Wrong Turn

By: Lynz
lovesickwolf@email.com

"Are you sure we should go this way?" Nick asked their bodyguard, Ralph.
"It's either this or a street full of screaming fans, take your pick." he replied from the driver's seat of the Ford Explorer. They had just finished a photo shoot for TeenStar magazine and were on their way to their homes when they had been mobbed by a group of fans. Nick didn't really like the idea of driving through the slums of Orlando, but it beat driving through fans.
Suddenly, the Explorer came to a halt. "Why are we stopping?" Brian asked, sitting up. Ralph grabbed the radio and called their other bodyguard, who was driving the Ford Explorer in front of them. There was muffled speaking and then Ralph turned to them.
"There's a group of people in the middle of the street." Looking out the windows, they could see figures in ragged clothes and gang colors surrounding the vehicles. One of them, presumably the leader, walked up to the first Explorer, pulled out a gun and motioned for them to get out.. The four doors of the Explorer opened slowly and Howie, A.J., Kevin and their other bodyguard got out of the vehicle. Two other gang members walked over to the second Explorer and motioned for them to get out. Nick, Brian and Ralph did and the seven of them stood between the vehicles and the sidewalk.
"You know, rich pricks like you should learn to stay out of places you don't belong." the leader said, standing in front of them. Ralph quickly reached into his jacket for his gun. A gang member standing nearby saw him and pulled out a semiautomatic and let off a few rounds. Ralph fell to the ground as the Boys watched, horrified. "Anyone else going to try something stupid?" He turned to the other bodyguard. "Hand over your gun." The bodyguard slowly reached inside his jacket and pulled out his pistol, handing it over by the barrel.
The leader examined it, looking down the barrel. Aiming it, he shot the bodyguard in the leg. The bodyguard let out a yell of pain and sank to the ground. Smiling, he tossed it to one of the gang members behind him. The leader circled them, examining their clothes and jewelry. When he got to Kevin he spotted a golden chain. "What a nice necklace, I'm sure you won't mind handing it over." Kevin made no move to take off the necklace. "If you don't give me that necklace, boy, I'll be forced to shoot you."
"Jake, Jake, Jake. Will you never learn?" a female voice said. They turned their heads and saw a group of about twenty people walking over to them. The group was led by a muscular female with red, blond, and brown striped shoulder-length hair. She had on a pair of black wrap-around shades, a black leather jacket and leather pants with a tight black tank top. Jake moved back to the front of the group, his hand at his side.
"What are you doing here Nightshade?"
"Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing." the female replied, standing ten feet away from him. "Looks like I got here just in time, too."
"Why would you say that."
"You were about to shoot someone in my territory." She glanced over and saw the dead bodyguard and the other one holding his bleeding leg. "Looks like you already killed one of 'em." She looked back to Jake. "What's your excuse this time, Jake?"
He glanced nervously around at his gang and reached inside his coat. In a flash, Nightshade pulled out her SIG P-210 and shot him in the arm. He yelled out in pain. She put the barrel of the gun under his chin.
"No one comes into my territory and acts like it's their own."
"Yes, I know, Nightshade." Jake said, gulping.
"Now, I want you to take your scrawny-ass punks that you call a gang and get the hell out of my territory before I quit being so generous." She lowered her gun. "If you decide to try to invade my territory again, you know what I'll do to you, Jake?"
He was afraid to ask but knew he had to. "What?"
"I'll cut off your dick and feed it to my pack of dogs while you watch." She smiled at the look of horror that crossed his face. Jake signaled to his gang and they started running for the end of the street.
Motioning to four of her gang, she said, "Take care of the wounded." Nodding, two of them walked over to the dead bodyguard and removed its gun, handing it to her. She checked the barrel, all six shots were there. Putting it in her jacked, she nodded to them.
They lifted the body and carried it over to a nearby dumpster. The other two gang members grabbed the wounded bodyguard and dragged him over to the dumpster. The bodyguard struggled and one of them hit him at the base of his skull with the butt of his gun. They deposited the bodyguards inside the dumpster. Howie stepped forward to protest but was silenced as he saw one of the gang members aim a gun at him. The Boys watched helplessly as one of the gang members lit a match and threw it in the dumpster. Within moments, flames appeared inside the dumpster. The four walked back over to Nightshade.
"Check the vehicles."
They walked over to them and one of them said, "They're Explorers."
"Explorers?" she repeated in a disgusted tone. "Well, take 'em on down to the lot." Nodding, two of the gang members got in each of the cars.
"Hey!" Brian yelled at them as they drove off in the Explorers.
"You'll get those shitty cars back, don't worry." she said to him. "All right, let's go." Her gang quickly surrounded them and started to follow her down the street. They had no choice but to go with them.
