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"Mendez?" Jack screamed, an uncertainty in his voice as he looked up and down at the intruder.

No, Jack got it all wrong. The man I was looking at was not Mendez. And you want to know why?

Because the man that I was now staring down was no other than...

"Mr Nicolls?"

But the hits didn't stop coming, no, because now standing behind him in what looked almost like a v formation was DI Greene, Tanner, Connor, Zara and Jacob.

"Get of my girl, Jack." Mr Nicolls called out, a menacing look casting over his features.

But at the moment, I couldn't care less about the fact that he'd just called me his girl.

I just couldn't seem to get over the fact that my favourite teacher was just standing in front of me, gun raised as he looked my kidnapper in the eye.

I couldn't get over the fact that Jack had just called him Mendez.

Looking at him closer now though, it made more sense than it did mere seconds ago. I mean, he had the same eyes and the same hair as the boy in the middle of the picture. He had the same unmistakable upturn in his nose. He had the same unmistakable mischievous glint in his eye. 

There was no way, no way that all these years, I had been working alongside one of the most well known gang leaders of the country.

There was absolutely no way that the man that I made my confidant was Genesis' gang leader.

No no no no no no no no no.

I actually felt like my head was pounding, what was going on.

Why was Tanner standing there, why was DI Greene not arresting Mendez, Nicolls, whoever the heck he was.

The sudden happiness that I had before was diminishing.

This changed everything.

"I know you have some questions, Maya, but first, we need to get Jack out of here." said Nicolls, no, Mendez as he came closer to me, raising his hands as if surrendering.

But I couldn't stop myself from raising the gun to point at him too.

My aim was all shaky, as if I hadn't done this before.

Come on Maya, get it together.

But I just couldn't stop shaking. I could feel the tears starting to pool in my eyes.

God dammit, not now.

Jacob was looking at me weird, like I was wild, like I was some animal. I couldn't stand it.

Stop looking at me like that!

Mendez was starting to come closer.

"Put down the gun, Maya."

"Get away from me!" I cried, still not being able to comprehend what was going on.

He couldn't have actually been being serious could he?

"Just... just get away from me." I whispered, my voice getting quieter and quieter. 

I could feel the wall starting to crumble, I could feel my eyes starting to shed their tears but once again, I couldn't do anything about it.

I've shown these guys my weak side way too many times now.

So instead of letting them fall, I raised my head, wiping away the near coming tears and pointed the gun straight at Nicolls.

"Listen to what he said, Maya, put down the gun." Greene said from the doorway but I ignored him, deciding that in the end, he didn't help me, not even in the slightest.

I made my voice colder, I wasn't going to let these guys see me as weak, not again.

Placing my hand over the trigger, I though about everything that had happened over the last month and a bit.

I thought about how it all had just started off with me, just me going to school.

Who would have thought that doing something so mundane, so normal would lead me to be standing here, pulling a gun on one of the most dangerous men in London.

Because I sure didn't think my life was going to end up this way.

"Night night, Mendez." I said but as I was about to pull the trigger, Derek ran in, panting from what looked like exhaustion.

But as soon as Mendez turned around to face him, Derek stood still in his tracks, as if he'd just seen a ghost.

The whole cabin just seemed to have gone quiet, as if someone had cast some silence spell over it.

The two of them just stood like that for about ten seconds, the anger in Derek's eyes seemingly dissipating as he looked at Mendez.

"Boss?"

---

My gun lowered slightly as I felt myself get another slap across my face.

Scrap what I said about this starting with me just going to school, this had all started since that one dreaded day, hadn't it.

Derek said it again, this time his voice quieter than I'd heard it for a long time.

"Long time, no see, Leo."

But he seemed just as lost as I did. He stood there, his dark eyes swirling with so much confusion, so much hurt that it was painful to see. It hurt me knowing that once again, Derek was hurting.

It hurt, because I was feeling it too. That sting of betrayal when you find out that someone you trusted, was someone you never knew to begin with.

"Boss, what are you doing here?" He asked, clearly in shock as his mouth laid open in surprise.

He never answered him, though, he just turned back around to me again.

"I know you won't shoot."

"I've shot people before."

"I know."

I didn't even know what was going on anymore, I just knew that  all of a sudden, I was angry. 

"WHO ARE YOU?" I screamed, the gun tightening in my grip again.

But he didn't even seem scared, no, he just laughed.

He fucking LAUGHED.

"I'm going to shoot."

"I know you won't."

"Don't test me." I said as I shot at his chest.

