3

I ran inside my house and ran into my father and Devon

"Kayla, where were you? It's late and you know my rules, it's not safe."

I became furious at them

"You lied to me dad! I can't believe I was so clueless! And Devon I will never marry you! I don't care if your gangs want to join together I'm not doing it!"

I ran past them, up the staircase and ran to my bedroom, Devon ran after me shouting

"Kayla! Listen to us!"

I slammed the door, locked myself in my bedroom and crawled out through the window, I snuck past the guards. I got snagged and started to struggle, he turned me around and immediately covered my mouth before I screamed

"Stop it's me."

Connor let my arm go, I fixed my hair and whispered

"What are you doing here?"

He covered my mouth and said

"My brothers are here, play along."

He gently gripped my hands behind my back. I grew frightened when I saw them, his older brother said

"Well, well, well hello princess. Where's daddy?"

He grinned with deadly black in his eyes

"You know he never told anyone how beautiful his daughter was, bet he'd be livid if we were to hurt her."

Connor snapped

"That's not the deal Derek, stick with the plan!"

I was set up, the boy I crushed on had set me up. I attempted to fight, Derek grabbed my jaw violently and said

"Stop fighting."

Connor said

"Poor little Devon, too bad we have to kill her when dad finds out."

I couldn't be sure if he was serious or not, Derek said

"Take her before we're caught fool."

Connor picked me up, threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carried me to their nasty hideout. He laid me on the old, damaged bed

"You'll be safe here for now."

I hated him even more now, I remained silent. The room was gloomy and reeked like fresh blood, there were no windows and only a foul smelling bed. He bent down

"Wait here till midnight and we'll get out of here together."

I was frozen in fear, is he the enemy or friend, he grasped my hand and tenderly stroked it. They were soft, warm and gentle; he gazed at me with a glimpse of passion in his eyes. He whispered

"You don't have to marry him now."

Tyler came in

"Dad said to feed her, no torture needs to be given."

I was annoyed at him, at the same time frightened. Tyler appeared to see Connor cared, but he wasn't too obvious about it. Tyler left and Connor stood up

"We'll get out and nothing will happen to you, to this day I promise to take care of you."

I remained quiet and wrapped my arms around myself to stay warm. He stood up and went out of the room, he came back with a box of old leftover pizza. He asked

"Do you like pizza?"

I didn't answer him; I wasn't hungry; he sighed

"Kayla you need to eat something."

I snapped

"I don't have to do anything."

He kneeled down

"It will be okay; I promise."

I didn't say anything, he got up and said

"Be back at midnight."

Later that night at around midnight, the door unlatched, Connor and Tyler quickly came in and carried me out. I was frozen, it was cold and dark in the room. They put me in the passenger seat of a black truck that smelled like it was brand new, Tyler said

"Connor be safe and don't get caught."

Connor put his jacket on me and we left town, he said

"Kayla..."

I didn't reply, just sat silently. We pulled up to a deserted, fairly nice townhome in the middle of nowhere. He carried me inside and laid me in the bed, he threw a bundle of blankets on me so I could get warm. He slept on the love seat and I slept on the bed, the following morning I got up and he was gone from the love seat. I was in a guy's T-shirt and sweats that smelled like men's cologne. I carried on to the southern styled kitchen and asked

"Why'd you bring me here?"

He passed me a plate

"Please eat."

I shook my head with disgust

"I can't swallow that."

He smirked

"I didn't poison you."

I fixed my hair up into a ponytail

"Not what I'm saying, I'm a vegetarian, I don't consume meat."

He put the plate down

"Okay what do you eat?"

I crossed my arms

"Anything but meat or live animal."

He joked

"Does dead animal work?"

I got agitated

"Stop joking around if you want me to eat."

He asked with a slight laugh

"Do you eat eggs?"

I gave him a gross face

"Ew a baby chicken died because of that."

He chuckled

"Okay then what? I'm at a loss here. Not everyday you meet a vegan."

I suggested

"Do you have fruit and soy yogurt?"

