Hey everyone, thanks for all the great comments on last chapter and I'm glad you all liked it so much! Here's hoping you like this chapter as well.... :D

~ ~ Chapter Twenty Four ~ ~

A sense of calmness had washed through me but it didn't feel right, it reminded me of a eye of the storm, the peace before the big finale hit. Phil keeps glancing at me, watching, waiting for me to crack or something but it hasn't happened yet.

Max even had the stupidity to ask me if I will help him move the bodies out of the lounge room, the look I shot him shut him up real quick and had him thinking differently. I may have taken two lives but it did not mean that I wanted to touch their dead bodies.

Right now, I'm in the kitchen washing down the small cuts and scrapes on my arms and legs, even a little one under my eye which stung like crazy but had hardly any blood to it. I hadn't even noticed any of the cuts on me or felt them until Phil pointed them out and told me to go clean them up.

He was proud of me, which in a realistic world would make him some kind of sick sadistic freak because what kind of person is proud of another for taking lives away like that? But in this world, it was a compliment to have him proud of me. I could have faltered or freaked out like I did when that man came after me but I stood my ground and fought back to come out on top and I know I'm never going to back down again.

Phil walked in and went over to the fridge, opened the door and pulled out two cans of bourbon, bringing one over to me, "You know Baden's going to flip when he finds out?" he asked as he cracked his can open and took a long drink out of it.

Smiling slightly, I put the cloth down I was wiping my blood away with and picked my own can up; I needed a drink after what just happened. "Yeah, I know." I muttered, nodding my head gently. It is why I am trying to clean up these small cuts before he can see them.

Max walked in from the lounge room, holding a phone in his hands as he glanced at me then looked over to Phil quickly, "I just got in touch with Byron, we've lost five of our men and Paul got away. They are just sweeping through the place now, looking for anyone hiding still."

I gasped, five people on our side died? That is such a big number of lives to have lost, never to see again. I really hope it wasn't anyone that I knew though, "What about Baden, Caveman and Amberly?" I asked quickly, needing to hear that at least those three were all alright.

Max smiled slightly as he nodded his head, "They're all fine. Caveman left already with her so they should be here now-."

He was cut off by the sounds of tyres screeching into the driveway, all of us turned and looked then the two boys instantly had loaded guns pulled out from behind them as they raced to the front door. I followed, picking up one off the floor and hoping it had bullets in it still.

"What the hell happened here?" An all too familiar voice boomed furiously, Caveman was here.

"Drive by, they were after Lee." Phil responded in a nonchalant tone, I stepped up behind him and looked Caveman over, he seemed to be relatively unharmed, a little dirty and sweaty with blood splatter across his arms and face but good apart from that.

His gaze landed on me and he took my appearance in, I don't know what I look like since I haven't actually looked at myself in the mirror or anything but I don't think I look too bad, "You okay though?" he asked seriously that it shocked me, I never thought he would worry about my safety.

Nodding I looked behind him and at the car he had just pulled up in but the windows were tinted so dark that I couldn't see anything inside, "Where is she?"

He followed my gaze, "In the car but when I seen the house like this, I made her wait there." He growled protectively, then turned to face Phil, "Has Baden been told yet?" he asked, eyeing me slightly again.

Groaning internally, now that I knew Baden was fine, I could wait for him to take his time because we all know how he is going to react over this. Hell, I'm going to be lucky if I will even be able to breathe by myself ever again.

Walking past the boys as they discussed this all quietly I headed for the car and waved slightly, feeling like a idiot because I didn't know if Amberly was looking at me or not but the passenger door opened a second later and she stepped out, fear etched all over her face, I gasped at the sight of her.

Her face was bruised and red, like she had taken a beating and I noticed the slight limp she had as she walked towards me with, holding her side at the same time and her face revealed the pain she was in as tears streaked down her cheeks. My heart plummeted, how could anyone do this to her?

"Oh Ambo." I cried as I reached her and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tight to me but not tight enough to cause her anymore pain, she instantly broke down and clung on for dear life as she sobbed heavily, her tears drenching my top but I didn't care.

