Of Ravens & Moonlight
Chapter 3: Lighting a Spark
Entry 15
Here we go again... So, apparently, we're supposed to be taking shifts here at least once a week. I have a serious question... How are you more of a pain in the ass when you're gone more so than when you were here? Okay, I'm done bitching. To be honest, I'm actually hoping that you walk through these doors one day when I'm here. It really would make my day if I could see that you were safe and sound. I may punch you in the shoulder but... is it wrong that I might also want to kiss you too? Probably... Either way, I really wouldn't give a damn what the others would say about that. Just... Just come back, please?
Liam cruised down the street alongside Tori, clearly distracted at the events that have unfolded over the last few days. He was released from prison and met up with his brother Rashad. He then found out that, as he expected, things had changed massively after his subsequent departure from the group. The Blacklist was once again run by its original members while his friends left the city after being marked by Razor and the others. Unfortunately, with little to no knowledge of where they were exactly, he had no choice but to use the only clue he had to get answers.
This, of course, was what led Liam to Palmont, a city that surprisingly, he knew all too well.
It seemed now that the past was truly catching up to him as he soon found himself traveling to this location only to wind up being chased by the man who'd been hunting him back in Rockport, only to be rescued by Beck and Trina. The "reunion" was beyond tense as he had to battle his on conflicted feelings with the two while coming to grips with the reality of owing Beck another favor. Combine that with Trina's blatant disregard for his existence, unless you count the wrath that threatened to engulf him, and the guy was truly a bundle of emotions.
Amidst these thoughts of woe and negativity, there was one good thing that resulted from everything thus far. That would be the young woman sitting in the passenger's seat. Tori Vega. The Latina woman had been a breath of fresh air in an otherwise murky experience since his release days ago. He found himself entranced by the good old days while managing to keep his eyes firmly on the road. However, like all things in life, it had to come to an end.
"Hello?" Tori's voice rang in his ear.
"Huh?"
"You didn't hear anything that I said did you?" she crossed her arms while wearing a mockingly annoyed face.
"I'm sorry, Tori. I've just had a lot on my mind since..."
Tori smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. I honestly can't blame you."
Taking his eyes off the road for a moment, Liam could now see the sadness in his friend's eyes. It was something he'd seen before with her but still nothing he'd ever be used to. Back in Rockport borough, she would have that expression whenever she was away from if Razor was ever mentioned so to see it now...? It was enough to trigger his curiosity.
"What happened, Tori?" his emerald eyes returned to the road. "What happened after I left?"
The younger Vega sister, while she could only see his profile, could literally feel the desperation emitting from him. It took a few more moments of Liam weaving through traffic until they arrived in an unfamiliar area of Palmont. "Welcome to San Juan, Liam." Tori flashed a grin that had no rival.
"San Juan? I've never heard of this area before."
"Of course not. This borough was basically a ghost town for years until about six months ago." Tori began to explain while giving him directions to a place the two would call home. It only took a few more minutes of turns until finally, the two found themselves at a rather large auto garage. After pulling inside, the two got out "This part of Palmont was relatively untouched for a long time until about a year ago when crews were going around and trying to claim territories for themselves. In the end, Beck won control of Silverton, the largest borough in the city. The other three were given to the other three top drivers and their respective crews."
Tori took little time in introducing Liam to his new home. Deep down inside, she was beyond happy that Liam was back from his hiatus. She quickly showed him where his room was and finally the kitchen/living room area. Stepping past the main door into the garage, she happened to take notice of the fierce gaze Liam was giving off. Sure, she was one of the few who had seen her close friend like this before, but now? This time was different... There was a sense of darkness that truly sent a tensing chill down her spine.
"Liam what's wrong?" she placed a hand on his shoulder and at that precise moment, she felt the tiniest form of a shudder. "You can talk to me, you know? I know you're upset about Trina but..."
"No.. it's not about Trina. It's about Beck..." he started but turned away as ire and grief began to overtake him. "...he's not who you think he is."
With a confused look, Tori grabbed his arm.
"Listen, yes Beck isn't like most guys...!" her tone was much lower and there was a hint of venom behind her words at this point. Yes, she was more than happy to see him but at the same time, she was more than angry with him for leaving her sister and the gang behind. "You disappeared for three years and you just expected her to take you back with open arms?!" She never took her hazel eyes from his emerald orbs as the flames blazed. "You just left and never returned and now here we are, with her being happy with Beck now and you could potentially ruin that. Please... just leave her alone, will you? I don't know why you came back but..."
