Chapter Three,

AMARI'S POV

I wake up more confused than I did going to sleep. Mallory's suggestion of tracking down my mysterious date is ringing in the back of my head. Should I?

A knock at the door comes and Mallory rushes in. "Come on Ri, you've slept in and your fiancé is here". My eyes widen, fiancé? I'd forgotten I had got engaged last night, amid everything else that had happened, Henry had been pushed to the back of my mind. After a quick shower and an hour of Mallory making sure I looked perfect, I was ready to face whatever was coming. Or so I thought.

"Good morning my beautiful Fiancée" Henry smiles, taking my hands into his. " What happened to your forehead?" He asks, taking his thumb and rubbing it along my now scabbed cut. "Never mind anyway, I thought we'd start off the morning by a horse ride along the beach, before a quite dinner reserved at the finest restaurant in town". The revolt to his proposition must have been written on my face, Henry begins to say something but my mother and father interrupt, by entering the room and he quickly shuts up.

"Amari! Henry! Lovely to see you together" My mother beams, "I heard of the engagement and I am just delighted for you! Now run along, off you both go on your date!"

The horse and carriage pulls up outside the front door and Henry sits himself down, without even helping me up. "What a gentleman" I scoff, under my breath.

"What was that?" He calls, his face turned up. I knew he had heard me but was questioning to see if I'd say it again.

"What lovely weather" I smile, gritting through my teeth. He nods and the awkward silence remains. "I don't fancy horse riding this morning Master Briggs, my forehead is hurting and I am quite hungry". Henry rolls his eyes and leans forwards.

"Whip! Whip! WHIP" He screams, annoyance clearly hinted by his tone. "We won't be attending the beach now, please just take us to the hilltop lake restaurant"

Wow, the hilltop lake restaurant was the most expensive place in our town, only the rich or the most important people dined here and in my entire eighteen years, I'd been a total of three times. Of course my father had been hundreds and quite clearly so had Henry as he began to fill my ears with all the shit food he likes to order from here. After thirty minutes of awkward, forced conversations we finally arrive. The carpark is full of ridiculously over-priced cars and motorbikes, but how could I say anything about ridiculous when Henry had us arrive in a horse and drawn carriage.

A small, petite blonde grabs my coat as we enter the building and Henry makes some disgusting comments about 'how she must fancy or want him' and that 'she wore a low-cut top on purpose so he would be exposed to looking at the size of her decent sized, perky tits'.

We are seated with a view of the lake and the poor blonde who took our coats, is now taking our orders too. Henry's previous comments and his overall hygiene, has made me lose my appetite completely so I just order a small salad with some chicken on the side, which of course results in more hideous comments from Henry.

"Aw I'm so glad you ordered a salad, I was immensely expecting you to be the type to order a pizza or something" He snarls, "I can't stand girls who don't look after their figures and eat junk food! Yuck!"

I rolled my eyes and decided to fire back, "That's rich coming from someone who has a pot belly and just ordered a hamburger patty with TWO portions of chips". I stand from the table and leave out the side door, beside the lake. I take out a cigarette and light it up.

I hear the side door open and I momentarily groan at the thought of Henry joining me outside.

"Hey you!" A warm, familiar voice calls. I turn to face him and my eyes catch them same emerald colour I'd come to fall for. It was my mystery guy. "I guess now would be the perfect time to introduce myself" He laughs and I nod. "I'm Taylor, Taylor Anderson".

FINALLY! Finally I knew his name!

"Hi Taylor" I beam, "I'm Amari and I am definitely not marrying him in there" We both let out a giggle and he runs his thumb along my arm. A shiver runs through my body and he leans in closer.

*BANG* BANG *BANG*

"Is that gunshots" I scream, Taylor in reaction to the gunshots had pushed me to the floor and was covering my body under his.

"Amari when I say follow me, I mean it!" His face is composed and his tone deadly. "I need you to run and not walk either". He ducks behind a rock and peers into the restaurant, "NOW! NOW! GO!"

We run towards the carpark amongst others fleeing and Taylor pulls a gun from his waistband. My heart sinks, I do not have a clue who this guy is and yet here I am trusting his word, following him to his car, whilst he has a gun? The fear and terror runs through my body as I slide into the passenger door of his jet-black, convertible car. A group of men rush from the restaurant, piling into their own cars, Taylor shoves the key into the ignition and floors the gas pedal.

My entire self is in shock, before I remember Henry. He had been in the restaurant during the time the gunshots went off and even though I did not like him, I had a sickening feeling that he had been caught in the cross fire and this was only the beginning of something much worse.

"FUCK! FUCK!" Taylor screams, smashing his hands against the steering wheel.

We arrive at a huge white stoned building, Taylor enters the key into the control panel and the gates open. The other cars that had fled the restaurant, were behind us, following.

"Taylor they're following! They're following us!" I scream, the words feel like they weren't even coming from my mouth.

"Yeah I know, Amari I need to tell you something!" Taylor whispers, he winds the windows up and turns the music up to full volume. "Listen to me, I need you to go along with what I'm about to say and I promise I will explain everything later". His eyes are wide and he's running his hands through his hair repeatedly. I nod, more agreeing through fear than in agreement. "My father is a dangerous man, he's the leader of The Nevada gang and if he finds out who you are, you'll meet the same fate as Henry".

My mouth dropped. Here I am, sat with the son of the most dangerous gang in America, opponents of my own father's gang. They were known for murdering for fun! Whilst also being told Henry was dead? and that I would be too if they found out? I don't even know what my own father would say, the destruction this could cause was immense. I had fallen for the son of my father's rival gang.