AN: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 1 MILLION READS I'LL CRY RN THINKING ABOUT IT I LOVE YOU SO SO SO SO SO MUCH OKAY ENJOY
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I was sent to warn you
The devil's in the next room
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HARRY
One shot.
The echo of it seemed almost impossible. We might've been in an open desert, but it felt like I was glued to the ground of a room with rounded walls. All I can process is the fierce sound of the gunshot reverberating violently in my head.
I could feel it running through me all at once. Panic.
I didn't shoot.
Victor didn't shoot.
Bentley didn't shoot.
My vision felt hazy. My bones ached. My stomach dropped and it felt like my teeth were on the brink of shattering from how tightly I've had my jaw clenched.
I look down to see if I was the one that had been shot, but I wasn't. My instinct sent my eyes straight to Bentley, who was in the car, untouched. I let my sight trail over to the left and that's when I noticed Victor had taken my state of shock to his advantage and was opening the driver's seat to the car.
I look back to find Dorian, Louis, and Apollo staring wildly to the left, where Zayn had a flailing Allegra in his grasp, and everyone's sight was trained on the gun on the floor.
There's no blood anywhere, nobody is crying out except Allegra- and her screams were in desperation. Zayn had her held tightly and Apollo moved in her direction to help stop her from hurting Zayn, but she kicks him in the stomach, making him double over onto his knees.
His gunshot wound had just healed.
"Let me go!" She screams, pulling away in the direction of the car, but to me her voice is muffled. "Shoot him! L-Let me go!" she pleads.
Desperation. She knows she can't do anything. She's powerless in this situation, even after firing a shot in Victor's direction. She can't help Bentley because Bentley doesn't want help, Bentley wants us safe.
Allie always was protective of Bentley. It's why she didn't like me when I rolled into family dinner one day after threatening her and Dorian. She had lost her cool when Bentley was taken in Dubai as well, but this time was different.
Bentley had definitely turned herself in. I could see it in her eyes. The way her hands were shaking as the can was brought out to her. It was Victor's scare tactic. The visual aid he needed to make me understand that Bentley was nothing but a pawn in his game.
We are all pawns.
It feels like I'm underwater. Like every scream I could possibly let out is escaping the confines of myself and being suffocated by every particle around me.
I can feel myself running after the car, gun shooting rooms at the back without aiming for any windows to avoid hurting Ben as Victor's men leave us behind and follow him.
Car engines. Wind. Screaming. My trigger finger is being reckless and shooting at everything I can to get her back.
Then there was that silence again. I couldn't feel the reverb anymore. I couldn't feel the gun in my hand, or the heat of the sun through my t-shirt. I couldn't feel the particles of sand hitting the skin of my wrists as the wind picked up momentarily.
Realization kicks in even though I think I knew it all along.
Allegra fired the gun.
My hearing comes back completely in time to hear the visceral scream leave her throat as Victor completely escapes our sight, Bentley in tow.
Everything moves in slow motion as I take in the scene in front of me.
No car. No Bentley. Just a family in shock, and a dark cloud and rage bubbling over all of us.
"Harry!" Dorian yells, and I try to turn my head towards him, but I'm interrupted by the feeling of my body hitting the ground, a stiff leg on my back holding me down as I'm caught off guard.
My head throbs as my temple bangs against the pavement, palms sticking to the ground and trying to push me up instantly, my neck holding my head up in an attempt to regain some power back.
"Don't move." The man says, and I feel the barrel of an automatic weapon pressing down on the crown of my head followed by the sound of it cocking.
I lower my stance, eyes shooting up to see that everyone else had calmed down significantly after recognizing the threatening situation we had found ourselves in.
Bentley was taken and we were screwed.
My gaze meets Zayn's, who let Allie go carefully, but held her up again when she stumbled over.
Her eyes are now frantic, looking all over for any indicator of Bentley and someone else.
Niall.
Where the hell was Niall?
Apollo, who was already gripping his stomach, crawled over to the gun which had been knocked onto the ground, and gave me a look.
