"The bullet guy?" asked Sam.
"Yeah. Alexander. Axel," Colby said. I nervously bit my lip.
"Why aren't you more excited about this?" Kat asked, walking over to the fridge. I slumped against Colby who was leaning against the kitchen counter and he pulled me into him.
"He was a good friend. Helped me out when I didn't really deserve it," I said.
"The motherfucker shot you," said Corey, looking at me like I was insane.
"You don't want to kill someone who shot you?" Kevin asked, unaware of the entirety of the story.
"Guys. Relationships in a job like Saturn's were complex. But she's not Saturn anymore, she's Jupiter. It's okay for her to be hesitant about this, but she's got the balls to still lead us into it without complaining. Cut her some slack," Colby said. I turned myself so that I was facing Colby but still leaned up against him, my face pressed against his chest. He wrapped his second arm around me and held me in a hug.
"You're right," Corey mumbled.
"Where'd you get shot?" Kevin asked.
"Her butt," Jake said.
"Nice. Got a scar?" Kevin asked.
"Yes," Colby said.
"Hey! Personal information!" I said, pulling my face from his chest but not leaving the hug.
"It's right....," Colby said, "here." He poked the middle of my ass where my scar was and I slapped him in the face. "Jupiter, stop doing that."
"Jesus Christ," said Brennen.
"I said personal information!" I said in defense.
"I'd be mad if Corey poked my ass in front of everyone else, too," said Dev.
"I wouldn't do that. I don't want everyone staring at your butt," said Corey.
"Yeah Colby, you trying to get us all to stare at her ass?" asked Tara.
"I'm not complaining. Girl's hot," said Kat.
"No, I am not. Just like to show off what's mine," he said.
"I hate you," I mumbled.
"Nope, you love me," he said.
"Unfortunately," I sighed.
"So what's the plan here?" asked Kat. I shrugged.
"I don't know. I could go back in as Saturn and find a way to get him alone, I guess," I said.
"I don't know how the whole crime ring thing works, but I feel like it's not the best idea to go back alone to a group of dangerous people that you lowkey abandoned," said Jake.
"I can go with her. I've met Axel before," Colby said.
"I'll allow it," said Mike. I raised an eyebrow and everyone's heads turned toward him. "Right, sorry. You're in charge now," he said, his face heating up with embarrassment.
"Mhm. I am," I said slowly, nodding like I was talking to a child. His face turned a brighter shade of red, but I didn't feel any remorse. I needed to make and keep my position as the leader as apparent as possible, especially when someone challenged it, whether intentional or not.
"Well when did you want to go in?" Colby asked.
"It's a Saturday. Axel comes in on Saturday nights to restock the back with those bullets we like. He gets them at 6pm every week and brings the load to the main room in the salon's office area," I said. Colby looked down at the watch he wasn't wearing.
"Well that gives us about an hour to get ready and go over there," he said.
"Hm. Interesting watch you've got there," I said. I knew Brennen always wore a watch and was undoubtedly looking down at it to see if Colby was right. I strained myself to read his mind.
Actually, it's an hour and... shit, uh, carry the five...
"Brennen, you idiot, you have been alive for centuries and you never bothered to learn basic subtraction?" I asked.
"What?" he asked.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"Four forty five," he said.
"Jesus Christ," I sighed.
"What'd he do?" asked Jake.
"Tried to 'carry the five'. It's 15 minutes, genius. There's 60 in an hour. Go buy a clock and stare it instead of just wearing an expensive watch to flex on other people," I said.
"Hey, I said about an hour," said Colby. Brennen still looked confused.
An hour... and then there's fifteen left until five 'o'clock...
"Seventy-five minutes! An hour and fifteen minutes! One and a fourth of an hour! Four thousand five hundred seconds!" I exclaimed, slightly impressed that he'd been alive for so long yet still lacked so much basic knowledge.
"Okay, the seconds part I understand not knowing, Brennen. But really? Sixteen plus twenty-five?" asked Kevin.
"He's a little special in the head," Mike said, tapping his temple.
"So I've learned," I said.
"We can talk about Brennen's stupidity later. Come on, let's go get ready," Colby said, pulling me toward the stairs by my hand.
"You going to rip my arm out of its socket? I know how to get to your room," I said, laughing as Colby basically dragged me up the stairs.
"Our room," Colby said. I'd moved all of my stuff in a couple days ago after we knew we'd completely fallen.
"Sorry, sorry. Still not used to that," I said.
"Well hurry up and get used to it already," Colby said.
"Fine, I know how to get to our room," I said. He smiled back at me and let go of my hand when we reached the door.
"See? Don't you like how that sounds?" he asked.
"Yes, I do," I said, returning the smile.
"So, what does the infamous Saturn wear to these types of occasions?" Colby asked.
"Hm. Well, today...," I said, trailing off. I went over to our closet and sifted through my clothes. I put on a pair of ripped black jeans and a camo hoodie, then pulled a black leather jacket on over it and added some black Timberland boots. I put my hair up into a ponytail and switched my numerous piercings from black to silver to match the zipper and snaps on the jacket, then clipped a silver chain onto my jeans and silver rings onto my fingers. I slipped a knife into each of my boots and tucked my taser into my bra.
This trip would probably require some extra protection, considering Axel was an expert at guns and had honed his craft over the several years since partially missing the shot he'd taken at me. I squatted down and reached into the back of my closet and pulled out a makeup carrying case. I opened it up to reveal my handgun and two boxes of bullets.
"Jesus Christ, that thing's just been in our room this whole time?" Colby asked. I loaded the magazine and snapped into place, then tucked it into the front of my jeans in front of my right hip.
"Yup. You want one?" I asked.
"You have more than one in here?" he asked.
"I have three in here. And two more in the house," I said.
"What the fuck," Colby said. "And I have my own, so no, I don't need one of yours. There's a reason I was buying bullets, princess. I just don't keep the damn thing in our room."
"Where is it then?" I asked.
"It's in the laundry room. For general use," he said.
"Ah," I said, tucking the remaining box of bullets into a pocket of my leather jacket. "I'm going to go do my makeup. You get ready," I said.
"Yes ma'am," he said, giving me a quick kiss before I headed to the bathroom.