A/N: I am really sorry it took me a while to finally update. I had to do some back-to-school shopping last minute. My first day was today. Not bad…I got a web design class! Fun fun…lol anyways, just finished my US History and English H homework and i FINALLY have time to write a little. Key phrase: a little. But better than nothing right?

Chapter 9: Of Whiskey and Roses

"So much for 'The Switch'…" I said. I was laying my head back on the seat as we drove through the night. It had been hours since we were ambushed and it was Jerry's turn to drive.

"We just got a little unfortunate. Most of those idiots are still following that crappy green car we use to have." Bobby said, his head leaning on the side. Jack was tracing his finger along the window as Angel was sleeping on my other side. "We should finally get there by tomorrow afternoon."

"Did you at least get any information from those guys?" I asked.

"Those punks sang like canaries." Bobby laughed. "They told us everything. Robert Sweet called off his dogs once he was down to the fact we switched the cars."

"So why'd you kill them?"

Bobby turned his head. "They got on my fuckin' nerves."

I yawned and turned towards Angel. Boy can sleep through a hurricane… I thought. I felt myself falling asleep and my head drooping. Then, Jerry's voice rang through the car.

"I gotta stop."

"Man no. Keep goin…" Bobby grumbled tossing and turning in the front seat.

"I gotta sleep too man. There's another motel at the next stop. Sweet called the dogs off. No one's gonna be there!"

"Let him stop Bobby." Jack pleaded. I could tell by his voice he was tired. Angel snorted and turned over, almost burying me.

"J-Jack!" I managed to say. I had NO idea that Angel was so heavy. But then again it was his 180 pounds of muscle against my 115 pounds of flab.

Jack quickly tried to roll Angel back to his own side of the car. Angel awoke with a start. "Yo man…WHAT THE FUCK?"

"Shut the fuck up, man. People are tryin to sleep…" Bobby mumbled.

Jerry pulled up to the motel about 10 minutes later. It wasn't as bad as the last one we were at, but you probably wouldn't want to be by yourself neither.

We all got out of the car. Jerry once again checked us in as Bobby went to the trunk and grabbed us a couple of pistols. While Jack, Angel, and I were in the car, I checked out Angel's arm.

"You're still ok right?" I asked him.

"Yeah, we don't have to go to the hospital, right?" Jack followed.

"Naw…the bullet just scraped me. I'll be alright. You know I could take a shot." He grinned. This reminded me of last year, when Bobby had just finished off Victor Sweet and he and the guys were getting interrogated by the police.

Flashback, Police Station

"HIS NAME IS JEREMIAH MERCER AND I WANT TO SEE HIM!" Camille yelled with Sofi at the policeman in front of us.

"Where's my Angel? I want to see him this instant!"

"Shouldn't you be there yelling too? I mean Bobby doesn't have anyone yelling for him." Jack smiled. He was released from the hospital a couple of hours ago and insisted on coming to the station with me and the girls.

I laughed. "Ah…alright alright." I walked up between Sofi and Camille and decided to join in. "Where's Bobby Mercer? I demand to see him right now! I swear, don't you make me take off my shoe!" I threatened

"Girl take off your shoe!" Camille encouraged. I could hear Jack practically howling in the background.

"If we don't see our boys right now…" Sofi started angrily. Then all of a sudden, Jerry was thrown out of a room against a wall. Camille ran up to him.

"... DON'T PUSH HIM LIKE THAT!" Camille yelled. A second later Angel came out with a busted lip.

"Oh baby! Oh God…are you ok?" Sofi asked, giving him a hug.

"I'm fine…" Angel replied.

"…It's…It's just a boo-boo…" Jerry insisted to Camille.

"Lemme see…No it's NOT just a boo-boo, somebody put their fist to your eye! Lemme see it!" she stubbornly tried to examine his face, while Jerry kept trying to resist.

"Oh God, you're bleeding baby…" Sofi whined to Angel.

"It's alright…you know I could take a punch…" Angel grinned. I was laughing along with Jack as we asked how our brothers were doing.

"Where's Bobby?" Angel asked.

As if on cue, Bobby came storming out of an interrogation room. "Lemme catch you on the street without that badge, I'll smack that smirk right off your face you punk!"

"Ima smack you Bobby…I told you not to let Jerry get hurt!" Camille said.

"He breathin."

Everyone started looking at me. "…………OH! My turn." I realized. I turned to Bobby and held his face. "Aw poor baby! Look…aw you're bleeding, sweetie."

"I'm fine, sis." I caught Bobby try to hold back a smile.

"No no no, look at your eye! Come here, pun-kin…" I baby-talked to him as I hugged his head. "You're not supposed to talk about people's mamas like that!"

"Well they talked about mine!" He tried to mumble through my jacket. I laughed and let go of him. Once I did, he gave me that loving brother look I had grown accustomed to and messed up my hair.

He walked to the front desk. "Let me get my property!"

End Flashback

We walked into our room, which was now on the second floor, and unloaded. I had to admit, I was a bit apprehensive to start college. Should I really be going to school at a time like this? I asked myself. College was going to be tough. I'll probably be locked in my dorm every night studying.

"Oh hey, Tai." Jack called. I looked across the room.

"Here, you don't want to lose these." He passed my registration papers along. Angel put his jacket down at the same time. The perverted picture that was taken of me fell out of his coat pocket. As I retrieved my papers, I tried to pick up the picture as well. But Angel beat me to it.

