This is a double update as per usual- Chapter 21 was uploaded before this so please make sure you read them in the correct order :)

♕Harley Anderson♕

The next week and a half passed by slowly and painfully but not as bad as I thought. Even though I had to race every night, it's still taking me a while to get used to being behind the wheel again. And it's definitely taking a toll on me- my bones are heavy with exhaustion and my brain is just a bundle of anxiety. But I'm coping. Barely. But I'm making it. Danté has fought every other night, often coming home bruised and cut up but none of his fights have being bloody or gruesome yet. Not that I would really know since I only went back to watch him once after that and I still couldn't handle the blood.

Due to me winning my races, Isaac has laid off of me a little bit. Even though I still have practice a lot with him during the day, I still have time to breathe and do what I want for a small portion of the day. Most of the time I'm with Lina- while trying to ignore the fact that she knows I killed someone- and occasionally Ramiro when he isn't busying beating people up or being a computer geek. As much as I love their company, I don't like having to rely on them for safety but I don't feel safe at the apartment. Not after what happened. But if Danté has some spare time, then we're there, relaxing together and spending our days in bed and baking in the kitchen.

If Lina and I are not at the gang's building, chilling in the parking lot, I'm at a rundown coffee shop with Lina which sells delicious muffins. I've only known Lina and Ramiro for a few weeks and yet I laugh with them like we're long lost friends. They talk a lot about their parents and it's clear how much they loved them. I listen intently when they do but I can't help but feel a little jealous. Even though their parents are no longer around, at least they experienced love. It's more than I can say.

Along with that, Olivia has called a few times and expressed her disappointment that I dropped out of college quite clearly. Even though I'm the one who has started paying for it ever since I started betting at the track, she still said it was a waste of money before going on to say that Danté is clearly influencing me to do 'irrational' things despite me telling her that it's a lot more complicated than that. When she'd asked how, I had sighed and kept quiet because I had nothing else to really say. I had nothing else I could say. Unfortunately. But she wants to see me and after speaking to Mia who had cried on the phone about not seeing me, I so desperately want to go see them too. Even if only for a day. But Nevada is nearly ten hours away and I'm part of a gang and it's just...

It's just so complicated.

"And I told the bitch to back the fuck up, y'know? I mean, come on. You can't tell me that she couldn't see my car when she was reversing. It fucking shines!" Katalina exclaims. "The chick even had the audacity to say it blended in with the surroundings and that's why I slapped her. Ramiro was pissed as hell but even he wanted to slap the blonde bimbo. Niños ricos y tontos." She mutters under her breath and I let out a laugh. Katalina has a very animated way of talking which I find quite entertaining.

"Did she try sue you?"

"Of course not. Bitch was terrified of me. Serves her right." She remarks and I shake my head with a smile. Katalina and I have being sitting here at the coffee shop for more than an hour now. "Harley, are you okay?" She suddenly asks and I look away from gazing out of the window.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I ask and she leans her elbows on the table.

"You've being so quiet." She comments and I look down at my muffin that I've only picked at.

"I miss my mom." I say and Katalina frowns, cocking her head to the side.

"Where does she live?"

"Nowhere close." I respond and I poke at my muffin. "I haven't seen her in months."

"So why don't you ask?"

"Who?" I look up. "Jack?" I laugh before shaking my head.

"Your brother." She responds and my humor sobers up considerably. At first I think she's just kidding but the look on her face tells me she definitely isn't.

"Definitely not."

"Why not? You have an advantage to all of us. Well excluding Persephone."

I shake my head. "I can't."

Katalina watches me carefully, eyes calculating. "What's the deal between you two?"

With surprise at her blunt question, I recoil. "There's no deal?" I say but it comes out as more of a question than anything. Lina rolls her eyes, leaning back in her seat and twisting a sugar packet between her fingers.

