Chapter 25- Plans and Promises

Chapter 25- Plans and Promises

-Emma-

The day after the club incident I had to admit I was still on cloud nine. I mean wouldn't you be to if your boyfriend told you he was in love with you? Okay, minus all the drama that happened it was still good confession. I think. We were all currently at lunch sitting at our usual spot, the steps, until Derek came looking like we got ran over by a semi truck. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair was sticking up all over the place and there were dark bags under his eyes.

"Dude, you look like you went to hell and back." Matt said.

"Shut the fuck up." Derek said irritated as he plopped down next to me and took my water bottle out of my hands taking a gulp from it.

"Hey!" I said smacking Derek over the head for taking my water, but I didn't take it back because it looks like he needed more than I did.

"Ouch, Emma don't do that I have a major headache." He whined holding the back of his head due to the pain.

"No one told you to drink so much." I said.

"I know, I know but in my defense I was just trying to have a good time."

I shook my head and stood up patting his head a bit too hard causing him to wince from the pain. I just love messing with Derek. I grabbed my trash and took it to the garbage can, when I turned back around Aiden was in front of me and he looked a bit nervous.

"Something wrong?" I asked him.

"Uh, no actually I wanted to ask you something." He said and I gave him a look that told him to continue. "Well, my chef Martha, actually she's more than my chef since she practically raised me. She's been asking to meet you because according to her she wants to meet 'the girl who has me smiling.' So I was wondering if you would like to go and meet her after school. If you don't want to its fine." Aiden said nervously.

I grinned at him. "Aiden I would love to go and meet her."

Aiden sighed, obviously relieved I agreed. "Thank you, Em. She'll love you." He said putting his arm around my shoulders.

"Well, I hope so."

When school ended Aiden and I didn't waste any time. We said good-bye to our friends and got into his car and made our way to his house. I have to admit I was a bit nervous meeting the lady that practically raised Aiden when his parents weren't there. I just hoped she liked me. Once we were parked in his roundabout driveway Aiden took my hand and led me inside to the kitchen where I saw a lady around her fifties with grayish hair bustling around the kitchen.

Aiden gave me one last smile and released my hand and went up to the lady. "Hey Martha." Aiden said giving her a kiss on the cheek. Martha looked up and gave Aiden a warm smile and pulled him into a hug.

"Hello honey. How are you?" She asked.

"Good." He said. "There is someone I want you to meet though." Aiden said gesturing towards me. "Martha meet Emma, my girlfriend. Emma meet Martha, the amazing lady who practically raised me." When Martha's eyes landed on me a bright smile made its way onto her lips. She moved from behind the counter and up to me and gave me a hug.

"Oh sweetie, it's such a pleasure to finally meet the girl that has Aiden finally behaving himself and the one who has been putting a smile on his face. Why aren't you a pretty little thing?" She said happily.

I smiled at her. "Well, I'm glad I finally met you Martha."

"Come, come. Sit, I just put cookies in the oven. You have to stay for those." I nodded and took a seat next to Aiden who was sitting on one of the bar stools. For the next hour Martha and I talked and ate her delicious cookies. She told me many stories about Aiden and his mischievous ways. I was having fun talking to her, she was so sweet and kind. "Are you staying for dinner honey?" She asked me.

"Um." I said but Aiden cut in.

"I don't think so. Not this time Martha I want to get her home bef-" Aiden started to say but was interrupted by the slam of the front door. A few seconds later, a women with dark brown hair pulled back in a elegant bun entered the kitchen she was wearing a black skirt that fell above her knees and gray blazer, she looked so professional. I automatically recognized her as Aiden's mother. I met her when she came over for dinner a few weeks back.

"Martha, I ne-"She started to say but then looked up and noticed Aiden and I. "Oh, I didn't know we had company." She said smiling genuinely.

I took a step towards her. "Um, I'm not sure you remember me, Mrs. Black. But you came to dinner to my family's house a few weeks ago."

"Of course I remember you, Emma. Please call me Carol. James and Sophia are wonderful people and they have a great daughter." She said smiling yet again. "Are you staying for dinner?"