"Where do you think we're going?"Nick whispered to Brian as they walked.
"No talking." she hissed, not bothering to turn around. Brian just glanced at his friend, afraid to reply. After a few minutes of walking, they arrived in front of a decent looking apartment building. She walked up the steps and opened the door. They all followed her inside. They walked along a dimly lit corridor and then down a set of stairs. She opened another door at the base of the stairs and stepped through the doorway into a room.
The room was lit by a chandelier hung in the middle of the room. The carpet was red and covered half the floor. The other half was white marble. A pool table was in one corner with a bar along the nearby wall. Chairs, tables and couches were strewn around the carpeted area. A large sound system was set up on part of the other section with strobe lights and other things that you might find at a club. The few people that were in there stopped what they were doing and walked over to her.
"Welcome back, Nightshade!" one of them exclaimed, a shapely blond. "Was it Jake again?"
"Who else, Amber." she replied. "Bruce, get the music goin', we're gonna celebrate." He nodded and hurried over to the sound system.
"I see you got us some toys." another girl said to her, stepping up to A.J. and running her hand down his chest. Nightshade grabbed her wrist.
"Hands off, Bianca. They're my guests." she told her. Bianca pulled her wrist out of Nightshade's grasp.
"Why do you get the good ones?"
"Cause I'm the leader, that's why." She turned to the guy standing next to her. "Leo, get some Cokes for my guests." "What about for you?"
"A cold beer." He nodded and walked behind the bar. She motioned to a card table in the middle of the room. The Boys followed her over to it and sat down. Leo brought over the drinks and walked back over to the bar. "Bruce, I don't hear any music."
"Hang on, Nightshade." A moment later, David Bowie was playing over the speakers. She took a swig of her beer before speaking.
"Welcome to my humble abode." Noticing they hadn't even reached for their drinks she said, "Relax, they're just Coca Cola. Besides, you're all lucky this is my territory. Otherwise you probably wouldn't still be alive." She took off her shades and two of them gasped. She laughed. Amber walked over to the table.
"You wore your purple contacts today, Nightshade. They match your wild hair."
"Bring me my case, will ya?" Amber did so and she took out her colored contacts, revealing bright green eyes. "And thanks for the compliment, Amber. I'm gonna wash it out tonight, though."
She nodded. "Bianca's pretty pissed."
"What else is new." she sighed. "Look, tell her that if she wants to fuck music stars than she should fly to L.A. I hear there's plenty out there."
"She'll just get angrier."
"So, that's her problem, not mine." Amber nodded and walked away.
Nightshade turned back to her guests. "You five have a lot of nerve showing up in this neighborhood. What, did your fans block the main streets? And you," She turned to Kevin. "The oldest one, oh what do they call you?" She snapped her fingers as she thought of his name. "Kevin. You are lucky Jake didn't shoot you first and then demand your necklace." Their faces showed mild shock. "What, did you think that I didn't know who you were? Everything isn't as it seems down here. I bet you didn't expect a gang to hang in a place like this, did you?"
"No, we didn't." A.J. said.
"Well, I'm glad one of you can find your voice." She called to Leo. "Get me a Coke, I have a feeling that this is gonna be a long night." He nodded and brought her a Coke.
"Why did you help us?" Kevin asked her, taking a sip of his Coke.
"This is my territory. No one comes in here and acts like he owns the place. Jake's the only one who just can't seem to get it through that thing that he calls a brain that you don't mess with Nightshade. I don't think he'll be coming over here for a while, though."
"Why?" Nick asked.
She sat back in her chair. "Because he knows when I make a threat I go through with it. You see, you've got to be tough to make it on the streets. Out here, you're lucky if you make it to your 16th birthday. I'm twenty-one, and that's old here on the streets. I've managed to survive so long by becoming the toughest, meanest bitch around. That's why other gangs stay out of my territory."
"That, and they don't want to lose their dicks."
"Don't you be sneakin' up on me like that, Leo. You might end up losing yours one of these days."
"Only if I join some other gang, Nightshade."
She laughed. Bryan Adams' song, "The only thing that looks good on me is you" started playing over the speakers. Turning to Kevin she said, "Let's see if you can dance, hot shot." He stood up and followed her over to the dance floor. They danced for the length of the song and she had to admit, he did have some nice moves. As the song ended she noticed some commotion by the table. Turning she saw Bianca standing by A.J. When Bianca saw Nightshade, she grabbed A.J. roughly and pulled him with her towards the nearest door.

"Bianca!" Nightshade yelled, running for them. Just as she got to the door, Bianca slammed it and she heard the lock click. "Bianca, open the goddamn door now!"
