Guns and Mirrors

FIFTY-ONE

♕Harley Anderson♕

The guards surrounding the gangs' house- to make sure that no radical Slither members try anything- stop me before I show them the red bandana I was given a few weeks ago to mark me as a Kings member. Besides that, they recognise me almost instantly and let me in. The guards open the big gates and offering them a grateful smile, I enter and park on the gravel in front of the main entrance for the house. Memories of when I first came here flashes to my mind and i can remember Katalina waiting at the tp mof the stairs with a smile on her face as he watcged Dante and I climb out of the car and me stare up at the magnificent house. I swallow down the memory.

Katalina is dead. And there's nothing I can do to change it.

I'm not sure Enrique will still be here but stll, I enter the house. My footsteps echo on the marble floors, the house considerably quiet since a lot of the members are actually already at the Slither's old house that was taken over. Danté never really expressed what happened that day... how many lives he took. But I know he was not innocent in the process of overthrowing Jack.

I knock on Enrique's door and he answers a second later, granting me access. Pushing the door open, I walk in to see Enrique staring at a picture frame in his hand and a drink in another. He looks up to me, placing the frame back down and clearing his throat.  I'm aware that I walked in on a rare moment of him been emotional so I look away before Enrique breaks it.

"Harley? What are you doing here so late? Have you and Cameron made a decision already?" I try my best to ignore the thought that Danté and I might be over. All because he thinks that this life is best for us.

"Uh, no." I shake me head while slipping my hands into my back pockets. "I wanted to ask you if you knew where Ramiro was... he didn't come home last night after the news..." I trail off awkwardly, "and I haven't seen him around but I want to check up on him."

"Oh yes. Ramiro stayed here last night, helping with last minute things. He left very early this morning for Santa Monica."

"Santa Monica?" I ask and Enrique nods.

"Yes. Since I'm busy organising our victory, Ramiro went to start planning for Katalina's scattering of the ashes and funeral."

"Oh." I reply, ignoring Lina's face that pops up in my mind. "Why are we doing it in Santa Monica?"

"Her favorite beach is there and since she wanted her ashes to be scattered in the ocean, Ramiro thought that it would just make sense." Enrique shrugs like it's no big deal, but it's tense and rigid which gives away his real emotions.

"Do you know if... Ramiro is okay? If he's holding up alright?" Ever since he was told about the news of his sister, he stormed off and I haven't seen him again. And it's worried me sick... I care a lot about Ramiro and if Danté is taking it as hard as he is, I can only imagine how Ramiro is doing. He has no more immediate family left- aside from Ariela now- and I'm sure he's feeling very alone. And... I don't want this to set him off the deepend. I need to know his okay and more than anything I just want to be there for him. Let him know that he's not alone in this.

Enrique offers a curt nod. "He's... as good as I think he can be. But he knows grief well and so I think he'll be okay. He's just going to need a lot of time but at least we're all here for him." I don't think you can ever be prepared for grief, no matter how many people you've lost so Enrique's words don't do much to ease my mind. But what does is the fact that Ray has the whole gang here to support him. He has something close to a family...

Not wanting to talk to Enrique about his dead wife any longer, I bow my head before wishing him a goodnight.

"She really liked you and Cameron, you know." He calls out, forcing me to pause in the doorway and I blink rapidly to avoid tears. "She cared a lot for you and would want you to be happy."