𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 • 05 ||❝𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬❞

>𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃

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𝐄 𝐋 𝐈 𝐉 𝐀 𝐇 • 𝐉 𝐎 𝐇 𝐍 𝐒 𝐎 𝐍

𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧. I ran to the bathroom that I found earlier on the side of the warehouse and rummaged through the cupboards, pulling everything out, making a mess. I grabbed exactly what I was looking for, a first-aid box. I carried it to Max and placed him on the chair. As soon as he took a seat a grunt left his mouth, I could see how much pain he was in and my adrenaline kicked in to help him.

I applied some alcohol on his wound and used the scissors to cut open his top and stood behind him where I witness the bullet wound on his back begin to bleed more. I press firmly and apply all the pressure I can to manage the bleeding.

"Did it go through?" Jayden asks curiously and I nod in response. She stands there with her arms folded looking at Max with pure pain in her eyes.

"Pass me some large tweezers please." I say and let Jayden seem confused, she wanders around the building but comes back with two thin metal poles, that almost resembled chop sticks.

"I could only find these." She said and I looked to what she was holding, this was going to be difficult, I sanitised the two poles properly before entering them into his wound, luckily they weren't thick, so I could try get the bullet out of his back.

I push the poles in gently but then decide to be a bit quicker to release the bullet. I tried holding both poles to grip onto the bullet but I missed a few times. I sighed and tried once more, were I managed to get the bullet out, Max whimpered because of the pain and tensed as soon as the bullet left his body. I wrapped his back up in a bandage to ensure it wouldn't get infected, i took a breather and watched as Max stood up and attempted to stare at his wound.

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An hour passed and we decided to go back to the mansion, the journey wasn't long at all, Jayden and I helped Max getting to his room and allowed him to rest. I walk off into the kitchen where Jayden follows not far behind.

"Must be hard watching your boyfriend get hurt." I state and get myself a glass of water from the silver taps.

"Brother." She corrects me and I seem surprised, Max and her look nothing alike, I almost want to question her but now isn't the time and it's not my position to say anything, a few moments pass and I am still standing here in silent with Jayden staring at me, waiting for me to break the silence.

"Shocked? Yeah that's everyone's reaction." She lets out a small chuckle, I haven't heard her laugh since I met her, yet this tiny chuckle leaves me feeling satisfied that she clearly isn't humourless and depressed.

"We have different parents." I turn to her and nod, I knew they looked so different, it all makes sense now, but I still didn't want to push questions at her.

"Have you ever taken a bullet out of someone before?" She asks and I nod, strangely enough I have.

"They just weren't gang related." I chuckle and she joins, pointing out the obvious that Max's bullet was the first bullet I took out of a gang member. Plus with the awkward tools Jayden had given me.

"After Liv's school I'm taking her to see our mum." I say to let Jayden know of our deal– Seeing my mother was a part of that deal. She nods in agreement.

I made my way to the kitchen and decided to make something to eat, but the maid seemed horrified to the fact I was making myself something.

"Hey I can do it." I say trying to get into the fridge.

"No, Sir... I prepare the food..." She states softly but I couldn't help but ignore her demands, not in a rude way, but I don't want her running around after me, I'm a grown man after all.

"Sir!" She squeals and another woman comes in, her dark hair was large and curly, her hazel eyes met mine and a smirk soon appeared across her face.

"Who's this cutie?" She asks and raises a brow, the maid leaves and runs off down the hallway.

"Elijah, nice to meet you." I hold my hand out and she shook it and repeated my words.

"Lillian." She said and smiled, her teeth were so white.

"You've met Elijah then." Jayden announced as she entered the room, Lillian smiles at her and walks out of the kitchen, eyeing me up on the way out.

"You stay away from her, you hear me?" Jayden demands and I roll my eyes in response, does she really think I'd crack on with one of her gang members?

"I'm not interested." I admit the truth and walk past her forgetting about food. But I glance at the clock and realise I need to get going to pick Olivia up from school.

I get into the range rover with the driver and allow them to take me to Olivia's school, its strange not to drive anywhere and get someone to drive me everywhere, I almost don't feel comfortable with the idea of someone driving me everywhere, it must be annoying.

We picked up Liv who was ecstatic to see me, she said unfortunately she had a lot of homework to do that she said she'll do as soon as she gets back to the mansion, she waves goodbye to her friends and we drive back home, the large gates open for us slowly and allow the range rover inside of the premises.

