CHAPTER TWELVE

-•NATHAN•-

"Hayley, no," I said, running an exasperated hand through my hair. "You can't come."

Haley stomped her foot in protest then crossed her arms stubbornly. "Why not? Alvin gets to go!"

"Yes, but Alvins not my little sister and plus, he's about to get ranked up soon. He's not a kid anymore."

"I'm not either!," she said, throwing her hands up in the air.

"I can't get information from the K Blades while trying to keep an eye on you at the party. You're not going. Don't ask me again," I said, returning to cleaning out my gun.

She sat down next to me, still not giving up. "Please, Nate," she said, giving me her best lovesick puppy expression. "I don't want to be left out."

"Okay, fine, you can come," I said.

Her eyes lit up. "Really?," she asked.

I smirked, running the cloth over my pistol. "No, of course not. Go help Ally in the training room."

She let out a frustrated screech and punched my arm, forcefully. "I hate you," she grumbled, getting up to walk out of the shooting range.

"But I'm your big brother!," I called after her, faking a hurt expression.

She rolled her eyes at me. I shook my head and set the gun down, reaching to polish another one.

Ever since we were little, Haley always wanted to be part of everything. She was never comfortable with being alone, she always had to feel like she belonged with a group. Tomorrow night when I assembled a team to go to the K Blades party, I didn't plan on taking my little sister with me.

It wasn't exactly a very settling idea that the men in the foreign gangs would feast their eyes on her. Haley was only two years younger then me, but she was as naive as they came. It's not that I didn't trust her to take care of herself at the party, it was that I didn't trust them.

"Nate," Kyle called from the doorway of the shooting range. "The boss wants to see you."

I set the gun down and grabbed the gun that was already cleaned out then tucked it safely away beneath my shirt. I followed Kyle out the door and we made our way to my father's office. When we arrived, I expected Kyle to come in with me but he shook his head.

"He said you only." Before Kyle could turn around and leave he asked, "Remind me again, am I in charge of the explosives or the getaway car for tomorrow night?"

"What do you think?" I deadpanned.

He nodded, grinning. "Emergency explosives it is," he said before sprinting down the hall.

If things went south tomorrow night, we needed backup, and Kyle just happened to make the best distractions. I made sure that whatever happened, we were always prepared.

I didn't bother knocking on the door to my dad's office, he was already expecting me. When I opened the door, he looked up from the file that he was reading intensely. He gestured for me to sit down. With reluctance, I sat.

"Who are you taking tomorrow, son? Kyle I hope," he said, setting aside the file and focusing his attention on me.

"Of course," I stated, leaning back in the chair.

"Who else?"

"Alvin and Red," I said, running a hand across my cheek. "Haley wanted to come but she's out of her mind."

"No Kevin?," he pressed, folding his hands together on the desk.

"Don't need him for this," I shrugged, keeping the bitterness in my voice at bay.

He raised a questionable brow. "Is that really the reason, Nathan?"

"I got it under control," I stated, hands clenching.

My dad scoffed and shook his head. "Okay then. I'll trust you until you give me a reason not to," he said in a surrender.

I lied to you a few days ago, I wanted to say, but I kept my silence. Presley's little situation in the alley a few days ago didn't have to be out in the open, he didn't need my dad scolding him for something he wasn't prepared for.

For something that I hadn't been prepared for.

"I need to add on to this little crew of yours that you plan on taking tomorrow," he said, pouring himself a glass of liquor.

My brows knitted together in confusion. "Who?"

He took a sip of his glass. "The small one, our healer boy."

"No," I said stiffly, locking eyes with my father.

"Excuse me?"

I blew out a breath. "We don't need him," I said, teeth clenched.

"Yes, you do. One, I want him to make his first gang appearance, it'll prove to everyone how effective we are," he said, voice booming with pride for his gang. "And two, if things go bad, you're going to need a healer, son."

One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

Presley didn't belong at that gang party. He would look entirely out of place even if he dressed differently. His skin was too flawless, eyes too wide and innocent, hair too silky. He looked too groomed. With the gangs, standing out without defense could be more than dangerous, it could mean death.

"I'm not taking him," I said cooly.

"You will take him, Nathan," my dad growled. "If he doesn't want to go, I will drag him by that pretty little neck of his and show him off myself."

I clenched my jaw so tight, I thought my teeth might shatter. "I can't keep an eye on him while I'm trying to keep watch for myself," I said, clenching and unclenching my fists.

He shrugged. "That's what you have your crew for," he said nonchalantly. "Make it work, son"

I wanted to protest but I knew that my dad would inevitably get his way. I gave him one last look then got up and left his office.

Shit. Now I needed to tell Presley.

I turned three corners and found myself in the brightly lit infirmary. Presley's white teeth clamped over his bottom lip as he was busying himself with a stack of paperwork on his lap.

