witness || h.s.|| ON HOLD

twenty-eight || tunnel vision

the song for this chapter is Dangerous, by Royal Deluxe :)

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I'll have you begging for mercy begging for mercy ohh
I'm dangerous
So dangerous
I'm dangerous

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     Tate

     After the meeting, Harry and went back to the car to go back to his flat. I said goodbye to Ralph, and he gave me another big smile, causing Harry to be baffled yet again.

    Once we got to the car, I got in and quickly shut the door behind me, feeling the urge to get away from this place, no matter how nice it was to hug Abel, or how bright Ralph's smile was. I just wanted to get away from here. I suddenly felt very overwhelmed.

   Harry put his duffle in the backseat and then got in the front, turning on the car. He pulled out of the parking lot and back onto the busy streets of London, and I watched as the numerous cars passed by the building, blissfully ignorant of the group of organized crime members hiding right underneath their noses. 

   I yearned to be one of those blissfully ignorant people. 

  "So...how'd you like Whit?" Harry asked awkwardly, seeming to sense the tension from my side of the vehicle. 

    I leaned my head against the window, watching as we passed different people and places, letting out a sigh before answering.

  "He was fine. It's just..." I trailed off, not sure how to put what I was feeling into words.

  "It's just what, Tate?" Harry asked, his voice sounding much softer than it had all day. 

   "I don't know. Obviously, I always knew that I was just a means to an end for your...organization, I guess...but today, in that meeting...it was just weird. The way that Whit thanked me for my cooperation as if this was a mutual business agreement like we were partners. Instead of the reality, which is that he had you kidnap me, and intends to use me until he has no further need to keep me around," I replied, my voice sounding vacant of emotion, matching how I was feeling...

Numb.

  "Tate..." Harry sighed, seeming to be at a loss for words, and I don't blame him.

  How does one go about comforting the person that they kidnapped? How do they provide them with the reassurance of a fairy tale ending, when they have read the book multiple times, and know that it is in fact, a horror story? 

   "Did you not see the way that Whit looked at you?" I suddenly asked, sitting up straight and turning to face Harry.

   I watched as his body stiffened. "What do you mean?" He replied in a forced tone.

   I rolled my eyes. "You know exactly what I mean, Harry. When he was stressing how important it was for everyone to stay on task and focus only on your goals. He was talking to you. Obviously, he saw something in you that caused him to believe this reminder was necessary. He saw that you..."

  "Care about you?" Harry finished in a cool tone.

  "Yeah, sure," I sighed, feeling exhausted.

    "Whit has known me for a very long time. It's no surprise to me that he could see that I was concerned. But he trusts me. I don't think anyone else would be able to tell except for him. He's honestly like a father to me. He seems like an absolute ass sometimes, but..."