We open the double doors and hear another manly voice, a mysterious voice that I haven't heard just yet.

I walked Olivia to the guest bedroom that she is staying in and she instantly runs to her desk and opens her books and rummages for her pencil case inside of her bag. I smile at her intelligence and how well she's already doing within school.

"Jayden!" I heard the unfamiliar manly voice shout loudly, with a door slam not far behind it. I allow it be and remained my focus on Liv and her work, she seems unfazed by the disturbance from downstairs but it's till playing on my mind.

Jayden walks past but stops in her tracks as she notices Olivia's door is wide open and I'm standing next to her witnessing her doing her homework.

"I thought you were going to your mums?" She questions me and I leave Olivia be in peace to finish her question and speak to Jayden outside of her room, allowing Liv to concentrate.

"I am, Liv wanted to get her homework done first, so we can go there for dinner." I explain myself even when I shouldn't have to, she nods repeatedly, not throwing anymore questions at my face.

"Well, I'm sorry that you're hearing all of this shouting, I wasn't expecting you back." She walks off before I can even reply, it wasn't an issue at all, I just wasn't expecting it either, hearing a strange man shout Jayden's name from a different portion of the house.

I walk back to notice Olivia finishing the final sheet of paper of her homework, she doesn't usually take long to complete any homework, unless it's an essay task, especially when there's a reward at the end of it, she does it quickly but properly. She closes up her book which releases the scent of a 'new book', it filled my nostrils and satisfied me, I used to love reading as a child, I even used to be called a 'book worm'. She picked up her bag and placed it neatly on her bed ready for when she comes back.

We both sit in the range rover and allow the driver to take us to our mother's, we've been excited as we haven't seen her for awhile. But it's difficult to leave her be for such a long time, but I'm trying my best to get some money for her.

Olivia and I both unbuckle out seat belts and bolt out of the car and race to the front door like we usually would do ever since we were younger. I allowed Liv to knock this time and luckily we didn't wait long, the nurse looked at us and gave us both a small welcoming smile as she allowed us inside.

I heard my sisters footsteps run to our mother's room and hearing voices almost instantly.

"Mr Johnson... Your mother... Isn't doing too well..." The news I've been dreading, I was worried our mother wouldn't pull through, but she just needs to hang on– until I get enough money to pay for her treatments.

"I'll try earn more money." I state and the nurse nods and walks off into another room and sorts out my mother's medication, I walk back and fourth and feel hopeless. I'm useless for my mother, I'm never going to be able to get her better. My phone takes my mind back into reality as it vibrates through my body, just from my pocket.

"Hello?" I asked after reading 'unknown' on the top of my screen.

"Hey Elijah, it's Max, we'll need you to be here before it gets dark, for obvious reasons." I wonder to why Max has got my number but I agree with his deal and put the phone down, we didn't speak an awful lot but I decided to focus on my mother and watching her become weak in her bed.

"I'm sorry mum." Olivia says and snuggles up to her, resting on her chest and wrapping her arms around her.

"I love you." She releases a sigh and my heart falls and almost breaks inside of its cage. My sister is heart broken as it is.

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Awhile past and it was the time we had been dreading, I now worry that I won't ever get to see my mother again, it pains me that I picture her not being around any longer and it causes my sister pain and worry too, it's not healthy for anyone. I just hope Jayden gives me my payment sooner or later, I've already taken a bullet out of Max's back as it is.

Our driver waits in the range rover and let's out a very small smile as soon as he sees us walking towards the car, the closer and closer we get the driver turns the key, I get into the passenger seat and Liv hops in back, the smell of cigarettes fill my nostrils and instantly makes me want to gag or throw up in my mouth. We pass a few green lights on our journey and the sun begins to fall behind the darkness.

The double gates open for us once more, but this time not allowing us to leave until tomorrow. Max allows us inside as soon as we exit out of the range rover and gives us a smile.

"Have you eaten?" Max asks and I nod, even though Olivia decides to speak immediately after my reply.

"Yeah we had pizza!" She says and smirks with proud, Olivia is one of these girls who are confident in themselves and don't care about anyone's opinion, she also has a fast metabolism so she always says to me 'There's no point worrying about what I look like, plus I'm so young.' Which is a positive attitude coming from a teenager.

"Jayden!" The familiar manly voice that shouted her name previously came running through, I never got the chance to meet him but now I do.

His hair was dark and his blue eyes pierced straight through mine, his dress sense was casual yet– badass.

Who was he? I didn't know.