Harry.
It was weird seeing Anna in my house. I didn't know if I liked it or not. I never brought my work home, in both the metaphorical sense and the literal. Apart from the random girls I brought home when I was too lazy to go to theirs, Anna was the first woman to walk into the apartment without it being for my own selfish, sexual desires.
Unfortunately it made my jaw tick and my body feel warm knowing that despite how much I wanted to lay my hands on the fierce woman, I knew I couldn't. Weirdly enough, it was a clause in the contract. It was clause in every contract that any guard signed. I wondered if Anna knew that. Knew that her brothers were so adamant on keeping her safe and pure from the world, that that made it nearly impossible for anyone to get too close to her. If they did, they were willingly giving the Taylor's their heart and soul as a sacrifice.
It made me wonder why they thought I was going to be immune to their sister. I was probably one of the youngest to ever be her guard, and I was probably the most likely to become a fool for her. Though maybe their trust laid in the fact they had never known me to be in a relationship, or to even look sideways at a woman whilst I was on the job. I was loyal to a T, in every way imaginable, especially to those I owed something too - and these people, I owed my life.
Though in saying that, I also didn't know what to make of the fact that Anna Taylor, the woman that made my blood boil, was under my roof, talking to my friends, like she actually belonged in my world. I didn't know whether I wanted to drag her out of here kicking and screaming, or make myself comfortable in her presence.
She sat there, looking almost relaxed in Nialls room, soaking up conversation with him like she had done it a million times before. In that moment, I realized that the sight of Anna in my clothes, in my house, looking far more relaxed than I had ever seen her, stirred something inside me. To put it bluntly, it made my cock throb.
It was fucked up, I know, given the circumstances that led her here, but I couldn't help the weirdly possessive nature to take over me at the sight of her. I also realized in that moment, that I fucking hated the fact she was in my clothes, though was in Nails' fucking room. I felt like a caveman with the way I was suddenly heating up on the spot at the sight in front of me.
Another thing about Anna Taylor, she could be wearing the simplest of clothes, which in this case, was an old shirt of mine and a pair of my shorts, yet she still reminded me of some sort of princess. I didn't mean that in a weird way, like the way someone called their significant other out of endearment. I meant it in the way that someone held themselves. All straight backs and poised postures. She looked elegant, was what I was trying to say. Almost as if a tiara belonged on her head.
She sat on Niall's computer chair, one leg dangling down while the other was brought up to her chest. A cold beer, which was mine, was in her hand, and she had a delicate smirk on her lips when I entered the room, guns blazing.
I didn't want to know where her clothes were gone or where she had gotten changed, but a smug looking Niall told me that I didn't want to know. He was lying across his bed, pale body on display with his hands behind his head. I wanted to kick him in the shin.
Anna had a glow to her, the LED lights of Nialls room were dimmed a lilac purple, casting a glow on her that made her look wicked. She offered me a smirk, though I didn't return it. I couldn't do anything but stare, my whole body seeming to feel on fire.
"Six minutes and nine seconds," Anna said, tilting her head. She turned to Niall, her smirk widening. "You owe me dinner."
"I said eight minutes though," Niall whined loudly;. They both ignored my presence, like I wasn't in the room. He was speaking to Anna as if she was his long term friend and ignoring me as if I was the stranger. I tried my best to ease the sudden scenario of throwing him out of the window out of my head, but it sounded like too good of a fucking plan right now. "Surely that counts for something."
I gripped the doorframe, urging myself not to lose my cool at Niall. After the years of growing up next to the Taylor brothers, he had lost any sort of fear he once harbored towards them, and now considered them some of his closes friends, even if they were worlds apart in the financial department. I didn't know if the Taylor brothers even had best friends, but they wouldn't ever tell Niall that, they knew how sensitive the bastard could be. They were heartless, though they weren't always cruel to those who had done no wrong. Niall was always there when they needed something, his way of expressing his gratitude for the years of financial help that they had provided him, along with the endless jobs they provided hi,. I think that counted for something in their books, though I wasn't too sure how far their kindness went.
I was tempted to rat Niall out for being too friendly with Anna, though I had a feeling that it may land me in more trouble given that I wasn't known to be any sort of a snitch, especially to my boys. They would probably eye me weirdly and then make me cough up any inappropriate thoughts I had about their sister before hanging me by my feet on their balcony.
"Out." The word flew out of my mouth, unintentionally sounding more like a cavemen than I hoped too. It was too late to take it back, so I went along with it. "Now."
Anna rose an eyebrow at me. She didn't move to stand, though made a show of raising the bottle to her lips. My eyes narrowed. "Surely you aren't talking to me in that tone."
I crossed my arms, raising my eyebrows. She wasn't about to take away my authority in my own house, not when I was doing her a favor by taking her here. I was starting to regret it. I forgot how friendly Niall was. "And if I was?" I challenged.
Niall whistled lowly. "I feel like I've got front row seats to some live porn. Can you guys hit pause on the tension while I get popcorn?"
Anna ignored him, a grimace settling on her face as she drained the rest of her beer. "I think I'd have to give you a lesson in etiquette."
