Chapter 1

This chapter has quite a bit of Alexander mentions but that is how Ben and Jordan meet.

*

I sighed tossing my controller onto the couch beside me and looked at the clock in the corner of my cell phone screen. My recently dialled numbers showed that I had called my housemate Alexander fifteen times throughout the previous night and James, his ex, eight times.

My best friend, basically brother, Alexander had convinced me he would be fine going out with the asshole that cheated on him six years ago when he was fourteen. I didn't trust James, he had always been an asshole. I wasn't entirely okay with letting Alexander hang out with him but when it came down to it, even though I was seven months older than him, Alexander was an adult.

Now it was almost eleven in the morning and he had not answered any of my calls. I had not slept at all. Maybe I was overreacting but I really felt like his older brother, and he was easy to mess with, always had been because it took him a while to stand up for himself – if he ever did.

I sighed scrolling down through my contact list until my finger paused hovering over Alexander's boyfriend, Sergio's name. I had stolen his number just in case because Sergio was involved in a lot of gang-related shit that Alexander had been caught up in during the past few months. I shook my head deciding against scaring him if Alexander wasn't with him. Scaring him? Come on. He was the leader of one of the two most notorious gangs our and surrounding towns, he probably had a tracker in Alex's phone and would know if he needed help. Hopefully Sergio had enough sense to let me know if anything happened to Alexander.

I scoffed to myself. Of course he wouldn't.

I dialled Sergio's number and grit my teeth as it rug. When the call reached his voicemail, I hung up before I tried again, getting the same result.

"Fuck it," I muttered grabbing my keys. Alexander wouldn't spend the night with James, so he had to be with Sergio. If he was, I was going to kill him for not calling me and if he wasn't, I was going to kill Sergio if anything happened to him.

Locking out apartment, I took to my car before I sped off towards Sergio's house.

I stopped outside of the two-story decent looking house before I made my way to its door. I knocked but received no answer. I tried again, still nothing, I lifted my hand to repeat the motion but the door swung open to reveal an annoyed-looking blond-haired man.

"Wh –"

"Is Alexander here?" I walked by him into the house.

"Maybe he is. Who the fuck are you?" A man on one of the couches said. I decided to ignore the question.

"Is your boss here?" I looked at him before I shook my head, "Alex!" I began to make my way towards the hallway but the blonde guy from earlier grabbed my arm. He attempted to pull me back but I jerked my arm from his and turned to him. "Don't touch me." I warned calmly.

He looked surprised before he narrowed his eyes and grabbed my shoulder with his right hand, I caught his wrist with my right and pulled his hand passed my chest turning him around before I shoved his back to push him away from me. I felt like he wasn't really trying. They probably thought I was like Alexander, they were wrong. I wouldn't back down from a fight and I would never let anyone push me around. He turned back to me but someone else moved before he could.

I dodged as the man that had been on the couch swung his fist at me before he reached for his gun but I twisted it from his hand as soon as he took it from its holster. I had done Jujitsu for most of my life. When I wasn't at school or parties I was in Jujitsu tournaments, so I was confident that I could disarm anyone – if I wasn't, I would have undoubtedly been shot.

"Isn't this a little cowardly?" I chuckled before I looked towards the door as it opened to reveal Sergio.

"Sergio –" the blond began but Sergio's eyes moved to me.

"Jordan?" Sergio spoke, he didn't sound surprised. I was going to kill Alexander for not telling me he was going to sleep here.

Sergio's brows rose as he saw the gun in my hand. I looked behind him, only more people I presumed he 'worked' with. Did he drop Alexander off at our house or something?

I looked at the guy I had taken the gun from as he snatched his gun out of my hand, but he didn't move to attack me again and just put it away looking annoyed and slightly embarrassed. I almost smirked.

"Where's Alex?" I asked looking back at Sergio. He stopped walking and I felt my chest tighten.

"He's not with you?" He asked slowly.

I shook my head.

"I tried to call him, I thought you guys were hanging out and he couldn't answer," Sergio said.

I lifted my hands to run them through my hair. I knew it. I knew I never should have let him go with James.

"James?" Sergio asked. Had I said that out loud? "We'll track his cell phone location and you can check in with the others. We'll have a look at James' place."

