Either…………..Or................
What the hell was I thinking?Lilly was sitting on the couch in front of the opened window, inhaling deeply the smoke of the cigarette in her left hand. I did not think at all or maybe so much that I couldn't get one damn idea in that moment. I promised him to go with him, I practically offered myself to him! Why the fuck was I so stupid?! And he's already planning on fucking me the entire night! What great a development! Brian would be so pissed, if he knew of this. No sodding explanation I might come up with would be able to bring him back down. He would be disappointed in me, but I prefer him disappointed than dead. Well, it's not like I'm ever gonna tell him. It's not that important. The goal's what counts and I'm so going to get what I've put into my head. Brian's right, I'm stubborn…………just like he is. Why am I like that? Why do I always get my ass kicked because of others? Why am I always doing anything to help people?She shrugged. Cause I'm a nice person, I guess. Helping others makes me focus on something, something else than my own life that's nothing but a damn soap-opera. The mother leaves, the father is an alcoholic and goes to jail when he beats the living shit out of his daughter, the daughter comes to foster parents, the older brother has always been the good-looking popular sunnyboy who now becomes a cop. Then, the daughter comes into his custody, they live through some shit together, the girl's best friend dies a tragical death, the brother's long-term girlfriend breaks up with him after he has cheated on her with some stripper while being drunk. The girl gets bulimia, she has to go into a clinic, the brother gets offered a job as an undercover agent which he can't bring to an end because they make friends with the guy robbing trucks. They come to Miami to hide from the police…………………..I should get a fucking academy award or something. Did anybody actually ever ask me, if I wanted to have this role? I don't think so. Why am I always getting myself into such situations, hm? Cause you are a very stupid person, Lilly. I only have to imagine Brian's face, if he should ever find out about me smoking, going to the clubs, dancing there, dancing 'dirrty' with my friends. 'Lilliana O'Conner' he'll yell at the top of his lunges 'get your ass over here, right now!' Whenever he's really pissed at me, he's calling me by my full surname. Well, I do the same with him. Whenever I'm mad at him or want to make him understand that I'm serious about something, I'll call him 'Brian', not just 'bro' and when he's sad or pouty – this is so ridiculous, he's almost 26 years old and he still pouts like a little child. Although, I guess the brain of a 26-year-old man is not that much different from a child's one, just take a look at the guys hanging out at Tej's. Anyways, then, I'll call him 'baby', simply because I know that he needs a mom to be there for him and to cheer him up a little. Sometimes, I really get the impression that he is in my custody and not the other way around. At home, we've got a perfectly organised plan of who's doing what. I do the laundry because neither of us wants Brian to come too close to my underwear. That way, I can easily wash my club outfits without him noticing. He has to clean the bathroom, except for the little litter box standing right next to the toilet. I always throw my tampons in there, so he doesn't have to take care of that. Another reason why he has to clean the toilet is quite simple: he doesn't sit down. I just know that he doesn't because, sometimes, his aim is not the best…………………and that's pretty much digusting. Each of us is responsible for his own room, that's only fair. We take turns at doing the dishes, yet, we're usually doing it together. Once a week, we've got our big 'cleaning day'. Brian does the bathroom, I do the kitchen, the living-room is team work. I hope the apartment is not totally wrecked when I come back, although Brian is actually rather clean for a guy, but with Rome around…………….well, it didn't seem like Rome was willing to spend more time with Brian than necessary, still……………..I guess he'll eventually realize that it wasn't Brian's fault when he got caught. One should just not own eight hot cars, that's a no-no. I can already foresee that, after the whole shit is over, he'll want a second car. If he is to keep the Eclipse, because, if he isn't, he'll have to get two new cars. That's Roman Pearce, big playa, but nontheless adorable. Shit, when Brian can't keep the Evo he'll have to get a new car, as well, and then, he'll talk me into getting one, too.
I shouldna think about such stuff right now, I got other things to worry about, the garage down there, for example. There are no opened windows through which I could possibly throw the bottles. The gates are also closed. So, how to get inside?The roof is not very helpful, either. No holes or anything in it. Shit! Maybe I should just aim for the gates and do some praying that the fire will spread the way I want it to. The gates are made out of wood and possibly varnished, so that they would burn, however……………Lilly took one last drag from her cigarette before pushing the still gleaming end onto the narrow outer window sill. She then leant her head back and opened her mouth to blow out two rings of smoke. First a big one and then, a smaller one which she breathed out faster so that it went through the middle of the larger ring. She smiled. That has to be a good sign. How to keep the fire alive? How, how, how…………………yeah, a wide grin settled on the girl's lips. She had an idea.
Lilly got up from the couch and walked into the bathroom while casting another look at the clock.
5.19 p.m.. 36 minutes left.
Within the bathroom, the girl went directly to the bath tub, around which she found what she had planned on using: scented bath oils. Several bottles of scented bath oils. A big one filled with yellow liquid, three medium ones filled with green and blue liquid and two little ones filled with red and pink liquid. Lilly knew that it was not real oil, but it was everything she had. Taking the bottles underneath her arms to carry them more easily, the girl returned onto the couch in the main room and looked out of window.
Nobody seems to be there. They're all busy with their own preparations, just like I've been some time ago, she thought while putting down the bottles in front of her, except for the little ones, let's pray that nobody's down there, and she threw the one containing the red liquid out of the window down onto the paved ground right in front of the gates. The sound of cracking glass could be heard.
"Yes",Lilly whispered and waited for some minutes to see whether or not anybody would be coming to check on the sound. Nobody came, therefore, she took the second little bottle and repeated the action. Again, the glass landed and broke right in front of the gates. Again, nobody came to look for the sound.
