♛Cameron Dawson♛

I go at a deathly speed as I race along the quiet and empty road. The anxiousness and anger in my veins pushes me to step on the gas even more so that the world around me becomes one blur and I can't see clearly anymore. It's like for just a moment I don't have worries or troubles and it's just me, the road and my car. I wish this was the way things always were.

I eventually slow my car down and pullover before resting my head back on the carseat with a sigh.

Am I walking into a deathtrap today?

Me meeting with Harley's attacker isn't the wisest decision but I have to do it. I need to try and put all of this to an end. Harley doesn't deserve to go through the mess that I've dragged her into and I'll be damned if I let an opportunity to get out of this situation go.

I run a hand through my hair before turning my car back on and making my way to Joe's Coffee Shop. It's busy with customers like usual when I enter and I notice Harley taking down the order of a young couple. When she walks over, still scribbling in her notebook, she finally looks up to me. When I see her face light up, I feel my heart clench.

"Cameron." She says, coming over and pecking my lips. Hearing the name 'Cameron' coming out of her lips sounds so strange now that she calls me by my real name. She says 'Danté' so smoothly and effortlessly that I can't help but love hearing it come from her.

She pulls away and before she can say anything, a clearing of a throat interrupts us. We both turn to the source to see a man who I recognize as Harley's boss staring back at us. Harley blushes crimson.

"Hey Joe. I didn't know you were here." She tries to say casually and the man nods with a smile.

"I just got in." He replies before looking back at me. "So are you going to introduce me to your..."

"Boyfriend." Harley fills in for him.

"Yes, boyfriend?" Joe asks but I can sense the amusement behind his voice. Harley giggles before turning to me.

"Joe, this is Cameron. Cameron, this is Joe, my boss."

I stick my hand out to Joe and he grips it in a firm grasp without breaking eye contact. "Nice to meet you Cameron."

"Likewise." I respond and he pulls me forward slightly.

"Harley is like a daughter to me okay? Don't go around breaking her heart." He warns lowly and even though I feel gratitude to the man for caring for Harley, I can't help but chuckle.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

He lets go of my hand and pulls back with a smile, Harley looking between the two of us with raised eyebrows. "Let me take that order and you can head out now." Joe offers and Harley hands him her notebook.

"I'll see you around Cameron," Joe greets before disappearing into the kitchen. Harley hangs up her apron and grabs her bag, saying goodbye to a fellow waiter before coming to my side and exiting the room with me.

"I'm sorry about Joe. He's just very protective over his staff." Harley says once we're in the car and on our way home.

"It's fine Harley. At least he cares." I respond and she nods to herself.

When we're both back in the apartment, I check my watch and notice that I'm cutting it a bit fine.
I look at myself in the mirror of my bathroom and tell myself I have to do this, I have to get us out of this mess. I run a hand through my hair and when I leave my bathroom and enter my room to see Harley on the balcony, her hair flailing around, I cannot help but walk over to her and snake my arms around her waist.

She relaxes into me and turns around in my hold before looking at me with wide eyes. I don't say anything and rather connect her lips with mine, savoring the feeling of them to memory so I can never forget it. She runs a hand through my hair and tugs at the hair at the nape of my neck, making me extremely eager to kiss her some more. However, she breaks the kiss to look at me in concern. Her eyes bounce between the both of mine.

"Are you okay?" She asks and I nod, pulling away slightly.

"Yeah. I'm just worried about the meeting Emery wants to have with me today." Lying to her physically hurts me and makes me feel extremely guilty but I have to do this.

She cups my cheek. "You'll be fine." She reassures me and I hope that her words are true. I nod.

"I should actually get going." I say and pull away. She drops her hands.

"While you're gone, I'm going to go practice." She says and my eyes widen slightly.

"You okay to go by yourself?"

She shrugs, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I think so. I need to find out though."

I purse my lips. "Call me if you need anything okay?"

She smiles at me, pecking my lips quickly. "Okay."

I leave her on the balcony and head to the kitchen, grabbing my car keys and walking out of the building and into what seems like a death trap. As I pass Harley's Mustang, I notice the hood not closed properly and I shake my head to myself. She must've not closed it properly after showing Frank the engine yesterday. I unclip it before closing it again and making sure that it's shut securely this time.

I walk to my car and just before I climb in, I look up to my apartment floor, hoping that this will be worth it.

****

The lot mocks me. It's grey walls don't look so worn down and I wonder if this place is really abandoned or if I've just being set up. To add to it, it isn't too far from where I practice with Harley so if she by chance stumbles upon it and sees my car, things can go incredibly wrong. I purse my lips, shutting my eyes tightly for just a second before climbing out of my car. My footsteps are soft and I clasp the handle of a door, with a broken security gate standing in its way, before pushing it open.

