Love within Ashes

Chapter 21: Eye Candy Revenge

"I wanted to see Joe awake," I commented to Billy who was next to me driving me home. After a couple of hours with Joe and Aubrey in the hospital room.

"The doctor said that he will be fully awake in a couple of days. Isn't that good news?" I asked him.

Billy only stared at the empty road and continued driving, so I cleared my throat and whispered, "We didn't even paint, like I promised."

"He painted before," Billy responded.

"Really?" I asked in amazement looking at him.

"While we cook our shit, Joe painted the walls of the Office. And when I was on my shift in some corners, Joe always took spray paint and made graffiti on the walls," said Bodie.

"Joe is the >OJ or something like that?"

"Yeah, that nick was so lame, he a fool!" answered Bodie who was in the back of Billy's car.

"It's unique, Bodie," I tried to defend Joe.

"Shut up, Bodie!" growled Billy.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry dude," he uttered.

"So, were are you guys going after you drop me home?" I asked.

"To some-" tried to say Bodie but Billy's roaring interrupted him.

"Shut the fuck up, Bodie!"

"Why? Some what?" I mumbled trying to make him spill it.

"Dude, I ain't gonna tell her nothing," Bodie frowned.

"You were going to, Bodie. Now let your black ugly ass do the talking, shut up."

"Dude, It may be black but it ain't ugly. My girls now that," Bodie jested.

"Ok, if you don't want to tell me, it's ok. Fine," I said in defeat but I wasn't giving up.

Why Billy didn't wanted to tell me? I mean, he doesn't tell me about everything but he always stays with me in my apartment. He was up to something I was going to find what was that, no matter what.

"Are you having an affair, Billy?" I asked him with a pretended mortification. I was prepared to make a scene, because when I wanted to know something, I would know that something.

"Tell me, Billy Darley! Are you with some whore?" I insisted while Bodie snickered his head off.

"Really? Emma, really?" he asked knowing that I was making a scene.

Darn it, he knows me too well.

"So you are?! How dare you, Billy Darley! I thought that I was the only one. You bald headed second hand Don Juan! Circus Casanova!" I yelled in a dramatic tone.

Bodie reclined his body while he covered his mouth and slapped his knee trying to control his laughter. The muffled laughter made me wanted to join him but I couldn't give up.

"Stop it, babe. Don't, just-" he tried to warn me but I interrupted him.

"You player, mlutton! Slut-man-glutton!" I insulted him.

"Watch it, babe!" he tried to contain a laugh.

"Shagmonster! When will you calm your fickle pickle, eh? Freaking shit is that! And I told you to stop taking Viagra, Billy! When are you going to stop taking that shit?!" I couldn't contain it and I burst out laughing while Bodie laughed so hard he was gasping for air.

Billy looked at me frowning and saw me laughing. He couldn't contain the laughing atmosphere and chuckled while I snickered.

"Emma, you are too funny, girl! Whoo! Shit!" Bodie exclaimed trying to recover the air.

"I'm sorry. Baby, I know you are not with anybody. But I want to know!" I insisted making him a puppy face, " Please, tell me!"

"Emma-" his ringing phone interrupted him.

"Yeah?" he answered.

I was waiting for him to answer me but his stupid calls are a bit important. I know when to keep my mouth shut, and when Billy answered his calls from work, especially Bones, I had to keep silence.

"Fuck no! We'll take care of this shit, tonight! You hear?" he barked.

I turned around to look at Bodie and his expression was an intrigued one and he wanted to know what happened. Maybe one of their plans went wrong. You see, maybe I was this stupid naive painter, but I have been listening to the way the boys play, and some how, it has been turning me into one of them, I guess. I mean, I know how to run the Office, I used to listen to Billy yelling at the boys when he answered the phone in my apartment. I knew that the boys were going to paid Hume a visit, I was really sorry for their family but this was how things go. And I was no one to stop them. Maybe I was born to be in this world, maybe Edward gave me to this type of world when he smoked the first dope or injected the first heroine. I don't know. But I am sure of one thing, I am choosing this path, no matter what.

