❝I need to put me first❞ | Being back home isn't as good as Rose thought it would be, living surrounded by a family she doesn't know is taking a toll on her. As Rose tries to deal with her amnesia while she also comes to terms with trying to find ou...
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The air in the garage was heavy with the scent of motor oil and a faint trace of burnt rubber as I wiped my hands on a rag, glancing around the building. Besides the radio noise, I was the only one here.
Han was away somewhere once again, though I still couldn't figure out where he had been sneaking off to.
Moving to stand in the doorway of his office, I gaze into the room as my eyes scan the cluttered chaos before me. The desk was littered with receipts, crumpled papers, and an overflowing amount of snack wrappers.
Han had always been meticulous with his cars, but his office? A complete mess. Rolling up my sleeves, I sighed and stepped into the room with a determined nod.
"Alright, Han, let's see what you've been hiding," I muttered under my breath, determined to make sense of the mess and perhaps help ease whatever had been bothering him lately.
As I began organizing the papers, my hands stilled on a small black ledger buried under a pile of invoices. Intrigued, I flipped it open and started skimming through its contents.
My stomach tightened as I pieced together the numbers. Han was skimming money from the yakuza. I glared at the ledger as if it would tell me why this was happening.
I blink, my heart pounding at the implications. Han had always been laid back, a man who thrived on risks. But this? This wasn't just dangerous; it was suicidal.
I set the ledger down carefully, my mind racing. Why would he do this? Han didn't need the money—not with the fortune he'd earned from their jobs with Dom and the others.
So, what was he planning?
The sound of an engine pulling up outside snapped me out of my thoughts. Moments later, Han strode into the garage, his expression shifting from surprise to confusion as he spotted me in his office.
"Rose, what are you doing?" His voice was more blunt than I was used to from him, and I would have been confused if it weren't for what I just found, so his tone made sense.
I hold up the ledger, my brow furrowed. "What is this, Han?" I dropped the book with a dull thud to his desk.
His jaw tightened, and for a moment, he said nothing. Then he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. "You shouldn't have gone through my stuff."
"And you shouldn't be stealing from the yakuza!" I shot back, my voice rising. "Do you even understand how dangerous this is? You're putting yourself in the crosshairs of people who don't hesitate to kill. They will kill you..."
His expression darkened. "It's not your business, Rose."
"Not my business?" I repeated incredulously. "You are my business, Han. We're a team, remember? A family, or have you forgotten? If you need money, you ask me. I would give you anything, you know that!"
He looked away, running a hand through his hair. "You don't understand. I have my reasons."
"Then help me understand!" My voice cracked with frustration. "What could possibly be worth this risk?" I wonder if this is how they all felt when they learned I had been working with Shaw.
Before Han could respond, the sound of a soft knock on the garage door interrupted us. Both turned as it slid open, revealing a figure. I didn't recognize this guy, but it's clear from Han's face that he did.
The man stepped inside with an air of composed authority, his tailored suit somehow untouched by the grime of the garage. "You two look like you're in the middle of something," The guys say casually, glancing between us. "Mind if I cut in? I think I can help."
I frown, already on edge, and now some sharp-suited guy saunters in like he owns the place. "Who the fuck are you?"
The guy just smirks. "Mr. Nobody. You know, you remind me a lot of your brother..." he says knowingly. "You must be Rosalie. The one connected to everything and everyone".
Before he can blink, my gun is trained at him. "You don't talk about a person's family," I say calmly, my aim steady as Han moves closer to me; his hand goes to my forearm. My trigger finger was always quick when it came to my family.
"Rose, put it down." He says, looking at me, "I know you won't trust him, but you trust me, right?"
I give him a firm, tight expression. "I thought I did. You've been keeping things behind my back. We're family; you don't keep secrets from family. Whatever happened... I would have helped you."
Han's face softens as he sighs before glancing at Mr. Nobody, who just gives him a nod. "She can know. If anyone can help us... it's her." He says mysteriously as he turns his gaze on me, "I'll see you around sometime. Maybe sooner than later".
Lowering my gun, I watch the older man walk out of the garage, and it's like he was never here. In his wake, he left more questions than answers; Han was silent as we were both still staring at the space Mr. Nobody had exited.
"Come with me," Han says as he leads me to my car and tells me an address before climbing into the passenger seat. Putting my gun away, I silently get into my car and start driving.
"After Gisele, I made my way here; it was on a whim after something she said. I was lost and grieving. Mr Nobody found me and offered me the opportunity to work for him. I took it," He explains, looking out the window.
"He asked me to retrieve a tech from a couple of scientists who invented it. When I got to their home, someone had them killed-" I frown but nod, letting him continue.
"I found the device and something else at the house. Mr Nobody tasked me with keeping them safe." Han sighed as he glanced at me. "That's where the money comes in. You were right. About me stealing from DK and his uncle, but it's not for me."
Stopping not far from the garage, I follow him yet again. He wordlessly gets out of the car and begins walking. We pass food vendors, stores, and tourists before he stands still.
"This is bigger than us, bigger than me keeping a secret, and a lot bigger than some money I took from people who clearly haven't noticed." He says and points up. I follow his finger to a window with a Mexican flag in it.
I remember a comment he once made about Mexico being his old west that he runs away to. "What are you protecting? The 'thing' you found along with the device?" I question him softly, realizing the gravity of this situation.
Han takes my hand and leads me up to the apartment; he knocks on the door, which I soon figure out is a rhythm, a code. A small chain clanging can be heard on the other side before he unlocks it with a key.
Guiding me into the apartment, everything suddenly makes sense; he stands by my side, and with a small sigh, he speaks, "Elle, this is Rose. Rose... this is Elle."
