~

I stand in front of the pharmaceutical store, contemplating whether or not to go in with my bruised up face. Jelly had given me bruises because I made a mistake while delivering the good.

After much thought, I open the door to the store but immediately close it back when I see her.

I glance at her through the transparent glass of the store and find myself smiling when I see her laughing and chatting with her friend.

She had the prettiest smile and carried herself in the most elegant way. She is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and she always manages to take my breath away when we coincidentally lock eyes in the hallways at school.

I stare at my bruised up face and flinch. Throwing my hoodie over my head, I walk into the store to grab my mum's drugs and a pack of cigarettes for myself.

While getting the drugs, I couldn't help but overhear Dove's conversation with her friend when my name pops up.

"Do you think Gray stone would be at the party tonight?" Her voice comes out silvery and smooth.

"It's Gray stone. He never misses a chance to get high and get laid, " her friend replies with a snort.

They were on the other side of the shelve, making it a bit easier for me to see their faces. I couldn't help but lean closer to them.

Dove bites her lips nervously and sighs deeply. "I'm going for it tonight, " She grins.

"You're going to ask him out? You know Gray Stone doesn't do relationships, " her friend raises her brows.

"Well, I'm not going to ask him out. I'll just make him ask me out, " Dove replies with a small smile.

Her friend shakes her head and laughs. "Gray is bad news, Dove. The only good thing he has going for him is his good looks and the football team."

"Well, you can add me to the list, " Dove giggles.

I smile and stare down at my hands, feeling an unfamiliar surge build up in my chest.

"He smokes too, and word is he's in a gang, " Her friend replies.

Yet, a sunken feeling settles in my pits, her friend's words pulling me back to my shitty reality.

"He smokes, " Dove wrinkles her nose in disgust. "Why do people smoke anyway. It's so not cool."

I didn't smoke because I thought it was cool. I smoke because it helps me clear my head. I grab my mom's drug and pay for it before walking out of the store.

I wasn't planning on attending the party tonight, but now I was going to. And I was going to show Dove that I'm worthy of her feelings.

That's if she still has any left.

I let my hand with the lighter hover over the cigarette in between my teeth. With a deep sigh, I pull the cigarette from my mouth and throw it on the floor before stomping it with my shoes.

The grocery shop doorbell rings as Jay walked out. After the call with Jelly, I had no one else to call but Jay. He knew about the Cager more than I did and was the only one who could help to save Dove.

He throws me a can of beer and collects the lighter from my hand to light his cigarette.

"So?" I throw my hands at him.

"What exactly did Jelly say to you?" He asks, placing his arms into his leather jacket pocket.

"He said that I should be at the Cage tonight. Do you think they'll bring her there?" I ask, the frown on my face deepening.

Jay shakes his head and takes a drag from his cigarettes. "I doubt. That would be too risky."

I bite my lower lips, deep in thoughts. I couldn't let anything happen to Kelch. I'll never forgive myself if she ever gets hurt because of me.

"I think I should just take the chip, man, " I sigh, running my hand through my hair.

I had already caused her emotional pains in the past. I don't want to be responsible for her physical pains now. Honestly, I don't want her in any form of pain. If I could take all her pain away, I gladly would.

"No." Jay places his rough hands on my shoulder. "Trust me. The chip ruins your life."

"My life is ruined without her, anyway, " I yell out of frustration.

"We can save her, " Jay argues.

"We don't even know where the fuck they took her, " I point out, feeling my anger rise by the minute.

Jay sighs and kneads my shoulder. "We can save her, Grayson."

I throw my can of beer on the ground, finding a way to release my anger. Boxing suddenly sounded good at the moment. "If only I knew where she was, I'd-"

"You'd what?" Jay snorts dryly. "This is not some movie where you'd walk into a room with a stick and beat up ten men with a gun. You'd die before you can even take five steps."

"At least I know I died trying, " I snap back.

"And how does that help. If you die trying, does that automatically make Dove safe?" Jay raises an eyebrow, tapping the end of his cigarette.

With a sigh, I lean on the wall, slumping my shoulders, not in defeat but in sadness. Jay taps my shoulders, prompting me to look at him.

"Let's go somewhere, " He says, walking towards his car.

I follow him towards the parking lot where his blue Mercedes was parked. When we get to his car, Jay throws me his keys, which I catch instinctively.

I look at the keys in my hands and back at him. "Why am I the one driving?"

Without a reply, Jay opens his can of beer and takes long gulps. He raises his almost empty can of beer at me with a smirk on his lips. "I'm intoxicated, so I can't drive."

I roll my eyes and get into his car. While I wait for him to type the address in the gps, my phone rings. I look at the caller ID, and a slight frown forms on my face when Ashley's name pops up.

As far as I'm concerned, I know she hates my guts. I still remember the night she came to meet me with a plan, a plan to hurt Kelch.

Kelch had thought we had sex even though we didn't. We just planned it all perfectly. I click the green button and place the phone next to my ear.

"Gray, bad news. Amy's in my house right now, and she's literally shaking. She says she saw Dove getting kidnapped, " her frail voice pierces through the phone.

I immediately sit up at the sound of Dove's name. "Did she see anything else? Like the people who took her or what car?"

"She says it's a black van, and they had a gun. I don't know what's going on. I tried calling Dave, but his number wasn't going through, " She says, a hint of concern and fear in her voice.

Dave, my mum, and the kids were going to LA today for the weekend. My mum went to see one of the best obstetrician-gynecologist in the USA and figured they could take the kids for a short vacation.

"Please don't call Dave. I'll take care of it, " I rub my temple and start the car.