He made every effort to hold it together from laughing

"How do you do it? I couldn't go a day without a good steak or hamburger."

I crossed my arms pissed off

"Those are living anim..."

He cut me off

"You have your opinion, I won't argue with you."

I rolled my eyes, he got smart with me

"Have you always been a vegetarian? Or is this something new?"

I got upset

"Are you making fun of me?"

He shook his head

"No but I don't understand how someone doesn't want meat."

I scoffed at him

"Forget the food, where are we?"

He smirked

"Far enough to keep you hidden."

I smirked

"You risk getting murdered for me? You're the enemy remember? How do I know this isn't a trap?"

He smiled

"Don't put it that way, makes me seem like I'm in love with you and holding you for myself."

I laughed

"You said it, not me."

He turned red

"Anyways you don't have to be forced to be married now. So live it up like a normal girl."

I looked up at him and smiled

"Thank you, I however don't understand why you'd risk getting killed for me."

He walked over ruining it he whispered

"You look good in my clothes by the way."

Then passed to the master bedroom, I rolled my eyes and teased

"You can quit looking at me."

He turned and gnawing on his lip

"Not a chance, there's too much to miss out on."

He threw on his coat

"Want to join me? We can stop at this vegan store nearby?"

I shook my head

"No I need some time."

He asked

"For?"

I started walking toward him

"I'm still confused about last night."

He frowned then his facial expression changed to angry

"I can take you back, I just did you a favor."

I asked slowly getting angry

"Why? Apparently we don't like each other at least not supposed to."

He laughed heartlessly

"I still don't like you, just fooling around with you by flirting."

I rolled my eyes

"Thanks... I knew you were a jerk but maybe you had some niceness in you but I was wrong."

He smirked

"Are you coming or am I taking you home? Pick one princess."

I yawned, walked to the bedroom to change and said

"You don't have to be a dick asking like that."

He slapped my butt as I passed by, I turned around and gave him an annoyed look

"You did not just do that after that nasty ass attitude."

He licked his bottom lip

"I just did. Hurry up princess, how bossy is that for you."

I smirked and rolled my eyes.

"Keep your hands to your side unless you wish to be dickless."

He smiled

"Who's flirting now?"

I rolled my eyes

"It's not flirting when I'm threatening you."

Someone knocked on the door, Connor said

"It's about time."

He unlocked the door, his brother and a girl walked in with a black duffel bag. She grinned at me

"Hi I'm Sandy, Tyler's fiancé and you're... Kayla?"

I crossed my arms

"Who's asking?"

Connor laughed

"Sandy don't take it personal she's feisty."

I threw him a mean look and she smirked at me

"He likes them like that its nothing to be embarrassed about."

Tyler handed Connor the gym bag

"Here's clothes, shoes, jacket, etc. Everything princess needs."

Just as I planned to say something, Connor snapped

"Lets go Tyler."

Sandy said

"Kayla you and I are staying to get you some clothes while they bring you some food, don't worry honey I have fashion taste and I'll take good care of you."

I peered angrily over at Connor, he was smirking. Sandy said

"Don't fear Connor he only seems like a hard ass."

I couldn't help but laugh, Connor and Tyler left. We went through the bag of clothes; she tossed clothes at me like I was some model in a race to find an adorable outfit before a runway show. She asked

"So what are you, a Diablo doing with a Shadow? Aren't you enemies?"

I threw a t-shirt on

"I'm not one of them."

She threw the next shirt at me

"Isn't your father like the boss man?"

I shrugged

"I guess he is but I don't choose to be about that world."

She threw a pair of jeans at me

"Sorry... but you were born into it, you still have enemies just because you are his daughter."

I sat down on the bed and sighed

"I know but why did Connor help me if I'm rejected by them so much?"

She folded the clothes that didn't fit

"I don't know love; he was supposed to be married this June but Connor will never know what his future is."

I stopped and asked with concern

"He's engaged?"

She smiled and chuckled

"Unbelievable huh? Weren't you to Devon?"

