Amy's POV

Thursday passes by faster than the week has, and soon I'm walking home with Walter Friday afternoon.

"Where do you go at night?" I ask her curious.

"I go home to my boyfriend, Josh, who is also in the gang."

I nod and we walk in silence the rest of the way. My heart feels more broken than before. More pieces are missing.

"We go to the underground tonight." Walter announces. "Are you nervous?"

"No," I shake my head. "I'm used to it."

"But you are being introduced as a member, how are you not afraid of the attention it will bring?"

"Because I have you to protect me from anyone who tries to attack." I smirk at her.

-----

"Go change, we will be leaving in five minutes." My father says.

I nod and go upstairs, taking odf my clothing.

Taking out my mask, I look at it for a minute.

Should I put it on?

There is no use now that I am a 'member', but that doesn't mean I'm not in danger.

I shake my head. Of course I have to put it on.

I walk out my room when I'm finished, glad Sophie and Parker are with Emily tonight so they won't be hone alone.

Walter smiles at me and I give her a nod because she can't see my face under the mask.

My father looks up from his phone. "Let's go."

We get in the car and start the drive to the underground.

"Who is your manager as of right now?" My father asks me.

"I can't tell you." I say. Lucy made me promise not to tell anyone her true identity.

"You will need to tell him/her you quit before the announcement."

"Okay. What time are you announcing the news?"

"Eleven on the dot. Don't be late."

The rest of the ride goes in silence besides the occasional sound of Walter moving around uncomfortably.

When the car stops I take a deep breath. "We will see you at eleven." My father says before leaving me and Walter alone.

"So...." Walter trails off.

"Come on, I have to go break the news to my manager." I go around to the back of the building and enter from there.

"Hey!" Lucy calls the minute she sees me. "I wasn't expecting you this early."

Taking a breath, I try to figure how to break this in the most gentle way possible. "Lucy...." I trail off.

She studies me for a second before looking at Walter and back to me. "You got yourself tangled up in with a gang, didn't you?"

The disappointment in her voice is so clear, I wish I could tell her the truth.

But I can't. Instead I nod. "Yup, little old me got involved with a gang."

I cringe at what I said. Little old me? I'm seventeen!

She sighs and looks at me. "Stay safe kid, and please don't get me godchildren, I'm too young."

I chuckle and despite myself, pull her in for a hug. She was like a second mother to me, but now I have to let her go.

It's for their safety.

"I make no promises." I turn around and leave her behind, Walter's footsteps echoing behind me.

"So...." She trails off. "What do we do now?"

"Whatever we want, it's still early in the night."

ALEXANDER'S POV

"We have a fight tonight." The twins say as they enter the room.

"Seriously?" I moan. "I don't feel like going out tonight."

They shrug their shoulders. "You know the rules of the underground. You don't go, you pay up."

"To on your own." I shoo them off.

Kylie smacks my shoulder. "They are sixteen, they will not be going to an illegal place on their own! Go with them!"

"You're twenty three!" I snap back. "You go with them.

She glares at me. "Get off this couch, or else. We leave in five minutes."

I spring of the couch and up the stairs. I refuse to anger her, especially this time of month.

Taking my phone and wallet off my nightstand, I grab a jacket as well.

I sprint back down the stairs and towards the front entrance where my boots are stored.

Opening the door I slam it shut behind me, running to the already running car.

"I'm h- ahh!" I scream as my foot slips on ice and I go down face first. "Shit!"

Kylie and the twins laugh at me. "Idiot."

Groaning I limp to the car. "Stupid winter, stupid snow, stupid ice!"

Suddenly Kylie gasps and then starts sobbing. "I-I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

Sobering up she frowns. "Wait, I don't care, you deserved it. Stupid hormones"

I chuckle but that doesn't last long before Bree elbows me. "It's not funny, but at least you don't run away screaming like this idiot," she points to her brother.

"Hey!" Xavier defends himself, glancing at the rear view mirror before looking back to the road. "Don't blame me if I don't like the fact that my sister has to fucking bleed through a h-"

"Don't you finish that sentence!" Kylie and Bree growl at him.