He needed to get it in his hands.
He needs a distraction.
I bend my leg over to the right, making the idiot holding me down apply more pressure to my back and shift his gaze to the sudden movement. I groan out, shifting it a bit more so he'd try and kick it back into place.
Take the bait. Take the bait. Take the bait.
"I thought I told you not to fucking move!" He grits, banging the gun into the back of my head, my temple scraping further against the pavement.
It was enough to allow Apollo to grab the gun and hold it to his chest as he gripped his abdomen in a fetal position.
Everyone else stood still, showing cooperation.
"What do you want?" I spit, clenching my hands into fists.
"If we see you at the next race, Bentley dies." He warns.
"Victor won't kill her." I return. "He needs her."
"Actually, he just needs you out of the picture. Bentley's a bonus. Everyone's replaceable." He retorts. "Are we clear?"
"You're letting us go?" Dorian's voice breaks through, somehow stronger than I thought it would.
"For leverage. If I see you again, I kill on command." The man answers, stepping off of my back.
Allie sniffles, choking on a sob at the sight of tire tracks left behind by Victor and Bentley.
"Tell her to stop fucking crying or I'll get an early start taking you out."
"Fuck of- Bloody hell-" I groan, the back of the gun hitting me again.
My entire head starts pulsing and I just want to get us out of here. I'm tired, I'm angry... I'm so fucking angry.
"Try anything with me and the target on your back will get even bigger." He warns once more before stepping away.
I sit up a bit on my elbows and gesture for Apollo to slide the gun over, seeing as the man had kicked mine away when he knocked me down.
I turn over quickly, cocking the gun and firing into the back of his leg, making him stumble and fall over. I can hear everyone gasp at the sudden movement but this man was alone and we needed to use that to our advantage seeing as the racing site had been abandoned, and we didn't all fit in the import.
"Fuck! You fucking idiot-" He says, reaching for his gun to shoot but I stop him but shooting into his hand twice.
"I'm done being a fucking pawn." I grit, stepping up to him carefully. "I'm done with that shit. I don't know who you are but you're going to answer my questions, or you're dead."
"Screw y- Agh!" He winces loudly, body contorting as if it'll help the pain of the shot I just send into his leg go away.
"I say you have seven and a half minutes before your hand is beyond salvageable." I say firmly. "So you're answering my questions."
"Harry..." Zayn speaks up, and I turn to find that while I was distracted with the idiot on the ground, Niall had made his way to us, and had Allegra in his grip. "W-what do we do?"
"Go." I tell them.
"What?" Apollo says, blood seeping through his shirt. His face is riddled with the sting of pain. I could feel it just looking at him.
"I said go. Zayn, fix Apollo, Niall, make sure Allie gets her shit together and Louis keep an eye on Dorian." I instruct, voice firm and unforgiving. "Please don't do anything you'll regret.
"Where are you going?" Louis says.
"Where the fuck do you think?" I spit back. "I'm going to get Bentley back."
"Not without us." Apollo interjects.
"I'm not risking anyone else. Keep your phone on, I'll call you as soon as I can." I add, turning my attention to the idiot on the floor. "Get up."
"You shot my damn leg!"
"Make it work and get up before I shoot the other."
I turn back around to look at everyone and their faces are laced with confusion, fear, sadness.... but most of all, rage.
Allie was the first to speak up.
"Sorry I fired the gun-" she sniffles. "I got the front wheel." She says. "Victor didn't notice."
"They have less mileage than we thought. Harry got a back wheel..." Niall continues. "You've got to go mate."
I glance over at the nameless man who Victor had sent to threaten us. He was on his knees now, trying to get up. His hand was spewing blood all over the sand and pavement and his pathetic whimpers were really setting me off.
"I will see you all-"
"No!" Dorian grits angrily. "You can't just leave again. That's not how this works."
"Doria-"
"You guys aren't about to let this just happen, right?" He says, turning around to look at everyone. "Right?"