"No! Jamie! Did you bust his ass?" he continued yelling, "One? Fuck, Jamie, where you busy with some witless whore? Shit!"

There was an awkward silence creeping in the car while Billy slowly drove through the road.

"No, listen, listen! Meet us at the motherfucker's street. Then, we'll go and take those shitless punks down. They think they can fight me, fuck no. And we are going to let them know who fucking still runs this town, personally."

He hung up, and then he clouted the steering wheel with fury.

"Yo, what is it?" asked a worried Bodie.

"Jamie found out they are planning to fight us. They think Joe's dead and they used Heco as a pawn."

"Fuck! Man! Those fuckers must have known everything by Heco."

"Is something wrong?" I asked to both of them.

They ignored me.

"What about Emma, dude?" Bodie asked.

"What about her?" Billy looked at Bodie through his rearview mirror.

"Uhm, Hello? I'm here!" I uttered. Another superpower: I am invisible.

"You know, what if they try to do something? Dawg, everybody knows she's your broad. Some fucking whores have been spreading the word that you are not with them anymore," he answered.

I looked at Billy waiting for his reaction and then back at Bodie. Everybody knew I was his? Some joyful emotion crawled through my bones and a smile arched on my lips.

"Who is spreading the word?" asked Billy with an angry expression.

"Cora has been wanting to have some time with you, and when you rejected her that made her pissed, and she's been the one saying to others, especially Norman, that you are with Emma. Gina whined about it while she was with me a couple of nights before."

"Fuck, Bodie, why didn't you told me this before?"

"Because of what happened to Joe, dude!"

"Who the hell is Cora?" I was pissed that some whore wanted to have some time with my man.

They continue to ignore me. That's annoyed me.

"Shit!" Billy smacked the wheel again while he continued to curse under his breath.

He abruptly parked next to the nearest sidewalk.

"Let me just think," Billy sighed turning off the engine.

"Yo, we can't leave the visit to Hume to another day," insisted Bodie.

"I fucking know that, Bodie. And we are not going to let that motherfucker live another second."

"Dude, we can blip two fucking birds in one night. The Cutties, especially Norman, always steam around the Green Pulse. The fucker must be right there at this hour, dawg."

"That's what we are going to do, Bodie!"

"Those fools, when shit hits the fan they always take it as an opportunity. And Emma?"

"She's going with us!"

"Stop ignoring me! Billy, take me home!" I yelled trying to make myself noticed , but all in vain.

Billy quickly glanced at me and then turned on the engine. The engine roared louder than any day. Something is going on, and I don't have a good feeling about it. Maybe I just shouldn't know too much about Billy's plans. Billy drove to my apartment and all I heard was nothing. Both were absorbed in thoughts while I was just shitting in my pants. I got out of the car and rapidly I made way to open my apartment. I just wanted to lock myself inside but Billy grabbed me by the hand.

"Change your clothes, get some important things and then come down," he ordered.

"Billy, I just want to stay home. I'll lock myself, Billy," I pleaded not to be taken to the real action.

"I'll be waiting here, babe," he held as he lighted a cigarette.

I nodded and went running upstairs. I changed my jeans to a jean mid-low skirt, my t-shirt with a tank top and I decided to wear some Uggs boots instead of heels or sneakers. I took my favorite purse and made a bun with the pencil that Billy gave me. I placed inside my purse, my keys, my cell phone, my knife, and my pepper spray. When I was walking through my living room, I remembered the gun that I hid in my kitchen drawer. And the gun joined the items I had inside my purse. I ran downstairs and took my jacket, closed my door and walked towards Billy's car. Somehow I was prepare, I mean I was scared but by being in Billy's side I knew he will protect me, so I felt secure. Just when I was opening the passenger's door, I saw a man that was looking at me in the dark of a broken street light. His figure was the one I saw a couple of weeks ago, when I was walking through the streets with Aubrey. That man has been following me? I started to panic, but when I blinked my eyes again, the shape of that man was gone.

"Emma, are you ok, babe? What are you waiting for, get in!" Billy brought me back to reality.

