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Default Location for Hometown Haunts
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Gary, IN is a part of 
Hometown Haunts.
5 Characters Here
Cody Spyder [81] "I'm a fucking asshole, but it gets me what I want."
Tigerlily Everret [81] "I'm fucked up and there's no fixing me."
Jordan Noble [81] "I don't owe anyone, anything."
Delaney Pittman [81] "I'm still rocking his hoodie, from our teenage glory days."
NPC [5] Hometown Haunts NPCS
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- 81 posts here • Page 4 of 4 • 1, 2, 3, 4
Lily's hands were shaking in her lap as she held Laney's eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry you carried that for so long Ty. I know I couldn’t have done much, but I wish I could have.” Laney said then and Lily turned her head away as her friend walked towards her and sat on the floor in front of her, cross-legged. She didn't want to hear Delaney out, not after what she'd just done.
“I have a confession.” She breathed, her voice quiet and Lil kept her face turned away and closed her eyes, wanting Lane to stop. It was easier to hate her if she just stopped. “When you asked me if I knew who raped me that night at the party. I lied. It was Draco and one of his friends.” Laney admitted then and Lily brought a hand to her mouth and fought back another wave of tears.
She felt like she needed to apologize, for having such a piece of shit brother. She hated that Draco had done that to her, his abuse had always been her sick, gut wrenching secret to carry around, and she wouldn't wish it on anyone. She just wished she hadn't been so fucking selfish that night, making out with some guy to get at his drugs while her brother and his friend were raping her best friend. If just Clay and Alex had come after them, they'd be dead by now and the misery would have ended a long time ago.
“I got pregnant, my dad was pissed. He thought it was Cody’s. Imagine that.” She went on, basically admitting that Draco had ruined her life and it made Lily feel sick to hear the tears in Lane's voice. She knew it wasn't her fault, but she still felt responsible somehow. She should have told the full truth about his abuse, and Blue's death to anyone that would listen instead of pretending it wasn't happening and only telling bits and pieces. She should have at least attempted to have him arrested and put away while she still could. “That was why I stopped hanging out with you guys. My dad decided regular abuse and house arrest was the best way to deal with me.” Lily bit her lip and closed her eyes.
Laney sat up on her knees then and placed her hands on her knees and Ty forced herself to turn her head back and look at her now. She wanted to hug her friend, and kill her at the same time. “I’m not as crazy as everyone thinks.” Laney breathed and Lily held her friend's eyes. “You of all people should know that. Crazy and fucked up are two different things, I mean I’m a little of both.” She teased and Ty's jaw clenched, needing Laney to say something that made up for the fact that she'd just sold Jordan out. No matter how bad she felt for her about Draco raping her when they were teens, she couldn't forgive what she'd just done because of that.
“Where do you think my loyalty lies?” She asked then and Lily took a deep breath as she held her friend's eyes. Laney had never failed her or fucked her over. Everyone always thought the worst when Lane was around because she tended to fuck people over a lot, but she'd never hurt her. When it really mattered, Laney had always been there for her. “I just set a trap for those assholes, they aren’t even going to know what hit them.” Delaney smirked and Tiger let out a sigh of relief. The brief second of happiness she'd had earlier when she'd heard Jordan had been looking at her was slowly creeping it's way back in as she realized this might actually be over soon and she wasn't going to die. She would be with Jordan again, and he'd take care of the mess her abusers had turned her into, like he always did. “I love you, I’m going to get you out of here babe.” She breathed.
Lily smiled a little through her tears and took her friend's face in both her hands. She leaned in and gave her a hard kiss on the lips. It wasn't strange, to kiss Laney, in fact, it may as well have been a handshake compared to some of the shit they'd been forced to do together over the past six months. She sank down onto the floor with her and wrapped her arms around her tight resting her chin on Laney's shoulder. God, she was so frail, it was clear Alex or Draco had been starving her again. "I love you too." Lily breathed into her friend's hair as she pulled her tighter against her. "I don't want him to win." She whispered against Laney, clearly referring to Draco. She hadn't survived him for so many fucking years to end up dying by his hand.
Cody could tell that his friend wasn't convinced, though that was clearly mostly anger and distrust, along with a good amount of coke and tequila speaking. If Jordan were sober, he might not be so stubborn. “I’m calling bullshit. I get that you want to believe she’s on our side, because you care about her, but the reality of it is she’s mentally unstable Cody and you fucking know it.” Jordan spat cruelly and Cody's jaw just clenched. He knew Laney was a little nuts and hard to understand, and being held captive as a prostitute at the moment, she certainly wasn't the definition of mental stability, but the thing was, he liked trying to figure her out. He liked that she was one way one moment, and another way the next.
“It’s like some weird obsession you have man, she’s just like your mom.” Jordan continued then and his entire body tensed, needing Jordan to stop before he did something he regretted, he was moving into dangerous territory, pulling his mother into it. “You think if you can do right by her, your doing right by your mom?” He breathed like an accusation and Cody had never wanted to hurt Jordan so badly in his life. He wanted to scream a thousand cruel things at him. “That’s not how it works, you can’t fucking help someone who doesn’t want to be helped. Your just as fucked up in the head if you believe a word that crazy ass bitch says.” He scoffed and Cody was really struggling to control his temper.
“I’ve lost everything.” Jordan said then, his voice breaking like he was broken and Cody just sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry man, but I don’t trust her. She’s fucking with you like she always does and I can’t lose Lily because of it.” He admitted and Cody shook his head. Laney may not always be reliable, but this was different because Lily's life was on the line. Lane would do whatever she could to save Lil, he was sure of that. “She’s all I have left and I won’t let you, be the reason I lose her for a second time. Fuck that.” He shouted as he got up and made his way for the stairs.
Cody was considerably less intoxicated, so he was quicker and managed to get between Jordan and the stairs, giving him a hard shove before punching him squarely across the face. "Don't fucking talk to me about my mother. Ever." He spat bitterly, shaking out his hand, knowing his knuckles would be bruised later. It had been a while since he'd decked someone like that. "Look, you just have to trust her Jordan, it's the safest way." He said sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"She's doing this for Lily, not me, and not even herself." He shrugged and shook his head. "If you fly off to Mexico, you're going to die there, and Ty is only going to get more fucked up, and eventually, end up dead." He spat bluntly, speaking the honest truth. "They're going to come after us, you can bet on that." He scoffed, looking at Jordan, holding his eyes. "You know how fucked up Draco is." He breathed then, tone a little more serious. Ty had always covered up the worst of what she'd suffered at Draco's hands, but it was no secret really, how horrible he was.