Silence. Always fucking silence. Every time something would go on, the only thing you could hear was the sound of your breath in the wind. Everyone knew that I had to go. Everyone knew that if I went out with more people than I had to, I would drag us all down to the depths of hell.
I was willing to burn for everyone else, but I wasn't willing to set them aflame in the process.
"He's got to go." Louis answers.
"He's the only way to get Benny back. If she detached..." Apollo trails off, his brown eyes searching around us and his black curls tussling softly in the wind.
"Let me come with you." Dorian pleads.
"No." I retort, watching him take a painful step toward me.
"Big dog-"
"Don't. Don't use that with me right now." I warn.
"Dorian, let's go." Zayn calls, and I look at him.
We share a silent exchange through our eyes. I knew what would have to come from this. I knew that I was in for it when it came to finding Bentley. She was detached, I could tell by the way her hands stopped shaking as she got into the car. Getting her back would be a mission, but I wasn't one to stray away from anything. Especially when it came to her.
"I'm going with Harry."
"No you're not." I spit.
"But-" Dorian speaks, but is stopped by Louis, who grabs his arm firmly and holds him back.
"Go. Get the bird back." Louis encourages, a rough smile gracing his face that was forced but appreciated nonetheless.
This is why I didn't do eye contact with people when we first met. This is why I didn't like looking at anyone. I could feel the frustration, I could feel the pain, the desperation... I could feel everything by connecting my vision to theirs. It wasn't fair. I didn't ask for this, I didn't want this. I hated having empathy whenever it would hurt me.
Maybe that makes me selfish, or cruel. I never claimed to be nice, but I never necessarily embraced being evil... I don't think I'm evil, I just think I'm human.
Sure, I was bound for Hell for killing all those people... But if Bentley- if any of them, this family- could love a killer, there's no way I'm all evil.
Even though I know they love me, I can't find it in me to look at them. To look at Dorian at this very moment. To face the reality that we had to split up again to stay together in the end.
We were angry Victor had this power over us.
So I avoid looking at Dorian. Because I know he's hurting, and I'm not making things any better.
Sometimes life looks better with your eyes closed.
I don't waste another second standing here, tucking my gun into the waistband of my jeans and hoisting the key to getting to Victor.
"Harry!"
"Dorian, go!" I yell through my teeth, ripping open the passenger door of the car and tossing Victor's goon in before moving quickly, ignoring the scuffle between Louis, Apollo, and Dorian that was unfolding. I could hear Allegra calling for him to stop, Niall's lush hair was falling down on his face as I took the quick glimpse, wincing at the sight of Zayn trying to hold Dorian away from me.
He was trying to get to me but there was no way I'd let him come along. Not for this.
I wasn't the one to be around when I was angry. I knew I was going to wreak havoc today, get blood on my hands.
I knew I could die, and if that's what it took to protect everyone, I'd do it.
I'd do it a million times over.
I can see Dorian in the rear view mirror, blond head almost transparent in the setting sun's light. He trips over himself, dusty clothing a rusted red from being slammed against the ground. I can hear his muffled voice through the glass and it's too fucking much for me.
My hand reaches up for the rear view mirror and grips it tightly, pulling it down with enough force to rip it off the roof.
I don't even recognize the moment that I drive off, foot slammed down on the pedal as I try to figure out where the hell Victor and Bentley could've gone off to.
"How are you going to look back?" The guy says.
"Don't worry about it."
"Can you-"
"Stop talking." I seethe.
"Well can we-"
"Was I not clear the first time I said to shut the fuck up?"
"But-" He starts, but I cut him off by shoving the rear view mirror I had in my grip into his mouth, hearing his teeth crack as I push it as far back as I can, hearing him choke on it.
I pull it out, hearing him cough loudly, a few pieces of his shattered teeth spilling out of his bloodied mouth. He's crying like a fucking bitch and I already have a headache.
"I said," I clear my throat, pressing harder on the gas pedal. "Shut the fuck up."
We drove in silence for the better half of 30 minutes, his incessant panting was driving me crazy, but at least it was distracting me from everything around me except the open road.