I fought the smile that tried to creep it's way onto my mouth as I instantly realized that he was doing his homework.

"Do you have a minute, kid?," I asked, keeping my voice low in the company of sleeping patients.

His head snapped up and he nodded silently, pushing the homework away.

"Am I in trouble for...for what happened at the alley?," he asked quietly, avoiding my gaze.

"No, it's not that," I said, clearing my throat and grabbing a chair to seat myself in front of him. He was at eye level now.

"Oh," he said, sounding a little relived.

"Tomorrow," I explained carefully. "Tomorrow night, Kyle, Red, Alvin, and me are going to a party that the K Blades are throwing."

His hazel eyes widened and his hands started to tremble. "But...they're mean."

I let out a small laugh. "Great way of putting it, kid," I said, dreading what came next. "There's something you should know though."

Presley cocked his head innocently to one side. "What?," he asked.

One. Two. There.

"The boss wants you to go too," I said, keeping full eye contact with him. "He wants you to make a proper gang debut and he wants a little bit of insurance just in case things don't turn out friendly."

I expected him to burst into tears but instead he looked at me for a long moment, then turned his face toward his hands. "What if I don't want to go?," he asked softly.

I hated this.

"He's not asking. You're coming, end of story," I said with as much authority I could muster while looking at the delicate boy in front of me.

He sucked in a breath and nodded, still looking into his hands.

"I'll come get you tomorrow night, okay?," I asked, standing up.

He looked at me this time and I could see the dread in his eyes. "Okay," he said, quietly.

"Oh, and one more thing," I said, scanning his outfit which consisted of a pale purple sweater with jeans.

I saw his cheeks tint a light shade of pink as he ducked his face away from view.

"Don't wear those...bright colors tomorrow. You'll stand out too much," I said.

"But what if I want to?"

I crossed my arms and stared at him, almost challenging him.

He barely held my gaze, sighing and turning defeatedly towards his homework again.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Tonight, I had two guns tucked into my belt. I'd trust a snake before I trusted the K Blades to be civil.

Alvin and Red were waiting outside the facility with the getaway car while Kyle armed them with small emergency grenades. He had given me two grenades earlier in the day which were currently stored in the pockets of my black jacket.

I climbed down the stairs that led to the floor where Presley's room was located. I crossed my fingers, hoping that he followed my instructions on wearing subtle colors to blend in. When I knocked on his door, he took a moment to open it. When he emerged, he wore a dark grey hoodie with his usual blue jeans. I huffed out a breath.

"It'll have to do," I muttered hastily.

Presley frowned and his shoulders seemed to slump defeatedly. "It's the only dark clothes I had," he murmured softly, pulling his sweatshirt sleeves over his small knuckles.

"It's fine," I said dismissively. I reached into my pocket and retrieved the small grenades. When I handed it to him, he looked up at me with fear.

He gulped. "W-what's this?," he asked quietly.

"It's a grenade, for extra protection. Only throw it if you need to, understand me?"

He bit into his bottom lip that I noticed gave a little wobble.

Focus, Nathan. No time for sympathy.

Presley looked up at me and and nodded silently. "Yes, I understand." He tucked the grenade into the pocket of his sweater and sighed.

"All right, let's go, kid," I said, turning around and heading for the stairs. "Let's get this over with."

Presley shut the door and I heard his light footsteps fall in step with me. As we descended the stairs, I heard Presley let out a sweet giggle.

I snapped my head towards him and arched a brow. "Something funny?," I asked, looking at him absurdly.

His cheeks flushed as he tried to cover up his smile. "You just...you look funny when you're focused."

I casted a disbelieving expression at him. "I look funny to you?"

His dimple became evident as he giggled more hysterically. "Sometimes," he said, grinning.

Maybe he was so scared about tonight that he had finally gone crazy.

Either way, I wasn't complaining. I'd take an innocent giggle over a pained sob any day.

I shook my head and smirked at him. "Whatever, kid," I said, noticing how my chest felt incredibly light, almost as if I was relived to see him smile.

Maybe I was relieved to see him smile.

I shook the thought away and approached the garage where Alvin, Kyle and Red were leaning against our designated car. When they saw us, their attention focused on Presley who had erased all traces of giggles. He now looked queasy.

When we approached, Red flashed him a reassuring grin. He clapped him on the shoulder and said, "You ready to have some fun tonight, bud?"

Presley half smiled. "I guess," he said softly.

"Dude, come on! You're gonna be totally fine." Alvin exclaimed, already getting into the backseat of the black bulletproof Camero.

Kyle exchanged a glance with me and I nodded. He turned to Presley. "All right, lets get one thing straight, little one. If by some chance you get led astray from us during the party, don't stay put. Keep moving through the crowd and find the exit. I don't think you're interested in being K Blades prey," Kyle explained firmly.