"Fuck you, Nightshade!" Bianca yelled through the door.
"That's it." Nightshade turned to the group. "Ricky, Eric, get over here." Two burly guys stepped over to her. "When I go in, you two grab the bitch and hold her." They nodded and she turned back to the door. Reaching inside her coat, she pulled out her SIG P-210 and cocked it. Aiming at the door handle, she let off two shots. The handle fell off and she kicked open the door. Stashing her gun, she hurried into the room.
A.J. was laying on the floor on the right side of the room. Bianca was standing over him with a syringe. When she saw them she quickly bent over A.J. Nightshade slapped the syringe out of her hand. Before Bianca could fight back, Ricky and Eric grabbed her from behind. "Bitch!" she yelled, struggling against the guys. Nightshade picked up the syringe and inspected the contents. It was filled with heroin.
"Christ, there's enough heroin here to kill someone." she looked up at Bianca who was still struggling. "Who gave you the heroin?" Bianca spit in her face. Wiping her face, Nightshade slapped her. "I said, who gave you the heroin?"
"Jake."
"You fucking bitch!" Nightshade exclaimed. "You're part of his gang." She reached inside of her coat for her gun but then paused. Smiling, she stepped over to Bianca. "Let's just see if this is enough heroin to kill someone." Grabbing her arm, she injected the heroin into Bianca. Pulling the needle out, she threw it in the trash.
"What do you want us to do with her?" Ricky asked.
"Take her back to Jake. If she lives she'll be so fucked up that all she'll be to him is a good fuck." He nodded and they took her out of the room. Leo, Amber and a couple others were standing in the doorway. "I'll be there in a few. Tell the four that their friend is okay." They nodded and left. Nightshade turned to A.J.
He was still on the floor, but he had risen to a sitting position. Despite the darkness and the purple tinted sunglasses over his eyes, she could see his eyes wide in fear. She laughed to herself. Here was this guy that the media had dubbed the "bad boy" of his group, complete with tattoos and constantly changing hair color, and he was sitting on the floor in front of her, scared of her. Clad in a black wife-beater and baggy jeans, his hair a spiky blond with brown roots, he even looked like someone in her gang.
He reminded her of someone but she couldn't quite place him. For some reason it bothered her seeing him scared and she crouched down next to him. Placing a hand lightly on his shoulder, she spoke. "Did Bianca do anything to you?" He shook his head. "She's gone. You won't have to worry about her anymore."
"Why are you talking to me like I'm a little kid?" he asked, finally speaking. She had to laugh. "What?" He looked at her strangely.
"It's just, you went from being scared to being annoyed. That's an interesting combination of emotions." she replied. She started laughing again and this time he laughed too, seeing her point. When they had stopped laughing, she stood and helped him to his feet. "Come on. I want to know what your friends think we've been doing in here."
He smiled at her. "By the way, my name's Alexander. But everyone calls me A.J." She returned the smile and they walked out into the main room. The party was in full swing and the four Boys were still sitting at the cardtable.
"Bone! Are you okay man?" Howie asked as soon as he saw them, jumping up from the table.
Bone, what an odd nickname. I wonder how he got it. she thought to herself. As he walked over to his friends, she let her eyes take all of him in. God, he's got a cute butt. "Hey, Nightshade!" Amber called from the dance floor. Reluctantly, she tore her eyes away from him.
"What?" she replied, walking over to her friend.
"Nothing. Come on, let's party

As Nightshade sat on one of the black leather couches she smiled to herself. The five guys had finally loosened up enough to hit the dance floor. As it turned out, they were a singing group called the Backstreet Boys and had been on their way home when Jake's gang had got them. She knew their music pretty well, after all, Amber had all of their albums. She had had to steal the second European one from a music store but she had gotten it.
Letting her eyes skim the group, she spotted Amber dancing with the Latin one, Howie. Towards the middle she saw A.J. dancing with a short redhead. She scanned her memory bank for the girl's name. Sarah, that's what it was, just joined the gang a few months ago. As she watched the two, she felt a pang of jealousy sweep her. She didn't know why she was jealous, after all, she just met him. Yawning, she glanced at her watch, it was only 9 o'clock.
"Hey, Leo." she called, getting up from the couch. "I'm gonna go chill in my lair for a few."
"Okay, Nightshade. I'll make sure no one fucks any of the guests." he said with a smile.
"Thanks," she replied, returning the smile. Turning, she walked down the short hallway near the bar and opened the door at the end of the hall. She flipped on the light before closing the door.
