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[unreal-nh-ff]

Im really tired of Perrie's shit. I really want to see Emily fuck her up just once and everything will be ok after that and the group of physcopaths can keep their shit to themselves! And its so obvious that Zayn doesnt love her anymore!

Lmao, yeah...everyone is kinda crazy in here! Tension definitely makes appearances here and, well, everywhere, lol, so we'll see what happens. Thanks for reading! ;D x

[unreal-nh-ff]

Part of me wants to see Emily hurt Niall like he hurts her. Not physically but emotionally like saying she hates him after him beating her or just finally snapping and asking him to kill her because she can't do it anymore. After him making her agree to stay until 'he doesnt want her any more' made me wish she'd almost set him straight lol

Lol, you're definitely not the first reader to say that! I'm just now posting my stories to tumblr but Unreal has been in the works for more than a year now. A looooottttt of people have said the same thing but the thing about Emily is that she's quietly independent. She's torn between loving him and hating him, wanting to be with him and planning an escape. She hates him when he hurts her but loves him all the time. Also, she's kind of at his mercy and she recognizes it. BUT, if it makes you feel any better, she'll eventually get to the point where she just explodes! Thanks for reading ;D x

[unreal-nh-ff]

Chapter Seventeen

“S-Steph?” My sister turns and faces me with wide, terrified eyes that melt into tears of relief when she sees me. “Em!” I stumble backwards and tumble to the floor when she flings herself at me, her arms wrapping around my neck and her face burying into my shoulder while she begins to cry deeply, like a wounded animal. It's not the first time I had to comfort any of my siblings; I am, after all, the big sister. Many nights were spent just like this, Steph crying into my shoulder or neck or hair, me trying to contain her sobs so as to not wake or worry someone downstairs. No, this position is not new to us at all. “Steph, it's okay, it's okay,” I whimper, starting to cry as well. We both know that, chances are, nothing is okay, but she accepts the comfort anyway. I cannot believe that the first person I am reunited with is my sister, my perfect sister, and it's under these horrible circumstances. I begin to cry because I don't know what the plans for my sister are, or even for me for that matter. I don't know what's in Niall's head, I don't know what he thinks. I do know Harry either has an interest in Steph or a hobby of getting on my nerves and that's enough to get me stiff. “Steph, we have to talk, shh, we have to talk,” I murmur, sitting up with her still wrapped around me. “I...I can't...I...” she is a mess. She's dripping tears and shaking skin and I can't control it or her. I know I haven't been gone for long but looking at her now, seeing her in person and dressed like the weirdo she is just makes me miss the days when I would get her ready for school and help her with her homework. It makes me think of all the nights I had to hush her to sleep and all the mornings I had to lie about mom. “Steph, why are you here? How did you get here?” She pulls away from me and I move her by her shoulders, getting her to sit on the bed. I sit beside her and face her, watching with wet eyes as she cries into her hands. “Where are the kids?” I say as my stomach begins to twist into horrible, horrifying knots. She slowly pulls her face away from her hands and raises her head with shame on her face. “Em, I..I had to come to you, I had nowhere else to go and...I...oh, God,” she starts crying again and my heart begins to race as I pat and rub her back to console her. Something went wrong at home, something so wrong that she left the country and tracked me down only to get herself kidnapped alongside of me. Anxiety and panic wrestle within me but I try to appear cool, calm, and collected as I comfort her. “Steph,” I say softly, getting no response. “Steph,” I say firmer, making her look up, “What. Happened?” She starts crying even harder and looks away. “M-mom...overdosed, Em.” I clench my jaw as I picture the scene Emily had walked in on. I didn't exactly explain everything I had to deal with to her and she didn't know what kind of responsibility she was going to have to take up with mom; all she knew about my position in the household was that I was the one who acted like the mother...I don't think she ever realized why. I blink away the tears, training my face into a neutral expression. “What?” I hiss and she looks away. This wouldn't be the first time mom overdosed. No, not at all. This would be the fourth time that I know of. The first two were when I was younger and her boyfriends would carry her out of the house unconscious. I didn't know why they did that until the third time. When I walked in on my mother completely unresponsive, cold, and unconscious, I called her recently acquired boyfriend and he did what the others did: he carried her out of the house. I followed him this time, though. I watched as he set her up in a park, making it to look as if she were another homeless woman. This way, hospitals couldn't track down an address for her, police wouldn't question her about children, and so on. “I...I messed up, okay? She overdosed and they had to come take her away but I...I lied to the police, I told them a relative would be coming to take care of me. I forged everything, continued to get the kids to school. The babysitter didn't say a word, it was perfect. Everything was fine.” “She overdosed?” I think of what that could mean. Simply knocking herself out? Paralysis? Death? “She's alive,” Steph says quietly, “just..still in the hospital.” “Well, what happened?” I snap. “Mom was demanding to know who was staying in her apartment and who was taking care of us...she told the nurses she never gave anyone permission, that no family member was around or willing to ever help her out...she said there was no way we had a guardian. When they came, I wouldn't let them in and thought I was clever by demanding to see a warrant...I...I provoked them. They were pissed.” “Well, so what? They came back?” “They came back the next day just...pissed off...extremely pissed off. Not only did they find out we were without a guardian but they tore up the apartment. They didn't break anything but they were flipping the couches, throwing the trash all over. They raided the whole place.” I close my eyes, knowing immediately where this was going. “Fuck,” I hiss. “When they came to the landlord about how many kids were staying in the tiny two-bedroom, he had to act like he didn't know, like he never knew us...like mom played him.” I stare at her horrified. “So we were immediately kicked out. Or, mom was. They found her stash.” “No,” I hiss and she sighs. “Basically, mom is facing jail time and...and...and,” she begins to hyperventilate before crying all over again. “The kids were all separated, put into foster care. I...I don't know where any of them went and...I...I went to a horrible house, Em, oh my God, it was so horrible and the guy, he made me call him daddy, he made...he tried to make me...I...oh my....Jesus, Em, I'm so sorry, I didn't know what to do...I stole some cash they had in the house and booked a flight in the mom's name and took off. I had to get here, I knew you would be here, be able to make it okay. I knew...you...I...you're so much better at this than I am! You raised us all since you were just a freaking little kid yourself, just a baby yourself and I lost them...as an adult...within a month of you being gone! I'm so sorry, Em, I'm so...so...fuck,” I bristle as the implications of her words finally sink in. Without a thought or word, I'm off of the bed and storming down the stairs. Niall is hissing into his phone will the boys are all getting some things together from the kitchen and living room. When he sees me, he quickly ends the calls and rushes over to me. “What was all that noise I heard coming from-” “Niall, we have a problem,” I say grimly, making him straighten up and his bright eyes turn into a dusky shade of gray. He snaps into business mode right before my very eyes, his body tensing and seeming to grow even larger as his heads snaps side to side as if checking for listeners. “Come,” he demands, grabbing my bicep and moving me through the house until we come to a room that is either supposed to be a library or an office. “Speak,” he mutters before closing and locking the door behind him. “Niall,” I breathe, “what do you know about my family life?” He looks away. “I raised them all,” I say slowly, “those kids are more my own than my mother's. Did you know what happened to her?” He still does not look at me. “Niall!” I bark and his eyes snap to mine, narrowing as his eyebrows furrow. “Do...not,” he warns tersely. “I was unaware about your mother's overdose until your sister came. I had someone look into the family and they explained what happened. I knew she would tell you when you saw her and if she didn't, I was waiting for us to be alone,” he says tensely. “Are...are you okay?” I blink a few times. Is this a joke? Am I okay? “Niall, my whole family has been fucking spread out through heaven knows how large of a radius! The kids are probably scared out of their minds, we have to do something!” “We?” “Niall, please,” I moan, “please...don't...don't do this to me! I need you, I need your help. You're the only one that I know that can help me! My...Steph...she was in a home where...I think they...I...she just had to leave. I don't want to think about what could be happening to the little ones right now,” I shudder and when I hear my own words, begin to cry. “They're probably so scared!” My hands fly to my face, covering my tears and runny nose. “Promise me you'll stay,” he says stoically. Slowly, my fingers separate so that I can stare at him through the cracks between them, my tears blurring my vision. I blink a few time incredulously, unsure if I heard him correctly. His dark eyes dart away from me but his lips move almost imperceptibly again. “Say it.” “I-” “It all stops, Emily,” he says angrily, his face tearing through the air until he's facing me again. “No more plotting, you're done with your games. Say you'll stop planning, you'll stop trying! Promise me you're done with your goal...your goal of leaving.” “Niall-” “You think I'm stupid?” He hisses, lurching forward and taking hold of my wrists in a painful grasp. “You think I don't know what you're up to? Hm? You think you're slick?” “I just need your help,” I whisper between shudders as my body begins to shake. He ignores my pitiful pleas and stays close to his own stance. “Emily, if you want my help, I want your word.” “Please...please...” “Emily, say it. Tell me you'll stay with me, stay with me until I don't want you anymore. Promise me your presence and I'll promise you my help.” Jerkily, I finally nod my head, realizing it no longer matters what I want and understanding that I have to do what needs to be done for the kids, regardless of what is best for me. “Say it.” “I...” I gasp as I realize what I'm promising but quickly finish. “I promise to stay.” Niall slowly wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his body. “It's already been taken care of,” he says softly into my hair. “W...what do you mean?” I sniffle, moving my face away from his shoulders and putting my hands on his chest while leaning away to get a good look at his face. His arms do not move from around me and he himself leans back so that we can see each other. “Steph explained the situation and I took care of it. Your mother has been sent to a three month rehabilitation center and the kids have all been located and seized.” I ignore the way he speaks about the kids, as if they're objects, deciding to just listen for the moment. “They'll arrive in London early tomorrow morning.” I tense in his arms, my entire body turning into stone. “What?” “Tomorrow morning,” he repeats, “your siblings will arrive at Heathrow. Louis and Cor will be picking them up and escorting them to a safehouse in London where Stephanie will live and take care of them.” I stare up at him with wide, wide eyes. “Niall, what are you talking about?” “A safe house, love,” he sighs, “it's not in the heart of the city but not far from our home. Stephanie will live there with protection and the kids will be in her care...well, her guardian's care. Which, by the way, is you as of yesterday...your mother has released them into your custody and you will have some paperwork to fill out tonight once we get to Boston.” “Niall-” “You will be able to visit them whenever you please...with protection, of course, so long as I feel it is safe enough for you to travel.” I am gaping in his arms, my face is probably comical. He tricked me, he absolutely tricked me. “Niall, I can't...why did you-” “Now that Stephanie has been seen with my men, she is in danger. If I send her back to the States...she will be followed. I have a following in America but no one I feel is worthy to have your family entrusted to. Here, they are under my watch, under my guard, and easily accessible for safety and protective measures. I can't protect them if I cannot get to them within an hour or two, Emily, you have to understand that this is the safest thing.” “But...she...school and visas and-” “Everything is taken care of, Emily. Everything is legally processed besides the custodial paperwork. All you need to do is sign and we send and that's it. The children will be raised in London, Stephanie will not go to school but, rather, be privately tutored.” “You can't just decide what's going to happen-” “Thank me, Emily.” “What- no! I'm not thanking you for-” “Emily,” he growls, moving his arms from my back so that he can grab my biceps and dig his fingers into them. He shakes me slightly a few times, yanking me away from him. “You asked for my help but I have already given it to you! She so much as steps away from my protection and I promise you she's dead on the spot, do you hear me? Whether you fucking like it or not, if you want any of those kids, any of them to stay alive, you'll fucking follow my words and my orders. Do you understand me?” “They can't just up and leave their home!” I shriek and he shakes me again. “Don't you understand? My name is the name that got everything legalized, everything done so fucking quickly. My name is what got that sick fuck shot and killed for Stephanie's sake. My name is what has those four children on the plane waiting to be reunited with their two big sisters after being reunited with each other. And it's my fucking name that's going to protect them and keep them alive. I suggest you stay on my good side and stop being too much of a bitch to realize that this is all for the fucking best,” he snarls before tossing me to the side as if disposing of some garbage. I stare up at him, my mind spinning, and watch as he straightens his clothes. “We're leaving for Boston in an hour. Ready yourself,” he says calmly before unlocking the door and exiting the room.

[unreal-nh-ff]

Chapter Sixteen

[unreal-nh-ff]

Are you going to put more of the story up tonight?

I'll post another chapter right now

[unreal-nh-ff]

OMG WHAT WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN 0.0

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[unreal-nh-ff]

Chapter Fifteen

You should've been gone. Knowing how I made you feel. And I should've been gone. After all your words of steel. Oh, I must've been a dreamer. And I must've been someone else. And we should've been over. (“Oh Sherrie,” by Steve Perry) “What the hell are you listening to?” I jump and the movement knocks the old radio off of the bookshelf and onto the floor, eliciting a few electrical buzzing sounds and odd jerks of sound before the small box finally dies down and lies silent on the floor. I spin around and glare accusingly at Jesse, who scratches his back awkwardly. “Sorry,” he murmurs, “didn't mean to scare you.” He pulls out his phone and taps a few times on it before shoving it back in his pocket. “One of the idiots will bring a nice radio when they come home,” he assures me in a placating voice, his bushy eyebrows high as if waiting for my confirmation of being okay before he lowers them. “I was listening to some '80s station before you came in,” I huff and toss myself onto the couch and stare up at the ceiling with narrowed eyes. Like a cartoon, Jesse's head pops into view almost immediately. I am suddenly really regretting coming out of the bedroom to explore the house. “Why so down, clown?” “Really? Clown?” I groan, closing my eyes and making him snicker. “Yeah, really...what's wrong?” I open my eyes and stare up at Jesse for a minute. “You ever fall in love?” Immediately, his cheeks go bright red and his eyes dart away from my own. He sighs then finally looks down at me. “This about Horan?” I sit up and run a hand through my hair before getting up and walking over to the kitchen. “Why would it be about him? I can't ask a simple question?” He raises an eyebrow but wordlessly sits at the table and watches me move from cabinet to cabinet in search of food. “So you're just asking me to ask me?” “Mmmhmmm,” I hum before putting a pot of water onto the stove to boil. “Then no,” he says simply. I turn around and stare at him long and hard but he simply smirks and shrugs, “sorry.” “You're a horrible liar,” I mutter before turning back to my soon-to-be food. “What do you mean?” He grunts, the sound of the chair legs scratching along the floor follows his outburst. When I turn around, he's standing behind me, anger coloring his face. “Your eyes give you away,” I say simply and he deflates before me. He sighs and leans against the corner, his large arms coming to cross over his chest. “Alright, you got me,” he looks at me and chews on his bottom lip for a second, “yeah, I guess...yeah, I was in love once...” “How did you get away from it?” His eyebrows shoot under his slight bangs and he nods twice then tilts his head to the side, his eyes trained on the floor. “I'll let you know when I do,” he says finally. I don't have time to respond because suddenly Sam is running through the front door and directly at us, his eyes wild and hair wet with sweat. “Liam! Liam was shot!” He shouts before grabbing me and tossing me over his shoulder while his hand darts out to shut the stove off. He sprints out the back door, Jesse at his heels, and he runs around the side of the house, stopping at a tree. His feet messily kick aside a square of grass that might as well have been a carpet, and Jesse reaches down and opens a wooden door. “Climb down and wait for me. Do. Not. Move.” Sam's eyes are grave, his mouth a firm, thin line, and his forehead is dripping sweat onto the bridge of his nose and down his temples. Jesse has snapped into danger mode and has his back to us, his head moving side to side as he scans the empty land for any kind of threat. The severity and panic of the boys has my adrenaline pumping, generating fear and survival instincts within me. I nod jerkily and Sam gently pushes me down into the hole. My feet make contact with a ladder and I climb down a few rungs before my feet meet cement, not dirt. I stare up at the square of light but I can see them for only a second before the latch is shut and I'm sealed in darkness. It doesn't last. As if a light has been switched, small lamps along the floor turn on and dimly illuminate the room. I was right, it's cement that I landed on. If I didn't know for a fact that I was underground, I would have assumed I was in an empty shed of some sort. It's not an obscenely large space but it isn't too small, either. There is nothing in this room besides a few black duffel bags that I'm not brave enough to look through and a large silver door a few feet away from me. Where this silver door could lead to in an underground panic room, I have no clue. Only a few minutes pass before the door above is lifted again. I watch as Perrie, Eleanor, Danielle, Abby, Penny, and Harley all climb down in a single-file line before Sam, Derek, and Jesse follow. “We're going to wait for Vin and Cor and then we're going to get on the move,” Sam informs the group of shaking, terrified women. Danielle releases a sob and I am suddenly reminded that Danielle's boyfriend has been shot and we have no idea where, how bad, or even if he's still alive. “Where are we going?” I mutter and Sam glances at me before pursing his lips. “We don't know if this safe house is safe anymore,” he finally says. Jesse looks at me and pats me on the shoulder, as if to comfort me. “We have about twenty safe houses throughout Europe, Em, we have no shortage of hideouts,” he says. I nod slowly, glancing behind me to see all of the girls in various states of distress. Sam and Derek move to the duffel bags and casually unzip each, peeking inside before shutting them again and nodding. “We're good,” Sam says to Jesse, who simply nods. The door begins to lift up and immediately, Sam has my back pressed against the wall, his own back pressed against my front, and a gun is between his hands, aimed at the opening square. From around Sam's bicep, I can see that Jesse and Derek have made the girls huddle and crouch behind them and have assumed similar positions, their own guns aimed at the door. My heart begins to hammer, thumping heavily against my ribs and forcing my breathing to become ragged and irregular puffs of air on Sam's sweat-soaked shirt. With a final jerk, the door swings up completely and a few bookbags are tossed down and onto the floor before Vin and Cor lower themselves. We all collectively release a sigh of relief and relax, Sam moving away from me and rubbing my back as if to ease away the tension. “We grabbed random clothes, some food, and drinks.” Vin explains before moving to Harley and pulling her into his chest, smothering her coughing and sobs with his muscled chest. “Haz called; they're on their way back but says to regroup in Boston.” My ears immediately perk up at Cor's words and my heart stutters before picking up in pace once again. Boston? “Boston?” I croak as images of the States flow behind my eyelids, reminding me of home and of safety. Sam stares at me oddly then bursts into giggles. “No, love,” he snickers, “it's in Lincolnshire,” I stare at him blankly and he scratches the back of his head, “it's still in England, Em.” I frown and huff, crossing my arms over my chest. I should know better than to get my hopes up but that was the best kind of bait ever. “We need to go to Wolverhampton first,” Cory states blankly, ignoring me and my sidetrack thoughts. “Oh, fuck,” Jesse groans. “We still have to grab that load? In Boston?” Derek looks at Sam, waiting for an answer, but it's Vin who speaks. “We're a business, a performance. We don't stop running because something goes wrong,” he says lowly and Derek sighs. “Alright, lock the hatch,” Sam says, clapping his hands together as if to get everyone's attention. Cor climbs up the ladder and slides a few bars across the square door then checks the security of it. “You covered the door?” “I covered it,” Vin nods and gently moves Harley away from his chest and towards the door. Sam starts picking up the duffel bags and tossing them to the guys, giving each two to carry while Cor hands the bookbags out to each of the girls, getting to me last. “Stop worrying, this is all precaution. We don't even know if this location is heard of.” “We don't know that it's not, either,” Sam snaps and Cor sighs. “And we're moving,” Vin chuckles before pushing on the numberpad about twenty times. The door makes a weird popping sound and Vin laughs before using both hands to pry the door open. Sensor lights immediately flick on, illuminating the cement tunnel that seems to stretch on for ages. “Don't look like that,” Jesse grunts, “it's only an hour's walk.” I look down at my flip flops and moan, making Vin laugh loudly. “Alright, Vin and Cor, take the front. Jesse, Derek, take the back. Girls! I want Harley, Abby, and Penny in the front. El, Danielle, Perrie in the back. I'm taking Emily and we're in the middle.” “Sam, don't you think this is a little much?” Vin mutters as he moves to the front of the line, positioning himself in front of his brother, holding a gun loosely in his hand. “You wanna tell my cousin that you think taking ultimate precautions with his girl is too much? Or should I?” Sam snarls, making my eyes water and skin prickle. “Alright, alright, Jesus,” he waves his gun in a dismissive manner, making me shudder and duck behind Sam. Sam doesn't stand in front or behind me, he stands beside me, a black gun in his hand. “You're not gonna accidentally shoot are you?” I mutter and he rolls his eyes. “You know Niall has his men trained with all of the best police academy teachers, yeah?” I stare at him with wide eyes. “And that's just the lower levels. As you get higher, you have to learn several different types of martial arts and self defense techniques...he wants us able to destroy men in both hand-to-hand and weapon-to-weapon combat.” I nod stupidly and then Vin whistles and we're all moving forward. “So this tunnel-” “It's a fire escape, basically,” Sam shrugs, eyes not leaving the view from ahead, trained directly on Abby. “Just another one of Niall's safety measures, making sure we always have an exit.” I hum in acknowledgment, a new respect for the man shining through me. “So where does it take us?” “Directly into the basement of a house he bought around the same time he bought the safe-house. The house is pretty empty, we use it for meetings when we have to come up this way. But the garage has at least two, at most four, cars in it at all times. We'll take those and drive straight down to Wolverhampton. That's where Liam is from, did you know?” I glance over my shoulder and see Eleanor has Danielle wrapped in her arm, the tanned girl isn't looking where she's going. Her hands are covering her face and she's sobbing so hard that her body continues to fold and unfold. I steel myself and turn back to face Penny, who walks in front of me. “Do you guys have to run often?” Cor snorts from the front of the line and Vin laughs, making me blush. “Em, no one is ever stupid enough to chase us.” “Except for a few days ago,” I point out. Sam shrugs. “There's always a few exceptions. But this isn't one of them; we're not running we're just making sure that you guys are safe.” “Haz is calling, shut up,” Vin shouts and everyone stops their small conversations. I can almost feel Sam straining to eavesdrop beside me. “Speak...yeah...give us another few hours...where? Oh! Ohhhh...and Horan?..What!? No fucking way...he had to do that? Shit. Okay. Okay, I'll tell her...okay. Alright, meet us at Wolverhampton,” and he shoves his phone back into his pocket. “Emily!” I jump and stare at the back of Vin's head as he swivels his body around, turning so that he's walking backwards, “Do you know anyone named Stephanie?” My body freezes, my blood running cold and my heart pausing as my knees buckle. Sam's hands slip right under my arms, grabbing my armpits and hoisting me up as my legs give in. “What about her?” Sam demands. Vin blanches and looks to his brother before turning back around. “Emily, answer me!” I can feel every strand of hair on my body standing up, every single muscle tensing, and my skin prickling as my eyes dry out and then immediately flood over with tears. My dry lips part to let out a breathy gasp and my entire body begins to quiver in Sam's hold. Impatient with my dragging feet and miniature panic attack, Sam simply scoops me up in a bridal hold and continues walking with ease. His blue eyes bore into my own, his lips in a grave, grim line. “She's freaking out, Vin, what is it?” “Does she know her or not?” Vin shouts, the loud sound echoing off of the cement walls. My body is like a coil now, completely tensed. “Em,” Sam says softly, lowering his face but not stopping his feet, “Vin asked you a question.” I swallow thickly and use all of my energy to nod fractionally twice. “She knows her, Vin!” “Oh,” Vin says softly, almost a whisper. “Why?” I croak, loud enough for only Sam to hear. “Why are you asking? How do you know her?” “Haz mentioned her, said one of the recruits found her knocking on the girls' apartment looking for her.” My breathing completely stops now, my lungs seizing up and my fingernails digging into my palms. Steph? She's here? She's in England? She was looking for me? Oh my God. What if something went wrong at home? She left the kids with mom? Mom won't know how to look after them! How am I supposed to get to her? A recruit found her? What does that mean? Where is she? Where is my sister? “Where is Stephanie!?” I blurt out a little too loudly, causing Vin to spin in a circle, stopping to face me only long enough to make eye contact before turning back around. “Niall has her.” A scream and sob immediately tear through my lips and suddenly I'm falling apart in another Horan's arms.

