Chapter 29 - Parallel Situations
Harry and Kat left. Leon watched them load her bags into Harry's convertible and leave. Leon didn't know what was up there. He was sure as hell gonna find out. What was she doin? Running away from her problems again? She'd said she wanted to talk, work things out, and now here she was running away again. That was just how she was, he guessed. Not much that could be done about it. In the back of his mind he knew he wasn't being fair again, knew that he'd told her that he'd never want to see her again. But he still hadn't expected her to up and run off. Maybe Brian would know what was going on. He went in search of Brian.
"Yeah Brian, I'ma be ok." Kat said into Harry's cell phone. "But I'm goin' on that buyin' trip to Japan with Harry. I think it'll be fun and I need the time to, as Harry put it, regroup." She smiled at the man in question. "So I won't be around for a couple weeks most likely. Just look out for him for me ok? I mean if he sees my guys he'd better run. I warned them off but I made the mistake of wearing a tank top out to the car and I think Stacy saw the bruises on my arm. Stacy's the hot head of our group. Think of your Vince, times him by 2 and make him an ex-gang member."
"Shit, that bad?" Brian couldn't imagine Vince times 2.
"That bad and likely worse. And without me around to keep 'em in line.. I don't know what they might do Brian."
"I'll warn him as soon as I see him Kitten."
Leon entered the room and just heard the name Kitten. Brian didn't know Leon was there because the other man had come up behind him and had yet to say anything.
"Ok Brian. I'll see you in like 2 weeks. I.well."
"What is it Kitten?"
"Just tell him I'm sorry. No, don't even bother. Just warn him to avoid the guys for a few days at least, and till I get back to control them if he can. I'll miss you B." She sniffled.
"I'll miss you too Kitten."
"Bye B."
"Bye kid. See you around."
She hung up and looked at Harry. "Well, off to Japan. Home of the Skyline."
"To Japan. Wanna get something to eat before we go home."
"I'd like that Harry." They went to a quiet restaurant where Harry was well known and they got a nice secluded table in the back. After dinner they went to Harry's and watched a funny movie together. They curled up on the couch together and it was just comfortable, they were well matched friends. Harry made her feel safe and she fell asleep during the movie.
"Where's she goin' Brian?"
"None of your business Leon. You've done enough." Brian stated in his best bad cop voice, complete with what he hoped was a menacing hand gesture as he started to walk away.
"It is my god damn business. We need to talk, her and I."
"You did all the fuckin' talkin' you're gonna do wit' her Leon." Brian yelled. "You broke her inside and that's it. You don't deserve her!" Brian pictured the aftermath of what Leon had done to keep him mad at his friend. He kept seeing the little bruises on her arm. Leon had the right to be upset but not to treat Kat how he had. But when Leon was standing in front of him, looking broken himself, and Brian knew what he'd gone through because of what Kat had done, it was hard to hold onto the anger. Reminding himself that Kat was so small, and so.young inside, he guessed, helped him hold on to his anger at Leon. It occurred to Brian that Leon wasn't exactly innocent in the whole crime, robbery scene.
"I don't deserve her? She's the one who did what she did." Leon yelled.
"You fuckin' hypocrite. What about you, 'wheelman'? Huh? If it wasn't for me you'd be rottin' in jail for poppin' fuckin' transfer trucks man. You are so lucky I love Mia and Dom like I do Leon. I threw away my career over you guys. Dom's told me thank you. Even Vince told me he appreciated what I did, but never you! I didn't do it for thanks I know, but Jesus. So after all that you did, and all I had to do to keep your ass outta jail, why are you some sorta saint after that, but she's an evil bitch?"
Leon hung his head. He'd never seen Brian this mad. Brian was always cool about everything. Dom was right; it was Brian's meal ticket. It was what kept him alive as a cop and what helped him win races but he was far from cool right now. "You've hurt her enough, she's gone and that's all you need to know. And you know what makes it worse?" Leon shook his head no. "After all you did to her, she told me to tell you she's sorry, again. Oh then she told me not to bother, but she thought of it, and told me to protect you from her guys because the ass kicken' they're bringin' your way is the kind that." Brian lowered his voice menacingly, "is the kind that ended Dom up in jail. And she wants me to protect you from it."
"She wasn't gonna tell me Brian. She was never goin' to tell me." A lot of the anger leached out of Leon with Brian's impassioned speech. Brian was totally correct about the fact that Leon had pretty much done the same thing to people that Kat had done to him and he'd never thought twice about it after the fact. It still hurt that Kat had never planned on trusting him enough to come clean to him. Of course, he'd proven her lack of trust had been totally smart today, hadn't he?
"I know, but damn Leon. You broke her heart. I don't think I wanna be around you right now." Brian moved to leave.
