Chapter Chapter Seven

I wander aimlessly through the corridors, not knowing where my feet were taking me as I end up outside, sitting on a brick wall, leaning my head back, looking at the stars above me.

“Mummy!” I hear as my eyes dart towards the sound.

“Cody” I breathe out as I run to them and take him in my arms as I fall to my knees.

“Kitten!” Jayden embraces both of us as I’m hugged tighter than I had ever been before.

“Sam?” Damien’s voice calls out behind them as my eyes dart to his.

“Damien!” I cry as I burst from my family’s arms and go to him.

“Taylor…Where is he?” He looks into my eyes, as they cloud over with tears again.

“No…He’s not…Tell me he’s not…” He grips me hard as I see fear flood his face.

“He…He’s bad…Burns…Everywhere…He flatlined…I screamed at them to keep going, they declared him dead…I screamed, and they tried once more…He came back…He came back” I cry as he takes me into his arms sobbing.

“I need to find him. Thank you…Thank you for making them try again” He says as he rushes in doors as I hear him shouting at my brother to find out where Taylor is.

“Mummy sad…” Cody tugs on my battered dress.

“My grandbaby!” Grandpa rushes up to me with Savannah and Elise hot on his tail as he hugs me to him.

“Luka?” Savannah mumbles looking at me, her eyes drifting over my dress and the blood I was covered in.

“He’s alive, he’s inside” I say as she kisses my cheek and runs inside.

“Sammy…Where is Shaun?” Elise whispers taking my hand.

“He got hurt…Brian took most of the damage…Brian died saving Shaun…” I sob as they all gasp.

“Uncle Bwian in sky wit daddy?” Cody cries.

“Yes baby, there was a bad accident. Uncle Brian with daddy in the sky” I sob as he jumps into my arms as we sob.

Elise goes to walk in before I take her arm.

“There’s something else isn’t there?” She mumbles as I nod.

“He…He’s paralysed from the waist down” I say as she gasps and rushes off into the hospital.

“Kitten…Let’s go inside, it’s cold out here” Jayden takes my hand as I hold Cody to me tightly as we head into the waiting room.

“What the bloody hell happened?” Lindsey asks as she sits next to me and Grandpa.

“Hayden wants me…He’s been against us all this time because he wants to use me as a weapon, he wants me weak so he can manipulate me” I cry.

“He’s never touching you again” Lizzy grumbles as she strokes Zane’s hair in her lap.

“Damn right…” Jayden growls.

“Tell me everything, I need to update Tobias. We’ve already got the school on high alert. Some of Hayden’s men have put down their guns already claiming they had no idea. But we have them locked up just in case” Grandpa says.

“We’ll figure it out. Shaun will be ok, and Taylor will survive this…” Luka says.

“Why the fuck were you there anyway! You weren’t supposed to be there! You were supposed to be protecting my son!” I shout passing Cody whimpering to Jayden, storming up to my brother.

“You needed back up” He says unable to look me in the eye.

“And I had it! Beck was there! And Henderson! Why couldn’t you just stay where you were supposed to, then Shaun and Brian would have been fine!” I scream at him as I hear Cody whimper loudly behind me.

“Mummy no shout” Cody whimpers in Jayden’s arms.

“I’m sorry baby boy, mummy’s upset” I say stroking his head and kissing it.

“Mummy miss uncle bwian” He sobs.

“Yes baby” I cry.

“Let’s leave the talks about what happened until after the children are in bed” Beck says with a nod, but I glare at my brother as he shrinks into the corner with Savannah in his arms.

Damien walks into the room shaking an hour later as he collapses in front of me, sitting between my legs as he sobs into his hands.

“He’s so burnt…He’s in a coma…They put him in a coma…” He sobs as I hold his hand cuddling him around his shoulders.

“He’s still here, he told me to look after you, he loves you Damien, he won’t leave. Not now” I say holding him tight as he continues to shake.

“I’m so sorry Sam” Lizzy whispers looking at the people around us.

“Why is she here?” Jayden growls in my ear.

“Because it was her dad that did this, and he’s been manipulating her all this time. She needs us Jay…” I look him in the eye as I see the conflict in his eyes as he darts between her and Cody.

“I’ll do better without him…I’m sorry I did what I did…I wasn’t in my right mind…Zane will help me…He always had before” She says as Zane nods, his head now on her shoulder.

“I’ll make sure she stays on the straight and narrow. You need us Sam. I need revenge for my sister” He says, the light gone from his eyes.

“This is a joke…” Jayden growls.

“Enough” I snap, trying to make sure Cody stays asleep in my arms after he had sobbed for so long.

“Samantha…” Mr Henderson sneaks into the room as all eyes land on him.

“Henderson…” I whimper as I see him covered in blood and ash.

“Your friends?” He asks.