[unreal-nh-ff]

Chapter Fourteen

I don't know what I was thinking but whatever adrenaline had been flowing through me was washed away as soon as the word 'hypocrite' left Sam's lips. I was beyond a hypocrite. I was a bitch! I was just as fucking psychotic as Harley had screamed I was. “Emily,” I glance at Sam and watch as he motions to the bed. “Niall is gonna go ballistic when he sees your arms,” he sighs and I look down at the angry claw marks marring my skin. “Better than Harley's face,” I say offhandedly then moan when the rudeness of the comment strikes me. “He's gonna kill me.” “More like kill her,” I look up as Zayn strolls in with a first-aid kit. “I can't believe she was stupid enough to touch you,” he snarls as he rips open the white case and begins riffling through it. I wince when he yanks out some alcohol wipes and tears open the packaging before gently petting the vibrant streaks and eliciting sharp intakes of breath from me. “Hurts?” His dark eyes turn up to me, deep depths filled with sympathy and some hints of anger. “It's nothing, really,” I assure Zayn but he only shakes his head and turns his gaze back to the work at hand. “It shouldn't have gotten that far, I shouldn't have gotten so...wild.” Zayn sighs and shrugs. “You're allowed to be however you want to be. Wild, crazy, weird, quiet, commanding...Niall has built this entire empire with his own two hands. It's his. And one thing we've all learned since you came into the picture? It's yours now, too.” My eyes widen and scurry around the room before landing on Sam who is idly playing on his phone. Feeling my gaze, he peeks up from the screen and smirks. “He's right,” he shrugs before going back to his phone. “This is not...I have nothing to do with this empire, Zayn, I didn't...I don't have any ties to it and-” “Ties? You don't have any-- oi, Sam! You heard the girl? She doesn't have any ties,�� Zayn snickers and begins to smear a thick white cream across the wounds before placing giant gauze pads up and down my arms and taping them into place. “Em, you have the most important tie in the world...” he looks up at me and pats my hands before standing. “You got Niall Horan himself.” “Great, you've made it look like she's broken my arms or something,” I moan and stand up from the bed. “I hope these things are waterproof, I need a shower.” Zayn groans and closes his eyes, looking annoyed. “Why didn't you tell me that before I did all of that?” I shrug and he sighs. “Take your shower, hopefully it'll calm down the rest of your nerves and you can relax for the rest of the day.” “Nerves? I'm calm-” I stop talking when his rough hand wraps around my wrist and brings it up so that my hand is resting between our faces, my fingers shuttering and shaking uncontrollably. “Take your shower,” he repeats then waltzes out of the room, ignoring my calls of thanks. Sam kicks off the wall and moves to leave as well but my voice stops him. “What do you think he'll do?” I whimper. Slowly, the elder Horan turns and faces me. With a few long strides, his stands before me. “I don't know, Em, but don't worry, yeah?” He pats my shoulder awkwardly. “Worst comes to worst, he'll be mad for a minute before he's more concerned and worried about your arms. Zayn did a good job making them look so damn dramatic,” he snickers then turns and exits the room, leaving me to my thoughts. I don't know what came over me. Something in Harley's sad tone, something in the way she sought sympathy, it triggered a deep rage that had been suppressed within me for heaven knows how long. She has a right to her emotions and feelings and I was wrong for getting in her face, for making her feel like a horrible person when all she did was find a little good in a shit ton of bad. She managed to find a bright side to this horrible situation; she found love. She found romance. And that infuriated me! Even now, under the hot spray of water and sharp fruity smells of my body wash, my hands tremble with the growing anger in my chest. I can't stand it! Any other situation, any other man, I would be happy for the girl that I barely even know, but here? With Vin? He's one of the nicer guys of the crew and I like him just fine, but to willingly prance around like this is okay? To just accept everything as a new normal? As the thick white suds and bubbles travel between my breasts and over my stomach to disappear between my thighs, a thought occurs to me that didn't before. She's doing exactly what I'm doing. She wasn't so off the target when she said that we were alike. I didn't want to hear it an hour ago but now, in the privacy of the steamy, dim bathroom, I can admit to myself that maybe, just maybe, we are more similar than I'd like to admit. Sure we came about to the same situation in different manners, but we're both stuck now. We're both emotionally tied and physically restrained by the men in our hearts. It's horrible to see someone else, to see a girl from my own country with a bright smile and fairly nice personality, just accept this world as her own now. I'm sure it's about as frustrating as watching me from everyone else's eyes. I sigh and close my eyes, rinsing the soap from my body and the conditioner from my hair. Yes, I was definitely wrong for attacking Harley like that and I can already feel my punishment through the tenseness and sore aches beginning to permeate my muscles. But damn if it didn't feel good to let go of some of that rage. I'm used to biting my tongue and doing what I'm told. Back home, I had to step up. I had to play mom, dad, big sister, teacher...I had to do way more than what I should have been doing. I didn't complain, I didn't cry. I just did it. England was supposed to be my escape; it was supposed to be my fresh plate, my chance to not only find out who I really am but shape myself into becoming who I want to be. Yet the first week here, I found myself under some gang lord's thumb, doing everything he asked and saying everything he wanted to hear. I was doing it all over again, throwing away a chance I may never see again. Under the notion that this is how I'll escape, I convinced myself that it was okay. It was acceptable. Clearly, my subconscious didn't agree. Somewhere along the line the plan stopped being the plan and started becoming something else; acceptance. Unknown to me, that subconscious rage must have been broiling for ages, ever since my plan went into acceptance mode, that anger must have been waiting for just the right opportunity to release. I shut the shower off and reach behind the curtain to grab the towel I brought in here with me. I tie my hair into a knot on the top of my head and quickly dab at my dripping skin before wrapping myself up in the fluffy fabric and yanking the curtain back. “Don't scream,” Niall says as a shriek of surprise and terror leaves my mouth. He winces but does not chastise me. I stare at him in shock, noting the relaxed outfit of gray basketball shorts and a white v-neck. He looks like any other young guy, like a normal man leaving the gym or perhaps a basketball court or something. It's odd to see him not looking so...I don't know, formal, intimidating. His eyes drink in the sight of my face before dipping lower to examine my body, darkening when he sees my wrapped arms. “I can explain-” “Don't,” he says slowly. “Let me speak.” I swallow thickly, my eyes warming with the sensation of tears prickling the surface. “Do you understand what kind of predicament I've been put in? How can I ask my men to protect my most prized possession when that possession is off attacking their own most prized possessions?” “I'm not a-” “Emily, my patience is virtually nonexistent. If you interrupt me again, you won't like the outcome.” I swallow and nod, my breath entering and leaving my body with ragged, stuttering sounds. “You have pinned me against one of men, an unfair competition since we all know who will win that war...but it then makes him look weak, doesn't it? He can't even protect his own bird. I don't work with weak men, Emily.” I bite back the urge to tell Niall that we all know Vin isn't weak. “Normally, Harley would find herself in a very sticky situation. She would either find herself dead or indebted to me. I don't know what's worse,” a devious smirk climbs onto his lips and a shiver runs down my spine as I realize just how naked I really am. “But she's not just any old lass, is she? She's your friend, and more, she's Vin's bird. I can't very well just fuck her off, now can I?” Niall stands up and moves to stand in front of the foggy mirror. His large hand wipes the glass clear and stands there fingering his thick hair for a moment, his body language so casual. He told me himself that he had no patience right now, but he looks about as at ease as his outfit makes him look normal. He looks carefree, as if he has nothing to worry about; as if he isn't leading the underground world of crime and currently staying in a remote, unknown safe house. Carefully, I climb out of the bathtub and take the time to finish drying off. I ignore Niall's intense stare as I get dressed. When I'm finally finished, I use the towel to dry off my hair and my fingers to comb through it. Finally, he speaks. “Aren't you going to ask me?” I don't pretend to be confused or not know what he's talking about. At first, I had underestimated his people-reading skills and, even more, his Emily-reading skills. Now, I know there is no point. He knows I know what he's talking about and pretending to not know will only anger and provoke him. “W-what are you going to do with her?” He smirks and leans his hip against the counter while he crosses his arms and uses one of his hands to stroke his chin. “Well, I'm giving her to you, my love.” My stomach flutters and my heart squeezes at the petname. Niall isn't a very emotional person and he most certainly doesn't like showing his vulnerable side to me. It's always nice to hear the special 'L' word fall from his masculine lips. “Y-you're...I don't understand,” I say breathlessly as his smile grows and he lifts one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “What happens when people go against me is they find themselves facing some consequences. I obviously can't kill the girl, it won't work out for anyone, so that then makes her indebted to me. As my princess, I want you to have some power over our men...not enough to interfere with me of course...a tiny bit, but enough, yeah? I'm simply giving her debt to you. She is not indebted to me, but you.” “I still don't...” He shakes his head and his smile begins to drop while frustration creases his forehead. “Babe, it isn't that hard. She hurt you, she makes it up to you.” “Doing what?” His eyes widen in a bewildered manner and he shrugs, completely frustrated now. “You decide, Emily, it's your call,” he says impatiently. “And how do I know when it's enough-” “Emily. You decide.” He looks at the mirror and studies himself for a moment before turning back to me, his bottom lip between his teeth. “Although, you should know, love...sometimes being a leader in this world is more than just about punishments and rewards.” Seeing my confusion he smiles softly and steps forward, his large hands cupping my elbows and gently pulling me towards him so that he can pepper kisses around my face. “For where there is mercy, there is loyalty.” I don't tell Niall that I'm not a leader in this world. I don't tell Niall that I don't want to be a leader in this world so his advice means just about nothing to me. I'm terrified of angering him, of rejecting this offer of power. Perhaps this will work in my advantage, though. Having a certain amount of power of the men, although the amount is controlled by Niall, will benefit me in some way. Just like he said: mercy brings loyalty. I think about my plan and my lack of progress along with my lack of caring for the lack of progress. I should be working hard at getting the hell away from these fucking psychos but instead I'm taking a shower and getting dressed in front of my kidnapper as if we simply live together and have been dating for ages. Perhaps now is the time that I make some moves. Cut off the feelings and start up the actions. If I gain some kind of loyalty or- “It'll never work,” he says against my lips before pulling away and staring deep into my eyes. “I know how that mind works, princess, I know what you're thinking.” I swallow and stare wide-eyed at him. “We've talked about this so many times before,” he brings a hand to my face so that he can run his knuckles along my cheek before tucking a damp piece of hair behind my ear. “You may gain loyalty, you main gain respect, perhaps even love...but none of that will ever top the amount of fear I've put inside of every single person in our world.” Our world. “What are you talking about-” “Another thing you should know, Emily, is that no one fancies a liar.” His eyes narrow and I feel the shameful blush coloring my cheeks. “If you do something, own the action. Feel something, own the emotion. Think something, speak your thought and be proud. No apologies, no excuses.” “Niall, I don't-” “You were thinking that with enough loyalty, you can gain some kind of following, some kind of help to get away from me. Yes?” I purse my lips but do not confirm or deny his words. He smirks and nods slightly. “I'm telling you that you doing so...would hurt my feelings very much,” he pouts dramatically and shrugs his right shoulder, “and who knows what I'll do to this pretty face when I'm...hurt.” Message clearly received, I bring my mouth to his in a sweet kiss. He pauses, his lips parting and his eyebrows furrowing as he waits for an explanation. “Sometimes...I like being here,” I whisper. His blue eyes seem to spark with a soft light at this new piece of information. “Sometimes, I find myself enjoying your touch, your possessiveness, your protection. I enjoy the boys laughing, the girls talking.” Niall looks like a child on Christmas, just absolutely buzzing. “But I won't deny that other times...I feel the pressing need to get out. To run, to get home and far, far, far away from all of this...all of this darkness...to get away from you.” Hurt flashes across his eyes and just like that his mask goes up. I am no longer able to judge his emotions and reactions, he is a statue. We stare at each other for a long moment, his mask firmly in place while tears sweep down my cheekbones. I've finally expressed my confusion to him but I doubt he'll give me any comfort. I've basically just admitted to still wanting to escape. But, in the same breath, I had also admitted to basically wanting to stay. Still, a cold smile graces his face and it makes me want to curl up and shield myself. Finally, he speaks. “Well, I guess it's a good thing you don't have to make a choice on going or staying, ain't it?” The breath leaves me in a loud whoosh, one that Niall ignores. He simply turns around and finally lets the both of us out of the bathroom. “Boss, we have a problem!” I freeze at the sound of Liam's voice accompanying his stomping feet coming up the stairs. Niall and I wait patiently for Liam to arrive in front of us. When he does, his brown eyes dart from his boss to me to my arms then back to Niall. “Speak,” Niall commands and Liam shakes his head. “In front of-” “I. Said. Speak.” Immediately we are inundated with rambling words and a long story about an overheard conversation. I can't pick up much between Liam's accent, heavy breathing, mumbling, and rushed words. But what I can understand doesn't sound promising. “What do you mean they have the shipment?” Niall finally groans. “They intercepted Mitch,” Liam shrugs, “he says he was lucky to have gotten out alive.” Niall's eyes narrow at the wall behind Liam's head. “Yeah, except the thing is, he shouldn't have. Griffin doesn't run his show with kindness or mercy or even a fucking single care. He wouldn't have let Mitch live and wouldn't have kept the ship floating,” Niall finally decides. “It was a setup. I want Mitch found, bound, rough him up a bit. We're going to have a nice conversation with him tonight.” “Boss, we're in Bolton,” Liam murmurs the soft reminder and Niall swears, slapping the wall behind him with an open palm. “Have some recruits do it then. Tell them I want him roughed up but conscious, definitely not dead. If he's dead, they're dead...only slower.” “Time?” “We'll be there by seven in the morning. Have it all waiting for us at the bed and breakfast that Bennie runs.” “Alright, boss,” Liam nods but doesn't move to leave, somehow knowing there is still more to be heard. Finally Niall speaks. “Four recruits on Mitch, have six guarding the bed and breakfast, tell Harry he's coming with us. It'll just be us three.” Liam nods and Niall glances at me. “Harry is intense during interrogations,” he smirks at his clever side comment, whispering to me conspiratorially while Liam watches on with an unsure gaze. “We'll leave tonight at two.” Liam nods and finally turns and bolts downstairs, cellphone pressed to his ear. “W-what was that about?” I murmur but Niall takes no notice. “As you heard, Liam, Harry, and I will be leaving at two tonight, meaning you'll be waking on your own.” “I'm a big girl, Niall, I'll be fine,” I groan and he smirks, leading me to the bedroom we share. I dump my dirty clothes into a bag and watch as he lays down on the bed, tucking his hands behind his head and crossing his ankles while his eyes scan the ceiling, deep in thought. He begins whispering to himself, almost as if going through a mental checklist. “Jesse and Derek will be on in-house duty tomorrow, Sam is patrolling again, Cor and Vin are running into Leads for...” he glances at me and smirks. “What do you do all day in this house?” I shrug and he looks back at the ceiling. “I mean, there's always...nothing to do...sometimes I do nothing, one time I even did nothing...but most of the time I just do nothing,” I giggle, my stomach warming at the sight of his upturned lips. “I think the girls have put together a list of movies that Vin and Cor are gonna have to pick up while they're in Leads. Check over the list, Cor has it, and see if you want to add anything to it.” I nod and he sighs, then takes his hands out from under his head to scrub them up and down his face. “Mitch was one of the best,” he huffs and I raise an eyebrow. “Best?” “Captain. He was fast, efficient. Never a problem, never a complaint. They must have given him a nice fat amount of cash,” he snorts, “fuck.” He reaches down and digs his cellphone out of his pocket before dialing a number and placing it against his ear. “Liam briefed you?” I'm shocked at the quick change back to business mode. He doesn't even greet the person he's speaking to, although they don't seem to mind. “Alright, I want you on Griffin,” he says quickly. “Do you need more? Alright, take Cor and Jesse. Yeah, yeah. As many recruits as you want, I don't give a fat fuck. Alright, Lou.” He hangs up the phone and then huffs. “What are you going to do with Mitch?” I don't know the details of the situation, but from what I gather, Mitch crossed Niall and now he's in some deep shit. Niall glances at me then tosses his phone onto the mattress beside his hips before closing his eyes and getting more comfortable on the bed. I hear the drops of his sneakers as he toes them off and they clatter to the floor but I don't look away from him. Finally, he speaks. “Squeeze him like a sponge. Get all the information I can out of him.” “And then?” He shrugs. “Harry will be handling most of the dirty work. He really enjoys questionings,” he shrugs, “maybe he'll kill him, maybe he'll just leave him for dead. Either way, he won't be living, Emily.” “Niall!” I gasp in horror but Niall says nothing. “You can't just kill a man, Niall, you don't know what happened or why-” “All I need to know is he went back on his word. He played for both teams and that's not allowed in this game.” “But-” “I run my men through loyalty and dedication. You think I have time for someone who's gonna sway for the highest bidder?” “Then don't work with him again!” I protest, “I mean, honestly, weren't we just in the bathroom talking about mercy and all that crazy shit.” Niall smirks but shrugs. “Mercy isn't something you show to everyone or even all the time. It's a few acts here and there to remind people you aren't a complete dictator.” “You mean to trick people into thinking that.” He snickers and shrugs. “There's mercy, sure. But I can't let people get away with certain things. Traitors, for instance, die. Period. I let one live, then they all expect to live and soon enough everyone is running rampant and all that mess and no. We're not gonna do that. I'm gonna use him as an informant and than as a message; people sometimes need to be reminded of certain consequences.” “What will you do with the body?” I shudder and Niall laughs. “Harry calls that, love,” he hums as if remembering something, “I remember one time, he ordered a man to be strung up on a flag pole in a town's center square. Cold little shit, that one is.” My heart thuds loudly in my chest while the blood whirls in my ears. It's times like these that I realize who I'm actually living with. “Niall, you're being a hypocrite,” I murmur and his eyes flash open. “I guess that makes us a perfect match,” he smirks, “Sam told me how that word got to you.” I shrug. “Not all of us like the accusation.” “Then maybe some of us should do what we say and say what we do.” I huff and lay down on the bed next to him, using his chest as a cushion for my head and his stomach as something for my wandering fingers to play against. “This is all still really hard to believe,” I huff and Niall laughs beneath my ear. “Emily, what's so hard to believe?” I shake my head against his chest and he sighs. “We're going to eat dinner in an hour and then go to sleep.” I gasp and sit up, staring down at him with wide eyes. “Niall, it's barely even three! We can't go to bed before five,” I giggle and he shrugs. “I have to be up and getting ready around midnight so that we can all shower and be prepared to leave by two.” I deflate next to him but he doesn't notice since his eyes are closed. “Well, why do I have to sleep?” I whine petulantly, making him smirk. “For many reasons. Some of which being because I said so, because you're my woman, because that's what a good girl does, and, what I know will be your favorite,” he opens his eyes and stares up at me with his cerulean irises, his lips smirking, “now that I've grown accustomed to falling asleep with you in my arms, I doubt I'll be able to sleep any other way.” My heart stutters in my chest and I'm caught off guard, unable to formulate a response. Lucky for me, though, Niall doesn't seem to be looking for one. He winks then closes both of his eyes, ending the conversation. I lay back down, my head resting on his chest and listen to the raspy sounds of his breaths moving through his lungs. It's a long moment before he speaks again. “You're trouble, Emily.” The irony of his statement does not go by unnoticed. My stomach churns underneath my hand, the thought that one of the most notorious men in the world and most powerful men in Europe thinks that I'm trouble is not only scary but also thought-provoking. Perhaps I really do need to reevaluate my life and my decisions if I come across as trouble to someone like Niall. I move so that I can see his face, smiling at the small smile resting on his relaxed face. His arm wraps around me and his hand plants itself on my hip, squeezing the flesh there. No, I'm not trouble. He's the one who kidnapped me, he's the one who keeps me here, he's the one that orders the death of so many, he's the one that runs this underground world for so many, and he's the one changing the playing field of our relationship with this conversation. “I'm not trouble,” I whisper, suppressing the urge to flinch when his eyes flash open and narrow on my face. “You scare the hell out of me,” the second declaration is almost as confusing and scary as the first. How could he, Niall Horan, feel this way about me? A random girl from Philly, just trying to make it and go to school in a new, exciting place? Yeah, right. “How is that possible?” I whisper, my hand trailing up to caress the scratchy scruff along his chin and jaw before my fingertips begin to trace the outline of his thin, red lips. His free hand immediately snatches my wrist, capturing it and holding it to keep my fingers against his mouth while he places kisses on them. “I've never wanted to love someone so deeply, never wanted to protect someone so thoroughly...I would do anything for you, Emily...no limits, no ifs, ands, or buts...and that scares me.” I look away from the hot intensity of his gaze and feel the heat creeping up my cheeks. “Tell me you love me,” he whispers against my fingertips, the desperate plea squeezing my heart painfully. I would be a fool to ever try to lie to myself about the growing feelings I have for this man. Somewhere along the line, it just happened. I don't think either of us planned for it to get like this, I don't think either of us want this. But here it is and here we are; cuddling on a bed as if he isn't planning on leaving to murder some people in a few hours. Here we are softly touching and kissing one another, listening to each other speak, him telling me how he feels and me absorbing his gentle words like the driest sponge on Earth. Still, I am unsure how deep and how strong my feelings for Niall really are. I know I care for him, I know he's altered the light in which I view him. But enough for me to love him? Would I do for him what he would do for me? Would I stop at nothing for him? No boundaries, no limits? I turn back to face him, feeling the intensity of his gaze burning into my skin and wincing under the harsh speculation, the expectation. He's growing tense beside me and although it is worrisome, I know he wants an answer. “Niall, I...” He stares at me expectantly but I simply shake my head, unable to lie and finish the sentence. Hurt and anger destroy what little relaxation is left on his face. Furious, he sits up jerkily, whacking a hand across my face in a flash that forces my head to swing to the side. “Say it!” I whimper when he moves so that I am on my back and he is near my side, one hand holding both of mine captive and the other gripping my cheeks between his fingers and his thumb. “Say it!” He roars and the tears stream right out of the corners of my eyes. “I...I...Niall, no,” I whimper when his hand releases my cheeks and the back of his hand travels through the air and lands on my cheek with a sharp impact. “I love you,” I whisper and he breathes out roughly, his own cheeks tinged with a soft pink color. He releases me and stands up, his eyes fogged over and his lips parted and dry. “Go to sleep. I'm leaving now,” he rasps out before darting out of the room and calling for Liam and Harry, leaving me sniffling and sobbing on the bed by myself.

