I parked the bike in a hurry and didn’t even bother taking off my helmet. I jumped off my bike, immediately bolting up the doorsteps and tried to open the front door. My hand went limp and I exhaled in relief when the door didn’t budge open.

It’s still locked.

No one broke in.

Casey’s safe.

My legs suddenly felt like jelly and I lowered myself to a crouch in front of the door before my legs could give out on me.

I lowered my head, tucking it between my arms while both of my hands holding the back of my neck.

The police are no help.

The loan sharks know where we are.

I’ve got no back up.

Casey is not safe.

I stayed still, breathing in and out steadily as my mind recapped the situation I was in.

“Okay, think Bry.” I spoke to myself, squeezing my eyes shut and forcing myself to think of a solution to get myself out of this mess.

I know that I can’t blame anyone else but myself for the situation that I’m in but I can’t afford to beat myself up for doing dumb things and getting myself into trouble. I still have to think of a solution to get Casey and I out of this mess.

My phone dinged with a new message and I fished it out of my pocket, rising to my feet after I feel like they’ve regained some of their strength.

I unlocked my phone and checked the new message from a group chat.

‘Party at Jax’s this Sat.’

Jax?

I’ve never been keen to attend his parties. They’re always loaded with drugs and I have a feeling that I’ll pick a fight with every guy in that party if I ever chose to attend.

The drugs they use makes them high and horny which makes them pretty much desperate horndogs who are willing to do anything to get some as soon as possible.

I’ve heard of a few of them getting sued for rape plenty of times but they always worm out of the lawsuit somehow.

But Jax, he gets his drug supplies from a Mafia gang. He’s known for his affiliation with them. He was basically untouchable because everyone feared the people that stood behind him.

It hit me like a truck.

The Mafia.

Possibly one of the few groups of people that’s reachable and tops the loan sharks in the food chain.

The enemy of my enemy is a friend.

I’ve got no one else to turn to now.

It was never in my plan to resort to turning to them for help but I honestly felt like there was no one else I can turn to.

I have to keep my sister safe at all costs.

Even if it means reaching out to a Mafia gang.

I put my phone back to my pocket and took out my housekeys, entered the house and got ready for bed as I came up with a plan on how to get in touch with the Mafia and get the help I need.

The next day, Casey shook my feet and woke me up.

“Bry! Quick! We’re late!” She said in a hurry, still brushing her wet hair as she ran around the room to get herself ready quicker.

I rubbed my eyes and yawned, swinging my legs out of bed and stretched.

“Bry!” Casey snapped, watching me move so slowly.

“Alright, alright. I’m going, hold your horses.” I raised my hands in surrender, leaving the room to get myself ready as well.

Half an hour later, we’re already in the car and on our way to school.

“Floor it,” Casey demanded.

“What do you mean ‘floor it’? Don’t you see these cars in front of me? What do you want me to do? Just crash into all of these cars and force them to make way?” I sarcastically remarked, motioning to the packed traffic before us.

Casey groaned, throwing her head against the headrest and banging it a few times.

“I have a test today. I can’t be late. Damn that alarm clock. I swear I set it before bed yesterday. I’m throwing it into the trashcan and buying a new one.” Casey ranted as she continued to curse the alarm clock.

“We’ll be there in just a few more minutes, calm down.” I told her, cutting into the lane next to us.

It took us a bit longer to get to school and Casey couldn’t keep herself still anymore. By the time we were able to see the school gate, Casey didn’t bother waiting in the car anymore.

“I’ll see you after school, I’ll run from here.” She told me as she gathered her things and opened the car door.

“Alright, be careful!” I shouted after her before she can shut the car door.

I watched her run to the school and shook my head as she tripped over her own foot before catching herself before she can fall.

The idiot.

I pulled into an empty parking space once I reached school and turned off my car’s engine. I took my bag from the backseat and jogged to class, 15 minutes late.

Unfortunately, I have history for first period. Which means I have the old witch for first period.

Don’t get me wrong, I usually get along very well with the teachers as much as I get along with every other classmates.

But this one’s different.

She just hates teenagers.

And since I’m a teenager. She hates me, too. She may hate me less than she hates the other teens but she still hates me regardless.

“Mr. Johnson. Late, again.” She reprimanded with her hoarse but loud voice as I came into the class after knocking.

It was not a pleasant sound to my ears.

“Sorry, Mrs. Hudson. I was caught in the traffic.”

“Excuses!” She more or less screeched.

She glared at me for a moment before turning her cheek and ignoring me.