He'd visited Lily in the hospital once because someone had dropped her at the door of the E.R with a bullet in her chest and she'd nearly died. When he'd asked her what the fuck had happened, she'd chuckled like it wasn't a big deal and said "Hunting accident." Lily wasn't exactly the hunting type. Then Draco had walked into the room and he'd seen the look of fear in her eyes clear as day. There had been other occasions like that too, not to mention Laney's rape and Ty's twins sudden disappearance in high school.
"You know that fucker wants Lily to suffer." He sighed, knowing it was the truth. His game was inflicting as much pain as possible for as long as possible, and he probably hadn't had a human victim in a long time. Now he had two. "You think he'd miss the chance to kill you in front of her?" He asked, holding Jordan's eyes. "Besides, whether you agree or not doesn't matter. By now Laney's told them. Either they got scared and moved the girls, or they're on their way here. We'll find out tomorrow night if they meet us at the factory or not." He said simply, letting Jordan know there really wasn't much he could do, but honestly, he trusted Laney. If she thought she could get those assholes to take the bait, then she could do it.
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Tigerlily and Delaney had both suffered at the hands of Draco, obviously Tiger had it worse by far. Still, they both needed their justice and if anyone was going to grant them that justice it would be Jordan and Cody. Delaney wasn’t sure that Cody would ever forgive her when he found out she’d willingly called Ale behind her back and caused this whole thing If he didn’t already know. Clearly Cody love her enough to try for her, Lane knew she didn’t deserve it. She deserved to burn in hell, for what she’d unintendedly dragged Lily into. She’d never forgive herself, even if Jordan got Lily the best help and she came out of this completely fine, it didn’t matter. Lane would still be living with the face that Lil had to endure any of this. It didn’t matter that Tiger had slept with Cody after she’d left or that the two of them hadn’t spoken in years before Shannon’s funeral. Tiger would always be one of her best friends.
Lily smiled and Lane knew that she was on her side again. She took her face between her hands and kissed her. To others it might seem like they were too, close when in reality that kiss was nothing compared to what they’d been forced to do together and to each other over the past several months. Lane kissed her friend back lightly. Lil pulled away as she sank down on the floor across from Lane. Her friend lend forward wrapping her arms around Lane and she knew she felt like a skeleton, she had to fight the urge to shrug Lily away, because she didn’t want her friend to feel just how thin she’d gotten. Lil’s chin rested on her shoulder and Delaney bit back the urge to pull away from her friend’s affection, she wrapped her arms around Lily pulling her close, despite her own insecurities.
"I love you too." She breathed and Lane let out a soft sigh, she hadn’t heard those words in far too long. She’d become so submersed in her hellish life, she’d forgotten what love was. "I don't want him to win." Tigerlily said. Delaney knew in that moment that no matter what, Draco needed to be dealt with, for her best friend’s sake and if no one else did it, Lane would find a way to kill that son of a bitch if it killed her.
Delaney hugged her tighter needing, she needed Lily to know that she wasn’t worthless, that she was a slut or a whore like the guys had brainwashed them to believe. She wanted to take all of Lily’s pain and heartache away. All she could do for the moment though was hug her and she was grateful that Cody’s voice had been able to pull that last of her fight out of her. It didn’t matter how much she wanted to deny, Cody had always managed to save her from herself. The fact that her and Lily were hugging each other with the hope of freedom was proof of that.
“Then he won’t.” Lane said, because it was that simple. She wasn’t going to let Draco win and she knew without a shadow of a doubt, Cody and Jordan would make him suffer, the same way he’d made her and Lily suffer. “You have to stay strong and cold to your feelings. We need them to believe we’re on their side.” Lane whispered to her friend, their was a desperation in Lane’s voice that was rare, but it wasn’t because she was scared or because she was worried about herself, it was because she was desperate to safe Tiger.
---
The next few days had been a million times better then the last six months. Alex, Clay, and Draco were treating the girls with as much decency as they could muster, because the girls were obeying their every wish. She’d talk to Cody only once more and she’d had to dance around words in a way that kept the guys thinking she was on their side, but also gave Cody information on what to prepare for. It was a fine line when she had the guys listening in on her conversation, but she’d managed and Cody had understood. She was thankful that they’d been so disgustingly inseparable as teenagers.
When they’d gotten back into the states, it was dangerous territory. Her and Tiger were national news, missing girls. This worked in their favor, it meant Draco, Alex, and Clay had to be on there best behavior. However, Lane could tell it also made the guys nervous, it made them want to turn back around and go right back across the border. With help from Lily thought, the two managed to convince that guys that they’d never really belong to them if Cody and Jordan were out their looking for them. Tigerlily was quick at picking up on Delaney’s body language and ques. They worked dangerously well together at manipulating the guys and fucking with there heads.
When they’d finally gotten back to Gary, Lane’s anxieties kicked in. She didn’t want Cody to see her the way she looked. She was horribly ashamed of the way she looked, what Alex and Draco had done to her. She couldn’t avoid it and she knew this. Her chest tightened and she squeezed Tiger’s hand when they finally pulled up to the warehouse at midnight. Tiger opened the door and stepped out, Delaney followed after her followed by the guys. They paused at one of the open doorways that lead into the warehouse, where she knew Cody and Jordan would be waiting for her. Alex gestured for Tiger to head inside, and Alex waited until she’d disappeared inside to shove the cold metal of his gun against the corner of her jaw.
“Don’t do anything stupid, I don’t want to put a bullet in that pretty head of yours.” He hissed before releasing her with a rough shove. He gestured with his head for her to follow in after Tiger.