"How do you –" I began but I was cut off by blonde's phone blaring. I looked at him as he looked at his cell phone screen and furrowed my brows. He looked very familiar... Had I seen him around Alexander before? No...

"Ben." Blonde snapped out of the trance he had went into when he had looked at his phone, which was still ringing in his hand, and looked at Sergio.

"Uh... I have to go." Ben said walking out as he answered his phone with a, 'What's up?'

I grit my teeth watching him drive off before I looked back at Sergio who was mumbling to his men before they left and he looked at me.

"Sorry about Ben, he doesn't like Alex much."

Even though I didn't like James in the least, I still wanted to know where he was. This Ben sounded like a complete piece of shit.

Where had I seen him before?

"If they're not at James' house," Which I believed 100%, "And something happened to him because of you..." I glared at Sergio. "I don't care who you are." I muttered. His hardened eyes stared back at me before I shoved by him to make my way to my car.

I started my car before I froze. The hospital. That's where I had seen Ben before. After my little brother got shot...

I was alone and in the hospital cafeteria, still feeling guilty about leaving Ezra in that park alone and some man bought me coffee because he said I looked like I needed it. That man was Ben.

*Flashback*

I stared outside watching the cars in the hospital parking lot come and go. This place had a gloomy feel, I hated hospitals. Most people smiled coming in but there's no way all is good when you're walking into a hospital.

I shut my eyes taking in a breath through my nose before I held it but my eyes shot open and I let out a light gasp as the shots run through my ears and I watched Ezra fall. I tried to run to him, but I was too slow. I remember so much blood and no response from him, I don't think my heart beat at all when I saw him fall. I clenched my fist.

I was so stupid. How could I leave a child alone in a park?!

He seemed pretty happy when he was awake but his doctor said he wasn't sleeping well. Of course not. His brother had abandoned him. I was supposed to protect him...

"Hey." Seriously? Fucking seriously? Did I look like I was here for a blind date?

I didn't turn my gaze from the window as the male sat down across me. The table was a small round one, and his knee brushed my own as he sat down.

"It's a really clean window, isn't it?" I looked at him to see him smile at his own little joke. I would have too if I didn't feel like crap. I followed his hand as he pushed a cup across the table to me.

"What's this?" I mumbled.

"Coffee. You look like you need it." I almost snorted at the ridiculousness of his statement. I need more than coffee.

"Thanks." I said flatly giving him a glare, he answered with a smile. I lifted my hands to rub my face before I leaned back and resumed my car and people gazing.

"You waiting for someone or waiting to see someone?" He asked, I didn't reply, "I'm waiting for someone. You could call me a babysitter." I really couldn't care less what or who you are... "I guess I shouldn't complain, he's here to see his brother. I don't have brothers. Do you? You look like you do. You have that protector vibe." he chuckled.

I looked at the coffee and took the cup slowly. If I finish this will he leave? I lifted it and took a sip. I hadn't eaten properly for a few days and the cream tasted amazing. I felt like I didn't deserve to taste this while my brother was in hospital because of me.

He was silent the rest of the time and I almost felt... calm in the silence between us. He joined my gazing sipping quietly until he finished his coffee. Then he just sat there as I drank. My phone buzzed on the table and I opened the message from my mother. She was telling me not to sit in my room all day and come see my brother. She didn't know that I had been here all day.

"You should do that." the man said. I glared at him again as I pushed my cup to him to show him I was done and he could leave.

"Hey... It'll be okay."He said seriously.

I turned to look back outside instead of answering him. I heard him lift the cups as he got up before he left the table, I didn't watch him walk out.

*End Flashback*

I clenched my jaw again as I watched Sergio back out of the driveway. He must have sent Ben to do that because he felt guilty for somewhat being the cause of a child being harmed. I scoffed. They're both sadistic pieces of shit.

I had felt incredibly guilty about being such an ass to a friendly person, but now I knew he was nothing like the act he had put on when we met.

I shook my head to clear it. I would go to Shiloh and Clair's houses to see if Alexander was there but I would not tell them he seemed to be missing if he was not. They did not need to worry, I'm sure we would find him. These lowlifes had to be good for something, right? Sergio even knew where James lived and I did not.

I glared at their house again as I tightened my grip on the steering wheel before I headed to Clair's house.

*