I got in the car and Billy drove to Lord knows where we were going. Suddenly, after like 20 minutes or more, we were in the suburbs of Boston. Billy parked in front of some house and in front of where we were parked, it was Tommy's car. It's was a 1970 Buick Special convertible, it was gray with black tribal tattoos, the clannish graphics of Billy's gang. The gang got out of Tommy's car when Billy parked his behind them.

"Emma, stay here. No matter what you see, hear, feel , don't move. Ok? Stay here, if you don't want to see something... just tuck yourself inside there," he warmly instructed me as I looked at him with feared eyes.

"Billy, be careful," I whispered while he gently grabbed the back of my head as he reclined.

I gently gripped his cheeks and leaned forward to him, kissing him. That romantic kiss was broken by his passionate and ardent tongue who invaded my mouth as he took my pencil and combed my hair with his fingers. We broke the kiss, because it was time. He placed the pencil on my lap as I smiled at him and the he grasped my hand, bringing it to his lips, kissing it. He got out of the car and Bodie did the same as well. I looked through the rearview mirror and Billy was greeting the guys. Tommy started to point with his hand to one of the houses who was really near. In front of the house there was a police car and I think they were some coppers- I mean, police officers inside the patrol. Billy muttered some things and when he finished Jamie and Spink went sneakily walking towards the patrol. I stared at every movement as my heart started to race promptly. Bodie and Tommy followed the guys as they turned the back of the house. Baggy and Billy were walking slowly towards the house. Billy stopped and flicked his cigarette, he was different, he was acting strange and I could tell that he was more than angry at Hume. He had the right to be angry at the motherfucker! What am I saying? Well, he hurt Joe, he needs to pay for what he did. But should Billy take it to his own hands? I'm so confused. My human side inclines to Hume, I want him to be spare but my ghastly side wishes his death, wants revenge for what he did to my piece of tart.

Just when I couldn't think anymore, Billy gestured me to get down. Jamie and Spink were hiding behind the patrol and their faces were full of iniquity, I was scared. Billy gestured with his hands, telling me to get down. I nodded and inclined my head placing it on my knees and closing my eyes.

"I see skies are blue, red roses too, I see them too, for me and you, and I say to myself," I sobbed humming, "What a wonderful world."

I shed tears, I couldn't control it. I never thought I was going to be in a situation like this. The worst part of everything is that I was ok with it. My morals didn't reminded me that this was wrong, I just was comfortable with it. I don't know why I was crying, maybe I was shedding the last tears of innocence, maybe just maybe.

I waited a couple of minutes and the constant honk intrigued me so I decided to get up from my uncomfortable position. When I got up, I tried to search for Billy and the boys but I couldn't see them. Then, I tried to look at inside the patrol and when I squinted my eyes, a horrified gasp slipped through my lips. Those police officers were bleeding, their throats were slit open and it bled horribly. I tried to blink my eyes but I just couldn't do it, I kept staring and never blinked. I was surprised at myself for been able to see those bloody corpses without nauseous feelings creeping in my stomach. But I decided for my own good to not keep watching and so I closed my eyes and just when I was going to swallow everything... POOM! I heard a gun shot POOM! Another one! I gasped for air, because... POOM! I heard another one!... because... with every shot I heard, I felt that a part of me was dying with it. I was dying, Emma Collins was dying.

I took a rigid posture and opened my eyes, and in that moment I knew it was done. I heavily sighed while I waited for Billy.

Just after my sigh was released, I saw the gang walking slowly and overpowering the street. Billy's eyes were dark and ominous, they were different but a satisfying smirk appeared in a matter of seconds. As I saw his smirk, another one appeared on my mouth, I was smiling unconsciously. Why would I smile at such atrocious happening?

Billy got into the car as Bodie did. Billy turned his head to my direction and glimpsed at me. Then he looked at his rearview mirror and made a sharp nod.

"Where are going, Billy?" I asked him.

"To the Green Pulse," he smirked while the roaring of both engines took over that suburbs' street leaving God knows how many dead bodies there.