He groaned a little but he didn't fall. He just stood there, as if I'd just punched him.

"Thought you might try something like that." He said before he motioned over for Greene and Tanner. "Get her."

The two men came closer to me, seemingly unfazed by the fact that I was holding up a gun at their faces.

"Get AWAY FROM ME." I shouted, hoping that the hysterics would push them away but the two of them only came closer, restraining me between their arms.

Feeling them grab onto me made me squirm. I kicked my legs about, trying to loosen their grip on me but every time I kicked them, they seemed to tighten their grip.

Fuck, I thought to myself as I got carried away from the two men. I saw Mendez pick up Jack from behind us as he motioned the rest of my friends to follow him.

Friends my ass.

I thought I could trust Connor and Zara but in the end, they were just as good as Jack. They could go jump in front of a lorry for all I cared. 

I'd been thrown into the passenger seat of a black car, I couldn't really tell much else about it, it was pretty dark by now.

All they'd done was tie my hands together with handcuffs, not even slightly moved by the fact that I could have broken out of these real quick if I really wanted to.

Mendez got into the driver's seat next to me as Tanner and Greene got into the back. Jacob and Derek got into the car that Connor and Zara were already in, another man I'd never seen before climbing into the driver's seat.

Jack had already sped off with some other men of Mendez.

"Tris, I need you  to get Nance to tell me how many of Jack's men are left."

"Right at you, Boss." he said, picking up his phone.

"Oi, Nance, get me them stats on Jack's remaining men."

From the other side, I could hear some shuffling and what seemed to sound like a "Fuck right off." before she actually got back to him.

Ending the call, the smile on his face could only be described as  content.

"All out, sir, but the few who escaped from the ambush. I've already got Shawn and his team on them."

"Good, we don't need any of them after this is over. Greene, after we drop all these off at Sapphire, I'll get you back to your office. Thanks for your help on this."

They all seemed to have been completely oblivious to the fact that I was just sitting there listening into their conversation, as if I wasn't just kidnapped by them.

I coughed a little, trying to get their attention.

"Ahem."

"Sir, what's the plan with Jack?" Tanner asked.

"Ahem." I tried again, still trying to remain as subtle as I could.

"We'll have to see what he knows and who he's working for first."

"Ahem." I 'coughed', this time a little louder than before, not trying to be as subtle.

"Ok, how about Isten, he survived the lot, just a bullet wound to the leg."

"I was thinking we could probably get rid of him now, he was the backup incase Jack did something stupid and got himself killed."

"AHEM." I finally shouted.

Do these guys even have ears?

The whole car suddenly went silent and honestly, I just wanted to shrink right back into the chair, wishing I hadn't made any noise to begin with.

"What's wrong, Maya."

Oh god, what was I even planning to say?

"Erm, why am I here?"

"You'll find out later."

Well great, that got far, didn't it.

"Ok then, what were you planning to do with Isten if Jack died?"

"None of your business." Mendez said back.

Ok, now I was really starting to get annoyed.

"Well, seeming as this is none of my business, you wouldn't mind pulling over and getting me out of this car, would you?"

He only groaned though, multiplying his speed as he raced down the road.

"Oh, and Tanner, get Quinton to drive down to the port would you? They chose today to be the race day and I'm not going to be there, so get him to represent us would you?"

"He's our driver, who else is he going to represent?" He said with a small laugh.

"True, and get Nance to set up a room at Sapphire for out guests, would you." he said, more like a command than a question.

"Sorry to intrude but... I think I'd rather not live with my kidnapper?"

"Would you rather sleep with our prisoners, then?"

I looked at him, trying to seek out if there was a joke in what he was saying, but the way he was looking at me didn't seem like there was a joke behind his words at all.

Seeing my confusion, he asked me "You do know who I am, don't you?"

I mean, I'd have to be living in the caveman era to have not heard of Genesis by now.

Especially of it's feared new leader, Esteban Mendez.

A few years back, there had been some kind of gang war between The South (original name, I know) and Genesis. Something had happened, not that I knew much about what exactly happened, but it ended up with the previous leader, Nicolas Mendez, getting killed.

And Esteban really did start his ear with a bang...

...a bang which leaded to The South's main house getting bombed to pieces.

"You're Mendez, Genesis' leader."

"Good to know you've been keeping up with the news, at least."

"Well, what does any of that have to do with me?"

But instead of answering my question, he completely shut it down by asking one of his own.

"How old are you?"

What kind of question even was that?

"Though you knew everything about me, Este."