They made sure that the locks were tight from the inside, ensuring that there was no way he could even attempt at getting out of the car, but if he did... He would be dead within an instant. I was truly his only chance at survival, and that's why I think he was so complacent.
I turned the dial on the radio, which was a last minute installation, to but almost swerved the car off the road at the sound of the song that Bentley loved so much.
"For fucks sake..." I trail off, grabbing the gun and shooting into the radio, the sound quelling instantly and my ears ringing from everything that has gone on.
"Where are they? Where was he going?" I ask myself, but Toothless right next to me had his own gibberish to spill.
"Dey 'ere at tha' ext plathe." He sputters.
Maybe I shouldn't have knocked his teeth out with the mirror.
"Say it again."
"Dey're to Zona."
"What the fuck?" I say, shaking my head. "C'mon Toothless, you can try harder."
"Ou cut awf ma tonguh-"
Christ help me.
I pull my phone out of my pocket, unlocking it and opening to the notes app, placing it in his hand and hearing him cry out loudly.
Good thing I forgot I shot his hand.
"How are you even alive right now?" I say to myself, remembering that I had shot his leg and hand. He didn't have much time before he passed out.
He placed the phone on his thigh, using his good index finger to type out the sentence he was trying to say earlier.
"Hold it up. Let me see." I command, and his shaky hand comes up, my eyes shifting just long enough to read what he knew.
PARADISE VALLEY, AZ.
"That's where the next race is." I whisper. "But that's in two weeks..."
"Dezhurt fatht pathe." He says, blood dripping onto his clothing. His eyes are closing, head swaying left to right.
"Desert?" I clarify, and he shakes his head in affirmation. "Desert fast... desert fast paced." I suggest, and he grunts a muffled yes.
Bentley was on her way to Arizona for the next race. If whatever Toothless was saying was right, Victor would probably move the race up. He just wanted the guaranteed wins... but was it even possible for Bentley to win if she was detached?
If she lost, he'd think it's on purpose. She'd get herself killed, and she wouldn't care about it either.
No matter what we were screwed.
I call Zayn, putting him on speakerphone and waiting for the call to come through.
"Harry, what's going on?" He whispers, as if he's afraid to disrupt something.
"Why are you whispering?"
"We just got Dorian and Allie to calm down. Don't need 'em hearing this." He answers, and I hear a door opening on his side of the line. "Just stepped outside." he adds, no longer whispering.
"Ben's on her way to Arizona. They probably dumped the old car by now." I say quickly, turning on my headlights to their brightest setting.
"Okay, we'll meet you the-"
"No." I stop him. "You know that's a bad idea, Z." I say defeatedly, and he sighs.
"What am I supposed to do then? It's Christmas in two days, Harry."
"I'm sorry Z, but I can't afford to put anyone at more risk than necessary. You have to take everyone with you somewhere safe... I don't know."
"Safe?" He scoffs, and I can picture him running his hand over his buzzed head. "What place could possibly be safe?"
I looked over to the passenger seat to notice that Toothless had officially passed out. He was of no use to me anymore but I didn't really feel like driving a corpse across state lines.
Was this guy even from around here? He had no tattoo on his finger that made him a King, so there was no way that he was from Oakland. He clearly didn't know us as well as Lucas did, so there was also no relation to any of us. This was just one of Victor's brainwashed drug dealer soldiers.
Where'd he find these guys? Did he just rip them from their homes-
Home.
"Go to London." I say, breathing out as I get on the exit towards the interstate.
"What? How is that safe?"
"My sister. Emmy's parents are in Switzerland for Christmas this year, she didn't go... she's working. Emmy has security on her 24/7. Get the first flight to London tomorrow, make her stay at my place, the security will protect everyone and she doesn't have to know." I answer, proud of my quick thinking.
"That's not a bad idea..."
"Then you can spend Christmas with family. She doesn't have to be alone and you guys can be okay. Louis knows his way around."