"Oh, I don't thin-"

"You can't say no. You're staying and that's final." She said in that motherly tone and I nodded knowing there was no way to get out of it. "Dinner will be in an hour since my husband will be a bit late due to work. Please make yourself at home." Aiden was not too happy about and I could tell by his clenched jaw. An hour later we were all seat at the table along with Mr. Black or Michael as he told me to call him, even he was excited I was staying for dinner. Dinner was delicious. If I had food like that all the time I would be the size of a hot air balloon. Throughout the main course it was a bit tense because Aiden was silent through it all make me the one to continue the talking with his parents which I didn't mind.

"Well, I'm glad you stayed for dinner." Mr. Black said smiling as desert was served.

I nodded. "I'm glad I stayed. Thank you for having me. I had a wonderful time."

"I hope to see you around more often." Mrs. Black said. "It seems like you and Aiden are very close friends." She said with a slight twinkle in her eyes.

"Um, I guess you could say that."

"Well, I would. Ever since he's been hanging out with you he has but all his bad behavior to the side and started acting normal for once." Mr. Black said.

This seemed like the breaking point for Aiden because he slammed his fist down on the table capturing everyone's attention. "How would you know what 'normal' is like for me?" Aiden asked through gritted teeth. "You guys are never here, so do not talk like you fucking know me." He said standing up from the table and walked away.

"Um, I better go after him." I said standing up also.

"Please do." His father said with sad eyes. "As his girlfriend, please look after him."

"H-how did you know?" I asked.

"Honey, even a blind person can see how much you guys love each other." His mother said smiling softly. "Go after him."

I nodded and walked out of the dining room. Trying to figure out where Aiden would have went I decided the safe bet would be outside. So I walked outside and saw Aiden leaning against his sleek black car with a lit cigarette in his mouth. I walked up to him took the cigarette out of his mouth and threw it on the ground wrapping my arms around his neck pulling him into a comforting hug to which he automatically respond.

After a few moments of silence, I spoke up. "Aiden, I don't think you should be so hard on your parents."

Aiden pulled away slightly and looked down at me. "Emma, they were never there for me. I think they deserve this and more."

I shook my head. "Aiden, they're your parents and they love you. They're trying to make it work with you, the least you can do is try too."

Aiden sighed and nodded. "Okay, I'll try but no promises."

I smiled and kissed his lips softly to which he kissed back in a loving manner

"You know I love you right?" He asked.

"Yeah, I love you too." I said and after I said that Aiden's phone started to ring. I raised an eyebrow at him and he just shrugged his shoulders and pulled out his phone from his pocket.

"Mia." He said in shock.

"Mia? You have her number?" I asked obviously not happy that he had it.

"I've always had it, it was before she did what she did, I always thought her number change. Plus I was too lazy to delete it." He said.

"Are you gonna answer it?" I asked.

"I don't think so." He said.

"I think you should Aiden. It has to be something important to call." I said trying not to act like a jealous girlfriend.

"Alright, but I'll put it on speaker." He said and I nodded. Aiden slid his finger across his phone screen and put it on speaker before answering. "Hello?" He said.

"Hello? Aiden?" Mia's voice sounded.

"Yeah?" He answered.

"Oh thank god, I reached you." She said sound relieved and a bit anxious.

"Why? Is something wrong?" Aiden asked.

"Aiden can we meet somewhere, there's some important information I need to tell you." She said quickly.

"I'm busy at the moment. What's so important?"

"Aiden, I need to tell you in person."

"Mia, just spit it out."

There was silence over the phone for a few seconds like she was debating with herself whether to say it of not, with a sigh she broke the silence. "Aiden, Mark is coming after you."

My breath was caught in my throat when Mia spoke those words. What? Was all I could think as that statement ran through my mind at a constant pace. I glance over to Aiden to see his jaw clench tightly and his hazel eyes staring coldly to the phone screen.

"Meet me at the park on Rosedale Avenue in five minutes." Was all Aiden said to Mia and with a simple 'okay' from Mia, he hung up the phone.

"Aiden" I said to capture his attention.

Aiden looks up to me and before could say another word he spoke, "You are not coming with me to meet her." He said in a commanding tone.

I narrow my eyes at him. "Yes I am going with you Aiden." I said in a tone matching his.