[unreal-nh-ff]

Chapter Thirteen

“It's not what it looks like,” Sean breathes as Niall lunges forward, immediately knocking him off of the couch while I let out a scream and jump up, scrambling for an idea to get these two to stop fighting. Niall has the upperhand, surprisingly. It's not that I didn't expect Niall to be strong, I know he's strong, but it's shocking to see him overpowering someone that's just so much larger. Nonetheless, Niall sits on top of Sean's chest, repeatedly bashing his face with one fist while the other holds bats away Sean's grasping hands. “Help!” I start screaming, “Help! Oh my god! HELP!” The house seems to shake with movement; Sam, Louis, and Harry come rushing downstairs while Zayn, Liam, Derek, and Cor rush from the basement. “What the fuck happened?” Harry demands, literally grabbing me around my waist and lifting me up and over the coffee table so that I am away from the fight. “I...I,” like the female I am, I begin to cry all over again and Harry groans in disgust, basically shoving me towards Sam, who awkwardly hugs me with one arm, “Sean was just hugging me and-” “What a fucking idiot,” Zayn chuckles, watching the fight with amused eyes and a wide grin, his arms crossed over his chest. “Someone stop them!” I scream and Sam squeezes me around my shoulders with his arm. “Oi, that's my ears you're hurting,” he huffs. “They're fine, come on,” he tries to usher me away but I won't let him; I begin screaming and trying to run over to the brawling pair, trying to get them to cut it the fuck out. “What's going on?” Vin walks through the open front door and glances at the floor before ducking down and trying to pull Niall off, unsuccessfully. Finally, someone thinking clearly! “Fuck, help me, Cor,” Cory immediately moves to help his brother but Niall is officially putting up a fight and trying to scrap with all three of them. Vin takes a hit to the gut while Cory's eye easily accepts a flying fist. “Fucking hell,” Louis snickers, pulling his phone out to record the brawl. Niall looks like a raging monster; his shirt is torn and tattered from the boys trying to pull him off of Sean and the fabric giving way. They're all throwing punches now, even Vin and Cor, and everyone is taking hits. Niall, however, seems unfazed when the occasional hit is landed. “STOP! Oh my god, STOP! NIALL! STOP!” He ignores me like the twat he is and I'm left to scream at the others. “VIN! GET OFF OF THEM! SEAN! CORY! STOP!” “Emily, quiet,” Harry grunts, scolding me like a child and glaring at me in annoyance. Sam stiffens beside me but says nothing. “Fucking hell,” Jesse snickers while emerging from the bathroom beside the stairs. “What's going on?” His eyes are as wide as a kid's on Christmas as he watches the four boys roll around, climbing on top of each other and tumbling into furniture. “STOP!” I scream one last time, crying and hysterical. I'm sure I look crazy but Sam just sighs before picking me up fireman style and walking me out of the room and onto the back porch. The girls are all gone and it's just us two. “Emily-” “NO! FUCK YOU! That's your cousin! You're leaving him to-” “Em, it's okay,” he huffs, ducking low so that we can stare at each other eye to eye. “Em, it's just a tiff between brothers, it's okay.” I shake my head. “They're hurting each other, Sean was being beaten and-” “Niall wouldn't kill him, Em, that's all that matters.” In the long run, I don't agree with any physical violence over something so fucking stupid, but knowing that Sean wasn't completely in harm's way eased the tightness in my chest fractionally. “Vin and Cor?” I ask weakly, my eyes searching Sam's. He simply smirks and snorts. “It's a brawl but the end result won't be horrible, I promise. They know their limits and when to stop and Niall wouldn't seriously harm anyone over a hug. But he's going to show Sean that no physical contact is okay. He's teaching Sean a lesson, babe.” “N-no,” I breathe, shaking my head and he shrugs, snickering, “no, it wasn't like that!” He sighs and runs a hand through his thick blonde waves and shrugs again. “Just let them work it out, I'm gonna go get the girls,” I nod slowly, in a daze, and watch him leave the porch and walk around to the side of the house. I can't believe they're all so nonchalant about Niall beating the fuck out of Sean and the brothers joining the brawl. If any of my friends got into a fight, I would jump in immediately and try to break it up. Sean was comforting me when Niall was gone, for goodness' sake, Niall should have thanked him, if anything! There was no need for him to attack like that! My mind is a jumbled mess as I pace back and forth along the porch, my hands buried in my hair at the sides of my head. “Oh, is Little Miss Sunshine upset?” I jump at the sound of Eleanor's voice and spin just in time to see Sam ushering all of the girls back onto the porch. Abby looks worried as she rushes over to me. “Where is he? Is he okay? What happened? What did you do!” She screams, thrusting her hands against my shoulder until I stumble backwards from the impact. “Hey!” Sam barks, storming over to us before grabbing Abby by the neck and shoving her to the floor. “Hands off.” Her eyes have not broken contact with my own this entire time and it only puts more guilt in my gut. “N-nothing happened,” I say quickly, moving towards her but Sam's hand plants itself firmly on my shoulder and jerks me backward. “Look, Niall got the wrong idea and freaked out and-” “And now my brother is being beaten to a bloody fucking pulp because he was trying to, what, help you?” She shrieks, jumping up and glaring at me, jabbing her finger in my face. “All you are is fucking trouble, you know that? It was bad enough we were thrown into this fucking world but now I have to worry about the ticking time bomb of problems you're gonna cause us, too?” Sam smacks her menacing finger out of the air and huffs. “Emily didn't do shit, Abby,” he says slowly, finally catching her attention, “don't blame her for your brother not knowing his boundaries.” “My brother is a good man!” She screams and Sam laughs, stepping forward and intimidating the tiny girl with his massive height. “Your brother owns about seven whores and works for the largest killing organization in all of Europe, if not the world. Tell me just how good he is, Abigail,” he sneers. Right before my very eyes, the tough girl exterior melts off of Abby. It's literally as if the hard shell she's always shown us has simply transformed into a gooey substance that slips right off of her and down to her feet. Her face crumples and suddenly she's crying, her whole body shaking with the force of her sobs. For a second, I expect Sam to feel contrite, for him to reach forward and pull her tiny body into his own larger one. To my surprise, however, he only steps back and snaps his fingers at Penny, who surges forward and takes Abby by the shoulders, steering her into the house. Sam's back is to me but by the way his head slowly moves side to side, I can tell his eyes are scanning over the remaining girls. Harley looks about ready to shit herself while the three vultures look bored. “Harley,” Sam says slowly, “let this be a lesson for you.” Harley's eyes widen even further and Sam steps towards her. “If you have even the slightest idea that one of us has a good side to him...lose it.” I may not know the whole situation between Vin and Harley but even I can sense the warning behind Sam's words. Quietly, Sam turns and uses a grasp on my shoulder to steer me into the house. I don't speak as I let my eyes wander over to the living room. The boys are all standing off to the side while Niall stands in front of a kneeling, bowing Sean. His head is low, chin practically touching his chest while Niall speaks in a low, deep tone. I can't make out the words and don't have the time to harp on it because Sam is still guiding me through the house, leading me up the stairs and into the room his cousin and I share. “You okay?” He finally asks gently pushing me towards the bed. I sit down and stare up at him with watery eyes. “It's kind of been...a long day,” I say honestly and he nods, moving to kneel in front of my legs. “What I said to Harley,” I nod, gesturing for him to continue. He sighs and tucks his hands onto his shoulder blades so that his elbows are pressed against his head. “I want you to understand that, too.” His eyes are boring into my own and I feel uncomfortable but I still want him to continue. It's not often that I get some secret advice from one of the boys and I do enjoy every helping syllable. “Niall cares about you, sure,” he says slowly, his hands dropping so his arms can cross over his chest, “but you have to understand that you'll always come second.” “S-second?” “To this empire. If he could let it go, I think he would. But his power over the gang and the region, it's what is keeping us all alive. If he relinquishes it, it's not only your death and his death, but every single person affiliated with him, too. He isn't going to let that happen.” “I don't want him to,” I confess and Sam smirks. “You're falling in love with Niall,” he says slowly, making a hot blush rush to my cheeks. Does everyone know this except me? What the fuck? “I don't blame you, it's the Horan charm,” he snickers, wiggling his eyebrows up and down in a goofy manner, “but don't you ever forget that who he was...who he is...that's who he's going to be when you're gone.” When you're gone. The goosebumps that rise up all over my skin are visible to even a blind person but Sam is gracious enough not to speak on it. The tears that had collected in my eyes quietly drip down my cheeks as I realize that Niall wants me now but may not always. My position with these men, my place by Niall, it isn't permanent. I take a deep breath and Sam slowly stands up. “Where are y-you going?” I rasp out, my hands reaching out to grab at his arms. He quickly steps back and my arms fall limply onto my lap, leaving me to look up at him, desperate for comfort but understanding now that Niall is the only one who can offer it to me. “To check on the situation brewing downstairs,” he says while walking backwards to the door. I sniffle a few times and watch through foggy lenses as he spins and opens the door. “W-wait! Sam,” I cry out and he freezes, turning so that he can look at me over his shoulder. “I...you said...who is he?” I am struggling to form a coherent sentence and I am trying to cover up the shuddering breaths and rib-collapsing sobs but there's not much I can do for the liquid streaming down my cheeks and gathering beneath my nose. Sam is smart, though, and he understands my question. He turns back around and opens the door fully. “Let's hope you don't figure it out,” is the only answer he gives me before walking out and shutting the door behind him. The entire day's events wash over me and I finally give beneath the pressure. I fall onto the mattress sideways, my face pressed against the blankets and my open mouth letting out spit and drool as I sob into the bed. I move my whole body so that I am on all-fours and crawl up to where the pillows are, ignoring my shoes and clothes so that I can press my face into the soft fabric. I don't know how everyone has seen my softness for Niall and I don't know how the softness got there to begin with. But I need it gone. I can't have any reason to want to stay, any reason to hold me back. I can't form these friendships with Harley and Penny and Abby or the guys; I can't get any more emotionally invested in this crowd than I already am. They've robbed my of everything; everything. They've taken it all away from me and replaced every figure in my life with themselves. I have nothing but them. And it sucks. But I can't let it affect me anymore. When the time comes, I need to seize it. When the opportunity strikes, I need to take it. There can be no doubt in my mind, there can be no question; I need to leave. I can't stay here, I can't be here. What did I think was going to happen? He was going to kidnap me and we would live happily ever after? Fisting the sheets in my hands, I angrily scream into the pillows, crying my whole soul out. How did I get into this mess? I need to find a way away from them because just as Sam hinted to Harley, none of them down there are good guys. They might have nice tendencies, they might make me laugh, they might put up a front of caring...but I should know better. Sean, the man who just took a beating for comforting me, he's also the man who will follow any orders given to him. For example: capturing me. Sam? He might make me laugh and give us all advice and even take care of me in some aspects, but he's also a man to follow orders. For example: when Niall was coming for my throat, Sam stepped aside just as he was told to. All of the guys have a duty to Niall before me, meaning that if Niall decided to kill me? All of the guys would stand by and watch it happen. I don't know what Niall has planned for me but Sam basically told me that it's not a permanent thing. When you're gone. The room blackens around me as I cry myself to sleep, shedding my liquid heart and breathy brokenness into the mattress I share with the man I fear most. ... “Dead,” I slowly come to consciousness to the sound of Niall's husky voice hissing scary words into the darkness. I don't move beneath the covers and because there is no dip in the bed beside or around me, I know he's not laying down. “I want them all dead; they've been terrorizing Essex anyway, so we'll be in good with the police if we wipe them out.” I freeze as his words wrap around my brain; he's having people killed. “No, don't kill Angelo. I want him brought to me alive.” An evil chuckle floats through the air and seemingly caresses my cheeks. I glance at the alarm clock that rests on the nightstand beside my head and see that it's almost five in the morning and I've been asleep for hours. I don't know if Niall slept beside me or slept at all, but I was too unconscious to even notice or care. I'm laying on my side, my back to Niall, and it puts me on edge. I can't see him and I can't tell where he is or what he's doing; it's unnerving. Slowly, the mattress sinks in beside my ass and a hand places itself on the base of my spine before gently rubbing upwards and resting between my shoulder blades. The long fingers dig into my tense flesh and I already know that he knows I'm awake. I turn around and his hand stills in the air, waiting for my body to settle on my back before it floats back down into place, this time cupping my breast. Our eyes find each other in the darkness, an unknown light glinting in the depths of his brings a wetness to my own eyes. Niall looks away from me and grunts into the phone. “Bring him to Roger's in an hour...I don't care if you need longer. Get there in an hour or you'll be buried along with him,” he snaps before hanging up the phone and tossing it onto the bed on the other side of my body. He's quiet for a minute before he stands up and moves to the window, using his fingers to shift the blinds around and stare outside. The air is so tight that I can hardly breathe through the tension; I'm terrified of what he's going to say and I have no idea if I'm going to like it. I know he was furious with Sean, that much was evident in the brawl, but he never got the chance to lash out at me. It's hard to imagine he won't; after all, he bashed in the face of one of his closest friends but I was to blame, too. It takes two to hug. Still, if he was angry with me, he would have woken me up, right? “Emily,” he says quietly, his Irish accent a bit more evident than usual. From what I know about him already, I can tell that he's pissed but not completely. He turns to face me but does not move closer to the bed, simply places his hands behind his back and regards my prone form carefully. “There's something you need to understand about me, Emily,” by now, my eyes have adjusted to the darkness and the soft early morning light and I can see him quirk his eyebrows up as he awaits a response. “Okay,” I say hesitantly, my voice barely a whisper through my sore throat. Niall nods imperceptibly then looks back at the window from over his shoulder. “You need to understand that what I do, it puts you in harm's way. There are people out there,” he jerks his chin towards the window, “that want you dead. They're testing my care for you and trying to see how I will react if you're hurt. They aren't going to find out, of course, because I won't let them get close enough to even think about touching you but that's besides the point.” He huffs and cuts his rant short before strolling over to the bed and sitting back down in the spot he left moments before. He leans over me, caging me in by placing a hand on either side of me. “Why are you telling me this?” I mumble and he smirks. “I'm telling you this because you've made it clear that you don't quite understand what I do.” I bite my lip but do not respond, unsure if he's looking for a reply. “I can't give you all of the details for obvious reasons, love,” he shrugs, “but let's just say that I own quite a few ports and quite a few ships.” Flashes of overheard conversations play in my head in which various members of the group have said the word 'shipment.' “What-” “That's what you're getting,” he says curtly, cutting off my question, “I won't tell you anymore on my part. What I will tell you is that many people benefit greatly from my ports and ships,” he shrugs, “and those who do not have connections to me, do not. Everyone wants to be on my good side, but most simply want to be me. Clearly, they cannot. I've worked hard over the years to instill a sort of fear in people, Em, and in just a few days, you've put a fear inside of me.” “What?” I breathe, confusion sweeping over me while Niall smirks and lowers his head to place a soft kiss onto my lips. “I was in denial about you being my weakness earlier, Emily, but I've come to terms with it. You're my Achilles heel, I suppose,” he sighs against my mouth before sitting up again. “I've realized that the only thing I truly fear in this world is harm coming your way. I don't ever want anyone to hurt you, to get you, to touch you...” he shudders and his eyes shut. “But that goes two different ways, doesn't it?” “W-what does?” I am still half-asleep and my mind is working overtime to process what he's saying. It's hard to keep but I'm scrambling and trying my hardest. “People touching you. My men know to protect you with their lives and to help you at all costs, that I do not have a problem with. What I have a problem with is the extra physical contact. Things like...hugs,” and there it is. “Niall-” “Do. Not. Interrupt me.” The calm way he spits out the sentence is scarier to me than if he would have screamed it in my face. “I want no excuses, I want no protests. Therefore you will give me none...understood?” I nod and he clenches his jaw. “Yes,” I say hurriedly and he nods in approval once. “Good. Now that you have a grasp on what I do and the connections I have,” I don't bother to tell him that he has literally cleared up nothing for me in regards to his job, “there's something else you need to understand, Emily.” I am silent and staring up at him, waiting for him to continue. “Ask me what it is,” he sighs impatiently. I try not to roll my eyes because, honestly, guy? Make up your fucking mind; can I ask questions or not? “What is it?” I say softly and he lowers his head so that it hovers just above my own, the tips of our noses touching. “I don't share, Emily.” I stare up at him with wide eyes and he releases a long breath from his mouth, letting it warm my own lips. “You should come to terms with the fact that I own you now; you are mine and no one else's. Whatever you feel for any other man? Forget it. Because if you don't, consequences will be had.” As he spoke, his words picked up in speed and his tone dropped any emotion, leaving me with a robot. “I don't under-” “What is there to not understand?” I jump as he yells the words against my mouth. “No one can have you, no one but me. And if you let anyone else think otherwise, I'll have to make it clear to them that they cannot. Sean knew better than to touch you but you let him think he could, didn't you? You let him think he could take my spot, if only for a moment. Let me tell you something, my dear, letting someone think, if even for a fleeting second, that they could take my spot in any area of life, whether that be work or romance or even sports...that's the kind of taste of poison that will let them think they can overpower me elsewhere. If I let Sean think he could take over my position with you, perhaps he would have thought he could have taken my position in the gang. Do you understand what I am saying, Emily?” “I-” “You're going to start an uprising within my closest group of followers, leaders, friends,” he inhales deeply through his nose, “and it won't end well. So I'm telling you now that the sooner you realize that you are mine and mine alone, the better it will be for me, for you, and for every person in this house, and every person in my gang. Understood?” “Niall-” “Yes. Or. No?” “Y-yes,” I squeak and he nods, standing up. “Good. I have business to attend to this morning, go back to sleep...” his voice turns quiet and he looks at me with soft eyes, “Yesterday was hard for you, Emily, I know that,” he sighs and clenches his jaw, “so take it easy today.” I watch as he pulls on a suit and swiftly exits the room, leaving me in a wave of confusion. Slowly, I close my eyes and listen to the sounds of my own breathing. It never occurred to me that letting Sean comfort me during a low point in my emotional state might give him the idea that he could overthrow Niall. It's confusing but also very weird to me; with the other guys, this gang is more than just a gang. They're friends and I know they respect Niall as their leader; I don't think any of them would try to overthrow him because I don't think any of them actually want to. His position of power is great and all but it's also extremely daunting and stressful, that much I can see. Niall, however, he's so used to just suspecting and expecting a betrayal from all of those around him that he can't even really allow himself to trust them completely. It's like he almost expects one of them to throw him off of his throne. It takes a few moments of serious deliberation of Niall and his life but I finally drift back off into peaceful slumber. ... “Oi, wake up!” I scream as the covers are ripped off of me and cold air surrounds me. “What the fuck!” I screech while Sam laughs and throws some clothes onto my head. “Come on, sleeping beauty, it's almost noon! Wake up, we have lunch ready for you downstairs.” He exits the room and I'm left staring around awkwardly. I glance at the clothes Sam threw onto the bed and moan in not only annoyance but also embarrassment; panties and a bra are mixed in with the black tights, gray shorts, and collared black button-down. I am so fucking sick of having to get dressed up; this stupid rule about being fancy and cute it absurd! I want to wear sweatpants, goddamn it. “Oh, you're up,” I look up and watch Harley as she moves into the room carefully. Her blonde hair is damp and tied up in a sloppy bun. She doesn't look as dressed up as I'm about to be; a simple red tanktop tucked into some gray jeans with turquoise heeled booties. “I wanted to talk to you,” she says carefully, shutting the door and moving forward into the room. I stare at her with raised eyebrows, a gesture for her to start talking. She glances at the door, making sure it's completely shut, before looking back at me. “This is serious, Em,” she says slowly. “What's this about?” I say impatiently; I haven't even pissed let alone showered and brushed my teeth! I don't really want to have a serious conversation right now and, after the day I had yesterday, I'm pretty sure I won't want to have a serious conversation later, either. “Us,” she says slowly, “as in me and you.” “Uhm,” I get off of the bed and gather all of the clothes Sam threw at me, “there is no us beyond friends, Harley, you know that, right?” She scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Obviously, Emily, be serious!” “Okay, okay,” I huff, “I'm serious. What do you want?” “We're...kind of the same, you and me...” Immediately, I'm shaking my head. Harley and I couldn't be more different; we may be from the same country but from two different halves. She's southern and I'm northern; she's blonde, I'm brunette; she's fun and flirty and outgoing and likes to be naked in clubs, I like to read and stay at home; she's trusting and easy-going, I am not. We're not even remotely similar besides the fact that we laugh a lot and don't bump heads. “Harley-” “I mean, we're both kind of falling for...well, the bad guys. I don't want to say bad boys because that's so cliché and...well, we're beyond that. But, it's true. You might be in deeper than I but we love...we're falling in love all the same.” My eyes slowly move from the clothes in my hands to Harley's face, eyeing her blue eyes while she nervously lets down her hair and plays with the strands. “What's this about?” I repeat and she sighs, shrugging and rubbing her hands up and down her bare arms. I've noticed that, for the most part, all of us have been clothed in summer fabrics. Yet the August month is quickly falling to an end. “We have more problems and concerns,” she says softly, her eyes moving away from me, “than the others. We're...we're more trapped than the others. I wanted to know how you felt about that,” she shrugs and finally looks at me. I shake my head and sigh. “It doesn't matter how I feel about it because you just said it yourself: we're trapped. I don't know Vin but if he's anything like Zayn, like Liam, like Louis, like Niall, then you've just found yourself a long-term partner.” I shrug and look away from her, “I'm not falling in love with Niall. I'm not in love with him, either. I have...a soft spot of sorts for him...I don't want to see him hurt, and I know that's weird. I can't explain it and I don't know why but it's true. But that doesn't matter, either, because love him or not, I'm here.” “But you're okay with that?” She breathes, her eyes wide and watering. “I might never get to go home! I might never see my family again, I might never-” “Harley, don't bitch about it to me,” I hiss, my voice a lethal tone, “I feel no sympathy for you! I was kidnapped, Harley, I was taken! They snatched me up and kept it fucking moving. I didn't have an option, I didn't have a choice,” I sneer and she steps back, her hand fumbling with the doorknob. I rush forward, a surge of anger propelling me towards her until I have her back against the wall and our chests pressed against each other, our faces inches apart. “But you on the other hand? No, you were the dumb bitch to get yourself tangled up in this! You fucking chose to be with Vin even after knowing all about the dangers it would include-- even after knowing they kidnapped me! You fucking pranced right into his goddamn open arms! So don't you dare fucking whine to me, Harley Martin, because if you never fucking see your family and friends and home again you fucking deserve it!” I finish my rant and step back, waiting for her response. I only receive a sob and a smack to the face. She turns to exit the room, but my hand jerks out before I can stop myself, wrapping in her blonde hair and yanking her backwards until my hand is behind my back and her body is on the floor. Spinning, I move so that I am straddling her chest. I use my free hand to collide with her face in painful blows over and over again until blood is gushing from her nose and mouth and her eyes look bruised and puffy. We are silent; there is no catty screaming or shit-talking. She is constantly clawing at my arms, trying to get one of them to let up, but I'm ignoring the feeling. Her legs are swinging around wildly, her heels clomping against the floor, wall, and door every now and then. It feels like mere seconds with the adrenaline pulsing through me but Harley's mostly bloodied and purpled face informs me that it was probably longer when the door finally swung open and arms snatched me from beneath my arm pits. I see Sean grabbing at Harley from underneath me, trying to pull her from my reach but I'm screaming now, flailing around. My hand is still embedded in Harley's hair and although the person who is holding me has restrained my fist, my legs are kicking, hitting her in the chest and stomach. “Emily, let go! Let go of her hair!” Sean is shouting at me, his hands grabbing at my fingers and trying to pry them open. “EMILY!” A familiar Irish accent booms in my ear, hands tightening around my wrist and waist. “Emily, let her the fuck go! STOP KICKING HER!” Sam is freaking out behind me but I'm so lost in the violence and blood-lust that I can hear him screaming but do not process the words completely. “Emily!” Sean roars, his patience wearing out while Harley starts screaming, the pain of my kicks finally earning sounds. “Stop! EMILY! STOP!” Suddenly more hands are on deck. I watch with a blank face as Derek and Jesse work to free Harley of my grasp and help separate us. My fight doesn't end, though, because I continue kicking and thrashing in Sam's arms. He's breathing heavily behind me, panting and grunting curse words out at me and ordering me to calm down. Harley comes to life and her screaming turns into words. “You psycho fucking bitch!” She shrieks, lunging forward like a monster, blood splattered across her shoulders and arms. “I'll fucking kill you! I WILL KILL YOU! I will fucking end you! You stupid fucking whore!” “Let her go!” I scream, rushing to get away from Sam and get to Harley. “Let me fight her! Let me fight her! Let her go! Let me go!” Sam groans and wraps both of his arms around me, pinning my arms to my side in a frustrating grip. “Goddamn it, Sam! LET ME GO!” Sam simply snickers and the others carry Harley away from me and out of the room. I can tell by her screaming growing more and more distant that they've taken her downstairs. It takes a few more minutes but I finally stop fighting Sam's hold on me. He huffs and shoves me away from him roughly, shutting the door and standing it front of it with his arms crossed over his chest. “I gave you clothes to shower and you beat up Harley instead?” I throw my hands out on either side of me and stomp over to the bed, punching the pillows and then gasping when I see the blood marks on the white pillow cases. With a quick look at my hands I realize that I've busted three of my knuckles open; fuck, that's gonna hurt when the adrenaline completely leaves my system. “She came in here! She smacked me right across the face!” Sam only laughs shaking his head. “Man, I don't even know what Niall is gonna say about this,” he makes a whistling sound, “but one thing I do know is we have a little hypocrite on our hands, don't we?”