Unfortunately, he never got to hear the rest because the younger Vega sister began walking towards the front door. "Look, I don't hate you. I'm just conflicted with our friendship and my sister. I'm sure you have your reasons for leaving but... right now, I should let you get some rest. I'll be back in a couple of days with more information regarding your debt to Beck." she turned around in hopes of avoiding him seeing the true conviction behind her eyes.
"How did you find out about...?"
Tori just flashed a sad smile then turned to leave. Crossing the threshold, a breeze flew by causing her hair to blow to the side and revealed a tattoo. This particular tattoo was of four aces stacked in front of one another. Before he could stop and ask about it, Tori had shut the door behind her leaving Travis alone... or so he thought. While he contemplated what had just happened, he failed to notice that somebody else was inside of his new home.
"Tori...?"
"It's the mark of the Stacked Deck Crew."
With a look of pure shock and slight fear, Liam turned around to find a familiar face to match the voice.
"No way..." he whispered to himself in shock. Standing in front of him was the form of a pale skinned girl with icy blue-green eyes, and matching blue streaks in her jet black hair. "Jade?"
"No, it's Mary Poppins, numb nut." she retorted, though with a snarky smirk on her lips as she walked inside from one of the rear bedrooms. Jade West waltzed, with an extra sway in her hips until her face was literally mere inches from his own. Despite her signature grin, Liam knew from experience not to assume anything from the Gothic girl. His cheeks flushed a rose shade of red, barely visible to most but Jade caught it. She knew that he found her attractive and didn't make it any easier for him considering she was wearing nothing but a tight purple and black, long-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of purple panties with a cute skull on the back.
"J-Jade, I-I.." he was cut off when he suddenly felt the cold hard sting of Jade's hand slamming against the right side of his face.
With what felt like enough force to break wood boards, Liam found himself stumbling back. His hair tie broke under the pressure of her sharp nails as another slap connected with the side of his head. "Jade! I can explain.." It was a miracle that he narrowly dodged the third slap and with a newfound determination, he caught the fourth attempt and stared at the now tearful eyes of Jade West. If his earlier encounters with Trina and Tori weren't enough to break him, seeing the usually tough and snarky Jade in this condition was the straw that broke the camels back.
"How could you?" her voice broke down. "You just left and never came back... Do you know what Trina was going through? What.. I went through?"
Shame washed over the face of the young man before her.
He managed to piss off not one but three women who he cared deeply about. Trina, his ex-girlfriend was between being furious and nonchalant whenever she was around him. Tori was purely happy and yet, equally upset about his reemergence... and Jade? What about Jade? Well, she clearly tried to take his head off with those slaps and he was sure if he let go, she would try to hit a home run at his expense. His now free-flowing locs hid his face but not the tears that fell down to the ground.
"Jade, I'm sorry... I really am." he finally spoke. "I never meant to hurt you or Trina or anyone else."
She simply pulled away but remained where she stood. Her expression was unreadable but she nodded for him to continue.
"But you did!" she released the floodgates. "You hurt us deeply, you moron!"
"I know it seemed as if I just ran away from everything but.." he steeled his resolve. "But, I didn't mean to disappear for so long. I swear!"
"Then why didn't you come back? Why didn't you answer your phone when we tried to call or text you, idiot?!"
"I was in prison...!" he yelled back, readying himself for another barrage of insults. Thankfully, she just stared at him in disbelief."
"What?" he voice was no louder than a whisper now.
Liam nodded slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements. He then motioned for them both to sit down and began to explain. He told her about him being attacked and left for dead by the members of the Blacklist. He then went on to reveal his whereabouts after managing to recover. Gone was her anger, replaced by wonder and interest as he went on to tell her about his arrest, conviction, and incarceration for the three years he was considered missing. By the time he finished, Jade had a new found respect and understanding for her friend.
"Wow. I had no idea.," she admitted. "...but wait. I get that you were shot and later arrested, but how did the cops find you so quickly?"
Once again, Liam glared at the ground with a sudden fierceness that he rarely showed. "I was set-up; betrayed by someone I thought I could trust. Someone from my past that still haunts me to this day." he flashes a look at Jade that questioned her trust and sincerity. Her gaze confirmed this and he continued. "I found out something I wasn't supposed to. After I left that night, I was challenged to a race by two riders. Naturally, I accepted and took out my anger on the road by winning. The two cars then kept going so I chased them down to get my money from them only to wind up getting sideswiped. Seeing how they were gunning for me, and my ride was totaled, I ran as fast as I could to one of the safe houses in Camden...
