Chapter Five

In Chapter Five a new character comes into the spotlight. Fox, a man who has known Joshua comes to the gangs rescue but can they trust him?

 I fixed my bag on my back, I had just left the grocery store and was now returning home. Lucas, Ella and myself were going to hang out and figure out what to do about the names on the list. We only knew one of the names personally. Mr. Humel, our own principle. What in the hell was going on in our small town? I shook my head as I continued walking. The cold winter air running up the spine of my body making me shiver. I heard footsteps but when I stopped they did as well. Were they mine? I shook my head and continued walking. The footsteps started again, matching mine but this time they sounded heavier. I stopped, the campus was only a few blocks away. I turned around but nothing was behind me. "Whoever is following me, just come out and tell me what you want" I grumbled. A few minutes later a man walked out from an old store. He had his hands up in the air with a cute smile on his face.

"I need to practice on being sneaky huh?" his voice was dark and deep. He walked toward me and stood under one of the street lights.He had dark brown hair and his eyes were a light green, almost a mint color. With his black pupils and his dark hair, his eyes popped as he smiled looking down at me.

"What do you want?" he didn't really give me a weird feeling so I felt as he couldn't of been much of a threat.

"I needed to talk to you" he said as he stuck his hands in the pockets of his black leather coat. Silver buttons traveled up the middle of a white and a white t-shirt was exposed at the top. 

"Who are you?" my question echoed in the empty street.

"My name is Fox, I am a friend of Joshua's" my heart began to soften at the mention of his name. Although it had almost been six months since he was taken from me, his death was still fresh to me.

"And how do you know Joshua?" If Fox was a friend of Joshua's that meant Joshua trusted him. He stared at me, his eyes fixed. If he was like the other man we had met, I didn't want to know what him and Joshua had to together. He chuckled.

"Not like that" he said, almost as if he read my mind. "We were in the same thing together" his eyes darkened a little as he began to remember. "He helped me get out, if it wasn't for him, I have no idea where I'd be" he added. 

"And why do you need to talk to me?" I looked down at my watch, Lucas and Ella would be wondering where I was if I didn't get back soon.

"I want to help you. I heard about Joshua and I know for a fact he was murdered" his eyes begging me as I looked at him and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Well me and my friends are going to go over some things. I am not sure if they'll trust you, but you are Joshua's friend and that is good enough for me" he smiled at me and nodded.

     "Who is that?"I heard Ella ask as I walked into the room.Fox shut the door behind us and looked at Ella, I saw his eyes soften as he looked at her. She did look a lot like Joshua and I bet he stared at her and thought of him.

"My name is Fox" when he said this Lucas looked at him with a soft smile and Fox returned it."Yes, my parents were huge fans of X-Files" with a chuckle he took off his coat. He was wearing a white v-neck. I started and tittled my head a little, he sure had a body to show.I looked at Ella and she was blushing. "I was a friend of Joshua's. We were in the same thing together.He saved me" he explained.Ella walked up to him.

"Any friend of Joshua's is a friend of mine" Fox smiled down at her and thanked her. I got out the things I bought, a few snacks and some drinks. I walked over toward the bathroom. Right outside the bathroom was our little mini fridge. I set the drinks on top of it and began taking them out of the box and setting them into the fridge. Ella's and Fox's voice filled my ears, Fox asking her questioned about her brother. 

"You alright?" I felt Lucas's arm brush against mine and I looked up at him. His eyes were filled with worry as he looked down at me. I smiled and nodded. The worry in his eyes began to fade away as he put his hand on top of mine and rubbing his fingers against my wrist. I swallowed hard as I felt the blush rush to my cheeks.

"Ready?" Ella called. I grabbed four drinks and handed them out as I walked back. We sat in the middle of the room.

"Alright, so what do you all have?" Fox asked. Ella began telling this man everything we knew about Joshua and what had happened:The list of people, the key, the pictures, pretty much everything we knew he now knew. Fox stared at the carpet in the muddle of us until she finished.

