PRESENT

As soon as I open my eyes, I can tell I'm not home. There's just something about your body being able to sense when you're out of place. Even before I curiously glance around at the unfamiliar walls I can tell that something is wrong.

That's when I suddenly remember. Getting shot by Christian. Robbie dying in front of me. That's pretty much all that comes to mind and I can't remember what happened next or how I got here. In a panic, I try to sit up but groan at the sheer burst of pain in my abdomen. I look down and finally realize that I have way too many wires sticking inside of me and, even though it's covered by a hospital gown, I can feel the thick bandage wrapped around my midsection, reminding me.

I was shot in the gut. I can almost feel the pain, even now. But what happened?

My lips feel like sandpaper and I lick them but it doesn't do much good. My mouth is like a Sahara. I look around for water and spy a paper cup on a tray nearby but can't reach it. Then I notice a call button on the side of the hospital bed and press it. Not even ten seconds later, a doctor comes barrelling in looking all out of sorts. His hair is sticking up everywhere and he's pretty much bewildered as he gapes at me.

"You're awake." He laughs and looks so relieved I have to wonder what kind of condition I'm in. "I didn't think you'd regain consciousness anytime soon."

"Unless both you and I are sharing the same hallucination, I'll have to guess that yes, I'm awake." My voice sounds like nails scratching on a chalkboard but the doctor laughs anyways, handing me the paper cup I saw earlier.

"And your sense of humour is intact. That's always a good sign." He shakes his head. "You must be one hell of a fighter, son. I wasn't sure your organs were going to pull you through."

"What happened to me?" I ask once I've drank all the water. I immediately feel loads better.

"We can go over that later. Let me call in a nurse to check your vitals."

The thought of more strange people coming near me immediately puts me on alert. I think I've had enough of that for a lifetime. "I need to see my family."

"They're waiting outside. When the nurse is done I'll have them all come in."

"Is Aria there?" I ask because fuck, I need her. She's the only one I need right now. I wonder if she knows Robbie is dead. Is she okay?

"Who?" The doctor tilts his head. "If you're talking about the beautiful redhead that hasn't left your side once in the past forty-eight hours then yes, she's there. You're very lucky to have her."

Relief slams into me. Aria.

I distinctly remember feeling her hold me when I thought I was dying and wonder if I just imagined that? Was she really there? Where is Christian now? And what happened with my birth parents who I was supposed to meet yesterday? So many fucking questions and I'm growing more and more restless.

"Relax." The doctor urges. "The check-up will be quick and painless and then I'll answer all your medical questions."

I nod reluctantly while he scribbles a few things down on his clipboard. He checks all the screens around me, working fast and silently.

"Never got your name, Doc." I point out.

"Dr. Lancaster." He shakes my hand. "I performed your surgery so I'm just doing the follow up right now."

I nod again. The hospital door opens and a nurse steps inside the room with some equipment. She's a short and plump woman and she grins wide at me. "Goodness. You're even more handsome when you're awake."

I find it in me to crack a small grin while Dr. Lancaster tsks. "You're too much, Rhonda."

Rhonda shrugs as she walks around to me, wrapping a blood pressure pump around my bicep. "I practically live at this hospital. When you have a muscular and good-looking man as your patient, you officially have something to look forward to."

Dr. Lancaster rolls his eyes in good fun and peers over his glasses to look at me. "I'd like to introduce you to my wife, Mr. Pryce."

A short laugh bursts out of me in surprise. "No shit?"

He nods. "This is the part where I warn you away from her."

My brows grow up in amusement. I'm unable to answer him when Rhonda sticks a thermometer in my mouth. It isn't until she takes it out that I tell him, "And this is the part where I tell you that I'm a heartless asshole and the only person I love is my girlfriend."

"That is just too sweet." Rhonda smacks my arm playfully. She trots over to her husband and smacks him next. "Why don't you ever talk about me like that?"

"I do." He defends. He turns back to me with a sigh. "Before I say something else that'll get me in trouble, do you have any questions for me?"

I nod, growing serious again. "What are my injuries? What happened? It felt like I wasn't going to make it for a while there."

Dr. Lancaster grabs a chair and settles into it beside my bed, folding his hands in his lap. "That's a good place to start. Yes, you were in extremely critical condition. You were shot in the abdomen but luckily it grazed past anything too vital. The injury only required a simple surgery. However, it seems you sustained previous injuries that complicated your condition. Your organs were suffering from lack of oxygen flow due to the evident choking and water boarding your body underwent. When you were shot, your organs did not have the ability to support your system and ultimately shut down on you. I had to give you blood transfusions to restore the oxygen to your organs but it was unpredictable how long it would take for your system to reboot. I'd estimated maybe a week before you regained consciousness but you fought your way back to us quite impressively, Mr. Pryce. I guess I shouldn't be surprised given your boxing background."