"Emma, I am no-"

"Aiden, someway somehow this involves me also. You can't keep me out from this, I'm a big girl and I'm pretty sure I can take care of myself. Plus, I'm your girlfriend and after hearing something like that you can't leave me with thoughts of what could happen to you when I'm not around." I said sternly with my hands planted on my hips.

Aiden grabbed my hips pulling me closer to him as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "Have I ever told you how sexy you look when you're trying to demand me?" He said a smirk playing on his lips.

I inwardly groaned at his futile attempt to change the topic, but that didn't stop a light blush from creeping up onto my cheeks. I place my hands onto his warm cheeks moving his head closer and kissing his lips softly. "Nope, and thanks for the compliment but I'm still going with you." I said with a smirk playing on my lips this time.

He sighed and rests his forehead against my own. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Aiden asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Because you love me for it." I responded with a playful grin.

Aiden shook his head. "Remind me why I love you?" He muttered under his breath.

I slapped his arm. "Because I'm the most awesome person ever. Now stop trying to change the topic and let's get going before this curiosity and worry eats me alive."

"Fine bossy, let's get going." Aiden said letting go of me and walking over to his car.

"Hey! I'm not bossy." I said marching over to his car the passenger side.

Aiden turned around and raised an eyebrow at me. "Seriously? You're the bossiest person I know."

I glared at him for a good minute before, I decided there was no use to argue since he was somewhat right. I can be bossy, but I will never admit it! I muttered something under my breath, something along the line of 'stupid idiot bad boy' as I got sat in the passenger seat and I'm pretty sure Aiden didn't hear me as he slid into driver seat of his car because he didn't respond as he peeled out of his driveway. Aiden was a bit preoccupied with his phone, texting away furiously on it as we came to a red light. I glanced out of the window towards the setting sun, colors of red, orange and hints of purple line the horizon, but even the beauty of it couldn't keep my from stop thinking about what Mia said over the phone. Why does Mark want to come after Aiden? What can we do to stop it? I felt a hand on my knee which drew me out of my deep thoughts. I turned to Aiden who had a concern look on his face.

"Sweetheart, are you okay? What has you so deep in thought?" He said turning his attention back to the road, but kept his hand on my knee.

I sighed and rubbed my throbbing temples which were a sign of huge headache to come. "Would I be a wimp if I said I was worry about you?" I asked.

Aiden glanced over to me for a second and back to the road as he turned into the park's parking lot and into the nearest parking space and killed the engine turning to face me. He extended his hand and moved a piece of my brown hair away from my face. "No Emma, you're not a wimp to be worried about me and I'm not a wimp to be worried about your safety also. But promise me something. "Aiden said looking deeply into my eyes and I nodded waiting for him to continue."Promise me that you will always be safe when it concerns my past or anything associated with it."

"I promise I'll always be safe." I said honestly to him. "Promise me that you'll be safe when it comes with dealing with Mark or anyone in your past." Aiden looked at me, searching my face with his eyes for a moment.

"I promise you Emma, that I will try my hardest to be safe." I sighed and pulled him into a tight hug, he immediately responded.

"That's all I needed to hear." I pulled away from Aiden the same time a knock on his driver side window sounded and another one on my side. I raised an eyebrow and glanced out of the window and saw Derek. I opened the car door and got out. "Derek?" I asked and glanced over the car and saw Matt standing next to the driver's side. "Matt?" I questioned. I felt something hard collided with my back, arms went around my neck and legs around my waist and I glanced over my shoulder. "Amy?" I asked incredulously. "What are you guys doing here?"

"To figure out what the fuck Mark wants now." Derek said coldly as Aiden stepped out of the car. Err someone is in a bad mood.

I looked over to Aiden. "You texted all of them?"

"Well I texted Matt and Derek, but not Amy" Aiden pointed out.

"Hey! I need to know what's going on also!" Amy said defending herself.

"You were with Matt when Aiden texted him, right Ames?" I asked her.

A light blush covered her cheeks. "Maybe." She muttered and I smirked at her. Of course.

"Aiden?" A female voice asked. We all turned towards the direction where the voice came from. Mia stood there in skinny jeans and a sweatshirt, her blonde hair was up in a sleek ponytail. Even in such a simple outfit she still looked pretty.

