♕Harley Anderson♕

When I climb out of the bath, I feel more relaxed then I have in a while. My mind is still reeling with the pleasure Danté inflicted on me and my body feels like it's been renewed.
Pulling on some pajamas, I exit the room where Danté is dosing. He, too, is exhausted. Running a hand through my wet hair as I make my way to the kitchen, I almost yelp when I see Ray sitting on a bar chair by the counter with a glass of water in hand.

When he sees me, he laughs at the hand I have splayed over my heart.

"Hello to you too."

"You gave me a heart attack," I breathe out and he laughs.

"Sorry."

It then suddenly occurs me to that Danté and I weren't alone and I can't help but blush. "Uh, how long have you been here?" I ask awkwardly, scratching at my arm. Ramiro seems to enjoy watching me squirm because he smiles, eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Long enough to have heard you." He replies.

If it's even possible, my cheeks burn even more and I cover my face in embarrassment.

"Oh my gosh, that's so embarrassing." I mutter under my breath. "I'm so sorry Ray. I thought we were home alone."

Ray shakes his head with a smile, walking to the sink and placing his glass inside before making his way to the freezer. He pulls out a tub of ice-cream and grabs two spoons. "Nah, don't worry about it. At least someone in this house is getting some action."

With an opportunity to get the attention off of me, I ask: "So there's no secret girl who has your heart?"

Ramiro shakes his head, opening the tub of what seems to be chocolate mint ice-cream. He extends a hand out to me, offering a spoon and after taking it from him I lean against the counter opposite from him.

"It's hard to have a girl when your only love broke your heart."

Forgetting what Danté told me, I wince as I scoop some of the heavenly dessert. "I'm sorry... I didn't know."

"It's alright. I mean, when I really need a release I hit up Jee." He tells me and I don't bother to hide my surprise. I saw that they had a unique relationship but I never thought there was a romantic or sexual aspect to it. "She's great. Since she's my best friend, we know how to read each other. She always knows how I want it- if I want to have that gentle kind of sex or if I just want some rough shit. And I love it." He shrugs. "I've never fucked a girl who can do it better than Jee so in that case, I'm alright. But for any romantic relationship..." he trails off, shoving a spoonful of ice-cream into his mouth.

I frown to myself, taking another spoonful of the dessert. "Does it bother Jee?" I ask. "As in, the fact that you're not romantically into her?"

Ramiro shakes his head. "Nah. She knows about what happened with Claire and she understands that. Plus, have you seen her?" He asks rhetorically before laughing. "I've never met a girl more emotionally unavailable than Jee." 

A chuckle escapes me as I think of the brooding and aloof Jee K'yong. I'm sure there's plenty of guys who would love to try and get with her simply because she's hard to get.

"And there hasn't been any other girl since... Claire?"

Shaking his head, he runs a hand through his hair. "I've kinda closed myself off to relationships."

With me not knowing what to reply, we continue to eat from the tub in front of us in silence. But I feel an overwhelming urge to ask for more of the story and for once I push away the urge to not do it and instead ask cautiously:

"Do you mind me asking what happened?"

Ramiro pauses from eating the ice-cream, his jaw locking in place and him looking away for a moment. His mouth is hidden behind his fist but I can already tell they're pressed together in a firm line. The unease and anger but, more importantly, the hurt radiates from him so strongly that I instantly regret asking the question. Whatever happened with Claire is still a sore spot for him and is still something he hasn't fully moved on from. However, before I can tell him he doesn't have to answer, he begins.

"Y'know, with this whole life of violence and shit, I was kind of looking for a light. I was still moving on from my parents dying and I just needed something to give me hope. I met this girl and she was... she was everything I wasn't. Sweet, kind, caring, gentle, innocent. And I just... I just fell head over heels for her. I loved her too much, too fast." He shakes his head to himself. "I felt like I was finally figuring things out... finding my happiness again. But there were so many red flags... so, so many that I refused to see because she was an angel in my eyes. Katalina tried to warn me, Jee tried, Bruno tried. Everyone who knew Claire well enough tried to tell me. I pushed Lina away... when she needed me most because I was so angry at how she was trying to get me to see Claire. I hated her at that time in my life." His eyes focus on the countertop, shame lacing his voice as he relives a chapter he wishes was never written. "I've always been a stoner. I started smoking when I was twelve and hit weed when I was fifteen. But Claire... Claire was on much heavier stuff. And... since I was so besotted with the girl, she got me hooked on the shit too. Before I knew it, I was taking Heroin. It was like a bonding thing between the two of us. We'd get high, fuck all we liked and then do it all over again. But she couldn't afford the drugs... she was still in college so I was buying it, getting involved with the wrong kind of people. That is, until I found her sleeping with a friend of mine- Austin. We had known each other for a really long time... he even knew my parents. But that didn't stop him from making a move on Claire and she certainly didn't love me enough not to hop into bed with one of my closest friends.

