Getaway Car [HS]

Chapter Twenty-Two

They're fucked.

Harley knows that they've found themselves in unfortunate circumstances before that she never could've imagined getting out of, but this one takes the cake. Since meeting Harry, she's been kidnapped, threatened, drugged, and beaten to the brink of death. Yet this is the one situation she's sure they won't survive. Being at the mercy of their boss was one thing, but being at the mercy of their rival is another. That panic she felt moments ago is revived in full force.

His men led them out of the closet by force and dragged them out into the open space of the conference room as if they were nothing more than a pair of rag dolls. She was sat down in a chair with nothing more to keep her there than a gun pointed at her head. For Harry, however, it took four of the six men present to restrain him after he watched one of them point their gun at her. Still, they managed to restrain them both and steal their weapons to prevent any retaliation.

As of now, Harry has yet to stop jerking against the confines of the restraints they used to tie him to the chair next to hers—a wild animal not to be tamed by anyone or anything, not even her. If he were alone, he might've welcomed the death promised at the hands of their enemy.

Perez crosses his arms over his chest and looks back and forth between them once, twice, three times, then—

"You killed Jax."

They're left to assume "Jax" is the man they were sent to kill tonight in revenge. Considering that he was looking straight at Harry when speaking, he is the one to answer for it despite their partnership. He lifts his chin high and allows his gaze to pierce into the older man.

"I did."

A voice so full of pompous certainty, it's a wonder none of them simply off him right here and now. He wears the kill on his face like a badge of honor. Now that she pays attention, she can see blood smudged onto her wrist where he grabbed it. There's a painfully long stretch of quiet in which all Perez does is continue to stare at them, and it's an effort not to squirm around in her seat in discomfort.

Leo's intimidation is a product of an overdone act of insanity, partially real and partially exaggerated for the sake of rattling those in his presence. He'll do whatever it takes—threaten, yell, and torture—as long as it puts him in his rightful position of power. Perez's intimidation, however, is innate to his existence. He doesn't need to exaggerate it for it to be felt. They can feel it in the silence as he looks at them.

The break in conversation goes on so long, it begins to feel uncomfortable, but perhaps that's his objective.

"Well, thank you, Harry," he says, his face breaking into a delighted grin, "I've been waiting to meet you for quite some time, and you just fell right into our trap."

Her heart might as well have stopped at the word.

Trap. It was all a trap? Had they sent their men after Leo a few days ago to set all of this motion? If so, it was a hell of a risk. He's lucky Harry wasn't sent to kill him directly over making an attempt on Leo's life. Well, that is, if Leo's best spies could even locate him. If Harry were being completely unbiased, his boss is far more vulnerable than Perez. Their sources have tried to locate him multiple times, yet all it took was Harry attacking Tate for him to send his men after them. It was almost as if he'd been waiting for an excuse...or he made the excuse himself.

That grin widens as he watches the realization dawn on her.

"You." Her voice is flooded with more hatred than Harry has ever heard. Not even when they fight does she speak to him like this. "You're the reason Tate drugged me...but you wouldn't know it'd get Harry to kill him. Not unless you were—"