My head falls back against the pillow and I breathe a little easier. "So, it's nothing too serious? I'll be okay?"

"You will need strict rest but yes, you're going to be fine. The bruising on your body is already starting to fade and the bullet wound should heal naturally within two to three weeks time."

"Jesus." I look down at myself again. "Thanks for saving me, Doc."

"No need to thank me. You were lucky that your friends found you when they did. If you hadn't been brought in right away...very lucky indeed."

I lick my lips again. "Can I see my family now?"

"Oh! Yes." He stands up and adjusts his glasses. "You've got quite a crowd waiting outside for you. Makes it hard to believe you're the 'heartless asshole' you described, no?"

My mouth twitches. "Yeah, maybe so."

He pats my arm. "Rest easy, son. The worst is behind you now."

Is it? There's still so much unfinished business and I'm itching to talk to Greg already.

I expect my parents to come see me first but it's the guys that barrel inside instead. Actually, they walk inside pretty cautiously but it's Cameron that practically leaps his way to me. I shrink back into the bed.

"You were part of a gang?" He immediately accuses with wide eyes. "I always knew you were the cool one. Did you have to get branded with a tattoo? Can I see it? I don't mind if it's some place private."

"Ew. Jesus, get away from me." I mutter.

"Would you let him breathe, asshat?" Jaxon shoves him away. "He's had to deal with enough. I don't think he can survive you right now."

"Good call." Cameron agrees glumly, reading the room. "We're glad you're okay, man."

"Thanks." I eye them all curiously. "Exactly how much do you know?"

"Pretty much everything." Jaxon shrugs. "Coach couldn't hide anything. It just came out of nowhere, you know? One second the two of you are acting shady as hell and the next, you almost died. We lost it on him and he had no choice but to fill us in from the beginning. Why didn't you tell us?"

"Look at me, Cage." I gesture at myself. "If I told you guys, it could have been one of you in my place. I wasn't about to let that happen. I've done enough fucked up shit to last a lifetime."

"No, you did what you had to do." His mouth pinches with hesitation. "We also know about that guy. Marshall. Sounds to me like you were defending yourself, Pryce. You've got to stop carrying the guilt."

I'm shocked for a moment that they know but it makes sense. Marshall's death is what caused all of this so no doubt Coach had to tell them that part too. "Yeah, I know. I'm starting to see the bigger picture now."

"Royally fucked up, though. Your parents running a drug cartel, their enemies trying to kill you, and the whole Robbie thing? Christ."

"It was like a James Bond movie." Cameron adds. "I could have been your sexy sidekick if you'd let me, Pryce."

I roll my eyes. A hand on my shoulder gets my attention and I look up at Wolfe who's frowning down at me. He tips his chin in question.

"I'm good, man. Thanks." We bump fists when he nods his satisfaction. "And thank you for your help. We wouldn't have known it was Christian if you didn't clear up that picture."

He shrugs, looking self-conscious to have that kind of attention on him so I redirect the conversation.

"Where's Nate? And Aria?" I can't help but ask.

"On their way. They went home to freshen up." Jaxon supplies.

"Speaking of Aria." Cameron wiggles his brows. "We saw that coming from a mile away."

"You guys know that, too?" I groan. Just great. Then something hits me and I sit up. "Fuck. Does Nate know?"

They nod simultaneously and I curse again. This isn't how I wanted him to find out, damn it. I wanted to be the one to tell him. He probably thinks I'm a piece of shit for going behind his back. But I have no time to worry about that where there's a knock on the door.

"Boys." Coach walks inside and we all turn to him. "Out. I need a word with, Pryce."

He looks serious as hell so they don't waste any time shuffling out, letting me know they'll be outside. I feel my gut sink as I think of all the possibilities. Did Christian somehow get away? Are the Asesinos after me? What about my birth parents?

Coach takes the seat Dr. Lancaster pulled out earlier and crosses his arms. "Christian's dead."

Jesus.

I blink. For some reason that's the last thing I expected because, fuck. Christian and Robbie are both dead? It seems too good to be true.

"Mitch shot him." He continues. "It was one hell of a risk for him to take but your recording saved him. That was a fucking smart move, son. The recording is what fixed everything in the end."

"What's everything?" I sit up completely and ignore the pain in my midsection. I'm hanging on to every last word knowing what Coach says next will either free me or send me back into shackles.