"Mia." Aiden said and gave her a nod. There was hurt and sadness in her eyes when Aiden regarded her so simply, but she shook it off.

She glanced around. "Looks like you brought everyone. Good, because they need to know what's going on also. Um, how about we take a seat at picnic tables?" Mia said pointing to the tables behind her. We all nodded and followed her to the picnic tables near the oak trees, we all took a seat and waited in awkward silence for her to start explaining.

With a deep sigh Mia broke the silence. "When I said Mark is after you Aiden, I meant it."

"Why?" Aiden growled out.

"I overheard him talking to one of his men about you in his office. He said that now is the perfect time to come after you and to finally get rid of you." Mia said looking at all of us. "And he doesn't just want to hurt you Aiden. He wants to hurt everyone associated with you." She said looking directly at me. "That especially includes you Emma." I froze. Me? Why me?

"He wants to take away everything that matters to you." Mia continued. "All of you guys need to be careful when you're around the town. He'll have men watching you and your every move."

"Why though?" I finally spoke up for the first time. Everyone's attention was directed towards me. "Why now?"

"That club scene was the break point is what I heard he told the man in his office. I don't have a clue what went on at the club, but it possibly nothing good when it came to him and Aiden, am I right?" I nodded and she gave me a small smile and stood up from her seat. "I think I better get going now." She turned to walk away.

"Mia?" Aiden called out. I turned to look at him, I also glanced over to Matt and Derek and saw the same emotions reflected in their eyes, worry for a dear friend.

"Yeah?" She turned around.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked in a concern tone. Mia gave him a soft smile.

"I'm holding up just fine." But something in her words weren't right. She said it like she had to force it out.

"Bullshit." Matt said standing up walking towards her. "We know you're not okay."

"Matt, I-"

"Mia, you don't have to be there anymore since he's coming after Aiden. Let us help you get out." Derek spoke up and stood up from his seat.

She looked a bit startled. "I have to stay. I made this choice to protect you all when I went with Mark. So I can't ask you to do that. "

"Then don't, not if he's coming after us now. There's no need to stay and suffer even longer. Let us help get you out of there Mia." Aiden said looking straight at her, but didn't make any movements to go towards her.

I stood up from my seat and walk towards her. "Mia, I may not know but I can't stand to see you in a situation like this. Please let us help you." I said giving a small smile. She looked shocked for a minute. I guess she wasn't expecting me to say anything or to act like a jealous girlfriend. But seeing her and how much see cared for everyone safety made me see that she is a sweet person and I could never hold anything against her especially her loving Aiden, because we all can't control who we fall for.

Mia looked a bit overwhelmed. "I-I-I-" She stuttered trying to find words to say.

"Don't you want to get away from Mark?" Amy asked her speaking up for the first time since we got here.

"Yes." She whispered as her shoulders slump. I glanced over to Aiden and I could see the guilt evident in his eyes.

"Then let us help you." I spoke softly to her.

She looked up to me with tear filled eyes. "Thank you." Mia said with a small smile and pulled me into her embrace. I was shocked at first not knowing how to respond, I relaxed my stiffened shoulders and returned her hug.

I glanced over to Derek who had a small grin on his face 'Good Job.' he mouthed and I grinned back at him.

"Okay, so let's get brainstorming on a plan to get you out of there." I said pulling away from Mia. She nodded and followed me back to the picnic table.

An hour and three cups of coffee later we finally came up with a plan to get Mia out of Mark's hold. Amy and Matt has went to the local café a got us all loads of coffee saying that we will need the caffeine to boost our thinking and I was glad for the hype. We brainstorm on every possible way to get her out, giving ideas that would help. We finally decided that tonight would be the best night to get Mia out. Mia had said that tonight is one of Mark's main nights where he goes and collect his shipments of the drugs along with his money that the dealers around the city and town owes him. She said that he usually doesn't come home till around three in the morning, seeing as it was around nine thirty at night now it was the best time to get her things and leave. Derek suggested that it would be a great idea if we hacked Mark's surveillance system to see what he is really up to. It sounded like a good idea, but I still had my doubt about it.

"And whose gonna hack that system? Mark probably has some high tech stuff in there." I directed to Derek.

