t a y l o r
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Never let anyone know what you're thinking.
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Sometimes there are moments when you know things will never be the same. The moment I saw her, I knew things were going to change.
I stood bored yet cautious, the meeting had just found some source of entertainment before Thunder so rudely ended it.
"You know that I, leader of the strongest gang in our state, cannot be merciful to anybody, not even an old friend." I scowled as Rogue's annoying voice interrupted my train of thought.
Stupid motherfucker.
"So I have no other choice than to suggest a death penalty. Wouldn't you agree, Mr Valentine?"
What the fuck does this have to do with me?
I moved forward quickly and pretended to be paying attention. My eyes went to the girl crouched down, her arm was locked in a harsh grip which I assumed would leave bruises.
She looked up at me. My breathing hitched as she caught my eyes.
A dazzling shade of steel blue stared back at me.
The girl before me was gorgeous.
She wore her rage like a diamond bracelet, recklessness ran wild in her eyes and she smirked relentlessly at me. almost daring me to answer.
"I agree." An voice unfamiliar voice spoke out, it took me all but 3 seconds to realize that the voice belonged to me. I couldn't fathom what was going on as I looked at the girl.
I had just sentenced the most beautiful girl I have ever met in my short fifteen years of life to death.
I really am an idiot.
Rogue's hands hit each other in a motion that could be mistaken for clapping. "Right that's settled then. Tomorrow at midday, Thunder, will do the honors. Are you scared, Cleveland?"
Cleveland?
Where have I heard that name before?
"Memento mori." The girl, Cleveland, spoke, her cold tone juxtaposing with her soft face.
Remember you must die.
I think Lex would like her.
"Astrid, I have a....suggestion, if you help me then I won't kill you." Rogue offered again.
Astrid.
"Rogue, I've already told you that I'm not going to help you take over the world. No, not even if you bribe me with cookies." Her steel blue eyes were abnormally staring at the cookies on Rogues desk, lust lingering in her irises.
She must really like cookies.
"Still so childish, Cleveland. You've made the wrong choice. Thunder, take her down to the cells." He looked slightly disappointed as he commanded his little bitch. "And I was actually considering forgetting about that little incident from a while ago."
The girl stilled, the corner of her lips pulled up into a teasing smirk. "Oh you mean with Lily?" She paused. "I don't regret a second of it."
Thunder hit the girl with a blunt object.
The room echoed loudly as she fell onto the floor unconscious. Thunder grabbed her body roughly and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Ten minute break, we'll continue this discussion after." Rogue demanded, walking out of the room.
I got my phone out and texted the first person in my contact list.
Meetings adjourned. Girl called Astrid Cleveland showed up and tried to kill Rogue.
Not even a minute passed before my phone started ringing.
My sisters voice soon spoke. "Explain."
"This girl showed up and tried to kill Rogue. I zoned out until he said he was going to kill her. He called her Astrid Cleveland, I've heard her mentioned before so I thought you should know." I informed her, looking around for people listening to me.
"Don't let them kill her. Get her and yourself out alive, the treaty can wait." Becca commands, sounding more worried than annoyed. "Lex wants to speak to you, I'll see you later."
I waited until I heard another voice on the line. "How's the meeting?"
"I want to stab every fucker." I reply honestly, glaring at Elijah who was stood in the corner watching me cautiously.
"Don't get blood on your clothes, Addy and I have just cleaned the floor from last night." She demands sternly.
"Yeah I know." I roll my eyes at that. "I already said sorry for that."
"Yeah yeah, but remember that it's the only reason why you're there and not someone else." She exclaims, humour obvious in her tone despite my clear misery.
"I love you so fucking much for making me do this." I hiss, taking a few steps away from Elijah, whose gaze was still on me.
"Love you too, Tay, now hurry the fuck up and get the girl out." Lex spoke, her voice came out hard which I found confusing compared to her normally soft voice.
"What about the treaty?" I question, trying to lower my voice.
"Fuck the treaty, get the girl and get the hell out of there."
"Yes Boss." I hung up and looked around. Elijah was talking to Joel and everybody else was distracted, I snuck out of the room quietly.