Now, Lilly picked up one of the medium sized bottles, aimed slowly and threw. This time, the crash was a little louder than the two other ones before, however, there was still nobody who came to check.
Well, lucky me, the girl shrugged, looked out of the window and threw another medium sized bottle. Crash!
Brian was always proud of my good aim, she smiled and reapeated the same action for the fith time. A look out of the window, another bottle flew out of the window and hit the ground in front of the garage.
The last one, hope they won't notice. This one's kinda bigger than the others, so it'll be louder when it comes down. I don't know if it'll even get that far, kinda heavy it is, oh well, who doesn't try has already lost, Lilly shook her head no, I should stop reading what's written on the back of Brian's cereal packagings.
Lifting the bottle up with her right hand, Lilly held it behind her back and then, she used whatever energy she was able to gather in her right arm before throwing the bottle. It hit the gate behind which the Aston Martin was standing with a loud cracking noise.
The girl sat on the couch in silence, praying not to hear the sound of approaching footsteps. Several minutes passed. Outside, there was just the wind that made the leaves rustle, some birds singing and nothing but silence. Lilly grinned and felt like doing a happy dance, yet, she had other worries. Another look at the clock.
5.31 p.m.. 24 minutes left.
Lilly let her eyes wander over the interior of the room once again. She had planned everything. She knew exactly what to do. Everything she would need to carry out her plan was in place.
Lilly became nervous.
She worried especially about Monica. Would the agent manage to free herself once they had started? What was Lilly supposed to do, if they would not meet in front of the main entrance? Simply wait? The blonde did not know where the older woman's room was, just somewhere downstairs, that was it.
Don't think about this, right now, act on instinct, like you do when you're driving, she told herself and considered it a good idea. For now, Verone was more important to Lilly than Monica, therefore, Lilly left the couch and sat down on the bed, her back resting against the head board and some pillows, while with her left hand, she was reaching for some of the fruit Federico had brought her in earlier.
Slices of honey melons, oranges, strawberries, cherries, bananas, grapefruits, apples, pears……….and a little bowl filled with whipped cream.
Picking up a slice of honey melon, she dipped it into the whipped cream and put it into her mouth, shutting her eyes and sucking delightfully on it. She might as well enjoy her last meal in peace.
She did the same with a slice of orange and a piece of the delicious lookig dark red apple.
I could die within the next thirty minutes, so why ain't I scared? Am I scared of dying? No, well, not now, but I don't think this'll change anytime soon. Death finally stops when it comes. The entire life is nothing but death cos each day, some part of you dies, if you want it or not. I wonder why there's still so much left of me, then. Well, I tried to kill myself before, right after Cathy died. I couldn't do it. I didn't want to be a coward. I don't run away. Running away doesn't solve one's problems. It only makes them become worse. Have a problem, solve the problem before another one emerges and you have two problems. Running away is no good, hiding is no better. That's why I dance. Dancing frees my mind and, therefore, it clears my head. Afterwards, I always know what to do. I can just let myself fall into the rhythm becoming my heartbeat. Now that I think about it, it's unlike racing. Racing frees me for a short amount of time, then, everything's back to what it was like before. I start and there are people, I cross the finish line and there are the same people again. I find myself in a car that does not even belong to me, my head is still clouded with the thoughts I had before the race started. Yet, I'm doing it again and again, as though being addicted. Racing's like a drug, dancing isn't. Dancing helps while racing makes me believe I am free although I ain't. Why am I even racing? That's an easy one. I'm racing because of Brian. I just want him to be proud of me and he doesn't know that I dance, so, I have to race. I don't think he would be proud of me, if he knew I preferred doing 'such girly shit'. Or maybe he would still be proud, just less than he's now. He loves showing me off; my skills, my knowledge about bands and cars and sports……………stuff guys usually are interested in. It's not that I don't like knowing such things it's just………………ever since I was little, I had the impression that I had to be more like a boy to get his respect. He's always making jokes about dancers, especially ballerinas – something I'd like to hurt him for when it's becoming too much. He can't even imagine how much time and energy it costs to perform merely the basic positions in a manner considered 'acceptable', not to mention how much more you have to put into it to become 'perfect'. There can only be one prima ballerina in each show, only one. Within a team or a band, people are treated equally and complete one another, but the prima ballerina has to be better than everybody else. She's alone, therefore, when she makes a mistake everybody is going to see that it was nobody's but her fault. I'll never be a prima ballerina, no matter how hard I try. It's because of my body. I'm simply too fat. Too much ass, too much hips, too much breasts…………..and I'm too tall. I would never find a partner for the pas de deux. Still, dancing frees, racing makes me an addict. It's so strange that…………..
A knock on the door made Lilly look up. Shit! How late's it?!
The clock showed that it was 5.43 p.m..
Twelve minutes left.
"Lilly?"Carter Verone entered the room, a satisfied smile on his face when he saw the blonde sucking on another slice of honey melon. "Do they taste good?"
"Yes, thank you",she responded with a slight smile while chewing on the piece of fruit in her mouth.
"May I have one as well?"He said, sitting down next to her one the bed.
"I don't mind",the girl shrugged, eying the man how he took a strawberry, covered its tip with whipped cream and then, ate it.
"No drugs, this time",he told her, swallowing down the bite he had just taken.
"That's good. I want it to happen because I want it to happen and not some drug making me."
"I apologize. I just wanted to make it easier for you to accept what was going on", the brunette licked his moist lips before picking up another strawberry.
"No. You just knew that I wouldn't give in",Lilly answered without hesitating and gained a laugh.
"But now, you do",the man reminded her.
"Yeah, because living with a good-looking millionar seems to be better than dying at the age of sixteen."
"Good-looking?"Verone raised an appreciating eyebrow.