I rolled my eyes. "Get out," I repeated. "Now."
Anna didn't move. She was as stubborn as fucking bull. "I was just about to head to bed."
"Not in here you're not."
"Are you caving and giving in, Harold?"
My teeth gritted down at the sound of the ridiculous name. It was Harry, how was that so fucking hard for her to grasp? "I want to show you something."
The smirk that was playing on her lips widened even more, though the amusement didn't reach her eyes fully. Even in the dimmed light of Niall's small bed room, I could see the emotions that were threatening to drag her down. I had a feeling that if she didn't come to terms with what had happened tonight, she may end up losing it in the worst possible way.
I told myself I was doing her a favor, and it wasn't that I actually gave a shit about her well-being, because I didn't. I couldn't. Anna Taylor had always been out of reach, a simmering thought in the back of my mind. A series of what if's. What if I was born into the life she was in? What if I had met her a different way? What if she had known me for as long as I had known her? The list went on, and it stemmed from the nineteen year old version of me who first heard of her, followed by the twenty-one year old version who had seen her on the first day I had touched down in America. I blamed my weirdly obsessive thoughts of her on the fact I had seen her on a very important day of my life, and the memory of her would forever be carved into my brain because of it. She was a part of a memory I wouldn't ever forget, for as long as I lived. Moving to America had been monumental for me, and the fact she was sewed into the memory of it because I had to visit The Taylor house that day, was an unfortunate fact. I guess I should of been relived she hadn't remembered me though. At the time, I was nothing more than a curly-headed boy who was too tall, too skinny, too out of his element.
I internally shook my head to rid the thoughts, my heart pumping quickly as my annoyance brewed. I didn't like the fact she could sit in my house and act like she belonged here. She was from a whole different world, and I'll be dammed if she made me feel like I was below her, in my own house nonetheless.
"I'm intrigued now," she finally said, getting to her feet. "What could you possibly have to show me?"
As she approached, my hand reached out to grab her, ignoring the warmth of her skin and how wide her eyes got at the sudden touch, I tugged her out of the room until she stood behind me in the hallway.
My eyes cut to Niall, who had watched the scene unfold with amusement. "Don't do that again," I snapped at him.
"Just a bit of fun," he said with a grin. "I like her."
Anna made a sound of satisfaction behind me, and it made my glare harden on Niall. He should know better. "Do it again and I'll snap your fingers off," I warned him, feeling as I was a dog pissing to mark my territory.
"Painful," Niall replied back drily, knowing full well I wouldn't do that to him. To someone else, sure. Just not him.
I slammed his door shut without another word, before walking back to my room, Anna following closely.
Liam peeked his head out of his door, raising an eyebrow as we passed. "Alright?"
"Yeah," I muttered. "Niall's just being a prick."
"Am not!" Niall called from his room. Liam rolled his eyes, and shut his door, muttering under his breath about how we were children.
Anna's soft chuckle followed me into the room as I walked, and it eased something inside of me. I liked knowing she was following me, obeying me. I had a sick sense of satisfaction knowing that the woman that was known to go against the words of any guard that tried to overrule her, was listening to me.
I didn't turn to look at her as we walked into my darkened room again. I made a beeline towards my desk draw. It was a bad idea, but I knew this may be the only way she could open up and hopefully not let her thoughts swarm and consume her.
I knew I probably wasn't the ideal person she wanted to talk to about all of this, but I was her only option at the moment. It was either that she spoke to me, or her brothers would most likely ship her off to some therapist to talk about her feelings. I had a feeling that Anna wouldn't let that go down without setting fire to something and chucking a tantrum that was big enough to send half of New York down in flames.
I pulled out the bottle of whiskey I kept for moments like this, and a deck of cigarettes along with a lighter. As I did this, my phone lit up with a notification.
Trent: How's everything going? Is she okay?
Harry: Took her to the apartment. She's putting on a front, but I'll do my best to get everything out of her. I'll let you know if there is anything you should be worried about. I'll bring her back tomorrow morning, unless you want her back in a few hours.
Trent's reply came almost instantly.
Trent: Keep her there. We had some shit to take care of, best if she's not here to see it all go down. Payroll will give you a bonus for tonight. Thanks H.
I could feel her eying me, watching what I was doing with curiosity. I sent off a quick text back, before I locked my phone and put it face down. I knew she'd make a lunge for my phone if she saw that I was texting her brother about her.
"What's all that for?" She questioned when I turned to meet her gaze.
She crossed her arms over her chest, looking defensive, like I was about to something stupid and drag her down with me. Maybe I was, but I didn't know how else to help her, how to get her to be comfortable around me and how to show her she could trust me.
So being the idiot I was, I decided the best thing to do was to take her to my spot. The spot that made me feel calm and alive at the same time. The place that let me feel as if everything was okay when I began to overthink my life decisions that led me to where I was today.
I didn't share it with a lot of people, and that should of been the first warning sign of all of this. That I was more than compliant to bring Anna up to the only place in America that I considered a safe haven.
What could possibly go wrong, right?