Bringing my cellphone out once again, I sent a quick text.
Xander.
Do a background check on Astrid Cleveland. Talk later.
I studied the halls until I came across a black door, I opened it and was soon hit with the distinct scent of fresh blood. I resisted the urge to vomit and followed down the corridor, already knowing that i was in the gangs jail.
Unlocking the door to the only locked cell, I walked in to see her stood obliviously in the small room.
"Impressive." I rose my eyebrows, looking to the chains that lay helplessly on the floor. "You've just saved us time, hurry up. We've not got long before they realise that I'm gone." I began to walk out of the door but stopped when I didn't hear another set of footsteps following me. "Hurry up, we need to go." I hissed quietly. "There isn't time."
"How can I trust you?" She questioned, eyes narrowing.
I rolled my eyes again, seeming to become more amused than pissed. "You can't. You can't trust anybody anymore. Just hurry up, I've got orders and I'll be damned if I'm going to break them." I exclaimed, walking out again. I smiled as I hear the familiar footsteps following me.
Let's see what she can do.
I started to run, my pace increasing by the second, and she followed behind me, keeping her pace steady but fast. A Scar walked out from another room and came for us. I punched him, causing him to fall to the ground. I smirked smugly before running again.
We ran at a punishing pace until we were as far away from the gangs base as possible.
A small hand grabbed my shoulder, I resisted the urge to hurt her.
"Who are you?" She requested, gazing into my eyes.
"Just call me Valentine, it's my last name and I'm third in command in a gang called The Vipers" I told her, her eyebrows furrowed.
" Why is a Viper in The Scars territory and still alive?" I could sense the hidden meaning behind that question.
She was wondering whether I was a traitor or not.
Never.
I smiled to myself, "We were discussing a treaty."
"Then why did you get me out?" She asked, her curiosity becoming more apparent by the second.
"Curiosity killed the cat." I patted my nose and tried to resume walking.
She grabbed my shoulder again, this time with a harder grip. I bit my lip to stop me from crying out, and damn was she strong.
"And satisfaction brought it back. Now I'll try again, why did you help me?" She asked again, her determination started to become annoying.
I looked around my surroundings before looking back to her.
Do I tell her or not?
Fuck it, she's annoying.
"I had to phone my boss so she could check up on the meeting, but I also told her about you. The girl who tried to kill Rogue and I told her your name was Cleveland. She told me to get you and take you to base." I told her honestly, wishing for her to stop asking questions.
"Why does Rebecca want me?" She asked again.
How does she know about Becca?
I knew my gang were well known, if we wasn't then we wouldn't be the best gang. But I wasn't aware that our identities were as known as our name.
I hesitate slightly. "I don't know, she didn't tell me. I'm just following orders, can we go now? The cars just a couple of minutes away."
She nods her head, causing her soft brown hair to caress her face.
I heard her whisper slightly to herself. "Is this the part where he kills me?"
I start laughing. "I'm not going to kill you, just get in the car it's a long journey."
I wouldn't anyway.
She followed me into the car, I smirked as a look of delight made its way into her face.
"What's your name then, kid?" I ask, starting the engine.
"I have many." She replied stubbornly, crossing her arms around her chest.
" Your birth name, for some reason I don't think your name is Cleveland." I turned around slightly to face her before thinking better of it and moving back.
Rogue went on with himself, but I'm sure I heard him mention other names.
She paused for a moment, as if considering her options.
"Well it actually is Astrid Cleveland, and you'll realize that once your background check is completed."
Shit. How does she know about that?
I park the car up and face her.
"How did you know that?"
She narrows her eyes at me again, I tried to stop myself from laughing. "I'll have you know, kid, that I'm probably older than you so stop with the stupid name."
"I'm nearly sixteen." I reply, suddenly realising that I'm a lot younger than I wished.
Fucks sake.
The words left a bitter taste on my tongue as I thought of what it would've been like to have lived a normal life. If the war hadn't have happened, if the gang wouldn't have needed to exist. I had to grow up too quick, become an adult and act like one.