"I see, may I see this list?" I dug into my pocket and took out the folded piece of paper. I handed it to him and he looked down at it. "Well, all these men are the bosses. At least your source was right" he ran his eyes over the names once again.

"We only knew one of them" Ella's voice was soft, me and her thought it was horrible that our principle was on that last. He tilted his head at us, his eyes narrowed. 

"How?" his voice was dark.

"One was our high school principle" Fox looked at me. "Mr Humel" I said quickly. He looked down at the paper and he sighed.

"To be honest he was the one we were all scared of. If we didn't make enough money or made a customer unhappy, we'd be in deep s**t" the memories must of came back to him. His back stiffened and he held onto the paper tight enough to make it crumble in his hand. 

"What do we do now? How do we do this?" Lucas was leaning against his bed, his can pressed to his lips. Our eyes caught for a brief second and he smiled. I smiled back but quickly looked down, tapping my fingers against my can.

"We should just go ask him" Ella grumbled. Fox shook his head.

"Hell no" he snapped. "If he finds out you know...God you will be in so much trouble! This s**t is hush-hush type of s**t" I looked at him and rubbed the back of my neck. Was Joshua really this deep?

"Then what do we do?" I asked. Fox stood up and began putting his coat back on.

"Wait until the next letter comes" he handed me a card. I took it and looked down at it. His number was written in black letters. "Call me when it does. Until then, say nothing about this. If word gets out, s**t will happen and that's a promise" his voice was dark and deep.Ella nodded and showed him the way out. I set my can next to me and laid face down on the carpet and exhaled loudly.

"Does anyone else find it strange that he just shows up? Out of no where?" Lucas's voice told me he doubted everything that Fox had just told us. 

"He was a friend of Joshua's. He didn't trust many people, Fox must be a good guy" I knew Ella was right, Joshua didn't trust many. I heard the jingle of her keys as she slipped on her jacket. I sat up and rubbed my head.

"I am just saying. We should be careful" Lucas grumbled. Ella rolled her eyes and looked at me. 

"Get some sleep Charlie" she said with a soft smile.I smiled back and nodded as she left. Then it was just me and Lucas. A lot of tension was between us, not angry, not sad, just so many feelings that I wasn't sure how to take it. He made me feel wonderful and the way he talked to me or even made me feel when he was near me was amazing.

"How about tomorrow we just chill? Watch some Netflix and hang out?" I heard him call from the shower. I smiled a little to myself.

"I'd like that"

     The next morning I woke up to soft music playing. I sat up and rubbed my eyes with a yawn. "Morning sunshine" Lucas cooed at me. I looked over and had to rub my eyes again to clear my vision. I just stared at him for a moment.He was shirtless, water dripping down his body as a towel hung around his shoulders. His body was magnificent, beautifully sculpted abs and chest, rippling biceps and so much more. I swallowed and looked away, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Morning" I got out nervously. He just laughed and walked over to the TV. He hit the button on his Xbox and it started up as he turned it to Netflix.

"So, what do you wunna watch?" he asked. I just looked at him, his back was to me.I tilted my head a little, not paying much attention to the screen or what he had asked. 

"Um-Whatever" my eyes were taking him in, staring at him. I heard him say something but I wasn't paying attention so I didn't hear it. He turned around and I looked at the TV just in time. Hoping he didn't notice or mind my staring. He walked back into the bathroom and I watched the title screen come on. He had picked Mulan. I laid back down in my bed, trying my best to ignore the stirring sensation in my pants. 

"You don't have to hide it ya know"he shut the bathroom door and walked over to the fridge. He grabbed two sodas and handed me one. He opened his can and pressed it to his lips. "You never pay attention but I always have one when you're near me" he gave me a wink and the blush ran right to my cheeks. I pulled the covers of my head. I was now embarrassed and excited all mixed together. "This is a good movie" he was farther away from me this time so I pulled the blanket down, just above my nose. He was laying in his bed with one hand behind his head and he other on his can of soda. I mumbled something to an agreement as I looked at the TV. "Are we going to talk about this?" I looked back over at him and he was now sitting on the edge of his bed. He looked at me as I pulled the covers all the way down and sat up.