"Well, there are definitely ones looking worse than you do",Lilly smiled, remembering the rich guys coming to the clubs with their air-heads to show off. Most of them would not be let in. They did not meet the expectations.
"Come here",he put the two bowles between them aside and pressed the girl close to his body, kissing her. Their tongues collided and played for some time, hands were roaming over clothes and slight moans were escaping their throats. Lilly had wanted this to happen………………it was part of her plan.
"A very wise decision of you",Verone said while kissing her forehead, "we still got ten minutes let before we leave", and then, he opened the zipper of his pants while looking the girl straight into the eye, "make me enjoy them."
Lilly kissed him again, turning him around, so that he was lying flat on his back and she sitting on top of him. She let one of her hands wander through his short hair, with the other she was opening the buttons of his gray silk shirt. He moaned when she started to play with one of his nipples and allowed her to guide his arms away from her body above his head. They were now lying stretched out……………..the moment Lilly had waited for. The girl let her hands reach out to touch his and she gently massaged both of his wrists with the fingers of her left hand while her right hand was slowly picking up the pillow underneath which she had hidden the handcuffs from the nightstand some time earlier.
"Raise your hips",she told Verone and put the pillow under his butt as he did so.
"I can't wait to be inside of you",he said, thrusting upwards to remember her of her actual task.
"Neither can I",Lilly whispered and moaned loudly when she bent down to kiss him again. That way, he did not hear the sound of the handcuffs clacking when she shut them around his wrists. Fortunately, the head board of the bed consisted of several wooden colums, so that she had just laid the handcuffs around one of them. Verone was trapped and tried to yell the moment he realized what she had done to him, yet, their mouths still being pressed together prevented any screams to become too loud.
In the meantime, the blonde had reached out for a pair of socks and some duct tape she had found in the bathroom. Now, she let go of Verone and shoved the socks quickly into his mouth before putting the duct tape over it, therefore, the man could not spit the socks out and any screams for help he was performing right now would be nothing but muffled breaths.
"You're inside insanity now",Lilly said, running a hand over his face and getting up to carry out her plan. She opened the wardrobe and took out six of the eighteen bottles within it, which she had prepared two hours ago. The girl had opened each of the bottles and put some toilet paper into the necks of the bottles. On the couch in front of the opened window was her bag, her lighter lying next to it.
Verone was still trying to yell at the top of his lungs, but it was of no use.
Lilly took the lighter into her left hand, the bottle into her right, light up the toilet paper that was, by now, almost competely soaked full with alcohol, thus, the blonde would have to throw the bottle rather fast, if she did not want it to explode into her face. She threw it out of the window and boom! It crashed against the wooden gates in a cloud of fire and smoke. The puddles of scented oils began to burn.
Another bottle, and another, and another. The fire spreat. Lilly had been right: the gates were indeed varnished, they were on fire. Another bottle. Boom!.
When do I finally get the damn gas to explode!?The blonde wondered in anger because she already heard the security running towards the garage.
Suddenly, something behind one of the gates exploded, blowing the gate up as well: the Aston Martin Vanquish.
Great, Lilly thought, now, I can at least throw something into the garage!
But she did not have to. It was just a couple of seconds later that two other explosions followed the first one. The Ferrari and the gas colum. That was Lilly's sign. She had to leave, fast, before the security would come and look for her.
Grabbing her bag and pulling it over her head, she blew a kiss into Verone's direction who was still fighting against the handcuffs.
Lilly left the room barefeet, having known she would be slower on heels and louder, too, ran down and the stairs, taking three at once so that she almost stumbled, then, she entered the room with the main entrance. Nobody was in there and the door opened. She ran, she ran like hell, she just wanted to get out of here.
On the outside, everybody seemed to be preoccupied with the burning garage and Lilly saw Monica running onto the way leading up to the house. She smiled at the girl and waved her over as though wanting to say 'hurry up!'.
The blonde wasted no time and ran, although the paved ground hurt underneath her bare feet.
Suddenly, she heard a man yelling something in Spanish.
"Las mujeres!" – The women!
Monica ran towards the drive, her heart pounding in her chest so hard, it could have broken through her ribs.
Then, there was the sound of shooting.
"I got the keys",the woman gasped when Lilly was by her side, "it's the Porsche."
"Okay, we'll do this",the girl answered, although not being convinced by her own words.
It happened right in front of the gate leading to the drive where the cars were standing.
"Ahhh!"Lilly screamed. A bullet had grazed her left hand, nonetheless, she kept on running, knowing that she could just as well drive with one hand grazed.
At least it's not the one I have to shift with, she tried to think positive, something that scared her even more than the fact that she had been hit.
Monica had already unlocked the car and got inside on the passenger's side while Lilly arrived a little later. The moment of realization had cost her a couple of seconds.
"You okay? You want me to drive?"Monica breathed out in shock when seeing the girl's hand.
"Yes and too late for that",the blonde started the engine and stepped onto the gas. Under ordinary circumstances, the sound of a growling Porsche engine would have given her the heebie-jeebiesm but not this time. This time, she and Monica would die, if she made just one single mistake.
Some of the security men had already arrived at the drive and took their aim. Lilly had no other choice than driving right through them. She quickly turned the steering wheel to the left and to the right, driving zig-zags to make it harder for them to hit the car. One of them pulled the trigger……………..and hit the windshield. Fortunately, it merely cracked and the bullet did not enter the car. At that point, Lilly was already so close to the men that they realized that she would not stop and they jumped aside.
In the meantime, Monica had fastened her seatbelt, eying Lilly. The girl was completely focused on what she was doing, she acted on pure instinct, as though she would have never done anything else than driving.
Although, the woman thuoght, Brian being the older brother………..
