{ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴜɴʀᴀᴠᴇʟ }

      ‘                     I want her… ‘ Rebecca’s voice is low and rough. Her eyes rimmed red and her hands visibly shake as, with each word spoken, she gets louder and louder until she’s screaming in rage at every RED in sight. ‘ Did I stutter? Get out there, and find her, and bring her to me! ‘ She should have done something sooner – she should’ve killed the bitch the moment she realised who’d put the bullet in her heart… Mania glints in her eyes, hair dishevelled, as she searches for a face she will never see again – and rage burns in her bones. ‘ Fucking find her! ‘

Tiger waited. Her back pressed against the wall just outside, knees drawn up to her chest. It’s been two weeks, but it hasn’t gotten any easier to live without the people newly lost. The Jokers were mourning and she mourned her friend. The Spades mourned and she mourned her cousin. Her father...they hadn’t been that close even before and she regrets all the things she was too full of pride to say to him.  She watched as Reds filed out and waited for them to be out of her sight before she pushed up onto her feet and walked into her mother’s office. “Mom...” She called her name softly, but the rest of the words got caught in her throat. Instead, she moved forward and wrapped her arms around Rebecca’s waist, her face burrowing against her shoulder.

There is a moment when Lacey realised that Tiger was sitting next to her, but instead of reaching out to perhaps comfort her sister and best friend, she reached for the bottle and took a long, hard sip of it. “What are we going to do?” Lacey murmured quietly, giving the bottle back with a drawn out sigh. No tears came because she refused to cry, Violet was a friend, Marcus was a father figure… And they were just gone. “One of each, how symbolic.” Who did this? She was confused, and she knew if she wanted to find out answers, all Lacey would have to do is find a computer. But Lacey didn’t want to know, part of her relished in the fact that there was something she didn’t know. “God, Caroline, what are we going to do?”

She used the heel of her palm to wipe the tears from her eyes, tilting her head down so that her hair would fall and cover her face. Tiger had never liked crying in public, or in front of people in general and yet she’d found herself doing so more often than she’d liked. “I’ve always hated this part. The death. I know our people have killed others, but I’ve never liked it. I don’t know how they can just...” She covered her mouth with her hand to hide the guilt lines in her frown. This never should have happened. She didn’t know who the hell was picking them off, but she was sure now that it had something to do with whoever had decided to shoot her mother. “Just...stay.” Tiger leaned over, resting her head on Lacey’s shoulder and looping an arm around her waist. She couldn’t handle ever losing her too.

“If you’re in my shop you better have a real sweet tooth, darling.”

“You know I do. Plus, not liking your baking is like not liking puppies. Totally impossible.”

“Back to see me so soon? Someone must be missing me.” Ariadne raised the glass of scotch to her lips as she kept her eyes on Tiger. While she still considered the girl apart of her messed up family, she had hurt her and so many others. And her trust had worn thin with her, and with many others as of late. “Do tell me you aren’t thinking of getting work at the Heart now. I don’t think your mother would really approve of that.”

“Well, we’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for and you know how much I love your pretty face.” She teased her with a slight grin as she sat down beside Ariadne, filling the glass she brought with her with scotch. Tiger took a sip, eyeing the older woman before she turned in her chair to face Ariadne front on and leaned her elbow against the back of her chair. She snorted at her suggestion. “Please. Like I could fit in on stage with those girls. But what my mother doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

“So, for Halloween, do you think I should go slutty or nah?”

“Definitely slutty. But hey, I’m a biased person to ask. And now I've got the song Or Nah in my head. I hate you.”

It’s with a cigarette between her teeth that she does her best thinking. The motion of inhaling the smoke and breathing it out again has always calmed her even the first few times when she had coughed and spluttered. Her mind is usually so cluttered with thoughts, nagging worries that she usually does he absolute best to try and ignore because the alternative is too difficult to grasp. Working through her problems has always been a flaw of hers as she much preferred a quick solution, unable to spend too long waiting for one to come along. Impulsive. Reckless. It was part of how she got her nickname. It was was only when she smoked that she was calm and her mind was crystal clear in a way that she didn’t appreciate. 

