Troubled With Tattoos

Chapter Twenty Nine

Axel

I had run over to Austin as soon as I realized it was him. He stumbled frequently and could not get a grasp on anything. I tried taking his hand to lead him back inside but he kept shaking me off.

"The three gunshots..." He began his words slurring. I nearly fanned his breath as the stench of alcohol filled my nostrils.

"What about them?" I asked wondering why he would suddenly bring this up. I had asked numerous times before I knew the boys secret but they wouldn't tell me. A drunk Austin was an honest Austin.

"They're a warning sign, like a grand entrance I guess." He shrugged. Why would you want your enemies to see you coming?

"Doesn't that ruin the whole surprise element?"

"They don't look at it that way. They want their victims to know that danger is coming. They want them to fear them." He slurred some more adding a small burp to the end.

"There's a lot you don't know." He muttered as he got up from the ground. He looked distant, I wanted to help but I didn't know how. How do you help the boys who have been protecting you the whole time?

"So tell me." I burst out grabbing his strong arm as he began to step away. Why must the boys make everything so complicated?

"I can't, not now." He stammered out. He ripped his arm out of my grasp leaving me there on the street. I watched his retreating back. Austin left me there alone on the narrow empty street. My hearts strings were being pulled in different directions. I followed him back to the house slowly, he was too far ahead to see me in the dark. Looks like I didn't miss much, the music was still blaring, people were still dancing. I found Cam in the kitchen who was insisting he should make his pizza cake. I poked his shoulder as he argued with the other guy about whether it was a good idea or not.

"Will you take me home?" I shouted over the music. He checked me over making sure I was okay before he nodded and led me outside. By the looks of it, he hadn't drunk too much. He slipped into his seat as I slid into mine. It was much quieter now, I could actually hear my own thoughts.

"Did something happen?" He asked curiously. Yes, but it was too small to make a big deal out of. I don't like drunk Austin, sober Austin is much nicer.

"No, I just thought now would be a good time to study." I spit out just as he slammed on the brakes.

"Nope. No way. There is no way I'm being tutored right now." he said before slowly pressing on the gas once again.

He pulled into the driveway and parked his car quickly. Luckily I had a house key on me. He followed me inside.

"Are you hungry?" I asked as I read the note Cherry left me.

Out on a date with you know who! I took the dog with me. I'll be back in the morning.

Love,

Cherry

I already knew she was out with this guy she has grown quite close with. I guess you could say that they were together, I have yet to meet him. I've known Austin longer than she's known her new love interest but he still has made no indication that he is going to ask me to be his girlfriend.

"Not for food." he chuckled. I led him upstairs to where my books were. I wasn't in the mood to teach but it was better than staying at that party. At least I can somewhat get answers out of Cam.

"What's my first lesson, professor?" Cam cooed before throwing himself on my bed. He rolled over so he was looking up at me laying upside down on my bed. His arms were crossed under his head holding it up.

"English, you're failing." I sighed taking out my notes from class. The only notes Cam ever wrote were love ones. Kind of like how the only dates I got were updates.

"English is so boring, I'm better at French," he smirked.

"You know how to speak french?" I asked surprised. Men who spoke foreign languages were irresistible. But I should've known by his smirk that he did not mean the language.

"No but I can French kiss pretty well," he said puckering his lips.

"That's not the same." I laughed opening the notebook. I sat next to him on the bed. His head just a few inches from my lap. Immediately I thought of the accident when Cam was shot and I had his head on my lap in the car. I shook the thoughts away as fast as they came.

"I'm a good Australian kisser too, so I've been told-" he winked at me. My eyes widened just the slightest before I covered it quickly.

"Okay back to English." I blushed. I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks and I knew Cam could tell since he wore that same stupid smirk.

"What do you need help with?" I began tucking a piece of blonde hair behind my ear.

"How about we do something more exhilarating instead?" Cam suggested as he took out quite a few nips from his pockets. When did he secretly stash those?

"If I take one will you promise to study?" I bargained. I guess I could take one for the team if it meant this boy would listen to one lecture. He nodded and handed me one of his Captain Morgan shots. We clinked them together and equally downed them. I made a face the second it burned down my throat, Cam was completely unphased.

"One more." Cam pleaded. I rolled my eyes taking it out of his hand anyway.

One more turned into quite a few more and before I knew it I couldn't think straight.