[unreal-nh-ff]

Chapter Twelve

[unreal-nh-ff]

Chapter Eleven

[unreal-nh-ff]

Chapter Ten

“Wake up,” I grunt as fabric smacks me dead in the face, ripping me out of a dream of normalcy. I never thought I would have a dream about being in a classroom and wake up wishing it was real. “What are you doing?” I moan, pulling the article of clothing off of my face and searching the darkness for the source of the thick Irish accent. “I said wake up, throw some clothes on, we're leaving.” My attention is immediately caught and I sit up in bed, trying to force my eyes to adjust to the darkness. “But I thought-” I scream out in pain when a large hand grips my hair at the side of my head in a tight fist, yanking my skull around to get a point across. “Did I fucking ask you about what you thought?” He growls, his lips brushing against my nose angrily as he hisses in my face. “Get. Fucking. Dressed before I dress you my goddamn self.” I make a soft noise of what I hope sounds like agreement. It's enough to get Niall to release my hair and back away from me. He throws some more articles of cloth my way as I climb out from underneath the warm covers and reveal my body to the chilly air of the room and touch my bare feet to the icy floorboards. My hands work to decipher what is a shirt and what are pants from what he has thrown at me and I do not hesitate in undressing, ignoring his presence beside me. “D-do I n-need a coat or...?” “For fuck's sake,” he grunts, grabbing me by the hair once again, this time using his hold on me to throw me onto the ground, making me cry out again. More clothes hits my head and he continues to mutter curse words until he cuts the light on, revealing his body in a perfectly-tailored suit. “You have two minutes to get ready.” He looks at the expensive watch on his wrist then raises an eyebrow at me, kicking me into action. I don't bother trying to cover my exposed body as I hurry to pull on the leather leggings and fancy crop top. A leather jacket lands beside me and skyscraper heels clatter dangerously close to my feet ( http://www.polyvore.com/eu10/set?id=109813826 ). Ignoring my groggy mind, throbbing skull, and wet cheeks, I stand up and groan when my sore muscles remind me of my earlier activities. My entire body feels stiff and achy but I try my best to just bite the bullet and get dressed, shoving my feet into the heels unceremoniously. “You're taking too long,” he hisses and my eyes snap up to see his scowling face. “We need to be out of the house within the next five minutes, Sam is waiting outside.” “What the fuck is going on,” I breathe, gasping when my hair is seized once again, bringing my nose to touch against his, our eyes merely inches apart. “Don't. Fucking. Question me,” he shoves my head away from his and I stumble back in my heels. I take a deep breath and pull on the jacket, squealing when his large hand catches mine and immediately begins pulling me out of the room and downstairs. The entire house is dark and I don't know the floorplan well enough to let go of him and make it on my own so I allow him to lead me through the doorways until we are in the kitchen. “We're going out the back,” he mumbles over his shoulder, his version of keeping me informed, I suppose. I bite my tongue and simply allow him to yank me through the yard and down a pathway where a huge, black vehicle is waiting for us. He rips open the door to the backseat and literally picks me up by my hips and tosses me onto the leather before slamming the door. He's just barely inside the the front seat when Sam mumbles something to someone on his phone. “Do it,” Niall mutters and Sam repeats the phrase into the phone. As soon as the words leave his lips, Sam is speeding down the path and driving like a mad man away from the mansion. I turn just in time to watch the whole structure go up in flames, lighting up the black night sky. “What the fuck,” I breathe, making Sam chuckle sinisterly and accelerate even further. “Talked to Sean?” Sam nods and Niall quiets down then sighs. “Fucking son of a bitch, he's lucky I got all the goods transported out yesterday.” “Money and all?” “Everything of value to me has been evacuated, yes.” Niall looks over his shoulder at me and his calm, steel blue eyes meet my own panicking eyes. “Emily, relax.” I shake my head incredulously, lost for words at this point. Where are we going? Where are we going to sleep? I have no money. I have no phone. I have no clothes. “We've got a long drive ahead of us, you might as well go back to sleep.” But my brain is too awake by now, scattered and fearful thoughts are running through my mind and slowly filling my chest up with anxiety. The possibility of escaping seems to get smaller and smaller each day I spend in his presence and now it's literally nearly impossible; how am I meant to escape now? The faster Sam goes, the more it occurs to me that he's taking me further and further away from where I need to be. I highly doubt this 'long drive' of ours is going to include keeping me in London and I highly doubt that we'll be coming back anytime soon, if the burning mansion is any give away. What happened to my classes? What happened to my goals? “Em, breathe,” Sam instructs from his position at the wheel, making me aware of the wheezing sound that is coming from my chest. “Fuck, pull over,” Niall instructs. “We can't fucking pull over-” “I said pull over!” Niall roars, to which Sam just sighs and obeys. Niall hops out of the passenger seat and joins me in the back, not even getting to fully shut the door before Sam is speeding away again. He removes his suit jacket and tosses it into the third row of seats behind us; leaving him in a more comfortable, mobile state of dress. He takes advantage of his mobility and effortlessly grabs my biceps, yanking me onto his lap so that I am seats sideways, my back pressed against the hardness of the door and freezing cold glass of the window. Niall tries to soothe me, however, his hands running up and down my skin in soft, gentle motions that are the complete opposite of the way he woke me up. Slowly but surely, I calm down and my breathing returns to normal. “Better?” He whispers against my cheek, dragging his nose along my cheekbone sweetly and pecking his lips against my skin every now and again. I nod awkwardly, not really believing the tender actions coming from him. “I'm sorry I scared you,” he breathes, his right hand coming to rest on my leather-clad thighs while his left arms stays firmly wrapped around me, cushioning my back against the door and softly grasping my inner elbow. “You...yeah, you scared me,” I chuckle softly and he laughs with me, too, his stomach moving against my side. His right hand grabs my arm that is pressed between us and wraps it around his shoulders so that I can lean onto him. “You don't ever have to be scared when you're with me, Emily,” he mumbles into my hair before kissing my head, “know that.” Sam curses and slows down, pulling off to the side of the road. “The fuck are you doing?” Sam doesn't respond as the passenger side door rips open and Derek jumps in, slamming the door behind him. “Go, go, go!” He shouts, to which Sam doesn't respond but simply speeds off fast enough to produce the ear-piercing screeching sounds tires make against gravel. “The fuck were you doing out here alone!” Niall snarls, making Derek turn around, his brown eyes wild and pupils blown wide with what I'm guessing is adrenaline. “I wasn't alone,” he breathes, shaking his head. “I was with Vinny and Cory but we got separated.” “Fuck,” Niall snaps, shifting beneath me and digging in his pocket for his phone. He taps the brightly lit screen a few times before pressing it to his ear. “Vin? Vinny! Where are you two? Are you safe?” I hear the frenzied voice of Vinny on the other line but Niall's face smooths out in what looks like relief. “Good. We picked up Derek, relax. Listen, we're meeting at the safe-house but I need you to circle back around-- yeah, find Liam, he's still on Liverpool Road.” Niall hangs up the phone and nods at Derek who simply nods back. His brown eyes glance away from Niall and land on me, putting a small, casual smile on his dry lips. “Hey, Em.” “Hey,” I croak weakly, my voice being drowned out by the sound of Sam's phone going off. “Yeah? You're there, good! Good, you...okay. Fuck, no-- who told you to fucking...no. No, get him out of there! Call me when you're clear.” “Niall, what's happening?” I whimper but he's ignoring me, eyes trained on Sam who is already filling the boys in on his conversation. “That was Harry. He's back at the house with Zayn and Louis; Sean is on his way but Jesse got caught.” Niall tenses beneath me. “What do you mean...Jesse got caught?” Sam sighs and runs a hand over his face as the car speeds up even further. “They grabbed him. The boys went back to the house, they're getting supplies. It'll work out.” “Yeah, it fucking better. Anything happens to Jesse and it's Harry's fucking ass. Did they say where the girls are?” “I doubt Louis is letting Eleanor out of his sight and I'm sure Danielle is under his watch, too. Abby and Penny were at the house when they got there with the new girl, Harley, so everyone is accounted for.” It takes me a second to recall my first friends in London but a bitter feeling rests in the back of my throat. I still don't know what's going on, I still have no clue why we are speeding out of London like our tails are on fire. I'm scared and anxious and worried about the other boys, especially Jesse. What does 'getting caught' exactly entail? It can't be good, it doesn't fucking sound like it is. “Relax,” Niall whispers into my ear, “you're safe.” I nod but do not verbally respond, my mind too boggled by everything going on around me and all of the confusion their words have caused. “Emily, just think of it like this,” Derek snickers, “you're in Hollywood's next action hit, yeah?” I shake my head, making him laugh a bit louder and harder. Well at least he isn't too concerned with our predicament. Derek's easy attitude and joking manner actually ease my nerves, though, because he was on foot when Sam happened across him so if he's feeling better and is in a better mood then it spurs on my own relaxation. Niall can only do so much when he's tense beneath me and barking out orders to people on his phone. Sam is tense, too, but he doesn't seem overly stressed. I just don't know what's happening and, as childish as it may seem, my uncertainty keeps me glued to my seat on Niall's lap because sitting on top of him just seems so much safer than sitting beside him. “Sleep,” Niall grumbles into my ear and I nod, placing my head on his chest and allowing my eyelids to flutter shut as the stress, speed, bumps, and hypnotic sound of tires on the road lull me to sleep. ... “Emily,” I groan as my name is said loudly in my ear and my body is shaken from side to side. My eyes flutter open and I stare up at Niall's bright, blue eyes. Birds are singing from the open car doors and the sun is just rising over the horizon, bleeding an ugly orange color onto the sky. “Are we here?” I murmur, sitting up and allowing him to usher me off of his lap. He raises an eyebrow and smirks at me, climbing out of the car and holding his hand out for me. I place my hand in his and he gently pulls me out, showing me that we've stopped at a petroleum station. Derek and Sam are inside, I can see them through the large glass windows, and they seem to be purchasing something. “Do you have to use the bathroom or anything?” I stare up at him blankly, blinking rapidly and yawning as I look around. “Where are we?” I groan, stretching my sore arms as I spin around. A large hand clamps onto my shoulder and twists me back around so that I'm facing Niall around. “Stop with the fucking questions. You answer them, you don't ask them, understood?” I nod dumbly and he sighs, letting his hand drip down from my shoulder to my forearm to my wrist then finally to my own hand where he links our fingers. “Do you have to use the bathroom, babe?” I nod and he nods as well. “Okay, I'll buy you some breakfast while you use the bathroom,” he murmurs, using his hold on my hand to lead me into the small store. Derek and Sam turn around and nod at Niall as he brings me to the back of the store and nods at the restroom. I follow his silent instruction and head into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I am finally alone and I do not take this gift for granted. I have no idea where we are but I don't think it matters. I move to the dirty, vandalized mirror and stare at my reflection for a few moments. Since I did not sleep with makeup, I am completely free of any type of mask. My skin is pure and clean, making me look a lot younger than I am and my messy hair does not do anything to aid the age cause. I sigh and wet a paper towel so that I can wash my face while peeing; brownie points for multitasking. “There you are,” Niall smiles when I finally emerge from the bathroom. “I thought you fell asleep on the toilet,” he snorts, taking a bite out of a powder doughnut and gesturing to two bags hanging from his wrist. “I got us some food, some snacks, and of course some drinks. The boys are in the car so if you want anything, grab it now and make it quick.” My eyes scan the small store and land on the young man behind the counter. He's not so young, maybe just past thirty, but that's obviously not old, either. I watch him for a second. His eyes drop from mine and his hand moves around on the counter, his chubby fingers finally wrapping around a device; a cellphone. I move closer to the counter, pretending to be looking at some candy while Niall follows me aimlessly, much like a puppy but he is preoccupied by something on his phone. I move further down the aisle and glance at the man; he has called someone on his phone and this may not seem so suspicious if he hadn't started sweating profusely and kept sending Niall glances. Besides, who's allowed to just call people while on the clock? My ears strain to hear his conversation but Niall begins to talk. “Honestly, Em-” I unthinkingly smack his arm, making his cheeks go bright red. “You better have a bloody good excuse for that.” He snarls menacingly. Just as he finishes speaking, however, my ears catch the clerk saying 'Horan.' I spring into action immediately, grabbing Niall's wrist and darting to the door in my high heels. Niall doesn't object and immediately begins running with me, opening the door and basically pushing me in as he climbs in behind me. Sam gets the hint and once again drives off before Niall can even properly shut the door. “I didn't mean to hit you,” I whisper, making Niall look my way. He shakes his head and sighs, putting his arms around my shoulders. “I was just trying to hear him.” “You were smart,” he says slowly and I nod my thanks before I strip off the leather jacket. Niall's blue eyes dart to my exposed cleavage and bare tummy, widening as he swallows thickly. “Fuck, I should not have made you wear that.” I don't answer him because Derek begins talking before I can. “They got Jesse,” he says and Niall nods. “Nothing more than a black eye, Haz says. Had to kill about twelve men but they took in fifteen.” “Separate them,” Niall says slowly, “and question them each individually. If they prove too difficult, use force. They're all dead by six anyway.” Sam sighs and runs a hand through his thick hair. “This is such a disaster. I could fucking kill Liam.” “Speaking of which, have you talked to Vin?” “They caught him ages ago. Said he was hiding out in an alleyway when they found him,” Sam says with a shrug, slowly pushing the vehicle to go faster and faster, blurring the scenery around us. “Small scuffle, just two guys.” “And what happened to them?” “Dead,” Sam shrugs, “everyone is at the house already.” “Figures,” Niall glances at my confused face and sighs, “when we're going to the house, each group takes a different route so that anyone tracking us would think we were going separate places.” “And if you're lucky enough to be in Niall's group...or, in Derek's case, be rescued by Niall's group-” “Hey!” “Then you're lucky enough to take the longest route.” “But if you're being tracked then don't they see you all end up in the same place anyway?” Niall shakes his head. “If we're being physically tracked, we shake them with the routes; they're confusing, tricky, and when you're driving fast and through so many turns, it's easy to lose someone. And if we're being tracked electronically, we pick it up and put an end to it before we get to the house.” He points at a screen on the dashboard. “That tells us if we're hacked via any cellphone in the car or motor.” I nod, dazed by the technology around me. “Obviously, we're in the clear.” “But...” I bite my lip and squirm under Niall's arm, “who is chasing you, exactly?” The boys all erupt into raucous laughter, Niall shaking beside me. “No one is chasing us, love,” he snickers, “no one is stupid enough to actually try to hunt us down.” “So why are we-” “We're not running, babe,” Niall sighs, “we never run. What we're doing is regrouping. No one is chasing us, we just had some...difficulties at a major deal that was to be pulled off last night. Authorities showed up and had a lead pointing to my home...which is why it was burned. Sure, we have ties with the authorities and can easily tell them to fuck off, but it's much safer and easier to just relocate. Plus, the men we were dealing with did try to attack and that's why there was a bit of mayhem. It was supposed to be an easy deal but-” “But Payne got us some faulty information and now here we are.” “So no one is stupid enough to hunt you down but they're stupid enough to challenge you?” Derek barks out some laughter while Niall unpacks a bagel from the bag and hands it to me with a bottle of orange juice. “They tried to get away without paying but thirty thousand means a lot to a lot of people, so...” he shrugs and answers his ringing phone. “Don't look so worried, Em, everything is taken care of,” Sam insists. “But who was that cashier talking to?” Sam shrugs. “Probably the head of the-” “Doesn't matter, he's dead.” Niall declares and Sam laughs. “Who took him out?” “A local recruit,” Niall shrugs and Derek laughs. “Always so fucking eager to prove themselves,” he says with a smirk, “it's almost charming, really.” But it isn't, though I'm sure I'm the only one in the car that thinks this. How could they find it humorous or 'charming' that these men are willing to do literally anything the boys say to prove themselves worthy enough for...whatever Niall blesses them with, I guess. “We're almost there,” Sam sighs and Derek nods eagerly. “Can't wait to question some Crims.” “Crim?” I mutter to Niall and his eyes narrow. “Enough questions,” he says lowly and I immediately quiet down. It doesn't take long for Sam to pull the vehicle onto a desolate road; it's a two-way street but it's so narrow that it seems to be only a one-way. Nothing but grass and rolling hills lie on either side of the road, telling me we're far, far away from London. “Beautiful, isn't it?” I glance at Niall and nod while turning my eyes back to the blurs outside of my window. It's hard to really look at anything with the speed Sam is going at but each time he slows for a bend in the road, my eyes get greedy. “Where are we?” I mutter and Niall sighs. “Questions?” I swallow and he huffs, placing a hand on my thigh. “Bolton, babe.” I nod as if I know what that means and he laughs. “A little more than three hours outside of London, it's kind of like the British equivalent of farm country.” “Oh,” I say as Sam pulls into the large gravel front driveway of a huge, two-story brick building. It's not as big as Niall's mansion by any means but it's still huge for any normal 'house.' “This is Derek's house, babe,” Niall informs me politely as we climb out. “It's gorgeous,” I tell Derek and he blushes, nodding his thanks as he and Sam hurry to the front door. Niall, however, takes his time in grabbing his coat, letting me soak in the rolling greens of the property. “Like it?” I nod and he takes my hand, guiding me towards the house. “Good, we'll be here for about a week then we're headed to Ireland.” “I-Ireland?” “A friend's wedding, love.” I nod slowly and he laughs. “Just follow my lead,” he instructs and again all I can do is nod. Upon entrance, we are in a foyer-like mud room. Niall takes the time to hang both of our jackets up and look at himself in the full-length mirror resting near the coat rack. He adjusts his shirt and belt, smirking at me when our eyes meet in the glass. “What's wrong?” I shake my head and he shrugs, opening another door that takes us further into the house. I'm amazed that it really does look like an old country home; wood floors, furniture, stairs, and railings adorn the house while plaid and floral patterns make up the fabrics of everything else. It's a pretty open floor plan so although Niall and I walk into a dining room area, I can see all of the guys crowded on a few couches in what I assume to be the living room. This is where Niall takes me. “Horan,” Zayn stands up and offers him a phone. Niall immediately takes the call and walks away from me, leaving the room to stare at me. “Hi?” I squeak awkwardly, making Sam laugh and yank me towards him. I fall onto the couch beside him and as I look up, my eyes slam into the stunning green irises of Harry. He looks confused, maybe even a little miffed, with furrowed eyebrows and pouting lips. I look away after a few seconds and jump when a female voice begins to speak. “I just talked to Dean Hollem,” I look up and see Penny with her blonde hair flowing around her shoulders. She's wearing a very un-Penny outfit; she no longer looks like a nice, prude. Now, Penny is wearing bright, lime skinny jeans with a black and white striped crop top vest. Her flat tummy is on full-view and I wonder why she's wearing high heeled black boots ( http://www.polyvore.com/pha_10/set?id=113504440 ). The outfit is cute, I just don't