"Where to?"The blonde asked.
"Hm?"
"To where shall I drive? You're the one responsible for the directions, here",she said, never taking her eyes off the road, the cracked windshield blocking her view a little.
"An airstrip in the Keys. Off Nallwood Avenue."
"An airstrip? I thought he was planning on going by boat",Lilly frowned.
"Why?"The idea that she might have given Brian and Roman the wrong directions made Monica feel uncomfortable.
"Yesterday evening, we talked and he asked me, if I had ever been on a boat before. Then, later, he said he had a yacht and that I'd get to see it soon, so, ya know?"She shrugged.
"Oh shit!"Monica cursed. Of course, Carter had changed the meeting place. If he had know that she was an undercover agent, he would have never given her the correct directions. "Doesn't matter. I think I know where the yacht is. It's basically the same way, just another drive."
"You got any weapons with you?"The blonde suddenly asked.
"No, they've taken them from me. Why?"
"Cos' some have problems with letting go."
Monica turned around on her seat and saw two cars, the Ferrari and the Lotus, following them.
"Shit", she had not thought of that posibility before, "now what?!"
"Freeway",Lilly answered casually while turning the steering wheel to the right to drive onto the ramp.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"We already sent a few men after them, Sir",a man in his mid-thirties told an outraged Carter Verone.
"So what?! You think that this'll be of any use?! This is O'Conner's sister! That girl knows how to drive!"The brunette threw a vase onto the floor, hating the mere thought of having been left in the most embarrassing situation!
"What now, Sir?"The security asked rather unsure, not wanting to become the aim of his employer's wrath.
"What now?! What now?! Now, we'll leave. It's already six o'clock! We'll just have to do it without the women!"He looked at the other man. "What you still standing there?! Get me my helicopter!"
Carter Verone had never lost anything to a woman before and now this! A sixteen year old girl had managed to chain him to a bed!
I underestimated her. Beautiful, intelligent, dangerous. She would have completed me so well. Who cares? Eventually, she will come back to me. To get revenge for her murdered brother.
A predatory smile made Carter Verone part his lips.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Where the hell did you learn to drive like that?!"Monica was literally clutching to her armrest and her seat after the girl sitting on the driver's seat had just overtaken five cars in a row on two different lanes.
"Some here, some there. I'm holding the record in obstacles",the girl shifted into another gear, suppressing the urge to wince because of her left hand. The skin burnt like fire. She was driving at 95 mph.
"In what?"
"Obstacles. Some type of race. You have to drive a certain route that has, like, all sorts of obstacles on it. Trash cans, other cars, oil, ramps. Nobody knows the route, only the ones who helped constructing it. And I'm holding the record. Three and a half miles, 58.47 seconds. First one under a minute. I really hit the gas that night without adding so much than a scratch to Brian's car",Lilly smiled at the memory despite the pain her hand caused.
"Brian's car?"The woman frowned. The girl was sixteen. Her brother and probably most of her friends raced. She did not have her own car, then?
"Yeah, 2001 Nissan Skyline GTR. Brian said it was wrecked when he got caught. You ain't gonna let him",she did a hard turn to the left to overtake another car having just been about to change its lane, "keep the Evo, or what?"
Monica just stared at the teenager. How could anybody be that casual while doing such deadly actions?!
"I……..I don't know",she finally answered.
"I hope so. The Evo's a good one. Matches Brian, looks like a taxi, though. I never like any shades of yellow that much. Course, we'll have to yank the GPS out, if you give it to him, but that'll only last, like, a week or so. Built practically everything out, check it through and put it back together. You okay?"The blonde cast a quick look at the woman sitting next to her. She seemed to be nervous.
"Yeaaaaaaaaaah",Monica screamed out when Lilly did another sharp turn to the right and back to the left.
"Relax",the girl grinned, shaking her head slightly no before narrowing her eyes.
"I don't like that look on your face",the brunette stated.
"Truck drivers",was the response.
Monica tried to get a view on the scenary in front of them through the cracked windshield. Behind them, the two cars were still following them as best as they could, yet, they had a rather hard time keeping up with the girl's way of handling a car. In front of them, there were two trucks driving side by side, appearantly they were driving so close to each other on purpose.
"Always thinking they're some kinda cops, trying to stop us. Well",she shifted into another gear, "I'll show'em."
"What do you want to do?"Monica swallowed.
"You'll see. Just hold onto something." Lilly stepped onto the gas pedal, letting the engine of the Porsche rev. She had done these maneuvers before……………….not that Brian knew. First, she opened her window, second, zig-zags, fast but steady zig-zags until she was almost touching the tail lights of the trucks. Then, she stepped once again onto the gas, doing a sharp turn to the right…………………..and they were driving on two wheels, right through the narrow alley between the trucks. As she passed the drivers' cockpits, she held her hand out of the opened window, middle and ring finger raised.
"Please, don't tell Brian that I did this, okay? He's always so overprotective",she said the moment the car was driving on four wheels again.
"Mhm",the other woman piped, her heart pounding like crazy.
Lilly laughed. Monica was definitely not the right girl for Brian. He would have whooped, if he had sat on the passenger's seat. Nevertheless, some seconds later, she winced. Her left hand was killing her.
"At least, we've gotten rid of the Lotus",she whispered. The driver of the Lotus had not succeeded in dealing with the truck drivers. The Ferrari had taken the long way around them, therefore, there now was some space between it and the Porsche.
"Oh, fuck!"Lilly exclaimed. There was a traffic sign saying 'construction zone – 2.5 miles'. "We have to get the next drive."
