My day began by smelling burnt tires and coffee as I strolled over to the second level to watch the first test track with that same revolting Smurf's vehicle being driven by Brian. Tires screeched left and right from how fast he was driving, but as I looked over the screens, it didn't save us from the high-tech cameras and I was beginning to think this car either wasn't fast enough, or we're gonna have to magically make ourselves disappear just to go through that without a hitch. "Man, I was milking the hell out of that thing, too." Brian said as he came up the ledge, pissed off at the same time.

"We're gonna need a faster car." I didn't like the sound of that.

Dom had us take turns getting cars from the races, making us choose what we think could work best around the track and bringing it home to try. Leo and Santos brought their own sleek cars to get first dibs on the track, consecutively smashing what they got around the second try which we visibly flinched from. Rome and Han took their next turns but they were still visible on the camera. Tej and I went out to get ours and I was able to score a silver Nissan and waited to take my turn since I wanted Tej to have all his fun before I made a move. I wasn't in the greatest mood these past few days, what with our luck down the drain while we watch everyone's car, no matter how fast and even reckless, catch the watchful eyes of that stupid surveillance.

"Camera 2." Dom said.

"We gotta go back and get somethin' faster." Tej said as he went out of the car, shaking his head in disappointment while I went down and retrieved the keys from my back pocket.

"Somethin' faster will bolt your ass to space, babe." I told him, brushing his shoulders on the way as I opened the door and sat in the unfamiliar interior of a stranger's car that cried relentlessly as he handed me the keys. I almost didn't want to get it but we needed the car and I really loved how it looks.

"Alright, you're all set!" Mia shouted as soon as I heard the gentle purr of the car, carefully gripping the leather wheel I was glad for once, I'm driving something really nice.

"Got all my money on you." A voice reverberated from the left where Han, who just spoke to me since that night, smiled like he didn't just turn my stomach upside down. I ignored his quip and looked straight ahead, consciousness flying in the cloud.

I don't drive for anything else like I used to back then, but I found when you have a greater purpose—like getting the life you could only dream of, that boosts the need to make it seamless and perfect. I didn't train all my life, and I didn't dabble until it was late in my twenties when I dedicated every waking moment to cars and the fast life. Dom taught me most of what I know, Suki may not be the greatest tempered racer but she knew how to play the catfight, and Han, sure, he taught me a few things that I was able to utilize today as I shifted gears and drifted over like a breeze.

Stopping felt like a whiplash as soon as I pulled up to Point A and got out, the look on their faces scaring me for a bit. "Almost got it!" Roman exclaimed as soon as I stepped on the ladder. "Caught the half end of your tail on camera 2."

"Well, we'll try again after coffee number two." I said, coming up the back where I placed my pack of smokes, intending to light one up at the sudden thought of the man I was trying not to think about.

"Han, your turn." Dom said, his tone saying he must've already been on the brink of meltdown from the way we still didn't get the mark. The man stepped off, stopping beside my Nissan and glancing at me. I thought I was going crazy but I remembered the keys I was still holding, so I leaned in and threw them over.

"You owe me 20 bucks." He said, hopping in without any explanation to which I turned to Rome, fanning 20 dollars proudly. It explained why he was so happy I got caught at the camera.

"What the hell was that?"

"He made a bet that you'll be the first to make it."

—

They said there ain't no rest for the wicked, so for days, we barrelled on and tried day and night, but there's just far too many almost and not one perfect ride, which took a toll on us that we have to take a break one day and just go through the plan all over again.

I was tinkering over the engine trying to do something for distraction when a truck slowly backed up the driveway and deliberately dropped a safe big enough that it didn't budge when Leo and Santos tried readjusting it on the pavement. "That—that's the goddamn safe?" I was flabbergasted just by how big it was compared to when I saw it in the photo.

"That's the piggy bank you ordered."

"You're kidding me." Tej said, as if he, too, can't believe they were able to acquire it in such a short time and so easily like they just got it from the candy store. "Where in the hell did ya'll get one of these?"

"Well, we had a life before you met us." Han quipped, knowing his connections are just one big gold mine, and I didn't even have to see his yellow pages to know.

"All right, I'll get to work on the electronic tumbler but there's still another problem. Palm scanner. And without Reyes' handprint, Houdini himself couldn't open this bitch." Tej muttered, pointing over the huge gaping handprint that's now our second biggest problem.

"How do you know it's Reyes' handprint?" Leo asked, and already, Santos let out an exasperated sigh.

"You got $100 million in a safe. You going to put somebody else's handprint on it?"