Delaney slipped into the building and she smirked when she saw Cody. Tiger was always wrapped in Jordan’s arms and Lane knew that she didn’t have to worry now, Lil was safe she’d made it to Jordan. Lane started towards Cody, but she felt a horrible feeling wash over her and she saw the terror in Cody, Lily, and Jordan’s eyes. She hadn’t even made it half way to Cody before she heard the shattering bang of the gun in her ears and the searing pain in her side, that dropped her. She cried out in pain as Alex came up behind her grabbing a fistful of her hair, he shoved the gun against her temple and Delaney desperately tried to hold her new wound, knowing she was far too weak to survive if she lost too much blood. She hadn't anticipated getting shot.
She’d hoped her and Lily would have both been able to get to Cody and Jordan before the firing of guns started, but that hadn’t happed. “What the fuck did I tell you!” Alex yelled shoving the gun harder against her temple “You thought you could pull one over on us!” He growled. Lane was in far to much pain to realize that one of Cody and Jordan’s men had moved in on them to early after she’d slipped into the building tipping the guys off that this was a set-up.
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Jordan wasn’t thinking straight that much was clear. He probably should have gotten as high or drank as much as he had. He couldn’t help it though the pressure of everything, the thought of loosing all he had left. It was just too much for him to deal with. He’d be grateful in the morning that Cody had his shit together and wasn’t as much of a fuck up under pressure as Jordan was. Cody had the experience of high stake heists, Jordan did not. Jordan had just unleashed an arsenal of insults on his long-time friend and he knew he deserved whatever was coming to him, that didn’t mean he had to like it though. Before he had a chance to slip up the stairs Cody cut him off, his fist hit him between the eyes and had Jordan been sober it would have knocked him the fuck out. He stumbled backwards, letting out a groan of pain.
“Fuck.” He spat as he lend heavily against the wall, to gain his wits about him. He wasn’t going to try and fight Cody, because he knew what Cody had done even in his intoxicated state was well deserved.
"Don't fucking talk to me about my mother. Ever." he spat and Jordan wiped the blood he could feel trickling out of his nose. "Look, you just have to trust her Jordan, it's the safest way. She's doing this for Lily, not me, and not even herself." Cody breathed like Jordan didn’t have a choice and his jaw clenched, he wasn’t entirely sure Lane could be that selfless. "If you fly off to Mexico, you're going to die there, and Ty is only going to get more fucked up, and eventually, end up dead. They're going to come after us, you can bet on that. You know how fucked up Draco is." He explained.
Just the mention of Draco’s name after Jordan knew he’d had her this whole time drove his rage. There had been so many fucking occurrences that he should have done something about. Tiger acted like it was no big deal, when clearly it had been. He’d just been so young back then, far to young to see just how terrible Draco actually was. What Cody was saying held truth, if he went after Tiger in one of the most dangerous cities in Mexico, there was a good chance he might not even make it to Tiger and she’d die at Draco’s hands for sure.
"You know that fucker wants Lily to suffer. You think he'd miss the chance to kill you in front of her?" He asked and Jordan raised a brow, thinking about it. Cody was right. "Besides, whether you agree or not doesn't matter. By now Laney's told them. Either they got scared and moved the girls, or they're on their way here. We'll find out tomorrow night if they meet us at the factory or not." Jordan let silence fall between them for a long moment.
“Alright, fine.” He breathed knowing that Cody was right and that their choices were limited. A part of him trusted Cody and he had to have some faith in the fact that if Cody trusted Lane even after everything she’d been through up until this point, then Jordan had to put some trust in her. Although he really didn’t want to.
---
Over the next few days Jordan, Cody, Romeo had worked tirelessly at forming a full proof plan. They had worked over nearly every outcome, they had plans A through Z and each one of those plans had branched out into different outcomes. They’d formed their own impressive mini army of Rome’s men, who were made up of different types of criminal activity. They’d even managed to enlist a handful of ex mafia members. They’d not only enlisted them for their help to take down Draco, Alex, and Clay, but they’d used them for their thought processes. Extracting knowledge of how businesses like the drug cartel worked out. In the short amount of time they had, they’d become informed enough that Jordan wasn’t opposed to starting his own criminal empire, since all of his previous fans and the entirety of America thought he was a murder anyways.
When the night finally came to get Tiger and Delaney out of the hands of their captors, Jordan wasn’t even worried. They had everything set in place. Him and Cody had their guns hidden and that entire area of the warehouse inside and out was crawling with some of the roughest guys Jordan had ever met. They heard the car pull up outside and it took everything inside Jordan not to run out and meet the bastard with bullets, however he stayed where he was.
Tigerlily was the first one to around the corner. He let out a shuttered breath, he didn’t see how tired or thin she looked he only saw that it was her and that she was alive and he couldn’t help but smirk at her as she walked towards him. They were as good as home free. He was careful not to move from his position. When she got close enough to him though he reached out pulling her close. He lend in kissing her hard. He knew he didn’t have a lot of time, so the kiss wasn’t long as he moved her behind him protectively.
Lane came through the door next and the smirk on her face reminded him of when they were young. It was the very same smirk that used to tell them that she’d just gotten away with something. Delaney didn’t even get half way to them before Alex came in, firing his gun and dropping lane to her knees. That was the one thing they hadn’t planned for. Jordan prayed, Cody could keep his shit together enough to finish the plan, because if he couldn’t’ they’d all be fucked. Jordan knew if it had been Tiger, there was no way in hell he could keep his shit together.
Before Cody could move or react, Romeo’s gun was at the back of Alex’s head and Jordan let out a sigh of relief. If Romeo was here, they’d taken down Clay and Draco outside. Now it was just a matter of safely getting Lane away from Alex before she bled out. There was always loop holes, even in plans. Jordan knew this the second Draco came running into the warehouse, blood covered him and he looked fired up in the worst way. He looked absolutely manic. Jordan was quick to retrieve his gun, Draco wasted no time firing three shots, before one of Romeo’s guys shot Draco down. They’d shot him enough to disarm him, but not to kill him.
Jordan hadn’t realized that, he’d reacted to Draco by placing himself completely in front of Tiger, two of the three shots had hit him. One in the chest, opposite of his heart and the other had hit him in the neck. The adrenaline had curbed the pain, until he’d watched three of their guys drag Draco outside and a few other guys managed to peel Delaney from Alex. The war had been won, Jordan knew that much and that was when the pain dropped him to the floor.
