The Game of Love

Chapter 2

Trigger Warnings:
- Death
- Guns
- Violence
- Blood
- Cursing

...

That name, Hart, set everyone who heard it on edge, causing them to ear in on the conversation, except for Santiago who had no idea of the weight that name held.

Ann: Ronnie-

Ronald: The Harts are guilty! I know it!

In hushed tones, Ruth leaned in so that the least amount of people, hopefully no one but Goose, Ambrose, and Ann, could hear.

Ruth: *whispers/shouts* You tryna start something in here?

Ronald: It was them! The Harts-

Ruth: Shhhhh! *whispers/shouts* Hush up Ronnie!

Ronald: You listen here-

Ruth: *whispers/shouts* No you listen! You're angry, I get it. You loved your motorcycle. But getting everybody here riled up when you have absolutely no proof of anything isn't gonna do you any good. All it's gonna do is ruin my parents' party and piss them off

Ronnie: ...

Ruth: *sighs* Just calm down ok? Once you have a level head you can decide what to do, but for now drink, have fun, do whatever. Just distract yourself and stop yelling...their name

A moment of tension came and passed. Ronald sighed.

Ronald: I loved my fucking bike.

Ruth: I know and I'm sorry, but you can't let your anger get us all into a fucked situation

He just nodded in response, finished off his first beer bottle, grabbed the other two, and got up.

Ronald: I gotta take a leak. Watch the helmet

The teens only let themselves relax when Ronald was completely out of view. It didn't seem like much, but just saying that name in this bar could cause an uproar, especially around hood day. Every year this season edged the line and logicless anger like Ronald's could be the tipping point. Santiago nodded at Goose as he took the empty beer bottle off the counter.

Santiago: ¿Quiénes son los Hart?

Goose was the only one of the group that spoke fluent Spanish, but the question was obvious enough.
Who are the Harts?
The Harts were a family much like the Kensingtons, a well established line with money and status to match. As long as they've been around they've accumulated power through brute strength and unrelenting violence. Mostly through the Mambas, the only gang in the city that was a match against the Lotuses. Ryan Hart, the head of the family estate and gang, led the Hart empire. He was a ruthless man that had no mercy for anyone, not even his own blood. His wife died years ago, leaving him to lead alone. Unlike John and Harley, Ryan did not utilize strategy or political power to maintain the strength of his empire. The Mambas were a powerful example of what blind violence and fear can produce. There wasn't  line they wouldn't cross to get what they want. Since the beginning, when both the Lotuses and Mambas were first being established, the two gangs have been enemies. Their entire history with one another has just been war. Back and forth back and forth, each group just wanting to destroy each other. The hatred for one another has been boiling on the kettle for years. Even after generations, the bitter rivalry has remained burning as hot as ever. Just the mention of a Hart on Kensington territory could cause utmost chaos. There was no logic or reason behind their hate. Absolutely nothing could happen and a fight could still break loose. It didn't matter who got hurt or how many people died, the only thing either family cared about was eliminating the other.
The girls exchange looks.
The Harts.
Like many things, their relationship with the Harts was different from the rest of their family. While most of the Kensingtons and Lotus followers blindly hated the Harts and in relation the Mambas, Ruth and Ann had some reason behind their disposition. And that reason was Jaylen. When their brother was shot an all person hunt was launched to find who pulled the trigger. Within a couple days it was discovered that it was a man nicknamed Spinner along with his friend Bunt, who had been found dead on the scene in the nearby alley. Although Spinner's location had been found, revenge was not retrieved. John and Harley went to his apartment themselves only to find Spinner dead with his hands and feet burned off. It's unclear if it was suicide or a cleanup but all that mattered was the fact no one knew who ordered the hit. It was obvious enough that Spinner and Bunt were just frontmen and that there was a bigger player behind Jaylen's death.
The most obvious and suspected being the Mambas, specifically Ryan. He wasn't above killing kids or pushing the boundaries no one else dared to touch. But no one could be sure if it was him or not. Seeking revenge for the death of a family member, especially the future leader, was something that would only end in a massacre. An eye for an eye. Even though Kensingtons and Harts were always looking for a reason to fight, the Kensingtons weren't stupid enough to risk everything they had on suspicion. If they went after the Harts, guilty or not, there would be no stopping until one family is left standing. And that wasn't a line they were willing to cross. At least not yet. For Ruth and Ann though, since there was no proof one way or another, they couldn't shake the idea that the Mamba's were responsible for their brother's death. It wasn't about the family in particular, like their aunt Val said, it's about the principle. They hate the world for what happened. Until a Hart finally comes clean or outrightly says they're innocent or someone else is found guilty, the girls want nothing to do with them. They didn't want a war, but they did want retribution. One day they'd get closure about who murdered Jaylen and that person would pay. Hart or not.
Goose muttered out a dodgy answer equivalent to basically saying they're no one and then swiftly changed the conversation to what Spain is like. Ronnie reappeared a little while later, fetched his helmet, and went to sit quietly in a corner with his beers.The four teens stuck around for about forty five minutes for appearances sake and then, with permission, finally left. The outside of Ale's was illuminated by street lights that radiated an orange hue. Other than the music and voices coming from the bar, the world was quiet. There was a slight chill in the air as the small group cautiously walked down the street. Even though they were in Lotus territory, it was nighttime and creeping closer to Hood Day. They had to be as careful as they would be on Mamba land.