♕Harley Anderson♕

We all leave the office shortly after, Enrique guiding us back downstairs while Katalina walks beside us. The guards nod their head in greeting to Enrique as we walk, proving that he is well respected amongst his members.

"The top floor houses the bedrooms, my office, one of our weapon rooms and the tech room." Enrique explains as we walk, his hand holding the shiny banister as he walks with a particular authoritative yet casual manner. His shoes click along the floor and he walks with his free hand slipped into his pants. "The bottom is the kitchen, dining room, our other weapon room and a storage unit." Turning around and walking backwards for a few seconds, he smiles at both Danté and I. "But you'll see the other storage and transport units at the back of our property another time." Turning back around, we all continue down a hallway before Enrique pushes the door open.

The sound of the people behind it laughing and talking could have been heard from the minute we walked into the house but now that the door is open, the sound of boisterous laughter and loud conversations hit me full on. That, and the strong aroma of spices.

I'm expecting the conversations to come to an abrupt halt but they don't despite the various men and women lowering their voices. When Enrique and Katalina move out of the way by going to empty seats, I finally get a full view of the room. Everyone sits around a long table in the large room, the table looking like it's big enough to fit more than twenty people around it. However, less than that are present as a few seats remain vacant. Along the table is numerous dishes, all brightly coloured and mouth watering.

"Everyone," Enrique says now that Harley and I have being noticed by a few of the people, "these are our two newest members- Harley and Cameron. They'll be joining us for dinner tonight."

Some of the people leave lingering glances on us while others simply go back to their conversations. I feel Harley shift closer to me and I reach for her hand, squeezing it tightly as we walk to the two seats open closest to where both Enrique and Katalina sit at the head of the table which surprises me. Where exactly does Katalina place in this gang to be sitting at the head of the table alongside the leader? Perhaps I underestimated her by considering her as just another member of the gang.

A man much taller than me sits in the chair beside mine. His brown complexion shines under the light and when he glances at me, I'm stunned at the beauty of his honey colored eyes. He lounges back in the seat, legs outstretched, while his one hand rests on the back of it and shows his unmarked skin. Everything about him screams 'danger' and yet when he smiles at me, I can't help but return the gesture before slipping into my seat.

On the other side of the table, closer to the middle is Ramiro who smiles widely at me when I meet his eyes. Next to him his Jee- the Asian girl I once saw at the track and who Lina told me to avoid. Further up on our side of the table is the same girl who broke into the apartment in search of the memory stick we eventually found. Everyone else is unknown to me although some are slightly familiar, as if I saw them at some point or another.

"Bien, vamos a cavar en amigos." Enrique says and although I don't understand, I gather that he tells everyone to dig into the food because everyone suddenly starts dishing up. I stay still in my seat, waiting for everyone to dish up.

"Are you not going to eat?" The man beside me ask and I shake my head with a smile.

"I'll dish up when you're all done."

He smiles then, a charming one almost. "With this bunch, you'd be lucky if there's anything for you to dish up." He jokes and I raise an eyebrow, glancing at the table that's adorned with so, so many plates of food. My stomach grumbles just from the beautiful aroma of them wafting into the air.

"There's so much?" I respond, saying it more like a question. Again, he laughs as he stands up and begins piling food onto his plate.

"We eat like kings here."

Turning to face Danté, he seems to have a faraway look in his eyes. "What tastes the best?" I ask him, snapping him out of his reverie of thoughts. His russet brown eyes move to the plates of food laid before us before he opens his mouth to speak.

"Well, if you don't mind eating octopus then Pulpo a la gallega," He says, pointing to a delicious looking dish, "is great. Paella is just rice-based with either chicken or seafood. Personally one of my favorites. And Croquetas," Danté grins at me, "they are the best. Foodgasm material."

Chuckling, I nod before dishing up for myself as well. I take a little bit from a few dishes before contemplating about a particular dish before Ramiro speaks up for me.

"Chilli Con Carne," Ramiro says, looking up at me and I frown.

"What is in it?"

"Mainly beans and meat." The guy with long hair sitting beside him says. He has an ugly bruise on his eye but I avoid looking at it.

"That sounds amazing." I admit with a smile before dishing that up and then taking a seat back down. I immediately dig in, pausing as the flavours from the dish melt in my mouth and I have to suppress a moan from how fucking amazing it is. It seems that Danté notices because he looks at me with an amused smile and I roll my eyes playfully. Conversations flow around the room naturally and I soak in the joy and general atmosphere of it while eating silently.
Most of the talk is in Spanish so I only catch on with a few things, most of it not understandable to me.

Danté talks to Enrique and Katalina in Spanish, the interested look on his face letting me know that whatever they're talking about is of interest to him.