"I lost myself. I was ready to die. I lost the love of my life- the only thing I saw as positive at that time of my life- and I was hooked on drugs. I was a living dead man and I hated myself for it. I hated myself for giving in and trying the hard core stuff, I hated myself for loving Claire with every inch of who I was and I hated myself even more for how I treated those I loved around me- especially Katalina. The things I said to her during that time... I'm not sure how she ever forgave me. I was a fucking asshole. I was cutting, getting high, drinking. I was a mess."

Hearing his story and how he went through his own chapter of pain, makes me feel so incredibly close to him. Even after going through all of that, Ray has still walked away with a good heart and an open mind. Looking at Ray gives me hope that I, too, can become a better version of myself and let the pain shape me into a stronger and more compassionate person.

"I couldn't go to rehab... not when I could easily slip up about the gang in my state. I just slowly had to pull myself out of it. And I owe lot of my healing to my sister... it was her love and compassion, her never ending support and her hope that fueled me. She gave me a reason to keep fighting... to live." Shrugging one shoulder, his voice becomes raspy with emotion. "Katalina helped me save myself."

It's both a bittersweet thing to hear him say that. It's so great to hear that Lina helped pull Ray out of that, that she provided him with the support he needed. Who knows what he would've done if she hadn't? But it also hurts because my brother hasn't been the one to pull me out of my darkness, he's the one who helped the darkness begin in the first place. He didn't support me, he left me. Abandoned me. And because of that I'll never get to experience the sibling love that Lina and Ray have.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." Is all I manage to say. "But you're a great person Ray. Really. You're one of the kindest, most compassionate and gentlest people I've ever met and you've been a light for me. You've helped me see things differently... so even though you had to experience such a terrible thing, you still turned out to be a good person and for that, you should be proud because you didn't let it break you, you let it build you."

For the first time since I met him, Ramiro's eyes flash with a hundred different emotions, each one battling with the other behind the glossy sheen. His furrowed brows and pursed lips tell me he's trying to keep it together, trying to keep his emotions in check. Reaching out to clasp his hand, I offer a smile.

He returns the gesture, his smile small but as genuine as ever. "Thank you Harley. You don't know how much that means to me."

Perhaps that's the way life goes- we're all broken people. We're all fighting a battle that weighs us down. But we're also the exact thing that can help each other heal. We're the solution. And although I may never be able to do it for him, Ramiro has definitely helped me heal.

I owe him everything for that.

****

Sitting on top of the hood of the car, I watch as Danté works on the car next to me. It's wonderful watching him in his element, doing something he loves and something that nobody can take away from him. He's so incredibly talented and I can only hope that one day that pays off.

When I realise that I'm staring, Danté is already looking back at me with a shit-eating smirk as he leans his hands against the car.

"You like what you seeing?"

My cheeks flush a little bit. "Your ego is big enough." I retort and if it's possible, his smirk only widens.

"You know what else is big enough?"

I open my mouth to reply when I see Katalina sprinting past the garage doors that are open. She's just a blur, but even then I see her anger and distress on her face and when Ramiro comes sprinting passed a few seconds later, I immediately know something is wrong. Exchanging glances with Danté who is as concerned as me, I hop off the car and he shuts the bonnet before we both exit the garage. We bump into Bruno on the way and I almost cower in fear at the look of pure anger on his face.

"Sorry Harley." He apologizes before making a move to walk away in the same direction that both Ray and Lina were going. However, I grip his arm, pausing him for a moment. I try and read his face but it's suddenly become very calm.

"What's going on?" Carefully I ask and Bruno looks from me to Danté as if debating whether he should tell us or not, but when he meets my gaze again he sighs.

"They've got Ariela." He replies, voice devoid of any emotion.

"Wait, what?" I breathe out.

"Jack has Ariela hostage since we have Persephone. He wants to make an exchange or else..."

"Or else?" My heart clenches at the possible answer

"Or else they're going to kill her." Danté replies for me and I take a step back in panic. Blinking rapidly, I shake my head.

Ariela.

Enrique and Lina's daughter.

"I don't understand." I stutter out. "Lina said that she was closely watched and nobody really knew about her."

Bruno shakes his head, "We dont know they figured it out. But we can worry about that right now. We need to get her back."

"Where have Katalina and Ramiro gone to?" Danté finally asks and Bruno points to one of the warehouses outside.

"To Persephone. She's in the basement. Look, I need to go." Without so much as a glance back, Bruno is running off and I'm about to follow him when Danté pulls me back by my forearm. I frown at his hand and then him, not understanding why he's holding me back.

"What are you doing?"

