You like that? I stole that one from Liam."

I nudge her with an elbow and get nudged in return, which turns into a tickle fight that I'm losing when the music begins. Well, to call it music is being generous.

Roaring, wailing guitars and screaming vocals tear up the tranquil mood. Lauren gets to her feet, bristling with confusion. "The hell is that?"

I clap my hands over my ears as the singer begins to blather inconsolably, shrieking about blood.

Heading outside, we find an unfamiliar car parked out in front of the fountain. Lucy stands on the hood, rattling a can of spray paint in her hands. "Hey, guys. How's it goin'?" she salutes before returning to her work. Red paint hisses out, splattering like blood drops as she vandalizes the fountain.

Furious, Lauren storms over to her, gesturing at the car. The music pounds louder from its expensive speakers. "Turn that shit off!"

"Make me."

Lauren's hand whips down, drawing her pistol from its holster and unloading it into Lucy's car. In the wake of the gunshots, the silencer is almost deafening. Lucy's hands flop down to her sides, the can of spray paint rattling away on the cement.

"Get down. I left one bullet in the chamber just for you." Alarmed, I look at Lauren, who still has the gun aimed right at Lucy.

"Pfft. You can posture but you know you can't hurt me." The woman hops off her car, landing with her hands I the pockets.

Lauren is unwavering, that dark look in her eyes again. "You have a lot of nerve showing your face here after what you did."

"Aw. Still sore about the photos?"

Lauren snarls. Stepping closer to Lucy. "You ordered a drive-by against us!" I feel like a live wire, tense in anticipation of the final gunshot.

Lucy doesn't share my fears, and just winks and sticks out her tongue. "That sounds dangerous. But you can't prove it was me."

"Do you know what Michael will do if he knows you're trying to incite a war?" Lauren says.

"Uh, nothing? It's your word against mine, and I'm his favorite."

Lauren breathes in sharply through her nose, freehand clenching into a tight fist. "You really are begging for me to shoot you." I can tell it takes everything she's got, but Lauren slowly lowers the gun. Finally, I breathe easy. Just what is Lucy trying to prove? "Let me call you a cab before someone else decides to shoot you." She waves her gun at Lucy's car, riddled with holes.

"Yeah..." Lucy drawls, holding her hands behind her back. "We would get in trouble if we shot out fellow gangsters, wouldn't we?" my heart drops when Lucy pulls out something from behind her back. A gun shoved into the waistband of her jeans. Lauren tenses. "Good thing SHE'S not a gangster!" Without any more warning, the tip of the muzzle turns from Lauren to me, the crack of the gunfire louder than thunder.