Her room had a medium sized bed with black sheets centered against the right wall, with a black metal nightstand on either side. Her closet was to the right of the door. Along the left side of the room was a black beanbag and a small aquarium table bordered in black. A black and white lava lamp sat atop the table and she walked over to turn it on and then turned off the main light, making the room semi-dark. Her stereo sat on top of a low black coffee-table, with her collection of CD's next to it. Popping in Bryan Adams' album, "18 Til I Die", she kicked off her black boots and lay back on her bed.
Just as she was about to fall asleep there was a light knock on her door. "Come in," The door slowly opened and she was surprised to see A.J. standing there. Stepping in the room, he checked out her room as he shut the door.
"Nice decor. Kind of a gothic style." he remarked.
"Thanks." She sat up and looked at him. "Why are you here?"
He looked at her. "I want to thank you."
"For what?"
"For saving my life. I mean, you've saved my life twice today."
"Yeah, well, it comes with being the gang leader." she replied.
"Can I ask you something?" he said, walking over to the bed.
"You just did." she said with a smile, moving over so he could sit next to her.
"Ha ha, very funny."
"I thought it was." she replied and A.J. couldn't help but smile.
"Anyways, what's your real name?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Just curious, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
Amber was the only one who knew her real name and she didn't usually tell anyone about her past but something about A.J. told her that she could trust him. "It's Jade."
His eyes widened. "Jade McGuyver?"
"Oh my God," When he said her full name she realized why he had seemed so familiar. Before she had run away from her abusive parents she had lived next door to a boy who was about her age. They had been friends since they had been toddlers, before her mother had started drinking. His name was Alexander James and she was the only he would let call him Alex. She was staring into the face of that same boy. "Oh my God," she said again.
"I can't believe it's you, Jade." he said. "I always wondered what happened to you, where you went."
"Well, now you know."
"But why did you leave?"
"Alex, there's something I never told you." She looked down at the floor. As she remembered the past she felt the tears coming. She had vowed she would never cry, never. As long as she didn't look at him she could tell him, just as long as she didn't have to look into those eyes of his. She took a deep breath and started to speak. "My parents abused me."
"What? But I remember they were so sad-"
"It was all an act. They never cared about me. My mother was an alcoholic, my father a drug addict. If it wasn't one of them beating me, it was the other. After 14 years I had had enough. I was sick of coming home from school and having to clean the house, make dinner, do whatever needed to be done. Knowing that when they got back from wherever they were that night they would find some reason to beat me, to hurt me. I figured I could do better on my own, and I have." she finished and kept her eyes on the floor.
A.J. couldn't believe it. His best friend since he was a toddler had been beaten. Jade, the girl who got straight-As, the girl who would never hurt anybody, the girl he had grown to love had been abused the whole time he knew her. Just knowing that tore his heart. He could only imagine the pain that she went through. It was no wonder that she had turned to the streets. As he sat there looking at her, watching her try to keep her emotions inside, he realized even though he hadn't seen her in seven years he still cared about her, now more than ever.
"Jade," he said softly. "Look at me." She didn't move and he put his hand under her chin and gently turned her face to look at his. She kept her eyes down. "Jade, please look at me." Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet his brown ones. Her green eyes glistened with tears as she was unable to hold them back any longer. As the tears started to roll down her face, A.J. pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest and put her arms around him, finally letting her feelings out.

Amber wondered where Nightshade was. It was nearly eleven and she was never one to miss a party. Walking down the hall, she was about to open the door to Nightshade's bedroom when she heard someone crying. Slowly and silently, she opened the door just enough so she could see. Nightshade and A.J. were sitting on her bed. He had his arms around her and was stroking her hair, while she had her head against his chest, crying. Amber heard him whisper, "Just let it out Jade." and she knew that Nightshade had told him about her past.
She quietly shut the door before they saw her and walked back out to the main room. "Where's Nightshade?" Eric asked her as she stepped onto the dance floor.
"Oh you know Nightshade. She's got one of those guys with her in her room."
"Sounds just like her." he replied with a smile and they started dancing.

When she was all cried out she just lay against A.J.'s chest, letting him stroke her hair. Her shoulder felt damp and she knew that he had been crying too. Finally, she sat up and looked at him. "I never thought I'd see you again, Alex."
"Neither did I."
"I should have told you."
"All that matters to me is that you're here. You're all right." he replied. A strand of her hair had fallen across her face and he gently brushed it away, and then ran his hand through her hair. As she looked into his eyes she knew that he cared about her still, that he was telling her the truth just as he had always told her the truth. She felt safe in his arms, secure, even loved. Even though she didn't want to admit it, she needed him in her life.
"Jade, can I ask you a question?"
She smiled. "You just did."
"Didn't we already have this conversation?" he said, his eyes smiling.
