Chapter 3

By the time dinner came around everyone but Jesse was tired and ready for bed thanks to Jacob and his three year old energy.

Mia was glad to be in the kitchen with me and Letty. "We're young, energetic women. Women all over are dealing with three years old on a daily basis, how can we not keep up with Jacob?"

"Well, one we're not used to having Jacob around and two, we may be young, but he is younger. And has more energy than all of us put together." I said as I helped Mia cook dinner.

" 'Cept for Jesse. He can keep up with him." Letty said sitting on the counter. "But that's only because of his ADD. Though I'm sure soon enough he'll start getting tired, but then he'll be back up and going again."

Mia nodded, "I sometimes wish i had some of his energy."

I nodded, "Be nice." I paused, turning and looking into the living room seeing the guys, Hayley and Jacob. "They seem to be taking to him well enough. Though they still have to get used to having him around."

Mia smiled and put and arm around me, "Hey, Brian and Jesse have already gotten used to him. It'll only be a matter of time until Vince, Leon and Jesse do the same."

"Yeah, besides whether they like it or not, he's staying cause where ever you are, he's gonna be, at least til he's eighteen and since you're here, so is he." Letty said, still on the counter, giving me a look that said 'they' meant Hayley.

I sighed, " I know Hayley doesn't like me but she as no reason to not like him. He's only three he hasn't done a thing to her and she's been treating him like crap since he got here."

Letty shook her head, "She needs a serious attitude adjustment. And I'm just the girl to give it to her." She said, hopping off the counter.

I grabbed her arm lightly, "No, Letty, I'll talk to her. It's my fight. Not yours. I'll talk to her when i have a minute alone with her. But if she says anything and she winds up with a bruise, blame me." I said smiling a bit. "You could help us you know."

Letty smiled, "I could yes, but i won't. Besides the guys have gotten quiet and that's not good so I'ma go check on them." She said, walking out of the kitchen, leaving me and Mia.

Mia shook her head, "Dom asks for her help, she does it. We ask, she walked off."

I laughed, "She's in love, leave her alone. I used to do the same thing."

"So what? You don't love Leon anymore?"

"Why would you assume i was talking about Leon?" I asked, looking at her.

"Because you were utterly in love with him. We all saw it." Mia said simply.

"Point? That was then this is now. He has a girlfriend and i have Jacob to think about now." I said softly, looking at what i was cutting.

"So? I mean you guys are still friends. So he has Hayley and you have Jacob but you can't be friends because of it?" Mia crossed her arms and leaned on the counter with her hip and looked at me.

"I'm not saying that okay. I know you were insinuating a relationship with me and Leon again but i don't think that will work out, not again."

"Why?"

"To be honest. I don't know. I do know that we have our own things to deal with now."

"Okay, but i can see it now. You and Leon will get back together because i said so. Even if i have to lock the two of you in the garage for a week i will do it." Mia said determined and turned back to what she was doing.

I laughed,"I'll be back. I have to make a phone call." I said, washing my hands and drying them. I walked into the living room and grabbed my cell, which was next to Jesse and Leon and turned it on, dialing the familiar number.

"Hello?" A voice said from the other side.

"Hey Drew, what's up? It's Anna." I said, sitting next to Vince on the couch.

"Hey Anna. Nothing much, just the normal stuff going down. How's it going with you and Jacob?" He asked, having been called this morning about it.

"Pretty good. He's happy." I said, as Vince looked at me, silently asking who i was talking to.

'A friend.' I mouthed back. "How's Jaime?" I asked Drew, facing the game Leon and Jesse were playing.

"She's good, about due too."

"She looked ready to pop last i saw her." I said, crossing me legs.

"Uh huh, that's because she's having twins."

"Oh, double trouble then." I said, "How's Scott?" I asked lightly, standing up and walking to the stairs, Vince still listening to my side of the conversation, unknown to me.

"Scott is better. Still in jail but, he's getting there. They're releasing him." He said lightly.

I heard movement and figured he must be going somewhere more private like I had. "He needs to stay there." I said, shaking my head. "After what he did to Kylie I'm surprised they'd let him go."