"After we brought you to the hospital, Mitch and I flew out to New York where we met the Asesinos. We took your recording with us and played it for them as proof that he went rogue so they would drop any revenge cases against you or Mitch. It also turned out the Asesinos were working with the South Bloods the entire time. Someone from the Vice Lords gave away your location to Christian and that's the only reason he knew to come to Boston. The Asesinos didn't appreciate the interference with one of their own to say the least, so they sent the South Bloods to figure out who led Christian to you when he was ordered to stand down."

He pauses and looks away, unable to meet my eyes. I figure it out instantly by the flash of sympathy in his gaze before he turned.

"It was my birth parents." I fill in the blanks myself. "They sent him, didn't they?"

"Yes." Coach confirms after a beat. I feel a familiar sting of pain, wondering what the fuck I did to make them hate me so much. They wanted me to die? For fucking what?

I turn my head the other way so Coach can't see my face. Why the fuck am I close to tears? Why the fuck do I continue to care about them when they don't give a shit about me?

"Son." I feel Coach's hand on my shoulder. He sounds as torn as I feel. "If it's any consolation, we confronted them and I beat the shit out of Mike on your behalf. I don't understand how those two assholes made a such a good man like yourself. You should feel proud that you're nothing like them, Pryce. I sure as hell am."

I look up at the ceiling, blinking away the stinging sensation in my eyes. Their betrayal hurts more than I thought it would but I know I'll eventually get over it.

"Why'd they do it?" I ask quietly.

"They wanted to psych you out into doing the job for them. They thought if Christian came after you, you'd get scared and agree to work for them. That's what Nora said, at least. Mike...that son of a bitch is just a sorry asshole. He hates that you're everything he's not. He hates that you've made a good life for yourself despite everything. Envy made him a pathetic man and he was consumed in it. He wanted your help with the job and then he wanted Christian to kill you. Nora only wanted to make you believe Christian was after you but Mike actually sent him. He was the mole."

I bark out an incredulous laugh. "Well, fuck him."

"Fuck him." Coach agrees. "He got what he deserved. Tortured by the Asesinos. Died a slow and painful death. Nora is alive but she's not going to come anywhere near you. She was Mike's puppet more than anything. Now that he's dead, the Vice Lords are finished for good. The Asesinos got their revenge and have moved on. Mitch put in a word with his contacts and the South Bloods have announced a ban on you. No one is allowed to lay a hand on you or your family or they'll kill them. And since those fuckers run New York, every gang is officially too scared to even think about hurting you. You're a free man, Pryce."

And that's what finally makes me burst. The relief I feel is so overwhelming that I can't stop the tears no matter how hard I try. I swear I can fucking hear the ropes ripping apart and letting me go. No more looking over my shoulder. No more fearing for my life or for those around me. I can finally live my life like a normal fucking human being. Eight fucking years of torture and it's finally over.

"Thank you." I look like a pussy but I hug Coach tightly, who pats my back hard. "I owe my life to you, Coach."

"You don't owe me shit." I swear his voice cracks for a moment there. "You assholes are like family to me. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Thank you." I repeat. I don't know what else to say. I'm still trying to digest that I'm actually a free man now.

"You can pay me back by making big bucks when you go pro." He pulls away and grabs me by the back of my neck, shaking roughly. "No more giving up on your dreams, Pryce. Doc said you should be cleared before the end of the month so I already booked a match for you. Your first pro match. Your future starts now, you hear me?"

"No fucking way." I can't help but grin. I haven't felt this excited in a long time. Going pro has been my dream since I was an angry little fucker in the foster system and now that day is finally here. It feels too good to be true but I know it's not. I know I've been through more than enough to deserve it. "I'm going to win it, Coach. The first match and every single one after."

"I know, Pryce." He nods. "I'll kick your ass if you don't."

I pull in a breath, steadying myself. There's one more thing I need to take care of. "Can you call my parents in?"

His mouth tightens with sympathy and he leaves without a word. I don't know how much my parents know but I know I can't hide anything anymore. I've been lying to them for eight years and this is where it stops. They might hate me, they might feel like they made a mistake adopting me, but I won't be able to know until I do this. I need to know. And more importantly, so do they. They deserve to know the truth about the man they took in. They also deserve to decide for themselves if they still want me or not. It's fucking terrifying to think that after everything I might lose my parents too but it's even more terrifying deceiving them. I can't do it anymore.

I'm a paranoid mess when they come inside and shut the door behind them. The fact that they stand by the door and watch me but don't come near me doesn't help. I already feel fucking hopeless.

"Hey, guys." I sound as unsure as I feel.

