To stand by him

Hello, i have updated. School starts in a couple days and that freaking sucks! But i have first period spare so I'll be able to get my writing in then hopefully :) Anyways hope you enjoy the chapter.

"Was nice knowing ya."

"Teddy!" Chris scolded as we sat in the take out.

"Oh come on Chambers what could Ace want other then to beat her up?" He asked taking a drink of his beer.

"I don't know." Chris admitted. "But he said he wasn't going to hurt her."

"Right cause he's been a straight shooter his whole life right?"

"Well he is brutally honest when describing someone." I said taking a drink of water.

"So you're stupid enough to trust him?" Teddy demanded.

"No, But I am stupid enough to go to the meeting." I muttered into my glass taking another drink hoping that could help me avoid answering questions.

"You're gonna go?" Teddy asked wide eye'd.

"I don't have a choice now do I?"
"I have another solution-" Teddy started but I cut him off.

"For the last time I am not running away to Mexico." I snapped he held up his hands in mock defense and then took another drink.

"Anna look as much as I think you should go as well, Teddy is just saying that you don't stand a chance against him if he does want to beat you." Gordie said speaking for the first time since we showed up.

"Gordie is kinda right, I mean your fighting is a bit pathetic-" Chris stopped abruptly seeing my glare, "Teddy she is not fat!" Chris yelled trying to take the anger off him by making it seem like Teddy said something. I rolled my eyes and looked at the clock.

"Well I better go." I said standing up.

"Good luck." Gordie said.

"Can you all do me a favour?" I asked, they nodded. "Can at lease one of you look like you're gonna see me again?" They smirked and then laughed.

"See you later, whether in spirit or human form we'll see ya." Teddy said and Chris and I headed out of the take out.

Sitting in Chris' truck we didn't talk. What was there to talk about? We had already tried to figure out what Ace wanted but we always came back to him wanting to kick my head in, and then we would stop talking immediately.

I would be lying if I said Ace didn't scare me, he had almost made me dog food, held a knife to me, and burned a hole in my collar bone. Ace was twenty years old but was in no way an adult, he still acted like a vandal and an all around jerk.

But Ace was someone I felt like I could handle, he wasn't used to people standing up to him the way I do, I'm a smartass and a street rat as people had called me before, I could talk my way out of a lot of things and since Ace was brawn over brains I knew I could avoid him if I really tried. Of course Chris would just laugh at me if I said that since he's had to save me everytime I encountered him.

"We're here." Chris said getting out of the truck. I jumped out too and walked around the bowling alley to the back. It was empty.

"Maybe he ain't coming." Chris said knowing he was stupid for saying that.

Suddenly the back door burst open and out came Ace, and his gang pushing another boy out and onto the ground, the boy almost landed on me but Chris jumped out of the way pulling me with him so the kid fell flat on the pavement.

"Are you okay?" I asked moving to help him up.

"I didn't think you were gonna show." Ace smirked watching me help the poor kid up.

"I didn't really have a choice did I?" I demanded, as soon as the kid was on his feet he took off running.

"No you did." he smirked I crossed my arms over my chest and raised and eyebrow.

"What do you want?" I asked.

His gaze darted to Chris.

"get outta here." he said to him looking back at Chris his eyes widened.

'Hell no."

"Did I stutter? Get out of here!" Ace snapped at him.

"I am not leaving you alone with her."

"If you need to coddle her so much just wait at the end of the alley." He glared, Chris looked at me and was about to object when Ace snapped at him again "This isn't about beating her but that could change real quick now get outta here."

"Just go." I whispered to him he was reluctant but knew it was the best choice so he left walking backwards till he stood just outside the alley still watching.

"If I didn't know better I'd think he actually had feelings for you.' Ace smirked. "If he wasn't such a little shit."
"As opposed to a real man like you?' I asked sarcastically.

"Watch your mouth kid." he sneered at me. I kept my mouth shut and leaned against the wall a good five feet was between us and with the way his hands were lazily in his pockets I had a feeling he wasn't going to hurt me. Not yet anyways.

"You gotta talent you know that?" Rich asked. I turned my gaze to him and raised my eyebrow.

"The charm."
"My charm?" I asked.