"I think it's best we destroy this." He insisted. He took one more look at it and narrowed his eyes. "…….Where did you learn to wear underwear like this?"

"Now, see that's what I want to know." Bobby interjected. "No woman buys black lacy underwear unless she wants somebody to see it." All eyes were on me.

"…They were a gift?"

I was suddenly bombarded with every pillow in the room. "Ha, let's see if you can have these back!" I said, keeping all of them to myself.

The phone rang before they could respond. "Why would the front desk be calling at this hour?" I asked. I answered anyway. "Hello?"

"Hi this is the front desk. Is this the room of…" the man paused. "Shecky Jenkins?" I looked at Jerry and rolled my eyes.

"Yes. This...This is Shecky Jenkins' room."

Bobby smacked Jerry's head as he mouthed, 'WHAT?'

"There seems to be a message for a young lady in his company." I felt my heart beat faster.

"Do you know who left it?'

"He didn't leave his name, but he did leave a bottle of whiskey and a box of roses." I stared at my brothers one at a time. Bobby seemed to get the message and cocked the gun that was currently in his hand. "Would you come and pick it up or would you like someone to send it to you?" The man on the other line asked.

"Um…we'll have someone send it up." I replied. "Thank you." And I hung up. "Someone sent us a bottle of whiskey and roses."

"It's Sweet." Bobby immediately spoke up. "He knows where we are…SHIT!" he yelled and ran his hand over his hair.

"We don't know that for sure, Bobby. So just calm down." Jack said.

"Calm down? There are men out there waiting to kill Tatyana and you want me to calm down! Who else could've sent it Jackie?"

"Jack's right man. It's not doin us any good to be buggin. So just calm your shit down." Angel defended.

Someone started knocking. I was about to get up and answer it, but Bobby gave me a signal that told me to stay seated. He put his pistol behind his back and looked through the peep hole. "Can we help you?"

"Yeah. Uh, delivery for…Sh-Shecky…Jenkins?"

Bobby quickly opened the door and grabbed the things. "Thanks." he quickly closed the door and double locked it.

Jerry took the bottle from Bobby and examined it. "…This was Ma's favorite…wasn't it? She only drank it when we were around…" he reminisced.

Bobby put down the box of roses and opened it. I looked over Angel's shoulder. "…Poison ivy." I said. Jerry turned to me.

"How do you know?"

"Biology class, sophomore year." I replied. My eyes wandered to the note that was next to it. "Read that card."

Bobby, who was still wearing gloves, grabbed the note read it. "Roses are red, violets are blue, they're gonna need you're dental records to identify you……"

I scoffed and turned to sit on the bed. "That's original."

Bobby however wasn't as calm as I was. He ripped the card to shreds and threw the box of roses in the trash. He then picked up the bottle of whiskey and threw it out the window. We all heard it shatter.

"You know…" he started. "…I am all of a sudden feeling very awake." We all nodded and decided it may be best to keep driving.

A/N: Next chapter, the Mercers are finally arriving at University of Michigan! I may have to wait until Saturday to update though. Hope u enjoyed this little chappy! You guys are the best readers! I love u all so damn much!

Elven-Princess Ginny: yeah, since she's a mercer, I thought, this girl should know a couple of things. Haha thanks for reading and reviewing!

dieselrodriguez: oh ic ic. Aw thanks! don't be afraid of posting. Most people here are really nice and they'll be constructive with their criticism. If not u can always say, "Hey…fuck you." lol

Death By Teacup: wow that's a real compliment! Thank you! Lol if I had written the script to "four brothers" Jackie would've lived! Lol and I'd have garrett hedlund and myself locked in a room together. Lol thanks for reading and reviewing! Cant wait to hear more from u!

Lovebuggy: haha "SEX" and "JACK MERCER" belong in the same sentence! Sex and the nekkidness…CANT WAIT TO READ IT! I was barely in 3rd period and I was already starting to think about where my fic should go. Then I drifted off thinking about garrett's fine ass...I must've been smiling like a fool cuz my friend started laughing at me! haha I would so love to RULE THE KINGDOM OF JACK! New religion: Jackism…where we all worship the sex that is Jack Mercer/Garrett Hedlund!

Zoe: thanks, glad ur lovin it!

Nighttime Writer: US History SUCKS! It's over, it's done…why do we need to learn it? Are we ever gonna use it in the future? No cuz it's HISTORY! Haha thanks for reviewing. Ur story is so awesome Im completely addicted to it too!

Darkdestiney2000: thanks! well she did grow up around Bobby…lol

Jessica: thanks! yeah I decided that I wanted to let u guys know that she has bonded with ALL of them one on one…though now I need to do a flashback with Angel. It'll probably be next chapter or so.

Annie: I was actually thinking about having an epilogue today. I think I might…though the way im planning for it to end…I may not. But who knows! Thanks for reading! Cant wait to read more of ur reviews!

babiixmahal: salamat! Haha that scene actually happened to me and my bro…not the whole getting jumped in the stall and me getting to kick some guys ass…but yah u get it. lol

ephona: thanks hun!

Damn school…first day and I was already falling asleep my 6th period. I always look forward to reading reviews after school though! They make my day…I know I know: I need to get a life. lol