But I'll have to wait till we're directly in front of the drive, then, I'll have to take it. Make them believe I would just drive ahead. Might work. We're never gonna make it in time to the meeting place, no matter how fast I drive. She hit the wheel in fury, regretting it immediately because of having used her left hand to do so.
"The guys are supposed to be driving on the freeway after the construction zone",Monica thought out loud. She looked at her watch. 6:07. Carter was possibly already at the meeting place, awaiting the guys. He would kill them.
"I know the drive we have to take",Lilly thought out loud, "it leads straight into an industry district. May turn out as a plus for us. Many heavy machines down there, yet, more trucks. Don't worry, though, I'll manage."
"Of course, you'll manage. You're insane."
"So I've been told", the girl said, shifting gear due to seeing the drive they would have to take.
Two third. Half a mile. Quarter. Deep breath. Now! She changed onto the left lane to irritate the driver of the Ferrari before turning the steering wheel with full force to the right. The Porsche entered the drive merely half a foot away from the iron barriers being raised around it.
Unfortunately, the Ferrari also reached the drive in time, however, it hit the iron barriers hard on the left side.
This'll cost them some time. Wheels and tires might have been damaged a little. Let's hope so.
Lilly hissed slightly and glanced at her hand. It was covered in blood having run down her forearm and slowly drying. The wound had not yet stopped bleeding because of the constant motions when turning the steering wheel around. It burnt so much but the girl bit her lower lip.
Don't worry, bro. I'm coming. Just hold on. I'm on my way.
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Brian was standing several yards away from Verone. So far, not everything had worked out the way it had been supposed to. The police had been on them every since they had loaded the bags with the money. Although having gotten rid of them due to their plan – Hell, that really was a show. We've shown them what racers are able to perform – Brian's built-in bottle of nitrous underneath the passenger's seat had not worked. Roman's had, therefore, he had driven to the airstrip, the wrong meeting place. Now, the blonde was alone with Verone holding a gun in his hand………..like everybody else did, except for the young man.
Well, he thought, at least Rome knows where to come looking for me. If he comes……….he will. But in time? Focus now. Focus on why you're here. Where the fuck has he brought my baby to? Is she already on his boat? I fulfilled my part of the deal, it's his turn, now.
"Where's the rest?"Verone asked, pointing his gun at the bags on the ground in front of him.
"In the other car",the blonde responded, still wondering when the brunette would show him his younger sister.
"Another car",the man frowned, "where's the other car?"
"On its way."If there's so much than a scratch on her, I'll make you pay.
"On its way?"An eyebrow raised in scepsis underlined Verone's question.
"Yeah."
"So you know nothing about the agents that stormed my jet?"
Brian shook his head slightly no, hoping that his eyes would not trait the thoughts dwelling up inside of him. Shit! He knows! What if he knows about Rome and me, too?! If he does…………..what the hell has he done to my baby!?
"The funny thing is",the brunette smiled to himself, "I only told one person about the airtstrip. Monica, Agent Fuentes, never noticed me knowing. She just continued enjoying the life style I offered to her. Well, that was in the past. I'm looking forward to a new life and now, with Fuentes gone, there's a free place by my side. I asked your sister about it……."
"Where the hell is she?!"Brian's sudden outburst made Enrique, the guy having accompaigned Brian on the way, point his gun to the other man's head.
"She's safe. Don't worry, O'Conner. She's already on the boat, waiting for us to depart. You see",he shrugged, "the life I am able to give her appeared more attracting to her than the poor existance together with you."
"She'd never choose you over me!"The young man yelled, not believing a word.
"Of course, she would. She did. What can you provide her with, hm? Nothing. As far as I have been told, she works, while you do nothing but racing. She does not even get an allowance. She has no car, no computer, no stereo, no TV, she even has to pay for her own clothes and she has to finance her hobbies, as well",Carter Verone chuckled, content with the fact the drugs had made the girl talk to him, "you just don't deserve her, O'Conner. You had your chance. Sixteen years and you wasted them."
"I want her to tell me that",Brian narrowed his eyes, fury burning inside his veins. How dared Verone judging his skills as an older brother?! Lilly had never complained, she had always accepted their living conditions.
But what if she has merely bitten her tongue for all of these years? What if she hates the way your treating her? What if she hates it here in Miami and is just not saying anything? His traitorous mind asked.
"You are not in the position to make any demands",he then addressed the bodyguard and Enrique, "hide the cars and get rid of him."With that last comment, he turned around and walked to his yacht.
Thrusting his gun against Brian's lower jaw, Enrique repeated his employer's order. "Back in the car."
Getting onto the driver's seat of the Yenko, the blonde still had to support the feeling of a gun being held close to his head by Enrique sitting on the passenger's seat.
He started the engine, drove a short route while another car was following them. The bodyguard was the driver. He parked right behind them as they stopped.
"End of the road",Enrique stated with his strong Spanish accent, bringing the gun near Brian's right temple, "you know. I like you. But I still got to kill you. It's my job."
"Can I ask you one last question, then?" The blonde just had to know.
"If you have to."
"Is she dead? Did he kill my sister?"The man swallowed. The mere thought let his eyes fill up with tears, yet, he fought them back.
"Mister Verone gets what Mister Verone wants."
He was about to load the gun, when Brian used the one last chance he had left: he pressed the button activating the explosion underneath the passenger's seat. It had not worked before, but it was his last straw.
Noticing the clicking sound, the other man became angry. "What's that?!" He now loaded his gun while Brian pushed the button with his thumb two more times. The blonde felt the cold iron end of the gun being put to his right temple and closed his eyes.
It would not be worth it, anyway. Not without my baby.
"It's Barstow, baby!"The response came through the walkie-talkie. It was Roman! "And it's about to get ugly!" They heard a car approaching them.