Mom smiles, tears already falling. "Hi, baby."

I get choked up as hell hearing the sentiment from her, knowing that might be the last time. Fuck, I'm not ready for this.

"How're you holding up?" Dad asks.

I shrug. "Okay, I guess. Do you guys want to sit or something?"

"Can we?" Mom looks hesitant, taking cautious steps toward the bed. Christ. This is all so weird and awkward and I fucking hate it.

"Of course. Please come here."

They silently walk toward me, hand in hand, and separate to sit on either side of me. I lean my back against the pillows and try to think about what to say. Where do I even start? Sorry I ruined your life and it's your decision to kick me out of it because I'm not really your son? Fuck.

"We're so sorry." Mom blurts and I'm so shocked at her admission, all I can do is stare at her.

"You're sorry?"

"Do you hate us?" Dad adds, hands twisting in his lap almost nervously.

"What the hell are you guys talking about?"

They exchange wary looks with each other before looking at me again. Mom is the first to speak after an uncomfortable stretch of silence.

"Honey..." She grasps my hand and threads it through her fingers, squeezing. "We understand that you have a hard time opening up and trusting. After the life you've had, how could you not? But if we ever made you feel like you couldn't talk to us about your birth parents or ask for our help, we're so sorry. We know you'll always think of them as your real parents and—"

"Stop." I interrupt so suddenly that both my parents jerk in their seats. Is this really what they've been thinking this whole time? "They're not my parents and they never were. Maybe when everything first happened I wanted them to be but I was a kid then. I know better now and that includes understanding that they're shit people I don't ever want to think about again. Fuck them. Seriously. They never once stepped up to be my parents so they don't get to have that title. The only parents I've ever had are you guys and I mean that shit."

I've never been so fucking emotional in my life than I have today. I'm not even surprised when I feel my throat lock up again and finish saying what I need to say. My parents watch with tears own in their eyes so I feel less stupid about mine.

"Do you know why nobody ever wanted to adopt me? Why I was tossed around the system for a decade? I didn't want a fucking family. Not once. Family to me didn't mean shit because my own abandoned me. Why would I want to go through that again? So I acted out and made everyone's life hell, rejecting the world before they had the chance to reject me. You guys, though? I don't know what it was but you never made me feel like an outcast. There was something about you guys that always made me feel like your son. The only reason I acted out in the beginning was because I was scared of how right it felt to have you as my parents. I wanted you guys so bad. I used to lie down in my balcony every night and wish on the fucking stars that you'd want me as badly as I wanted you. To this day I worry that one day you'll stop wanting me."

My voice cracks on the last sentence and I pause for a moment, clearing my throat. Mom tries to speak again but I stop her by holding up a finger. I have to get all of this out of my system before I lose my nerve.

"That's all I'm thinking right now if I'm being honest. Do you guys even know the kinds of things I've done? I'm...I'm a disaster. And I won't hold anything against you if you don't want me to be part of your lives anymore."

"Now who's being delusional?" Dad cuts in. He's usually easy-going as hell but right now he's more serious than I've ever seen him. "You are our son, Asher. Ours. And nothing is ever going to change that."

"You don't understand. I've—"

"If this about Marshall, we know."

All the breath knocks out of me as I gape at them. What the hell? I look between the two of them like I might have misheard them but they just stare back knowingly and wait for me to speak.

"But...who told you?"

"Baby." Mom sighs, running a hand through my hair. "Eight years ago when you came back from New York, you were a different man. You've always been serious and reserved but never dark. You came back and it was like there was a permanent cloud hanging over your head. You didn't eat or sleep properly for months. We knew something must have happened for such a major shift in your character and we also knew it probably had something to do with your birth parents. We figured you might get curious about them so it was only a matter of putting two and two together."

"But how would you know about Marshall?"

"I called them." Dad admits. "Mike and Nora. Asked them what the hell they did to my son. That son of a bitch Mike had more than enough to say and thought we would abandon you if we knew you took a job from them and accidentally shot a man."

I flinch. Hearing my dad say the words is so much harder than I thought it would be. I can't defend myself fast enough. "I swear I didn't mean to. He was going to kill me and I still feel sick to my stomach knowing what I did."

"You shouldn't be." Mom surprises me with her harsh words. "If things hadn't gone the way they did then you would be dead. I'm not sure what kind of a woman it makes me to think this but if anyone in that torture unit had to die that day, it should have been both of them. Not you. You are my baby, Asher. Your father and I will always be so glad that it was you who walked out of there alive."