I stumble forward into a dark room. I glance around, noticing a platform higher up with a staircase leading to it. The floors are grey too but don't have a thick layer of grime covering it like in the basement I found Harley in. I frown to myself and listen out for any noise, looking around the square room and the platform that leads to even more rooms. My heart is beating erratically and my hands clench and unclench by my sides, itching to reach for the gun under my waistband.

"Danté?" A voice calls out and I whip around, my eyes snapping up to the figure looming on the platform. Relief and confusion floods my system.

"Frank?" I ask, stepping forward with a frown "What are you doing..."

My voice trails off when I see the gun in his hand and the malicious smirk plastered on his face. My mind puts it together but my heart refuses to believe it. Frank laughs at my reaction but it's not the same warm and comforting laugh I've come to know. This one is sardonic... cold, evil.

"I'm not going to lie, I'm quite surprised you didn't figure it out sooner."

I scowl. "I cannot believe it's you. Of all fucking people."

He raises a brow at me, stepping further into the light. "I thought you would know not to make any friends Danté. You're wanted, people want you dead." His voice drops to a low voice when he says the last part.

"You helped me out of Colombia. Why would you do this?" I ask and I find the amount of hurt running through my bones so unusual. I hide it though, not allowing him to see how much his betrayel hurts. I trusted Frank. He was the closest thing I had to a father.

"Because you took something very dear to me and I decided it was time to set the record straight."

"And so you stalk Harley, break into her car, burn her with a dress and then kidnap her to do that?" I yell, my voice loud with anger. It all makes sense now. His constant appearance at Harley's work and always talking to her. She's the only one who told him about that date we were supposed to have the night of the dress. That's how he knew she's afraid of basements and the dark- because she put it down in her statement after her father was reported and obviously Frank has access to the files. No wonder he's cologne smelt exactly like the one of the unknown person who broke into my house.

No wonder we had no leads- he was the lead.

"You know this kind of business- we all love a little entertainment."

"You're supposed to be a cop! Not a fucking double-crosser!" I exclaim, "I don't even know what I did to you." I say and his face hardens.

"While I've being in contact with your parents, I came to discover that you were the one who lodged a bullet into my brother's brain." His voice is low. "You murdered him!"

I stumble back and frown, trying to think over anyone who could have being his brother.

"Your brother?" I ask and he clenches his jaw.

"Miguel Alvarez."

The name that leaves his mouth haunts me but I cannot put it together. Frank's surname is Lopez, not Alvarez.

"Our parents split and he went with my father, keeping our last name while I stayed with my mother and took on the name of my step-father." He goes on to explain, aware of my thoughts.

I shake my head to myself, not able to believe this is what it boils down to. "I didn't have a choice Frank." I explain, wanting him to know that if I could take it back I would.

"Everything is a choice!" He yells, the rage in his voice bouncing off of the walls. "You could have chosen not to kill him. But you chose to do exactly that."

"Are you really going to believe my parents?" I hiss incredulously. "People who are criminals, liars, manipulators?"

"What makes you think you're much better huh?" Frank snaps coldly. "You're just like them Danté. You're a murderer and I'm getting justice for my brother who didn't deserve to die so early."

"When are you going to stop the games?" I hiss and Frank laughs, checking his watch.

"I think you should check up on Harley." He smiles sardonically, leaning over the rail and looking down at me. My blood runs cold. "It would be a pity if someone cut her breaks and she loses control while racing."

I freeze.

"You didn't." I growl, the worry building up in my gut, and he smirks.

"You really want to take that chance after everything I've done?" He asks incredulously before smiling and leaning back. I don't respond as I rush out of the building, the laughter of Frank being the last thing I hear. I climb into my car and pull off of the curb, my stomach clenched nervously.

Come on.

It's like my car can't go fast enough. I step on the gas and feel panic wrap its hand around my throat before I eventually arrive at the familiar road. The sight that greets me makes tears spring to my eyes and I rush out of the car, running up to the paramedics that are surrounding the car that is crumpled into one solid piece of metal against a tree, not even looking close to a car anymore. Shattered glass litters the floor and I try and spot Harley.

My ears buzz and all I can smell is oil.

"Where is she?" I ask an officer and he grips my shoulders. I push them off, frantically looking about. "Where the hell is she?" I yell before I see them rolling her on a stretcher. I jog over to Harley. When I see her, she's covered in blood.

Her blood.

There's so much blood.

Her eyes are closed but not peacefully like when she sleeps. Blood drips from a cut on her face and her body is limp, the white sheet covering her body getting redder by each passing second.

"Sir." A paramedic tries to talk to me but my eyes can't move away from the girl in front of me. "Sir, we're taking her to hospital."

I snap my eyes to him. "I'm coming with,"

I don't give him an opportunity to question my relationship to Harley and climb into the back of the paramedic van, reaching for her hand that's lifeless in my hold and covered in her blood. Tears leak out of my eyes and the paramedics try to stabilize her around me. I can't focus on them though.

All I can focus on is that the girl I love is fighting for her life.

I didn't even get to tell her I love her.

And I might never be able to.

•••
Next update: 12 November.

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