"About what?" my fingers fumbled together. He smiled.

"About us Charlie. You know I have a thing for you and I am pretty sure you have a thing for me" his eyes traveled down to my lap that was hidden behind the blanket. I shifted and moved the blanket, hoping that it made it harder for him to noticed. I shrugged.

"I don't know Luke, I do care about you. Maybe even a little more than just a friend" I had to confess it. My heart  was filled with so many emotions. It began to beat a little faster as he stood up and walked over to my bed. He sat down next to me, setting his hand on my knee.

"Then why don't you let it happen?" his voice was soft and gentle as his hand moved from y knee to my thigh. I trembled under his touch as he began to rub my thigh. I swallowed hard and shrugged my shoulders. 

"I don't know. It's like my heart is telling me to let it happen but my mind says no" he smiled and scooted closer to me, his shoulder pressing against mine as he took my hand in his. His fingers laced between mine.

"Then just let your heart lead you" he whispered. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze and I smiled down at our interlaced hands.

"I want to...but my mind-" he but me off by pressing his lips to mine. I jumped a little, but didn't pull away from his kiss. He kissed me deeper, his hand letting mine go and moved to my face. He pulled me closer and I parted my lips, his tongue finding its way out of his mouth and into mine. My hands clung to his shirt, pulling him closer toward me. It seemed like hours had gone by but it was just a few minutes before he pulled away. My bottom lip trembled for him to stay connected to me. He smiled and caught his breath in little pants.  

"Stop over thinking everything Charlie. Sometimes it's best to let your heart lead you and let your mind follow" I smiled at him as he rubbed my cheek. 

    "Oh! You kissed him?!" Ella was smiling as I nodded. Lucas had to help his brother move back up from Florida and I really didn't want to be alone. Ella and I were hanging out in her dorm, her roommate was gone until next Monday. "What was it like?" she kept smiling at me. I shrugged my shoulders and took a drink of the water in the glass.

"It was nice, kind of like the way Joshua use to kiss me" A smile crossed my lips again and I felt Ella's hand on top of mine.

"I am glad you actually let this happen instead of pushing him away. Joshua wanted you to be happy and Lucas obviously wants to make you happy" I smiled and nodded as she hugged me tightly. 

     I looked down at the white envelope in my hand. Ella and Lucas didn't want me opening unless one of them was here with me, but they both were out. I wanted to know what lie in the pages of this letter. What secrets I had to uncover or what new secrets about Joshua I would learn. I took a deep breath and tore it open;

          "Dear Charlie, it's been a while has it not? Sorry I couldn't of wrote to you earlier, I have been very busy. So, I heard about the list the man who knew about the ring gave you. Trust me, don't go looking for him. He won't have anymore to say to you. Anyway, I hope you are ready. Things are going in a different direction this time. I hope you don't mind getting a bit of blood on you from time  to time. Why am I saying all this? Let's just say one of those people on that list knows you know. Knows that you know about them and what Joshua had done and they will come after you. I hope you know how to handle yourself because this train is going off its tracks"

I couldn't breath by the time I had finished reading it. Fox was right, bad things would happen if the people on the list knew and now they were happening.Who was coming after us? When? The letter began shaking in my hand as I shook my head. This was all too much for me, would someone die? Would I do? Would someone I love get hurt because of what I was doing? What was I doing?

"Charlie!" I looked up to see Ella and Lucas looking at me. My hands were shaking out of control and Lucas grabbed them, holding them in his to try and stop them but they refused to stop. "What's wrong?" he whispered. I just shook my head and buried my face into his chest. Ella picked up the letter from the floor.