It's funny how by just sitting in a room with a few members I can tell that the unity and loyalty in this gang is intense. Here, these people are talking and laughing like a group of friends and not just a bunch of criminals banding together. Even though I haven't being part of the Slither gang for very long, it's obvious that they lack that. All Jack and his members call about is the money and power, no matter who they have to step on in order to get to it. And yet here the Kings members and their leader are having a dinner together. A dinner.

"Entonces, ¿qué vas a estar haciendo para esta pandilla eh?" A girl with tanned skin and long brown hair asks. She has rings on nearly all of her fingers, matching the necklace around her neck. I swallow the food in my mouth before looking at the guy next to me, not sure at first if she's talking to me. However, when I realize she is, I open my mouth to respond before Danté does it for me.

"Harley doesn't speak the language fluently." He says and the girl frowns before cocking her head to one side.

"But you do?"

"Yes." Danté says and genuine confusion is clear in her features.

"Where are you from?"

I glance at Danté briefly to see him keeping a cool mask on. "My parents were from Colombia."

"Were?"

"Keva." Ramiro is the one to say her name in warning and she holds her hands up in surrender before leaning back in her seat.

"You're interrogating them about the wrong things." Jee suddenly says from where she holds a wine glass in her hand. Her eyes then meet mine, a bitter look on her face. "How about you tell us whether you're really here for us or you're just double crossing us?"

Conversations come to an abrupt halt but Jee doesn't look away from me and I feel my throat closing up in panic however, I make a point to remain calm on the outside.

"We're not double crossing this gang." Danté responds for us and Jee looks at him with a scowl.

"And why should we believe you huh? You both just pop out of nowhere, you being good at racing and you," she points at Danté, "being good at fighting. Please explain that."

"Is that insecurity?" I find myself saying and the Asian girl lets out a laugh of disbelief.

"Me? Insecure of a girl part of a Latin gang who cannot even speak the language? You don't belong her-"

"Jee." Ramiro snaps suddenly, grabbing her wrist. She whips to face him suddenly, showing nothing but anger.

"Dejame ir, Ramiro." She seethes, having a staring contest with him.

"Enough!" Katalina suddenly yells, causing everyone to look at her. Her gaze is fixated on Jee, a hard look on. "I am the one who made the decision to let Harley and Cameron into this gang. If you don't like that, you can come speak to me. But you will not disrespect them like that."

"How do we kn-"

"Esto no es para discusión." Enrique cuts Jee off, leaving no room for discussion. It seems that Jee realises she's threading on dangerous grounds by the look on his face- somehow a warning look that chills to me my bones. She swallows.

"Entonces disculpame. Tengo cosas más importantes que atender." Her words have a bitter edge to them as she stands up, pushing her chair back before leaving the room. I watch the door swing closed after she is gone, my heart thumping loudly while the conversations continue as if this is normal. However, my mind is still processing that Katalina and Enrique defended Danté and I when we haven't even being a part of this gang for a whole day yet. It makes me feel like the two siblings I came to know were right about saying that the Kings will defend us in this fight in a way that Jack won't.

"Harley." I hear my name being called and I snap my head to where Enrique is staring at me with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, what was it that you were saying?" With my mind still focused on what just happened, I don't recall what he said.

"I wanted to apologize for Jee's behavior. She can be... very protective and impulsive."

"That's why we call her Impy after all." The same girl- Keva- who questioned Danté says with a gentle smile. My lips find themselves curving upwards and I shake my head before picking my knife and fork back up again.

"It's alright. I wasn't expecting a warm welcome from everyone." Truthfully, I wasn't expecting a welcome at all. Not when Jack didn't welcome us into his gang. And yet here I am, eating dinner with the enemy while wondering maybe I've got it switched around.

"Jee should have been a fighter to be honest." The man beside me muses after a mouthfull of food has been swallowed. "She's always ready for a brawl."

"I don't think that making her fight was going to do her any good. She would end up killing everyone, Bruno." Ramiro responds, leaning back in his chair and absentmindedly playing with a napkin on the table. Despite him taking a dig at the girl, I hear a tone of admiration and... fondess in his voice. Perhaps his relationship with her goes a little beyond just friendship.

"Well, lets thank the universe for the fact that she's a racer then." Bruno says, lifting his glass of beer up in a 'cheers' motion before taking a large gulp.

"So," Keva says, leaning her chin into one of her palms while the other rests on the table, "you two are together I'm guessing?" She says, looking between Danté and I. Smiling, I nod at the same time as Danté.

"Yes we are." Danté says and Keva smiles, her lips stretching to form a closed-lip smile.

"How did you guys meet?" She enquires just as the man next to Ramiro scoffs.

"Oh come on Keva. Seriously? You are such a hopeless romantic." He smirks as he shakes his head. Keva throws him a middle finger before rolling her eyes.