Age didn't mean much to anybody anymore. It couldn't. We weren't defined by a number, we were defined by how many people we'd killed. And how many more we were going to kill.
Her face turned sad. She moved forward, her warm breath touching my face. I melted into the delightful feeling. "Oh that's cute, honey. Sorry, I don't have time for children."
I glared daggers at her, trying to contain my annoyance. "You might as well sleep, we've got a long journey ahead."
"Fine." She turned her body around and lay back onto my leather chair. Her breathing remained the same, a sign that she wasn't going to sleep, yet I didn't speak about it.
I thought back to when I first saw her. My mind drifted to the reckless glint that shone in her steel blue irises.
She has little innocent demons inside her eyes and they play recklessly with matches.
***
"WHAT THE FUCK!"
I jump awake at the scream, only to see Astrid moving helplessly against her restraints. Her hands lay merciless behind her back, her steel blue eyes covered by a blindfold.
" Valentine, get these fucking ropes off me right now!"
"Shut up." I groan, trying to close my eyes. "I'm trying to sleep."
"Okay." She replies calmly, I smiled happily before the moment was ruined.
She starts screaming like a banshee. Non stop, loud, aggressive screeching. My hands flew to cover my ears, I'm surprised that my ear drums hadn't burst.
"Okay. OKAY!" I scream back. "I'll take the ropes off but you have to keep the blindfold on."
"Why!" She demands, trying to pull her hands apart as I loosened the rope.
"Stop moving." I hiss quietly. "And you can't know where the gang base is."
"Fine." She huffs, stilling her body so I could untie the ropes.
"Valentine?"
"Yeah?"
She sounds a lot more hesitant now, "Can I trust your gang?"
"I dunno. You can't, I suppose." She moves her hands away from mine, turning around to face me.
"How do I know that they won't kill me?" She inquires. "How am I supposed to trust you when you tell me that I can't trust your gang?"
"You don't know." I spoke sincerely. "You don't know that they won't kill you but I'll tell you something. Under no circumstances would Lexi or Becca ever sacrifice a treaty to save someone just to kill them. There's a reason why I'm here with you instead of with Rogue. Remember that."
"Yeah because that makes me feel a whole lot better." The brunette remarks, her sarcastic humour making me laugh. She stretches out her arms and nearly hit me, harsh, red lines embedded themselves along her wrists from the rope.
"It was supposed too." I joke, laying my head against my plush leather seat. My mind flicking back to her words.
'How am I supposed to trust you when you tell me that I can't trust your gang?'
The truth is, she can't trust anyone and neither could I. I have no idea why Bec and Lexi want her but I'm sure that I'm gonna find out.
"Taylor? Taylor? Valentine? Kid? Hello, anybody there??" I blinked as a hand waved itself in front of my eyes, trying to catch my attention.
"What?" I said groggily, my tiredness was obvious in my tone yet by her confident posture, I assumed that she didn't care.
"God, I wish my life had background music so I could understand what the hell is going on. Taking like 10 seconds to reply is not acceptable dude. This is business, now if you're not going to answer my questions then I'm just gonna have to annoy the answers out of you." She signs dramatically , a smirk taking over her face.
"There's no need for that." I rolled my eyes, starting the cars engine again and setting off. "I'll answer what I can, deal?"
"Hmmm depends on what I want to know." She bargained, messing with her nails despite not being able to see.
"Go on."
"Why can't I know where the gang base is?" Her first question made me hesitate, my eyes moving to her before going back to the road.
I paused, "Only 6 people know where it is, I can't just bring people to the base that we don't know and allow them to know where it's located. I don't know you."
"6? But there's more than 6 people in The Vipers. I can name more than 6." She asked, obviously confused.
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise, parking the car in the base garage and moving to look at her.
"Impressive, you'll get a chance to meet them soon anyway. You can take your blindfold off now." I instructed, making my way out of the car and shutting the door carefully.
Astrid took off her blindfold and swiftly followed, pausing a second to admire the elegant architecture of the garage and the expensive beauties lined up along the concrete.
We approached the house and I, for once, had no idea what to expect.