Thorn's POV

I couldn't believe it.

It was baffling.

I took a bullet for her and she didn't even come to visit me.

I mean I wasn't expecting flowers, or chocolates or a grand show of affection while she sobbed at my bedside and proclaimed how she couldn't live without me but the least Genesis Carino, the women I took a bullet for, could do was send me a get well soon card.

I would have even accepted a quick text of, 'Hey Thorn, thanks for almost dying for me. I really appreciate it,' but no. I didn't even get that.

I mean what type of monster didn't even do that when their friend was shot?

Of course, I understood in some way. From what Axel told me her best friends, her family had been murdered in the vilest of ways. I didn't know the details nor did I know Sapphire and Crystal, as well as Axel and Genesis, did but they were still good friends.

I knew Mason and Jake were close to the girls too. They had each taken it hard when Axel appeared back in the hospital, distraught clear on his freckled face.

After I was conscious enough to finally understand what was happening I couldn't believe how put together Axel was. He didn't even shed a tear as he told me what had happened and I couldn't tell whether that because he wasn't someone who ever showed emotion or he really was as heartless as he made people believe.

Since then things have been a little strained between us all. I had been in a coma for two months after getting shot so felt as though I had missed a lot while I was recovering from my wounds.

From what I was told Jake's parents had looked after Alex for me. Alex being my strong little brother remained brave throughout those long two months. Prince, Genesis abnormally large dog, had not left my brother's side since his owner disappeared.

The pair had come to rely on each other and Axel even managed to make Prince Alex's so-called 'therapy dog,' so he could even take the animal to school with him. Some members of the faculty did dispute it but in the end, they let it go after Axel threatened to attack the school with as many lawyers as necessary.

Jake had done a complete 180. Instead of his usual vibrant and cheery personality, he became more reserved and quiet. He visited the young girl's graves often and even though most people might not see it I could see that he was tearing himself up inside. As we all were. Jake and Sapphire were particularly close and even hung out a lot together. He missed his friend, that much was clear.

I didn't even think he had seen Axel in a while either, It was pretty obvious when those two had spent time with each other you could tell because the pair would always have this ridiculously happy smile on their faces. They practically glowed to the point I had genuinely considered wearing sunglasses whenever they were around. Recently though I hadn't seen many smiles at all, especially not the type that lit up a room.

Mason remained the same. He was withdrawn and obnoxiously independent. He had taken up the leader position in the gang while I was slightly detained. Even though Jake was my second he had made it clear that he wasn't interested in taking my place so Mason had done the job. Making arrangements and cluing in the other members about what was going on, avoiding certain details of course. I had seen him less in these six months than I have in ten years. I had practically seen him every day and now rarely seeing him made me feel a strange sense of loss.

Next of course was Axel. I honestly have only seen him once when I woke up in the hospital. He visited me to tell me the news of what happened with Sapphire and Crystal and then after that, he just disappeared. I didn't even get to thank him for how he saved my life. After all, if he hadn't done whatever he did before we made it to the hospital I would be dead. At least that's what the doctor told me.

He had disappeared completely however he was doing behind the scenes work as he had talked to the police about what happened with my gunshot wound, to Axel and Prince, he even cleaned up the bodies that were left behind after that fateful day in the abandoned warehouse.

After Genesis left, all hell broke loose. I was drifting in and out of consciousness but I could hear the gunshots and the sounds of bodies hitting the ground.

Fortunately, my friends got out scratch free. Jake and Mason had returned to the scene a few days after I was admitted and apparently, the whole place had been demolished. The warehouse was completely gone. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After these weeks of knowing Axel and Genesis, I knew they never did do anything half-assed.

Speaking of Genesis she was a complete mystery. We had all been looking for her but there wasn't any news except the death of 5 men who had been brutally butchered by the Scarlett Assassin. Her signature lip-sick printed playing card left at the scenes.

I had spent a while beating myself up over my stupidity too. I couldn't believe how obvious the connection between Genesis and the Scarlett assassin was ad how I didn't even make it. She had to tell me. I even called her Scarlett for goodness sake. I was an idiot that much was for sure.

I was back at home now, thankfully. After months of doctors prodding and probing me I was more than glad to be out of that too clean place. Jake had dropped me off home and then left too.

That had been three months ago. I hadn't seen any of them since. From what was told Mason nor Jake had returned to the school either. I had taken up finishing my classes online and I don't know if my second and third were doing something similar.

I had to admit I was bored. Alex and Prince did offer me some company and we made do with what we had. I had returned back to my gang a couple of weeks ago and they all greeted me back with open arms, some of them even scalding e  for taking my 'sweet ass time' coming back. None of them had any news about my friends. Other than that they'd seen them around the base a few times but neither of them tried to make conversation with anyone.