“Shaun’s paralysed, Brian and Zara are dead and Taylor…He’s in a bad way” I say as he nods solemnly.

“More people would have died tonight if you hadn’t of called out…” He says.

“May I ask who the fuck you are?” Grandpa growls.

“Dreadfully sorry, I’m Mr Henderson, Abraham if you like. I’m the head of the school that was just blown to pieces. I’ve watched over Samantha for years, quite the young lady she’s become. You are?” He holds out a hand to my Grandpa as they shake.

“Harvey Jennings, her grandfather” Grandpa says and Henderson’s eyes flicker over us both.

“I’ve heard a lot about you sir, you are definitely a better grandfather than Jon was” Henderson sits by Beck as they shake hands too.

“Doesn’t take much” I smirk as there’s a small chuckle in the room.

“Has anyone been able to track what happened to Hayden?” Henderson asks.

“Zane and I got into a fight with him as he dropped the button…He high-tailed it into a car and vanished…Can’t say I’ve had the chance to find him yet…Been a little busy” I snap “That’s no tone to use Samantha” Henderson says sternly.

“Sorry sir” I bow my head as the others look at me in shock.

“How the fuck did you do that? No one shuts her down like that…” Savannah laughs.

“Being her principle for quite a few years has its benefits. I’m quite knowledgeable about her mood swings and how to combat her” Henderson smirks.

“What age was she the worse?” Savannah asks as I groan.

“Oh I would say thirteen. She had quite the temper going into her teenage years…I especially remember her coming into my office covered in some sort of slime after an experiment she did in science, made quite the mess” He smiles.

“THAT was an accident!” I laugh. I had mixed the wrong chemicals one day in science and then boom! A gooey substance covered the room as girls had shrieked and the boys laughed.

“But you enjoyed it… I do remember the look of joy when you did it, especially when Lisa came out in a rather bad rash” He says.

“Samantha!” Grandpa booms laughing.

“She deserved that! She was nothing but a nasty queen wannabe!”

Henderson began sharing more stories about me and Taylor back at school as they laughed, we had had quite a few shenanigans in our time.

But then it became serious.

“Do you remember your first gala you went to Samantha?” Henderson asks.

“Yeah, I was Fourteen. Grandpa Jon got me this really gross dress, it was pink, and I hated it. I destroyed it and said it was an accident. He got so mad. I found a new dress myself with Taylor and he didn’t approve of it. But, he dragged us around the gala and introduced me to so many people, it made my head dizzy. Little did I know, he was trying to pawn me off” I grumble.

“I believe Hayden was there that night…” He says as I raise my head towards his.

I try and remember the gala, every person I met.

“Oh my god…So were you!” I said pointing to Lizzy. I remembered her purple dress with a tight little bow at the back.

“You remember that?” She asks.

“Barely…” I answer.

“Was that the only time Lizzy?” Jayden pipes up.

“No…There were at least three more we came too…” She answers.

“You were watching her this whole time…” Jayden growls.

“I didn’t know! I just thought she was another girl who was dragged to their families parties!” She exclaims.

“He’s been watching me this whole time…” I mumble.

“Kitten, can we go talk?” Jayden asks as I nod, and he passes Cody to Lindsey.

We walk out the front as he begins to get frustrated, his fists kept clenching angrily.

“Just spit it out” I snap.

“I don’t like her around us! Her father wants you! How do you know she’s safe around us! Like last time! She tried to kill herself and Cody!” He shouts at me.

“Lizzy is what I could have become…If things hadn’t have happened the way they did. If Jon had survived I could have become her. I know she can be saved. We’ll watch her. She’s also our best bet to get to Hayden!” I shout back.

“I will not let her near our family and that’s final!” He growls.

“You’ll do as you’re fucking told Jayden, I am the leader of this mafia, not you. She needs help and she’ll get it. I have to get to Hayden. He’s destroying everything!”

I look into the distance and see a van sat in park, its lights on, I felt as if we were being watched.

“You’re going to get yourself killed” he growls as he takes me in his arms.

“Then I’ll die fighting for the people I love” I say as he huffs and kisses my head.

“Fine she stays around. But she’s watched, doesn’t come to the house and stays the fuck away from our boy” He says as I nod.

“Deal”

“I’m going to go check on the guys. I was so scared I was going to lose you kitten. I love you” he kisses my lips briefly and walks inside as a tear falls from my cheek.

“Hello there Samantha” A voice booms from behind me as I’m looking at the van in front of me while the driver just takes off. I was focused on the wrong vehicle.

I whirl around to find Hayden with a smirk standing side-by-side of two men as they grab me quickly and bundle me into a car nearby.

I kick and cry out as much as I can, but it’s no use. The emergency room is so busy that no one notices what’s going on outside. The others were all in doors and then they put a rag on my face as I slowly began to lose consciousness.

Chloroform…