understand why she's as dressed up as I am. With that thought, my eyes scan the whole room and take in the dressy outfits all of the guys have donned. Confusion immediately takes over but Penny takes my focus. “She said that Emily can start up next week and she completely understands the trouble she's having away from home.” Sean nods, looking at me intensely, his eyes seeming to take inventory of me. “Good,” he grunts then looks at Penny. “Where's my sister?” “Right here,” I jump and watch as Abby flaunts into the living room and stands beside Penny. She, too, is in an over-the-top outfit with her long sleeved, but skin tight, crop top and low-rise floral leggings topped by hot pink pumps. A pattern is forming; all of us have fancy outfits and all of them are revealing. “I want you to take Emily upstairs with the others.” Abby nods and looks at me. Sam squeezes my knee and gently nudges my back, encouraging me to stand and follow them. Wordlessly, I do. “Look, Em, there's no need to hate us,” Penny sighs as she leads us all up a steep staircase. “I don't hate you,” I grumble and Abby laughs. It's true I held a small grudge against them but their actions against me weren't really their own fault. The Penny opens a door to a small room crowded with females. Perrie, Danielle, and Eleanor are all seated on a queen-sized bed, chatting amongst themselves while Harley reads a book at a small desk by the window. Penny sits on the bed and Abby follows suit; I, however, sit on a rocking chair facing all of them, deciding to not get too close to the three psychopaths. “Well look who it is,” Eleanor says in her falsely sweet voice. I try not to roll my eyes as she stands up and fixes her bright orange school girl skirt and pulls up her thigh-high white socks. She's the only female that isn't wearing a crop top, instead, she's wearing a long sleeved black shirt tucked into her skirt. “Hi,” I say awkwardly as she walks over to me in her nude heels, standing directly in front of me with her hands on her slender hips. “Haven't seen you in a while,” Perrie sneers from the bed, standing up as well. Instead of heels, Perrie is wearing clompy brown leather boots that match her strange harem pants in an odd way. Her torso is covered in a mustard yellow poncho-like crop top and her hair is no longer pink but completely bleach blonde; it suits her much better. “Well, I-” “Shut up,” Danielle sighs, lying back on the bed. Her leggings are adorable, they're graffiti patterned and she knew better than to overdo it with a crazy top so she's in a simple white t-shirt and plain black heels ( http://www.polyvore.com/epd_10/set?id=113506310 ). “No one cares where you were, you worthless cunt.” “I care,” I jump at the sound of Harley's voice. She stomps over to Eleanor and puts her hands on her acid wash jeans, her white shirt with black pinstripes is cute and she looks every bit the Florida girl she did when I last saw her. Eleanor rolls her eyes and sits back down on the bed, Perrie joins her and they watch as Harley stands in front of me and crosses her arms over her chest. “Basically...we don't have any fucking clue what's going on,” she sighs and I nod. “I don't know much, either-” “Oh, isn't that a shocker!” Perrie shouts, making Eleanor laugh. “You're the new queen, right?” Danielle snarks, “Shouldn't you know it all?” “All I know is the deal went bad and the boys had to 'regroup' or whatever,” I huff and the three weirdos all sit up and stare at me. “What deal?” Perrie demands, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don't-” “Girls,” we all jump at the loud sound of Sean's voice through the door. He knocks twice and then opens the door, his eyes searching each face before landing and staying on mine. “You okay?” He doesn't single me out or say my name but I'm distinctly aware that his question doesn't just go out to the room, it's specifically aimed at me. “Yeah,” we all mutter at various times. “Good. Listen, we have a few guys in the basement and some in the greenhouse. You're not to leave this room without one of us. Cory is sitting right here,” he gestures to Cory sitting on a bench in the hallway, “if you need anything. Otherwise, stay put.” “Wait, Sean!” Sean turns at Harley's voice and stares at her pointedly, raising his thick eyebrows. “What?” “Are we...in danger or...anything?” He laughs and looks around the room, his eyes staying on mine for a few beats too long. His gaze returns to Harley and he takes a few steps closer to her, putting his hands on his hips and leaning back a bit. “Listen, Harley,” he shakes his head, “you're probably the safest person in all of England having just, say, two of us with you. You're surrounded by a whole army of Slires. Do you know what that means to the world?” She slowly shakes her head side to side and he smirks. “It means that the biggest threat you're facing is the book you're reading,” he smiles softly at her and then leaves the room, closing the door behind him. “Well that was helpful,” Harley mutters, sitting back down at the desk while Abby sighs. “He's so cocky sometimes! He doesn't realize he's not fucking invincible-” “Didn't you hear him, Abigail,” Danielle snaps, “he's a Slire. He might as well be invincible.” Abby rolls her eyes and turns her back to Danielle while Penny stands up and walks over to peer out of the window. “They're going to the greenhouse,” she mutters, making the three freaks jump off of the bed and crowd around the glass. “I don't see Zayn,” Perrie whines and Danielle groans. “Fuck, Liam is going into the greenhouse with Horan,” I stand up from my seat at that, hurrying over to the window just in time to see Liam, Vin, and Niall following Harry and Louis into a structure that has plants and bushes hanging all over it; the greenhouse, obviously. “No, no, no, there's Louis,” Eleanor whimpers and we all seem to deflate. “Have you guys seen Jesse?” I go out on a limb and ask the girls, hoping to get a friendly, or at least cooperative, response. “He's fine,” Danielle sighs, moving back to the bed and laying down again. “Don't let Horan catch you asking about another man,” Perrie spits out as she walks past me, bumping shoulders with me. “Who do you think went down into the basement?” Eleanor asks, ignoring my question completely as she turns to face Danielle and Perrie on the bed. “Jesse, Derek, Sean, and Zayn, I'm thinking,” Abby says distractedly, her eyes going over the spines of books on a shelf. “Don't forget Sam,” Penny adds and Abby shakes her head distractedly while Perrie speaks up for her. “If you had the least bit of sense, you would know that they need at least some kind of look-out. Sam is probably driving perimeters around the house.” “They wouldn't leave us in this house by ourselves,” Danielle points out. “Cory is outside,” I remind the room and Abby shrugs. “He can't be the only one in the house,” she says softly, turning to face the room. “They wouldn't bring recruits here,” Perrie protests, “this is for top members only. It's a privilege to be here.” “Maybe he is the only guy here, then,” Abby shrugs. Danielle crosses her arms and pouts. “This is ridiculous,” Harley groans, putting her face in her hands. “I have an exam tomorrow and I'm out in the middle of fucking nowhere-” “You're not going to class, geek,” Eleanor giggles and Harley gasps, turning to glare at her. “I can't miss my exam! If I miss it...I...no, you don't...they don't let you make them up if it's not an excused absence-” “Here's your excuse: Niall. Horan.” Perrie snorts, rolling her eyes. “Jesus, you four are fucking annoying...some more than others,” her eyes flicker between Harley and me. “But-” “God, get it through your head, already!” Eleanor groans, tossing her hair over her shoulders, “they'll let you make up whatever the fuck you missed. Better yet, Niall will make a phone call and you'll have an A in every single class regardless of your work and attendance, okay?” “I...” Harley shakes her head, “I'm not even fucking involved in this! How am I even here?” She whines, tossing herself back into the desk chair and making the hyenas giggle. “Harley, Harley, Harley,” Eleanor sings sweetly, making Danielle burst out into a new round of laughter. “Does the name Vin ring any bells?” Perrie's sweet voice sounds evil as it wraps around Vin's name. My eyes widen and Harley's cheeks redden. “Hm, thought so,” Eleanor shrieks with laughter and Danielle nearly falls off the bed with her gasps for air. “Wait, Vin? Vin...like, Vincent?” I look around the room for some kind of confirmation and Eleanor giggles sweetly. “Oh, you didn't know about the little hook-up? Ah, yes. Let's put it in simple terms, shall we?” She clears her throat and stands up. “Me? Louis. Perrie? Zayn. Danielle? Liam. You? Niall. Harley? Vin.” My mouth pops open and Eleanor collapses in laughter, but I ignore it and turn to Harley. “Tell me this is a joke,” I breathe but she just looks away. “Are you fucking mental?” I shriek, running over to the desk so that I can scream in her ear. Immediately, she's standing up and frowning. “I'm a grown woman!” “Yeah, a stupid one at that! You watched me get fucking taken out of my new home and put into some fucking psycho's mansion because I, what, was seen by him? What sense did it make for you to go and fucking hookup with one of his best friends? Were you trying to get taken too, you fucking idiot-” “He's not like Niall! He's not as ruthless, he has a heart!” She screams and anger floods my cheeks and wets my eyes. “Don't-” “He has a soul!” She shouts in my face, her own eyes dripping; I can't tell if she's trying to convince me or herself but by insinuating that Niall is missing a heart and soul, she's fucking ruining me right now. “He's a good man that does bad things but-” “Fuck you, I hope you learn your fucking lesson. I never asked for this to happen to me, you watched it get forced upon me and then walked right into your own fucking trap willingly-” “He's different!” “Oh, Emily, leave her be,” Perrie snickers, taking my attention off of Harley. I turn to look at her and shake my head, wiping my eyes and sitting back down in my rocker. “She'll learn soon enough that Vin doesn't do love or relationships. He's different, Harley?” She grunts in amusement and shakes her blonde head as she watches my fellow-American silently break down and collapse into the chair, sobbing like a broken child. “He's only different in that he doesn't want to be different. He's perfectly fine being the cliched bad boy, isn't he? He doesn't care and he never will.” I watch the interaction and feel for Harley but I say nothing. I won't stand up to them like she did for me because I'm too stunned to even speak at all. Niall does have a heart. It might be deeper within his body than most people's but it's there; I know it is. It might not be so visible when he smacks me or when he manhandles me; it's not visible when he curses at me or degrades me. But it's there when he comforts me, when he whispers sweet things and promises of safety and protection in my ear. It's there when he takes out any threat to me simply because he can and he wants to. It's there when he looks at me. Niall does have a soul. I can't prove it; I would love to, but I can't. All I can do is hope on that part. And Vin is very different. If he wasn't part of the gang, I would encourage Harley to not only hookup with him but also date and hold on to him. He's a funny guy that protects what he cares about and his admiration for her is clear. But another thing that's clear is how dangerous being associated with...being linked to these men, these Slires really is. I'm not upset about Vin, I'm upset that Harley willingly, and stupidly, put herself into this life while I've been trying to cook up a fucking way to escape. “Girls,” the door opens and Cory struts through, grinning, “anybody fancy making up some lunch?” “I will,” I jump up and he raises his eyebrows at my immediate response. I need to get out of this tiny ass room, I need to get away from these girls for a bit. I can't stare at Harley, I can't listen to the nonsense coming out of the psychos, I don't even want to talk to Abby and Penny about the classes I should already be in. Instead, I follow Cory down the stairs and into the kitchen area. “Make sure whatever you make is enough to feed us all at least twice,” he says with a smile then moves to sit on the stairs, strategically placing himself directly in the middle of me and the rest of the girls. “So...there's people in the basement?” I ask as I begin to look through the cabinets to see what kind of food and ingredients they have stocked up in here. Cory laughs and starts to drum a simple beat on the wooden stairs near his hands. “Something like that, yeah,” he answers. “How was the drive here?” “I slept,” I snort, pulling out some potatoes and a bag of rice. Maybe I can find some corn and we can have a starch party. “I figured you would,” he snorts. “You saw the house go up?” “Go up?” I ask while boiling the water for the potatoes. Mashed potatoes, steak, and corn it is. “In flames,” he clarifies and I stiffen. “I still don't see the point in that. If he doesn't have to obey the authorities then why-” “Anytime someone tries to go against us, we just assume they've located his home and he needs to relocate. That's all,” he shrugs and I nod slowly. “It's partially the authorities but also partially a precaution.” “Oh,” I say dumbly, getting out two heads of lettuce and some other vegetables for a salad. “Were you there?” “At the house?” “The deal.” “Oh, so you heard?” I nod but I don't turn to look at him. He laughs and then sighs. “Yeah, I was there. Liam was told some false shit but that's okay. We cut the source and the rebels.” “You...cut them?” “Cut...took them out...took care of them...killed them, Jesus, I thought you were smart?” I swallow back the bile rising in my throat and continue to make up the large lunch. “So you heard about my brother and the bird?” “Harley,” I say firmly, “her name is Harley.” “Yeah, Harley, whatever. You heard?” “Yes, Cory,” even I can hear the impatience in my voice, “I heard.” “Nice, ain't it? Vin's been looking to settle for a while, who would have thought Horan's bird would be the path to his own?” “I had nothing to do with it!” I protest and Cory laughs. “Maybe you did, maybe you didn't, who cares? What matters is that they're both happy.” “Yeah, for now,” I grumble, jumping when the front door bangs open. In a flash, Cory is up and facing the front door, gun drawn in hand and pointed at the intruder. “Oi, relax!” Sam protests and Cory huffs, locking the gun and tucking it into his back waistband. “You fucking stupid? I could have shot you!” Sam shrugs and makes a face, coming towards me to inspect what I have going on the stove. “Sorry,” he mutters, looking me over. “You look tired as shit, why are you cooking?” I shrug and he looks to Cory. “You made her cook?” “She volunteered! What's the perimeter like?” Sam shrugs. “Quiet and empty as usual. No one knows this house,” he grabs an apple from the fruit bowl and noisily bites into it. “Where's Niall?” “Greenhouse,” Cory snickers and Sam shakes his head. Cory frowns and then looks at me with furrowed eyebrows. “They really lied when they told me you were smart, you know that?” “How could I know that, Cory, I'm not smart, remember?” Cory huffs and Sam laughs into his apple. “No, but you're a smartass, yeah? Look, anytime a situation like that happens...anytime someone busts into a house or a room and you see me or any of the guys jump out and fucking pull a gun, how about you hit the floor and protect yourself, yeah?” I stare at him dumbly and nod, realizing that if it hadn't have been Sam and if it was a real intruder, I was an easy target. “You live in a dangerous world now, princess, let's be careful, yeah?” I nod again and Sam tosses his apple core into the trash. “Where are the girls?” “Upstairs,” Cory mutters, sitting on the steps again while I turn back to the stove and Sam pulls himself up to sit on the counter. “Niall is pissed,” he sighs, running a hand through his hair, “he'll be in soon enough.” “How do you know?” I ask softly and he grunts. “When he's this mad he doesn't make questioning last too long. They'll all be dead soon enough if not already.” “Jesus Christ,” I mutter into the steak. “Someone's coming up,” Cory declares, making me turn around just in time to see Zayn come through a door near the living room. “Fucking cunts,” he snarls bitterly, storming towards the fridge and ripping it open so he can grab a beer. “You know one had the nerve to spit at me,” he grunts, “kicked every fucking tooth out.” I look at Sam with wide eyes but the blonde is just shaking his head. “Did you get anything out of him?” “They all sang like fucking canaries,” he huffs. “The boys are downstairs now. They're gonna take the bodies out to the hills, burn them I suppose.” Sam shudders and makes a face of disgust. “Fucking gross. The worst part about being up here is that recruits aren't around to do the nasty shit,” he says lowly, making Zayn huff in agreement. “Yeah, you're telling me, aye? Look at my fucking jeans! Splattered like paint,” he gestures to his pants and shakes his head. “Perrie's gonna have a fit when she has to do the washing.” Sam laughs and shakes his head. “Mate, when does she ever not have a fit, yeah?” The boys all laugh but I pretend to not have heard the comment. “And look at you,” I look over my shoulder and see Zayn moving closer to me, eyes trained on the food. “Aren't you just a natural,” he snickers. “Who let you out of the cage?” “I'm making you food, let's keep the jokes put away, hm?” “Feisty, feisty,” he chuckles. “Where's my bird?” “In the cage,” I giggle and he rolls his eyes, joining Cory on the stairs. “So what'd you learn?” Cory asks, making Zayn shake his head. “Nothing we didn't already suspect. Niall's gonna be pissed with the confirmation, though.” “Fuck, he'll demand double the deal and triple for their lives to be spared,” Cory snickers and Sam jumps off the counter. “He's coming now,” I turn and follow his line of vision towards a window that faces the front property. Sure enough, Niall and Harry are strolling back to the house, both shirtless. “The fuck were they doing?” I mumble and Sam snickers. “Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to, love.” Niall kicks the front door open and swiftly moves to the kitchen sink. He runs the water and immediately begins scrubbing his hands and arms and even splashes water on his face and bare torso, wetting the lines of definition and coarse strands of hair that lay across his chest and navel. “Where's your shirt?” I ask quietly, squealing when he whips around and splashes me with water, his hand wrapping around my throat. The whole room is deathly quiet while Niall brings our faces close together, his fingers pressing into my skin. “What the fuck did I tell you about your fucking questions?” He grits out from between clenched teeth. My hands jump into action, clawing at his hand and wrist, unsuccessfully trying to get him to release me. “I...sorry, I didn't...I forgot,” I gasp, my nails scraping his skin until he finally shoves me away from him and resumes scrubbing his hands and forearms. I don't look at the others, I simply go back to cooking. “I got the info we were looking for,” Zayn says after a few beats of silence. Niall shuts off the water and snatches the towel from the oven handle, not even bothering to move me out of the way as he reaches between my hips and the oven. He dries his hands and arms as Zayn begins to speak about a man trying to swindle them for an outrageous amount of money. I don't look at Niall for a reaction but I see Sam moving to stand closer to me from the corner of my eye. “Fucking cunt,” Niall spits out, “we'll...” His voice trails off. “We...” I look over my shoulder and bite my lip. “N-Niall?” His head snaps to the side, his navy eyes meeting mine in a stone cold glare. I swallow harshly and clench my jaw but take a deep breath and steel myself for my words. “Can I...suggest something?” He looks at me then looks at the others and shakes his head. “No,” he says curtly. “I want him strung up and-” “Make him a lesson,” I say boldly, stopping him in his tracks. Niall slowly turns around until we are face to face, forcing me to take another deep, calming breath. “You...you have to make sure nobody else pulls this shit again. Somewhere along the line somebody told somebody else that they could get away with duping you,” I shrug, “wherever they got the idea from, you need to show them that they can't just...fuck with you.” “I'm listening,” he nods, his eyes boring into mine. The others don't speak but I know they're as stunned as I am. “I think you need to make him an example. Not only will you take ten times as much as he tried to take from you, but him and everyone that worked for him, will be dead. This...it's one of those problems you have to nip in the bud. You have to go hard or go home; if you don't handle this correctly, people aren't going to fear the consequences of crossing you in the long run. You can't just let this be a usual punishment. This has to be big.” He nods slowly. “I was just going to leave it at his death but...I like how you're thinking. Everyone associated with him needs to die first, his gang, his loyal members, his friends, his workers...then his family. He'll be saved for last and by then, he'll have been asking for help all around. Everyone will know why he's being tortured and we won't have to be the ones to explain it,” he smirks but notices my frown. “What? What's wrong?” “I didn't mean his family, just-” “Just people that work for him or were involved? No, babe, that's not how it works. He hit me where it hurts the most: my pocket and my gang. He took in Jesse, forgot about that? So now he's gonna take a blow where it hurts him the most.” I'm not sure if the others caught his hidden meaning but I nod, understanding what lies between the lines. He came after my family, now I'm taking out his.