After spending my entire life constantly being surrounded by people, this type of solitude was unnerving. I couldn't think of a day where the three of us had been separated for more than a day and being this alone was starting to piss me off.

I understood that my friends had just lost two very important people, just as I had but that didn't give them a reason to outright ignore me. Even Axel. I hadn't known him too long but he had been dragged into our little group too whether he liked it or not.

Despite all of this I still made no move to try and contact them. I don't know why. Maybe because I thought they'd come to me on their own or maybe I just wasn't ready to discuss all of the crap we needed to discuss.

I was scared.

I'd freely admit that.

I didn't want to lose my close friends. It was only now that I was realizing just how much I took our friendship for granted especially when I've witnessed just how quickly they can be ripped away from me.

One simple mistake, one simple walk across a road can end your life within seconds. The odds are increased when you do what we do. I've already been shot a few months ago and that almost killed me.

Life really was a fragile thing and I like many others take it for granted every single day.

I groaned as I dropped onto my couch, wincing as I landed in a strange position irritating my still healing wound. The damage had been fixed fortunately and the stitches had been removed months ago but my body still liked to remind me that I was going to be punished for letting a small lead bullet breach my abdomen.

Alex looked up from where he was sat on the other end of the couch. Prince tucked in his side, well considering the dog's large frame it looked like he was wrapped around Alex. One of Alex's hands held a graphite pencil while his other stroked through the animal's fur.

When he noticed my flinch he removed his headphones from his head, leaving them around his neck as he frowned at me. "Are you okay Thorn?"

I waved him off, kicking my feet up onto the coffee table and hugging one of our throw pillows to my chest. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just still a little sore. Don't worry about it. What are you drawing?"

I leaned over to try and get a peek but he closed it quickly so I couldn't see it making me pout like a child. "It's not finished yet."

Rolling my eyes, I righted myself before looking back at my little brother. "Its never finished. Okay at least tell me what it is?"

Alex bit his lip as he debated telling me. His eyes darted back and further between me, his sketchbook and the door as if he was expecting someone to come bursting through it at any moment.

Seeming to relent he sighs. "Its a drawing. For Genesis, when she comes home."

Despite the ache of pain that flashes through my chest I force a smile and nod. "I'm sure she'll love it,"

Alex nods and grins at me. Prince then whines and nuzzles his head against his chest, not liking that there was no attention on him. Alex giggled before hugging the dog, burying his head in his soft fur. I swear the animal sighed in delight.

After a few more hours of moping around, watching tv, eating and taking a few more of my online classes I was seconds from going out of my mind. I didn't like to sit around idle. Never have and probably never will. I won't ever understand how people can sit in one position for hours on end and not go crazy or bored.

My brother was one of those people. He could sit and draw in his little corner on the couch and not move, make a sound or I fear even breath at times. Honestly, it kinda freaks me out sometimes.

It had been ten minutes of me pacing now. I just needed to move and after doing my daily exercise, push up and sit ups, etc...I still had so much energy to burn.

A knock on my door had me practically jumping out of my skin. Jeez, I was jumpy as well.

"Answer the door, Thorn," Alex said still not looking up from his drawing. I shot him a half-hearted glare before doing as he asked.

The second I pulled the door open Jake and Mason barged into my house, panting and sweating. Checking there was no one else, I shut the door and followed.

My two friends were bent at the waist breathing heavily. Their shirts hugged their chest as sweat slicked their bodies. "What did you do? Just run a marathon?"

"Driving here...car broke down..ran...made it just in time," Jake muttered between heavy breaths. Rolling my eyes I went to the kitchen to get two bottles of water and handed them to my friends. The pair took them gratefully before sinking on to my couch with a sigh.

"Okay now I know why you're sweating but why did you run here?"

My friends then simultaneously pointed at Alex who gave me an innocent smile. "He threatened to do unspeakable things to us if we didn't get here by three thirty." The ginger-haired boy then turned to my brother. "We made it here on time so keep away from us you psycho,"

Not appearing to like someone insulting Alex, Prince barked making Jake shuffle closer to Mason. "He's on to us Mase, he's gonna cut our heads off and then give them to the wolf to eat and we'll have to live in the dark depths of his stomach for the rest of eternity."

Mason nodded quickly, looking just as nervous as Jake.

Idiots.

My friends were idiots.

A minute later my door burst open once again. Axel's large frame stood in my living room doorway. He too was panting but looked nowhere near as tired as my two friends.

Note to self: make Jake and Mason work out more.