"You don't get to call me that just yet, Maya. But yes, I already know you're 17, I was just trying to make some conversation."

"We had a perfectly fine conversation before." I grumbled, turning to face forwards again.

"Would you prefer to have a room on your own floor or would you prefer to have it with all of your friends?" He asked, catching me by surprise for sure.

"I'd have thought I'd be sleeping in the basement or something, seeming as this is a kidnap and all."

"It can be arranged, if that's what you want. I just thought that you'd prefer it if you had your own room and all, sorry for the disappointment. Tanner, call Nance--"

"No, no. Thanks, I guess. I'll take the room."

Smirking, he carried on driving.

"Own floor or sharing?"

"I'd rather share a floor."

I just realised that I'd gotten so accustomed to Connor's grand mansion that I was talking about having a whole floor to myself like it was a normal thing.

"Sorry, how big is your house?" I asked but then really, that's a pretty stupid question isn't it.

I mean, I couldn't have expected anything smaller than a mansion from London's biggest gang's leader, could I.

But as he pulled up to his house, I couldn't help myself but stare. If I thought Connor's safe house was impressive, this was a whole other level.

If I had to tier it, this would make it way past the god tier.

"Oh my god." Was all I could muster as the other guys got out of the car. They walked along, as if the beautifully blue lit fountain standing in the middle of a massive circled driveway was a normal occurrence. Like the white and cream tiled pavement didn't look like it belonged in the middle of some fiction tale. Like the mansion which could have even trumped the white house stared down at me, taunting me, showing me how poor I really was.

Ok, maybe poor was going a bit far.

And that's when it hit me.

I hadn't seen Brylee, my car, ever since Jacob promised me to get her back.

Oh my god, where was she?

There were literally two things I loved in the world, one being Brylee, the other being racing.

Both Brylee related.

I tried to get out of the car, my hands still bound in front of me. I pulled the door open but fel face flat on the floor as I had a poor attempt of getting out of the car.

"Ouch, goddammit." I said as I tried to pull myself up.

"Greene, Tanner, anyone! Is anyone actually going to get me?"

But all I could hear were the men running off as they laughed about something.

Another engine was going as it pulled into the driveway. I saw another black car, identical to the one I was in.

Parking next to me, the rest of the guys, including the driver I'd never seen before, got out of the car.

His phone started going off and without missing a beat, he pulled out the phone and quickly silenced the the 'Radioactive' by Imagine Dragons that was playing from his phone.

"Yes, sir. I'll get right to it." he replied to whatever the man on the other end said. "Ok, guys, I need to leave but I'll get Lorna, our house-keeper to get you guys in."

"Alright, see you Quinton." Derek said, as if he had already befriended him.

"Guys, any of you mind helping me up?" I asked, realising I was still on the ground like before.

Not that I'd mind though, staring at this beautiful driveway wouldn't even be a bad way to spend the night.

Connor started coming closer to me, oh who did he think he was?

"Nuh uh, not you." I said, trying to half hop half crawl away from him.

The others had already started walking away though, leaving just Connor standing there, watching in amusement as I struggled on the floor.

I tried to heave myself up, now sitting up against the car that I'd come in.

I stretched my legs out infront of me, trying to move them closer to the car so that I could hoist myself up.

It was actually working aswell!

I carried on bringing my legs up closer to the back of the car, nearly being able to stand up straight but if course, just as I was about to fully stand up, my legs gave way and I ended up just where I started, facing the cold, white tiling of the driveway.

You know what, I think I'll just sleep here tonight.

It was a pretty tempting thought, just being able to lie here but as soon as a cold blast ran through me, I decided otherwise.

As lovely as the view was, I was definitely going to die of hypothermia if I didn't get up soon.

Connor was still there, looking at me like I was deranged, before he finally spoke up.

"Do you want some help there?" 

And of course, I grumbled a yes, not wanting to die from the cold today.

---

a/n: SOOOOOOO plot developmet ;)

I'm trying to make my chapters longer because I realised that, reading my old chapters, they seemed pretty short. I don't know if you guys like the new length of it though so, just let me know if you dont really like the new lengths.

I'm so, so happy with the way this book is going and eventhough we're quite late into the book, I'VE GOTTEN OVER 1K VIEWS like it may not seem like much to a lot of people but this is honestly so, so good!

thank you guys for showing this book so much love, I know it can be a bit of a drag at times, but really, thank you for sticking along, it means a lot *sheds a tear*.

hope you have a good night, my lovelies <3

Lolaalvilivi