[unreal-nh-ff]

Chapter Nine

"He's dead, sir," one of the men say as they stand before Niall and me. I shift my eyes across the men, noting their nervousness and their awkward stances. They look terrified and unsure of themselves. "Where's the body?" Niall says without much thought. His hand is swirling his glass in tight circles, mixing the strong liquid. "Out back," another voice answers. Niall's head snaps to him and a cold smile spreads across his lips. "Wonderful." He stands up and yanks a phone from his pocket, quickly tapping on the screen before bringing it to his ear. The men all visibly gulp and some break out into heavy sweats. "Lee, I need you to check the back. Tell me what you see." He's still smiling that cold smile as he regards the men. "Dead?" He says and then laughs, nodding. "Dispose of him." He quickly ends the call and shoves the phone back into his pants. "Very good, very good," he murmurs to the group of men before him. "I'm happy that you all are a bunch of disloyal dickheads." I gasp and my eyes widen as I watch the men begin to tremble. "You cunts don't expect me to take you in, now do you?" He laughs mirthlessly and shakes his head. "Oi, Niall, the fuck is this?" My head jerks up at the sound of Sam. I watch as Sam, Sean, and Derek all come forth, eyes shining with excitement and mouths spread into wild, wide smiles. "Just the boys I was looking for," Niall jokes amiably, deciding to ignore the men. "Have them line up," Niall says as the three come closer to us, all nodding my way as a form of greeting. I send shaky smiles their way, ignoring Sean's gaze, as I listen to Niall's words. "What do you us to do with them?" Derek asks, glancing over his shoulder at the men. "I want them to spill everything they know...I'll send you instructions for what to do after that." Sam laughs and shakes his head, offering me a hand and yanking me to my feet while Niall wraps an arm around my waist. "Alright, lads, I'm taking Em to dinner, don't make too much of a mess, yeah?" He laughs and pulls me towards the exit. I don't speak until we are seated in the car that drove us here. "W-what's going to happen to them?" I whisper as I stare out of the windshield stoically. "They're going to tell us what we need to know and then they're going to die," he shrugs and I gasp, turning to look at him sharply. "You're gonna kill them all?" I breathe and he shrugs. "Not personally but, effectively, yes." "B-but...they're...they're helping you, Niall, why would you-" I squeak as his hand comes into harsh contact with the steering wheel. "Goddamn it, Emily! I told you to stay out of my business!" He growls and I gulp, subtly shifting in my seat so that my shoulder is pressed against the passenger side door, my body as far away from his as possible. He glances at me and sighs. "They're not helping me because they want to," he finally says slowly, "they're helping me because they have to." He runs a hand through his blonde hair and shrugs. "I can't just let them live, word will get around." "But wouldn't that be good for your gang? I mean...wouldn't you have higher numbers if-" "Stop," he growls, his hand tugging at the strands of hair on his head. "I don't like you talking about this," he huffs then shakes his head. "I can't take them in, they're not loyal. They're dishonest. You don't just become a fucking Slire because you want to or because I make you, you become a Slire because you prove yourself...and killing your former leader because you're scared? No, that's not proving yourself." He glances at me and his shoulders sag with the effort of trying to explain things to me. "You should protect and stand by your leaders no matter what. Loyalty is what it all boils down to and I don't want shit to do with scum bags that would kill me just as soon as they thought someone more powerful came along." "I-" "Enough!" He shouts, "Stop fucking talking about this shit, it's none of your fucking concern so shut up about it. You don't have to worry about any of this, okay-" "I just want to understand you better," I confess and he grunts in acknowledgement. "Another time, Emily," he finally says as he parks the car in front of a Greek restaurant. "Why...why would you bring me here after-" "Consider it a sort of mourning. Now let's go," my jaw drops open as he laughs and opens my door for me. ... "Good," Niall grunts as we pull up to the house, our stomachs full and our bodies tired. "Good, take care of that." I glance at him and wonder how much stress lies on his shoulders. His title of 'most powerful man' keeps getting mentioned but what about his duties? How many times does he have to answer the phone and make a chief decision? How many times does he have to make a decision that can jeopardize everyone and everything around him? He glances at me and sends a reassuring smile my way before climbing out and coming around to my side of the car to release me. He grabs my hand and tugs me to the door, letting us in before slamming it quickly behind himself. "Alright, well, kill them all...nope. I don't want a single soul of that group," he mutters, glancing over at me and nodding his head at the couch. I move slowly, still aware of the tension in my thighs and the slight, dulled pain in my core. I sit down and quickly grab the remote, turning on the TV while Niall finishes his conversation on the phone. "Right. Okay. Bring the girls over whenever," he sighs then hangs up and tosses himself onto the couch beside me, his head landing in my lap. I tense as he adjusts himself, moving so that he is laying on his back, his arms crossed over his chest, straining against his professional clothing. His face is turned towards the ceiling and, thus, towards me but his eyes are closed, his eyebrows furrowed. I don't know why and I don't know how but I can feel his hair tickling my palm as my fingers begin to comb through the thick hair on his head. He doesn't open his eyes but a small smile climbs onto his lips as my nails scratch his scalp softly. "Are you okay?" He asks softly, his voice thick with fatigue or stress or maybe both. "I...I'm...it's a lot to take in," I finally whisper, my free hand moving to rest on his stomach while my eyes trace over his features. His nose scrunched up and he sighs, the hot, minty air washing over my face. "Then don't fucking take it in. It's none of your concern," he says for the umpteenth time. I sigh and my fingers halt their soothing motions, my hand withdrawing from his hair. In a flash, his hand whips up to grab my wrist before he shoves my hand back into his hair. "That felt good," is all he says so I sigh and continue to do it. This whole cooperation thing isn't as hard as I thought it would be but it definitely requires patience. "I don't understand why I'm here," I whisper after a few moments of silence. Niall doesn't respond so I tear my eyes away from the TV to glance down at him. I gasp as my eyes make contact with his cold, navy glare. "What don't you understand?" He finally asks, his lips barely moving. "I just...I don't know you and you clearly don't like me and-" "Listen," he snarls, sitting up suddenly and yanking me over so that I'm straddling his lap, my tight dress immediately snapping up and over my hips when my thighs separate. "Niall!" I shriek as one of his large hands cups my hip and the other grips my chin, jerking my face so that our eyes can't meet again. "I don't care what you think, I don't care how you feel, I don't care what you don't understand...all you need to know is that you're mine. End of." "B-" He cuts off my protests with a fierce meeting of our mouths, our lips pressed together tightly while he forces them to move by opening his mouth over and over. "Stop fighting it," he grunts against my mouth as his hand leaved my face to grip waist. I gasp as he rocks his hips upward, his hardened crotch rubbing against the center of my panties. "I just-" "Shut up," he grunts, his hand leaving my hip to fist itself in my hair and yank my skull forward so that his tongue can invade my mouth. I gasp as the skilled muscle caresses my own before drawing erotic patterns against the roof of my mouth, making a moan erupt from within me. His lips curve upwards at the ends and I can't help but smile along as my own hands find purchase on his broad shoulders, my fingers feeling the crisp material of his shirt. "This dress looked even better on you than I thought," he murmurs, his mouth sponging kisses down my chin and along my jaw, all the way back to behind my ear and then down my neck and across to my throat. "I-" "Shut up," he grunts again, his teeth latching onto my sensitive skin as a sort of punishment for talking. I squeal a bit and my hips arch against his of their own accord while my fingers grasp the dress shirt. His hands slide down to the hem of my dress, which is resting above my hips. "We're taking this off now," he mutters, yanking it up. I don't put up a fight as he rips it over my head and tosses it across the room. "Fuck, Emily, you're so beautiful," he whispers, his eyes drinking in the lacy white bra and panties that I had picked out this morning. "Tha-" his mouth jerks up to cover my own, his kisses swallowing my words of thanks while my body heats up, my pelvis grinding roughly against his while his hands stroke my sides. "You don't get it do you?" He snarls, pulling his mouth away from mine so that he can kiss along my bare shoulders and suck my protruding collarbones, earning loud squeals and throaty moans. "Unless you're saying my name, I don't wanna hear you talking." I moan as his teeth lightly latch onto one of my collarbones before he pulls away, his fingers moving in between us so that he can undo the many buttons on his shirt. My hands slide off of his shoulders and I shove his calloused fingers away while my own digits begin to make quick work of the shirt, Niall's gaze on me the entire time. When I finally get the material undone, he wastes no time in shrugging it off of his shoulders and tossing it to join my dress on the floor. My eyes drink in the tanned, toned torso before me while my fingertips explore the solid skin. My mouth goes dry but I gulp anyway, my eyes tracing his beautiful form in the daylight. "Em," he groans as my hands slide over his chest, my nails pricking his nipples while I move lower and down to his abs. "I can't wait," he grunts impatiently before lifting his hips a bit and unbuttoning his pants so he can shove them and his boxers down quickly. I gasp when his enlarged length springs free, moving to smack against his lower belly. My eyes go wide and my heart is pounding in my chest but I don't stop. What the fuck am I doing? My hands move up my sides, caressing my ribs before darting behind my back and under my heavy mane of hair so that I can unlatch the hooks of my bra. His blue eyes bore into my skin as he stares at my breasts, awaiting their release. As soon as the bra is on the floor, Niall's hands grip my ribcage, his fingers wrapping around my thin body and digging into my back as he yanks me forward, his mouth open and ready for my nipple. I scream out and my hips buck against his naked erection as his tongue swishes back and forth across my hardened peak all while his hot mouth sucks away at my breast. One of my hands wraps around the base of his neck, my fingers disappearing into his hair while my other hand grips his shoulder and digs my nails into his back. "Fuck, Niall," I breathe and he pulls away, moving his face to my other beast while my hips continue to rock against his. My center is still clothed but the rough lace has parted my nether lips and I can feel the scratchy material rubbing roughly against my clit, sending shocks aves of pleasure through my body while Niall works away at my chest. "I thought you were sore?" Niall grunts, his hands squeezing my ribs while his teeth lightly pull on the swell of my breast. I don't answer but I do throw my head back, my long hair tickling my ass and probably touching Niall's knees. "Answer me, Emily," Niall grunts, pulling away from my breasts to look me in the eye. "I don't feel it at the moment!" I grunt impatiently, tightening my hold on his hair and shoving his head back to my boobs, making him laugh. "Alright, alright," he grunts and quickly sucks a nipple straight back into his mouth, letting his tongue play with the tip while his teeth graze the tender area around it. I gasp and scratch along his shoulder as my hips work hurriedly against his hardness. He lets out a hiss, his hands lowering from my ribs to my hips, slowing my rocking to a sensual grind. "I can feel how soaked you are through your panties," he slurs, drunk off of lust, "you're dripping straight through and right onto my cock," he moans, lifting his hips so that the said cock can press tightly against my core. "Look at how wet you are, he groans, resting his forehead on my shoulder while his hands continue to grind my body against his, "look at how wet I got you," he snickers before letting out a huff of air. My breaths are loud and heavy and my mind is screaming the nastiest words at me but I can't seem to control myself as I yank my hand away from his shoulder and shove it down to his erection, my fingers quickly wrapping around his length and pumping it roughly, earning a hissing sound from the man I fear the most. "Don't," he grunts, grabbing my wrist and throwing it roughly to the side. My mouth falls open to let through the heavy air that is my breathing while Niall's hands slip into the sides of my panties and he quickly rips through the fabric, tossing it aside. A loud shout leaves my lips while Niall whispers every curse word I've ever heard and then some as our naked flesh meets. I doubt Niall was lying before when he said he could feel me through my panties because as my center slides along his length, much like a hotdog I suppose, the wetness is slick and plentiful. It's hard to keep up with the slick movements, there is too much moisture for our moves to be perfect and concise, we are sliding around but that just makes it all the more pleasurable. "Fuck, who made you this wet?" Niall breathes, his teeth sinking into my shoulder, making me scream. "I-" "Answer the fucking question," he growls, a hand moving from my hip to pinch my nipple roughly while his head bumps the tip of my clit harshly. Tears of pleasure leak from the corners of my eyes but I say nothing as he continues his assault. "Emily!" He snaps, his teeth claiming my neck so his mouth can suck harshly, surely leaving a nasty bruise for the world to see. "You! Fuck, Niall! Yes, you," I shriek as my hands move to cup his shoulders, aiding me in my sliding against him. "Yeah, I thought so," he grunts, his Irish accent sounding incredibly irresistible. "You're gonna ride me now," he informs me as he lifts me up with his hands on my hips. I, surprisingly, aid him in the movement by extending my knees and holding myself suspended above him. I glance down and moan at the sight of his dripping erection, knowing that every bit of that slick substance that coats his skin is from my leaking center. His hand darts down and he moans as he traces my entrance with the tip of his head before softly pushing it in. "Fuck," I breath, my eyes squeezing shut while my nails sink into the skin of his shoulders. He hisses from the mix of pleasure and pain and quickly places his hands on my hips. "You good?" He asks throatily. I bite my lip and take a deep breath as the dull ache from earlier makes itself known once again. Pleasure, however, is outweighing the pain so I nod and slowly lower my legs, sinking onto him and holding in my screams as he fills me up to the brim. "Jesus Christ," he slurs, his gritty tone and desperate sound sending tingles through my body as I find myself fully seated on him. "Now again," he instructs and I nod, moving my face to his and pressing my lips to his chin as I raise up and lower myself again. "Niall," I whimper as my lower belly begins to clench already. I suppose foreplay really is a girl's best friend. "Shh...shh..." He soothes, his eyes are clenched tight and his eyebrows are furrowing and forehead beginning to bead up in sweat as he feels me starting to tighten around him. "Fuck, that was fast," he snickers, snaking a hand between us to flick at my sensitive button. "Fuck! Niall!" I shriek as my hips lose their slow pattern and immediately start to buck and grind against him. "That's it," he grunts, opening his eyes and glaring straight at me. "Fuck," he huffs as my walls tighten, tighten, tighten and then crash. I mindlessly scream his name over and over again as my nails claw his back and my back arches my body away from him. He keeps one of his hands firmly planted on the middle of my back, not letting me stray too far away from his body, and keep the other hand between us so that he can keep his thumb firmly pressed against my nub. "There it is, princess," he mutters, starting to thrust his hips upward and into me, continuing to pound me and therefore make me bounce along for the ride. "You look so beautiful riding my dick," he snarls, his thumb starting to move in sloppy circles. "Niall!" I shriek as my hips start to grind against his bucking ones, my hands slipping along his sweaty shoulders. "Fuck, I'm gonna-" "One more time for me," he grunts as his hips piston back and forth, making my breasts jump up and down against my chest. "Fuck," he murmurs, eyes on the lurching flesh of my boobs. I move one hand off of his sweaty shoulder to cup the back of his neck and yank his face to mine so I can shove my tongue in his mouth. He growls low in his throat and the sound has my stomach tightening for the second time. "You like this? You like riding me?" He grunts into my mouth as my teeth latch onto his lower lip, pulling it teasingly before releasing it so that I can suck along his jawline. "Let's go, Emily, I want you to cum right now," he grunts and I gasp, my back arching and breaking our kiss. His mouth immediately latches onto the nearest breast and I shriek as my body tightens like a coil wound too tight. "Now!" He shouts against my skin, nipping at my nipple, "Right now!" The rough command and touch combined with his pounding hips and thumb movements against my clit brings me to my second orgasm, the waves crashing over me, forcing fluid to gush out of my entrance and dribble along Niall's hardness as I continue to bounce along his length, bringing him to his own explosion. "Niall, oh my fuck," I moan, my legs starting to cramp up. "Fuck," he moans before stilling his hips, his whole body tensing and his eyes locking to mine as he swells and quickly explodes, his lust splashing along my inner walls and the hot liquid causing shudders of comfort and pleasure to wrack through my body. "That's the craic," he laughs, slowly lifting me up and sliding out of me with a wet pop, making me laugh. His head snaps up and his eyes find me, his blue irises turning a lighter shade as they sparkle with his smile. "I'm gonna be so sore tomorrow," I huff as he lays me down on the couch and picks up his dress shirt to wipe off his slowly softening length before moving to sit between my legs sideways. One of my legs is behind his back and the other is on his lap as he uses his shirt to wipe at the wetness between my swollen and sensitive folds. "I'll take care of you," he mutters, leaning over and placing a kiss on the nearest patch of skin he can reach, which happens to be right above my belly button. I don't say anything but watch as he gets up and collects our clothes from the floor before dumping them on my stomach. "Take these upstairs?" He asks sweetly and I snort, rolling my eyes as I stand up. "Can you do it without the attitude?" He snaps and I nod jerkily, surprised by his sudden change in mood. I quickly gather the items and move to leave the room on unsteady, shaky legs but his voice stops me once again. "Em?" "Yeah?" I mutter, spinning to face him and hoping he won't comment on my nudity. I don't want him to embarrass me any further. Obviously all I'm worth to him is a fuck and some chores. "You're wrong," he says as he shucks on his boxers before sitting back onto the couch. "What?" I mutter, my eyes trailing over his torso greedily, my pupils dilating at the sight of his light brown happy trail while my thighs start to tremble. "About me not liking you," he says quickly, eyes trained on the TV. "I care way more than you think." He says softly, the tone scaring me more than his usual mean one. I nod, unsure of what to do now. He must notice because his eyes snap to me and he frowns. "Why the fuck are you still here? Take that shit upstairs," he grunts before going back to watching TV. I bite my lip to hold back my smile but quickly nod and resume my trek back to his room.

[unreal-nh-ff]

Chapter Eight

"You look stunning," Niall beams as he watches me walk into the kitchen. I nod my thanks and focus on not making any noise to voice my discomfort. My thighs are burning with the exertion of the tired muscles and my aching lady bits hate every fiber of my being for actually moving. "Sam should be here soon," Niall mutters before moving to the fridge and cracking open a beer. "What's wrong with you?" His blue eyes trace my form, staring at my body in the slinky pink dress that, while it has thick straps to hug my shoulders, my boobs are spilling out of. The banana neckline is doing nothing to add me and the bandage dress accentuates my ass in an embarrassing manner, forcing the already short material to end at the tops of my thighs, barely hiding my modesty. "What time is it?" I ask softly, staring at his beer with hungry eyes. What I wouldn't give to be drunk right now; maybe it would make looking like a prostitute a lot less degrading. Or not. "Noon," he brings the beer to his lips, slurping obnoxiously before finally registering my gaze on his beverage. His eyes narrow but before he can comment, I'm already speaking. "It's not even two and I'm dressed like a street walker?" I huff, crossing my arms, thus bringing his attention to my beasts. The blue irises darken a bit and his eyelids lower, causing his face to turn into a mask of lust. "You'll dress how I want you to dress," he says finally before he brings the beer back to his mouth to finish off the liquid in a few short gulps. "If you wanted a fucking Barbie-" "I wanted you," he snarls, slamming the glass bottle onto the island's surface, his eyes glaring into mine, "and that's exactly what I fucking got." I huff and march my nude heels to the fridge; stupid Irishman had no sort of comfort wear. There weren't any sandals, no flats, not even slippers; the only female footwear at the bottom of his closet was a short row of expensive pumps. "I'm just saying-" "Well don't say," Niall snaps before I can finish my sentence. Remembering my plan to behave, I close my eyes and inhale deeply through my nose before I open the fridge to grab myself a beer. "What the fuck are you doing?" Niall snaps, jerking the cold bottle from my fingers. I spin around, ready to respond but he's already drinking from it. "It's not even two and you're drinking?" He snickers playfully and shakes his head, "Be a lady, Emily." My lips part in disbelief as his free hand tangles into my hair. "What kind of meeting do you have to go to in the middle of the afternoon?" I huff and Niall laughs, releasing his hold on my hair and moving to sit at the island and watch me intently. I turn and grab a soda from the fridge before I join him in awaiting his cousin. "I already told you not to involve yourself in my business," he grunts in a husky voice, his eyes staring into his bottle's mouth. "But you're involving me! You're bringing me-" "Emily," he huffs, making me pause to look up at him. He smiles softly before shaking his head. "Shut the fuck up before I do something you'll regret." My eyebrows furrow and I scoff in response, crossing my arms over my chest again. "How can I regret your actions?" His raspy laugh fills the air and he shakes his head again. "You'll regret making me do them," is all he says before Sam strolls through the doorway, smiling at us. "Ready to do work, coz?" He laughs as he throws a muscled arm around Niall's shoulders. Unlike Niall, Sam is dressed casually; his cargo shorts and loose gray tank top look more suited for a day in the park or hanging out than a supposed business meeting. "Always," Niall grunts, topping off the beer before standing up. "Emily. Come." He barks and I nod, gulping my soda to fill up my empty tummy before I stand up and follow the pair of blondes, grabbing Niall's outstretched hand. "Have you talked to Peterson?" Sam asks as he climbs into the front seat of a silver Range Rover. Niall moves to the backseat, opening the door and motioning for me to climb in with a nod of his head. Wordlessly, I do so. He slams the door behind me and puts himself in the passenger seat, leaving me to sit alone like the awkward turtle I was born as. "He's been ringing me all day," Niall groans and Sam laughs, starting up the monstrous vehicle. "Yeah, but have you talked was the question," he says and Niall grunts. "No. Jameson was at my bedroom door this morning, though...nearly put a bullet through his brain. What gave him the idea that it was okay to wake me up?" He huffs and again Sam laughs. "What did he want?" "To talk about the exchange last night. Emily was sleeping and naked, he must have been fucking roasted to think he was coming anywhere near her," his cheery, distant tone quickly darkens to a growl as he speaks of me, making my body break into a small sweat and my hands fidget with the extremely short hem of my dress, my fingers pulling at the material to cover more of my thighs. "What a fucker!" Sam laughs, "I can't wait until we deal with Stavros," he says after a moment of silent driving. "Once that Greek cunt is dead we can get rid of all the annoying little fucks," my whole body tenses as the normally happy, jovial Sam talks about disposing of men as if talking about disposing of tissue. "Can't wait," Niall confesses before sighing and snuggling into the back of his seat. "Em? You okay, princess?" I swallow and cough, choking on the spit as I try to breathe. "Wh-yeah! Yeah, I'm just...fine." I want to punch myself in the throat for my inability to fucking speak under pressure. "I like your dress," Sam says offhandedly and I nod, unsure and uncaring if he can see. "Anyways, Ni, new shipment coming in tomorrow morning, first thing soon as the sun is up." "And who's on that?" Niall seems less excited about the 'shipment' than Sam but a small trace of concern is in his voice. "Well, Haz and Zayn are on clock." "I want Liam there, too," Niall says suddenly, as if remembering something. "From Punich, right?" "Yeah," Sam laughs and I'm confused once again. It's like they're talking in some sort of clipped code. It's difficult to keep up and understand the conversation. "Right...last time we dealt with Punich he put a bullet through a rookie. I want you to tell Haz, Zayn, and Liam that Punich so much as makes a sudden move, he's dead. Got it?" "That's the craic," Sam laughs, tapping the top of the steering wheel affectionately. "I'm going up north for Jonivich," he sighs, "I'm taking Louis and Liam with me so that means-" "The girls are at mine, I know, I know," Niall grumbles, sounding supremely annoyed. My eyebrows furrow and I finally give up listening to their conversation. Nothing makes sense and it's all just a jungle gym of exotic-sounding names and random mentions of other men in Niall's circle of friends. I have no idea what any of this means and, to be perfectly frank, I'm not sure I care to know, either. The vehicle pulls up alongside the sidewalk, parking directly under a 'No Parking' sign. "Alright, here's your stop," Sam announces as Niall climbs out and opens my door for me, holding an arm out to help me down. I gratefully hold onto him, scared of toppling over in these heels. "Circle 'round back," Niall mutters and Sam nods before speeding off, his tires screaming as he disappears down the corner. "We have some rules to go over, princess." "What?" I breathe as I stare up at him. He purses his lips and a dark cloud seems to wash over the pureness of his blue eyes. "As soon as we get inside, you're to keep your mouth shut. You don't speak unless I speak to you. Period. I don't care if it is rude and I don't care if you're asked a question. If I'm not speaking to you, then you're not speaking at all. Got it?" "Yeah-" "You're not to leave my side. We're going to meet with a very dangerous man and he will kill anything that means something to me the moment he realizes I have a weakness. All he wants is power and power is all I have but...I need him for the time being so I'm keeping a truce...for now...still. I want my arm around you at all times. Don't walk away from me. Don't let your guard down." "But I-" "Don't disobey me, either. You're going to do exactly what I say or motion for you to do and you're gonna do it without complaint. If you misbehave, I'm going to have to punish you then and there. I can't have him thinking I'm going soft for you and I can't have you thinking you can disobey me in front of others." "I just-" "Best behavior, Emily, I mean it-" "I will, I-" "Promise me." "I promise," I whisper, glad that he's finally letting me speak. "But who-" "Good. Now. If you're well behaved here, you'll get a nice reward when we get home," he says sweetly before pulling me towards a building, turning our backs to the street. A sudden fear shakes me and I grab onto Niall's chest as I try to remain calm. "W-we...are we here alone?" I whimper as Niall's arm wraps around my waist and he leads me towards a double-door entry at the front of a close-by brick building. "I'm never alone," Niall whispers into my hair, reassuring me as he pulls me inside the doors, darkness surrounding us before an immense amount of light snaps on and blinds me. "Horan!" A tan man in an all-white outfit consisting of a peasant top and slacks approaches us. His black hair is frizzy and curly but also short, cut close to his scalp. "Stavros," Niall greets tersely, his hand squeezing my hip. "Who's this?" "We have work to do," Niall grunts and the man smiles, his beady black eyes staring into mine for a moment before a wide smile spreads across his face and he spins around, motioning for us to follow him. "Of course, of course. Tell me, any of your men docked?" "That's not what we're here about," Niall says cooly as we walk into a dimly lit room filled with couches. A large table with a nice array of alcohol rests before us. Niall sits us down on a plush couch while the man, Stavros, pours wine in a glass. "Just trying to make conversation-" "I'm not here for fucking conversation, Stavros, don't waste my time," his voice is gritty and his body is tense beside mine. My breathing deepens into gasps as my body begins to tremble in fear. "Alright, alright...don't suppose you'd want any wine?" "Stavros-" "What about the lady? At least let me be polite," the man grumbles and Niall sighs. "You're going to be dead if you don't fucking start talking." I close my eyes tightly and try to take comfort in the sweet, manly smell that is Niall however the musky scent of the room taints it. "We're all friends here, Horan," Stavros says with a smile. The three of us realize his mistake at the same time. "Wait, Niall-" "You were told to come alone," he growls as he shifts beside me. I don't open my eyes to see what's happening, I don't do anything. "I can't come alone to meet with the Niall Horan!" Stavros protests, sounding like he's borderline begging. "That's a death wish!" "No," Niall chuckles, "but crossing me is," and with that a loud bang sounds from nearby. I shriek as Stavros calls out through his pain. "Don't shoot him!" He shouts and Niall laughs. "You have no power, Stavros, your men would sooner shoot you than me." He snickers and Stavros groans. "Alright, boys, come on out." I hear shameful shuffling all around the dim room and, when I open my eyes, I gasp as about twelve men surround us. "Good, good," he murmurs. "Now I want you to take our good pal Stavros here and finish him off out back. Then I want someone to come on back in here and tell me exactly what he was supposed to." Stavros begins to weep, the pained sound making my heart break as my eyes take in his bleeding leg. "Horan, please!" He begs, "Have mercy! Have mercy," his thick Greek accent makes the whole scene more dramatic, more intense. "There's no such thing as mercy for cheats, Stavros, and that's exactly what you are." He turns to face the group of tanned men, all watching us sit. "Move!" He shouts and suddenly they're rushing forward, grabbing Stavros' writhing body and dragging him out of the room until Niall and I are all alone. He swiftly stands up and walks over to the table of alcohol with ease, eyeing the bottles with slight interest. "Those were your men, right?" I ask timidly; there is no way he willingly walked into a room knowing we were outnumbered. They could have easily killed us both. "How did you get your men in here?" I whimper softly, my voice echoing in the large, empty room. Niall smirks at me over his shoulder as he pours himself some bourbon. "They weren't my men," he says as he returns to the couch, his arm wrapping back around my body. "Did you want a drink?" I glare at the brown liquid and shake my head. "But...but why didn't they kill you?" He laughs and shakes his head, bringing my hand to his chest, applying pressure so that I feel the hard padding. A vest? "Your head isn't protected," I point out and he nods. "Nobody has the balls to so much as say a word against me to my face. Those men would kill themselves if I said so because...well, if they didn't, it'd be a lot worse for them." He kisses my temple and resumes drinking the alcohol. "But why not just get rid of you?" I whisper and he laughs softly, his chest moving our joined hands up and down. "I have a legacy, love. Even if I'm taken out, my empire will stand. The boys will look after it, do it well. They will avenge me...that's why no one dares to even try to kill us. One of us goes down and we hunt down whatever crew the assassin was part of, kill every relative of each member until we finally kill off each member in slow, torturous manners." I gasp and stare at him. "It'd be impossible to take down all of the guys at the same time and, like I said, if they were to take me out, they'd have the whole Slire population coming after them." "Slire?" I breathe, trying to process everything he's telling me. He kisses my head again, another laugh flowing from his lips. "Another time, love, the boys are back."