Roman drove the 1970 Dodge Challenger straight into the black car parking behind the Yenko.
Brian used the moment of distraction to disarm Enrique. Several shots were fired through the windshield.
"Let's go",Verone told his employee when hearing the shots. He presumed Brian O'Conner would no longer cause any problems.
In the meantime, Brian was kicking Enrique lying on the ground in front of the Yenko for one last time.
"C'mon, man",Roman said and both of them ran to the bank to see Verone's boat cruising away, therefore, they returned to the Yenko, Brian started the engine, yet, before driving away, they got rid of the broken widshield by kicking it out of its iron frame.
"I thought you was dead, man",the black man breathed out once they had begun driving.
"Me, too. Thanks for saving my ass, bro."
"What you doing, man?!"Roman did not understand why his friend kept on drving by the riverside.
"Verone said Monica was gone, so he had to replace her. I don't want him to kill my baby once a helicopter or a Customs boat shows up",the blonde wished that his words were true. Enrique's statement had been vague. She might still be alive and waiting for him to rescue her. She just had to be alive!
"Boat",a look at the yacht, "car", a look at the shifter knob, "boat", Fuck!, "you better be praying kitten's gonna forgive you what I think you're gonna do!"
"You got my back?"
"Not when she's pissed off, otherwise yeah."
"All right, now, put on your seat belt",Brian reached for his seat belt and fastened it. Safety first!
A grin crossed Roman's handsome face. "You'll show him some real Dukes of Hazzard shit."
"We're gonna do this big! Hold one, Rome! Hold on!"
"Oh, Brian, you're crazy, man",Roman's eyes widened as he saw the old wooden ramp the other man planned on using to get onto the boat, "what the hell are you doing?!"
The both of them began to scream once the car had left the ramp and flew through the air……………….right onto the stern of the yacht.
Verone, having seen the car coming, had gone under deck to avoid getting buried.
The men were groaning and holding the parts of their bodies being most filled with pain. Roman hissed through his teeth.
"I think I broke my arm, man."
Brian was pressing his left hand against the spot on his forehead where he had hit the steering wheel, also wincing.
Suddenly, they heard the sound of a gun cocking.
"Get the gun",Roman whispered while giving it to Brian who immediately took aim at Verone having pointed a rifle at them. The blonde shot first, straight into the left side of Verone's chest. The brunette fell to the floor, clenching his jaw in pain.
Roman and Brian were just getting out of the wrecked Yenko, when there was the noise of several helicopters, boats and cars coming closer. The U.S. Customs and the police.
"Where the hell is she?!"The blonde yelled with whatever strength he had left.
Despite the pain, Carter Verone just gave him his trademark smile. "I have honestly no idea."
There were not many things that could make Brian O'Conner beat the shit out of a man lying in pain on the ground, nonetheless, his younger sister's well-being could. He was about to kick Verone into his side to get some more information out of him, however, some members of the U.S. Customs chose exactly that moment to step on the boat, therefore, he was not able to let his fury out.
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"You alright?"Monica asked the girl on the driver's seat. The drive leading to Tarpon Point exit was right in front of them. They had already gotten rid of the other car having followed them as well, yet, Lilly's condition seemed to become worse each second that passed. She had lost some blood due to having been grazed by a bullet. The wound had still not closed, so the blood had run over Lilly's forearm and the steering wheel. Regarding the teenager, Monica thought to see tiny pearls of sweat on her forehead and her breathing had gotten faster since they had left the industry district.
"Yeah, I've just neither drunk nor eaten anything spectacular, yet. Was afraid he might put some drugs into it",it was the truth. Lilly had neither drunk nor eaten, although having throwed up. She had simply been too scared of being almost raped again. Another minus was that the drugs were not completely out of her system, yet, and the rush of adrenaline only meant that her blood was pumped faster through her veins, therefore, the last amounts of the drugs still had an effect on her.
"I'll have a medic take care of you once it's over",the brunette smile reassuringly while they were entering the narrow wooden path leading to the little dock-like place.
Lilly did not respond. She knew Monica. This woman would not have minded, if Brian had been killed, as long as she would have been safe with Verone…………….she really seemed to like playig the part of this bastard's personal whore. Lilly had seen the older woman looking at Verone. A woman might deceive thousands of men but not one single woman. Brian had been nothing but a good-looking adventure for the brunette.
The girl's eyes got heavy. She really needed a Cola or a Pepsi, some cool coffeine.
"Seems like we ain't the first ones",Monica said, several police cars having entered her view.
"And there I did not wanna miss the action",the blonde sighed sarcastically, passing the parked cars. Once she had spotted a place for the Porsche to be standing, she stopped the engine, leant back in her seat and took a deep breath of releave.
It's over.
Monica left the car immediately. "Medic!"She yelled as loud as she could, running over to where two ambulances parked.
Brian's ears twitched the moment he heard Monica screaming for a medic and walked up to the agent. Bilkins and Markham were coming from the other side, too.
"Where've you been?"Markham asked.
"Where's Lilly? She alright?"Brian interrupted him.
"We've been on our way, I'm here and I would be alright, if somebody would fetch me something cold and liquid",a voice coming closer to the group said. Lilly had grabbed her bag and had left the car right after Monica.
"Baby!"Brian grinned, embracing her tightly after having run over to her. He just wanted to be close to her right now, to show her that everything was okay.
"You're here, you're alive, oh God, you're good",he mumbled while kissing her hair and her face, small tears of happiness leaving his eyes, "I'm so sorry, I should have been there, so sorry."
"'s okay, bro",the girl answered, resting her head on top of her older sibling's broad shoulders, "I'm okay. It's not your fault. I shoulda been more careful. Sorry for worrying you."She was also feeling tears streaming over her face, nonetheless, she eyed the actions going on around them.