"I was set-up..."
Camden Beach- 3 years ago
Liam was severely limping towards the safe house in hopes that he could attain refuge inside. The vehicles chased him down until he managed to lose them when he darted into the alley and cut through the construction zone. Getting hit, he sustained a gash near his temple, multiple lacerations on his left arm & leg, and his hip was severely bruised. He was losing a lot of blood but that wouldn't stop him from reaching his destination. He figured that whoever was trying to hunt him down could potentially know where he was going and he assumed right as he hid behind some bushes near the pier. He watched intently as the first car, a silver Ford Mustang, drove past in the pouring rain followed by a candy red Mercedes Benz. After seeing them pass the safe house, he ran or rather limped down the walkway until he finally arrived made it.
"Someone please be at home." he pleaded to no one in general.
He grits his teeth as he slammed his fist into the door but nobody answered.
The stinging sensations of pain and frustration rang through his body. Desperation began to taunt him as he resorted to slamming his already injured body into the front door. It managed to pay off as he collapsed inside. Content for only a moment, he remembered the circumstances that brought him to this location and swiftly shut the door leaving him plunged in the darkness of the garage. He called out in case anyone was still inside but got no response.
He was safe... for now.
"Okay, Liam. Now we gotta find a place to rest or something. I just need to find a light switch and I'll be able to rest for a bit." he continued to feel around for a light source only to bump into something hard. With a groan, he surmised that he was in someone's room. Liam smiled to himself as he flipped a switch, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dim light overhead. Inspecting his surroundings, he realized that he was in Beck's room, triggering a tiny bit of concern for his friend. That moment, however, was short-lived as something happened to catch his eye. He shut the door quietly and made his way to the small dresser and saw what appeared to be a police badge. Trying to make sense of what he was seeing, he saw the name that justified his fears.
"Beck Oliver?" Curiosity got the better of him and he went through the drawers to find documents and files on not only himself but everyone in the group. Beck was either crooked or undercover. He literally had them in the palm of his hand. Liam couldn't risk the cops coming down on his friends so he swiftly began to rip the documents to shreds. "Beck, how could you betray us?"
"You can't betray a side you were never on." Turning around, Liam felt the searing pain of a bullet piercing his leg. A cry of agony rang throughout the building as he crashed into the floor. "You just couldn't keep your nose where it doesn't belong, could you." The voice was none other than Razor, the former leader of Blacklist 15. "I was hoping you would just keep racing and help me out but.. it seems that you've left me no choice." he then lifted his .45 revolver at the grunting Travis as the sound of a far off door opening was heard. The traitor grinned slyly as Liam's consciousness began to fade before mouthing the words:
"You owe me.."
Back in the present day, Jade was staring at Liam, mouth agape at what she was hearing.
"I barely remember much after that. I woke up in the hospital cuffed to one of the rails. Once my injuries were treated, I was convicted of my past and sentenced to seven years imprisonment with that possibility of time served for good behavior after the second year due to my age at the time of the crime. I actually got out a few days ago and was told by Rashad to come here if I wanted to set things right."
Jade was stunned to hear the truth about Beck but more because she was usually so good at figuring these things out. Beck was usually predictable but now it seemed that he was truly a few steps ahead of everyone. "But now he's here in Palmont City as a street racer, ruling Silverton. But how is he able to do all of this? Could he be still working with Rockport P.D.?"
"I don't think so..." Liam took a moment to think. "He would be out of his jurisdiction here though. He probably retired and attained immunity for himself. Also, I know it wasn't him who found and shot at me that night but, I think he might've had something to do with it. Or, it could be a random occurrence. Either way, it's clear that Beck's a sly one."
Seeing her friend stressed out like this was beyond her comprehension. The hell he'd gone through all this time, Jade knew he needed comfort and more importantly, support. With a soft smile, she took his hand and led him to his new room. She then turned the lights down and hugged him tightly. Aside from her own ex, Liam was one of the rare few to see Jade in a state of vulnerability.
Returning the embrace, he felt her begin to calm down.
He smiled and whispered. "Thank you, Jade."
"Um... For what?" she raised a perfectly arched eyebrow in genuine embarrassment. "I didn't do anything..."
"Nothing," he chuckled softly. "I just really needed this after everything's that happened thus far."
"Yeah, well don't go getting all mushy on me, tiger," she smirked slyly. "You're not out of the fire yet."
