Saved By a Gangleader Novel – “Can you tell me the truth that you don’t want to go home?” Ace asks. After a moment of silence, I speak. “I’m not their favorite person.” “The bruises?” He asks. “They get bored sometimes,” I shrug. “They hit you?” Ace gets up. “They’ve bbeen doing it for years,” I start shaking. “Why are you still living with them,” Ace asks. “I don’t know where can I go,” I answer honestly. “You will live with me,” he says. “Wait, we just met yesterday and I even don’t know who are you…” I murmur. “I’m the leader of the Iron Blood Gang, I’ll protect you.” Iron Blood Gang?! The biggest gang in New York.
Ray “Wake up stupid bimbo,” my eyes are jerked open as I feel wet spit across my cheek. “Ma’am, I’m so sorry I overslept,” I quickly apologize to my foster mom, Danielle. She pushes me off the bed, and leaves the attic. Sighing, I get up and get excited since it’s my first day in my final year of university. I rush to put on makeup to cover some scars that are showing. My first hour lecture has been human biology for four years straight and I’m not complaining. Most people sleep through it which gives me a chance to talk to the professor without getting all nervous. As I walk down the hallway, I feel a ting of jealousy watching everyone in their respective friend group. My only friend was someone I knew from high school. As I’m thinking that, I feel a familiar slap on my butt causing me to turn around casually. “Isn’t a normal person supposed to get flustered,” Rose whines. “Good morning to you too.” “You’re no fun.” “You are just too predictable.” “Well,” she scoffs into the air, being as dramatic as she usually is. Unlike my blonde hair and blue eyes, Rose is known for her wild ginger curls.
She is slightly taller than me with a more curved figure while I had subtle features. I spent the day attending all of my classes and hearing snores coming from every class. Arriving home, I walk into the usually deserted living area to catch both Danielle and Daniel sitting there seemingly upset at each other. Before I could even blink, Danielle rushes to me and pushes me down. Before I could stand up, Daniel slams his foot on my ribs and I cry out in agony. They both tumble on each other trying to get a better hit than the other, making it a competition while I try to protect my face with my hands. After many punches and trips, I ended up with more bruises and cuts from the keys Danielle pulled out than what I had hoped. Sighing, I wrapped everything in a bandage and headed to my work at the clinic wearing an oversized purple sweater and skinny jeans.
When the bus reached the clinic, I entered inside to see a huge fuss of people bleeding everywhere. “Ray,” Sarah hugged me and began explaining how two feared gangs were fighting. I walk up to two people that are standing up discussing something quietly. “How is everyone doing?” I ask. “We’re fine kiddo, go tend to other people,” the blondie said. “Sir, you seem to have a cut on your forehead. May I just see it?” “No, now run along.” “Please understand that my boss would give me an hour lecture if he doesn’t see me tending to someone injured,” I say with a completely blank but annoyed face. He looked taken back for a split second before saying, “you don’t know who we are, do you doll?” “A gang?” I question, examining his cut since he finally kneeled down.
“We are much more than that, you know?” “Well, this isn’t the first time I meet people like you so I’ll just do my job,” I explain. He agrees, much to his dismay, and I finish the job cleanly before changing my gloves to examine the other person standing next to him. “Did you not get in the fight?” I question looking at the chart that was given to me about these guys. When he didn’t answer, I looked up to see him staring at my split lip and faintly noticing my bruised cheek. Before I could defend myself, he turned around and left the clinic without speaking a word to me. Ace I arrive to the university earlier than I ever do, and see that no one is on campus but some teachers and janitors. As I’m walking, someone bumps into me and falls on the floor.
I roll my eyes and was about to step away when I recognize the eyes of the girl. “I could’ve sworn there wasn’t a wall in the middle of the hallway,” I hear her mutter. After composing herself, she stands up. Only then do I notice the split lip that’s already been there, the bruised cheek and I see that she’s bleeding from her arm. “Oh! You’re the quiet person that was in the clinic, are you hurt?” She says in a quiet voice. She seemed too young to be in the senior department of the school. “How old are you?” My own question surprises me, why would I even want to know? “19 and counting,” she answers honestly, jogging my memory from some gossip I hear when I’m trying to sleep in class. She seems to have also realized something about me because her face suddenly lights up.
“Aren’t you the guy that nobody talks to? Doesn’t it get lonely?” “Yeah, it does. But it’s not like I talk to many people to begin with…You’re bleeding,” I point out after a moment of silence. “Oh yes! Uhm, my stitches must have come undone. They must have a first aid kit around here, come on,” she gestures with her hand to follow her and I stand there one eyebrow raised, amused by this tiny girl. When she notices I’m not following her, she stops and looking around in a cartoon matter causing me to silently laugh at her. “Mister Grey Eyes! I also need to check if you had any injuries from yesterday! Come onnn,” She grabs my forearm and drags me to some empty classroom, her outfit is drenched with water.