"Please tell me he didn't hurt you, I can't kill him now that they got him",Brian inhaled deeply the scent of his sister's hair, rubbing his big hands up and down her back in a soothing manner.
"He didn't hurt me. 's all good with me,"suddenly, something caught Lilly's attention, "bro, why's there a '69 Yenko Camaro on this boat?"
"Um, you know, this is a funny story",Brian stammered, "you know…………..the boat had already left the dock and, somehow, I thought you were on it………………and there was this ramp and………."
"You jumped with a car onto a boat?"The girl raised one of her eyebrows while regarding her brother. "You jumped with a car onto a boat?"She took a deep breath. "You, the guy who doesn't even start the engine until I have fastened my seat belt, jumped with a car onto a boat?! You, the one always telling me not to take any unnecessary risk, jumped with a damn car onto a fucking boat?!"
"You know,"Markham chuckled, Bilkins and he were watching the scene in amusement, "I think I like that kid."
"Language, oh dearest sister mine, and I had put on my seat belt",he pressed another kiss against his baby's forehead, looking at her and grinning.
"Oh, shit",Lilly, still angry, suddenly backed away, "I'm getting blood all over your shirt."
"Wha…?"The blonde looked down at himself. On the right side of his dark orange coloured shirt, there were some red marks. He immediately checked his sister for any wounds, noticing that her entire left forearm was covered in the red liquid before yelling at the top of his lunges: "Medic! Get somebody over here, now!"Then, to Lilly, concern all over his face: "You feeling good? Shall I carry you? What happened?"
"No, you don't have to, I'm fine. It looks worse than it actually is. It's just a graze, don't worry",the girl waved him off with her right hand.
"Please come over to one of the stetchers with me",a man had arrived, apparently a medic. Lilly followed him, waving over to where Roman was being patched up by a woman. He blew a kiss into her direction.
"Looking hot!"He commented on the clothing the blonde had received from Verone.
"How did you get here?"Bilkins asked as she walked past him.
"Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe",she smiled slightly.
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Roman was sitting next to Brian on some of the wooden boxes which were everywhere around the place. The woman having bandaged the black man's sprained arm was just leaving when Markham came over.
"So, there were three bags total?"The older man questioned. "The free from the boat?"
"So we're good right?"Roman looked up. "Our records clean?"
"Yeah, you held up your end. Your records are clean."
Brian and Roman looked at each other, then, Roman got up, went to the Dodge Challenger he had been driving, opened the trunk and took out three black bags.
"So maybe there were six bags",he said, throwing the items onto the ground in front of Markham, "I guess we can call it even."
"Agent Dunn?"Markham shook hands with Roman and with Brian. "We found some more evidence."
While the young agent with the help of another policeman carried away the three bags, the guys were watching Carter Verone getting his shoulder patched up, returning their gaze.
"Don't drop the soap, big homey!"Roman chuckled while Verone just smiled.
"I hope you know when he gets out, he's going to kill your ass",Brian told his friend.
The black man frowned. "He ain't getting out."
Verone got up from the stretcher he had been sitting on, still smiling. "I'll see you soon",he calle dover to them.
Rome's grin was fading. "You think he's going to get out?"
The blonde rose from the boxes. "He'll be out". And walked over to where Bilkins was talking to Lilly, Roman following him.
"Not for real. You think he's getting out?"
"We took care of your decoys",the man told them while Brian let his arms wander around his sister's waist, kissing the back of her head, "they're free and clear. There's a sedan out on the road for you. Try to bring it back in one piece."
"Thanks a lot, Bilkins",the blonde man shook hands with his former boss, "you're all right. Thanks for looking out."
Monica had also joined their little group. She and Roman exchanged some words. They seemed to trust each other, now. Then, Monica reached out to shake hands with Brian.
"Nice working with you, O'Conner."
"Same here."
The brunette walked away together with Bilkins, the blonde man staring after her until she turned around one last time and shared a smile with him.
"Fucking whore", Lilly commented, freeing herself from her brother's arms to get into the sedan before the guys would start an argument about who was sitting where.
"What was that?"Rome frowned. "Some cat fight, or what? Hey, man, you tell me."
"I dunno",Brian was confused. Did his baby not like Monica? What could have happened between them? 'Fucking whore'. Lilly would never use such words in front of him without having proper reason to do so.
"I might have to stay here in Miami and keep you out of trouble, bruh",Roman concluded while they were following the teenage girl to the car. "You know what I'm talking about."
"You're going to kick it in Miami, bro?"
"Oh, yeah. I love Miami. Miami is off the hook!"
They laughed.
"Open a garage together."
"A garage?"The bald man raised his eyebrows. "How are we gonna do that, bruh?"
Brian stopped his walk, cast an eye over the area around them and saw that nobody was close.
"Pockets ain't empty, cuz."
Roman looked around as well, checking the area. He then lifted up his sleeveless shirt, revealing the money he had put into his pants. "And we ain't hungry no more, right?"Both laughed again, getting into the sedan.
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"You really good when I go out with Rome?"Brian regarded his sister curiously as she entered the bathroom, wearing a big white bathrobe.
On the way back to their apartment in the sedan, Lilly had slept the entire time, completely exhausted. He had assumed that, after having taken this nap, she would be up for some action this night, so Roman and he had planned on partying their victory together with Tej and the others. Nevertheless, the girl had not wanted to celebrate now. She claimed she was tired, therefore, she just wanted to go to bed.
"Yes, for the seventh time",Lilly scowled, not understanding why her brother had to ask her again and again about this. "I'm fine, bro, just sleepy. A shower, then, straight to bed."She sat down on the edge of the bath tub, eying Brian standing in front of the mirror above the sink.