Then she pulled away from him, still retaining her grin. Her arms rested on his shoulders as their eyes locked onto one another's.
"Then, I'll just have to man up and get burned."
"Good to know you've toughened up over the last three years." she teased, unable to hide the dark ruby hue coating her cheeks."
Blue and green.
Ice and Earth...
Jade and Liam steadily began to realize a subtle truth.
They always knew that Liam loved Trina and still did.
However, Jade also knew another secret the young man confirmed back in Rockport when they first met. Trina was his first love, but Jade was a very close second. No, she wasn't a replacement or consolation prize but truly someone with whom he felt he could possibly lead a good life. She was strongly in his heart just as much as Trina was and that's what haunted her when the two were together. But now, here he was with her. Just the two of them. He was alive. Liam was safe. He was single and for the night... if only for the night, he could be hers.
"Jade I-" She shushed him with her soft lips crashed onto his followed by her grabbing his shirt, pulling him into her room.
His attempt to speak was reduced to nothing more than just barely audible moans as her tongue slipped into his mouth. She then removed her shirt along with her bra, giving her crush a clear view of her figure from the waist up. Her pale tone somehow was a perfect contrast to his chocolate skin as they both fell back onto the bed. Her raven hair shrouded their faces from view as Jade, who was usually rough around the edges, now was as gentle as a lamb. The night was filled not with the sounds of hot and heavy sex, however. It was actually capitalized by the bliss of appreciation, love, adoration, reciprocation, and passion that sent the two in a state of contentment and peace. In other words, there was no attempt at sex, but rather, the two laid there, sharing stories of what happened since they'd last seen each other. However, this didn't stop Jade from stealing kisses to which Liam gladly reciprocated.
"Liam..." she gasped softly, feeling the bliss of freedom of expression with her friend, and now lover.
They laid down together with Jade huddled under the larger Liam. She traced her finger along his prison tattoo sleeve, simply imagining what he had to endure to ensure his survival. Her heart broke as the thoughts began to overwhelm her as she shivered in his arms. He instinctively intertwined his fingers with hers and pulled her closer to him, letting her feel his heartbeat.
For Liam, he knew that he loved Trina Vega but, Jade had also found a way to creep into his heart as well. From what he saw, she was through with him as a person, let alone romantically. He also loved Jade too but until now, was never able to explore those feelings. Now that he was officially single, Liam would give himself the chance to live life. Guilt tried to worm its way in his mind but found no home as Jade moaned softly while nuzzling his chest softly.
"Just so you know..." she yawned. "...Vega never finished explaining to you what's been going on in this city over the past year and a half."
"Oh, right... it wouldn't be good if she returned to find us like this, would it?"
Jade nearly giggled at the worry and, more importantly, disappointment in his voice. She turned over and exited his room leaving him with a view of her swaying butt. "I'll be back." he heard in the distance. He sat up and remembered that he was still in his jogging pants. He shrugged and began to remove them before Jade returned. Unfortunately, (depending on how you view the situation) he would find himself under the watchful eyes of the pale-skinned beauty, who simply smirked as she enjoyed the sight before her. "Nice butt."
"Dammit..." he muttered to himself just as he managed to remove the last leg. "How long have you been there?"
"Long enough to see that your time away had done wonders for you."
"Well it's nice to see that someone appreciates my hard work." he chuckled softly but then raised an eyebrow. "So what's up?"
Jade simply shrugged. "Nothing but the ceiling." she walked back to him to see his face locked in concern. "Relax, I texted Vega and told her that I would fill you in so she's guaranteed not to come back until a few days from now. Besides, she used my key to get inside earlier so she'd have to knock in order to get inside or use Beck's key which takes time for him to get here. So don't worry okay?"
Planting another kiss, Jade felt herself being lifted with ease by the object of her affection. Over the past few years, she filled out in the hips and thigh areas which was the reason for her surprised expression.
"Alright, we agree that you'll fill me in tomorrow. Now can we get some shut-eye, Jade?"
Jade rolled her eyes but in a playful manner as Liam set her down and planted one more kiss before cuddling her again. The two drifted off into a deep slumber unaware that their heartbeats were truly in sync. For the night, nothing else mattered.
Trina's fury.
Tori's allegiance.
Beck's treachery.
All of those things take a back seat in the mind of Liam Patterson.
For Jade, she was no longer bound by her past. Trina, who she always resented for various reasons was an afterthought as she sunk into the warm embrace of unconsciousness.
"Goodnight Travis."
"Goodnight Jade."