"If you don't like it pissboy, tune out of the conversation." She smirks back and the man lets out a groan at the same time most of the table laughs.

"Seriously? That was one fucking time okay? And I was drunk! Why do you all seem to forget that?" He exclaims in exasperation, hands flying up in the air. This only makes everyone laugh more before he drops his hands back to his side and shakes his head. "If only I had footage of all the shit you guys did when drunk as well." He mutters.

"At least none of us pissed in our pants while dancing on a table Amador!" Someone down the table shouts, causing Amador to throw a potato at them. I chuckle at the playful banter before returning my attention to Keva.

"So?" She continues, pressing the topic. I glance at Danté and he looks down at me before shrugging.

"Harley's roommate back in Oregon was my best friend's girl so they both used to drag us to parties so that's we met first." Danté says, Ramiro, Keva, Katalina, Enrique and Bruno listening intently. There's a nostalgic tone to his voice, both of us remembering a different time, a- somewhat- simpler time. A time where things weren't so fucking complicated.

"But," I decide to add, "we only really started talking after I asked him to teach me what he knew about racing." I chuckle, remembering the day I asked him. If someone had told me that was going to be the start of what we have now, I would have died of laughter and yet here we are. So hopelessly in love.

"Im sure that was a challenge." The Brazilian girl chuckles and I can't help but join in as I recall how Danté and I weren't too good at working with one another at one stage.

"Danté could be difficult," I lift my shoulder into a casual shrug, "but he was- is- an amazing teacher." Glancing up at him, I offer a gentle a smile at the same time he scratches the side of his nose.

"And Harley," he smirks, giving me a pointed look, "was incredibly stubborn. But she's a great racer."

A few of them chuckle around the table at the same time I playfully roll my eyes and punch his shoulder. Danté chuckles and I revel in the sound of it because it's a sound that could lull me to a land where none of this pain and hurt exists.

"So is Harley your real name or is it like a..." Keva begins before she frowns in thought, pursing her lips as she clicks her fingers. It seems she's trying to think of the word she wants to use. "Man, what's that word?" She slaps her palm against her forehead before Bruno pipes up from beside me.

"Nickname?"

"Yes!" Keva exclaims excitedly, clapping her hands in excitement that she got the word. "Is Harley your name or is it a nickname?"

My eyebrows knit together and I cock my head to the side, watching as Keva looks at me expectantly with a wide smile on her face.

"Uh," I glance at Danté who seems just as confused as I am with a frown on his face, "what makes you think it would be nickname?"

"Harley Davidson- y'know, the motorcycles?" The pixie like girl who I once worked with to find a damn memory stick pitches up. Her brown hair hangs down in limp curls, her pointy ears sticking out from behind them while her blue eyes watch me in amusement. "Keva's assuming that if you like cars so much, maybe you like motorcycles enough too to change your name to one of the most popular brands there is."

When I fix my attention back on Keva, she's nodding and I burst out laughing, catching everyone off guard. What exactly I find so amusing is something I'm not too sure about and yet, I can't contain the sound from bubbling up my throat. Danté has a look of surprise on his face while Katalina is watching me softly while Enrique digs into a piece of crab.

"No," I respond, my voice still containing my amusement at the assumption. "It's not a nickname and I actually don't like motorcycles that much."

Keva's eyebrows raise in surprise at the same time that Adrianna rolls her eyes.

"Leave it up to Keva Matthews to make the weirdest assumptions about people." She mutters into her glass of orange juice and a few chuckles bounce around the room. Keva turns to Adrianna, eyes narrowed while a sly smirk plays on her lips. My eyes trail to the butter knife that the girl in front of me clutches. My heart crawls up my throat as she lifts it up and aims it at Adrianna before throwing it her. Before a scream of horror or panic- maybe both- can leave my mouth, Adrianna is ducking so that the knife hits the wall behind her and clatters to the floor.

She looks up from her plate of food, smirking smugly. "Missed me, Matthews."

Keva throws her the middle finger before slumping in her chair childishly. My heart is still hammering  so wildly in my chest that I can't grasp that Keva just threw a knife at Adrianna as a joke. With my hand splayed across my heart, I let out a sigh and look at Ramiro when he laughs.

"Don't worry, Harley. Keva's only messing around- she likes to play with knives and Adriana likes to entertain the idea." Keva gives Ramiro a look of feigned hurt and shock, slapping a hand over her heart with a pout while Adrianna simply shrugs and continues sipping on her orange juice.

I smile at the playful banter that goes around the table and the overall sense of peace that sits in the room and for just a second- only a second- I almost forget that I'm with a gang.

•••
So what do you guys think of Enrique's gang? I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter and I'm so excited for what's coming next! Let me know who is your favorite character in this chapter :)
I hope you're all safe!

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