I shake my head at him. "You're asking for a death wish bro."

-----

"How much longer until your fight?" I ask Bree and Xavier, or as they go in the underground, peanut butter and jelly. I still don't know who's who.

"In ten minutes, it starts at ten thirty." Bree answers.

"Then why the hell did we show up at nine?"

Xavier shrugs his shoulders. "I would have thought it would have taken you longer to get out the door."

"I made it out in record time since this one," I jerk my thumb towards Kylie. "Threatened me."

Kylie puts her hands up. "You're my gang leader, I shouldn't be able to threaten you, yet I can. That's on you, not me."

"Next up," the announcer kills the next words on my tongue. "Is Peanut butter and Jelly versus Jack and Jake!"

The crowd cheers and I make my way towards the betting section.

"How much?" The guy asks with a bored expression.

"Five thousand." I state, handing over the money.

He raises an eyebrow and takes the money, quickly counting it before nodding at me.

I walk back to Kylie who is hard to spot in this crowd of tall people, unlike Kylie who is short.

"I said no! No means no mister! How about you take your tiny little thing and-" I quickly cover her mouth before she can finish.

"That's enough Kylie," I mutter into her ear. "Don't make an even bigger scene."

"This guy tried to touch me when no clearly states no! Let me go teach him a lesson!" Kylie growls, and I quickly let her go, not wanting to be the new target of her hormones.

"Ah, what are you going to do little lady? Step on my shoes?"

Well, may you rest in non-peace mister.

I would teach him a lesson myself, but then Kylie would teach me a lesson for interfering.

Kylie stalks up to him before kneeling him in his gut. "Respect a lady!" He grabs him by the ear and pulls which brings him to his knees. "No means no!"

She then punches him the nose and throws him to the ground. By now a whole crowd has gathered.

"Little piece of shit," Kylie mutters. "He made me get blood on my favorite top." She pulls on her shirt which is now covered with blood from the guy's now broken nose.

A female chuckle makes me look back. "Blake deserved it anyways."

Standing there is Amy's friend from the past week and Black Rose.

"You know him?" I ask feeling suspicious of her.

What is she even doing here? Is Amy here as well?

My heart speed up at the though of Grocery Girl being in this crowd. She was here a couple months ago as well, is she here again?

Her eyes widen before turning to Black Rose. She whispers something in her ear to which Rose just shrugs.

"We have to go." She grabs Rose by the arm and drags her off.

"Come on," I mutter and take Kylie's arm as well. "The fight is practically over."

We look up just in time to see Bree do a round house kick to Jake, or Jack, and knocking him out.

"And the winners are, Peanut butter and Jelly!" The announcer waits for Xavier to get on stage before putting up both their hands.

The smile and wave and I go to collect my money, making sure I take Kylie with me.

The guy still looks bored but begrudgingly hands over ten thousand dollars.

I smirk and turn to head back, glad I finally get to go home and sleep.

"An announcement before the next scheduled fight!" The announcer yells making me and Kylie stop to listen.

He hands the microphone over to the stupid old man who I almost declared war on a couple months ago.

"The search can now end." He says and I raise an eye brow. What search? "Black Rose is officially a member of the Black Mississippi gang!"

An uproar is heard as fellow gang leaders shout their complaints. I join as well.

"ENOUGH!" The old man bellows. "Black Rose is mine, and there is nothing you can do about it!"

I glare at the few members he has in the ring with him. Wendy is there with him as well.

What is she up to?

They soon leave the stage right afterwards and I turn to leave, but a familiar woman catches my eye.

Golden eyes.

She looks more familiar now than ever. Her name is practically on the tip of my tongue.

She winks at me before walking away.

EXTERNAL NARRATOR

The woman quickly makes her way out of the underground.

Once in the familiar safety of her car she sighs in relief.

Taking out her phone, she rings the number that will kill her for what has happened or blame her and tell her to fix it. Actually, he would probably do both.

The line rings for a few seconds before a familiar voice answers.

"Hello?" Rob questions on the other side of the phone.

"Rob, we have a problem."