Laney hugged her tighter and promised her Draco wouldn't win, and, even though it was a steep promise to make, Lily let a sigh of relief escape her lips. Tiger was strong, she had to be to survive her shit show of a life, but this time, she just couldn't do it alone. Draco had chipped away at her strength until there was virtually nothing left, and she was going to need Laney, Jordan, and Cody, if she was going to get out alive this time.
The next several days weren't too hard. She and Laney worked the guys. Whenever Draco mentioned killing or hurting Jordan, Lily made sure to react subtly, but noticeably, knowing the more Draco knew she didn't want something to happen, the more determined he would be to make it happen. If Draco knew just how much it would crush her to see Jordan die, then he was going to make it happen just because it would amuse him to watch her fall apart.
Laney spoke with Cody several times over the next few days, and Tiger couldn't help but be a little jealous, wishing she'd had the chance to talk to Jordan too, but knowing that she had to be patient. Besides, Laney was much better at talking in "code" then she was. If it was her and Jordan talking, their emotions would get the better of them at some point, and they would fuck up, she was sure of it. Separated, they were pretty numb, cold people, but together, they tended to bring out the intensity in each other's emotions.
Every single day she thought of Jordan, she couldn't get him out of her head. She was both dreading, and awaiting the day she got to see him again. She wanted nothing more in the world then his arms around her, making her feel safe again, and she couldn't wait to be away from Clay, Alex, and Draco, and maybe get some justice as well. At the same time, however, she was nervous as all hell. She knew she was fifty times more fucked up now then she'd ever been and she wasn't sure her relationship with Jordan would ever be the same because she wasn't the same. Life would probably never be as simple and happy as it had been in Cuba again, and it scared her shitless.
Would he even want her once he learned how badly Draco had fucked her up the past six months? Part of her felt like going back to him wouldn't be fair to him. She would only be a burden on him, and she didn't want to do that to him. Not to mention, she looked like pure shit. Of course, she knew Jordan wouldn't go through all this to get her back, only to tell her he didn't want her anymore because she looked like crap, but she was still nervous at the thought of him seeing her that way. She'd always tried to hide and cover up Draco's abuse because she'd been ashamed of it, but there was no hiding what she'd gone through over the past six months. He would see it the second he saw her from the branding on her chest, to the bruises all over her skin, to the frailty of her body, and it was humiliating, to say the least.
Her nerves were completely fried when they were finally back in the States, and standing outside of the factory. She was told to go first, and she felt like she was frozen in place for a long time, before she finally took a step forward. Her eyes went to Draco's for a minute, before she took a deep breath and made her way into the darkness of the open doorway. She hoped like hell everything went as planned.
Tigerlily spotted Jordan the second she entered the room, and she bit her lip hard. She had to fight the urge to sprint to him, and force herself to walk over to him as calmly as she could, her hands shaking more and more as she approached him. A second later, she was in his arms, and it took everything Lily had not to burst into tears and cling to him like a child. She couldn't help herself. Like always, Jordan's arms made her feel safe. He'd always been her rescuer. He'd taken her into his home when they were teens to help her get away from Draco, and he'd taken her in when she'd showed up battered and crying from Clay. Only Jordan could make her feel totally safe.
He kissed her and her heart leapt in her chest, like it was just starting to beat again after six months of nothing. For the first time in way too long, she finally felt alive again, and she didn't want to die. She never wanted the kiss to end, because she knew that meant going back to the uncertainty of the moment. Sure, she was in his arms, but they weren't exactly out of the woods yet.
Which, of course meant the kiss had to be brief. Jordan pushed her behind him after pulling away and Lily bit her lip, hating that he was between her and the threat. Not to mention, she couldn't do anything but watch helplessly as Laney came into the room then, and, before she'd even registered what had happened, a shot was fired, and Laney was on her knees.
Lily choked back a scream and her entire body started to shake. She wanted to take Jordan's gun and shoot Alex herself, while at the same time, curl up in a corner somewhere and hide until everything was over. Romeo came into the room then and pressed his gun against Alex's head, forcing him to drop his weapon. Lily knew that didn't exactly mean Delaney wasn't going to die from the shot in her side, but at the very least, she was safe again for the moment.
She should have figured Draco wouldn't go down easily, and a second later, her brother ran into the room screaming and covered in blood, his gun firing in Jordan's direction wildly. Romeo's guys didn't let him get far, shooting him down and dragging him off within a minute or less, but they hadn't been fast enough to stop Draco from hitting Jordan with two of his three shots. As soon as Draco and Alex were dragged off, Jordan dropped to his knees in pain.
Lily fell instantly beside him, reaching out to press a hand firmly against the shot on his neck, knowing it would hurt, but also knowing, if the bleeding didn't slow down, he'd probably die. Tears were falling from her cheeks and she wanted to say something, but she wasn't sure what to say. Instead, her eyes went to Romeo, clear desperation in them, and he didn't hesitate. Before she could even blink, Jordan and Delaney were in a car being rushed to Cody's childhood home, her and Cody taking a second car, behind them.
It was beyond nerve wrecking, pacing back and forth in Cody's living room. She didn't know anything, and she was sober for longer then she'd been sober in months. She felt like she was going to crawl out of her skin, waiting. Not to mention, things were only made riskier by the fact that they couldn't exactly show up at the hospital with bullet holes in them. The media would frenzy over that bullshit. A friend of Romeo's who'd seen one too many gang shootouts in his lifetime was basically performing operations on two people in Cody's kitchen.
Thankfully, Cody was waiting with her, and he seemed to have a pretty decent drug problem too. The two of them did line after line together while they waited, taking turns pacing before Romeo finally came downstairs from the bedrooms. His shirt was covered in blood and she tried not to let it scare her. "They both lost a good amount of blood. Laney's in slightly better shape than Jordan, but they're both going to live. They just need to rest for a while." He informed them, flopping down on the couch next to Cody with an exhausted sigh.