He didn't look much different from how he did since the last time I saw him. There was still this darkness behind his eyes and his face remained expressionless. However, now he was sporting a bit of a scruff and there was a new scar along his cheekbone.

Despite his usual stoic expression, he looked anxious as he looked at my little brother. "I know I'm five minutes late but I didn't get you text until five minutes ago. Please let me keep my toes and teeth." His voice was rough and gravelly as he spoke it was as though he hadn't used it in a long time.

My gaze darted between my brother and Axel before I threw my hands in the air. "Just what the hell did you do to make two of my strongest men and freaking heartless assassin scared of you?"

Alex gives me another innocent smile as he pushes himself to his feet, stretching the muscles he hadn't moved in hours. "Genesis taught me a few things about how effective a good threat can be after I told her a boy was bullying me in school. So I used those skills to get these three here, using your phone while you were in the bathroom."

Prince yipped at Alex's side, nudging his nose into his palm. Alex stroke the dog's head more than happily. "You three need to talk and this was the only way to get them here."

All words left me. I didn't even know where to begin when interpreting that but soon enough my own grin spread across my face as I surged forwards and swooped up my younger brother in my arms. He giggled as I ticked him mercilessly. "You are a devious little boy aren't you?"

"You wouldn't have me any other way." He said smiling as I wrapped my arms around him. Prince barked, jumping up so that this paws rested on my chest and he could easily lick at Alex's face.

"And the bully?" I questioned not forgetting about the information he decided to leave out months ago.

"As you said I scared three grown men and now have a huge wolf-like dog following me wherever I go, what do you think?"

I ruffled my brothers hair with a smile before placing Alex back on his feet.

I finally turned to the three other guys in my living room who were watching us quietly. Well actually Mason was the only one looking a time, Jake and Axel were having some ultimate, crazy, to the death staring competition.

"Well, I can see you too are still incredibly gay for each other," I said after a moment, making Mason choke on his water and two pairs of eyes snap to me. Well at least that got their attention.

I expected them both to give me the finger or even shoot me but instead a smirk played on Jakes lips as he leaned back in my couch. "Nah not any more. My gay card expired last week. I forgot to renew it."

I laughed as I slapped a hand on Axels back. "That sucks for you then doesn't it man?"

His stare drifted between me and the hand I still had on his back. After a few moments of silence, I slowly removed it. "Touch me again and I will remove that hand."

My hands flew up in front of me and I took a few steps back. Okay, so we're not at that stage in this friendship yet. Good to know.

Spinning on my heel I grabbed my leather jacket from the back of the door and then grabbed Alex's hoodie too. "Come on. He's right we need to talk and I need to get out of this house."

Everyone followed behind us as Alex and I left the house. Locking it behind us before walking in silence down the sidewalk. Prince stayed by Alex's side obediently, never staying more than a few feet away at a time.

Once again I was sick of the silence but I knew none was going to talk until I did. "I'm fine by the way guys. I just took a bullet and almost died so your clear concern really means a lot,"

It was Mason who spoke next. "Shut up. We knew you'd be fine. You're too stubborn to die. You won't go till you're good and ready,"

"And I was the one who saved you. I didn't get a thank you either," Axel pointed out, his voice still low. 

"Oh maybe because you just came and went. Literally, you came to visit me after I woke up. Told me about the girls and Gen and then disappeared. Poof!" I clarified, making an explosion hand gesture to emphasize my point.

At the mention of the dead twins, the mood suddenly dropped. The sun seemed to even hide behind a large cloud and the birds stopped singing.

As I looked over my shoulder it was clear that everyone was still haunted by the pair. Even Axel who rarely showed emotion looked on the verge of breaking down.

A sigh left me as I returned to walking. I didn't know how to fix this. I didn't even know how to talk to them without triggering some sort of grief inspired episode.

I just wanted everything to go back to normal. God, I would even take Genesis popping out of nowhere and trying to kill me at this point.

Maybe I was a masochist.

At this point, nothing would surprise me.

The shrill of a phone ringing interrupting our quiet reflection and Axel reached into his pocket to pull it out much to Jakes dismay as he glared at the small mobile with disdain. "Oh, so you do have a phone."

Axel didn't even look at Jake as he brought the phone to his ear. "Laine," was what he chose to greet whoever it was with.

We then witnessed the range of emotions that flashed over his usually apathetic expression. Everything from surprise, to anger, to fear to confusion to surprise again.

"Yes, I know," There was a pause and then his eyes settled on me. "Yes, he's okay," Another pause. "Okay. I will."

He then hung up the phone and his shoulders sagged.

"Who was it?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"That was Genesis," Axel's dark eyes met mine. "She's just been arrested for murder."