Troubled With Tattoos

Chapter Thirty-Five

"One...Two...Three..." I began counting to ten while Ashton ran to find the best hiding spot. It was mid-summer and I brought Ash to the park to play hide and go seek. I held my hands over my eyes as I counted. Ash giggled while he tried to find the best hiding spot. I smiled as I reached the number ten, I uncovered my eyes and immediately spotted his foot sticking out behind the tree.

"Ready or not here I come!" I called out. I smiled to myself while I fake looked under the swing set for him. Obviously, he wasn't under there but I wanted him to believe he was the best hider. I made a 'hmm' sound from my lips as I continued looking in the most obvious spots. Inside the slide, under the monkey bars, behind the benches. I faked it until I snuck up behind the tree and peeked out at him.

"Found you!" I yelled. His teeth shown brightly and his blonde curls bounced with excitement.

"Again, again." He said. His blue sweatshirt made his eyes sparkle and I lit up like a Christmas tree at the sight of his enjoyment.

"Okay, go hide." I smiled. He ran off while I spun around to count to ten. I whipped out my phone to check the time, it was five in the afternoon. Mom wanted us home by five-thirty to eat dinner.

I spun back around to find him gone, completely out of sight. My heart rate accelerated and my palms began to sweat. I frantically searched behind the trees and under the rock climbers but he was nowhere. Had I really lost my little brother?

Then suddenly I saw his light-up sneakers peek out from behind a bush on the far right of the park. Relief had washed over me like a wave. I ran over to him to find him petting an elderly's dog. He saw me coming and his smile soon turned into a guilty frown.

"Dont do that to me! I thought you got kidnapped!" I squeezed his tiny body into a tight hug.

My flashback ended and I returned face to face with the one and only Frank Morris, my father. His hair was a shaggy blonde and his beard had been overgrown. His eyes turned dull and his hands old. I couldn't read his expression. I did not know this man anymore.

"Violet." His voice was deep and completely different than the voice from my memories. His words penetrating my ears as they bounced off this taunting room. He smiled as he got up from his chair. He sauntered closer to me and I moved back with each step he took.

"Frank." I shot back refusing to call him my father. I would not give him that satisfaction. It was quiet for a few minutes. He looked me over as if he were studying me. I wanted to lash out and punch him but my hands were still tied behind my back. Instead, I dug at the palm of my hand with my fingernails in dreams it was his face instead.

"I think you took the quote hiding in plain sight a little too literally. I see you've grown quite feisty over these last months. I'm so proud." He laughed tauntingly.

"Well, I guess you dont quite know me anymore." I snapped. How could he compare me now to the girl I was years ago? She was long gone, my father was barely ever home. He sid want to deal with his crazy wife. My father turned into a man I couldn't recognize. Everyone warned me about the boys but no one warned me of my own flesh and blood. Betrayal swept through my veins at the thought of him being behind all this.

"So what's your plan? Are you going to kill me and blame it on the boys? Or are you going to kidnap me and hide me in a basement for years?" My sudden confidence surely surprised me. Afterall I barely knew this man anymore. He was a stranger in my eyes. A sick grin plastered his face at the thought.

"I want you to take over the family business." He smiled.

"What family business?" I asked.

"You see your mother wanted all boys. When Ash died she was crushed. She didn't think you could handle a gang, but I always believed in my girl." He stepped closer and closer until my backside was met with a cold hard wall.

"You're the leader of Windrose?" The puzzle pieces connected. My old memories began pouring into my brain that I had once forgotten.

I had snuck into dads office while he was away. This room was forbidden, he never allowed us in.

I grinned jumping on his big office chair and spinning around. I was almost too dizzy when I heard a small vibration come from the desk. My eager eyes just wanted to take a peek.

I opened the desk drawer to find a cell phone I had never seen before. Dad must've forgotten his work phone.

"I said, we will be there in twenty." My father gritted through his teeth. I gasped when he entered his office and saw me looking on his private drawer.

"Violet, you cant be in here." He frowned. His friend entered the office as well. His friend was scary. He had tattoos down his neck and a word above his eyebrow. I heard mom say he beats people up.

"Im sorry I-" I began my long excuse as to why I was in the forbidden office but Ash cut me off.

"Violet, want to play outside with me?" He asked his blonde curls bobbing. I nodded running out of the office to play outside with my younger brother.

"Precisely." He grinned.

"Why would I take over?" I asked genuinely curious as to why my father would want me now and not weeks ago.

"I'm sick Violet. It's terminal. Leukemia, just like Ash. I need someone to take over and it will be you." He ordered.

"No." I said. Cash had entered the room with the other two in tow. Each of them cracking their knuckles making me gulp.

His rough cold hand struck my face leaving a hot stinging cheek. Water instantly pricked at the corners of my eyes but I refused to let them fall. He would not see me cry, I would not give him that satisfaction.

"Wrong answer." He spoke.

I spit a wad of saliva at his face. He wiped it off aggressively with his dirty sleeve. I expected another slap but it didn't come. He left the room and I swear I heard him laughing to himself.