"Yeah, we did." They sat there for a moment in silence. Suddenly, she felt his lips on hers and she felt a kind of spark. She felt that something that she had always heard that you were supposed to feel when you had found your true love, and she knew that A.J. felt it too. Parting her lips, she let his tongue slip inside her mouth as she felt his hands move down her back. When they finally parted, she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"What are you doing?" he asked, curious. She opened her eyes to look at his handsome face.
"Praying that this will last."
As Amber glanced around the room, she saw Bruce come running in the door. "What's up, Bruce?" she asked, jogging over to him.
"Veronica's on her way over." he told her, panting.
"What?" she replied, shocked.
"Somehow she found out about our guests."
"Shit. I'll get Nightshade, you tell the others." Amber ran off down the hall and burst into Nightshade's bedroom.
"God, can't you knock anymore?" Nightshade commented, turning away from A.J. to face Amber.
"Veronica found out who's here."
"Shit!" she replied, jumping off her bed.
"My sentiments exactly."
"What's going on?" A.J. asked, confused.
"Trouble." Nightshade replied and they followed her back out to the main room. The music had stopped and everyone was awaiting orders from her. "Bruce, how many does she have?"
"She's got about 25 with her. They're still over on Rolands but headed this way."
"Okay, that gives us 15, 20 minutes, tops. Ricky and Eric, take three each and set up watch at the ends of the block. Bruce, take five with you to the top floor. I want two posted at the side and back entrances with four at the main door. Leo, get on the phone and call Patrick, we might need his help. Grab a radio and move it!" Everyone hurried about to do what they were assigned. "The rest of you, get your weapons ready."
Amber walked up to her. "What about the Boys?"
"The back room should be safe enough." Amber nodded and motioned for the Boys to follow her.
"Wait a minute. What's going on?" Kevin asked, worried.
"Just follow Amber. You'll be safe." she replied and started to walk away.
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on." A.J. said stubbornly.
"Follow Amber." she repeated, not bothering to turn around.
"Damn it, Jade." he exclaimed, grabbing her arm and turning her to face him. "Just what the fuck is going on?" Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch the two.
She pulled her arm out of his grasp. "All our lives are in danger, that's what's going on." she hissed. "Now do what I told you so I can try to keep us all alive." Hurt, A.J. wordlessly turned around and followed Amber and the others off into the back room. Everyone quickly went back to what they were doing, not wanting Nightshade to blow up at them.
Walking over to a closet, Nightshade opened it and threw her jacket over a nearby chair. She pulled out her double shoulder holster and slipped it on over her tank-top. Taking her SIG-P210 out of her jacket, she put it and another identical to it in the holster. Putting her jacket back on, she grabbed a small Smith & Wesson and loaded it. Spinning the barrel, she snapped it into place and stashed it in her jacket. She closed the closet as Amber was coming back out.
Amber was about to speak but was interrupted by gunfire. "Shit, they're here!" Nightshade exclaimed, heading for the stairs. She took them two at a time and ran for the main door. The posts stepped aside so she could look out. "Shit!" she said again as she saw two of her own laying on the street. Police sirens pierced the gunfire and both sides paused for a moment. She took out two of theirs before popping back inside.
"How bad is it?" Amber asked, hurrying to her side.
"Bad. They're armed to the teeth. The cops are on the way so we might be able to get the Boys out safely." she replied, glancing back out the door and firing off a few more shots. "Did Leo get a hold of Patrick?"
"He's got him right now."
Nightshade nodded and ran back downstairs. "Leo, toss me the phone." she yelled as she came in the room. He complied and she quickly put it to her ear. "Patrick, it's bad. Real bad."
"My gang's getting armed. We'll take care of Victoria."
"The cops are on the way."
"Shit."
"Listen, no one's at the back yet so send some cover to the back. At least I can get some of us out of here before this all goes to hell."
"We'll be there in five. Think you can hold out?"
"As long as the cops don't go on their side."
"Just hang on, we're on the way." Nightshade tossed the phone back to Leo and ran back upstairs. She could hear the sirens and dashed over to the door. It looked like a warzone in the street. Victoria's gang was at one end shooting at them and the cops, the cops were at the other end shooting at both gangs and her gang was in the middle shooting at Victoria's gang. She grabbed one of her gang's radios and turned it to the police frequency. "This is the gang leader in the house, do you copy? Over."
"We copy. Over." a deep voice replied over the line.
"I've got five music stars in here. Is there some way that I can get them to you without them getting shot? Over."
"Why should we believe you? Over."
She sighed. "They're the Backstreet Boys. Over."
"Ten-four. We'll offer minimal cover but you have to provide the rest. Over."
