Temptress

76 - Cleo | Feast

But now I had to get out of the car and go to my mother's house.

I could see Niall's car was already parked there and I took a very deep breath, adjusting the black turtle neck I was wearing before I grabbed my leather jacket, deciding to finally exit the car and have some courage. And of course, I was armed.
I didn't even know why I was afraid, but maybe the fact I didn't know what to expect tonight was contributing to that. The unknown was scary.

The front porch was getting closer and closer as I walked and the night was quiet, unlike my thoughts.
I could hear the heels of my boots on the floor as I made my way to the front door, ringing the doorbell before I could change my mind and chicken out.
Harry was back at his place, he told me to call him if I needed anything at all... and that made me feel slightly better.

I mean, if he could face his father and act as if things were normal, I had to figure out a way to do the same. A fucking dinner was the last thing I had expected but here we go.

"Cleodora! About time." My mother opened the door and I was starting to hate hearing her say my full name because I was getting used to Harry saying it, and he was the only person I wanted to call me Cleodora from now on.

"Hi, mother." I deadpanned, realizing she was wearing comfier clothes than usual tonight, with a white sweater and jeans. It made her eyes look a lighter shade of blue, but I didn't fail to notice the dark circles around them.

She seemed stressed and obviously lacking some sleep, but why?

I could already smell what she cooked, of course she picked my favorite dish. I used to love smoked salmon because my father prepared it for me... now I had to figure out a way to eat it without feeling sick.

"Go on, your brother is inside." My mom said, and I avoided her eyes as I walked into the house, making my way to the living room when I spotted Niall on the couch.

I often forgot he was suffering as much as me, he was played and used as a pawn, and now we were both pretending everything was amazing.

His blue eyes met mine and he nodded, pushing the sleeves of his white shirt up to his elbows, lowering his gaze to my shirt.

"Is it cold outside?" He asked me, furrowing his eyebrows.

"A little." I had to glare at him so maybe he'd get the hint he wasn't supposed to keep talking about it, if I showed up to my mother's house with my bruises exposed then it'd be a fucking shitshow.

And the way Niall's eyes widened in response was enough to let me know he had understood me.
My mother followed me into the living room shortly after, taking a seat on the couch opposite to us.
"I'm happy to have you both here, we all needed some time to process what we found and reconsider a few things." She spoke up, completely full of shit.

"You're done with the list, Cleo?"

"Yes." I deadpanned. "What do you mean reconsider a few things? You mean the fact your husband was a vile piece of shit?"

I couldn't stop myself, it was hard enough to not include her in my accusation, but this was fucking ridiculous.

"I didn't call you here to talk about the past." She glared at me, glancing at Niall. "You both have been helping me and we work as a family ever since Mason was killed. I opened Eroda and did my best to continue from where your father left off... I made a few changes and more had to be done. That's why I called you."

"What do you mean?" Niall asked, sounding just as confused as I was feeling.

"Well... I had a lot to think about, considering the awful things your father used to do, it makes me sick." My mother was going to win a fucking Oscar for this performance. " And I see no point in continuing this pointless hatred between the two families. I called Desmond and we talked about the truce... we discussed the past and we both agreed to put this behind us, where it should be. And we're taking a new step into our future, with a new business partner."

What the fuck?

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked her.

"It means we'll work with the Styles." My mother shrugged her shoulders as if her revelation was the most normal thing ever.

I glanced sideways at Niall, trying to process what the fuck was going on, and I could only think of one explanation for this.

Desmond and my mother already knew that a few people were onto their little business, maybe trying to expose them or even implicate it all, and the fact they were about to publicly work together was a strategy to protect themselves.

No one could accuse them of secretly doing business anymore, they were admitting it now. But not the trafficking though... I was sure my mother was going to make this seem like a recent alliance and something drug-related.

But it didn't change the fact that no one was going to be pleased, they just confirmed the cartel they had going on... fuck, this was smart. There was nothing to be used against them anymore and I was sure that this joint force would also scare people away.

The Styles and the Horans working together as business partners... who would be crazy enough to try anything now? They literally didn't care anymore, this was so fucking dangerous and it was going to take the focus away from the trafficking, making it easier for them to keep this shit going on.

"Are you out of your mind? Niall snapped.

"Honey, I'm trying to be smart here. We spent years fueling this rivalry for nothing! Your father wasn't a good man... and I have to think of the family business." She took a deep breath and I noticed she never said she had to think of 'us', it was always the business.

It was always the money.

Niall and I just didn't matter to her, the power had gone to her head and she was acting like Desmond.
Maybe she was always like this and just now I was realizing it.

This had to mean something to help the FBI in a way right? Or it could fuck us over even more because then Harry and I would literally be involved with their business if we had to keep pretending and working.

Fuck, what were we supposed to do now?

"Working with Desmond Styles? Working on what exactly?" Niall stood up from the couch, and his words were awfully reckless. "Tell me, why are you working together?"

"Niall," I whispered but he didn't even look at me, shaking his head as he took deep breaths to calm himself down.

I was too stunned by all this to even think straight, but he was making a mistake by talking too much. I couldn't blame him though, we were both trying to live with the fact that our parents were disgusting excuses for human beings, and now this?

"Niall, you know how strategizing works... and it's a very smart idea. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, you know what they say." My mother wasn't saying the whole truth, I could feel there was so much more she was hiding.

Her blue eyes were enigmatic and I could understand Niall, I was about to burst and just let her know that we knew everything. But I was scared of what could happen, and I would think of Harry... as hard as it was, the wisest thing to do was play along.

And so I did.

"I'm not staying for dinner, you're insane," I spoke up, standing up as well. "I refuse to work or be associated with the Styles in any way, you can go have your fun on your own."

"Please Cleodora. This stupid vendetta you have going on is getting old." She rolled her eyes at me. "You don't have to talk to them, I'm' just letting you know we'll have a business together. I'm expanding."

"Good thing you said 'I'." I snorted. "Because you're on your own. Don't call me again, I want nothing to do with you."

"Cleodora-"

"Stop fucking calling me that!" I raised my voice, glaring at her. "I'm honestly ashamed to be part of this family. And I think Niall will agree with me."
"Let's get the fuck out of here." Niall huffed, not even looking back as he walked out of the living room.

I stayed a little longer, glaring at my mother and trying to figure out what she was thinking, but she didn't give anything away.

"You'll regret this. Turning your brother against me? You're pathetic." She let out a deep breath, my hands were itching to grab my knife and kill her right there. "What are you doing Cleo? You think you'll avenge your father's memory? Times have changed. You know shit."

"Trust me, mother... I know."