"Have it your way. But you will take over whether you like it or not. Its in your blood no matter how good you think you are. Get her out of here. Put her with the others." He ordered one of the men who brought me here. Others? Who else was here?

Cash roughly grabbed my tied hands pulling back down the long dark hallway I just walked down minutes ago.

"If you become leader, you can grant the boys exit meaning Austin wouldn't be tied to Kara anymore." Cash whispered in my ear. I let his words sink into my brain. I wanted the boys to be free and I wanted Austin. But I wasn't a killer no matter what my father said.

His legs kicked the backs of mine when I didnt move fast enough. It looked like an underground tunnel of some sort. The walls were pure concrete and there were no windows or sunlight peeping through. Was he going to keep me here until I said yes?

After a few more shoves I was finally pushed into a dimly lit room that resembled a jail cell. There was nothing on the ground except dirt and is that... Camden?

Around the room was the boys each tied to a post a few feet away from each other. It was a big relief to see they were alive but they were in rough shape. Cuts were oozing and blood was scattered across their faces. Their clothes either hung loosely from the rips and holes or were gone completely. Yet, they still managed to look happy to see me.

"Violet?" Camden was the first to see me. His hazel eyes were now surrounded by black and blue bruises. One single tear seemed to escape my face at the sight of them alive. The man tied me to my own post and locked the cage with a huge chain he dragged over.

"I will kill you for this. You hear me?" Luke spat at the man. His shirt had been completely mutilated hanging on by just a few shreds. From here I could see numerous cuts across his front side. Cash gave him nothing but a shrug and left the prison. My eyes peeked over the boys one at a time. Austin was covered in cuts. I hated the thought of each one of them being hurt because of me. Luke and Declan had bloody lips and bruised knuckles.

"I'm so sorry." my pathetic apology escaped my lips. I had so much to add but it wouldn't come out. I couldn't form the right words right now.

"Dont be sorry. We could have stayed away, but we didn't. We could have let them get you in the shop but we didn't. We could have let Cash terrorize you but we didn't. We love you, Vi. It's all of us or none of us." Luke spoke. The boys were quick to agree, and another tear managed to leave my eye. I would have hugged them all to death and told them how much they meant to me if it weren't for me being tied to a post across the room. I smiled at his words.

"Before we die, I just want to tell you guys that I'm gay," Declan admitted. His face turning a few shades of red. Finally, someone other than me blushed. The boys didn't hate on him instead they just nodded.

"I guess I should admit that I slept with Lukes ex-girlfriend," Camden said sheepishly. I held back a gasp and turned to Luke to see his reaction instead.

"Which one?" He asked his mouth in an 'O' shape. Are we all going to let out secrets now?

"Sarah" He laughed and to my surprise, Luke also laughed. Maybe it was over the fear of dying or maybe he truly didn't care. He waited until his fit of laughter was over before he responded.

"Bros before hoes." Luke shrugged. All but Austin chuckled.

"We're not going to die," Austin huffed as he revealed his untied hands. Austin began untying Luke who was a few feet away from him.

"What the hell Austin? Why didn't you fight that man we could have escaped-" Camden sighed but was cut off by Declan.

"This is a setup. They would've made sure you were tied correctly. The mafia doesn't make silly mistakes like that. They wanted you to escape. It's a trap." Declan let out. I could practically see his brain putting all the pieces of this puzzle together.

"Exactly what I was thinking," Austin said his face exposing his anger. His eyes focused and his hair tousled while he hands easily untied the boys. Finally, he had reached me. My hands hung loosely at my side until I wrapped them around his waist. He pulled me into the hug my body crashing against his. He pulled back slightly his fingers sweeping the hair out of my face to behind my ear. He stared at me intently. A million emotions flashing through his eyes.

"I'm so glad you are safe." He all but whispered in my ear. His words warmed my heart and gave me hope we would make it out of here alive. My dad would not be able to take on four men. But even if we managed to make it out we still had to deal with the bounty hanging over my head my fathers words were still there.

Just as he finished his words footsteps could be heard running towards the cell. All ears were perked in the direction of the hallway that I just came from. I could hear what sounded like a dog coming. As the footsteps got louder my vision cleared. There were four policemen stampeding our way. This was good news, we were found. Someone saved us. But much to my dismay that is not what happened.

The boys covered their eyes as the flashlights met with their faces. Hours ago the sight of police would make me a nervous wreck but now it was the best luck in the world.

"We found them." One officer replied into his walkie talkie. They quickly opened the door to the cell using what looked like a big pair of clippers. Each of the boys was hurried out and I was the last one. But I wasn't led out. I was grabbed by the shoulders and thrown against the wall face first. I cried out as my body was held against the dirty wall.

"What are you doing?" Austin yelled as he turned back. I could hear the other officers running to stop him. He grabbed my hands and wrapped my wrists with something cold and metal.

He was right, it was only the beginning. My fight had just begun.

"Violet Morris, you are under arrest for the murder of Susan Morris."