I'm stupid. I am the most stupid female to ever walk this planet. Scratch that. I am the most stupid person to ever walk this planet. I'm just so damn stupid.
I can't seem to comprehend the amount of danger that I've put myself in. I should have filed a complaint when Heidi gave me my assignment. I should have stayed home with my Twilight and tea and made Shane walk his ass home. I should have never met the curly-headed person sitting beside me, his hands tight on the steering wheel, knuckles white.
"What's your name?" The words fell from my mouth thoughtlessly. It broke the tense silence that had ensued around us, yet I received no answer. He didn't even glance in my direction. His eyes were staring straight out the window. I wondered if he was blatantly ignoring me or just very focused. I was hoping the latter.
I was thrown forward suddenly, the seat belt tightening painfully against my chest, as the car squealed to a stop. I hadn't been paying attention to where we were headed but we were now sat in a broad alleyway between what looked to be two warehouses. This was a darker part of town, one that I shouldn't be in. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be here, but nothing about my life seemed normal these past few days.
"Stay here," he mumbled swiftly as he ducked out of the car and locked it behind him. I frowned in confusion but remained in my spot, only twisting my head around to see what he was doing.
I noticed the other figure leaning against the blank wall face then. He was familiar, the jet black quiff atop his head recognizable... it was one of the others in Styles's gang. He was smoking a cigarette, gazing calmly at his fellow gang member as he approached. I wished I could hear what they were saying, because as soon as Styles started talking, the Quiff was putting out his cigarette and shoving away from the wall, an angry expression playing on his features.
I turned forward abruptly as Styles turned around and headed back toward the car, but instead of opening the driver's side he yanked open my door. "Come on," he said, his voice low and gruff. But I didn't move. I was frozen. So much had happened in the past ten minutes that it was hard to process. I couldn't seem to fit it all together.
First, the mysterious stranger who had saved my life a few days after I'd saved his had shown up at my work and demanded I stayed indoors at all costs, no exceptions. A gunshot proceeded to go off and I'd hopped in the stranger's, who I could only identify as 'Styles', car and now I was here, sitting in an alleyway with two gang members who both looked livid. I am most definitely stupid.
"I don't have time for this." The words came out of his mouth so fast and low that I wasn't sure he'd really said them, but the next moment the seat belt was snapping away from me and I was being tugged forcefully out of the car. As soon as I was upright Styles released me and I had to grab onto the open passenger door to keep my balance.
He stepped away from me and I moved just before he closed the door and began to stride around the side of the car back toward the Quiff. I hurried to catch up, wanting to know what the hell was going on, but I only caught part of his sentence. "--and dangerous. I'll take care of her."
My ears perked up at that last bit. Considering I was the only 'her' in the vicinity, I had to assume he was speaking about me. But why would he have to take care of me? What the hell was going on?
The Quiff hesitated. "You sure, man? We can help--"
"I've got it," Styles growled. "Just go."
The Quiff let out a sigh but nodded as he accepted the keys from Styles and got in the car, speeding away from us the moment the door swung closed. I stared after him until the car was completely out of sight. When I looked back, Styles was looking at me, his expression unreadable.