Lily didn't waste another second, she practically took the stairs two at a time until she was outside of Cody's mother's old room, where she knew Jordan was. His blood was still on her hands and shirt, she'd been too worried to clean it. She took a deep breath before she knocked gently, and then entered the room. They'd brought him upstairs to rest after they were done working on him and he was laying in bed, propped up slightly against the headboard. He looked pretty weak and a little pale, but he was awake and alive. She made her way over to him and crawled into the bed with him. She was careful, not wanting to hurt him as she sat took his arm and wrapped it around her, curling into his side and letting out a deep, shaky breath. She couldn't express how good the moment felt. She hadn't thought she'd ever see him again. "I missed you every day." She whispered honestly as she closed her eyes tight and tears started to fall silently down her cheeks.
For the next few days, Cody had laser focus. His mission was to get Laney and Ty back, and it was all he saw. Him and Jordan worked tirelessly together to come up with at least ten or fifteen solid plans, so they were well prepared in the event something went south. They had expert coaching from some serious criminals that Romeo was in contact with, and they brought in as many bodies as they possibly could. They didn't just want to tip the odds in their favor, they wanted to break the scale. There was no way Draco was winning this.
He got to talk to Laney a few more times, and, as torturous as it was, it was also a little exciting. He liked hearing the small bit of strength in her voice, and loved the way she helped him right under Draco, Alex, and Clay's noses. She was smart as a fucking whip and she hadn't lost a bit of it, that much was clear. Cody took notes during their conversations, writing down the true meaning of her words, and anything he caught in her tone or words that seemed odd or veiled.
He couldn't wait to see her. It was fucking killing him. Every single day seemed to drag on and on and on, because he knew soon, he'd get to see Laney's face again, hold her again. He knew she and Jordan were doing this for Tiger, but he was doing this for her. She was his sole concern, even if she wasn't really concerned with her own well being.
When the day finally came, he wasn't nervous in the slightest. He'd pulled off a thousand jobs. Sure, they were different in tactics, but not in motive. Fuck over your target and take something from them before they even realized what hit them. If Cody knew anything, it was how to be a thief. He was going to take Delaney back from those assholes and that was the end of it. There was no other alternative for him because if he failed, he was going to die.
When Tiger entered the room and went to Jordan, Cody was glad, but at the same time starting to get a little impatient. If Laney didn't walk through the door in the next fifteen seconds, he was likely to run out and get himself killed, he was so eager to see her. Thankfully, he didn't have to do anything stupid because she came in then and he smiled the second he saw her. She didn't exactly look healthy, that was pretty obvious, but he didn't see that. It was just good to finally see her again.
She smirked and was making her way towards him when a shot was fired. At first, he'd thought it had been someone outside shooting, but he realized instantly he was wrong when Laney dropped to her knees. It felt like his heart fell right out of his chest and he looked up, seeing Alex behind her. Cody was already reaching for his gun as Alex went forward and grabbed Delaney.
Cody raised it, rage rising up inside him so fast, it was frightening. He couldn't shoot. If he did, he might shoot Laney, but he was so blinded by hatred and anger, that, for a scary moment, his finger twitched on the trigger.
For the first time in a long time, he was truly terrified. Romeo came into the room then and Cody let out a relieved sigh, slipping his gun away once more as Jordan's friend easily took care of the situation. Draco managed to make a wild charge at Jordan and fire several shots, before the whole thing was wrapped up quickly by Rome's guys. Alex, Draco, and Clay were all being dragged out to a van where they were about to get a beating of a lifetime before being driven off somewhere hidden and secure until Jordan and Cody could deal with them. Probably Draco's own basement, where he used to chain up and torture Lily and her sister, for a little poetic justice.
As soon as Draco and Alex were disarmed and out of the room, Cody went to Laney. She was handed to him by one of Romeo's guys. She was hardly standing, one hand pressed tightly to the wound in her side, the other wrapped around his neck to hold herself up, her body leaning so heavily against him, he had to shift slightly to support both of their weight. "I'm here and you're going to be okay baby, I promise. Keep as much pressure on that as you can." Cody breathed encouragingly, kissing her cheek before scooping her up in his arms and carrying her entirely to one of the cars, sliding her into the backseat.
He wanted to go with her, but Jordan was put in next to her and Cody's jaw clenched when he saw that his friend had been shot in both the neck and chest. It was going to take a lot to keep him alive, and hopefully Laney's wound had been mostly flesh and no serious damage was done. They all rushed back to his childhood home, seeing as he had no remaining family. They'd intended to go to Lily's after because it was the furthest out of town and a short fifteen minute walk through some woods to the factory, which was perfect for secrecy. However, by rode, his house was the closest and Jordan and Laney needed immediate care. They couldn't spare the extra minutes it would take getting to Lil's.
At his house, friends of Romeo's worked on Laney and Jordan in his kitchen while he paced around with Lily in the living room. It was hard to say the least. If he lost Laney, he wasn't sure what he would do. It would be worse then when he had lost his mother, and that had easily been the hardest thing he'd ever suffered in his life. He wasn't sure he'd survive very long in a world where Delaney just didn't exist.
After what felt like fucking forever, Romeo came back into the room covered in blood and Cody was second away from screaming at him to tell them what was going on when he did just that. Rome told them that they were both stable and going to live, but not in great shape. Cody was right behind Lily as the two of them left Romeo on the couch in the living room and dashed upstairs quickly.
He went into his old bedroom. Laney was in his bed and he smiled at her. It had been a long time since the two of them had been in that room together. He could remember a thousand nights as teenagers of her sneaking in through his window and them trying not to make too much noise and wake his mother. He went over to the bed and sat on it's side, turning himself so that he was facing her. "I thought I was going to lose you for a while there." He breathed, sounding completely exhausted as he ran his fingers through his hair and lit himself a cigarette, taking a deep inhale. He looked at her, holding her eyes.
"I'd have died right along with you." He told her in all seriousness, letting her know that she was his life. He leaned forward and placed a hand gently on the back of her neck, pulling her towards him slightly so he could taste her lips. The kiss was soft, not wanting to be too intense with her too fast. For all he knew, she'd really only been interested in saving Lily and didn't even want him anymore.
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The pain was breathtakingly excruciating. Not even Draco, Alex, and Clay’s beating compared to the pain that ripped through her body. She held her side desperate to stop the blood, but she was already terribly weak. The blood seeped between her fingers, covering her clothes and hand in half a second. The shock of the shot had the rest of her body numb and her thoughts reeling. She hadn’t even felt Alex grip onto her hair. When he yanked her head up she saw Cody and the reality of dying washed over her in full force. She’d tried to take her own life several times in the past and she could count two occasions where she’d been far too close to successful. This however, was different. It was like she was understanding for the first time that the concept of death.