"I'm not..." she frowns for a moment, clearly trying to think of the word in English. She does that a lot I've noticed- often saying a word in Spanish because she doesn't know how to say it in English. "Ciega. You didn't seem too happy that he was at the track and then I find you throwing up afterwards. You're being blackmailed and he's letting that happen. Plus nobody even knows you're siblings. That's a little out of the ordinary."

My lips press together in a firm line and I try think of a way to offer a fairly reasonable answer. One that doesn't reveal too much but will be clear enough that she'll drop the subject. But I come up short and settle with: "I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh come on." Lina exclaims in disbelief. "I'm honest with you, Harley. I know hardly anything about you. I don't know what's made you think that nobody can be trusted but I'm your friend Harley. Why can't you understand that?"

I chew on my lip.

"I'm not asking you to tell me all your deep and dark secrets but I am asking you to be a little more open."

A sigh leaves my lips and I lean my elbows on the table, a hand moving to the back of my neck as I watch her eyes stare at me.

"I didn't come from a good home." I shrug. "And... my brother did something to really hurt me. I thought I'd never see him again. Asking him for anything means letting him back in and I don't want that."

Lina frowns, nodding. "Is what he did unforgivable?"

"He chose the gang over me."

"How?"

"It doesn't matter." I sigh with a shake of my head. My eyes zero on in the poppy seeds in my muffin. "All that matters is that he did that."

Silence fills the space between us and all I hear is the sound of utensils from the kitchen and the shrill sound of the kettle.

"My brother joined the gang before me." Lina says and I look up to see her playing with the condensation on her glass. "He never told me actually. We both knew someone who could get us in but Ray never told me he was going to go through with it. You know how much that hurt? He gave his life to the gang without telling me." She says, her eyes holding pain but her voice holding so much conviction. "We were a team and no matter who came into my life, he would always be my priority. It was a rocky time for us. We fought a lot, shouted... screamed. But in the end, I understand why he did it. I'm not saying your story is anything like mine because I cannot say but if it is... your brother is family Harley. And everyone needs a family."

I'm momentarily left speechless at her words, not quite sure how to feel about them. She doesn't know the full story so it isn't so easy to just take her adv-

"Shit, get down!" Katalina suddenly screams, tugging me out of the booth so that we fall to the floor. I cannot question what just happened when the sound of glass shattering and the customers around us screaming echoes around. I glance at Lina to see her rubbing glass off of her head.

"What the fuck?" I hiss, barely having time to try and understand what just happened. Lina crouches, peeking over the table that we were just sitting at.

"Mierda." She mutters, eyes wide with panic. "Mierda, mierda, mierda."

"Lina," I hiss, gripping her arm in a panic. Why isn't she answering me? "Is it the Kings?"

She nods without looking at me and my heart drops before she reaches into the waistband of her jeans and retrieves a gun. Relief floods my system when I see it but is soon gone when I see her hold it up high and then place it on the table.

"What the hell are you doing?" I exclaim, trying to get a hold of it but to no avail. "We need that!"

"Trust me!" She snaps as she places it on the table before peeking over it once more. "Okay, let's go."

I follow her as we crawl to the other side of the restaurant, before standing up. The place is a mess and the sound of an old woman wailing in the corner makes me heart clench and when I step forward in attempt to go to her, Lina grabs my shoulder and pulls me back.

"Where the hell are you going?" She asks before looking at my line of sight to where the woman is crying as she curls up into a frightened ball. "We don't have time for that Harley. She'll be fine."

"How do you know that?" I growl. "Huh? How?"

Lina growls. "The Kings dont kill unless it's needed. She's old. They won't touch her. They're not killers, family is their motto. Now let's go," she tugs on my arm. "The back door."

With a lingering glance at the old woman, I follow Lina out the door just as I hear the front door open and shouts. However, my mind is focused on what she said-

They're not killers.

How can anyone in this life not be a killer?