Presley nodded his head eagerly. Kyle grinned. "Okay, let's go crash a party."

I grinned and found my way to the front passenger seat where the driver sat next to me, ready to take us to the K Blades' facility. The driver was a portly man who had no idea of our identity. As long as he got paid, he asked no questions about how fast we told him to drive or how many street laws we ordered him to break.

On our way to the party, Alvin and Red debated animatedly about their favorite guns. When I looked to the backseat, Kyle listened to them looking bemused. Presley followed their conversation with wide innocent eyes, occasionally smiling slightly when Red would smack Alvin upside the head.

I forced myself to look away. "Alvin, we all know that the Colt 38 has the least amount of rounds. It's not impressive," I said, facing the road in front of us.

"First of all, the updated version is fucking awesome. You guys just don't appreciate that good things come in small packages," he said accusingly.

"Just like Presley!," Red exclaimed, nudging the small boy beside him.

I turned around and caught the wave of pink that flowed through Presley's cheeks as he smiled shyly up at Red. The three boys surrounding him snickered, I turned back to the road before they could see my smile.

When we arrived at the K Blades facility, the air in the car seemed to stiffen. I could feel everyone's mood shift into something serious. No one laughed anymore, no one smiled. Even Alvin seemed to halt his never ending amused remarks for a moment.

When we excited the car, the blaring music from inside the facility filled my ears. Presley stood beside me, rubbing his arm and nibbling on his lip. The poor kid looked absolutely frightened. An ill feeling settled in my stomach as I studied his scared form.

I shouldn't have brought him here.

Stop it, Nathan. Focus.

"All right, everyone remember the rules?," I asked, looking expectantly at my crew.

"No alcohol," Red said in despair.

"No K Blades girls," Alvin said.

"Keep alert," Kyle said determinedly.

We all turned to Presley, expectantly. "Um...no wandering?," he asked, looking unsure, cheeks tinting pink again.

I nodded. "Good enough."

Each of us checked our weapons and headed to the entrance of the party. At the entrance, there was a K Blades guard who was checking identification and gang affiliation. I lead my crew and went first. I showed the guard my I.D and stated my affiliation. He didn't even look at the card in my hand, he already knew who I was and he grunted as an indication for me to go through.

Once all of us passed the guard, we were officially in the party. I put my hand on Presley's elbow and placed my lips near his ear.

"Stay close to me," I commanded lowly in his ear.

He noticeably gulped and looked up at me with his beautiful hazel eyes. Presley nodded obediently.

Satisfied, I let go of his arm and kept my eyes ahead of me, scanning the crowd. As we made our way through the crowd of dancing people, I noticed how various heads turned to examine Presley. Their eyes scanned him hungrily and some even snickered. Even with the darker clothing, Presley still looked too innocent and well bred to belong at one of the biggest gang parties of the year.

Beside me, I heard a small whimper that came from Presley as he looked in front of us. I turned my head to the direction that he was looking at and my jaw clenched.

One. Two. Three. Four.

The person I hated most in the world was making his way towards us, a fierce look plastered on his pug like face. Raymond and I were around the same height but his form was bigger and bulkier. He was built like a bulldog.

Raymond was the son of the leader of the K Blades. He was next in line to become the K Blades' rightful king, like me with the Creeds. We've hated each other ever since we could talk. Raymond always tried to have the one up on me in everything but for him, it was hard to keep up with me. Hell, sometimes I couldn't even keep up with myself but that was the difference between him and I, I worked the very hardest for the things I wanted, he liked to take shortcuts.

I kept my face impassive as he approached us. We had made our way to the back patio where the music wasn't ear rattling. There were people from different gangs mingling with each other but stopped short as they saw the scene unfold in front of them.

Behind Raymond, stood four of his guys from the gang. They all fixed us with the most menacing look imaginable. I took a discreet step in front of Presley, but made sure his face was still visible, just as my father demanded.

We could not have our healer injured.

"Thought you weren't gonna show up," Raymond said once we were face to face.

I shrugged briefly. "Yeah, thought we'd come check it out."

He crossed his arms and surveyed the dance floor. "So what do you think?," he said, pride oozing from his expression.

"Not impressed," I said flatly, keeping my face neutral.

Raymond's face contorted, his nostrils flared. He glanced around me at my crew and his eyes landed dangerously on the small, trembling boy beside me.

Raymond took a cool step forward, lips quirked in a devilish smirk. "Now, who's this little one? Haven't had the pleasure of meeting him yet."

I felt Presley's small hand wrap around my sleeve as he cowered behind me. Only his soft caramel locks poked out from behind me.

Shit, I hated this.

One. Two. There.

"He's our new healer," I said, keeping my voice leveled. "The one everyone's been talking about, we thought you should meet him."

