First You Fall

Toni's P.O.V.

I absolutely cannot stand being idle. I always need to be doing something because boredom does not suit me. Sighing, I tossed the magazine I was reading to Zacky's bedroom floor. Or I guess, our bedroom floor. It's been a week since what I had dubbed 'the incident' happened and I moved in with Zacky. And it's been by the far the most uneventful and pathetic week I've had since I met the guys. I rolled off of the bed and left the room to go find Zacky.

"I want to take a walk to the beach or something." I said walking into his office.

"Can't right now, I'm busy." He replied, not even bothering to look up from the papers he was flipping through.

"I can see that but I wasn't asking you to come." This got Zacky to look up at me.

"You're not going by yourself. Why don't you go find Val and do something?"

"She's spending the day with Matt. And Johnny's not answering his phone."

"He's on a job." Zacky responded.

Before I could ask what Johnny was doing, the door was pushed open and I flew forward a little.

"Sorry, didn't know you were there." Jimmy walked into the room carrying a large black container.

"It's fine." I replied, eying the box.

"New toys." Jimmy said with a sick smile, dropping the box in front of Zacky.

Zacky must have forgotten I was still standing there because normally he would throw me out before he and the guys started talking business. Zacky bent down beside the container and undid some latches before throwing the lid up. I knew my eyes went wide when I saw the shiny guns laying in the container. I looked from the guns to Zacky and Jimmy's smiling faces. They both picked one up and started playing around with them.

Boys and their stupid guns.

"So how about that walk?" I asked, moving closer to Zacky.

"Still a no." He didn't even look away from the gun he was inspecting.

"What am I, a fucking prisoner." I tried to keep my voice low but I was beyond frustrated now. I understood that the guys just wanted to keep me safe but locking me up in this house was a shitty way of doing it. It was bad enough when I had to quit my job, again, but now I couldn't even step foot out of Zacky's place.

"We'll talk about this later." Zack said as his phone rang. He put down the gun before walking over to his desk to answer the phone.

I huffed and turned to leave the room. When I got back to the bedroom I threw myself down onto the bed. The clock on the dresser read 6:48. I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. I stayed like this, just thinking, until I finally fell asleep.

Johnny's P.O.V.

I was speeding down the highway when my cell rang. I reached in my pocket and grabbed it.

"Yeah?" I asked, having answered it without looking at the caller I.D.

"Did you get it?" Zacky asked.

"Of course. It took some convincing but after the 4th broken bone, he gave in." I glanced at the duffel bag laying on the seat next to me.

"Good. Then you should be back at my place soon. I rounded up some guys, we've got business to take care of."

"Sure." I replied before shutting the phone and tossing it onto the seat.

When I got back to Zacky's house, I parked my car before grabbing the duffel bag and walking in. I walked into his office to find about ten guys sitting or standing around the room. Dropping the duffel bag, I walked over to stand by Brian, Matt, Jimmy and Zacky. This was the usual set-up for when Zacky would call these meetings. The guys and me on one side and all the lackeys on the other. I scanned the room as Zacky started talking about all the shit that needed to be taken care of. I heard a phone ring and turned to see Bailey who was sitting near the door. He quickly grabbed his phone and stood up. Zacky just glanced at him before waving him off, and Bailey walked out of the room, phone still in hand.

I'm still shocked that Zacky kept him around, though I'm more surprised that Bailey would even want to stay. The fucker had his girlfriend taken from him and then had his ass beat for having hit said girlfriend. I'd sure as fuck be bitter-

My head snapped up and I looked at the door Bailey had just left through.

He's got the motive. He's got the skill. Fuck now he's got the access. BAILEY!

Before I could even finish untangling my thoughts, I was heading for the door.

"What the fuck?" I heard Zacky shout.

"Toni." Was my only reply as I broke out into a run.

I reached the bottom of the stairs and could hear Zacky right behind me. We reached the landing of the second floor and could just make out the sounds of a yelp. Zacky shot pass me and to his bedroom door. He slammed against the door but it didn't budge. By now we could hear Toni putting up a fight in there. Zacky and I took another run at the door but it only shook. I noticed Zacky pull out his gun and aim at the door.

"No." I said, grabbing his arm before he could shoot. "You might hit her. "

Just then the other guys made it up the stairs. Matt ran over and gave the door two good kicks, sending it flying backwards. Before anyone else could react, Zacky was in the room and had Bailey hanging by his throat. Zacky dropped him and moments later Jimmy, Matt, and Brain had joined Zacky. All were pummeling a screaming and bloody Bailey. I ran over to Toni who was on the floor by the bed, cradling her arm. I moved her hand away and blood drizzled down her forearm from what looked like a knife wound. Before I could get a closer look at the cut, Zacky had dropped to the floor and wrapped Toni in his arms. She put her good arm around his neck and clung to him. I watched as the blood dripped from her arm onto Zacky, and I couldn't help but feel a little guilty. She was right, if she knew how to defend herself then that might not have happened. I should have taught her when she first asked. I couldn't stop her from getting hurt this time but I can make sure that next time any fucker with a death wish lays a finger on her, she'd be able to kick ass.