"What is it?" The man asks in a whisper. "Sorry, Cammy is sleeping."

"Black Rose is with the Black Mississippi gang now. A member."

Rob practically growls on the other side of the phone. "How could you let this happen?"

"You can't blame me!" She cries out exasperated. "I never saw this coming! You didn't either as you are blaming me for this surprise!"

Taking deep breaths to calm himself, Rob speaks again. "How is your other mission, has Shawn given you any information regarding the gang, Black Rose, or Amy?"

"No," Riley says. "But I can make it happen soon. Rob, when are you coming over?"

"Relax Riley, it will be soon, I promise. How is Amy dealing with . . . Brenda?"

Riley drags a hand over face and takes a deep breath. "Not so well, I saw her hanging out with a Black Mississippi member earlier this week, but other than that nothing. It's as though she's certain to stay away, yet get close at the same time. She's physically close, yet mentally far."

"Have Helen and Steven Clause made another move?"

"No," Riley shakes her head. "Have you found any information on them?"

"No, it's as though they don't exist, and even the best hackers can't break through the firewall put up around the information."

"Who could they be? Who do they work for?"

"I don't know, but keep an eye on them, and don't break code!"

Rob hangs up without another road. Riley growls to herself before laying her head on the steering wheel of the car.

The night that changed her life flows back to her, the night she lost her mother.

"Riley!" Her mother whispers to her. "Stay under your bed, don't get out. Help will come soon, don't worry, and don't break code."

Riley's mother had worked for the FBI and Riley knew that. Every once in a while they would speak through code to each other which pissed off her father.

"Don't break code." Riley whispered back with a smile.

She quickly crawls under her mother's bed as the door bursts open.

Her mother quickly turns around and through the very little her vision can catch, Riley sees her holding out a gun.

"D-don't get any closer!" She stutters, worried for her little girl hidden, but with full view of what is going on.

"Tell us what you did with Quil!" They scream at her.

"I-I don't know!"

"Yes you do!" One of the guy's holds up a gun as well. "You are the reason he's not with is!"

"I did as I was told! I-it was an order!"

"And we are doing as told as well!" He cocks his gun to her and clips the bullet into place.

"No!" Riley quickly appears in front of her mother, as though she could protect her.

"Riley!" Her mother yells before Riley is dragged of by another thug.

"Well, well, look at what we have here. Who is she to you?" The guy holding her shaked her while pointing to her mother.

"M-mom!" Riley shouts. "She's my mother!"

The thugs grin at each other before turning to her mother shaking with fear for her little girl.

"Either you tell us where Quil is, or we kill her."

Her mother has tears streaming down her face and the look she gives Riley is one that says 'you broke code'.

"They have him in the warehouse where he will s-stay for three more hours until t-they take him to Texas where they will l-lock him away." She hiccups.

The thugs grin at each other before shooting Riley's mother. "Never make deals with thugs."

"No!" Riley screams, lurching forward. "Mom!"

"Shut up!" The thug holding her growls. "You will be joining her soon enough!"

The guy holding a gun clips a bullet into place again before footsteps are heard on the stairs.

"Shit!" Another mutters. "They're here!"

"The little bitch must have warned them!" The guy holding Riley cusses.

"Let's go!" The guy with the gun says before turning around with a wicked grin. "But let's leave them a little present first."

"No!" Riley's mother, though barely alive, uses the last of her strength and throws herself in from of her daughter before a second bullet pierces through her skin.

The thugs don't waste time before running out the window.

"Mom!" Riley sobs crawling to her side.

"I-I love you." She whispers before closing her eyes.

Screams fill the room the next minute.

Arms and hands grab Riley, dragging her out of the room, voices give out orders, but Riley doesn't hear nor feel any of it.

She broke code.

Riley wipes her tears off her eyes and scolds herself for thinking of that day.

"Don't break code." She mutters as she drives back to her apartment. "Don't break code."

Hey!

I updated!

So . . . what do you guys think about Riley's past?

Any theories on who she is?

What about Alexander? Do you think he should find out about Amy being Black Rose?

Till next time!

Bye! 👋