Something like a laugh or a sob tears out of me and I wrap an arm around both my parents, pulling them close to me. My abdomen is screaming in protest but I don't give a fuck. For years I've wanted to come clean to my parents about the biggest regret of my life and to have them understand and...they do. How in the fuck did I get so lucky?

"I'm so fucking sorry for all the trouble I've given you guys. I don't even know how you're still here with me after all of it."

"Are you kidding me?" Dad pats me on the back hard. "You're an asshole but you're our asshole, Asher Choi Pryce."

I jostle his head for that one but I'm laughing.

"And if we had to go back in time, we would pick you all over again. You are the best thing that's happened to us, son." Mom pulls away to kiss my forehead.

I look between them both. For the longest time I wanted validation from my birth parents. I wanted to feel loved, to be seen, to understand what I was missing that they abandoned me for it. But that's bullshit because I have everything I need right in front of me. These two have been my ride or die's since I was a determined punk and sitting here with them, I've never felt so fucking whole in my life.

"I love you, Umma and Appa." I say quietly. They blink in shock and for good reason. This is the first time I've said the words to their face. But if there was ever a time to do it, it's now.

"We love you." Mom whispers back.

"Most of the time." Dad mumbles from the side of his mouth.

I shove him. "And you call me the asshole."

"I can't believe how irresponsible you were, though." Mom smacks my arm repeatedly. "You almost died!"

"Ma, come on." I hold my hands up in surrender. "I just had surgery."

That gets me smacked in the head. "Then they should have given you a brain while they were at it! What were you thinking? You are grounded, you hear me young man?"

"You can't do that. I'm almost twenty-seven."

"And still living under my roof. My home, my rules."

"Dad?" I gesture at him for help.

"Hmm?" He chews a granola bar leisurely. I'm pretty sure it's mine. "Have I ever wore the pants in this relationship? You're on your own."

"Put that down!" Mom yanks the bar out of his mouth so fast, Dad chokes on whatever he's still chewing. "You are such a child."

"Oh, I'm fine, thanks for asking." He scoffs after shooting down a cup of water, I presume for the choking.

I'm grinning at their total idiocy because they happen to be my idiots, when I hear a choked laugh. My gaze shifts to the door, heart stopping at the sight of Aria watching me with her hands over her mouth. I have to blink twice because for a moment I think I'm hallucinating until I realize my parents are watching us with huge smiles, confirming that she's real and here.

"Princess." I say her name like a prayer. How is it that just one look at her instantly undoes every nightmare that I went through? I laugh too, holding my arms out. "Come here."

I need her. So fucking badly. She's the only reason I kept fighting when I thought my body would give up on me and I'd die. I couldn't leave, not when her and I had just gotten started.

Mom and Dad stand up from the bed just as Aria runs toward me, leaping on the bed and crashing into my body. I groan at the pain her maneuver ignites on my wound but it's easy to ignore it when I'm holding her. The relief I feel, both of us alive and okay? It's incomparable.

"You're awake." She cries, arms tightening around my neck. "You came back to me."

"I promised you, didn't I?" I hug her harder, inhaling her scent and relishing in the warmth of her body. Nothing was scarier than the moment in front of Christian's gun where I thought I would never be able to do this again. "That I'd never leave? No matter how hard it got? Honestly, baby. You should know I never break a promise."

She laughs but it sounds more like a cry and then I'm swallowing up that confusing sound when I crush my mouth to hers. I can feel the wetness on my cheeks from her tears or maybe they're mine but I really don't fucking care. All I know is that I'm never fucking let her go again, not when life is as short and fragile as it is. I've spent most of my life running from my feelings for Ria but I'm damn well about to spend the rest of it proving to her how much I fucking love her. I start with this kiss, pouring every last bit of my heart into it. After all, it belongs to her anyways.

"Watching this is even more disgusting than I thought it would be." I hear Nate remark dryly.

Out of surprise, I jerk away and look over Ria's shoulder. It's weird seeing the protective glint in his eyes directed at me instead of all the assholes Ria's been with but there's also something that's never been there before—satisfaction. He can say what he wants but he's happy that I'm who his sister ended up with and he knows it.

"Good to see you too, dick." I smirk.

He laughs and casually scratches at his eye. My smirk widens. I think the fucker is actually crying for me.

Then I sober up when he points between the two of us. "Something you want to tell me about, Pryce?"

Ria and I share a guilty look and I laugh softly under my breath, shrugging.

"About that..."

_________________________

A/N

MY EMOTIONS!! It is crazy how much I've grown to love this story and I can't believe there's only two chapters left!

I'm so sad to see Asher and Aria go. They are seriously my absolute favourites!

Please VOTE, comment and share if you liked this chapter!

Happy Reading :)