After a long half-hour passed full of laughs, giggles, and everything non-study related, I grew tired. I laid back on my bed as he sat silently on the edge. He had his books in his hands but he was staring in my direction.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" I randomly asked. I couldn't help it, I wanted to know where Camden was heading in his future. Maybe it was the alcohol talking.

"Something with forensics, I think that's what they called it." He admitted shrugging his shoulders. Well, that makes sense, he was good at biology. I remember when he mixed the proportions perfectly right without even measuring them out. I smiled at the memory.

"I'm probably going to regret saying this in the morning, but Austin, he doesn't deserve you." Cam said his drunken state wearing off. The waters we drank helped.

"He's just going to toy with you, hes only going to continue to hurt you. But I will be there every single time to catch you." He promised. I stayed silent trying to process his words.

"Violet, I-" he began but got interrupted by a disturbing sound downstairs. I jumped slightly hearing something come to a crash. Aunt Cherry wasn't supposed to be home yet. By the hard look on Cam's face, something told me it wasn't Cherry. I gulped again but this time out of fear.

"Hide. Now." I had quickly sobered up, my fear overcoming any alcohol inside me. I could hide out on the balcony, in my closet or under my bed. Cam's face was a cold stare but I knew he was just masking his feelings. There was no way he wasn't just as scared as me right? I used to hide from my mom all the time, I grew used to it.

"Text the boys, turn your phone on silent and don't move till I come back," he said as I slid into my closet. My stomach was turning, my fingers weren't cooperating. He can't get shot again. I texted the boys fast with quite a few spelling errors but I didn't care. Cam suddenly moved his shirt from the back where he had a small gun under his belt. I swear my heart stopped as Cam looked back once more before sliding quietly out the door. I held my breath for what felt like an eternity.

Cam took a left walking out going down the stairs I presume. But the floors were squeaking still. I suddenly wasn't so positive that these people were downstairs. Instead, they were upstairs right outside my door actually. My heart raced and I was worried they could hear it. I was breathing heavily like I had just run a mile. The door opened abruptly. It was hard to see but I could hear perfectly. There were two tall, well-built figures, dressed in all black.

They split up, one digging through my dresser and the other walking towards me. I watched through the slats of the door as he stepped closer and closer. He looked dark-skinned. Suddenly I remembered the guy I saw at the party.

"Cam put me down! You're crazy!" I laughed. Although being pressed into the warm body of Camden Taylor actually wasn't that bad. I'm not sure how he managed to dodge everyone but he did until he stopped dead in his tracks. I wasn't sure why he paused so I peeked up over to find him having a staring contest with three other guys.

One was dark-skinned, he was wearing sunglasses indoors which was really odd. The other had brown hair that was in dreads. They looked a bit older, his late twenties possibly early thirties. And the last guy was Cash. His arms were crossed as he stared at us. He took a sip of his cup not dropping his eye contact. I thought he left? They stuck out like a nail in the wall.

His hand just reached the door when suddenly someone popped up at the door. I held my breath for what felt like internity.

"Yo Axel," The guy from the door called. I could see his long hair swinging on his back as he was slightly turned. If there were three guys now and there were three guys at the party then that means it would have to be them right. So that means the mystery man digging in my dresser was Cash? Another memory from the party came to mind.

I ripped my arm from his clutch. He looked shocked but his arm rested at his side.

"Feisty, I'll see you soon, princess." He smirked walking away.

I didn't think anything of it before but he practically told me he would be seeing me later. They left the room quickly and I silently decided it was time to step out. Not a sound was made, you could hear a pin drop. I peeked over at my dresser that was now destroyed. What were they looking for? They couldn't have been looking for me because let's face it there's no way I could fit in a dresser. Then suddenly the door opened and I let my mouth open to let out a scream but was relieved to see a slightly sweaty Camden Taylor.

"They're gone," He huffed straightening his shirt out again before replacing his gun back to where it was. I gulped at the sight of it but was grateful they were gone. The boys barged into the room quickly, Austin not as drunk as the last encounter I had with him.

"Violet! Are you okay?" Austin ran over to me surprisingly pulling me into a warm hug. Austin had always been able to hide his emotions but it seemed as though he couldn't right now. He hugged me tightly before finally letting go. The smell of alcohol still slightly radiating off of him.

"What happened?" Luke asked looking at Cam who looked slightly pissed off. Camden explained what happened.

"What does someonr broke in ned hep now mean?" Declan joked reading the messy text I had sent to them.

"Sorry, I was shaky," I laughed but then I remembered something. The mysterious boy who I presume was the one at the party based on his dreads hanging off his head called someone Axel.