Turquoise waves lapped at her feet, lazily hugging the shore before returning to the endless ocean. The salty winds whirled around her hair, brushing past her skin as her toes sank into the light brown sand that reminded her of the sugar her mom used in the cookies they made a few nights ago. Laughter reached her ears and she glanced up, towards her parents who were floating in the water some distance away; her mom looked sad even with the space between them, her dad watching her face carefully.

She couldn't help but smile to herself at the sight of her parents back together. It had only been a few hours since breakfast, when she asked the question that set everything in motion: how come I don't have a daddy? The unexpectedness of the question caught her mom off guard; she had seen the surprise flash in her eyes before taking a deep breath and explaining to the child that things were complicated between Mommy and Daddy, but Mommy would find Daddy, she promised.

And find him she did. Waiting for her at their spot at the beach a few miles from their house.

She was so focused on her parents, and their decreasing distance, that when her dad pulled her mom close and kissed her, the girl didn't see the man approaching her from behind. She didn't see the sneer on his face as he glanced at the couple in the ocean or hear the words softly spoken from his lips: I'm sorry, Jade.

In an instant, the girl was whisked from the sand and thrown over the mysterious man's shoulders; a blood-curdling scream escaped from her throat, alerting her parents of the immediate danger she was facing. Tears sprang to her eyes as she tried kicking the man into letting her go; with no success, she was shoved into the backseat of a waiting vehicle, cringing as the door slammed shut, cutting off her mom screaming the man's name.

"DANIEL!"

Clambering onto her knees, the girl looked out the back window as the man she recognized as Aunt Sky's boyfriend shifted the vehicle into drive and sped away, leaving her dad in the dust as he tried to chase them down. The look of pure rage and heartbreak on his face sent her heart shattering into a million pieces, the cold brush of fear tingling down her neck as he disappeared from sight. The horror of never seeing her parents again yanked at her heartstrings, her wails increasing in volume as she called out for her mom.

Daniel paid no attention to her as he wove in and out of traffic, muttering under his breath - too low for her to make out any words that might have given her a sense of where they were going. As her body cried out all the tears it could muster, her eyelids grew heavy and she slipped into darkness, unable to fight the sleep any longer.

Hands jerking her out of the backseat woke the girl with a start; at some point in her slumber, Daniel had tied her wrists and ankles together with thick ropes. She tried to wriggle away from him, but he grabbed her and lifted her out of the car with ease. His eyes were haunted, the light dimmed to near nothing, as he walked into the dark warehouse. She shivered involuntarily as he made his way through a sea of men, all looked just as mean and scary as the man carrying her. In the middle of the large room, he stopped and laid her on the floor; it took her a few seconds to see another man sitting in a chair a few feet away, his eyes watching her warily as he smirked slyly at Daniel.

"Well done, St. Clair." The man's voice boomed through the warehouse, followed by a hearty laugh. "Prepare yourselves, men. Carmichael will be here by nightfall to rescue his great-niece, and I can assure you, Centofanti will be with him."

The men around her exploded into boisterous laughter and cheering as they dispersed among themselves, some heading for crates scattered around the room while others headed for tables set up in a similar matter. The man on the chair nodded to Daniel and he moved closer to him, both glancing at the girl.

"We have to keep in mind all possible scenarios for tonight," the older man said, rubbing his chin as a look of thoughtfulness rested on his face. "The girl's mother, for instance. She could be a part of the rescue mission, yes?"

"I wouldn't put it past her, Sir."

"Interesting... I wonder. Let's say the mother comes here for the child, instead of Centofanti. If she were in danger, he would come to her rescue immediately."

"Jade is his one true love, and he hers. In the last three years that I've been around her, she hasn't looked at anyone else, much less talked to another man. The feelings are still there... I'm sure of it."

"So, we take her in place of the child tonight. After all these years, we will finally have revenge on the Carmichael gang!" The older man chuckled darkly before motioning to the girl. "Now what to do with her in the meantime?"

He carefully surveyed the room, until his gaze landed on a large empty crate near him. Snapping his fingers, he pointed to another man close by.

"Felix. Make sure that the crate is not moved nor filled with anything tonight. When the time comes, put the girl in there. For now, she can be taken to Sarah in the kitchen. Make sure she's fed and taken care of. Just because her father is on our hit list, doesn't mean she has to actually suffer."