"Okay",the man sighed, "I just don't wanna leave you now that I got you back."
"It's over, Brian, they got him. Well, till he's out again, that is, but we're safe, at least for now",she tugged at the tape around her left hand. It was way better now.
"Does it hurt much?"
"Nah, I'll just have to change the tape every two days, doctor said it would heal faster, then."
"So you're really good? Nothing else that's wrong?"
"No, bro, I'm good. I'm fine",the girl cracked a smile at him, "you're free, now."
"Uh-huh",he grinned.
"This will mean so much stress within the next weeks",she took a deep breath.
"Why's that?"Brian sat down next to his baby on the edge of the bath tub.
"Well, we'll have to get everything changed. Nothing we got here in Miami is in your name, we'll have to do something about that, getting it changed. At school, they need to know, too. No longer, Lilliana Masterson, but O'Conner. We also have to get an account or something like that. I want one for the money I'll need for college. Then, there is the matter of insurance. We do need one so bad, although I wonder if they accept guys that jump with cars on boats. And I guess there are some injections you an' me still have to get. I can finally make my driver's license. The fake one Tej has gotten for me is okay, yet, I want a real one. And Rome. The same goes for him as well. He needs pretty much everything, now. We'll have to help him and then…………."
"Wo, wo, wo",Brian chuckled, "when did you have the time to think about all of that stuff?"
"When we drove to Miami",Lilly answered innocently, "when you were asleep and I had to entertain myself somehow."
The blonde man laughed, kissing his sister's temple. "I love you."
"You'll have to go now, if you don't want Rome to starve",she said, looking at Brian's watch. It showed 7:26. The guys wanted to meet at half past seven to eat something before the races would start.
"Oh yeah",he got up, "and it's really……….?"
"Yes, Brian",Lilly rolled her eyes, "just have some fun, 'kay?"
"Kay",he smiled at her, "you know that, tomorrow, we have to go to the police station and answer some questions, right?"
"Yeah, I know. Love you."
"Love you, too",he kissed her forehead one last time before leaving the bathroom and the apartment.
Lilly smiled evilly.
At times, it's way too easy with him.
The girl was not planning on staying the evening at home. She would go to "The Club" and do some Drill. Drill was a special course, a code red course. In "The Club", there was a system to catagorize the dancers. Code yellow were the beginners, code orange the advanced and code red the pros.
Lilly was considered code red, therefore, she was allowed to participate in code red courses, such as Drill. Drill was one of the hardest courses in "The Club". It was a mixture of physical exercises to strengthen the muscles to unknown limits, of capoeira – a brasilian mixture of dancing and fighting – of breakdance, of acrobatics and everything would be packed together into pure Hip Hop.
Drill lastet three and a half hours on Wednesday nights.
The first time Lilly had ever done that course, her entire body had been nothing but pain, even her hair had hurt. By now, she was used to Drill and she even enjoyed the feeling of her muscles burning to the sound of Hip Hop music. It was a great preparation for the battles as well.
At the Phoenix, an underground Hip Hop club where Mouse and she went to regularly, she would always show her best at the battles. It was life. Dancing with other people she did not even knew, yet, sharing this with them, learning some of their moves, showing them some of hers.
She battled not only girls but mainly guys…………………and she would usually win due to her body being very flexible. She added ballet, tango, salsa, cha cha cha, belly dancing, everything she had ever learnt to it, therefore, she was able to perform with a bigger variation than most others.
Lilly had text messaged Mouse earlier to pick her up at eight o'clock, so she would have to hurry now that Brian was finally gone.
She quickly unwrapped her left wrist from the tape, took a five-minute shower, dried herself, used her blow-dryer for her hair and then went to put on the clothes she had already laid down onto her bed.
Dark green low-rider cargo pants with a pocket on each of her butt cheeks and one at each side right above her knee. The pants were so low that they exposed some of the white hot pants she was wearing underneath. White sneaker socks and matching white KSWISS sneakers. The good ones. Lilly would never wear the sneakers she used for dancing as ordinary street shoes. The top was a sleeveless bright orange, ending a good three inches above her belly button. The girl tugged her long hair neatly underneath a white baseball cap with orange outlines, matching the colour of her top. She fixed the cap with several white bobby pins, to make sure that it would not fall off when she did somersaults, flic flacs or head-spins.
Lilly then taped her left wrist with clean white tape and used it to tape her right upper arm as well, making it look like a part of her outfit.
Afterwards, Lilly went one more time into the bathroom to brush her teeth and to put on some make-up. Eyeliner, mascara, bronzing-powder on her cheeks and a lipliner that was just a tint darker than her pearl lipstick.
7:56.
She always spent too much time on drying her hair. It was simply too long, but the blonde did not want to cut it off.
Switching off the lights within the apartment, the girl went into her room, grabbed her bag from the armchair and opened her window. Before climbing out, she switched off the light in her room and locked the door, too.
Outside, on the fire escape, Lilly closed her window just so much that, from downstairs, it would look like it was shut, yet, she would still be able to open it without any problems when coming back later this night.
The blonde went down the stairs and onto the street, where she saw Mouse, sitting in his old and totally busted '92 Mitsubishi Mirage.
She went each Wednesday night to Drill. Brian believed she had some kind of meeting from her art class to discuss artists and exhibitions.
He's so easy.
Getting onto the passenger's seat of the Mirage, Mouse started the car.
"Yad shit?"Her friend asked.
"Yeah, boy, big shit. Lae",she answered while nodding.
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The last real chapter! Finally!
If anybody wonders what Lilly and Mouse were talking:
Yad – You had
Lae – Later – 'I'll tell you later'
A happy new year!!!!