Shackles on the heart (Book #1)

29. Obtaining leverage

(Lincoln's POV)

Before school RaeAnna told me she needed to talk to me, it sounded pretty serious, so I asked her if I could come over to her house later, she happily accepted. I wonder what it is she wants to speak to me about, I hope everything is okay.

Tomorrow we will all be out of school for 2 weeks for spring break, I'm definitely going to be spending time with RaeAnna. Two weeks is much too long to go without her, I really like her, I'll never leave her side. Now that I have her, I couldn't imagine living without her. She is a breath of fresh air to my lungs. I know she feels the same, she tells me how much I mean to her all the time, even though I can tell by her actions towards me how much I matter to her, it feels great to know she feels the same way.

My birthday is coming up, my first year being a teenager, my idea of a perfect birthday would be spending the whole day with her and that's exactly how I plan to celebrate.

The lengthy school day is finally over, I have to go to my house to grab a few things I got for RaeAnna, my dad agreed to take me to her house afterwards.

I finally reached her house after about an hour, gift bag in hand. I tell my dad I will see him later and start knocking on the front door. Rosie answers after a few seconds. "Lincoln sweetie. Please come in." She looks at the bag in my hand. "What's this?" She asks. "I got a few things here for RaeAnna, but I also got this." I reach into the bag and pull out the gift I got for her. It is a small picture of two angels, one a boy and the other a girl, the boy has dark blue wings, holding a book in his hands looking like he is reading, while the girl has dark purple wings with a yellow flower sitting in her hair. It reminded me of Dakota and RaeAnna. "Oh my goodness! She exclaims. "This is just absolutely beautiful. You are just the sweetest, I will cherish this forever." She wipes a stray tear that has fallen from her eye, she sniffles. "Well RaeAnna is in her room. Go ahead and go in, she has been expecting you."

I go to her door and knock gently. "Come in." I walk inside. "Link I've been waiting on you. We need to talk." I hold up the bag. "Okay but before we talk, I got you a little something." I say. "You didn't. You are so good to me." She takes it and begins looking through it. The look on her face right now, I would love to capture her expression in a picture and frame it to forever have the memory, although I could never forget. I got her a couple of my all time favorite books, along with a couple drawing notebooks, each having butterflies on them, some coloring pencils and special art pencils because I know how much she likes to draw.

She claps her hands excitedly. "I love it so much. I'm so lucky to have you link. Jeez, you're always getting me stuff and I've never gotten you anything. Now I feel like a bad friend." She pouts, pushing her bottom lip out. I laugh at how adorable she is. "I don't need anything. Having you is enough Ann, trust me. You make me the happiest guy on earth. Having you means the absolute world to me. You deserve everything and much more." She looks like she wants to cry from my words alone. I know I came here so we can have a talk so I speak before we get too far off track. "So..what was it you wanted to talk about?" She wipes her eyes, trying to compose herself. "Well..I..I need that thing earlier." She puts her hands up to make a finger gun. She pulls out a paper, which I'm assuming she wrote earlier. I know this is serious now. I nod and take it from her hands. "Bathroom?" I question in a low voice. She nods and I make my way towards the bathroom to read yet another one of her letters.

Letter- they know about you link. They don't know I've been telling you information, but they know your name and know we have grown close. They are watching me everywhere I go. I need that gun, please. I've been excelling in my practice. They want me to go on another mission, I need to be able to defend myself. They send me to dangerous people. Please link, I need that gun as soon as you can get it for me. I am begging you, I will forever be in your debt if you do this for me, I need it for my protection, mine, yours and my family's. I hope you understand.

I exhale a loud breath. She needs me, I will not let her down, I will get whatever she needs. She will need protection if she has to go on another mission, I can't let her go without anything, I would be worried sick and blame myself if something were to happen to my best friend. I wish she didn't have to go through this at all, but until I finish formulating my plan, I don't know what to do to stop them. I feel like such a bad friend, such a failure because I can't stop this, but maybe I can find out where she has to go so I can be there in case something goes down. I know I can't be seen with her when she goes, I can however be close by to keep an eye on the situation. I won't lie, I'm nervous to see what they threaten her to do. I know she wouldn't do this on her own free will. She is much too good for that, but I need to be there for her, I promised. I will get that gun for her, I have to do it. Nothing will scare me away from her life, as broken as it may seem I want to be the person who seals it back together again.