"God, you cops don't help anybody anymore." she muttered. "Fine. I'll be right back with them. Over and out."
"What are you doing?" Amber asked her.
"Trying to keep them alive." she replied. Tossing a gun to Amber, she turned and went downstairs. "Leo, bring the five out. I'm getting them out of here." He nodded and ran off to the back room. Nightshade turned to the ten gang members left in the room. "Load your guns. You're all coming with me."
Leo came out a few moments later with the Boys. "Do you want me to come with you, Nightshade?" he asked.
"No, I need someone here to keep base. Besides, Patrick should be here any minute." She turned to the Boys. "Come on, you five are getting out of here." The fifteen of them followed her upstairs and over to the front door. She picked the radio back up. "Anybody there? Over."
"We're here. Do you have them? Over."
"Right here beside me. I've only got ten to help cover them. Over."
"That'll have to do. Whenever you're ready. Over."
Nightshade turned to the group. "When I give the signal, you ten run out and set up a cover line in the direction of the cops." They nodded and she glanced out the door. There was a lull in the fire. "Now!" They ran out and started shooting at Victoria's gang. She pulled out one of her SIG's and turned off the safety. Turning to the Boys, she spoke.
"I want you to listen closely. I'm going out there and I'll call you one at a time to run behind me. Don't look behind you. Just keep your eyes on the cops and you'll make it. Got it?" They looked worried but nodded.
"Good luck, Nightshade." Amber told her. She smiled and ducked out the door. None of her men were down yet and she hollered for the first one. Howie ran out and once he was halfway she called for the next. Brian and Nick made it across and then Kevin headed over.
"A.J.! Move it!" she yelled, not taking her eyes off Victoria's gang. He ran out of the house and stayed low to the ground. When he got to her he stopped. "What are you doing?"
"I'm not leaving you here!" he exclaimed.
"Oh yes you are. Now, run damn it!" she hissed, turning towards him and taking her eyes off the enemy. "Run!" He turned and started running but stopped as he heard a yell of pain. "Jade!" She was laying on the ground, clutching her left leg. He ran back to her, hearing the others yelling his name from the safety of the police cars. "Jade, are you all right?"
"Get the fuck out of here, Alex!" she yelled, gritting her teeth from the pain. One of her own fell nearby and shots flew over their heads. "Didn't you hear me?"
"I'm getting you back inside." he said, putting one arm around her back and the other under her legs. Despite her protests, he picked her up and ran back to the house.
"Oh, my God! Nightshade!" Amber exclaimed as A.J. carried her in the house. "Hurry! Take her downstairs." He nodded and quickly made his way downstairs. Leo ran over as soon as he saw them.
"What happened?"
"She got shot in the leg, I think." A.J. told him, laying her down on a couch.
"Yes, I got shot in the fucking leg!" she exclaimed, sitting up. "And I can walk on my own, thank you very much."
"Hey! Anybody down here?" a voice called down the stairs.
"Patrick! It's about damn time you showed up!" she hollered.
"Christ, you're shot!" he said, walking over to them.
"The next person who says that is going to get shot." she said, sighing. "How many do you have out back?"
"Thirty. Plus a few of yours that we rescued along the way."
"Good." She put a hand on the arm of the couch and slowly stood up. "Let's get the fuck out of here before the cops come in."
"Sounds good to me." Leo replied.
"You shouldn't walk on that." A.J. told her and moved to help her.
She swatted his arm away. "Don't tell me what I should and shouldn't do. Just shut up and follow me." she snapped. No one said anything else as they hurried upstairs. "Amber!" she yelled when they were in the hallway.
"Nightshade, we're really losing. The cops are even shooting at us now."
"Get your ass over here. We're leaving with Patrick." Amber nodded and the five of them hurried to the back door. "Is my Harley still out back?"
"Here's the keys." Leo told her and tossed her a set of keys. Opening the door, they saw Patrick's gang.
"Follow behind me, Nightshade." Patrick said, jogging over to his bike. Amber and Leo ran over to a car that already had three of Patrick's gang in it. Nightshade limped over to her bike and straddled it, turning on the ignition. She turned to A.J., who was just standing there.
"Unless you want to get shot, get on my bike, A.J."
"I didn't know you could ride a Harley." he said, getting on behind her.
"There's a lot you don't know. Listen, hold on to my waist. This is gonna be a wild ride." He did so and held on tight as she revved the engine and took off after Patrick. As they increased their speed, A.J. was forced to hide his face behind her shoulder and held on for dear life. After a half-hour of riding, they pulled up at a large warehouse on the other side of Orlando. She stopped the bike and A.J. slowly got off. As Nightshade raised her leg over the bike, she grunted as pain shot up her leg.
