"I'm not," I mumbled out again.
"I know," he insisted. "I don't think you're crazy. I'm just trying to figure out what happened. Are you sure of what you say? I don't think you're lying, but if you didfall..."
"I'm positive," I nodded. He sighed, his fingers beginning to weave through my hair. I grimaced. "Don't touch my hair. It's gross." It was true. I desperately needed a shower but I had been so caught up in other things that it had literally slipped my mind.
"I don't care," Harry replied before pecking my cheek and pulling away. "But the bathroom's over there." He jerked his head in the general direction and I nodded before standing up and lazily walking towards it.
"I could come with you," Harry added. I glanced at him to see that a playful smirk adorned his beautiful features and rolled my eyes. "You wish," I teased.
He grinned before shooing me away.
The hot, steamy water made me feel less tense. My muscles relaxed under it and for once in what felt like a millennium I could think straight.
By the time I was out, I knew that I hadn't tripped outside, but that someone had really blindfolded, gagged, and knocked me out. I would have thought that it was a kidnapping job but if that wasn't the case, then what was the motive?
I wrapped myself in a big towel and was pleased to find the room vacated by the time I had padded out and was searching through my bag for clothes. I settled on a pair of just-above-the-knee denim shorts and a plain white button down with three-quarter sleeves. I slipped on my ballet flats and headed downstairs to find the rest of the boys all settled around the kitchen table, something not quite as large as Zayn's or Harry's but still fairly big.
There was a seat open for me between Harry and Zayn and I silently took it, not wanting to interrupt their conversation until I heard them say Seth's name.
"What was that?" I asked, causing them all to fall silence. Heavily guarded glances were passed around the table until Harry sighed and looked at me.
"Last night Zayn was doing some...spying, if you will," Harry explained. "He found out that the impact hadn't killed Seth, and actually didn't do much damage at all."
"Sorry," I mumbled.
Zayn laughed. "Don't be sorry. I just didn't note that he had any visible injuries. He was working with someone though... Sykes."
Harry made a noise of disgust. "I still don't understand why the fuck they're working together."
"Who is Sykes?" I asked timidly. I had only met the man they spoke of once, and that wasn't on the happiest terms. Having to play Zayn's girlfriend and watch Harry sit rigid in fury wasn't my favorite thing.
"He's basically the leader of the head gang," Zayn sighed. "It's only because he has so many people in it and he's a ruthless killer. He likes to think that he can shape how everyone else works, and in a way he can, but he's really just a big, powerful person."
"Why was Harry meeting with him?" My voice had gradually grown into a whisper, afraid of the reason.
Harry grabbed my hand beneath the table before answering. "He offered me a deal. But I declined it."
"What kind of deal?" I pressed.
Harry gritted his teeth. "Just a deal."
"What kind?" I was determined to find out what this Sykes person was asking of Harry.
"Alice," Zayn said, his tone low and warning as if to say 'don't push him' but I ignored him. I felt a bit upset that Harry refused to explain it to me. His expression now reminded me of the time he had basically attacked Louis, and that thought fueled me on.