I sighed and frowned

"I didn't know until he blurted it out at me, that's why I'm so devoted to living out here, I'm not ready for that."

She sat down next to me

"You guys can resolve this rivalry crap ya know."

I looked up at her confused

"Pardon me?"

She nodded her head with a small smirk forming

"If you two got married, it brings the gangs together."

I laughed

"Do you get how ridiculous you sound? You just mentioned he's engaged and I truly have no interest in marrying anyone, I'm 16, I have a whole life ahead of me and I dont even see that ever..."

Connor and Tyler walked in cutting off what I was about to say

"Find some clothes?"

After what she had told me, I couldn't look at him the same. Sandy and Tyler left and I didn't talk to Connor until he asked

"What's wrong with you princess?"

I glanced at him

"You're engaged so why are you flirting with me?"

He laughed as he placed his hand on my shoulder, his breath smelled like cigarette again

"I was princess; Crystal is just another girl looking to make it important in business. I have zero interest in her but business is business"

I looked away

"It's not my concern, business is business to you and that wont change."

He smiled and chuckled

"Jealousy is cute on you."

I rolled my eyes and sarcastically said

"I'm quite jealous over a douchebag and stop toying with me because we will never be a thing."

He bit his lip

"What else did she mention?"

I shrugged my shoulder

"That was it."

He nodded his head

"Well what do you prefer to do?"

I smirked

"Because I know what there is to do."

He smiled

"You're adorable when you're sassy."

I glanced at him

"You're engaged."

He laughed

"Your smart ass comments just draw me in more."

I looked down to laugh and looked at him again

"Drawn to me, huh?"

He joked as he smiled

"Perhaps for a night."

I scoffed and looked away

"You boys are all the same."

He grinned

"I was joking Mrs. sensitive."

I asked

"Is it true that if we got married that our gangs will join as one?"

He smirked and became agitated

"I knew she told you, but yes, don't worry about that ever happening okay?"

I asked

"Why? Was that your purpose of bringing me here?"

He chuckled and shook his head

"Kayla I am absolutely not making arrangements to marry you or anyone, I'm 17 but likewise if we were to run off and do so, it could go another way."

I stared at him with a mind full of questions

"What do you mean?"

He sighed and rubbed his forehead

"Say we weren't the children of the leaders and we did, we'd be killed or forced out of the gang."

I stared at him concerned, he added

"We're next in line to become leaders, if we did; we'd unite as one unless our father's decide otherwise."

I exhaled

"I'm not part of them, I want nothing to do with that."

He moved closer, smelling like mixture of cologne and cigarettes with a trace of marijuana

"It doesn't make a difference you're still the daughter of the Diablo leader."

I sat quietly, he asked

"Are you still angry at me?"

I whispered as I looked into his hazel eyes

"I was never angry at you."

He stared into my eyes then looked at my lips but quickly got up

"You're marrying Devon and I have to give Crystal a chance."

I looked up at him

"What?"

He replied frantically

"We leave at the crack of dawn."

I got up and crossed my arms

"You need to make up your mind what you're doing. The purpose of coming here was to escape from that now you want to go back, don't you realize it's too late to go back?"

He gazed at me with affection

"As much as I want this to be something, we can't be together Kayla. It wouldn't be the right thing to do."

I looked at him confused

"I assumed you were joking about saying you had interest in me."

He shook his head

"Being around you makes me weak and I can't have that standing next in line for becoming leader."

I stood up

"Then you made up your mind because I was beginning to like you and perhaps maybe even love you."

He stared at me and laughed as he shook his head

"Love? You can't love me and I can't love you, we both are aware of this Kayla."

I walked passed him

"Good to know this is funny to you."

He grasped my arm, pulled me into his arms and kissed me. I jerked away

"Too late for that, we can go back tomorrow."

I threw his arms down off of my shoulders and walked to the room the rest of the night.

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To answer the question about Kayla being related to Casey (Passion Series). YES they are cousins AND Casey will be featured in this story later on. Kayla is also featured in Passion's first book. Thanks :)

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