"Where is she?" Leon asked, in a calm, sad voice.
"Gone." Came Brian's only answer.
"God Damn it Brian. Where is she?" Leon shouted, spinning Brian back around to face him and shaking Brian by the tops of his arms. The only way to fix this was to go find her and spill his heart to her. He had to tell her everything. It was the only way to make this better. He had to make this better.
"She's at Harry's. Don't even think of goin' over there. Harry's just as out for your blood as Kat's guys. You know that Harry said if it came down to it the team wasn't welcome at the store anymore, that he'd rather protect Kat from you then have our business."
Dom had heard the whole conversation from the hall, including the part where someone was out to beat Leon as bad as Dom himself had beaten Linder. "What the fuck happened today?" Brian looked over his shoulder like 'oh hell'. Dom hated it when anyone talked about Kenny Linder.
"Why don't you field that one Leon, since this is your fuck up not mine for once?" Brian said sarcastically as he turned to leave the room. "And I meant what I said. You stay the fuck away from Kat. Let her alone Leon. You owe her that much." With that Brian went in search of Mia, the only one who could calm him down.
"Well, Leon. I need answers as to why I may not be welcome to shop at the main parts supplier in southern California over something you did, and why thugs are looking to beat you up in ways that still haunt me for what I did years later." Dom was very curious as to what this was all about.
"Well, Dom. You were right. Kat and her team meant trouble. But I couldn't listen. I had to have her. Well, her and her team are the four people who robbed me. I figured it out today and flipped out at her. I dragged her out of 'The Racer's Edge' by the arm, bruised her, called her down to the lowest and then called her down even lower. Told her she lived in a fairytale world where everything went her way, she got everything she thought she wanted and someone else cleaned up all her messes. I basically broke her down to the point that she snapped and told me in very graphic detail what she'd seen and that it got to the point once that she'd tried to end her life. Then I left. And now she packed her bags and left with Harry."
"Well, damn Leon. She wasn't ever gonna tell you what she'd done?"
"Nope."
"Then she had it comin' didn't she?" Leon took the easy way out that Dom offered him.
"Yeah I guess she did." He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He didn't believe that himself anymore, he could tell Dom didn't buy it either, but wanted to try to cheer him up some.
"As long as you don't get your ass kicked into next month over it." Dom laughed, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, well, after everything I did to her she begged her guys not to hurt me." Leon looked up and all the pain and guilt at what he had done was reflected in his green eyes.
"Shit, she did? Why? Letty'd be beggin' someone to kick my ass."
"I know it. I told you, it was like I broke somethin' inside a'her. She agreed that she was a horrible person after I said it to her. I don't know what to do to make this better dawg."
"Nothin' Leon. Nothin' you can do. Get over it. She wasn't the girl for you." Dom walked out of the living room. He was worried about opening his door someday and having people on the stoop waiting to get Leon. He was pretty mad at Leon inside for both bringing this trouble to them and for hurting a woman in such a way, but seeing the state the other man was in he didn't want to push his luck saying anything. He'd told Leon time and time again not to get involved with Kat. And this was why. And damn it, Dom had just been starting to get to like Kat in a small way. And Dom couldn't agree with anyone being intentionally mean someone so much smaller then them. He was mad at Leon, but he'd also finally realized that what Leon did with his life was also really none of his business unless Leon asked him to make it his business.
Leon had to see her. He'd seen the disappointment in Dom's eyes. Dom was disappointed in Leon over what he'd heard, and he didn't even like Kat. He knew what Brian said but maybe just maybe if he saw her, told her how sorry he was then everything would be ok. But he didn't really want to have to say he was sorry. He wasn't sure he should have to, even now. But what Brian had said about how they'd been robbing trucks and never thinking of the drivers and how they'd feel after they woke up hit home. Plus the fact that Brian had had to give up his career to keep all their asses out of jail. Those men hadn't mattered to him. After all, he just drove a car along side the truck to try and keep it going the way they wanted it to go. Vince was the one that had to deal with the truckers and the whole thing had been Dom's bright idea. But they'd all had a part, just like Kat had stood back and watched, she'd never really done anything to him. But could she forgive him? He thought he had to find out. He got in his car and headed to Harry's. He'd been there with Brian once.
He walked up the front walk and as he did he looked into the living room window. There was Kat and Harry, curled up together on the couch. Leon did a double take. Harry wouldn't like Kat like that would he? No, he couldn't, she was too young. Harry wasn't some sort of pervert, plus Kat had just had a major emotional trauma. Just as Leon went to continue up the walk Harry stood up and picked Kat up. He carried her up the stairs and never came back down. It was obvious that Kat had been asleep, but Harry never came back. Leon left as quickly as he came, not knowing what to believe about what he'd seen.