Blowing smoke out into the air of her balcony, her mistakes clung to her thoughts and gripped them tight. She considered her brothers. Charlie, who had seemed the most affected by what she had done.  She had made him so...broken and angry. They had made up, but she still felt the guilt as strong as she had while she had been in New York. Jacob and Daniel were easier. They stayed mad, stayed cold and it wasn’t easier sparring with them because she knew she deserved it, she knew that their anger was justified and she took their criticism of her choices with ease. She’ll never forget how much it had stung when she had come back the day of Uncle Spade’s funeral and her father had slapped her across the face. The hardest had been her mother, still was her mother, when she pretended everything was fine when they were so far from that and all Tiger wanted was to have it all back.

The pounding headache didn’t seem to want to go away. Her stomach also wasn’t feeling the greatest. That was probably why she found herself eating some greasy food. Yet again it had been another night of partying and waking up in a bed that didn’t belong to her. Instead of heading home she was sitting in a small cafe with her hood pulled up to try to hide her face. Though she quickly realized she wasn’t alone and made a face,“ Unless this is life or death, keep walking.”

“I have been looking for you forever.” Her tone was bright as she sat down in the chair opposite her capo, making herself comfortable. Nikhita was always someone she had felt comfortable around ever since they’d met once Tiger had moved to New York. “Where the hell have you been, Khita? Out on another wild night?” She wiggled her eyebrows at the older female before taking a sip of her coffee, looking up from beneath her eyelashes in absolute amusement at Nikhita’s current state.

“I swear my suppliers has it in for me. How can he short me on vodka this week seriously! It goes in like 75% of the orders people want.” Serena slammed her board down on the bar top as she continued putting stuff away. “I need a new supplier.”

“Serious, Rena. Our supplier is so fucking shotty, he always leaves us short of stuff.” She put another crate of booze down on top of the bar as she began unpacking. “Is Eric in tomorrow or is it the day after?”

Pretending to be shot, dramatically placing her hand over her chest and ‘fainted’ - catching herself and twirling around in stead. “I’m like a puma cat, annnnd you’re like a tiger cat– and we’re both in the clear because from what I hear everybody wants to be a cat.” She half sang the last part of her reply, tapping her feet along to it. Her smile pulled itself wider at Tiger’s next reply and she nodded along with vigor, “remember the first time you tried using a lighter? How it seems impossible and your thumb is like a full-on blister.” Winslow laughed at this strange nostalgia.

Tiger laughed, brows furrowing and lips splitting open with mirth as she shook  her head at the Red. “Wow, I can not believe you came up with that nickname. So original and not at all expected.” She teased, blowing smoke into the air before cocking her head a little to the side.  “Did you just sing The Aristocats to me? That movie was my shit when I was a kid, I was totally Marie.” She leaned back against the wall behind her, one leg bending at the knee so her foot could rest flat against the well. Or at least as flat as her boots would allow. “Oh yeah. I burned the end of  my thumb and lied to my mum saying that I had been cooking pancakes and burned myself.” A laugh escaped her at the memory and flicked ash off the end of her cigarette. 

“Awww, you love me too much.” Dahlia teased. She slid out the car as soon as they were parked and skipped up to the entrance of the Empyrean. She held the door open and waited for Tiger to catch up. “Don’t worry. I’m all yours, darling.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure. We’ll pretend that is the reason. “ Tiger grinned as she followed Dahlia over to the entrance of the Empyrean, walking through the door that was held open for her. “Good. ‘Cause like I said, I’m not very good at sharing.” She winked and unlocked the door to her apartment once she reached it, pushing it open before tossing her keys onto the table as she shrugged out of her jacket and headed for the fridge. “I have beer, some vodka and champagne. I also have orange juice so we could definitely make Mimosas!”