She couldn’t control the tears that fell from her eyes, making her feel more like a helpless child then a capable adult. She felt herself slipping, her breathing getting slower, and she could feel her heart start to falter in her chest. She started to think about how terrible of a person she’d been. She was going to die, without being able to tell Cody how sorry she was. She had run out of chances to tell him just how much he meant to her. Things started to blur around. She felt someone pick her up then, but she couldn’t will her eyes to open now no matter how much she tried. At one point she’d felt Cody’s touch and she was sure she was imagining it.
She faded in an out of consciences then. On minuet everything was silent and the next she could hear someone giving orders and talking over her. Then black. Then there was more piercing pain. She groaned, adjusting her body when she finally came too and she knew she had to look as bad as she felt. She lend, up against the headboard, glancing around. A small smirk came to her lips when she realized that she was in Cody’s room. The pain was a dull throbbing now, due to whatever they’d given her and she was grateful for it. The door opened, her heavy eyes moved to see Cody slipping into the room and she couldn’t help but smirk despite how weak she felt. They’d fucking done the impossible. They had, with little interaction and a short amount of time, fucked over three of the worst human beings Lane had ever met.He sat down on the side of the bed and she winced lightly, the movement caused inevitable pain. She pushed it down though, because if there was anything she wanted right then it was Cody.
"I thought I was going to lose you for a while there." He breathed, able to hear just how tired he was and she hated that it was her fault. She couldn’t pull her eyes away from him though as he took a deep drag off his cigarette. She felt her insides twist, there was something about the way Cody looked at her in that moment. She felt both incredible and guilty at the same time. He held her eyes and she had to force herself not to look away. "I'd have died right along with you." She let her eyes fall to her hands then.
It didn’t last long though when he placed a hand on the back of her neck. He lend in and pressed his lip against hers. He pulled her gently towards him and couldn’t help the moan that escaped her lips. The eminence pain in her body didn’t seem to matter when he was kissing her. She placed her hand on the side of his face, the leftover blood on her hands smudging onto his face, but she didn’t want him to pull away. She kissed him back hard, despite the growing pain in her body. She finally let out a soft painful groan having to pull away. She sighed as she lend her back against the headboard, letting her head fall back against it, she closed her eyes taking in a deep breath.
“I’m sorry.” she finally breathed after a long minuet of silence. Laney couldn’t remember the last time she’d apologized. “Thank you for…” she trailed off, letting out a shuttered breath. Delaney had never been any good at showing her emotions. It was a lot of the reason she acted out the way she did, but so much shit had happened, she need Cody to know exactly how she felt and why she’d done what she’d done she owed him that much. “Not giving up on me, like everyone else.” She whispered, trying her best to stop the tears, but they feel ever through closed eyes. She wasn’t sure she’d ever been completely transparent, like she was now in front of anyone. “I know I’m the farthest from easy.” She admitted, keeping her eyes closed. “But, in case you’ve ever doubted it even for a second, I’m completely in love with you.”
She opened her eyes then meeting hers, despite everything in her wanting to look away. She knew she looked like a fucking mess, she was just adding red, tear filled eyes to her broken and abused body. She couldn’t find it in herself to care though.
“You always deserved so much better then me.” She breathed, making it clear that’s what she’d convinced herself. “When I caught you with Louie…” She trailed off once more, clenching her jaw as she adjusted herself. “I called Alex, I figured I put you through enough hell. You looked so good at the funeral and I was just wearing you down. I could see it.” Lane admitted. “Had I known…I never meant…Fuck.” She dropped her head hating herself, now that she was hearing what she’d done out loud, she just cried harder, unable to control herself. The last six months had completely fucked with her already unstable mental state.
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The pain consumed Jordan. He’d been in bar fights, he’d been injured on the field in the middle of football games, his dad used to beat the shit out of him just because he could, still this pain was something else entirely. It wasn’t just the pain, it was the thoughts that started to engulf you. If Jordan died, he’d die at least knowing that he’d saved Tiger from her brother and Clay. He’d die knowing that Cody would hopefully step up to the plate and at least make sure to help her out. Jordan honestly wasn’t afraid of death, the thought that scared him was not being there to protect Tiger. Not being around to make sure she’d get the help she needed. He was almost positive that was the only thing really keeping him alive.
He swore that if he lived, him and Lily were getting the fuck out of dodge as soon as he could. He was going to take her somewhere far off the beaten path, so they could live without the distraction of everything that had been keeping them apart for so many years. He kept going back and forth between thinking he was going to die and holding onto the thought of not wanting to leave Tiger alone.
At some point he’d lost consciousness. When he’d opened his eyes again, he was back in Havana walking down the cobble stone streets with Tiger. She looked beautiful. She always had. She wore a wide smile on her lips, like the one she used to ware when they were kids. He had this overwhelming feeling that he was dead. This was where he was going to live an eternity, in memories of Lil and that seemed fitting he guessed. He felt a pressure in his chest then and then the pain filled his body once again.
“You gotta stay with us.” He heard a voice tell him, forcing him to come back from the hands of death. “Jordan?” The voice called out again.
“Fuck.” Was all Jordan could manage, as they stitched him up. By the time they’d finished with him they’d given him heavy drugs to numb the pain. He hadn’t even asked where they’d gotten them, he’d just taken them.
He was surprised they’d managed to save his life. He wasn’t in the best shape, but he was going to live. Rome and his guys had really come through for him and Cody and he wasn’t sure how he’d repay any of them, but he’d have to. Not only had they saved his life, they’d risked their own lives to safe Tigerlily. He literally owned them his life and then some. Romeo helped set him up against the headboard, before he slipped out of the room. Jordan had wondered how Delaney was doing. He didn’t even want to think about what Cody would do if he lost her. It didn’t help that both her and Tiger weren’t in the best of shape. Hell, he wasn’t sure what Tiger would do, the two of them had been through hell and back together over the last several months. He let out a sigh hoping she was okay.