[unreal-nh-ff]

Chapter Seven

"I said get the fuck out," a husky voice growls, rousing me from sleep. I can feel the gentle tickle of my eyelids fluttering against my eyes before I finally peel them back and open my eyes, facing the ceiling. "B-but, sir, we have to discuss-" "We can discuss your fucking funeral if you're not out of my goddamn sight in five seconds," that Irish accent snarls, causing the stuttering, unknown man to gulp audibly. "I-" "Three seconds," I hear a huff and then the unmistakable sound of feet running down the hall. Niall chuckles, sounding genuinely pleased with himself before he slams the door and clicks the lock into place. His laughter is cut short by a sigh. "How long have you been up?" "A minute," I mutter, gasping in pain when I roll over onto my stomach without thinking. A searing heat flies through my centre, the sensitive area feeling torn and beaten and, well, I guess it is. "Fuck, Em, how are you feeling?" I shrug and bury my face into my pillow as silent tears begin to squeeze their way out of my eyes. "Hold on, babe, I'll get you something. Don't move," he says hurriedly. "Wasn't planning on it," I grunt, thinking he's long gone but a far off chuckle lets me know he heard. "I heard that!" He shouts without returning, confirming my thoughts. What seems like only a minute later, he's sitting beside me on the bed, his large hand stroking the exposed skin of my bare back. "Got you painkillers and some tea," he mutters before leaning over and pressing his lips to the back of my shoulder, his hand tossing my knotted hair to the side. "Who was at the door before?" I ask, ignoring his tender touches and his sweet offers. "No one, Emily, don't get involved in business," he says sternly. "Now come on, you have to take some medicine so you're not holed up all day. " "Maybe I wanna be holed up," I mumble into the pillow, expecting at least a sympathetic laugh from him. Instead, hot air brushes my ear and shivers run down my body. "Yeah, I can think of a few holes I'd like to be up, too," he whispers hoarsely before pulling away and standing up, "but we have shit to do so let's go!" He swats my ass and I groan as my body moves, the soreness and hot pain flashing through me again. "I don't wanna go anywhere," I whine as I spin around and sit up in the bed at the same time so that I'm leaning against the headboard, sniffling as my body throbs with the movement. "You broke my vagina," I whine and Niall laughs loudly before pressing a quick kiss to my lips. "Babe, I can assure you that I did not break anything that shouldn't have been broken." "Are you saying my vag was meant to be broken?" I snarl as my arms cross over my naked breasts, hiding them from his leering gaze. Again, loud laughter is my answer. I guess he's one of those good mood types the morning after. "No, baby, but your hymen was now stop talking, I'm losing patience," he says although his blue eyes remain clear and his pink lips are still upturned in a sweet smirk. I roll my eyes but accept the steaming mug from his hand. He pulls out two pills from his pocket and hands them to me and, wordlessly, I drink them. "What shit do we have to do today?" I sigh as I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, wincing at the furious pain. These meds better hurry the fuck up. "Well, I have a meeting to attend..." I glance up at Niall as I stand in all my glory. His eyes are not on me, but rather, glued to his phone. "And you're coming with me," he finishes, eyes flashing up to meet my own. "A m-meeting? Like, for...what, exactly?" He lifts a light eyebrow and frowns at my questioning. "Having sex with me doesn't give you sudden power, princess," he says randomly, blue eyes boring into my skull, "the only man with power on this planet...is me," he adds on before coming closer to stand before me. I look away from his intense gaze, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. His hand grips my chin and jerks my face to meet his eye contact. "Don't forget that, Emily...I'm the one with all the power," he whispers and I nod, my eyes wide. "All the power in the fucking world," he says so quietly I almost miss it as he spins around and leaves me standing naked alone. "Clothes are in the closet, call me if you need to be carried down!" He shouts as he leaves the room, shutting the door behind him and leaving me to my thoughts. It's not that I thought I had a new power or anything in this house; I knew sex wasn't going to change much between me and Niall- Holy fuck, he told me he killed people last night. My throat tightens as my last memories of the night filter through my mind; the sweet smile, gentle voice, monstrous admission...it was all so easy to forget when he was standing here and smiling at me like a normal boyfriend. My body is frozen as I think over this information. Niall has killed people. Niall killed people last night. He says he has all the power in the world but that can't possibly be true; what about the presidents of countries and prime ministers and such? He can't have more power than actual leaders, that's insane! He also says he will take care of me. I don't have a choice, though. Does it matter if he can or not? Does it matter if he will or not? My body moves forward, carrying me to the closet so that I can actually get ready and think things over at the same time. I suppose if I were Niall, I would want to take care of a girl that...that maybe tried to take care of me? I would treat a girl with love if love is what I was treated with. And it can go the other way. I'm sure if a girl treated Niall like shit, he would retaliate with behaviour to match hers. Or not. Get real, Emily, he'd probably just fucking kill her. That's what he does. "Em?" I jump as the door swings open to reveal a frowning Niall. I didn't take his attire in before but now, I let my eyes drop to scope him out. Dark gray trousers and a white button-up tucked in neatly, a leather belt shining around his waist. "Em?" He repeats and I jump, shaking my head. "What?" I breathe softly as he moves forward, his eyes narrowing as my body begins to tremble. The way he treats me all depends on the way I treat him. "What's wrong, princess, why aren't you dressed?" His hand slides around my bare waist and pulls me closer to him, pressing my naked front to his clothed one. "I...I-I was...just...you look really handsome!" I blurt out and his eyes widen in shock before crinkling with his laughter. "Are you flirting with me, love?" "Wh-no! No, I just...I was-" "It's alright, princess, we can talk later. Get dressed. I won't tell you again." I nod hurriedly as he leaves the room once again, leaving me to turn and face the closet by myself. I open the doors and stare at the divided space with narrower eyes; how generous of Niall to give me a whole three inches of the walk-in. Sarcasm. "Are you fucking kidding me?" I mutter as I yank out one of only two hangers that hold outfits for me. Dresses, to be exact. I touch the pink fabric and sigh as the cool, soft texture rubs against my fingers. It might feel like a dream, but it's only going to look slutty on me. I pull out the other dress and huff as the skimpy, snakeskin black fabric glares at me with a sort of metallic sheen. Yeah, definitely not that one. I shove the second dress back into the closet and quickly slam the doors, the pink dress in hand. Underwear, I need underwear. I stumble my way over to his chest and open the first drawer, sighing in relief at the sight of mixed undergarments. Boxers and socks mixed with panties and bras. What an odd feeling... My lower lip sinks into my mouth as my teeth press into the fabric. If Niall and I were an actual couple and he didn't, you know, kidnap me, maybe this would be a lovely sight. Maybe the sight of our mingled underwear would make me happy. Maybe the thought of Niall trying to integrate me into his daily life and routine and space would make me ecstatic. Instead, it makes me uneasy. It's like we skipped all of the primary stages of a relationship, all of theimportant stages. We didn't bump into each other on campus and blush as we fumbled to pick up our books and papers; he didn't take me to dinner and hold my hand as he walked me to my door; he didn't try to steal a kiss on the first night. Oh, no. Niall took a lot more that first night. We didn't get to know each other and slowly fall in love. He didn't do those sweet and romantic things like buy me flowers or write me poems. It's like we skipped it all, we skipped everything and went straight to living together. It's horrible but strangely comforting at the same time. How can being kidnapped possibly be comforting? Well, in a normal relationship, it's scary. People are scared to say the wrong thing because their partner isn't a guaranteed presence; they could leave at any point. With me and Niall, I can say whatever the fuck I want and I know he won't just throw me out. He might treat me like shit, might fuck me up or just fuck me in general...but I know he wouldn't just let me go, especially since that's exactly what I want. If anything, he would kill me in the end. If I saw being disowned as a punishment and if I wanted to stay, maybe he would but I don't want to stay, I want to go... ....home. I stare at the drawer of undergarments as realization dawns on me. Maybe all I have to do in order to get home... ...is act like I'm already there...maybe if Niall thinks I like it here and like being with him, well, maybe he won't be interested in me anymore. Maybe I'll become boring, lame. My heart squeezes at the thought of Niall thinking these things but I know it's just because I'm excited to put my plan into action. ...Right?

[unreal-nh-ff]