I opened my mouth to stop it but they were at each other's throats in under a second, they resorted to drilling threats but Rome effectively cut them off, being that it was already their third catfight and it was just eleven in the morning. "How are we supposed to get Reyes' handprint?"

"Han." Dom called from up the ledge, "You're up."

"Sure. Nothing like the easy stuff." Han strolled like a good soldier and walked behind us, sighing in relief as I won't have to deal with his incessant sudden quips or his eyes for my whole day. "You comin', Violet?"

No. "Fine, whatever."

I was a fool and a half to come and find out that apparently, Reyes was not in a place that offered comfort and full-body clothing today. He's at the beach, according to Han's intel, and you don't go to the beach wearing a jean and jacket combo, that's a dead giveaway. So, I had to haul Han's ass to the mall nearby, buy a bikini and a cover-up that's almost a bleeding red on my 11 million, and keep watch at a bar just enough to see Reyes and try to form a plan that doesn't involve stripping naked just to get his handprint. I'd sooner shoot him in the head. "You're doing the murderous glare again." I blinked, almost forgetting Han was so close beside me while munching on chips and beer. I found that he also got me a drink, and this one was remotely far from the colored piss poison back in—"I make six bodyguards."

"Seven. You're getting sloppy." I interjected, hearing him chuckle as he continued to munch. "Why do you have to drag me here?" It's not that I'm a prude, but I didn't feel comfortable being in a bikini, albeit almost covered, while the man on earth that I never thought I'd see again is just inches away from my face, staring at me.

"Look me straight in the eye and tell me you don't miss going out on odd jobs." I stared at him to tell him off, but he still had more to say. "—with me." Damn him. "The fake dates, winning races, and hiding on alleyways, kissin—"

"Shut it." I hissed, taking a sip of the drink and definitely not thinking about what he said. I turned my eyes to Reyes once more and found that he's surrounded by guards, women, and his hands... "Well, this is a bust. We're not going to be able to get his fingerprints out here. We need to do some more recon, call in a couple of extra guys."

"Extra guys? What? Are you planning on stealing his hand?" I asked incredulously.

"You got a better idea in mind, Parrish?" He challenged, looking at me sideways that I so badly wanted to do something stupid to make him stop, but I cleared my throat and sighed.

"Well, you know what they say." I said, pulling down the useless thin sheet that was covering my body and dropping it on the table, "Men are such predictable breeds." I didn't wait for Han as he stared me up and down, going out of my way to look like I wasn't about to shoot Reyes' hand if he so much as grazed my skin, and went to charm what little of fake smile I have until I was able to reach his first guard with the fanny pack.

I fluttered my eyes, and towards Reyes that saw me, thinking it's ludicrous that I'm only doing this because it's such short notice and we needed a win. At the very least, if we can't make ourselves disappear from surveillance, we could still open that stupid safe.

As Reyes nodded and I was let in, immediately I was hit with the overwhelming sensation of disgust when he held his hands up, giving that sofa arm for me to sit in as he asked for my name, and cupped my fucking ass mere seconds. I almost flinched, but I smiled and bit my cheek as they conversed in another language and I was just this pretty little thing on the side being manhandled like crazy. I smiled and nod like an obedient dog before I finally couldn't stomach his hands stroking my back and excused myself without another look, acting like I was throwing up in my hand, but I really am going to vomit though I held it until I got to the rest room and made sure no one was there before locking it behind me.

I've become so used to brute force and loud weapons that I've forgotten what this feels like, and it feels so much like shit.

"Violet? Are you okay?" Han knocked and I opened it, seeing him carrying my bag while looking at me, almost as if he's angry.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. That's nothing. I think we got it." I swiped my clothes out from his hands and changed on an empty stall, carefully preserving the ass print and putting it inside the bag as I went out dressed like I could finally breathe for the first time today.

"You sure?" He didn't try to invade my space when he asked, for which I was thankful because it feels suffocating thinking about it, but I nodded again, wanting it to pass. "Just say yes, Vi." I frowned, asking what he meant, "I'll shoot him in the eye right now. Just say yes."

I have to double back and ask myself why he made me feel things when I shouldn't, to ask myself why, in that fucking moment, did I feel like I was going to drop dead at the look on his face and the way he was being careful with me. Han was a lot of things, but most of all, Han always made my nerves shake and make my heart crawl out of my chest only to combust.

One minute I have everything in my hand, the very next, they've all fallen on the floor and I jumped in his arms with all I've got. I was coming undone, falling apart, breaking at the fucking seams as Han wrapped his arms around my leg to keep me up, and held me there until I didn't feel like my world is collapsing under the pressure around me. "I'm here, Vi. You're okay."

I fucking missed him.