"You shouldn't go there. It doesn't involve us amado."

I shrug his hand off of me.

"Ray is my friend. And so is Lina. I need to make sure they're okay." I reply bravely, taking off in the direction that Bruno had gone in. "Bruno! Wait!" I call out and he looks to me, annoyance flickering across his face for a moment. "Please let me come in with you." He narrows his eyes at me for a moment before telling the guards to grant me access. We enter the warehouse, Bruno fast on his feet and me trailing his heels. The warehouse looks like a place where they store drugs that need to be shipped out. However, there's a set of stairs leading to the basement and we go down them.

The basement is a different room all together. It's grey and clean, white lights hanging from the ceiling. There's a little room with a wall that has window in it which looks out to the rest of the basement. Nobody is in the separated area and are all instead inside the actual room where Persephone is tied up to a chair. Bruno pushes the door open, Ray turning to look at us as we enter.

"Where the fuck would she be!" Lina screams and I flinch at never hearing her like that. The sound of her slapping Persephone resonates through the room and I'm taken aghast at how Percy still looks back at her and smirks. Even with her a mess, blood staining her shirt and dripping down from her nose and mouth, she looks ruthless. Lethal.

"You know, you'd figure that out if you just agreed to Jack's terms and did the exchange." Percy replies casually.

"Why the fuck would we trust that bastard!" Ramiro roars, my heart leaping into my throat. Percy shrugs before looking at me and then Bruno. She cocks her head to the side.

"Did you bring in your hitman in hopes of shaking me?" She asks to nobody in particular and Bruno steps forward, punching her straight in the jaw. A gut clenching crunch is heard but it doesn't make the blonde strapped to the chair drop her smile. Instead, she spits blood at Bruno's feet.

"You're a hitman Bruno, I'm a killer. There's a difference between that."

"Persephone," Lina grinds out. "Where is she?"

"I don't know! For fuck's sake! I've been strapped to this chair for two days! How the fuck would I know?" It's the first time I've ever seen Percy snap, her glare that isn't even directed at me making me want to run out of the room.

"I don't believe you." Lina answers, crouching by Persephone. A bloody smile comes as a response from Percy before she spits at Lina. A wad of saliva lands on Lina's face and she wipes it away before lunging at Persephone. Ray pulls her away, Spanish words flowing from Lina as she screams at Percy who is grinning again. I've never seen Lina so distressed, so desperate.

Ray leads Lina out of the room to the secluded part and Bruno stays behind but I don't stay behind to hear what he asks. Instead, I follow Ray and Lina. When I enter the room, Ray is embracing Lina who has silent tears streaming down her face. I trip over my steps, feeling like I intruded on a moment I had no right to. However, before I can leave to give them space Ramiro is looking at me. Letting go of his sister, he frowns. I glance at Lina to see her trying to compose herself as glares at the floor. Tearing my eyes away from her, I look to Ramiro.

"What was Jack's proposition?" I ask softly and Ray purses his lips. He lets out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose between his two fingers.

"We need to give Persephone back in exchange for Ariela but it has to be done at different locations. Lina has to go and get Ariela back at one of his warehouses while we'll give Persephone to one of his other members at one of our warehouses. It sounds suspicious." He explains and I chew on my lip.

"Well you said that you got into the files yesterday right?" My voice is shaky with nerves and adrenaline. "The files that we needed to get an advantage over Jack's gang?"

Not knowing where I'm going, Ray frowns before nodding slowly.

"Well why not take Jack down now? We have the leverage we need, our biggest worry- which was his hitman-  is in our hands and we're guessing that he'll be at one of the locations right?" I glance between Lina and Ray feverishly. "He's letting himself be in a vulnerable position because he's assuming that you'll be too focused on getting Ariela back. Utilise it."

Ray blinks at me slowly before a smile creeps onto his face and he looks at Lina who is watching me carefully.

"That's genius." Ray's face lights up, as if I offered the answer to life's biggest question. "I need to speak to Enrique. We have four hours to figure something out."

"I want to help." I say. Ramiro has done so much for me, and Enrique and Lina gave Danté and I a path that was less daunting to take. The least I can do is help them take down the very people who dragged me into this mess.

"You can come with me when I fetch Ariela." Lina pipes in, reminding me that she's still in the room. "I need you to bring Ariela back here... we need everyone else to be at the Slithers headhouse."

"And what about you?" I ask and the gleam in eyes Lina's eyes tells me how she was able to become the wife of a gang leader; because she knows when to pick her battles but she sure as hell is not scared to fight them.

"I'm going to kill Jack once and for all."

•••
I hope you're all doing well and staying safe...
Things are about to happen so do you have any theories on what's to come in the next few chapters? Hehe, I'd love to hear them!
Thank you for all the support :)

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