"Yeah you know how you charm your way into getting guys to play poker with you and then you wipe them out?"
"I don't charm them, they're just idiots." Ace narrowed his eyes at me, without me knowing it I had called him an idiot since I had cleaned him out too. "What does this have to do with anything?"
"More then you think." Ace said taking a step closer, a step but that was it.

"You want your money back?" I asked.

"Yes but we'll let you keep it, we have something else in mind." I was done with them beating around the bush.

"Are you going to tell me or what?" I snapped.

"You know Nick Todd?" Eyeball asked.

"Should I?" I asked, the name was familiar, very but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"You hustled him a month ago, tall dark hair had a crucifix on his neck." Eyeball explained.

Right I remember him, I remember him because he said nothing when I beat him he just stood up and walked away, I had never had someone just say nothing before.

"yeah I remember."

"Well see that's why we wanted to make a deal with you." Ace said leaning against the brick wall on his left arm another foot closer.

"What kind of deal?"
"ya see, Nick has something of mine and I want it back."
"He's not gonna play me again." I said shaking my head, no one is that stupid to play me twice. "If thats what you're thinking."
"You're a con man, figure out a way to get what I want back."
"What is it anyway?" I asked, Ace looked back at his gang for a minute then back at me.

"It's a key."
"Key to what?" I asked getting nosy.

"That's non of your concern." he snapped at me again.

"So what I get you this key and then what?"

"The deal is that you get me that key, and we won't mess with you, or Chris again, might even forget about what you did to us forever."

"That's it? You leave us alone?" I asked, it was a little odd, he wanted me to get him a key and in return he wouldn't harm me or Chris again. "I don't even know if he'll give up that key for a bet." I said thinking about how I would get it.

"Maybe you could use that Pretty face of yours to get into his house.' Eyeball smirked I glared at him. "What it'd work on me." my glare remained for another moment.

"Okay so I get you the key, you leave me and Chris alone?" he nodded.

"But you gotta get it within a month time." Ace said.

"And if I refuse this?" I asked. He smirked before reaching out his hand and fiddling with the end of my shirt.

"We won't just be beating your body." he winked I smacked his hand away in pure disgust.

"Hell is filled with people like you." I said he laughed and moved away from me.

"We have a deal?"
"I get you the key, and you leave Me, Chris, Gordie, Teddy, Vern, Marcie, and my family alone." I said he smirked pretending to think about it.

"Deal." he said.

"Wait, you gotta leave them alone while I'm in the process of getting it as well."

"Alright." I stared at his outstretched hand contemplating what to do. I knew what I had to do, but was making a deal with the biggest hood in the country a good idea? He was threatening to do what I was already trying to avoid with someone else. I didn't need more of it, the idea was appealing, get the key and my friends and family are safe.

"What happens if I don't get the key?" I asked him.

"Fair game." Eyeball said.

"Fair game?" I asked not understanding.

"Yeah basically anyone's ass is ours." so nothing changes.

I knew it was stupid but I knew what I had to do.

"If I don't do it, my ass is yours no one else's." then finally outstretched my hand. They didn't hesitate, Ace gripped my hand harshly in his huge one. He didn't shake it just held it.

Looking into his eyes I saw the cold ice walls that had to have started being put there years before. His smirk held firm but I didn't break until he released my hand.

"One month." he said and then they headed out of the alley.

Chris came running towards me.

"You okay?" he asked running his hands up and down arms, I nodded.

"What did he want?"

"I have to get a key."

"A key?"
"yeah I get a key, and in return he leaves everyone alone, forever."
"Forever?" he asked completely shocked. "You take his word for it?" he asked.

I actually did, I knew that he was a snake and a jerk but that key meant a lot to him for needing my help and I think for that reason he'd be willing to do anything to get it.

"Well what does the key do?" He asked I shrugged.

"I have to get it from Nick Todd." I said.

"Nick Todd? You have your work cut out for you. He's about as secretive as the pentagon." shit.

"I have a month to get it." I said, Chris didn't need to know about what would happen if I didn't get it, not yet anyways.

"Then we better figure out how you're gonna get it." Chris said. I nodded.

Get a key, it sounded easy enough. I just didn't want to admit that, I was lying to myself and getting that key was going to be the start of a damn nightmare.

Yay! okay so please review and comment let me know what you think :) Have a great day