Stolen Love (A Cartel Romance)

10

Avery POV (BONUS)

It's been almost 3 weeks since she has gone missing. I can't stop thinking about her. Everywhere I go reminds me of her. It reminds me of how stupid I was to leave her in that car alone and how stupid I was to be so selfish and not drive her back home earlier. I shouldn't have been so focused on that stupid party. I shouldn't have been drinking so much, so we didn't have to stop. All of it could have been avoided. Because of me, Harley might be dead. I tried to rule out that conclusion, but it was a viable one we had to consider.

"Avery, you have to eat something." My dad said, pushing a plate of spaghetti in front of me. I didn't have an appetite. I didn't deserve to eat. Harley was probably starving right now, and I get to eat. She already has such a hard life as it is. I could've done so much more to help her. I was so selfish in our friendship, but I know she never thought that. I think I secretly liked feeling superior to Harley. She made me feel like I was bigger than what I was. What an awful person I am.

"No, I'll eat later," I said, pushing the plate away.

"Avery, this has to stop. Harley's disappearance was not your fault. Your missing too much school, you're not eating, you not being yourself. You haven't gone to cheer or basketball practice." My dad rambled on. How pathetic. He didn't even care about Harley in the least bit. He was selfish too.

"Being myself? Harley might be dead, and your concerned about me going back to my social life!" I yelled

"Honey, that's not what I'm saying-" He stuttered.

"We need to find her dad! She needs me! I need her!" I cried out as tears poured down my face. I needed Harley more than I knew.

"There is only so much we can do. You told the police all you knew, sweetheart. Now we can only wait." My dad said, patting my arm lightly.

"You have all this money; put it to use!" I screamed, "Money solves everything, right, dad! Use it to find Harley!" I said

"Baby, that's just not possible." He said

"Yes, it is! I know the type of world we live in! If you're not going to do it, then I will. I am going to bring her back home and find out why she was taken in the first place!"  I finished before getting up from the table and walking straight out of the front door. I knew my dad was hiding something. I could feel it. During the time that I was questioned about Harley, he was always off in the corner whispering to other officers. I hadn't thought much about it then, but He has been at work since I've had so much time to think, my mind is running to all types of possibilities. He isn't home more often, and he barely wants to talk about the situation. Also, strange men parked in front of our house at night to talk to my dad. I know because when I lay awake at night thinking about Harley, I gaze out the window and wonder if she, too, is looking up at the stars with me. There has to be a reason she was taken. The police said they think the crime was organized and she was most likely taken from a group or organization, which meant they planned to take her. That's the only thing that's keeping me from thinking she is dead.

I went back to where she was taken multiple times since that day. I looked for any clues possible. The woman at the gas station didn't see anything since she turned out to be mostly blind, and the place had no cameras. There was nothing to go off of. The only thing that I could think of was my dad. After Harley was taken, he began acting completely different. Everyone mourned her disappearance; people from school, teachers, her father, her brother, my mother, but I never saw my father even offer his condolences.

I needed to talk to Harley's father if I was gonna try and find her. I needed any information I could get. The police aren't doing their job; my father won't help, so I will bring her back home myself. From home, I drove straight to Harley's house. Her side of town was raunchy and scary, but her home in itself felt homey. Her father never let them match the neighborhood. Harley used to yell at me for parking my car on the street when I came over. She always thought it would get stolen, and she was right. I laughed about it, but she cried so hard since she felt bad. I remember hugging her so tightly after that and telling her I didn't mind. Tears flowed out of my eyes as I stood in front of her house. It looks so gloomy without her in it. The whole world just seemed to look so much more dreary.

I walked up the few creaky wooden steps to her door and knocked softly as not to disturb her distressed family. After a short while, the door opened with her father's grim face behind it.

"Avery." he breathed out and smiled.

"Hi, Mr. Anderson." I smiled back.

"Come in, Come in. It's too cold for you to be standing outside." He said with a little urban tone to his words.

"Yes, sir, sorry to disturb you," I said, walking into the house. It was a complete mess, but that was expected. His only daughter was gone; who would want to clean.

"Don't be sorry; It's always nice to see you." He smiled and sat down on the dingy couch across from me. Harley and I used to cuddle on that couch during Christmas and eat cookies till we felt like shitting ourselves. So many memories I took for granted. "So what bring you by." He asked softly.

"I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions," I answered. " I want to find Harley, Mr. Anderson," I said confidently.

"I see." he began, "I want to find her too, Avery, but-" He began, but I cut him off.

"I don't want to find her. I will find her. I swear. I'll do everything to bring her back, sir. I need a little help." I said. After that, he shut his mouth and only sighed out deeply while massaging the deep formed wrinkles on his forehead.

"If anyone can find her-" He started, "it's you." He said, making my heart leap a little. This is just the beginning.

"I just can't imagine why my Harley would be taken." Harley's father said as tears threatened his sagged eyes.

"I know this is painful to talk about, but anything helps," I said, and he nodded slowly.

"I really appreciate this, Avery, and I appreciate your father giving me some paid time off while we try and cope with her being gone." He began. Paid? My father never gave paid time off. He was too cheap and greedy to do that. Nonetheless, I was glad he felt some relief.

"You don't have to thank us at all," I said, and he nodded sadly. I'd never seen Harley's dad so emotional and disconnected. We always saw him as a hardworking, energetic guy. He'd do anything for Harley and her brother, so this was all hard for me to see. "So this police think that Harley was taken by an organization," I began "do you have any gang affiliation from the past," I asked, and his face shot up to my eyes.

"I never told Harley this." He began making my heart speed up at a fast pace. "Harley's mother and I used to buy from Riot back in the day. Her mother more than me. I had quit before her, so she kept buying from them. She accumulated some debt from it all. " He breathed out, rubbing his hand against his face. He looked like he had aged a year, but the only been around 3 weeks. Still, this information was already proving to be useful. "but I don't think it means much." he said

"Why do you say that?" I asked

"because I paid off the debt a while back," he said. "Now I have no ties with them."

"Was there any other conflict between you and the cartel?" I asked

"No. Never. We all hung out and drank together. Her mother, for the most part, kept to herself. " He said, shaking his head.

"I see." I nodded my head, showing I understood. Nothing was adding up. Harley being taken was set up, and if it was the cartel, it doesn't seem like they had a reason to take her. I knew Mr. Anderson was telling the truth, but none of it seemed connected. "I just have one more question."

"Ok." He sighed heavily.

"How much can you tell me about my dad's business?"
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WE GOT AVERYS POV, FINALLY!!

How do we feel after seeing Avery's thoughts?

Is Avery getting closer to getting the truth?

Should I do more Avery POVS or keep it simple?