"All of it?" I asked, almost impressed.

"Everything is gone." He looked at me, defeated.

"How much?"

"Ten grand, maybe fifteen." Sam watched the expression on my face and bowed his head.

"Well," I said. "You're fucked."

Sam peeked out of the shed doors for a moment, his head filled of paranoia. When he stepped back in, he lifted his shirt up. "I'm not going to let them get me again." He revealed the glock in the front of his pant line. "Not this time."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You think that's going to stop them? It's not." I held my smoke in my mouth and in one swift motion, snatched the gun from his waist line and pointed it at him, inches away from his forehead.

Sam looks at me with a petrified expression, beats of sweat instantly coming from his temples. "How-"

I smiled viciously while smoke pooled out of the corners of my mouth. "It'd be so easy to pull the trigger. You're defenseless, alone and afraid." I pushed the gun against his glistening forehead. "You've got nothing."

"Eli..." Sam called out my name with a shake.

In his eyes, I saw nothing but red. And that's how he should perceive me. For a moment, we stayed in our position.

When I finally lowered the gun, Sam let out a deep breath of relief. "Fuck," He spat.

"Put this the fuck away, and for christ's sake, do not show Tony that you have this. He'll use it, and you'll instantly lose your chance of getting out of this." I pushed the gun in his chest.

"Fuck I thought for a second you were going to...-" He panicked.

I sighed after another long inhale of grey smoke. "Why'd you take anything in the first place if you had full knowledge you couldn't give it back? They're not going to kill you." I leaned up against his old dirty shelf that he made himself, out of wood. "It's respect. And you disrespected by not paying on time, and by doing that you gave them a big fuck you."

"I had the money." He stressed. "I had intentions, but it got... Messy."

I rolled my eyes. "A junkie can't use his own supply. You have a party with your friends, your brothers, Tony. And just a little is okay, then a little more. Next thing you know, you're all fucked up, and all the people you thought you can trust, turns their backs on you. They take, and take, and take advantage of your sloppy state. They become a snake, scoring off you, and if you think anyone gives a fuck about the outcome, you're wrong. It's not them on the line, it's you." I walked up to him, in his face. "You trust no one, in this game."

"You think I don't know that?" He lifted his voice. "You're the one that burned it in my head, taught me how to win when I get in over my head, Eli. You need to help me fix this."

I laughed. "I didn't tell you to get into this shit, Sam. You chose this, you made your own decisions. I told you don't selfishly skim off the top. I told you, you don't go to the big guys if you can't give them back. They will fiend off of you. They want you to fuck up so they can own you. Now look. You fucked up, and didn't listen to my advice. This is you. You're lucky I even showed up to help your sorry fucking ass, and if it weren't for Tony being involved I'd let them come after you, not a single thought in my mind of your name again."

I warned him.

Samuel wasn't a threat, he was just easy to walk on. Which made it dangerous for him to get involved with people he had no chance of winning against.

"Eli." His eyes pricked with tears which made me raise an eyebrow. Weak, he was. "I need your help. If anyone can scare someone off, it's you. Hell, the scariest part about you is that you're unpredictable. You've got to be able to do something. Tony's name wasn't even involved yet. He's safe for now."

He was lying. And I wanted to ditch him here and let the sharks fiend on his flesh. But him failing, made me feel like a failure.

"Well," I pulled out my wallet. "Start working. That's what they want from you."

"I want out," He shook his head. "No."

I smirked at him and ashed the end of my smoke on his shelf. "You're not getting out for a long time." I'd know out of anyone that he was stuck. I used to be the one going after small guys like him. This is what they did. They wait for you to fuck up so they can threaten you so badly that you're forced to work for them, forever. He's a pawn in the game, in one of the worst positions to be in when in this world.

I handed him two grand, which was going to go towards rent this month. Fuck sakes. "This'll get you started. And put some food in you. I know the guys you're working for, they wont do anything drastic if you give them something to hold them off. Start working your debt off and don't get caught doing something stupid. They'll use your fuck ups to their advantage."

Sam's shaky, bruised hand took my money slowly. "Wow... Thank you, Eli. Fuck man, I owe you."

"Keep Tony's name out of it. Keep my name out of it. Don't touch the fucking supply this time. For fuck sake, don't fuck this one up. I'll take you down myself, don't think this is a handout, Sam." I threatened. "I'll help you sort out your mess. In the mean time."

I didn't need to finish my sentence before he started bobbing his head up and down.

Leaving Sam's house put a very sour taste in my mouth. You'd think he knew what he just dragged me into, but in his tiny mind, he probably still thought I'm into all of this bullshit. He always thought I was one of the big guys but had no idea I left that part of my life behind before I even met him.

"Fuck." I muttered to myself and slammed my hands into my steering wheel.

I didn't want to be dragged into this, I was supposed to get away from it all. I haven't gotten into selling or being close with this shit since I was with Nash. When I moved here to start fresh, I became strictly the user and not the dealer.

I intended to keep it that way.

Billy knew me though. If he found out I was involving myself, I'd be fucked. Billy knew there was more to me than just being a drug addict, fucking everyone over to score. If he found out I was back in the game in secret, he'd come after me. I couldn't risk it.

Eli, you'll always be apart of this group. Whether you're hiding far away or in the same god damn miserable kitchen. Don't forget who you are brother, you can only get away so far before you circle back. I fucking own you.

I blew out a breath.

I knew in my mind that was making a huge mistake, helping Sam out with his idiocy. But I also knew what it was like to be on that side, and I didn't want him or Tony tangled in on it because they would easily end up dead without my help.

It's only money that I'm giving him, it's only advice. I'm completely in the background, orchestrating them. The thought raced through my mind over and over. I can't be involved if I'm so far away, I'm not even seen.

He just needed to keep his mouth shut, pay off his debt, and move on.

Tyler's face flashed through my mind as I drove away from the discrete property, making me feel nothing but ashamed. I knew I'm going to let him down by doing this and I know that he will be so disappointed in me. This proved that I haven't changed at all, and nothing I did was working and no treatment has worked on me.

If he found out, if Lacey did, I wouldn't blame them for kicking me out and getting rid of me. It'd be easier that way, it'd be safer.

Once a dealer, always a dealer.

Aria's curious eyes passed through my head again, bringing me back to my earlier question. Whether I could actually become her friend or not, and be close to her like I was with my other friends. Our shared friends. It would've been easier this way, if I let my guard down, if I stopped pushing so hard and just let it happen like I knew it was supposed to.

Her pale blue eyes flooded my vision so vividly that I almost couldn't see the road in front of me anymore. It was an odd sensation, to not want to hurt her eyes, to not want any form of pain in her eyes. They were too pure to be tampered with.

I couldn't get close to her now. Even if I haven't technically gotten involved yet, it didn't disregard the fact that I'm about to be. Part of me just wanted to handle Sam's problem myself so I can get back to getting my life back on track rather than moving three steps backwards. The complete opposite of what everyone wants of me, or deserved to be dragged down with me.

I didn't want to. But. I've decided to let my fascination go.