Chapter Five

“I could fucking kill you,” a foggy, Irish voice says from somewhere around me. “You bruised three ribs, I had no choice. You didn't want her to feel that,” a matching voice protests. “So you fucking knocked her out? I didn't put her out when I fucking kidnapped her and you do it when I rough her up? Don't do it again, Sam, I'll fucking put you out myself,” the first voice says loudly. “Just say thank you, you inconsiderate bastard. Maybe next time she tries to talk to you, you'll fucking listen, ay?” “Mind your own business!” The first voice shouts. “Guys, ease up on the noise, she'll be coming to in a bit,” a deeper, friendlier voice suggests. “Fuck you,” the first two voices says together. As the voices fade out, a soft pounding begins in my temples. I moan as the pounding turns into a heavy throb, my whole head pulsing with pain. My eyes are achy and my tongue is so dry and swollen in my mouth that I can hardly breathe. “Ah, she's awake,” that third, friendly voice coos, a cool hand landing on my forehead. “Don't touch her,” the first voice snaps and the hand is removed. I huff and pry my eyes open, staring around in shock as the bright lights temporarily blind me. “Fuck, dim the lights for her,” the first voice, Niall, commands. Sam, the second voice, quickly dims them and I open my eyes once more. “Are you okay, love?” Niall asks softly, placing his hand on my knee. I jerk it away from him, ignoring the stiff pain in my limbs. “She's scared of you, mate,” Sam says lowly, probably attempting to get out of my hearing range. Fail, motherfucker, you might as well have been shouting. “I'll fucking kill him-” “Whoa, whoa, whoa, you're not going anywhere,” Vin grabs Niall's arm as he tries to turn away and leave the room. “I think it's time Emmy hears what you-” “Don't. Give. Her. A nickname, Vincent, that's my job,” Niall growls, spinning and gripping Vin by the collar of his v-neck. Vin laughs easily, holding his hands up on either side of Niall in a surrendering position, seemingly unfazed by the Irishman manhandling him. “Easy, man,” Sam grunts, shoving the two idiots apart. “Emily, how are you feeling?” He sighs. “You drugged me!” I scream, ignoring the pain in my skull, pointing at him accusingly and making him laugh before he sits down on the edge of the bed, right by my hip. I glance around and notice I'm back in the empty guest room that I stayed in on the first night here. “I had to, love. Your charming boyfriend over there decided to beat the shit out of you,” Sam shrugs and Niall quickly punches him in the back, making his face contort with pain. “Fuck,” he grunts. “How long have I been out?” “Eight hours,” Sam says with a shrug. “I was expecting ten but Vin said it should be around this time...” “You only gave her two milligrams,” Vin reminds Sam as if it's the simplest, most common thing in the world. “Yeah, but look how tiny she is! I thought it'd take her out for longer-” “You shouldn't have taken her out at all, dickhead,” Niall snaps. Sam stands up, immediately spinning and turning on his cousin. “And you shouldn't have hit her at all, asshole!” He yells, silencing the whole room. I watch with wide eyes and a pounding head while Vin subtly moves closer to me. Niall's eyes catch the movement and he clenches his jaw and squeezes his eyes shut. “Get out,” he says lowly, “both of you. Now.” Neither of them move. He opens his eyes and grunts. “NOW!” The boys quickly send me weird looks and then leave the room, isolating me and Niall. He turns to me, his face still angry, but his eyes soften when they see me. “What?” I mutter, uncomfortable under his gaze. “How do you feel?” I narrow my eyes and wince from the soreness under my left eye. Oh. “Fine, I guess,” I huff and he steps forward menacingly. “I won't apologize,” he says randomly but firmly. I raise my eyebrows and shrug, standing up. “I wasn't expecting you to-” his hand flies across my cheek, sending me back onto the bed. Much like the first smack, it's not meant to be painful; it's used for the shock factor. Still, it hurts my sore face and I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes. “Do you like being hit?” He spits out, grabbing my bruised biceps and hauling me up to face him. “Huh? Do you?” He snarls and I immediately start crying, thinking of how he was when he brought me home from the club. “No! No, I hate it! Please,” I beg quietly and he huffs. “Stop sassing me, stop with your fucking sarcasm, start showing me some goddamn respect,” he growls, throwing me onto the bed. “Start treating me with more respect before I treat you with less of it.” Less respect? What the fuck? He thinks he's showing me respect right now? Ah, fuck me. “Understand?” He spits and I nod, looking away. “Good. Now get dinner started.” “Dinner?” I slowly sit up, moving off the bed, just to have Niall rush over and stand toe to toe with me. “Yes, fucking dinner. As in the last meal of the day. Get it made,” He grunts and I gasp as he shoves me towards the door. I move slowly, my head still spinning and foggy, but make my way to the kitchen, leaving Niall upstairs and by himself. “There she is,” Vin smiles broadly, his teeth on full display as his strong arm wraps around me. “How are you feeling, pretty lady?” “Like shit,” I groan, moving to the refrigerator to see what I have to work with. “Are you hungry? Do you want to order out?” Vin asks and I spin to face him, the biggest smile on my face. I'm hardly even conscious right now and I don't feel like making dinner. “Could we? Oh my God, yes, please? Can we?” He laughs and nods, coming over and shutting the fridge door for me but staying in front of me. “What would you like?” He asks, pulling out a phone from his back pocket. “Pizza,” I say automatically, just spouting out the first food that comes to my head. “Alright, I'll order. I think Zayn's in the living room with the girls,” he mutters and I nod, moving with unsure steps towards where I know the living room is located. As I enter the dining room, I slow down, listening to the voices drifting in from the living room. I can hear a masculine one, the harsh and clipped words immediately bringing Zayn's face to my mind. Some squawking excuse for a female's voice is saying something to him but I can't make it out. Another female voice, softer and gentler, speaks up and I bite my lip, knowing how awkward it would be if I walked in on this argument. “Perrie is right, Zayn, she won't last long here,” the delicate voice says. I hear a groan and then a bang. “You girls don't get it!” Zayn shouts, angry at their words. “She's different. None of the guys thought you would last, Perrie. Yet here you are. Same for Danielle. And especially you, Eleanor, so don't try to tell me she can't handle this life! You don't know her story, you don't know what she's been through,” Zayn shouts, angry and passionate. A sudden wave of absolute self-consciousness washes over me as I realize they're talking about me. I remember the mean faces that the girls made, the way they seemed to ooze distaste and disapproval. They didn't like me from the jump, they didn't even give me a chance. Zayn is a sweet enough guy, I mean, as far as gang members and bad boys go, he seems nice. He is, after all, sticking up for me. “What makes you think he won't just kill her when he's bored? He's not stable,” A third female says, sounding exasperated. “You don't see the way he looks at her-” Zayn protests, only to be cut off by the gentle female. “Like she's meat. He looks at her like she's meat!” “No!” Zayn groans and some squawking comes through. “Perrie, stop your bloody shouting!” The squawking stops and I realize that this must have been Perrie all along. “You know,” a deep voice breathes against my neck, “eavesdropping is very rude.” I gasp and spin around, my hands clutching at my chest as I stare up and into Niall's eyes. They don't look angry, though, they look amused. “I-I...yeah,” I say quickly and he frowns, brushing some hair out of my face and behind my ear. “What are those dummies arguing about this time?” His eyes move to stare over my shoulder, at the door that opens into the tense environment that houses 'those dummies.' He seems to listen for a second, but there is a lull in the argument. “I don't-” “He won't kill her! I won't let him!” Zayn shouts, his voice cutting me off even if he's in a different room. My eyes seem to widen at the same rate that Niall's eyes narrow. It would be almost comical if the blonde hadn't stormed past me, our shoulders bumping as he barges in on the room. I quickly follow, still not really sure what my place is around here anymore but I feel like I'm allowed to be where Niall is so whatever. “Who are you talking about?” Niall demands and immediately, all eyes swing to us. The girls looks angry but also fearful while Zayn looks completely calm. “Your bird. The girls are having a...bit of a problem...accepting that there will be a fourth girl,” he shrugs, his shoulders encased in his leather coat. Niall crosses his arms over his chest and he nods slowly. “I see...” “I think they're being a bit territorial but they insist they just don't want to see her get hurt.” “And they think...that I will hurt her?” Ask them for yourself, twat. “You could say that,” Zayn mutters, scratching the back of his neck. “Well, ladies, what gives you that idea?” I stare at them, waiting for one of them to challenge the scary Irishman. None of them say anything but suddenly Perrie is moving so that she can stand in front of the other two girls. She puffs out her chest and puts her hands on her hips but not in a sexy way, just a confrontational way. “Amy-” She begins to say but Niall quickly snaps, cutting off any trail of thought that may have followed the simple name. “Stuck her nose where it didn't fucking belong,” he states simply, impatience dripping off of his words like venom. “As long as Emily knows her place here she'll be fine,” he growls, “any other questions?” Yeah. Who the fuck is Caroline? Who the fuck is Amy? And where the fuck is 'my place?' “Dinner will be here in...whoa, what's going on here?” Vin laughs, coming to stand beside Niall, his eyes wrinkling with the huge smile on his face. “I could cut the tension with a knife,” he jokes, chuckling a bit. “Zayn, your bird needs to learn her own place,” Niall states lowly, glaring at the pink-haired, bold girl. He ignores Vin's good mood and moves to stand in front of the three women. “And as for you two...I'll be speaking to Louis and Liam,” he says, the taste of threat written in his tone. “What did I miss?” Vin says, his smile slowly slipping. “Just a bit of girl theatrics, nothing big,” Zayn shrugs. He moves to go to the front door. “Enough to drive me to smoke, though,” he huffs as he exits, leaving us all in the awkward aftermath. “Vin, watch her,” Niall commands, moving to go back to the kitchen. “I'm not a baby,” I whine but Niall says nothing and Vin only laughs. “Well, I think it's time you girls did a bit of bonding, eh? I'm gonna go take a shit,” Vin declares, patting my head while I giggle and the other girls make sounds of disgust. “Fucking animal,” Eleanor, the pale brunette, groans. As Vin disappears, I'm left with three women who are dating tough-as-shit gang members and who don't like me. I feel like this can go really bad really fast. “So...uhm...hi,” I say awkwardly, stepping backwards and scratching my elbow. “Don't play dumb,” Danielle snaps. “We know you were listening,” Eleanor says immediately after, crossing her thin arms. “I was just...” I shake my head, at a loss for words. “Save it,” Danielle says, narrowing her eyes and stepping forward. “So tell me, Emily, how does it feel to be pampered? To be treated like a queen?” Her voice is condescending, nasty, as if she's trying to teach me a lesson but I have no idea what that could be. “W-what?” “She said how does Niall Horan fuck you!” Pinky squawks and I immediately start choking on a combination of spit and air. What the holy hell is wrong with these girls? Danielle doesn't argue with Perrie and, instead, stares at me with an expectant expression. I don't answer, I can't answer, and my blank face makes them all giggle. “Aw, how cute!” Perrie squeals as Eleanor claps a few times and grabs Perrie's arm in excitement. “She's a virgin!” Eleanor says sweetly, her face split by a grin. “He'll marry her, take her to bed, and they'll have a bunch of beautiful, perfect children,” Danielle coos as I step backwards, trying to get away from these three psychopaths. “Children that will grow up to either be killed...” Eleanor sing-songs. “Or kill others,” Perrie finishes, her tone just as sweet. By now, my eyes are as wide as saucers and my mouth is an open bug trap; I have no idea what to say to them and no idea how to react. Luckily, I don't have to. “Girls!” Niall shouts from the living room. “Eleanor, Perrie, Danielle, I need you in here...now!” “What about the newbie?” Danielle shouts back. “Emily, stay there!” Niall demands and the three walk away without a second thought or glance my way. Well that was fucking weird. Like, really fucking weird. I make my way to the front door and look around, making sure I'm alone, before I pull it open. Zayn is sitting on the broad porch on the swinging bench, his eyes focused on the inky sky and his lips wrapped around a joint. “The girls aren't crazy,” he says after a few moments of me standing in the doorway. I don't respond but his eyes find my form anyway. “Shut the door, you'll let the bugs in.” As if I'm on autopilot, I listen. I take a step forward, shutting the door behind me, and just stand on the porch like a statue. “Sit down,” he says after another minute. “They seem crazy enough,” I say finally, so softly I'm not sure he hears me. But he does; his soft laughter tells me heard it. “They just want to scare you away, they don't want you to think it's okay to be here.” “And is it?” I ask, not really paying attention to the conversation. Like it matters. Whether it's okay or not, whether it's safe or not; I don't really have a choice, do I? I mean, he's one of the most powerful men in Europe, nobody is ballsy enough to go against him. Period, point blank, game over, shut the lights off, and go the fuck to sleep; there's no getting over the fact that nobody will ever help me. Nobody will ever come save me as long as it means they'll be crossing Niall Horan. Penny and Abby were right; I can't expect anybody to, either. I can't expect strangers to put their life of the line for me because, from what I'm told and from what I hear, Niall would kill anyone and everyone without a second thought. So, no, it probably isn't safe here and, no, it probably isn't okay here. But, no, it doesn't matter, because I am here. And I'll be here for as long as Niall fucking Horan wants me to be. Zayn lets out a low, long sigh and a large cloud of thick, noxious smoke accompanies the sound. “You know the answer to that,” he says after a moment. “Can I try that?” I ask, turning to face him. He glances at me from the corner of his eye as he raises the skinny joint to his lips and hollows his cheeks out with his suction. After a second he blows a puff of smoke in my face, making me shut my eyes and start coughing, my hands waving in front of my face. “Nope,” he says simply, tilting his head back against the seat. “Don't let the girls get to you, Emily,” Zayn sighs and I huff. “Which ones?” I ask, thinking of my former roommates. “All of them,” he shrugs. “Penny and Abby have their own beef with Horan but Perrie and the others are just worried about you.” He brings the joint back to his mouth and I shake my head. “I don't think so. I think they genuinely dislike me being here.” “Yeah, but that doesn't mean they genuinely dislike you.” “Who are they?” I ask him and he shrugs. “Perrie is my girlfriend. Louis and Eleanor are engaged and Danielle and Liam are married.” “Married?” I gasp, trying to ignore the blank expression on Zayn's face. He's not happy to talk about Perrie, he's bored with her. Even I can see that. “They've been together for years. If their relationship was ever going to end, it would have been the first time Liam killed somebody.” I gasp and he laughs. “But I don't even remember his last total so we know they're in it for the long run.” “What about you and Perrie?” I ask, watching his lips wrap around the joint again, his eyes taking on a foggy, distant look. “I think that's enough of story time,” Zayn declares, grunting as he stands up and breathes out smoke like a dragon. He holds his hand out to me and I take it gratefully, rising and following him back into the house. “So let me get this straight, you left her here so you could shit,” Niall growls and Vin laughs, pointing at me and Zayn. “See, Horan? No blood, no foul. Z had her.” “Yeah, you're lucky.” Niall huffs before turning to face me, his face hard. “Emily, come here,” he commands and like the good bitch I am, I go straight to him. His hand clasps around my jaw, holding and tilting my face up to look him in the eyes. “The next time you so much as look at that door again, I better be beside you. Don't ever leave this house without me again,” he snarls and I nod emotionlessly, his fingers still gripping my jaw. “She didn't leave, I was with her,” Zayn chips in. “High. You were with her fucking high, do you know how much good that does me?” Niall snaps, his hand dropping from my face so that he can turn and shout at Zayn properly. “Zero! It does me absolutely no fucking good, that's what it does me,” his Irish accent not only gets thicker and harder with lust...but also with anger. Interesting. “She wasn't alone,” Zayn throws himself onto the couch, making himself comfortable while Niall bitches about my whereabouts. “And why the fuck aren't you cooking dinner, huh?” He says randomly, spinning to face me. I glance at Vin and shrug. “Pizza is on the way,” I say quietly, making him scoff. He leans down so that his nose can touch mine and I can see the rage in his eyes properly. “Pizza?” He breathes. “Pizza? You ordered...pizza?” “I just...I don't feel very good after waking up and I just-” “So you fucking ordered pizza?” He spits. “What the hell kind of woman are you, huh? You're asked to do one simple thing and you can't even do that; you can't even fucking cook for the man that takes care of you! Can you!? Can you? Can you, Emily, can you fucking cook?” My mouth is gaping and his face is furious. “I was drugged for hours, you can't expect me to just wake up and-” “I can expect you to do whatever the fuck I tell you to do! If I told you to take two more pills when you woke up, guess who the fuck is going back to sleep!” Niall shouts, the veins in his neck bulging as a thick layer of red surges over his face, lighting it up with fury. “Don't you ever question what I tell you to do! Ever!” He roars but I don't react, I don't move, I don't flinch. I just watch with blank eyes and I blank face as Niall Horan blows up... ...over motherfucking pizza. “Niall, mate-” “Don't you dare,” Niall turns on Vin, pointing his finger rudely. “What if she ran off? What if Zayn left Perrie here and went for a drive? She would have been by herself, and then what? Dead by morning? Do you know...what I would have done to you?” Niall's voice is so low and husky that my knees are knocking, my teeth chattering. “I know-” “Do you, Vincent?” He snarls, stepping towards Vin. “Loyalty means nothing to me if I can't trust you to watch my most prized possession,” he growls so lowly that I can hardly hear him say the words. “I know. I'm sorry, I had to shit, relax,” Vin sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. “No! No, I won't relax and you can't just-” “Mate! Sylvester's crew are near the square looking for a brawl with-” “Let's go,” Niall says quickly, interrupting the panting Harry in the doorway. Harry's tall frame takes up the flung open hole, and his eyes sweep the room. “We don't have enough,” Harry moans and Niall laughs, pecking me on my cheek. “Don't we?” He snickers as he brushes past Harry, pulling a gun out of the back waistband of his jeans, cocking it as he exits. What... ...the... ...fuck? I watch as the men stream out of the house, leaving me flabbergasted in the living room by myself. Did they just leave me to get into a fucking brawl? I stare at the empty room with wide eyes and jump when the definitive sounds of locks being pushed into place are heard. Fucking dick locked me into the house. “Don't look so put out, sweetness,” I spin around and see Danielle staring at me with narrowed eyes, her bony arms crossed over her chest. Prior to realizing how much of a bitch she was, I was convinced she was the sane one of the group; she was also one of the prettiest girls I've ever seen...but then she proved she was just as insane as the man that kidnapped me. “I'm fine,” I grunt, brushing past her and going to the kitchen. “He'll be fine, you know,” she calls after me, following me into the room. I see Perrie sitting in the center of the island, a beer in her hand. Eleanor is sitting on a stool, facing Perrie, and they're laughing like loons. “I don't care,” I snap, lying through my teeth. I don't know why I care; I don't know why it matters to me; I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me, but it's not true. I do care if he's okay. I don't want to see him hurt and I don't care if he ruined my life, fucked up my whole London experience. It would have been nice if everything went according to plan but he switched things up. It's weird and scary but it's also exciting and, for some reason, I feel some kind of way about him. I'm not stupid, I know I'm not in love. But in a world filled with violence, gangs, territorial men, and apparently guns, I just feel safe with him. If he were to die, then what? Where would I go? They wouldn't just let me leave. They'd probably kill me. I sigh and pull my own beer out of the fridge. “Now, now, don't go getting snippy with us,” Perrie scolds, her icy blue eyes swiveling to pierce through me. “Remember, lovey, it's three against one. We could kill you.” My spine stiffens at the threat but I know I can't act on it; not only am I forming some kind of weird camaraderie with Zayn and Liam looks scary as shit and I don't know anything about Louis...but I know for sure Niall would murder me. Figuratively or literally, who knows? “I just want to go upstairs,” I sigh, tired of these girls. “Why, can't handle the truth? You're nothing to this gang, you know?” Eleanor says in that sweet tone of hers. “You think the boys like you?” Danielle snorts, moving so that her tall, tanned form is the only thing I can see, mere inches from my body. “Think again, sweet pea, the boys don't care for you. They don't like you. They're putting up quite the act for Horan, kissing his ass in every way possible. You see, if they throw up a fuss for your sake...guess who would die?” “Not you, darling,” Perrie giggles, sounding like a crazed witch, “anyone that speaks against you is finished. Do you hear that? You could have anyone killed. Just like that.” The shock pulses through my veins and my eyes are wide, still staring into Danielle's. “Except for us, of course. See, we're the lovers of his closest friends...he wouldn't kill them and he wouldn't disrespect them by killing us...so we're safe,” Eleanor adds. “So there's no escaping us,” Danielle's face breaks into a large, beautiful smile. “What do you want from me?” I scream, terrified by their words and their insane ramblings. My hands jerk forward, shoving Danielle's skinny body away from me and onto the cold tile a few feet away. As her body collides with the floor, a light laugh leaves her lips. “We don't want anything to do with you,” Eleanor hisses, rising out of her seat and glaring at me. “Unlike Horan, we don't see anything special about you. You're just another bitch, just another pussy hole for him to fuck. Don't get it mixed up, love, you'll be gone as fast as you came, mark my words.” “Seems a little harsh, don't you think?” I huff, crossing my arms. “I forgot you didn't know anything about him,” Eleanor laughs gleefully. “Well, my darling, let's just say it doesn't sound nearly harsh enough.” “And what if he doesn't get rid of me? Then what? You guys still have to deal with me-” “Get off your high horse and take that stick out of your ass, nobody likes you here. You're not fun, you're not a threat, you're not even cute,” Perrie squawks and my face flinches from the sound. “Please, don't act like we should be worried by your presence, love. You're nothing but a fly on the wall. One that we aren't allowed to swat.” “I didn't ask for this!” I finally scream, throwing my beer at the wall and watching with satisfaction as the can explodes and foamy, yellow liquid streams down the pristine wall. “I didn't find him and ask him to take me, I didn't ask to be kept here against my will, I didn't ask for any of this stupid fucking drama! This wasn't my plan! I just wanted to go to school in London, fuck you all! I don't want power! I don't want to have authority! This wasn't my plan!” “Well get over it, pumpkin, because you're here now. And there's no leaving...alive.” My eyes widen and before any of them can stop me, I'm sprinting past them all and up the stairs, all the way to Niall's room. I ignore the sound of their screaming and the pounding of their footsteps chasing me. I get into his room, slam the door shut, and lock it before any of them are close enough to stop me. I stare into the blackness of the room, breathing raggedly and leaning against the locked door. The footsteps pound until the girls are in front of the door. A hand tries the knob and the girls laugh like hyenas when they see I've locked it. Suddenly, their fists are pounding against the wood of the door, making it thump within the doorframe, my body moving with it. “Open the door, Emily!” Danielle shouts, sounding like a mother. “Em, come on! We didn't mean anything mean by it,” Perrie giggles. “Emily, open the fucking door!” Eleanor shrieks, not even down to pretend to be nice. “Emily!” Danielle shouts and Perrie laughs. “Come on, Em!” “Emily, we'll break the fucking door down and you don't want that to happen so just open the fucking door!” Eleanor screams. “Open the door!” Danielle screams. The hot tears stream down my face, leaving trails for the air to cool. The droplets fall off of my jaw and chin, landing with soft plops against my chest or trailing down my neck and into my cleavage. What the fuck have is wrong with these bitches?

[unreal-nh-ff]

Chapter Four (Pt II)

  “Wrong move, princess.”

  His hands spin me around forcefully, his dark eyes glaring into mine as I stare up at him angrily.

  “Don’t touch me,” I scream loud enough for him to hear me, fumbling to move away from him. The last time Sean got his hands on me in a club, I was given to a scary gang leader.

  I’d rather not see what happens a second time.

  “You’re being a bitch, just get over-”

  “What did you just say to her?” A voice says from behind me; Sean’s eyes dart over my shoulder and widen at what he sees.

  “Vin, you missed what she just-”

  “I don’t give a  fuck, don’t talk to her like that,” he shouts, grabbing my arm and forcefully shoving my body behind him but, more importantly, away from Sean.

  “Ease up, dickhead,” Sean snaps, stepping closer to Vin. Panicking, I grab Vin’s bicep and pull him backwards, aware that they’re causing a scene.

  “Don’t,” I say loudly as Vin moves his arm out of my grasp.

  “You and your brother seem to have some issues understanding that she’s Niall’s bird. Niall’s. As in...<i>Horan</i>. So back the fuck off and let me handle what-”

  “What seems to be the problem here, lads?” A strong arm wraps around my waist and I scream, jumping and gasping in relief when I see Niall standing next to me, a hard look on his face.

  “Your bird slapped me,” Sean says curtly before turning on his heel and storming away. Niall freezes beside me, his hand gripping my waist painfully tight and his eyes staring after Sean.

  “Niall-”

  “Vin, I’ll be taking Emily home. Looks like tonight wasn’t such a good idea. Tell the others. Oh, and tell Sean he still has that job at three.” Niall says, ignoring Vin’s attempt at speaking. The older man nods, looking away and running a hand through his wavy hair.

  “Alright, ease up,” he says quietly as he turns away from us and leaves me with Niall.

  Well, fuck.

  That escalated quickly.

  “Let’s go,” and he’s suddenly pulling me through the crowd, moving me back to the door and out of the club, straight to the vehicle we came in. The line and the bouncer give us funny looks but Niall ignores them so I do, too.

  How fucking nice that a couple nights ago, everyone wanted to pretend he was invisible but now?

  Oh, now he’s the fucking star of the show, isn’t he?

  He shoves me roughly into the passenger seat and I don’t utter a sound of protest as he slams the door and makes his way to the driver’s side. I’m silent as we drive back to his house, nothing but the tension between us.

  “I didn’t-”

  “Don’t,” he growls and I shut up immediately, biting my upper lip and looking out the window.

  Goodbye, trees.

  Goodbye, houses.

  Goodbye, London.

  Goodbye, world.

  Goodbye, life.

  Niall Horan is about to fucking murder me.

  We pull up to the house and he wastes no time in climbing out and yanking my door open, waiting for me to get out myself. When I make no move to do so, he grabs my arm with one hand and gives me a rough pull, making me tumble out of the vehicle and onto the cold ground. I whine as my knees smack the ground and my dress rides up but he says nothing as he keeps walking, my arm still in his grip. I shuffle my knees and clamber up to my feet, trying to keep up with his pace but it’s nearly impossible. He opens the front door and thrusts me inside, making me fall to the floor once again.

  Fucking hell, man.

  “Niall, I didn’t want-”

  “How dare you,” he growls, turning around once he’s locked the door. “How dare you think it’s okay...to put your hands...on my men,” he says lowly, stalking his way over to me. “Do you think that’s acceptable, Emily?”

  “He-”

  “Yes or fucking no, Emily, I don’t have the fucking patience!” He roars and I jump, falling back down to my ass and just deciding to stay there, looking up at him and trying not to cry.

  “No,” I finally whimper and he scoffs.

  “You’re damn fucking right that’s not acceptable. Get the fuck up,” he commands and I jump up quickly, taking a step back and away from him. His blue eyes zero in on the movement and he lets out a chuckle that is in no way cute and adorable.

  It’s dark and scary, fueled by anger and shadows within him.

  “Don’t. You. Even. Try it.” He snarls, stepping closer to me and grabbing my biceps, hauling me forward and leaning over so that the tips of our noses are touching. “What do you think your punishment should be?” He says softly, tilting his head and staring at me with the darkest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. I look at the floor, my face crumpling and the tears spilling. “Hmmm, Emily?” He hums, one of his hands leaving my arms so that his fingers can trail down my cheek. I whimper in response, recoiling from his touch. Within an instant, the same fingers that were trailing my face are flung against it in the violent manner that is a woman’s worst nightmare.

  I don’t say anything as my face is turned to the side by the impact, nothing but the sound of my soft cries and sniffles can be heard. Niall grunts and pulls his hand back, this time it is a fist that collides with my cheek. I scream out, clutching my face and finally looking up at him, my eyes wide and shocked.

  “I asked you a goddamn question,” he growls. “Answer it.” He stares at me with utter disgust and contempt on his face, no sign of the adorable, playful man I thought he could somehow be.

  Jesus Christ, Emily, the man kidnapped you, gave you oral, and established to a room full of strangers that you were his possession...and you expected him to be <i>adorable</i>?

  Ah, fuck me.

  “I don’t know,” I whisper, flinching when he raises his hand to comb through his messy quiff.

  “What the <i>hell</i> were you thinking!?” He roars, throwing my body away from him and right back to the floor so that he can pace the living room. “What the fuck am I supposed to do, Emily? You laid your hands on one of my best guys...<i>fucK</i>,” his hard boot collides with my ribs and I shriek in pain, letting my body fall completely flat and tumble to the side with the power that his foot packed into the movement. “How embarrassing can you be? You’re a weak excuse for a woman, you’re just a little fucking <i>girl</i>, aren’t you?” I don’t say anything, I just let myself cry, my tears trailing down my face as my hands clutch at my rumpled dress. “Aren’t you!?” He shouts and I grunt in response; take it as you please. He snorts and shakes his head, as if disappointed or ashamed. “It’s not okay to just walk up to people and hit them, Emily,” He coos, bending to crouch in front of my face before giving me a harsh uppercut into my middle.

  “I didn’t!” I finally scream. Niall’s eyes narrow and his lips press together into a firm line, a deep frown forming as his eyebrows come together.

  “You’re calling one of my best mates a liar, love, watch it,” he warns deeply, his throaty words promising far too much pain.

  “NO! Please, please, he came up to me! He came up to me and grabbed me! I swear! Vin saw the whole thing and was trying to get me away from him, please, Niall, please,” I sob, curling up into a fetal position, my hands covering my face.

  It’s silent for a few minutes and then I hear the front door open. I peek through my fingers and watch Niall mumble something to his cousin before he storms out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

  Sam laughs and shakes his head before his eyes land on me, his mouth dropping open and his body scurrying over, his large hands reaching under my back and behind my knees so he can scoop me up.

  “Jesus Christ,” he murmurs, moving me to the couch and laying me down gently. “Stay here,“ he says quickly before leaving the room.

  Right, because I’m in any fucking shape to leave.

  Sam comes back into the room, first aid kit in hand, and makes his way to the couch, murmuring things under his breath that sound an awful lot like a bunch of curse words directed at his cousin.

  “Where did he go?” I groan as I turn, my ribs shooting pain throughout my body. Sam winces and sucks his teeth in agitation before he starts dabbing at my forehead and arms. Only now do I realize Niall’s blows had forced the skin to break apart, forced blood to seep out of my body.

  “To handle Sean,” Sam breathes, leaning close to my face as he dabs around my eye. “This is gonna be black tomorrow,” he winces and bites his lip.

  “What will he do?” I whisper, closing my eyes against the pain as Sam gently places bandages along my arms and then closes up the kit and gathers the trash.

  “Don’t you worry your pretty little head,” Sam laughs, leaving the room once more. I sigh and get comfortable on the couch. “Alright, here. Take this,” I open my eyes and sit up a little, taking the glass of water and the two white pills from Sam’s large palm.

  “What is it?” I ask as I pop both of the pills into my mouth and gulp them down with a hefty mouthful of water.

  Sam laughs a bit and scratches the back of his neck, shrugging sheepishly.

  Immediately, my eyes are widening, trying to focus on all of the fuzzy images in front of me. I’ve never had any kind of medicine that works this quickly so it must be strong, must be a high dosage or something. My mouth is numb and my head is spinning; or maybe it’s the room that is spinning?

  “Hydrochloride,” Sam says with a blush.

  My last thought before everything turns black and my body goes numb?

  <i>Don’t they use this to euthanize animals?</i>