It’s been just over two hour’s since Amber killed those people. I still couldn’t believe she did that. She’s just too nice. We were sitting in the car, in a Barnes & Noble parking lot, we decided not to go to the mall, since someone would have to stay and watch Rose. If we weren’t all there, there wasn’t really a point in trying to hide amongst the crowd.

The car door opened, and Livvy said “Let’s go get food, I’m really craving a sopapilla.” Livvy crawled over me and sat in the seat next to me. She saw the backpack full of 1911’s, and pulled one out, and cocked it. She shot it into the ground, and then put it back into the back.

“Livvy! What the fuck was that?” Mattie exclaimed.

“1911’s are old as shit, needed to make sure they worked. Now shut up.” She replied. Mattie did not shut up. He started yelling at Livvy about how hard he worked on the car and how shooting it was a huge disrespect to him. Sophie laughed and said “y’all are really fucking funny, at least compared to the deadly seriousness that is the New York division. I thought all of you would be like that.”

“Nah, we’re the coolest motherfuckers around.” Mattie said.

“We should get going, we need to get to Santa Fe today. We’ll need a place to stay. Anyone have any requests?’” I asked, desperate to end the conversation. I didn’t know why, but it was making me uncomfortable. “Requests? For a place to stay, now that’s a good one,” Amber said, “but we can stay at my place. My parents are super rich.They’re outta town. We can stay there on the condition y’all don’t mess the place up.”

“Oh, a rich person’s place,” Livvy said, as Amber started the car and backed out of the parking spot. “I’d love to stay at a place where people eat gold and shit diamonds. You bet I won’t fuck the place over.”

“Wait, Amber, I thought you were an orphan.” I said.

Amber, pulling out onto the road, said “Well, sort of. I am, but these are my adoptive parents. They’re the only one’s outside of the gang and government that knows who I really am. For whatever reason, they don’t care. Which is nice to say the least.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Oh, sorry for bringing it up then.” I said.

“Nah, it’s fine. I did tell you that, so it’s only natural to ask when I bring up my parent’s.” Amber replied, “plus, maybe knowing that I’m not an orphan would convince you not to shoot me.”

“It will not, and don’t act like you’re scared of dying. You’re too damn reckless for that.” I said.

She seemed dumb founded, but mustered up the strenght to pull on I-25 and say, “Reckless? In what way?”

“You’re always running after Rose with no regard for your own safety. So, yes, reckless.” I said.

“He’s right ya know.” Livvy interjected.

“Yes, I see your point, however, I will not stop doing that.” Amber said smugly.

“I know,” Livvy said.

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t. I don’t give a shit what happens to you,” Mattie said, “but, I can’t say the same for Rose. If something happened to you, Rose would be devastated. I don’t think I could stand seeing them like that. They’re broken enough as it is.”

There was an awkward silence between us for about thirty minutes. Eventually Mattie said “Wow, can we not be quiet.” I laughed, and said, “Sure. What do ya want to talk ‘bout Mattie?”

“Wha- What? That’s, that wasn’t what I was implying but. I guess, our plan of action.” Mattie said.

I didn’t want to, however, I had to agree with him on that. “Well, Amber, are you sure that you want to be at your parent’s place? What if they find us, and destroy the place.” I said.

“Nah, it’ll be fine.” She said, and I quietly heard her say I hope really quietly. I think she is pretty shell-shocked from today. I think we all were. We continued to drive up I-25, and Livvy said, “What do we do with Rose? Do we try and help them recover, or, what? What are we supposed to do?” She was usually so sure about herself, but, she wasn’t.

“Well, in my humble, but fundamentally meaningless, opinion, we should help them. They are our leader after all.” Sophie said. She seemed restless. She was loading and unloading her guns. She twirled them in her hand, or had a knife and twirled that. She hadn’t stopped moving once since we left The Flower Garden. I didn’t know her well enough to know if that was a usual occurrence or if she was nervous.

“I would agree, I don’t want to kill Amber.” I said.