Jordan knew he had to look like shit, still what he looked like and what he felt he was sure was nothing compared to what Tiger had been through. If he had to deal with pain from getting shot, he’d do it for the rest of his life if it meant he had her back and she was alright. When the door opened he smiled up at her, he was weak, but the second he saw her it was like he’d forgotten completely about his pain. She wasted no time crawling into bed with him and he did his best to pull her close, wrapping his arm around her. He realized for the first time just how thin and fragile she looked. He could blame Delaney and her brother and the girls exs until he was blue in the face, but it wouldn’t make a difference. They had to take care of the guys and then move forward.
Her body curled into him. It felt incredible to have her back. She took his arm helping him to wrap it tighter around him. He could tell she’d been though everything imaginable and he wasn’t entirely sure what to say to her. He pressed his lips lightly to the top of her head, letting his lips linger there as she finally spoke.
"I missed you every day." Her voice was soft, so much so she was sure had they not been alone, he wouldn’t have heard her. He rested his cheek against the top of her head then, letting a comfortable silence fall over them for a moment, letting her cry. He figured she needed it, it was more then likely therapeutic to her. He could only imagine how the guys might have reprimanded her for crying when they were tormenting her.
“I never stopped loving you or looking for you.” He finally breathed through a horse throat. He kept his voice low. His eyes fell on the word her brother had carved into her collar bone and he winced, seeing that was far more painful then his physical wounds. “No matter what they told you, I still love you Tigerlily.” He breathed knowing all too well how guys like Draco, Clay, and Alex worked. “I know you’re broken and I don’t think anything I can do or anyone else can do will fix that.” He breathed honestly, pushing his pain away, because right now he needed her to know that she was still loved and she wasn’t a slut or a whore or whatever horrible thing they could think to call her. “I think we can figure out a way to help you heal though.” He breathed, wanting to give her some kind of hope, knowing she needed at least that.
Lily cried hard against Jordan for a long time. She hadn't cried so much or so deeply in a long time. Draco had conditioned her since she was a child, not to cry because crying was weakness. Over the past six months or so, she'd cried a handful of times and had the shit kicked out of her every time for it. It honestly felt good to just let it out for a moment, and she was glad he didn't say anything. He just held her as best he could and let her cry.
He didn't speak until her tears started to slow and she was just sniffling a little against him instead of sobbing hard. “I never stopped loving you or looking for you.” He breathed weakly and she let out a shaky sigh. Draco and Clay had been telling her for months that Jordan didn't care about her anymore. They'd tortured her, telling her he'd gone back to Bev and was happy, or that he wasn't looking for her anymore and it had broken her down to the point where she'd eventually given up on the notion of Jordan ever finding her.
“No matter what they told you, I still love you Tigerlily.” He breathed and she closed her eyes. She knew his words were true or he wouldn't have rescued her, and it definitely felt good to hear, but it was still a little hard for her to believe. “I know you’re broken and I don’t think anything I can do or anyone else can do will fix that.” He breathed and Lil curled into him a little tighter.
It felt so good to be close to him. For the past six months, she'd have sold her soul if it meant she didn't have to be touched by someone else for more than a few minutes. Now that she was back with Jordan, however, she never wanted him to let her go. She wanted him to keep her close for the rest of her life. “I think we can figure out a way to help you heal though.” He breathed, and she closed her eyes tight, taking a deep breath as she fought back another wave of tears. She wasn't sure that was even possible and she was afraid he might eventually give up on her, because she was too messed up.
She chewed on her lip for a long time. "I still love you too." She whispered, like she was afraid of the words as she drew light circles on his chest with her fingertips, her eyes on the bandages on the other side of his chest and neck. She hated that he'd almost died for her. She didn't feel like she was worth the risk. "I don't think I'm the same though... I've done such horrible things." She whispered, as her fingers reached up and ran over the angry raised skin on her collar, thinking about how many men she'd had to fuck and the abortions she'd had. She hated herself for letting them turn her into such a whore, and take a child from her that could have been Jordan's. She should have fought harder. Her tone was almost warning as she spoke, wanting him to know things probably wouldn't ever be easy between them again. "If you give up..." she whispered softly, the words hurting to say. "I won't blame you." She sighed deeply, biting her lip hard.
Cody was honestly afraid Laney might not kiss him back. Of course, he wouldn't blame her if she didn't, but at the same time, it would sting. He didn't have to worry, however, because she kissed him back hard, like she was desperate for his lips and he was more than a little relieved. It was clear, in her kiss, that she hadn't stopped loving him. She'd been through hell and back, that much was obvious, but she still loved him.
He watched her as she pulled away and leaned her back against the headboard, bringing his cigarette to his lips and inhaling deeply. “I’m sorry.” she finally breathed after a long minute of silence and Cody knit his brows, wondering what she could have to apologize for. It wasn't her fault she'd been kidnapped and forced into prostitution. “Thank you for…” letting out a shuddering breath and Cody just waited patiently, knowing this was hard for her, especially considering what she'd been through lately. “Not giving up on me, like everyone else.” She whispered, tears falling down her cheeks from closed eyes and Cody reached out and squeezed one of her hands in his. He'd never give up on her. “I know I’m the farthest from easy. But, in case you’ve ever doubted it even for a second, I’m completely in love with you.” She said then and he let out a sigh of smoke. It felt good to hear those words, and he wanted nothing more then to remind her what love felt like, but he didn't want to push her too much, knowing she was in a lot of pain, both emotional, and physical.
“You always deserved so much better then me.” She breathed, and he wished he could take that thought right out of her head. “When I caught you with Louie…” She trailed and he looked away from her for a minute, taking a drag off his cigarette, still hating himself for that stupid mistake. “I called Alex, I figured I put you through enough hell. You looked so good at the funeral and I was just wearing you down. I could see it.” Lane admitted then, letting him know she'd been the one to spill their location to Alex and the others and he let out a deep sigh and leaned over, putting his cigarette out on the nightstand.
He wanted to be upset with her, but he couldn't. She'd reached out to Alex because she'd felt like he was all she deserved after catching him with Louie and he hated that he'd made her feel that low. Cody also knew, she hadn't been expecting what she'd gotten. She hadn't expected Alex to go completely insane on her, and she certainly hadn't expected Draco and Clay to get involved and drag Lily into it too. He couldn't blame her for what she didn't know and had no control over. “Had I known…I never meant…Fuck.” She dropped her head, crying harder, clearly blaming herself.