      Rather than answer, he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and a lighter. It was more a nervous habit that he’d acquired as a teen, his father never discouraging it as he said it helped with some fabricated image that James fed into in order to please the older male. Better to look disinterested than show your emotions, that was what Edward had taught him and now look at the way he so inaccurately handled people; how poorly he cared or showed what few feelings he could accurately feel. “Just say fucking thank you, fucking hell.” He hissed through grit teeth. This was hard enough without her forever being that self-sacrificing martyr with a self-righteous superiority that was wholly unwarranted mixed in. He just needed his cousin, Caroline Heart, to forgive him for being an ass. “I’m not looking to be mature right now, Caro.”

She pursed her lips at him, arms crossing under her breasts. “I am at fucking work James, I’m not really in the mindset to be dealing with family members. I said it was fine. I don’t blame you for being an asshole and I’m not mad at you. We’re fine.” Tiger leaned back against the wall and sighed, deep and low. She really hadn’t been prepared for something like this when waking up this morning, she hadn’t had any time to prepare for this type of a conversation like he did. But she didn’t want to fight right now, so instead she bent one leg so her foot fell flat against the wall and she looked up at him. “You’re apologizing because what happened to my Mom scared the shit out of you, aren’t you? I know you were the one who was there when she woke up.” 

“No way!” The girl piped up, almost missing entirely that something had been thrown her way - but managing to catch it before it caused damage to her face or the lighter. “Woah, I did not think I was gonna catch that one.” Her reflexes not exactly the highest ranking skill she possessed. None the less she had her light and still lacked a black eye, not the worst Monday in the books. “Thanks, you’re a doll.” Sparking the end of her smoke and taking a drag in, the air between them smelling like tobacco and something muskier mixed together. “I think I have the most rotten luck with lighters, maybe it’s cause I’m pulled more towards aesthetic than capability…” A certain calm seeming to float over her.

Tiger snorted in amusement when Lola almost missed the lighter and she shook her head as she lit up. “Just testing your reflexes there, Lo. Glad to know they’re still on point.” Tiger pointer her thumb and forefinger at Lola, making a clicking sound with her mouth before returning the cigarette to sit between her teeth. She knew of Lola as one of her mothers employees but beyond much, she didn’t hold much information about the girl. “No problem, dude. Gotta look out for each other when lighters are being shitty.” She kid, shrugging one shoulder and blowing smoke into the air. “I was really bad with lighters when i was sixteen and would buy the two dollar ones. They always broke or ran out quick though so I had to buy some of the more expensive ones.”

      “I fucking won’t. I think you tried to kill me.” Amber whinged as she blindly felt around for her purse. Thin fingers closed around the strap and she rummaged around until finding a small bag of Tea and feeling relief before even taking it in. “Wait. Your mum’s? She’s not uh… she’s not here is she?”

“Did not. It’s not my fault that when I gave you a bottle of water you threw it away and said ‘fuck water’.” She sat up in bed, raising a hand to her forehead and groaning at the throb. “I don’t know, probably. If she’s in a good mood, she might make us pancakes. She’s not that scary, I promise.”

“Good! Let them!” Dahlia cackled hysterically, leaning out the window to let the wind blow through her scarlet hair. She ducked her head back in the vehicle and knocked her head against the seat. “We could totally do it though. I’m sure we know tons of people who’d be into that.” She noted jokingly. “That would be one exciting party.”

Tiger giggled at Dahlia, shaking her heading amusement. She’d always loved Dahlia’s ability to be so carefree, so able to be herself. “Now that’s true, but then I’d have to share you. I’ve never been good at sharing.” She teased, pulling into the underground parking lot of the Empyrean and parking the car. 

“Oh, hunny. Is it bothering you so much?” Daniella’s face completely changed. She knew what the younger girl needed. Shaking her head, she cleared her throat. “No. No, that wasn’t me. I’m not even sure who did it. Which bothers me to no end of course.”

Part of her knew that this wasn’t Daniella, that this wasn’t her style and that she would never do something like that without telling her. But hearing her say it made her feel better and she let out a long breath and a small smile. “Sorry, I just needed to hear you say it.”