Making soothing sounds as I rubbed her back gently, she eventually pulled away when Caveman walked over to us and took her hand, bringing her to him. I would have felt offended by this but I know how much they care for each other and I could just imagine their need to have the other in their arms right now, especially Caveman. I will never forget the way he looked when we realised she was missing.

Caveman looked at me over top of Amberly's head as she buried her face into his chest and we shared a knowing look, I thanked him with my eyes for getting her back and he gave me a look that said he will always do anything for her. Nodding slightly, I leaned in and gave Amberly a peck on the cheek before walking off inside.

Phil was just hanging up the phone and he looked a little nervous, raising an eyebrow I looked at him and waited for him to spill, "Uh, Baden is on his way, I didn't tell him anything though because we all know he is a crap driver when angry."

Smiling slightly at the end part, I had to agree with him. Baden was crap at driving when his mind was elsewhere. He ran so many red lights on our way to Caveman the time he had been shot, almost hit countless other cars because he wasn't watching the road and had just expected them to move for him and we almost got hit countless times because Baden just pulled out in front of traffic.

Walking off into the lounge room, "Might as well enjoy the peace until the storm arrives." I mumbled to myself as I spotted the gun I had used earlier, lying on the floor near a stain of dark blood and stopped in my tracks.

Staring at it, I remembered the feeling vibrating through my hands once again as I pulled the trigger and some part of me wanted to keep that gun. The very first one I had ever touched and used. Slowly moving towards it, I bent down and picked it up, cradling it in the palm of my hand and just stared at it.

The sounds of footsteps somewhere behind me had me quickly lifting up the back of my top and shoving the gun into the top of my pants. Pulling my top back down over it; covering it up and a small smile spread across my face. This was now my gun.

Caveman was up in his room with Amberly, packing his stuff up since he and Baden were now moving too. I don't know where we are going to go but our apartment and their house is out of the question but for tonight we will be going to Phil and Dougy's place but it won't be permanent.

I was standing in the open area in between the lounge room and kitchen when we all heard another car pull up and instantly a door slamming as his voice filled the air all around us, even Caveman and Amberly heard him from upstairs, "Where the hell is she!"

Sighing I made my way towards the front door as he came barging in, looking furious as all hell and ready to kill someone, Baden was looking up the stairs at Caveman as he was coming down and didn't notice me yet.

"I'm here, calm down." I muttered softly and he heard my voice then snapped his head in my direction, his eyes widening slightly as he took a few steps to reach me and wrap his arms around my waist, lifting me up off the ground.

Immediately I wrapped my legs around his waist and hugged him back, happy to finally see him again. It felt like a lifetime had been and gone since he left hours ago to go rescue Amberly and I couldn't stop the silent tears of happiness that leaked out the corner of my eyes and dripped down my cheeks.

"I'm glad you're back." I whispered into his neck, kissing him gently.

Baden's arms tightened around me, "I'm glad I'm back too." His voice mumbled as he kissed my shoulder then his entire body went ridged as one hand made it's way to my lower back and I felt the gun being removed from my pants.

Crap.

Pulling back I looked up into his eyes, they were full of rage, "I'm going to kill every single last one of them." He growled in a low and dangerous voice, letting me go and I placed my feet back on solid ground, only to have him gently grab my chin and tilt my face to either side as he inspected me.

Taking hold of my arms, he ran his thumb lightly over one of the smaller cuts and hissed with fury while I patiently waiting for the yelling and stuff to happen, he was acting too calm right now and it was scaring me a little.

"Baden?" I asked softly, looking up into his dark eyes as they met mine.

"Phil, what happened?" He growled, ignoring me now and turning away to look at Phil.

Phil was standing in the hallway entrance to the lounge and he looked like he didn't want to say anything but we all knew someone had to explain this to Baden. He wasn't going to let this drop considering his house looks like war zone.

"Driveby, about an hour ago. Five of them snuck in right after, I killed two and Max killed one.......um, Leila killed two as well." He quickly mumbled the last part, not one of us knowing how Baden was going to react to this news.

