ABOUT
Grace Taylor Williams | 32 | Syndicate | Leighton Meester
For most, on the outside, Grace’s life was perfect in Chicago when she was seventeen. She was the eldest, and of course that came with its own slew of problems and taking care of her siblings, but she was a normal teenager. She had friends, even had a boyfriend who had a car, and as far as she knew, her parents were very normal. Her father was an accountant, as if it didn’t get more normal than that. Being the eldest was fine, she had always been a bit bossy, and very good at delegating, but it did bother her just a little bit that her twin brother and sister always seemed so in sync, paired up. The fact only bothered her sometimes. But what she lacked with her siblings, she more than made up for with her father. He taught her everything he knew about his hobby; cars. Taking them apart, putting them back together, figuring out where vacuum leaks and loose pebbles where, and especially in appreciating the old Japanese domestic market. Her mother had wanted to name her Grace, for her grandmother, but her father got his way with her middle name, Taylor. Initials that would spell GT after the illustrious Skyline GT-R. No, it didn’t matter that she wasn’t as close as her brother and sister were, she always had her father to teach her about cars.
Of course, the irony came one morning when she had picked up her brother after they both had sleepovers that night and found that instead of pancakes, busied questions about their nights, maybe even her sister pouting that she didn’t get to go to a sleepover, they were faced with the knowledge that they were the only two remaining Williams children left. The world had changed, and it seemed like a drastic change at that almost instantly, everything lost meaning for a long time, and as she was pushed from foster home to foster home for months, the only thing she felt that she was looking forward to was the moment she finally turned eighteen and could become her brother’s legal guardian. The foster families never lasted long enough anyway.
The question had always burnt away at her, crisping the edges of her sanity sometimes, and she wouldn’t let herself think about it too much but it was always there; why had this happened? It wasn’t until their uncle showed up, weeks shy of her eighteenth birthday that she began to see a small ray of hope - though those answers never came. When things unravelled, and more information came, she realised that it was where they needed to be. Being initiated into the world of the Ozdemir’s seemed like a no-brainer for Grace, slowly falling into line. Her determination came in handy, and instead of going off to college like the rest of her friends, she threw herself into her work. She had always had a knack for taking things apart and putting them back together again. Weapons were the same as cars, just as elegant as an engine, just as powerful as an engine, and could be just as deadly in the wrong hands. It was this talent that had her recruited into arms dealing. Whilst her brother excelled in fighting, in stealth, she found her place in the ranks of those who knew the weapons inside and out, finding her place with the sergeants of arms and felt the most herself trying out the newest weapons and artillery to prove herself to the Syndicate.
She still found the time to slide easily into a day job, and it seemed like something to do with cars wasn’t too much of a stretch. Having been able to disassemble engines and cars, she found a job at the local mechanic, taking the available mechanic position and even though it’s not as glamourous as owning her own garage or racing, as long as she gets paid cash for the odd dents and scratches (plus a little extra for her discretion whenever a Syndicate member asks), she’s comfortable where she is.
There’s very little she won’t do for her brother, and after the passing of their uncle, their bond only grew stronger. But their relationship isn’t one where lots of words are necessary, having grown much closer since they were children and learning to communicate without them. Especially since they both found out why their family was targeted by the Bratva, Grace knows that she and her brother will stop at nothing until they exact their revenge for their loved ones.
CONNECTIONS
☓ Rami Ozdemir / The Best Friend — They’re the one she goes to whenever there’s a problem, who’ll listen and always have her favourite alcohol on hand. Grace doesn’t have many friends from her life before, but this is the only one she’s retained. Despite them being a civilian, they don’t ask too many questions, even though they knows Grace isn’t just a mechanic. The two of them have talked about leaving Chicago one day, but it’s never eventuated, and now that Grace is gaining positions in rank, she’s starting to realise that she’s going to have to make a choice one day to protect her best friend and break ties with them.
☓ UTP / The Childhood Boyfriend — There’s not many people who shared her love for cars, but her boyfriend when she was seventeen gets it. They’re not dating anymore, having decided very quickly that they were both definitely better off as friends, and they spend many a weekend together watching roll races, drag races, rallying, anything to do with cars to be honest. He’s the one Grace goes to whenever she has questions about her own car (not that she likes to admit that there are things that she doesn’t know) and trusts enough not to judge or make fun of her. Almost best friend status.
☓ Fletcher Williams / The Younger Brother — They were both the only survivors of the brutal attack on their family and since they were the ones left, they found their relationship only growing stronger. He’s the only one who she’ll see red for, but he’s also the only one who can talk her out of it whenever she looses control. There’s not many she’ll fight to the death for, but for Fletcher, she’ll break her oath if she has to.
☓UTP / The Rival — Grace has always been confident when it comes to work, and she often doesn’t take lots of pointers or advice from people - especially in her job as a mechanic. This connection is the person who also works as a mechanic, who she constantly butts heads with about, not only things to do with auto mechanics but also life in general. Ideally, they’re someone who is quite laid back when it comes to life, whereas Grace is a bit more tightly wound.
