Chapter 54: Chapter 54

Fifty Four - Pushing limit’s.

Jake's POV -

I run as fast as my legs could physically carry me. I run until my lungs ache and my chest heaves with the bile threatening to rise in the back of my throat. It wasn't the running that was making me feel sick, it was Emily's constant scream running through my ears.

"It's the police, stop running!"

I hear him panting from the effort of chasing me. From the sound of his voice, he's only a few feet behind me. So I speed up, my legs burning from the effort. I turn into Whitfield Lane, an area I know well.

A car screeches to a halt as I run in front of it, almost skimming my legs. I don't dare stop or turn around and head for the brick wall at the end of the road, throwing myself at it and hauling myself up with my hands. I grunt as I throw myself over the other side into someone's garden. Sirens blare all around me in the dark night and I grit my teeth, knowing it would be a challenge to get away this time.

I continue jumping over garden walls until I fall into the one I want —

"Reached my destination," I mumble, glancing over my shoulder and hearing the police officer a few gardens back. I sprint to the back door of the house and knock three times. Crucial moments pass and it opens, a hand shoots out gripping my chest before pulling me in.

I grunt as I'm thrown against his wall and stand to my feet, dusting off the mud and leaves from my clothing. He locks the door, turning all the lights off and peers into his garden.

"He didn't see me," I say quietly, noticing how his posture is alert, his shoulders squared up defensively.

"Shut the fuck up!" He spits back at me over his shoulder and I grimace, knowing the ordeal that lay ahead of me. I messed up. I never mess up.

*****

Tobias' POV -

"Run Jake," I say quietly, turning my back against the wall to give him the space he needs. I can hear the police inside, getting closer and closer. Jake appears torn, eyes full of pain and I look away, his pained expression too much to bear.

The back door to the club smashes open and my eyes widen in terror as I see the police charge towards Jake. He'd already started running, a few feet in front of the officer that was now chasing him.

"Are you okay?" Another officer glances at me and I nod before looking down at Emily.

"Does she need an ambulance?" The officer asks again, glancing at Emily.

"Yeah," I nod, knowing it would look suspicious if I declined the offer of an ambulance considering she was passed out cold in my arms. The officer nods and turns her back to us before asking for an ambulance on her radio. I take the chance to turn and sprint off into the night myself, the officer barely noticing due to the commotion.

Once I'm a few streets away, I stop running and slow down to a walk. I glance down at her laying in my arms and my chest tightens. I'd left her when she needed someone the most.

I couldn't think about the guilt right now, I promised to get her back safely. I have to get her away from the police before they start asking questions and realise Emily is Jake's girlfriend and I, his cousin.

My head reels with all the problems the gang's club raid could bring. I shake my head, my teeth clenching tightly at how stupid Jake has been. On the other hand, Amil did have a way of brainwashing everyone who was in the gang.

I'm all too familiar with it...

Three years ago, Amil and I were like brothers. Every gang fight, every raid, every drug deal, I was by his side. We made an amazing team and soon enough, the gang was rising in power throughout the city. That's when I started to notice the change in him. We made a pact when I first started that no innocent civilians would be hurt or killed.

That was my one rule, my only rule.

I joined the gang because I hated people with power inflicting pain on the poor and innocent. That and the fact the money was unbelievable. To this day, I'm still living off the amount I'd earned and I know how much Jake would have collected during his time there. He joined shortly after me and built his way up, now becoming Amil's right hand man.

In other words, his bitch.

I left the gang because I despised the way Amil started to abuse his power. He wouldn't hesitate to put several bullets through someone's head within a matter of seconds just because they happened to be a 'witness'.

That one night that I finally made my decision to leave, haunted me to this very day.

It was October and we'd just raided the home of our rivals gang leader. We found thousands of pounds in cash, a stash of drugs and firearms we could sell on. His wife and two kids were both tied up in the basement and I was the one watching over them.

"We'll let you go once were done," I mumble at the two children who were crying and shaking in fear. I sigh and tuck my gun away out of their sight. The youngest boy pleads at me with big eyes, sounds muffled by the tape on his mouth. I avoid his gaze yet I can feel his large pleading eyes stare at me. I was thankful that night when Amil came in to relieve me —

"Shoot them," he says bluntly before turning around to walk out. My eyes widened in shock at his command —

"Amil, no! Since when do we shoot innocent people, especially children?" I hiss and Amil froze with his back to me before he turns slowly, his eyes burning with fire. He storms towards me, slamming me backwards into furniture until I was on the floor. He loomed over me, grabbing my gun from the floor.

"NO!" I yelled, watching as he pointed the gun at the woman, shooting her. Her head flew back and her two children screamed, thrashing around in fear from watching their mother die in front of their eyes. I charged for Amil but he turned round and punched me back to the floor before turning and shooting the older child. I barely had a second to look up before another gunshot filled the basement and the little boy with the large pleading eyes slumped over in his chair. My face turned and I gagged, flinching as Amil threw my gun back down onto the floor next to me.

"Next time, do as I fucking say. No questions asked," he spat, storming out up the basement stairs. Lying there with three dead innocent bodies was the moment I eventually decided to leave the gang, for good.

I remembered fighting with myself over the way I would tell him. We were family, connected by our tattoo's and leaving the gang just wasn't possible. If only I knew then the torture I would go through to finally walk free. It was the best and scariest decision I'd ever make in my whole life, yet still to this day I was haunted by those three gunshots.

Those innocent pleading eyes. . .

I shut my eyes tightly, breathing deeply before pushing our back door open and heading inside the kitchen. I look around and I'm relieved to see everything is dark, no-one's around. It would be kind of hard to explain what I'm doing at three am with an unconscious Emily in my arms.

The whole way here she hadn't moved once, showed no signs of waking up. I head for the stairs and debate on where to put her.

In her own bed, Jake's bed or my bed?

I need to keep an eye on her. I don't know how hurt she was and from the fact she was still unconscious wasn't a good sign. Her knees are bleeding and I know she'll need watching over. I sigh heavily before pushing the door open to my room and heading towards my bed.

The last time Jake's girlfriend was in this bed was the biggest mistake of my life. Now I was trying to solve that mistake by putting his current girlfriend in the same bed. . . It's so messed up.

I place her down gently and pull the covers over her top half before opening my bedside drawer and getting out everything I need. I start working on her knees, clearing up the blood and bandaging them. She must have fell on a shard of glass as the cut she had on her leg isn't just a small graze.

I finally wrap the last bandage before securing it with tape and my fingers linger on her soft skin before I hastily removed them, my heart clenching tightly.

She's not yours Tobias.

I remind myself of the same thing every single day. The question I keep asking myself is whether she'll still be Jake's once she wakes up?

I know everyone has a limit.

Tonight, Jake had pushed past Emily’s.