****

The sound of our footsteps slapping against the tar is heard and when the coffee shop is far away, we finally stop running, slowing our pace to a walk. The sun beats down us us, making a bead of sweat run down my forehead and I breath heavily from the sprint.

"You do realise our cars are in that parking lot?" I voice out and Lina mutters something under her breath.

"Yeah, I do. We'll fetch them later."

"Are they even going to be in one piece?" I ask incredulously and Lina rolls her eyes, sending me an almost warning look as we drag our feet along the road.

"They're not going to shoot the damn cars Harley. They have better use for those bullets."

Her words makes disgust harden my heart and I look down at my worn out boots. "Where are we going?" I enquire further. Every time a car drives by I flinch, thinking it's the Kings.

"We're heading to my house. Also, will you stop flinching? We're not going to die Harley."

I scowl at her. "Excuse me for being scared of being caught in a cross fire."

Something flickers in her eyes and I realise the reference I made to her parents without meaning to. Guilt immediately coils tightly around my gut and I wish I could take the words back. "Shit. I didn't mean it like th-"

"It's fine Harley. I know you didn't." She cuts me off but her voice is terse and the anger lacing it is obvious. "Let's just keep moving. The house is only five minutes away."

I nod dumbly before we lapse into silence. We don't say anything up until we reach the small house she shares with her brother. It's a quaint little thing made of brick that seems to need to be renovated. However, it's still in good condition and standing tall. The garage door is open and I see Danté whose torso is in the hood of Ramiro's car. Ramiro is standing by the doorframe, smoking a cigarette while rambling on about something in Spanish. I hear Danté's laugh echo from the hood but not even that can help me relax after what just happened.

I've being to Lina's house a few times and I was surprised to say the least. It lacks all forms of belonging and homeliness. I was expecting to find pictures upon pictures hanging on the wall and Mexican ornaments around the house but there's none. The only thing that really screams that it's Lina and Ramiro's house is the rich red walls that has two paintings of a landscape in Mexico, the deep brown furniture, finishings and floors, and the lingering aroma of spices in the air. Nothing about their house is modern or minimal- the colours are red and orange and green and yellow and I like it. I like the little bit of their culture they've kept in their house.

The minute Ramiro sees us, particularly his sister, he pushes himself off of the wall and throws his cigarette to the ground.

"Que esta mal?" Ramiro says immediately and Lina wastes no time in responding in fluent Spanish, her words tumbling over one another. Then I feel a touch on my arm and I look to see Danté watching me carefully. I throw my arms around him, holding him tightly and allowing his scent to bring me the comfort I need. He brings his arms around me, the hand he places on my back providing warmth.

He doesn't say anything to me but I take it that he knows what happened by listening to Lina ramble in a tone I haven't heard her use before. I've seen Lina angry before. But I haven't seen her look fuming like she is right now, with a tense posture and a hard scowl.
Danté releases me, eyes scanning my appearance before he picks pieces of what I assume is glass out of my hair.

"You okay?" He asks eventually and I nod, letting out a sigh. At this point, I just want to drink tea and watch a movie- relax. That's what I want to do.

"I'm fine." I respond and Lina seems to finish talking her piece to Ramiro who turns to me, eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"Are you alright?" He enquires and I nod before he let's out a breath.

"Come on. Let's make something to eat." He offers, beckoning us inside. Lina storms in and doesn't head to the kitchen but instead down the hallway. We watch her go as Ramiro begins pulling out herbs and spices.

"Ignore her. She's angry and an angry Lina isn't a safe Lina to be around."

I manage to smile at that and watch as he begins chopping some peppers.

"How was working on the car?" I ask, trying to keep my mind off of everything that happened, and Danté shrugs.

"It's nothing huge. Spark-plugs are out." He says, massaging my shoulders from where he stands behind me.

"Cameron is fucking great at cars." Ramiro says to me. "Jack should be making him fix cars instead of fighting."

I chuckle, listening to the boys talk about the car and silently feeling a little heavier and lighter at the exact same time.

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