Cody sighed deeply and reached out, taking her face in both his hands and lifting her head so she had to look him in the eyes. "It's okay Laney." He promised her, his words soft. "I love you, and I don't blame you for a second." He sighed, his thumb running across her cheek, wiping her tears away as he smiled at her gently. She may be battered to hell and broken inside, but she was still the most beautiful thing to him in the world. "You didn't ask for this, I know that." He breathed, leaning forward and kissing her gently on the forehead, needing her to know this wasn't her fault.
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It didn’t matter what anyone said, if they told Dee that it wasn’t her fault. It wouldn’t matter if Alex himself looked her in the eyes and told her it wasn’t her fault. The fact of the matter was she knew it was. She knew that she did things without thinking, things that often got people hurt. Delaney knew she was like an infection, that’s just how she’d always been and there was no stopping it. That was why she was always pushing Cody away, because she was positive she’d fuck him up and he was the last person she wanted to hurt. Hell, they’d only been together for a month or so before she’d been taken by Alex and they couldn’t keep it together. Now she was a million times worse then she’d been before, because of everything she’d been through.
Cody let out a deep sigh and she couldn’t bring herself to look at him. He took her face in his hands, lifting her gaze to meet his. She fought the urge to look away, hating that she knew he could see just how broken she’d become over the last six months. She didn’t want to have to look him in the eyes and see his worry and his pain, because she’d made stupid choices. She didn’t want
"It's okay Laney." He promised, his voice calm and gentle as he continued. "I love you, and I don't blame you for a second." he said with a sigh as he thumb moved across her cheek, whipping her tears. She let her eyes fall away from him then. "You didn't ask for this, I know that." he said. He lend in then, pressing his lips against her forehead, she closed her eyes, his lips melting into her skin. His touch was so incredible, yet she couldn’t let herself enjoy it. She didn’t feel like she deserved it and she knew that was because of Alex, Clay, and Draco. She felt used and broken.
She winced as she pulled her face from his hands and lend back against the headboard once more. It wasn’t far for Cody to have to give up his freedom and his life. The thing was Delaney knew that the process of healing and becoming anywhere close to a functional person again would be agonizing and long. There would be times when she didn’t want to be touch, when she would be defensive, or time when she’d just want to be alone. She loved Cody, but she also knew Cody and she wasn’t sure he could be patient. Finding her and saving her was one thing. Dealing with her new, deep rooted, fucked up bag of issues was another thing entirely. She let out a shuttered breath trying to get her wits about her. She wiped away a new set of tears that tried to fall from her eyes. It was clear that she was conflicted about being with Cody and figuring herself out. Her blue eyes flicked back up to meet Cody’s.
“Cody…” she whispered his name, trailing off. “I don’t know if love is enough.” She breathed honestly holding his eyes. “I don’t know who I am anymore.” She admitted and there was a weakness in her voice that proved just how much Alex had broken her down. “It’s probably for the best if you leave and I go home.” She let her eyes fall away from his again. “I’m only going to hurt you and I can’t live with that.” She sighed. “The second my shock ends, I’m going to turn into a monster.” She couldn’t stop the tears that slipped from her eyes then. It was the truth. At the moment, she was well spoken, because she was sober and still in shock. When the dust settled, the damage of the past six months would shine through.
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[font=Book Antiqua]Jordan had dove head first straight into the depths of Hell and he’d saved Tigerlily. The last thing he was going to do was give up on her. It wasn’t in Jordan’s being, to give up on anything. If he was a quitter, he’d have never gone after his football career. He’d have stopped playing after the first time he’d gotten arrested. He’d have stopped loving Tiger after he’d found her with Cody. Jordan wouldn’t have continued to look for her after he’d been arrested and accused of her disappearance. He’d sacrificed too much blood, sweat, and tears to give up on her now. He’d literally given up everything that ever meant something to him to find her. The last thing he planned on doing was throwing in the towel, because she was fucked up and damaged from what she’d been through. What kind of man would that make him? If he couldn’t stand by her side when she was at her worst, then he didn’t really love her.
He winced slightly, softly adjusting himself, no matter which way he sat it was incredibly uncomfortable. He could already tell he was going to hate the healing process. The thought irritated him, but for now he pushed it down. The only real worry on his mind was whether Tiger wanted to stay with him or not. The truth was, if she told him she needed sometime alone it would kill him. At the same time, he wouldn’t be surprised if being around any man disgusted her.
"I still love you too." She whispered and he had to admit that felt amazing to hear. It was incredible to him that she honestly still felt anything for anyone. He closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the headboard, loving the way her fingertips bushed against his skin as they drew circles. "I don't think I'm the same though... I've done such horrible things." she kept her voice quite. He opened his eyes when her fingers left his skin. He watched her as she silently traces her fingers across her cut-up collarbone. He winced for her, hating that Draco had made her feel so incredibly low. "If you give up...I won't blame you." She sighed and the words hung in the air for a long moment.
He knew Tigerlily better then he knew anyone else and he’d had a feeling that was where her fears were lying. Not only had she’d been mentally mind twisted for the past several months, the weight of abandonment hung heavy on her shoulders. The two of them didn’t exactly have the best track record, but he knew and he had always known that him and Lil were meant to be together as cheesy as it sounded. Leaving her now, when she needed him the most would be the easy way out. He kept his head lead against the head board his arm still around her tightly.
“Tiger, I’m not going to leave you.” He said honestly. “Things may never be the same,” She sighed. “But the that doesn’t change how I feel about you. Nothing has ever changed that.” He admitted as if to let her know even at their worst, when he caught her, his fiancé, with his best friend, he’d still loved her. “I lost everything fighting to for you, I won’t lose you to.” He said like it wasn’t up for debate. “If you want to walk away though…” he trailed off hating what he was going to say, but knowing it had to be said. “If you need time to figure shit out, I won’t stop you.” He breathed. “If you don’t want to go through it alone. If you want to talk about it or fuck shit up…I’ll be here either way.” He said pressing his lips against the top of her head.
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