"Are you okay?" he asked her, concerned.
"I can't stand on my leg." A.J. put an arm around her waist and she leaned against him as they followed Patrick into the warehouse.
"You can have my room, Nightshade." Patrick told her, gesturing to a door. "I'll go get my doctor." and with that he left. The rest of the gang spread out in the warehouse and A.J. helped her into the room.
They walked over to the small bed and she sat down carefully. "Ow! Fuck this hurts." she exclaimed. The doctor came in a few minutes later and said that the bullet had gone straight through and she would be healed within a day or two. He bandaged it up and left the two alone in the room. She gingerly lifted her leg onto the bed and laid her head back against the pillows. A.J. sat at the end of the bed.
"How does your leg feel?"
"Better. Why the hell didn't you listen to me?"
"I couldn't just leave you to die in the street."
"A.J., you could have been shot."
"That doesn't matter."
"Yes it does. I knew what I was doing."
"That must be why you got shot and not me, huh?"
"Listen,-" she said, starting to sit up but then stopping as pain shot up her spine. "Fuck, my back. I must have landed on it wrong when I hit the street."
"Roll over."
"Excuse me?"
"Will you just do something for once without making a big deal out of it?" he exclaimed, frustrated. She sighed and rolled over so she was laying on her stomach. Feeling him straddle her, she opened her mouth to speak but shut it as she felt his hands on her shoulders. He started to massage them and slowly moved down her back. The pain went away and she felt very relaxed. "How does that feel?" he asked, continuing to move his hands over her muscled back.
"Really good. When did you learn how to massage?" she asked, resting her head on her hands.
"I didn't. I just thought that this might help relieve some of your pain." he replied, surprised at her response.
"Well it is." she paused. "Hey, Alex,"
"What?"
"I think we're even now. I've saved your life and you've saved mine."
"You know, Jade, it scared the shit out of me when you got shot. I thought-"
"Don't even say it, Alex. I don't want to hear it."
"But-"
"Don't even, Alex." she repeated, and started to rise. He laid down on top of her and held her wrists, pinning her to the bed. "Alex, get off of me."
"No, let me finish. I thought that I might have lost you."
"Well, you didn't. Now will you let me up?"
"Why won't you let me care, Jade?"
"Alex, stop it." she said softly.
"Why can't you accept the fact that I love you?" he whispered in her ear, laying his head on her shoulder.
She sighed. "Because I don't see any reason why you would love me."
"No reason! I love everything about you, Jade. God, I cried for nights after you left. My mom never thought I'd get over it."
"What about the fact that I was beaten? That I live on the streets? That I've killed?" she cried.
"I don't care. All I care about is having you with me, no matter what I have to do."
"You don't mean that."
"Yes, I do."
"No, you-" Jade was cutoff as A.J. kissed her softly on the lips. When he broke the kiss he spoke.
"Now look into my eyes and tell me that you don't love me, Jade."
She looked down. "I can't." He gently rolled off of her and lay beside her on the bed. Just then, Patrick came in the room.
"How you doin' Nightshade?"
"Fine." she replied.
"We made the morning news."
"Really?" she said, surprised. He walked over to the television and turned it on. He sat down in a nearby chair and she sat up as they watched the news come on.
"Orlando's own Backstreet Boys were caught in a gang shootout early this morning. At about three a.m., police were called to a fight which had broken out on the west side of town between two gangs. The Backstreet Boys were on their way home when they got caught in the brawl. One of the gangs, known to the police as The Pack, were holding the Backstreet Boys. Police were able to rescue four of the five Backstreet Boys before the remaining members of The Pack took off.
"Backstreet Boy Alexander James McLean, known to the fans as A.J., is currently being held by The Pack. If anyone knows The Pack's whereabouts or has any information pertaining to this, they are encouraged to call the Orlando Police. We will keep you posted on this breaking news story."
Turning off the TV, Patrick turned to Nightshade. "You and your gang are welcome to stay here as long as you want. The cops don't think we were involved in your brawl so they won't bother us."
"That's good. How many of mine could you save?"
"I think we got ten. Victoria was armed pretty heavily."
She sighed. "Well, at least you got me out."
"You're probably tired, Nightshade. I'll leave so you can get some rest, and get your leg healed." he replied and left the room, closing the door behind him. She turned to A.J., who was still laying on the bed, looking up at her.
"This is just great, the cops think I've kidnapped you."
"So, when we leave we just tell them the truth."
"What are you talking about 'we'? Did you forget the cops are trying to find me, and if they do then I'm looking at life in prison, or worse." she replied.
"But they don't know that you killed anyone, do they?"