Harry and Kat left. Leon watched them load her bags into Harry's convertible and leave. Leon didn't know what was up there. He was sure as hell gonna find out. What was she doin? Running away from her problems again? She'd said she wanted to talk, work things out, and now here she was running away again. That was just how she was, he guessed. Not much that could be done about it. In the back of his mind he knew he wasn't being fair again, knew that he'd told her that he'd never want to see her again. But he still hadn't expected her to up and run off. Maybe Brian would know what was going on. He went in search of Brian.
"Yeah Brian, I'ma be ok." Kat said into Harry's cell phone. "But I'm goin' on that buyin' trip to Japan with Harry. I think it'll be fun and I need the time to, as Harry put it, regroup." She smiled at the man in question. "So I won't be around for a couple weeks most likely. Just look out for him for me ok? I mean if he sees my guys he'd better run. I warned them off but I made the mistake of wearing a tank top out to the car and I think Stacy saw the bruises on my arm. Stacy's the hot head of our group. Think of your Vince, times him by 2 and make him an ex-gang member."
"Shit, that bad?" Brian couldn't imagine Vince times 2.
"That bad and likely worse. And without me around to keep 'em in line.. I don't know what they might do Brian."
"I'll warn him as soon as I see him Kitten."
Leon entered the room and just heard the name Kitten. Brian didn't know Leon was there because the other man had come up behind him and had yet to say anything.
"Ok Brian. I'll see you in like 2 weeks. I.well."
"What is it Kitten?"
"Just tell him I'm sorry. No, don't even bother. Just warn him to avoid the guys for a few days at least, and till I get back to control them if he can. I'll miss you B." She sniffled.
"I'll miss you too Kitten."
"Bye B."
"Bye kid. See you around."
She hung up and looked at Harry. "Well, off to Japan. Home of the Skyline."
"To Japan. Wanna get something to eat before we go home."
"I'd like that Harry." They went to a quiet restaurant where Harry was well known and they got a nice secluded table in the back. After dinner they went to Harry's and watched a funny movie together. They curled up on the couch together and it was just comfortable, they were well matched friends. Harry made her feel safe and she fell asleep during the movie.
"Where's she goin' Brian?"
"None of your business Leon. You've done enough." Brian stated in his best bad cop voice, complete with what he hoped was a menacing hand gesture as he started to walk away.
"It is my god damn business. We need to talk, her and I."
"You did all the fuckin' talkin' you're gonna do wit' her Leon." Brian yelled. "You broke her inside and that's it. You don't deserve her!" Brian pictured the aftermath of what Leon had done to keep him mad at his friend. He kept seeing the little bruises on her arm. Leon had the right to be upset but not to treat Kat how he had. But when Leon was standing in front of him, looking broken himself, and Brian knew what he'd gone through because of what Kat had done, it was hard to hold onto the anger. Reminding himself that Kat was so small, and so.young inside, he guessed, helped him hold on to his anger at Leon. It occurred to Brian that Leon wasn't exactly innocent in the whole crime, robbery scene.
"I don't deserve her? She's the one who did what she did." Leon yelled.
"You fuckin' hypocrite. What about you, 'wheelman'? Huh? If it wasn't for me you'd be rottin' in jail for poppin' fuckin' transfer trucks man. You are so lucky I love Mia and Dom like I do Leon. I threw away my career over you guys. Dom's told me thank you. Even Vince told me he appreciated what I did, but never you! I didn't do it for thanks I know, but Jesus. So after all that you did, and all I had to do to keep your ass outta jail, why are you some sorta saint after that, but she's an evil bitch?"
Leon hung his head. He'd never seen Brian this mad. Brian was always cool about everything. Dom was right; it was Brian's meal ticket. It was what kept him alive as a cop and what helped him win races but he was far from cool right now. "You've hurt her enough, she's gone and that's all you need to know. And you know what makes it worse?" Leon shook his head no. "After all you did to her, she told me to tell you she's sorry, again. Oh then she told me not to bother, but she thought of it, and told me to protect you from her guys because the ass kicken' they're bringin' your way is the kind that." Brian lowered his voice menacingly, "is the kind that ended Dom up in jail. And she wants me to protect you from it."
"She wasn't gonna tell me Brian. She was never goin' to tell me." A lot of the anger leached out of Leon with Brian's impassioned speech. Brian was totally correct about the fact that Leon had pretty much done the same thing to people that Kat had done to him and he'd never thought twice about it after the fact. It still hurt that Kat had never planned on trusting him enough to come clean to him. Of course, he'd proven her lack of trust had been totally smart today, hadn't he?
"I know, but damn Leon. You broke her heart. I don't think I wanna be around you right now." Brian moved to leave.