“Aren’t you cold?” “Oh, uhm, it’s fine! It’ll dry soon,” she says not looking away from removing the stitches completely. “Aren’t you too young to be working in a clinic? And to be in your fourth year of university?” All the talking is making me feel weird. “Uh huh, but I manage. Now, did you get hurt anywhere other than your knuckles?” She asks innocently looking up from her arm into my eyes. Her eyes were a beautiful tornado of the blue sky and green trees. I clear my throat after a long period of staring and shake my head. She gently takes both of my hands and puts some ointment on them before wrapping them perfectly. During the process I see her shivering and her split lip looking paler. I sigh and take off my hoodie.
“Woah! What are you doing?” The girl says covering her eyes. I chuckle and throw the hoodie at her head. “Now we’re even,” she opens her eyes and thanks me really quickly. “Won’t you get cold?” “I don’t have a figure that’s as skinny and little as a kid.” “What’s your name?” “Ace,” i answer shortly. “I’m Ray! Nice to meet you,” she gives me a smile and extends her hand. Once I shake it, i realize how small her hand is, not just compared to mine, in general. That doesn’t stop it from being the warmest and softest hand I have ever touched. “Alright sunshine, go change before class,” I start walking outside the classroom when I hear her saying. “It’s Ray as in Ray Romano, not the sun,” she says very quietly causing me to turn around smirking before saying.
“Bye-bye Sunshine.” Once I left, the question that came to mind is how did she get all the bruises? Ray After I talked to Ace, I kept thinking about him. Turns out, we both have a business class together. Once I walked in, i saw his hair since he looked like he was napping and sat next to him. “Pss, hello,” i whisper and gently nudge him. He looks up ready to glare at whoever was disturbing him. “I didn’t know you majored in business!” I said. “What do you major in? Why do I see you everywhere?” He asks quietly. “I’m majoring in medicine and minoring in business,” I tell him excited. He smiled at me while we continue talking about the class and random things. I kept feeling his stare throughout the class, but I couldn’t look him in the eye.
“Do you have another lecture after this?” He whispers. “No, Tuesdays are my chill day, i only have two classes then off to the clinic,” I tell him softly. “Why do you work there? It’s not in the safest part of town.” “Someone has to pay for my college, student loans are not an option in my book.” “What about your parents?” “I don’t want to trouble them, they do so much to me… for me,” he hums in response but doesn’t break eye contact. It’s as if his stormy eyes are looking for the lie behind the statement. When the lecture ends, everyone gets up from their seats and exit quickly while I take my time thanks to my bruised ribs that don’t allow me to do anything normally. Ace seems to notice my hesitation and stands next to me waiting.
“Uh, you can go if you want,” I look up to see him folding his arm, smirking at me. “Come on and stop being a grandma.” “I— Uh.. im not a grandma!” I stand up, but end up sitting back down when the pain spreads everywhere. He sighs, I’m being picked up bridal style making me panic. “Ace,” i whisper, embarrassed causing him to stiffen a little. “I can walk by myself, just give me five more minutes.” “Five more minutes, and the next lecture would start,” he whispers back. “I’ll drop you off at your house, is that okay?” I didn’t want to tell him the truth, “my parents aren’t home and I forgot my keys. I was gonna go to the clinic right away after the class,” I explain. “I guess we’re going to my house,” he mutters under his breath. “We really don’t have to,” i say but seem to go unnoticed. After what felt like forever, we finally make it to his luxurious car and he speeds off.
The car ride was painfully quiet and somewhat long. Ace’s house was not in a neighborhood and it wasn’t any house. It had five floors minimum and was in the middle of the forest or what looked like it. When we went inside the house, my jaw felt like it dislocated. “Nice.. uhm.. house?” I question, because there was no way this is what they called a house. “Thanks, i bought it myself,” he smirks and walks off. I saw that Ace also changed into some sweats and a tank top. “Can you tell me the truth that you don’t want to go home?” he asks. After a moment of silence, I speak. “I’m not their favorite person.” “The bruises?” He asks sternly and I laugh.
“They get bored sometimes,” I shrug. “They hit you?” Ace gets up. “I-it’s okay, they’ve b-been doing it f-for y-years now,” I start shaking. I “What do you mean it’s okay? They HIT you!” He starts pacing back and forth and I decide not to say anything to not make him more mad. “Why are you still living with them,” Ace asks when he’s calmed down a bit. “I don’t know where can I go,” I answer honestly. “You’re not live there anymore,” he decides and I laugh thinking it’s a joke. “You can’t just decide that Ace,” I say after seeing he’s serious. “I can, you will live with me,” he announces. What?! My jaw drop. But…I’m very excited about this proposal.