"Yes, boss."

Felix walked over to the girl and lifted her up, placing her feet on the ground before moving to carry her in his arms. She instantly slumped to the ground, unwilling to cooperate; Felix shared a look with Daniel, both of them turning to their boss.

"Daniel, take her to Sarah," he said, waving his hand in the air. "One way or another."

"Yes, sir." Daniel, the mysterious man, turned to the little girl and knelt beside her. "Do you want some apple juice?"

Uncertain of the men watching, she looked at Daniel and slowly nodded, the feeling of her throat being parched from thirst distracting her from the danger lurking in the room. He helped her back on her feet, sliding his arm underneath her legs and standing up. Nodding to Felix, Daniel made his way to the back of the warehouse where the kitchen was located. A woman about her mom's age was standing at the stove, a little boy perched at the island counter as he watched her stir whatever was in the pot. They both turned when Daniel walked inside, their eyes immediately drawn to the girl.

"Sarah, is there apple juice in the fridge?" Daniel asked as he sat the girl down in a chair next to the boy.

"Of course." Sarah fetched the bottle from the fridge and a sippy cup from one of the cupboards, handing them to Daniel. "Is this her?"

"Yeah. It's her."

"She's beautiful..." Sarah trailed off before shaking her head. "I told Ramsey this was a bad idea. The Carmichaels are not going to allow him to get away with kidnapping their heiress."

"I've been telling him that for the last four years," Daniel muttered under his breath. Without another word, he walked out of the room, leaving Sarah with the children.

"I swear." Sarah closed her eyes and let out a sigh, turning to the girl with a warm smile. "Hi there, princess. What's your name?"

"Ava." The girl mumbled shyly, casting her eyes downward to avoid the woman's gaze.

"That's a beautiful name. My name is Sarah, and this is my son Elijah."

She beamed at the boy sitting next to Ava, who returned her smile and shifted his gaze to the girl.

"Hello, Ava. You can call me Eli for short, if you want."

"Eli..." Ava gave him a weak smile as she repeated his name. Elijah's eyes lit up as he nodded, confirming her pronunciation was correct.

"Are you hungry, Ava?" Sarah asked gently, earning a nod in response. "Do you like mac and cheese?"

"Yes."

Sarah smiled as she returned to the stove, scooping mac and cheese into small bowls before setting them in front of the children. She watched cautiously as they ate, cleaning up spilled messes and helping the children down when they were finished. Daniel had returned during clean-up, causing Sarah to only sigh and shake her head, clearly annoyed by the orders given. Before Daniel reached for Ava, Sarah knelt down to look her in the eyes.

"You are a brave, beautiful little girl, Ava." Sarah said as she smoothed down Ava's hair. "You'll see your parents again, I promise. Be brave a little longer, okay?"

Ava nodded and Sarah hugged her tightly, careful not to crush the child. Without Daniel realizing it, Sarah slipped a sealed letter into the waistband of Ava's shorts.

"Give this to your daddy when you see him, okay?" Sarah whispered in Ava's ear. "Don't let anyone know you have it."

Ava nodded again, letting Sarah know she heard her; Sarah gave her one final squeeze and released her, turning to Daniel.

"If anyone harms a hair on this child's head, so help me, Daniel. I will kill all of you." Sarah said threateningly, pointing a finger at his chest. "I don't care who it is."

"Got it." He lifted Ava into his arms again, his eyes shifting into a sadness Sarah couldn't quite place. "Ramsey wants to see you."

"Of course he does." Sarah rolled her eyes before turning to Elijah. "Go to Aunt Mary. Tell her I said it's time to replace the carnations at Grandma's grave. I'll see you later, sweetie."

Sarah kissed Elijah on the top of his head before shooing him off. Ava watched him run away, turning back only once to wave goodbye to her. Once he was out of sight, Sarah turned back to Daniel, who gave her a grim smile.

'He's going to find him eventually, Sarah. You know you can't hide from Ramsey forever."

"I won't allow him to hurt my child, Daniel. You of all people know what he does to people in the end." Sarah held her head high and brushed past Daniel, who grudgingly followed in silence.

