(Rewrite)Chapter One: Flash - Bang!

                                    

                                          
I trudged through the school hallway, exhausted from another sleepless night.
Not only was it exam week and I'd been dumb enough to take so many classes this year, I had to come in on Saturday and Sunday just to make up for it! 
I was 17! I was meant to enjoy highschool. Well...at least one part was enjoyable. 
Cute ass guys. 
I checked my watch on the way to my locker, a swell of giddiness and excitement reddening my cheeks as I thought about what was happening today. 
It was my brother Jay's twenty-first birthday. I love and adored my big brother, he was the best person, even if he was a giant shithead.
But despite that, and being the awesome little sister I was - I'd saved up enough money from my part-time waitressing job to take him to his favourite restaurant tonight with his best friends to celebrate. 
His friends paid for his booze, I paid for the food. It was a good deal, since they all drank way more than they could eat, even before they were legal.
Perks of being apart of a biker gang I guess, not that it ever bothered me. Azrael, Cassius and Gray or "Reaper" as everyone but me called him, were not only complete heartthrobs and deliciously bad, they were also really sweet and kind under all the leather, cigarettes and swearing. 
The Fallen Angels biker club kept to themselves, only messing with people who deserved it and never left anything solid enough for police to follow anyway, so everyone just left them alone - which was a smart idea overall, no matter how nice they could be to someone they liked.
Though, they'd been really good to Jay and I after we lost our parents a few years ago. If it wasn't for them, I might not even be here. 
Though I had a hooooorible crush on all three of my brother's friends. 
"Willow!" A familiar voice shouted, angry and rough, pulling from my excited thoughts of tonight and making me suppress a sigh. 
My ex-boyfriend, Alex, had broken up with me a week ago and now, he wouldn't leave me alone. 
Saying he made a mistake. 
"Go away," I grumbled for the ninth time today, closing my locker and turning away from him to start heading for the carpark. 
Alex suddenly stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "You think you're too good for me?" He was taller than me, but at 5'4, most people were, with dirty brown hair and a crooked nose. I'd found him cute once - now I wondered if I could hit him hard enough to fix his nose for him. I mentally shook my head, pushing away the very Reaper-like thought. 
I rolled my eyes finally. "Leave me alone, Alex."
His brown eyes widened, his nostrils flaring with anger and he grabbed my wrist when I tried to push past him. "No! Talk to me about this!" He growled, pulling me back and squeezing harshly, making me wince.
I heard the familiar growl of an engine, my eyes snapping over his shoulder to the exit and the rectangular window. 
Pulling up to the school was a sleek black Mustang.
Right on time. 
They slipped out the car, all three of them glancing around, their presence commanding attention as they moved across the school yard. 
Azrael, his piercing blue eyes sparkling with amusement. His chiseled features and raven-black hair framed a face that belonged on billboards. A charming smile played on his lips, but his gaze held a hint of mischief. All of his charm and silver tongue only matched the strength and speed that hid beneath 6'2 frame lean frame and his rolled-sleeved button up dark blue shirt and black dress pants pants, a tattoo marking his arm and snaking further past his sleeves. 
Cassius was 6'3 with a playful intensity etched on his ruggedly handsome features. His short, spiky hair was the color of dark honey, and his eyes burned with a golden intensity. Muscles rippled beneath his black leather jacket, a testament to his strength, faded jeans hugging his thick legs. 
Reaper, his eyes an unnerving shade of green, like the first hint of spring, scanned the courtyard, hanging back slightly as he finished a cigarette. His jet-black hair fell across his forehead, framing a face that seemed chiseled from granite. A silver ring glinted in his left eyebrow, covering a slice through it, he was dressed in a tight black shirt that hugged nearly every muscle of his chiseled body, black jeans and heavy boots covering the rest of him. 
The sight of them set my heart racing, Alex noticed I was distracted, something he hated when I talked to him - resulting him twisting my wrist painfully to get my attention. 
I gritted my teeth to stop from yelping in pain, knowing they'd all kill him if they knew. "Let me go," I hissed.
He glared at me. "Or what?" He snarled, squeezing my wrist again, his eyes turning almost wild. 
The door opened, Alex and I looking to it instantly, seeing Azrael flash his charming smile as he strolled down the hallway. 
"Hey, beautiful," he said in a smooth, deep voice, winking, his hands in his pockets as he glided towards us.
His smile faltered when he saw the terrified look in my eyes, his bright eyes flashing down to Alex's hand still holding my wrist as he stepped beside me. 
Az turned cold as he looked at Alex, who was just standing there as if he was frozen in complete terror. He trembled when Az's eyes met his. 
The door opened again, my heart slamming into my chest with fear and relief. 
Cassius stepped to the other side of us, glancing at the scene as if he was already fully aware what was happening and almost bored. 
His strong hand grabbed Alex's wrist, wrapping it easily and his knuckles turned white as he squeezed violently, Alex shouting in pain and suddenly releasing me. I almost fell back from the action, Cass's hand snaking around my waist and held me steady, sending sparks and warmth through my body. The feeling of total safety. 
"That's my mine," Cass growled possessively, making me hide a smirk at his stupid - arousing - words as he tugged me to his side, stepping away as Reaper took the place I'd been standing. 
Reaper's piercing green eyes locked onto Alex.
"Problem here, kitten?" Reaper asked me, his voice low and deadly as he stared Alex to his grave. 