"Well, no, but if they find out I'm the gang leader then they'll convict me."
"Do they actually have any hard evidence to tie you to any gang activities?" he asked, raising up on his elbow.
"No, but-"
"But nothing, Jade. They don't know shit about you so what are you worried about?"
"Your friends know who I am." she countered.
"They won't say anything."
"How do you know?"
"I know them, they won't tell. Besides, you saved their lives along with mine. They wouldn't turn in someone who kept them from getting killed."
"I don't know . . ." she trailed off, uncertain.
"When have I ever lied to you, Jade?"
"All right, you've got me there."
"Then it's settled." he said and laid back down on the bed. "Now lay down, you need your sleep." She sighed and laid down next to him, resting her head on his chest. Putting his arms around her, he gently stroked her back. "Don't worry, Jade. Everything's going to be just fine."

In her sleep, Nightshade rolled over and promptly rolled off the bed. "Ow, God I hate small beds." she whispered to herself, rubbing her head. She slowly stood up, brushing off her clothes. Her left calf felt a little sore where she had gotten shot but other than that she felt fine. Looking over to the bed, she couldn't help but smile. A.J. was laying on his back with his right arm over his chest and his left bent under his head. She moved to sit down beside him but stopped when she heard a commotion outside of the room. Withdrawing her remaining SIG, she slowly crept over to the door. Hearing voices, she put her ear to the door and listened.
"She told him about her past." a distinctly female voice said.
"How do you know?" a voice that she recognized as Patrick's replied.
"She's never one to miss a party and so when I couldn't find her on the dance floor I checked her room. They were sitting on her bed. He was holding her and she was actually crying! I heard him mention her real name and then I left before they saw me."
"Why would she do that, Amber?"
"Beats me. As far as I know, you and I are the only ones she's told."
"Do you have a problem with me telling A.J. about my past?" she asked, stepping out of the room, her gun still in her hand.
"Nightshade, um, hi." Amber said, wringing her hands.
"We were just curious as to why you would tell someone you didn't even know about yourself." Patrick replied, swallowing.
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. I know A.J. from before I ran away."
"Oh," they said at the same time.
"What I don't understand is why you two would question my judgment. Especially considering the fact that I saved both your asses from Victoria's gang when you were both new to the streets." she added, eyeing them suspiciously.
"Look, Nightshade," Amber paused. "It was just bothering me that you were acting different around him, that's all. I have no objections to any of your choices."
"We were just concerned about you, after all, we don't know anything about him." Patrick added.
She pondered that. "All right. I can accept that." They both breathed a sigh of relief. She glanced down at her watch. "Christ, it's already nine at night! No wonder I'm starved."
"I was just going to take dinner orders. McDonald's cool with you?" Patrick asked her.
"Perfect. Get me two double-quarter pounders with cheese extra value meals, both with Coke. Oh, and an apple pie."
"Got it." he replied and left for McDonald's. Amber turned to Nightshade.
"Jade,"
"Yes, Amber,"
"You're going to leave with him, aren't you?"
"I don't know, I really don't know. But if I do, I promise you that I won't forget about my family here on the streets. You guys are all I have." Amber nodded and walked off down the hallway. After taking a look around, Nightshade headed back into the bedroom. Picking up the remote, she flipped on the TV and sat down on the bed, being careful not to disturb A.J. She sighed and leaned back against the wall.
Patrick came in about ten minutes later with her food and then left. As she took a sip of her Coke she felt movement beside her on the bed. "Mmm, what smells so good?" A.J. said, slowly sitting up on the bed.
"Mickey D's." She pulled his burger out of the bag and tossed it to him.
"Thanks," They ate their burgers in silence. She pulled out her fries and started to eat them when he grabbed a couple of hers.
"Hey! Get your own!" she exclaimed.
"No," he replied, reaching for her fries. She leaned over and sat them on the small table beside the bed. Leaning against her, he tried to reach the fries but ended up knocking them both off the bed. They landed on the floor with a thud. Taking advantage of the situation, he started tickling her.
"Alex . . . stop . . . it!" she managed to get out in between laughs. They rolled around on the floor for a few minutes until he finally stopped. She lay her head back against the floor, still laughing. As he lay on top of her and watched her smiling face he felt his heart melt. He ran a hand through her reddish-brown hair and she stopped laughing. She looked up at him as he started singing softly to her.
"I don't care who you are, where you're from, what you did, as long as you love me." When he finished he kissed her softly on the lips. As he drew back, she raised her hand and rested it against the side of his face. "We can make this work, Jade. I know we can."
She stroked the side of his face and looked into his brown eyes. "I want this to work, Alex."

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