"What the f**k?!" I could feel the anger roll off her in waves as she stomped her foot on the floor. "Who the f**k is this prick? Who is sending us these? God damnit!" I couldn't help but smile a little. She had the same temper Joshua did when something came up that he couldn't understand. 

"Every just calm down" Lucas kissed the top of my head. My hands had finally stopped shaking. HE got up and took the letter from Ella. She took his place next to me and I laid my head on her shoulder. He read the letter and remained the calmest of us all. "Alright, just takea deep breath" he walked over to the desk, grabbed a card from one of the drawers and grabbed his phone.

"Who are you calling?" Ella asked.

"Fox, he said when a new letter came we needed to call him" Ella nodded and held me tightly in her arms.

     I cuddled against the blanket as Ella opened the door and walked in with Fox behind her. He took off his jacket and sat down next to Lucas who had the letter in his hand.He took it and read it, not even saying hello to us. "God damnit" he grumbled. I looked at him and worry filled my chest. It was now hard to breath. "You are all in trouble" he looked at us, his eyes dark.

"Let's not rush into things" Lucas said calmly as he stood up. Ella leaned against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest.

"What do we do Fox?" I could tell from her voice that the letter had gotten to her. She was scared, just like I had been from the start. Fox stood up and ran his fingers through his hair.

"We need to hide you. I know a few people. I'll see what I can do" Fox started but Lucas shook his head.

"I am not hiding from anyone. I am not letting this s**t run my life" he snapped. I looked at him, just watching. "This has gone too far, plus why should we trust you?" a tone of challenge rose in his voice. Fox walked over to Lucas, standing next to each other they were about the same height.

"Because it seems I am the only one who knows what is really going on. Now you can either listen to me or not. I don't really care. I know Joshua cares a lot about Ella and Charlie. I made a promise to a friend I would keep them safe" he growled. His voice was now deep and dark. Lucas narrowed his eyes and ran ran through his body. I stood up and nudged him gently.

"Calm down Luke, he just wants to help" I whispered. Lucas looked at me and then back at Fox. he looked down and walked over toward Ella, mumbling something as he went.  

"What do we have to do?" I asked. Fox thought for a moment, rubbing his chin. He got out his phone and began to type.

"I know a few people who can help us. You have to trust me" he looked at me and then Ella. He took a long look at Lucas. Lucas just grumbled and looked away.

"What choice do we have right now" Ella said softly. Fox's phone rang and he checked the message.

"If you all want to I have a place set up for you until we can get things figured out. You will have to drop out of college though" Ella's body language changed at this news.

"My mother will kill me, can I please tell her?" Fox shook his head.

"Nobody can know where you are going.I will let you write a little, but you will NOT tell her what is going on. Tell her things came up and you have to go away for a while. You can call her when we figure s**t ut" his voice was as cold as ice as he looked at us. Ella reluctantly nodded. 

"When do we leave?" she asked.

"Now" Fox snapped. Ella nodded and headed out. "Meet me down at the corner in thirty minutes" he said and turned. He left and Lucas was leaning against the wall, watching him leave. I grabbed my bag and began to pack.

"We should get packing" I said softly. I knew Lucas didn't trust Fox.

"Why should we trust him? How do we even know he knows Josh?" he grumbled again. Although he was complying, taking out his bag and had began to pack.

"He is the only one who can help us" Tears swelled in my eyes. "I just want this done! I want to get this over with! I want to be safe and be able to live my life without being afraid I am going to die. I just want to be f*****g normal!" I snapped. I was getting tired of this and my anger was building up. I felt his hands on my arms as he rubbed them.

"I know Charlie. I am sorry, I just want to make sure you're safe" he whispered. His arms wrapped around me tightly .He kissed my cheek and began to rock me from side to side.

"I know, just stop being so stubborn okay?" he chuckled and nodded. He kissed my cheek again and went back to packing. Where are we going? What would happen? Somehow there was always more questions than answers.