"She won't say shit," Alex tried, a moment of stupidity going through him as he snarled, but Reaper's raised brow made him falter.
"You think you're a big man?" Reaper asked, his voice cold and mocking. "Think you can just touch her?" Reaper's glanced at me, his eyes seeing right through me and made something inside of me nervous and excited. 
The corner of his lip curled ever so slightly, seeing the touch of pink that rose to my cheeks at his next words. "You know she's ours," he looked at Alex again, his expression deadly. 
Azrael, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and grinning, his voice carefree as he said. "Easy, Reaper. Let's not ruin Jay's birthday. I'd hate to have explain why you have blood on you," he snickered to himself. 
Reaper's eyes never left Alex.
"First shots free," Reaper said cryptically, his voice cold as he gestured to me for a second. "You bother her again," Reaper warned, dropping his hands into fists at his side, "and I'll break more than your nose."
Alex gave him a look of confusion - Reaper suddenly smiled viciously and with a swift motion, his fist connected with Alex's face. Blood and bone filled the air, Az laughing loudly as Alex crumpled, shouting in pain, clutching his broken nose. Reaper checked his knuckles, finding them unscathed and grunted. 
Alex made the mistake of glaring at me, Reaper grabbing the collar of his shirt and lifting him off his feet, turning and slammed him into the lockers. "You're really going to be that fucking stupid?" He growled viciously, a tremor of fear and slight arousal going through me. 
Az glanced at my wide eyes, panicked and confused and aroused, smirking slightly as if he knew, before he nodded his head at Cass. "Take our little angel out of here," he grinned, sinister and promising looking at Reaper and Alex. "Seems our dear Alex needs a longer chat." 
Cassius pulled me from the hallway, leaving Az and Reaper with a begging Alex. 
"You okay, sweetheart?" Cassius asked, his voice gentle and his warm hand stroking my hair from my face. 
I nodded, still shaken. "You guys don't have to-"
Cassius' arm around me was warm and comforting as he squeezed me gently, hushing me. "Don't spoil our fun of being white knights for our favourite damsel," he teased, making a small giggle leave me. 
"What if he tells people three bikers came to save me?" I asked, raising a brow. "I don't need more rumours," I muttered then. 
Cass scoffed, looking ahead and lifting his arm to hang over my shoulder, my cheek reddening from the action with his large hand so close to my breast. 
He seemed oblivious, giving me a gorgeous smile and looking down at me. "He'll get the same treatment as the last guy who did that," he said simply, as if that said it all. 
I blinked, remembering, and my mouth fell open. "That's why Ben Peters made that video apology for calling me a gangbanging slut and posted it to the schoolboard!?" 
Cassius shrugged like he didn't know what I was taking about. I knew he was lying. 
"Let go have fun," he said then, smiling as we reached Reaper's mustang and he opened the door. "Get in, angel."
I rolled my eyes, hiding my smile and tried to sound stern as I fell into the backseat. "Keep it up with the nicknames, that makes it better." 
Cass scrunched his nose at me. "I know right, feels natural," he said, making me frown at him, unamused. 
Reaper and Az joined us, Reaper looking cold and expressionless, Az moving smoothly and unphased as they climbed into the car, Az slipping in next to me and throwing his arm over my shoulder.
"So, now we're alone," he purred seductively, my stomach flipping and tightening, my cheeks reddening and I looked up him. "Touch me and I'll tell Jay," I lied convincingly. 
Az raised his hands innocently, pulling away and clasping them between his knees. "You're a terrible damsel," he stated with a charming smirk. "You know you're meant to kiss us for saving you, right?" 
I scowled at him but he just turned his cheek to me and leaned towards me, hinting. 
I sighed dramatically, rolling my eyes and leaned into his cheek, giving him a quick peck before leaning between Reaper and Cassius, both of them leaning towards me automatically and expectantly, making me giggle as I planted a peck on their cheeks as well. They all grinned like idiots when I fell back into my seat. 
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head and chuckled. "You're all so dumb," I teased, trying to hide how much I wished I could kiss them properly. 
A comfortable silence fell, my eyes going to my wrist, covered by my sweater but when I pulled it back, I couldn't stop the small frown and swell of tears that threatened seeing a bruise forming.
I pulled it down, covering it shamefully, reminding myself I couldn't let Jay see it. He'd be furious, probably want to finish Alex off if Az and Reaper hadn't already. 
Reaper's gaze met mine in the rearview mirror.
A silent promise.
You're safe.
We pulled up to Jay's favorite diner, where he waited in his pickup thinking we were just meeting up, oblivious to the surprise.
Cass grabbed my hand as I climbed out, Reaper going and greeting Jay while Az stepped in front of me, partly shielding me. 
"What-"
"We got you something," Cass smiled, reaching into his leather jacket and handed me a small black velvet box. 
I looked at them confused and suspicious. "This isn't like... Alex's ear or something, right?" I asked, only half joking. 
Az rolled his eyes, smirking, Cass chuckling and wrapped his hand under mine and opened it. 
My breath caught - a opal necklace of white gold and tiny angel wings.
"For protection," Azrael said, winking.
Cassius smiled, plucking the necklace from the box and turning me, clipping it around my neck.
Reaper's gaze lingered on mine as we joined him and Jay, a small, almost undetectable smirk on his lips as he saw the necklace. 
In that moment, I felt seen.
Protected.
My teenage heart loved them with everything.