"Hey, besties, we're diving into the epic world of Akira Akatsuki-aka Akira Yukimura-a bold and spirited Japanese queen.
The vibe? Friendship, fast cars, and a hint of smoldering romance. Yep, your girl is about to cross paths with the one and only...
The next day, we headed to the meeting spot—a low-key, suspiciously quiet place where we'd rendezvous with the undercover officer working with Verone.
As we approached the room, a random thought popped into my head: It's been a hot minute since I wore a skirt.
I gave myself a mental high-five for remembering to wear shorts underneath because, priorities. Right before we stepped inside, Roman froze. Like, full-on statue mode, staring into space.
"Rome, you good?" I asked, giving his arm a little nudge for reassurance.
Brian added, "Bro, what's going on?"
Roman looked around, his distrust levels hitting the roof. "I don't know if I should be trusting you, man," he muttered, side-eyeing Brian like he'd just confessed to being a double agent.
Brian sighed, doing his best to keep the peace. "Think about it, dude. This is your shot at starting fresh. Let's just get this done."
Roman wasn't having it. "I wouldn't need a fresh start if it wasn't for you."
Brian rolled his eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. "You've been using that excuse since you got busted. Chill, man, and let's handle business."
"I don't need to chill," Roman shot back, all defensive.
That's when I had to step in, hands on my hips and all. "Yes, you do. Stop acting like a five-year-old, Roman," I huffed, rubbing my temples like a stressed mom.
"You need to stop blaming Brian for your screw-ups. Maybe it's time for Roman Pearce to own his damn actions!" Brian snapped at him.
"You can go straight to hell!" Roman snapped, throwing the sass right back.
"And you can go straight back to Barstow." Brian retorted already heading inside.
I couldn't help but laugh. "Roman, you wanna go back?" I teased, still chuckling.
Roman snapped out of it just long enough to grumble, "I'm not going back to Barstow," before following us in.
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(Yuri POV)
Out of nowhere, a truck skidded in, blocking our path. Its doors swung open dramatically—cue the action movie vibes—and out stepped the gorgeous woman Brian and I had run into before.
"Akira, O'Conner, Roman Pearce, meet Monica Fuentes," Bilkins said, gesturing like he was presenting an award.
Monica wasted no time. "They've been briefed?" she asked, all business.
"They're good," Bilkins confirmed, hands in his pockets like he owned the place.
Monica nodded, flipping straight into mission mode. "Here's the deal: Verone's looking for drivers. I've set it up so you three can audition. To make it legit, I've hired a few thugs to stir things up."