"Niall has to go to Arizona. Allie is trying to convince him to take her-"
"By no means should anyone but Niall be in Arizona. London. All of you." I say with complete conviction.
"When will we see you again?"
"Whenever I get Bentley back and it's safe to." I answer quickly.
"Alright, I'll let you g-"
"Wait." I stop him, sighing in frustration. "Uh, how's- How's Dorian?" I ask reluctantly.
"He's pissed off. I won't lie to you." Zayn tells me. "But, you did the right thing. He knows you did the right thing."
"Okay." I respond, blinking roughly at the distaste that I get from that answer.
I know Dorian doesn't understand. I know he's upset that I didn't look at him, that I left him behind. I think he knows I was doing what I had to do, but he just doesn't understand why he couldn't be a part of it.
"We'll be alright, Harry." Zayn tells me. "I'll let you drive now, okay?"
"Talk soon Z." I tell him, hearing the line hang up as I start weaving around other cars on the highway to get to Bentley faster.
*********
CHRISTMAS DAY
PARADISE VALLEY, ARIZONA
RACE NIGHT
Everyone was where they had to have been. I made it Paradise Valley roads are we disguised. I stopped at one of those weird shops on the side of the road, bought myself some clothes, and a brand new pair of metal-tipped boots that I spent an hour sharpening against a rock yesterday.
Merry fucking Christmas, Harry. You got yourself a gift for the first time.
Everyone else was in London. Dorian and Emmy were apparently inseparable and Allegra, though upset that she and Niall were forced to split, had found it in her to believe that everything would be okay.
Maybe it was the fact that she knew how far I was willing to go for Bentley, but a part of me wants to believe that she knows that I wouldn't fail her. Allergy was a menace towards me in the best way and we had grown to become good friends in a strange way. I just hoped she knew I wasn't just doing this for myself and Bentley.
Victor had cut the desert series short. Arizona was the final stop, the winner-takes-all, if you will. The next location of the international races have not been announced yet, and probably wouldn't be for another week. I couldn't stand another week knowing she was at the hands of Victor.
Nobody could.
Niall has been keeping his distance too, all while trying to get an inside scoop from other racers. Victor had kept his lips sealed with this one. The fact that Niall was still allowed in regular zones went to show that Victor hadn't caught on to his involvement in our ordeal, and we needed to keep it that way.
The race had started minutes ago. This was the path that they were all supposed to take, and I found myself remembering times back in Argentina when Bentley and I had a stakeout waiting for Luna, who ended up being that ghost racer.
I couldn't race, not today. Tokyo Dragons were barred from competing in the desert series. I found it weird that we weren't banned from international racing as a whole, but then I remembered who I'm dealing with. Russell and Victor are easily some of the most money hungry motherfuckers in the world, and banning an entire branch of some of the biggest competitors in the world would take away from a clientele they were trying to reach.
That's assuming that Victor believes he's going to kill Bentley and I. If he gets rid of us, he has nothing to worry about but making sure that he wins. He has chosen Bentley as his weapon of choice now, but how good for business could she be if whoever she was when she was detached took control?
If I was timing this right, Bentley would be in the top five bracket of the racers. I needed to know if she was still there, or if she was still in the midst of an episode. The grip on the wheel would tell me everything. I just have to see her, I just have to look.
I squint my eyes to get a better look at everything as the sound of roaring engines approaches and grows louder.
Focus.
It was cold in Arizona, there's no snow, but the weather was perfect for Christmas. I wanted to have Bentley back by tonight, and if I wasn't so stressed out I probably would have gotten her a good gift.
I'd make it up to her the second I could.
The cars' lights start illuminating the zone in front of me and I start to let the car roll out a bit from the brush I was in towards the road. Bentley was in Victor's car, which I could recognize due to its outrageous neon coloring.
I missed Arlo.
Even No-Name or the Bronco.
"Come on Bentley... where are you baby..." I tell myself, focusing intently on everything that crosses my path. I stick out a little more, almost getting hit by one of the oncoming ones that I didn't see coming.
