Gangs and Roses

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

But wait.  

I didn't feel anything. Not the bullet releasing from the gun, not it flying into my chest and puncturing my heart. I felt nothing. Was this what it felt like to die? You were dead so quickly that you didn't feel a thing?  

But I knew that I wasn't in heaven because when I opened my eyes, I was still in my Mum's apartment. My brain could barely register that I was alive because my head snapped to where the sound had come from. Standing in the doorway, stood Seb, Sam and Luke. Luke held the gun, pointing it straight in Harry's direction. A moment later, I heard the clatter of Harry's gun drop to the floor and his body flop to the ground, a small pool of blood began to form on his shirt.  

I couldn't believe it; my mouth hung-open. No words could describe how surprised I felt. I was sure I was going to die that I didn't even think that these guys would be able to come and save me in time - that only ever happened in movies.  

"Paige," Sam breathed-out, by my side in seconds. He helped me up because my legs didn't work properly. I saw my Mum still tied up in the chair, right next to the dead body of Harry McFields, her eyes full of nothing but panic and fear. She struggled with all her might to get out.  

Seb took a knife from his back pocket and freed Mum from the tight ropes. As soon as she was free she came over and pulled me into a hug. At first, I was a little taken aback. My Mum was hugging me. My Mum was hugging me. When was it the last time this had happened? I couldn't even remember it was so far back.  

"I love you, Mum," I whispered, my head on her shoulder.  

"I love you, too."  

My heart tingled in such a way that I didn't even know existed anymore. When we pulled away, I saw tears in her eyes. And when she blinked, they fell onto her cheek and trickled their way down to her chin.  

For a single second I forgot where I was. I blocked everything out. I felt my eyes well up with tears, also, and I started laughing at how weird and strange this was...this moment in time; this scenario that we were in that seemed to bring us so close together that it didn't even matter what had happened in the past.  

Smiling back at me, Mum wound our hands together and kissed the back of my hand tenderly. I had to bite my bottom lip to stop myself from completely bursting out crying. As we walked out of the apartment door together, Luke holding it open for us, I heard Sam and Seb talking quietly by the body, deciding on what to do with it. 

We started walking down the hallway together when I realized that we were going to leave them behind. "Wait-" I began to say, turning round when Luke answered my question for me, pressing the button for the lift down to the ground floor.  

"They have some things to take care of," he said, the doors opening. The three of us stepped inside. "They'll come back on the bus."  

"And I'm guessing I'm driving?" I queried.  

"Yes."  

Luke didn't seem to see the humour in my voice. No-one in the lift did. Mum seemed to be suddenly aware of her surroundings. She looked small in the corner of the elevator and the sharpness in her breath increased. To calm her down, I held her hand again and whispered, "We'll sort everything out when we get home." Mum didn't say anything back; she just silently nodded.  

When we came to the ground floor, we all piled out, the sun beginning to set over the horizon. I got into the drivers' seat, Luke tossing me the keys. The car was a slick BMW with a gleaming, black bonnet and spotless hubcaps. I sat comfortably in the leather seat and the engine quickly hummed into life. Pulling out of the car park, Luke fiddled with the radio and settled with a slow song in the background, only just loud enough to hear.