A smirk formed across his face. "Em, why do underestimate me?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "If you must know, I am quite handy at computer technology."

"Really now?" I asked a bit skeptical.

Derek narrowed his eyes at me. "Yes, I am." He said in a snappy tone and I was a bit taken back at it. What's wrong with him? He's been acting all bipolar since we got here. I decided it was best for me not to respond to him, so I brushed it off.

"We should probably get going now" Mia spoke up. "Mark probably left already to do his rounds." We all headed to two cars, Matt and Amy in one since they will be doing the look out and Mia, Derek, Aiden and I in the other since we'll be the ones actually going inside the house. It took us about twenty minutes to get to Mark's house. The car ride was a bit.. awkward you could say, everyone was lost in their own thoughts with neither one of us uttering a word, except for Mia who was giving directions to Aiden. When we entered the gated community, the houses in there shouldn't even be consider houses, they were bigger than a normal mansion standing at least three to four stories tall. There was about fifteen houses in the neighborhood they were spaced out grandly allowing each house to have at least a full acre of land or more. Mark's house was the last house in the neighborhood. It stood tall at four stories high, there was a roundabout driveway and a marbled fountain was set in the center of it, you would have never guessed that a drug lord was living in such a grand house. Aiden and Matt had parked their cars in one of the side streets away from Mark's house so no one would suspect a thing. Matt and Amy were going to stay in the car and stand guard of the place making sure that nothing seemed out of place or that no one was coming while we were in there.

The rest of us made our way cautiously towards the house with Aiden and Derek in front of Mia and I. I tapped Mia on the shoulder and she turned around. "How did you get to the park so fast, when it took us so long to get to the house?" I whisper asked. Sue me. I was curious on how she got there so fast.

Mia smiled softly at me. "I had told Mark that I needed to pick up a few things in town the day after I overheard what he said. I went to town and waited till it was the right time to call and tell Aiden what was going on. So I was there all along." I nodded and she turned back as we walked up the path to the back of the mansion. Mia opened the back door with her key and lead us in through the kitchen and let me tell you that kitchen was every chef's dream, it all the latest appliances and cooking wear.

"Mark? Honey, are you home?" Mia called out just to be sure. When we heard no response she led to the corridor of the house where there was two side staircases that led up stairs. "Okay, so Mark isn't home and his office is on the left side of this corridor. You're gonna walk down there and it's the fifth door on your right." Mia stated. "So how do you want to split up?"

"I'll go with Mia and Emma and Derek will go into the office. Each having some sort of protection just in case." Aiden spoke up and I nodded. His pairs made sense and I had no arguments about it. We all agreed to meet by the car when we were finished. Aiden would send a three text to my phone which would vibrate in my pocket in a signal for when he was finished and safely out the house and would do the same. Wasting no time we each went to our own missions, I followed Derek as he led us down the hall and into the fifth door on the right which was Mark's office. He didn't utter a word to me as we walked into the modern office and shut the door soundlessly.

"Derek." I called out softly as he made his way the laptop on the wooden desk.

"Hmm?" He answered not even glancing up at me and sat in the chair typing away on the laptop.

I walked closer to the desk. "Derek, why are you acting so weird?"

He glanced up to me for a second and looked back down to the laptop as he took a flash drive from his pocket and inserted into it. "I'm not acting weird." He said shortly.

"Derek, I know you better than that. I know when something is up with you."

"You don't know me at all." He said coldly as he finished up with the laptop. I was shocked with his tone. Derek never spoke to me in such a way. I was a taken back, so taken back that I didn't respond as I felt hurt by his words.

Derek stood up from the chair and closed the laptop as he stuffed the flash drive into his pocket and glanced over to me. "Emma" He called out and I looked up to him. His eyes soften as I'm sure he saw the hurt in my own. "Emma, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I'm just in a bad mood today and I shouldn't have taken it out on you." I looked into his eyes and I could tell he was truly sorry.

"Forgive me?" He said softly taking steps closer to me.

I nodded, just about to say 'yes' that was until I heard distant voices getting closer to the office door. But a certain deep, icy voice caught my attention and I looked at Derek with widened eyes as he did the same to me and I could tell that Derek was thing the same thing that I was.

Mark is close. Too close.