"Yeah well you know he's gonna come after you when he gets out right?" Drew said, letting out a breath.

"Yeah, cause i put him there is what he said but i didn't. I didn't tell the cops he nearly killed his girlfriend by beating within and inch of her life, that he killed the baby she was carrying or that he decided to have a little fun and rape her when he was done." I said, looking into the living room and seeing Vince and held back a laugh seeing him sit back up knowing he was caught.

"No you didn't but you were the one that told me and i told the cops and he knows you saw so he only figures, in his demented head that you blabbed and now he has to get to you. He just doesn't know where you are."

"You're not gonna tell him are you?"

"Would i do that to you? No, you're my girl and you know it. I wouldn't tell him nothing about where you are. But if he goes to the right people, he can find out." Drew said as he let out a breath and i knew he was smoking.

"I know but he is the one guy that can scare me and no one can do that. We all saw how she looked. When is he supposed to get out anyway? So i have a heads up." I said quietly, knowing no one could hear me.

"Three months at the most. Kylies attorney said he'd call once he got all the details. And when he does I'll give you call alright?" Drew said, as he put out his cigarette.

I nodded,"Thanks bro. I owe you."

"No I owe you for getting me Jaime. If it wasn't for you..."

"You'd still be wanting her instead of actually having her." I said with a smile as I stood up and went down the stairs.

"Yes, so see. I owe you, that's why I'm doing this. I'll call you later girl, well, wait actually, Jaime wants to talk to you know." Drew said as I sat back down next to Vince, hitting his leg mouthing eavesdropper. He just looked at me then turned back to the game, i sighed knowing we'd talk later.

"No, don't you dare... Hi Jaime." I said as the phone was passed and a squeal came out. I held the phone from my ear. "Ow."

"What was that?" Leon asked, turning around and looking at me, getting distracted and losing, though not caring.

"That would be Jaime. New Yorks largest rat." I said putting the phone back to my ear.

"No funny Anna." She said as I laughed.

"Yes it is."

"So who was that?"

"Leon." I said simply.

"Oh, Leon Leon? The Leon you couldn't stop talking about?"

"I could too." I mumbled.

"Yeah, after we stopped you. But the Leon you wanted to get home to, the Leon whom you still love on the off occasion you don't have a boyfriend?" Jaime rambled.

"Jesus." I muttered, "Yeah Jaime, now lay off that okay? Or I'll tell Drew about Jake."

Jaime gasped, "You wouldn't."

"I would and you know it."

"Fine, no more Leon questions."

"Thank you." I said, shaking my head a bit as Mia walked out, saying dinner was cooking and would be ready in half an hour.

"Who was that?"

"God you are so nosy. That was Mia. And any other voice you hear will either be Dom, Brian, Jesse, Vince, Jacob, Letty or Hayley." I mouthed sorry to Letty as she gave me a look for putting her name next to Hayley's then smiled.

"You hear about Scott?" Jaime asked, calming down.

"Yeah i did hear about Scott."

"He's supposed to be getting out on 'good behavior'." Jaime said.

"Good behavior? They're letting him out on that? You're kidding right?" I almost yelled, causing everyone to look at me and Mia to walk out of the kitchen.

"I know, ridiculous huh? Scott have good behavior, since when?" Jaime said, her voice sad.

"How's Kylie Jaime? Drew wouldn't say."

"She died Anna. A month or so after you left. We tried contacting you but could never get you. I Know you were close to her, said she reminded you... of um..."

"Of Letty, yeah." I said lightly, tears coming to my eyes as i quickly wiped them away, Vince moving so Mia could sit down next to me. "So why's he getting out? I mean shouldn't he be charged with murder or something?"

"Nope. Doctors ruled the reason she died wasn't because of him but her heart, it failed. So no, they can't."

"Jesus. Couldn't they get that it was because of him that her heart failed? What he did to her?" I said, tears filling my eyes again as i put my head down. "You guys had my cell number. You could have gotten a hold of that."

"We tried Anna, believe me. But it always said person is not in a service area or the number was busy." Jaime spoke softly as she cried.