"Is she in danger? Should I call the police?" Ashley asks, and I imagine her pacing around her room, impatiently.

"No, Ashley, don't. She's fine. I promise, " I say, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

I end the call before her nervousness seeps through the phone and affects me. A few minutes after I drop my phone, a message from Ashley comes in.

Jay asks me to keep my eyes on the road while he reads my message for me. "Holy shit. Yes, " He throws his fist in the air and shows me a tiny glimpse of my message.

"Can you tell me what it says?" I ask as Jay begins to call someone on the phone.

"A picture of the license plate. We can trace the car, " Jay replies with a small grin, changing the location on the Gps.

"I've got a better plan. And call your friends, Zain and..., " He snaps his fingers, trying to remember Aaron's name.

" Zyair and Aaron?" I raise my brow at him.

"Yeah. Them. We'll need their help too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay. Can we go over the plan again, " Jay claps his hands, leaning forward on his seat.

We are still in the car and on a video call with Zyair and Aaron.

"Yeah. I think, " Aaron furrows his brows and strokes his chin. "Zyair drives Gray's car to the cage and parks a few feet from it. I follow him in my car, and he gets into mine after dropping Gray's car off."

I nod my head as he speaks, and Jay gives him a thumbs up.

Zyair raises his hands, and I could tell he was about to make a ridiculous remark.

"There's one thing I don't understand, though," He picks at his fingernails. "Why am I the one driving your car. If I get caught, they might kill me, " he gestures with his hands in a dramatic manner.

"I don't think they'll be looking out for who's driving the car. But I suspect there might be a tracker on Gray's car, which is why I'm asking you guys to help me deceive them, " Jay replies.

"But I'll be the one at the highest risk of getting hurt if we get caught, " Zyair places a hand on his chest.

"Fine. I'll drive the fucking car, " Aaron snaps, cutting Zyair's incessant whining.

" I didn't say I wouldn't drive. I'm just weighing the odds, " Zyair shakes his head.

"Dove is the one being held captive," I rub my temple, trying to ease the anxiety I felt.

And it's all my fault.

The thought of her in danger makes me feel weak and helpless. But it also made me feel like I could do anything to save her.

Zyair and Aaron are silent after my words. "What time do we move?" Zyair asks, a more serious tone to his voice.

"8:30," Jay replies and ends the call.

I lean back on the passenger seat with a sigh and look out the window to stare at the building where Jay's friend works.

Tilting my head to stare at Jay, I raise a brow. "If he works here. Are you sure he'll help us?"

Jay nods his head and unbuckles his seatbelt. I follow his lead and get down from the car, walking towards the building.

"He was once in a gang like us, " Jay replies, placing his arms around my shoulders.

"He left a gang and was able to get a job here?" I widen my eyes impressively.

"Yeah, he got himself a rich girlfriend, who helped to turn his life around, " Jay says as we walk through the marbled floored building.

We stop in front of the elevator and get in, while Jay presses a button to take us to the fifth floor. "So you wanna get yourself a rich girlfriend?" I tease, bumping his shoulders lightly.

Jay chuckles and places his hands in his jacket. "I can't do relationships. Not after my last one," He sighs in a downcasted manner.

"What happened?" I ask, noticing his change in mood.

The elevator dings, and we both walk out into the linoleum carpeted halls. "That's a story for another day. Right now, we need to focus on meeting Ten, " He shrugs as he leads me towards an office at the end of the hallway.

Ten is the name of Jay's friend, who was going to help us with the CCTV footage.

"Remember to act as polite and normal as possible, " Jay pats my back, and I nod my head in response.

He opens the door, and an angry-looking man glares back at us. "That's not Ten, " Jay leans and whispers to me.

Jay straightens his back and outstretches his arms towards the man in the office. "Hello. I'm a friend of Ten, and I'll like to know if he's around, " Jay greets politely.

The man looks at Jay's hand, dragging his eyes slowly to stare at Jay's face before he returns his attention back to the CCTV footage, blatantly ignoring us.

"Excuse me?" Jay raises his brow.

"Ten isn't here, so please, find the exit, " The man replies rudely.

"We can't. We need help with something very important, " Jay pleads, his soft side coming out.

A soft side, I didn't know to exist. With my patience wearing thin, I grab a Nora Roberts book and gently run my hands along the smooth hardcover.

This would do.

"If you're planning to look at the county's CCTV footage, I can't-, "

His words are cut short when I strike his head with the book in my hand, causing him to lose consciousness and slump to the floor.

Jay turns to me with wide eyes, and I reply with a shrug. I walk over the man and turn to his computer.

"So, how does this thing work?" I ask Jay, furrowing my brows as I fumble with the mouse.

Jay shakes his head, still stunned by my action. "What happened to acting normal, " He chuckles and bends the work the computer.

"Got bored of it, " I shrugged.

After a while, Jay finds the street where the car was last seen. He makes some calls and turns to me with a confused expression.

"Did you find where she is?" I ask as we walk out of the office and towards the elevator.

He nods his head. His face still had an expression full of quizzical looks.

"What?" I ask, the uneasy feeling returning to my abdomen.

I sincerely hope for their sake they haven't hurt her.

"She's being kept in Enzo's son's house. Why would they take her to Enzo's son's house?" Jay asks, shaking his head.

I've never seen Enzo's son and didn't even know Enzo had a son. "Do you know anything about his son?" I ask.

Jay shrugs, and we walk out into the cold evening air. "Only his name."

"What's his name?"

"Luca Russo."

••••••••••••

QOTD- On a scale of 1-10, how strict were/are your parents?

>> Mine is 10.5. Just kidding, probably a solid 7.