"You wanted to see me, Ramsey?" Sarah asked the man in the chair, one hand on her hip as she stared him down.

"Ah, yes. Sarah, my dear, we have a matter to discuss. The affair of the gang, if something were to happen to me." Ramsey motioned for Daniel to finish the task at hand. "Elijah is too young to inherit the family business, and I suspect most of my men will not make it out of this Carmichael feud alive. So, I am leaving the family business in your sister Mary's care. When Elijah becomes of age, he will take over what is rightfully his."

"Mary... why not me? Why not put your wife in charge?" Sarah gasped in shocked surprise. "Am I not the logical choice for managing the family business?"

"Oh, you were. The obvious choice, actually. But it has come to my attention that you haven't been... faithful... to your husband," Ramsey tsked. "And that makes your loyalty to this gang and family quite... questionable."

A loud bang echoed through the warehouse and Ava opened her eyes for a brief moment, watching in silent horror as Sarah's lifeless body collapsed to the ground.

"Sir, our men just confirmed the Carmichael gang is nearing the warehouse," Felix spoke, his military training seeping into the tone of his voice.

"Very well. Gentlemen, places. This is going to be an interesting evening, indeed. Daniel, clean this mess up. I'll be back momentarily."

Daniel shifted the lid of the crate back into place, leaving Ava in complete darkness except for a hole in the side of the box. All outside noise was muffled through the wooden and Ava's heart began pounding louder in her ears as she tried to stay as quiet as she could, attempting to pick up any noise she could make out. Even at four years old, Ava knew it was useless to keep trying; instead, she laid down and waited to be rescued, her body slightly shaking from the silent sobs left over from earlier. What seemed like an eternity later, the lid of the crate was removed and Ava was lifted out of the box by Felix, the brightness of the lights blinding her. Blinking, her vision cleared long enough to spot her mom standing a few feet away; Ava burst into tears as she called out to her, the panic of her voice matching the wild eyes on her mom's face.

"Mommy! I want to go home!" She wailed so loudly, that her body spasmed into hiccups.

"Ava, baby girl. Listen to me." Jade Corbett spoke soothingly, even though she held a gun pointed at Daniel's chest. "It'll be over soon. We'll go home soon, Don't cry, okay? You'll be okay, don't worry. I'm here now, Mommy's here."

"Isn't that the sweetest thing you have ever seen?" Ramsey mocked as he signaled to his men. "Mommy to the rescue. Too bad you won't get to celebrate long."

One by one, Ramsey's men lunged for Jade, who fought them off, littering the floor with disarmed men, groaning as they laid on the concrete. For a brief moment, Ramsey looked impressed as Jade stood alone, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

"Who knew a woman like you could take out six of my best men? Too bad you didn't get them all," he said smugly as one of the men staggered to his feet and hit Jade over the head with the handle of their gun, knocking her unconscious.

"Jade! No!" Paul burst into the warehouse just as Ramsey picked up Jade's body and disappeared, leaving the Carmichael gang to fight the remaining men stirring from Jade's attack.

"Mommy!"

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AN: Thank you for checking out my story, A SOUL OF GANG! 🥰

I just wanted to take a moment and gush about this chapter, this project in general, and of course you, my readers...

For those familiar with the storyline in A HEART OF GANG, you may recognize this chapter (a combo of two different AHOG scenes)... this gives you a little more insight on what happened. If you haven't read AHOG yet, that's okay. The only difference between the two versions is the POV they're written in (90% of AHOG is from Jade's POV, in first person). I'd be happy to clarify anything in the comments, please just let me know! :)

Ava and Eli's story is quite possibly my favorite, not only in the Centofanti world, but out of all of my projects. I have never had so much fun and laughed at myself so hard, or cried so many tears (both happy and sad) as I have with ASOG, and I'm hoping that all of that translates on the pages for you. This is my whole heart, and I'm so grateful I get to share this glimpse of a first draft with you all.

Of course, I wouldn't be here without any of you, so THANK YOU for being so amazing and so incredibly supportive all around. If I could hug every single one of you, I totally would! But all I can do is express my love for you through text and hope you know how special you are to this author.

Okay, enough rambling from me... see you real soon! 🩷🩵

-Kaitlyn