In the midst of the momentary panic, the neon car comes into view, Bentley in the front seat, a helmet on. I know it's her because she's wearing my Grateful Dead ring.
The issue is, those hands are holding that wheel so tightly I'm certain the scars from her nails pressing into her palm are sore.
Or worse, open.
I step on the gas, joining her on the open road and speeding behind her. She starts to swerve from left to right, clearly not recognizing me and my own helmet. I had taken my rings off to prevent further identification, and I was in a shitty hoodie that read "New Mexico Trading Post".
These boots were also not broken in at all. My feet fucking hurt.
The things we do for fashion.
Well, the boots are technically weapons- Focus, Harry.
Bentley suddenly slams the brakes, brake checking me and forcing me to move into the next lane, speeding up to get beside her.
Bonding in just fine with the rest of the racers, but I needed to get her attention. I keep my eyes and left hand on the wheel before lifting my right arm up to pull my helmet off. I shake my head a few times, pushing any loose curls out of the way before ensuring the roads were safe for me to look away for a moment.
I press down on the horn of the car, hoping that she turns her gaze to look at me. It doesn't work, and I don't want to have to run into her. Bentley was known for keeping her eyes on the road. I had no rear view mirror in this car anymore, and it kind of stunk of blood from Toothless.
Oh, I killed him, by the way.
Left him right on the doorstep of Victor's hideout before I came here.
Well I had successfully taken down the grand majority of the men that Victor had there this morning upon arrival in Arizona. I killed them one at a time, until there was a single man left. He had a good amount of people with him at the racing site, but I needed the address... And Niall wasn't answering.
"Where. Is. He." I spit through my teeth, fist clenched around the neck of the idiot guard Victor had hired.
I haven't gone on a rampage like that since the last time the Bentley was taken from me by a Sade in Dubai. I didn't even recognize what I was doing until I saw the leftover trail of bodies behind me.
It made me realize how much damage two hands, a pair of sharp boots and a few guns could do until I found myself taking a thirty minute shower to get the blood out of my hair.
"Where are they racing. You know who I am and you know what I'm looking for. Where are they?"
"I don't know." He chokes out, eyes bulging out of his head and blazing red from all the broken capillaries.
"You're wasting your breath." I grit, tightening my grip around him and banging his head against the cement wall. "I won't ask again."
He looks around in a panicked manner, his hands trying to rip and claw at my wrists, but I can't feel anything except my patience running out.
He's scrambling for air, legs kicking at my shins and probably bruising them. I narrow my eyes, tilting my head to get a better look at him. He starts shaking his head, teeth chattering as his eyes threaten to shut.
There was no one to get me out of this trance, no one to pull me out of killing him before I could get an answer. Rage had blinded me.
"Have it your way." I tell him, moving my hand quickly, pressing my palm against his chin and pushing his head so harshly into the wall his neck breaks and his body tumbles to the ground, limp and lifeless.
I don't hesitate before kicking him white he's down, pulling my foot back from the pudgy man's stomach.
I turn around, realizing that this was the second to last person in the entire floor, and the last one was standing right behind me, a knife in hand.
It was cute, how he thought that was going to stop me.
I'll even do him the favor of taking him out with his own weapon.
"You know that saying 'you look like a deer in headlights'?" I ask, a grim chuckle following my question. "I finally get it."
Bentley accelerates, clearly using a supplement that was built into the car. I look down at my own buttons, flipping the blue and red switches and changing the gears, but with no luck.
She must have used up all the gas tanks yesterday, which left me screwed over as I tried to catch up to her today.
I honk the horn a few more times and she brake checks me again, clearly done with my bullshit. She slams them hard enough that I can't stop in time, accidentally ramming into the back of her car and sending my body lurching forward, head hitting the edge of my steering wheel.
"Fucking hell!" I groan, already suffering from a throbbing headache that came from a lack of sleep, a few punches that I took this morning, and the lack of pain relievers I was on. "Bentley!" I yell in sheer frustration, changing lanes and trying to get beside her again.
