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Jack rubbed her temples and laid back on her bed. She was finally able to get away from the crew for a few moments and was once again thankful she stole the master bedroom in the penthouse because it was the furthest away from the lads yelling in the living room. Gavin and Michael were fighting again, something about a car. Jack wasn’t sure if it was an actual car or something in their video games. And Jeremy had taken the chance of the other distraction to steal the main TV. So another fight was about to break out.
Geoff was down stairs in one of their spare apartments checking on their armory with someone from the B-team. She hadn’t listened. And Ryan was out on a job she’d asked him to cover. It was a simple intimidation of some low level crew leader to stop them before they got out of hand. She knew he could handle it and she needed a day off.
Jack ran this crew. It didn’t matter that Geoff’s name was on everything and that people thought he was the mastermind because anyone who knew the crew on a decent level knew that the only reason they were still functioning is thanks to Jack. She dealt with the money, she bandaged their booboos, she broke up their fights, she did all the grocery shopping, and she was always there to comfort her boys when they were sick or injured. So she deserved a day of doing nothing. Which would have been wonderful if it weren’t for the fact the lads had been tugging on her sleeves all day for her help. Jeremy had needed her help in figuring out which vehicles could be manageable for a heist he wanted to do. Michael had needed her help in picking out flowers of all things and then followed her around while she tried to shop for herself asking about things girls liked. Hilarious to her because he had been suggesting things like stuffed animals and jewelry and had looked shocked when she told him to just buy the girl takeout and decent beer. Gavin hadn’t been awful. He’d climbed his way into her lap as she was watching a movie on the couch and they had a peaceful time, until he got bored and started questioning every little thing the characters did.
Now though, she had her peace. Gavin had gotten distracted by Michael and Jeremy returning to the base and had switched her movie over to their game system without asking her and it wasn’t long before she had escaped to her room. Her hands fell from her temples and tugged a pillow from the top of the bed to where she was. She curled around it and let her eyes fall shut.
She must have dozed off because the next thing she knew she was being jolted awake from her nap in a panicked state when the other side of the bed dipped and she fell off onto the floor. Her hand was curled on the carpet like she was reaching for the gun she kept under the pillow. She looked up toward the bed and sighed when she saw Ryan’s sheepish face looking down at her. Jack took his hand and let him help her back onto the bed. She brushed her hair out of her face and rolled her shoulders.
“You okay?” Ryan asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Tired.” She found her pillow again and curled back up in the bed. She figured he’d explain why he was in her room or join her in lying down eventually but when there was no movement after a while she peeked back at him. It was then she noticed he was still in his work jacket and there were remnants of face paint on his cheeks. But the most noticeable thing was that his clothes were splattered in blood. Jack had a quick thought about the safety of her duvet. She reached out with one hand only managed to poke his arm. “Any of that yours?”
“No.” He said. Ryan raised his arm and examined some of the splatter like he hadn’t seen it before.
She hummed. “I guess you expelled some energy after the job then.” She watched as a frown formed on his face and she sat up. “What happened?”
Ryan was silent for another long moment, staring at his own hands. “He was being… awful.”
“The gang leader?”
Ryan nodded. “He was obnoxious and convinced he would be able to take over. Which they all are, I know. But he tried to get me to join his crappy little operation. He said I was nothing but a lapdog for Geoff and that I couldn’t think for myself anymore…” Jack could imagine what happened next, Ryan standing still like he was listening but really evaluating the situation. And she tried to be annoyed at the fact he didn’t do ask she asked but she yawned and decided it wasn’t worth it.
“His crew members might try and hurt us now,” Jack said. Ryan’s shoulders seemed to droop more.
“I’m sorry. I know you trusted that I could do this and I fucked up.” Ryan, sweet, covered-in-blood Ryan, looked like he’d destroyed everything beautiful in the world. Jack shook her head and opened her arms to him.
“We’ll deal with it tomorrow,” she said.
“But I could-“
“Tomorrow,” Jack repeated. She needed to salvage this day off. Ryan hesitated before he nodded and made to move up on the bed to lay with her. Jack made a noise of protest. “Clothes off. No more blood on my blankets.”
Ryan’s grin was coming back as he stood to strip out of his jeans and bloodied jacket, “if you wanted me naked you could have just asked.” Jack raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything until Ryan had climbed back into bed and laid against her chest.
“I’m sending you out to deal with this tomorrow morning, by the way. I want you to clean up any loyal guns,” she said. Ryan made a dissatisfied grunt. “Where are my lads?”
Ryan rolled onto his side to wrap his arms around her middle, “getting food. Geoff promised to buy them pizza if they shut up.”
“What an idiot.”
She felt Ryan nod. “We should probably eat, too.”
“Later,” She said.
“I don’t think this works the same way… meals are important.”
“Tomorrow.”