The King's Den ||h.s||

twenty-two

"Again," announced Liam, I was training with him again.

I was dripping in sweat, and I felt as though steam was coming off my body. I was still weak, but I don't really want to shoot another person who doesn't have a source of protection. I wanted and took a step back and put my hands on my knees and tried to steady my breath.

"You okay?" asked Liam.

I nodded, "I'm... Good, yeah."

"Alright, well how about we take a five minute break?" he smiles.

I chuckled, "that sounds fantastic."

I sat on the floor and started to drink from my water, and Liam sat next to me, "you know you adapted here pretty well."

"You're surprised?" I questioned.

He nods, "yes and no. You were a little awkward girl when you came here and now you shot a guy without blinking. But I knew you had something that belonged here. Hell, you're doing better than me when I first started here."

I looked at me, "how was it when you first came here? More importantly, why did you come here?"

"Those are good questions... I don't know where to start," he sighs. "Well it started I guess because I got into a pretty bad bar fight with a guy, and he was pretty good at fighting too. The guy was actually the one who asked me to join."

"Who was...? " I slowly asked.

"Obviously the one who trusts me with stuff around here. Harry, in all honesty I don't know why I fought him but now we're good mates," he shrugs. "When I first started here, I really had no idea what I got myself into, but after I realized how serious this Mafia group actually was, I've been shot way too many times in my first couple missions- that's why I'm surprised how well you've adapted. I spent a lot of time more in the infirmary than actually going on jobs. Harry then trained me and then I soon became pretty damn good with gun and I sure as hell can fight."

"So you just like disappeared like I did? What about..." he cuts me off, "my family?" I nodded.

He thinks for a moment, "in all honesty, I wasn't a good son to them. I was always drunk, getting into fights, and I wasn't always respectful. My dad couldn't handle it anymore, so they kicked me out. Now that I've been here a long time, I do regret how I acted back then but I'm in a better place. Well I'm technically not in a good place but I have more common sense and I don't think I'd leave this place."

I nodded, "have you ever tried to see your parents?"

"I didn't but I sent a letter telling them that I was mature and that I've found my identity and I apologized for everything that I've done to them and not to respond. I don't think I was ready for what they had to say just yet," his eyes began to water and then smiles softly, "but I have this place and you and the lads have pretty much become my family, as cliché as it sounds."

"That's cute," I laughed. "But I agree with you."

He stands up and holds out his hand, "lets get back to training."

I grabbed his hand and helped me up. I stretched out my legs and arms and began to throw blows on the beat up punching bag.

I continued for another hour, "alright that's good for today. Lets go," Liam announces.

"Thank god," I say, "I need a beer."

"You need to stop hanging out with Niall," Liam laughs.

I rolled my eyes and continued walking, I walked into the hangout and grabbed a beer. Louis was playing, like always and sees me, "finally!"