His eyes snapped to my face once more and softened slightly as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me in tight, "Babe, are you okay?" concern laced his tone.

Nodding, I looked up and smiled at him, "I'm fine but can I have my gun back, please?" and I nodded at the gun he had taken off of me moments ago.

Baden glanced down at the gun in his hand, "You're gun? It looks like Phil's to me."

"Yeah, about that; I know you said to not give her a weapon but when they first hit, I did. I wanted her to have something just in case something happened to me and I couldn't protect her." Phil spoke up, our eyes meeting as well as Max's. We all were not going to tell Baden that Phil the idiot left me alone because Max did as well at one point.

But I am so yelling at Phil later for it, when we are alone.

"Phil you moron! I told you to take care of her and I get back to see my house shot to shit and my girl covered in cuts! Then I'm told she actually killed two people!" Baden suddenly roared furiously, letting me go to spin around and face Phil will all his anger again.

"Hey! Don't you yell at him!" I shouted out suddenly as I dodged past him and stood protectively in front of Phil, no way was I going to let Baden pin this all on my brother.

"Move Leila!" Baden ordered, making me raise an eyebrow in disbelief, oh no he did not just order me to do something.

Shaking my head at him, "No. Yell all you want but this is not Phil's fault. Those men came here to kill me because of you, not Phil, so leave him alone! Besides, I'm still alive and standing and those Gianni wankers are dead." I growled the last part, how I despised the name Gianni so much already.

"So you're telling me it's my fault." Baden snapped, his hands clenched into tight fists, Phil grabbed my shoulder and pulled me away from him a little and shook his head at me, warning me to drop this but I'm stubborn when I want to be.

"That's not what I meant Baden and you know it. All I'm saying is don't take this out on Phil, he kept me safe and alive, and you should be thanking him." I snapped back with anger.

"Lee, back off, he's ready to snap." Phil hissed in a low tone, I glanced up at him and he looked serious but I still wasn't going to let Baden take it all out on Phil.

"Fine." Baden growled as he pulled a gun out from behind him, flicked the safety and quickly aimed and shot. Amberly screamed from the staircase, I jumped from the suddenness of it and someone shouted out in pain.

My first reaction was to look at Phil because I know it wasn't me who Baden just shot but he was looking someone else and didn't seem to be in any kind of pain. My eyes followed his gaze and I turned to look at Max slumped up against the wall, holding his thigh, my eyes snapped open in shock.

"What the hell Baden!" I screamed as I went to take a step forward but Phil kept a tight grip on my shoulder.

"Someone needed to get shot for this." Baden grunted like it was an everyday thing to shoot people in the leg, especially people you know. He started walking towards us, but side stepped me and Phil, "Watch her for me." He growled at Phil, who nodded as Baden headed for the front door.

"We'll be at Phil's place." Caveman spoke up from the stairs as he watched Baden walk out the front door, who didn't look back.

"Hey! Where are you going?" I shouted out, ripping my arm from Phil's grip and running after Baden who never responded to me. He didn't stop walking and was already halfway to his car, so I had to bolt after him if I wanted to catch up.

Slowing down as I reached his side, I reached out with my hand took hold of his then said nothing as I kept up with his pace and walked to his car with him. He better let me in and not leave me behind. I don't care how angry he is, I need to be with him right now, I needed to feel his presence near mine.

Yanking the driver's door open, he finally turned and looked down at me as I looked up, he was beyond furious and one eye was even twitching, though I don't know if he realised this or not, "Get in." He growled; I smiled slightly and quickly climbed through to the passenger seat, at least he was letting me come.

Once he was in and started the car up, he turned to look at me quickly, putting slight fear into my heart, he didn't look like the Baden I knew because this Baden looked almost evil with fury.

 Then turning to face the road behind us as he pulled out quickly, making me grip onto the edge of my seat, "Where are we going?" I asked quietly, once he took off down the road, leaving everyone else behind.

"I'm going to go fuck the Gianni boys up; you are going to a safe place." He growled, almost snapping at me as he kept his eyes glued to the road and leaving me with the feeling I defiantly shouldn't argue back right now.