Raymond appeared shocked. He locked his jaw. "That's the magical healer? He looks like a fucking pussy," he said, craning his head to get a good look at Presley.

The guys behind him howled in laughter. Presley gripped the fabric of my sleeve more tightly. It took everything in me not to snap all of their necks.

The laughter stopped, Raymond looked like he was considering something. "But, I did notice that good ol' Red here is up and more alive the ever so I guess being talented makes up for looking like a pussy," he chuckled ill-heartedly.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?," I growled.

He flashed a yellow grin. "You want to know what it means, Pierce? It means we want him, and you're going to give him to us."

From behind me, I heard Presley intake a sharp breath. I willed him not to burst into tears.

I took a step forward, fists clenched. "You touch him, you're dead," I said, voice low so only he could hear me.

Raymond jerked his head at one of his guys. The member next to him launched forward and made a lunge for Presley. With ease, I shoved him into the table, causing it to make a loud ruckus.

Another one of Raymond's guys lunged forward and made a grab for him but I yanked Presley harshly by his hood and pushed him toward Alvin.

"Code ten," I growled, and he nodded. Code ten was a plan to get Presley back to the car where he would be safe if anything went wrong. Now was the time to use it.

With a slight pang in my chest, I watched as Presley was dragged away with tears running down his full cheeks. His eyes were wild with fear.

I was pulled out of my trance when a hand gripped my arm and flung me around. I was met by Raymond's fist. It didn't take me long to recover from the searing pain in my jaw. I grabbed Raymond by his collar and landed a harsh right hook to his nose.

My father always told me that in a fight, you should always hit someone in the nose because they'd lose all focus when their eyes watered and their nose bled simultaneously. When Raymond was on the floor, I didn't stop. I pounded and pounded on him. From behind, I was forcefully yanked back. I looked up to find one of Raymond's guys on me. He swung his fist back and aimed for my face but I deflected it, he came crashing down to the floor.

When I took a moment to peer around me, I noticed that a full on brawl had broken out. It wasn't just the Creeds and the K Blades, it was the Tyrants and the Watts too. Everyone fought everyone. I saw that Kyle was battling two K Blades while Red grappled with another.

Out the corner of my eye, I saw the guy from the floor come back up and charge at me. I reached for his wrist and twisted, he screamed and sunk to the floor again, cradling his injured limb.

We needed to get out of here.

I ran up to Red and the K Blades member he was fighting. I expertly flung the guy out of the way and gave Red an urgent look. He nodded and snapped his head in Kyles direction.

Blood trailed down his face but he was still holding his weight. Red and I rushed toward him and shoved the guys he was fighting to the ground.

Kyle looked relived then reached into his pocket to retrieve the grenade. He threw it forcefully against the wall and an explosion sounded. Thick, foggy smoke surrounded us. All three of us sprinted toward the door of the patio and raced through the chaos of the dance floor. Everyone was too preoccupied with the explosion to see us run straight past the guards and to the parking lot.

Alvin was in the front seat talking hurriedly to the driver when we reached the car. "I said that we would pay you extra! My friends need you to-," he was cut off by Kyle opening the passengers seat.

When the door opened, I caught a glimpse of Presley who was sobbing silently to himself. He rocked himself back and forth and covered his ears. When he looked up to see the three of us return looking bloody, he cried harder and leaped out of the car. He jumped into my arms and I struggled not to let my heart shatter as I felt the way he was shivering.

With surprise, I felt myself wrap my arms around him. "Hey," I said gently. "Presley, I'm okay. You're okay too."

"No you're not! You're all bleeding," he sobbed, his voice severely unsteady.

"Shhh," I hushed lightly into his hair. "Don't cry, kid. Everything's going to be all right."

When I realized that Kyle, Red and Alvin's eyes were on us, I released Presley. "In the car," I ordered.

Presley struggled to get his breathing under control as he climbed into the car. I followed him into the backseat and watched as Kyle and Red made it in behind me.

I tapped the driver's shoulder. "Drive, now," I said sharply.

The driver didn't hesitate, he pressed the gas to full capacity and we were soaring through the streets and out of K Blades territory.

I kept myself distanced from Presley who was sniffling beside me. My heart ached when I saw him clutch himself for comfort. I sighed and leaned down so that only he could hear me. "Presley, don't be scared. No one's going to hurt you, understand?"

He let out a stifled sob and nodded. The frail boy clung on to my arm and buried his head into my chest. I considered shoving him off of me but I couldn't bare with the pained whimpers that might result from that. Instead, I stiffly patted his hair and listened to how his breathing evened.

After a while, his breathing became a steady rhythm. When I realized that he had fallen asleep, I removed my hand from his hair. His crying had finally stopped which allowed me time to think, except this time I couldn't think about anything else other the small boy that had fallen asleep attached to my arm.