I let out a shaky breath and looked around at the other, who had concerned looks on their faces. "Hey, James, I'ma go, kay? I promise I'll call you when i have time, alright?"

"Yeah, I'll see ya Anna." Jaime said , then hung up the phone.

I hung up and set the phone down and ran a hand through my hair, resting my forehead on my palms.

Mia rubbed my back, "What happened sweetie?"

"My friend Kylie, died. Because of some... jerk." I said lightly. "She reminded me a lot of Letty. Style, attitude and all."

Letty smiled a bit, "What happened?"

Dom looked at me, "You don't have to talk about it..."

"No, i have to. So that way you guys know what's going on and can help when stuff goes down." I said, and looked at Jacob who was too preoccupied with his toys to bother with what we were talking about.

"Stuff goes down? Anna's what's going on?" Vince asked from the doorway.

I sighed and began my story, "Scott was nice and fun to be around, that's what Kylie loved about him most. He was also well connected. They'd been dating for eight years when i met them. It was their anniversary. I was bartending and Scott came up to the bar and stood right on top of it and screamed that he loved her and would kill any man who raised a hand to her. I laughed, i couldn't help it, reminded me of Jesse. This is the part that don't. First things were great but then she couldn't go anywhere with My and Jaime without him asking all these questions. Where, how long will you be gone, when will you be back. He started drinking and getting angry really easy. Then she got pregnant and she was so happy and was sure he would be too. That he'd stop drinking and getting angry and they'd get married, raise that kid the way it deserved. But he wasn't and he didn't. When she told him, he just snapped, yelled at her, calling her all these names, and asking if he was the father. He shoved me into a closet, locked it and they began fighting." I said, crying softly, wiping at my eyes again.

Letty walked over and sat next to me on the other side.

"Then he hit her. I thought, okay you know he got that out but then he didn't stop. He started kicking her and hitting her until she couldn't move anymore. She was so bloody and bruised. About ten, twenty minutes later he stopped and stared at her, raped her and then left, leaving me in the closet and her on the ground bleeding. It was coming from everywhere. Her face, arms, legs, other places. So I started throwing myself at the door, I thought, if I could get to her I could save that her and that baby. I finally got out and called for help, but by the time they got to the hospital, she'd already lost the baby and was in a coma. He'd made her hit her head a few times. I called Drew and he came to the hospital and I told him everything i saw. He went to the police and I gave a statement and Scott was put on trial. They put him in jail for attempted murder and abuse. But he's getting out in three months at the most Drew says. On good behavior." I laughed cynically, "Right. The minute he gets out he's going to come after me and i know it. We all do. All he has to do is go to right people and they'll tell him anything he wants to know."

They guys had a slight glare in their eyes as they looked at the ground and the girls had tears in their eyes.

I wiped my eyes again and sniffled, "He'll come after me and everyone i care about. That's why i didn't want to stay here Mia. He'll find me and hurt one of you and i can't have that. You're my family."

"You're ours too." Dom said looking up at me, "And your staying. We'll look after you and Jacob, don't worry about that."

"That's not what I'm worried about." I said lightly.

"Then what?" Leon asked quietly from his spot.

"If he's capable of doing that to Kylie, a girl he was in love with, imagine what he could do to an enemy. Or someone he doesn't know."

"You saying you're worried about our safety?" Jesse asked from beside Leon.

"Yeah. I am. I don't care about me. I care about you guys and Jacob and my family." I said looking at him

"We'll handle it. We still have a few months so let's just worry about it when it comes down to it. We'll deal with it when the time comes until then, don't let on that we know, he might have someone watching. If he's as well connected as you say, then he probably does." Brian said as everyone nodded.

Mia stood up and went into the kitchen and came back out ten minutes later. "Dinners done." She said as we all stood up and went to eat dinner.

Hayley let out a breath, 'Crap.' She thought to herself. 'Scott's gonna kill me.'

Well, that's the end of that one, hope you all enjoyed it... With Scott coming, everyone'll be on edge. read and review please!!!!