- SYNDICATE • h.s (ON HOLD)

THIRTEEN

"I do... in a way." He responded and that was that. Analia didn't want to pester him further especially with the look in his eyes. Something shifted in them but it was gone in almost a second. She noticed the hesitance in his eyes and decided not to push it any further. The cigarette in her hand was almost finished which caused her to throw it down onto the ground and put it out.

"About what you said... Do you really want that?" Harry questioned and waited for a reply from Analia. She gazed down at the sandy floor before looking at him and shrugging her shoulders.

"I never know what I want." She replied and let out a breath of air. Harry huffed and shook his head before leaning away from the bonnet of the car.

"Come on let's get back. Jackson's probably wondering where you are."

"He probably doesn't give a shīt. There's really no point in going back so..." Analia muttered before taking out another cigarette and lighting it up. She took in a large puff before blowing the smoke straight into Harry's face. Her red lips shaped into an o as the smoke escaped them before disappearing into the air. His fingers ran through his hair as he combed through it before looking up at the scenery in front of him.

"How long did you train to make shots like that?" Analia asked with a bored tone. So emotionless that Harry knew there was something to it.

"Few years I guess." He answered truthfully, after all there was many things he had to lie about. Analia nodded her head at his answer and took in a deep breath. She didn't want to talk about it but it was already at the back of her mind wanting to burst out. The way she rolled her neck from side to side and closed her eyes made Harry frown.

"My mom... I never talk about her." She whispered into the air. Harry looked straight ahead, waiting for her to continue her statement.

"You know. It's stupid thinking about it again since it's been so long and I guess I never got over it." Analia glanced up at him and rubbed her neck. Her eyes catching a sight of his rings that he never took off. A small grin made its way to her face as she looked at the rose ring. It was her favorite for some reason.

"She was murdered by someone. They still have no idea who did it. I feel like it was one of Jackson's enemies but that day that it happened... I stopped calling him dad. And I don't know why I'm telling you this." Analia stated with a slight chuckle after. It was just her coping mechanism.

"It's funny because she was shot from so far - by a sniper. They didn't even have the fùcking courage to look her in the face." There was so much anger and pain in her words that Harry sympathized with her. He always did – with anyone he talked to. He probably didn't show it most times but inside, he truly did. Harry didn't know what to do at this point. He mostly didn't know how to react or what to say.

"They didn't even look her in the face..." She repeated again. Her words almost coming out like she growled. Analia snapped her face to look up at him and went closer, chest to chest.

"Do you do that? Kill people without looking them in the face." Harry glowered at her sentence and squinted his eyes at her. The apparent glossy look in her eyes was a sign that this actually affected her more than she was letting on.

"I can't... I can't be involved with someone who ca- can just do that." Analia mumbled and looked away from him.

"Who ever said we were involved?" His words came out harsher than he had intended but they had done their damage. Analia nodded her head and put out the cigarette butt then started to walk back into the driver's side but before she could get to it Harry held onto her forearm.

"Wait – You know I didn't mean it like that." Analia let out a laugh at his words and shook her head.

"Whatever Harry." She responded and got into the car quickly before he could say anything else. Analia strapped herself in and waited for Harry to get in which took a couple of seconds. He spent time looking down at the sand processing what he was going to say to her. He was mostly taken aback by her confession about her mother and what happened to her. He always wondered why there was never a mother figure around her. He entered the car quickly and before Analia could put the keys into the ignition. He stopped her and grabbed the keys.