"Where is she?" Leon asked, in a calm, sad voice.
"Gone." Came Brian's only answer.
"God Damn it Brian. Where is she?" Leon shouted, spinning Brian back around to face him and shaking Brian by the tops of his arms. The only way to fix this was to go find her and spill his heart to her. He had to tell her everything. It was the only way to make this better. He had to make this better.
"She's at Harry's. Don't even think of goin' over there. Harry's just as out for your blood as Kat's guys. You know that Harry said if it came down to it the team wasn't welcome at the store anymore, that he'd rather protect Kat from you then have our business."
Dom had heard the whole conversation from the hall, including the part where someone was out to beat Leon as bad as Dom himself had beaten Linder. "What the fuck happened today?" Brian looked over his shoulder like 'oh hell'. Dom hated it when anyone talked about Kenny Linder.
"Why don't you field that one Leon, since this is your fuck up not mine for once?" Brian said sarcastically as he turned to leave the room. "And I meant what I said. You stay the fuck away from Kat. Let her alone Leon. You owe her that much." With that Brian went in search of Mia, the only one who could calm him down.
"Well, Leon. I need answers as to why I may not be welcome to shop at the main parts supplier in southern California over something you did, and why thugs are looking to beat you up in ways that still haunt me for what I did years later." Dom was very curious as to what this was all about.
"Well, Dom. You were right. Kat and her team meant trouble. But I couldn't listen. I had to have her. Well, her and her team are the four people who robbed me. I figured it out today and flipped out at her. I dragged her out of 'The Racer's Edge' by the arm, bruised her, called her down to the lowest and then called her down even lower. Told her she lived in a fairytale world where everything went her way, she got everything she thought she wanted and someone else cleaned up all her messes. I basically broke her down to the point that she snapped and told me in very graphic detail what she'd seen and that it got to the point once that she'd tried to end her life. Then I left. And now she packed her bags and left with Harry."
"Well, damn Leon. She wasn't ever gonna tell you what she'd done?"
"Nope."
"Then she had it comin' didn't she?" Leon took the easy way out that Dom offered him.
"Yeah I guess she did." He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He didn't believe that himself anymore, he could tell Dom didn't buy it either, but wanted to try to cheer him up some.
"As long as you don't get your ass kicked into next month over it." Dom laughed, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, well, after everything I did to her she begged her guys not to hurt me." Leon looked up and all the pain and guilt at what he had done was reflected in his green eyes.
"Shit, she did? Why? Letty'd be beggin' someone to kick my ass."
"I know it. I told you, it was like I broke somethin' inside a'her. She agreed that she was a horrible person after I said it to her. I don't know what to do to make this better dawg."
"Nothin' Leon. Nothin' you can do. Get over it. She wasn't the girl for you." Dom walked out of the living room. He was worried about opening his door someday and having people on the stoop waiting to get Leon. He was pretty mad at Leon inside for both bringing this trouble to them and for hurting a woman in such a way, but seeing the state the other man was in he didn't want to push his luck saying anything. He'd told Leon time and time again not to get involved with Kat. And this was why. And damn it, Dom had just been starting to get to like Kat in a small way. And Dom couldn't agree with anyone being intentionally mean someone so much smaller then them. He was mad at Leon, but he'd also finally realized that what Leon did with his life was also really none of his business unless Leon asked him to make it his business.
Leon had to see her. He'd seen the disappointment in Dom's eyes. Dom was disappointed in Leon over what he'd heard, and he didn't even like Kat. He knew what Brian said but maybe just maybe if he saw her, told her how sorry he was then everything would be ok. But he didn't really want to have to say he was sorry. He wasn't sure he should have to, even now. But what Brian had said about how they'd been robbing trucks and never thinking of the drivers and how they'd feel after they woke up hit home. Plus the fact that Brian had had to give up his career to keep all their asses out of jail. Those men hadn't mattered to him. After all, he just drove a car along side the truck to try and keep it going the way they wanted it to go. Vince was the one that had to deal with the truckers and the whole thing had been Dom's bright idea. But they'd all had a part, just like Kat had stood back and watched, she'd never really done anything to him. But could she forgive him? He thought he had to find out. He got in his car and headed to Harry's. He'd been there with Brian once.
He walked up the front walk and as he did he looked into the living room window. There was Kat and Harry, curled up together on the couch. Leon did a double take. Harry wouldn't like Kat like that would he? No, he couldn't, she was too young. Harry wasn't some sort of pervert, plus Kat had just had a major emotional trauma. Just as Leon went to continue up the walk Harry stood up and picked Kat up. He carried her up the stairs and never came back down. It was obvious that Kat had been asleep, but Harry never came back. Leon left as quickly as he came, not knowing what to believe about what he'd seen.