I pursed my lips and took that chance to sneak into one of the empty seats before she decides to give me another one of her one-hour long scoldings.

I kid you not, the woman has strong vocal cords although it may not sound like it.

Luckily enough for me, she didn’t seem to be in the mood to discuss how lazy teenagers are nowadays and how they do not appreciate education yadda yadda yadda, so class resumed smoothly.

The day dragged on but I found it extremely hard to focus on the lessons with my mind being preoccupied with other pressing matters.

Lunch came around pretty quickly and I was one of the first people to leave the class.

I went to my locker to drop my things off before setting out in search of Jax.

I bumped into Maddy in the hallway and she immediately latched onto my arm with a smile on her face.

“Hey, where are you heading to? The canteen’s the other way, silly.” She teased.

I gave her a distracted smile as I looked around the hallways to see if I have enough luck to catch sight of Jax.

“Sorry, babe. Go ahead and grab lunch first. I’ve got something to do, I’ll be right there right after, okay?” I smiled at her, finally looking at her.

She raised her eyebrows but nodded, “Okay.”

She let go of my arm and went with her friends as I continued to fight against the current of humans heading to the cafeteria, keeping an eye out for a certain blondie.

“Gotcha,” I muttered when I finally saw him and his friends heading out of the school.

I jogged towards where they were, eventually catching up to them in front of their rides in the parking lot.

“Jax!” I called out.

Jax and his friends stopped walking by their car and turned around to see who was calling.

“Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is it really Bryant Johnson walking towards us?” Jax joked with his friends as he smiled mockingly at me.

I suppressed an eyeroll at his childishness.

“I need to talk to you.” I told him, stopping a few feet away from where they stood.

“Talk,” Jax nodded, crossing his arms.

I looked at his friends and raised an eyebrow.

Jax rolled his eyes and walked closer towards me, waving his friends off to let them get in their cars first.

“What do you want, Johnson?” He asked me.

“Take me to meet your leader.” I said.

Jax looked surprised, an eyebrow raised with an inquisitive look taking over his face.

“What leader?” He asked, playing dumb.

“You know what I mean, Layman.” I sighed, not in the mood for his games.

“And what would the almighty and just Bryant Johnson want with the Mafia?” Jax asked as he took on a defensive stance.

“None of your business.” I dismissed.

“I don’t think that’s the attitude you should have when you’re asking someone for a favour.” Jax baited.

“Just take me to them.” I responded in a clipped tone.

“Do you think I’m actually dumb enough to just take you to them? You might be working for the cops for all I know.” Jax raised his eyebrows at me as if I was the dumbest person alive.

I rolled my eyes at him. I can’t blame him for thinking that way since I did act like his connection with the Mafia was a plague that should be avoided. I used to think that he was a good for nothing guy for being in a Mafia gang. I understood why he was so suspicious of me but the dire situation I was in made me easily agitated.

“I’m not playing undercover. I want to ask for help from your Mafia friends.” I answered him.

Jax snorted at first but realized I was serious when I kept my straight face.

“You’re serious?” He asked.

I nodded.

I’ve always regarded Jax as an idiot for getting himself tangled with a Mafia gang. Everyone knew that Mafias are trouble.

But here I was, asking him to tangle myself along.

I can only hope that my neck doesn’t get wrung sooner or later.

I didn’t know how to persuade Jax to help me meet his leader, I’m basically grasping at straws, but what I said must’ve been appealing to him since the look in his eyes shifted into something more accepting.

“Now, will you take me to them?” I demanded.

Jax looked at me for a few seconds, probably weighing the chances and risks of taking me to his Mafia gang before taking out his phone and typing something.

The next second, my phone dinged with a new message.

“Go to this address at 9 tonight. I’ll meet you there and introduce you.”

I took out my phone and read the address he texted me before nodding. “Thanks.”

“Just don’t make me regret doing this, Johnson.” Jax shook his head before turning around and getting into his car that was packed with his friends.

They pulled out of the parking space and drove out of school, leaving me standing there as I watched them leave.

I looked at the text once more and gripped my phone.

‘Just meet them, ask for protection for Casey and yourself from the loan sharks and all will be solved. You did the right thing, Johnson.’ I told myself as I turned around to get back to the building.

I promised Maddy that I’ll go find her in the canteen earlier.

‘I better head back quickly before she comes out looking for me.’ I thought to myself.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket and raised my head only to see that my girlfriend was standing behind one of the cars parked nearby, looking at me with a despaired look.

The look on her face told me everything I needed to know.

She heard every word of the conversation I just had.

“Maddy…”