She bumps into the side of the car, pushing me to the left.
It's only now that I realize we're in last place, the rest of the cars pushing ahead during our own argument. I bump back into her, taking advantage of her sudden distraction to get ahead, stepping on the brakes to get her to slow down enough for me to maneuver the car in a direction which would let her see me.
I just want her to see me.
She's distracted enough by my sudden movement that I can do exactly what I have to.
I step on the brake while turning the wheel, the sound of the tires burning against the road making my whole body cringe as I switch gears into reverse.
God I hope that fucking Mater guy is proud of me because this whole driving backwards thing isn't easy.
I put my right hand around the headrest and look backwards, the lack of the rear view mirror making this even more riskier than it already is. I can feel my neck stretching from how much I have it turned to ensure that the coast is clear before returning my sight towards Ben.
She shifts to the left and I try to mirror the movement, drawing attention to my face because she's definitely not looking at it.
She falters for a moment before pulling her own helmet off, looking at me dead in the eyes.
I freeze.
Bruises. She's covered in bruises. I can barely see her behind the dark marks, her eye inflamed viciously and I can't even tell if it's open. The sight makes me sick, I feel like I could pass out or just die this very second.
I can't tell if she's detached or not but her grip loosens around the wheel as we look at each other.
This car is flying straight in reverse and she is practically pushing against the fender but she's keeping me aligned.
I watch her right hand leave the wheel and towards the center dash, and that's when I really start to notice that it wasn't just wind playing.
There was a song.
I could recognize those words anywhere. Bare trees, gray light.
A Fleetwood Mac song.
A message.
That's my fucking girl.
I can barely make out the words but they're all I need to understand she's trying to tell me something.
I watch as she mouths a fast paced "GO." towards me. I shake my head in refusal but she pushes me further, her car accelerating at a faster pace than mine. It's enough to derail me, sending me in a spiral until I'm pushed off the road.
I stop the car, slamming my hands onto the wheel in anger as she drives away, leaving me in her dust.
My mind is all over the place, but the one thing I can think of is her attempt at playing a Fleetwood Mac song. There was no way it was a coincidence... it had to be planned. How she pulled it off, I don't know, but I had to think.
I had done this to her before, used a Stevie song to communicate, and it was finally her turn.
I hated that it came to this but I couldn't help but be a little proud that she had picked up on enough of their discography to even attempt this.
Bare trees.
Bare trees.
What the fuck did she mean by that?
Bare trees... what fucking trees?
My mind is a wreck and I can't focus enough to connect the dots. All I can do is think about her. Everything about her. Always about her.
That's what these messages were for, right? They were about her. How to save her... where to find her.
If I had found her now and the desert series ended today, that meant I'd have to find her somewhere else.
Somewhere with bare trees.
Where had we been that was strong enough to fucking associate trees wi- Oh.
Cherry blossoms... are they bare right now? Are they in bloom?
Is this what that meant? God she was so fucking cryptic... I would've hated myself for communicating through a song like that too. I get why she slapped me back in Italy, but she figured it out, and I could too.
This was a fucking stretch, but it had to be real. It had to be right.
Call Michi.
I call her number instantly, not even caring about what time it is in Japan. I just needed to confirm that my theory was right.
It rings a few times before her voice comes in. She's out of breath, and I can hear another woman in the background but I ignore it.
"Harry?" She speaks.
"Michi, no time to talk." I say quickly. "Are the cherry blossoms in bloom?"
"What?"
"Are the cherry blossoms in bloom?" I yell.
"Jesus, no they aren't- give it about two weeks. They're bare now."
"Okay. See you soon. Bye." I say, hanging up and moving the car out of the location, getting on the road and driving in the same direction I came in.
Bare trees in Tokyo means bare trees across the nation. Tokyo was a racing hub, I should've guessed that Victor would drag his business into the city sooner than later.
Merry Christmas, Bentley fuckin' Hale... you're going back to Japan, and I'm coming to get you.
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AN:
love y'all
ARABELLA.