||Harry||
"Would you hurry up?" I snap at Michael. He flips me off as he continues to browse the rack of crisps. I want to pay for our petrol and get out here. "How are you going to eat those on your bike anyway?"
"You are one of the crankiest people I know." he says as he joins me in the queue waiting to pay. "When's the last time you went to see Arden?" I glare at him. "Ah, she's not putting out?"
"Shut the fuck up, Michael." I growl at him. He snickers at me and then starts eating the crisps he hasn't paid for. I haven't seen or talked to Arden in four days. I've caught myself typing out a text to her several times, only to delete it before it could be sent.
I've been actively looking for other ketamine connections that would be willing to work with us, but I haven't had any luck. I now realize why Louis jumped on the chance to get it from Arden. I regret getting her caught up in this. If I could change one thing, I'd go back and just pick up those damn medications myself.
"Sir?" the cashier's voice interrupts my thoughts. I throw some cash on the counter and walk out without my receipt. I pull my vibrating phone out of my pocket as I approach my bike.
"Styles."
"You guys ready?" Ashton asks on the other line.
"I'm waiting on Michael." He's leaned over the counter chatting up the cashier like we're not on an assignment right now.
"Where is he?"
"Chatting up a petrol station cashier." I can see her shaking her head. "Ah, it looks like he just got shot down." Michael quickly exits the store and jogs across the parking lot to his bike.
"New York girls." he says with a shrug, as if our location has anything to do with his lack of game.
"Took you long enough. Did you forget that we're being considered for membership and now isn't the time to sling your dick around?" I reprimand him.
"I'm tracing his location now." Ashton interrupts. "Head to his apartment and wait for further instructions." I hang up and start my bike. Michael and I have been working together on membership trial runs all week. Tonight we're collecting money from a former associate named Victor Bemis.
I think Louis is anxious to push more recruits through so there is more help tracking down who took Perrie. She's still on bed rest in the casino in fair condition, but she is awake and there appears to be no long last effects save for a few scars. I haven't been told a lot about what's going on with her and the investigation.
We park our bikes outside the specified complex and wait for another call from Ashton. Michael pulls his bag of crisps out of his jacket and continues to eat them while texting. My phone starts ringing.
"Styles."
"He's in his apartment now. It's on the fifth floor. Number 508."
"We're on it." I hang up the phone and turn to Michael. "Fifth floor, apartment 508." he nods.
"Am I good cop or bad cop this time?" he asks me as he wipes the grease and salt from his crisps on his jeans.
"Why don't we do crazy and crazier?" He fist bumps me and then follows me into the apartment building.
We take the elevator to the fifth floor and locate his apartment. I stand in front of his door while Michael presses himself against the wall the the right of the door. I knock several times. I hear him shuffling to the door. He opens it just wide enough for his half his face to show through.
"Who is it?" Victor asks, peering through the crack.
"Hi, I was wondering if you could spare a few minutes to talk about our lord and savior." I say trying to seem as friendly as possible. Michael stifles a laugh.
"No thank you." he goes to close the door, but Michael catches by sticking the barrel of his gun in the crack.
"You sure about that?" he threatens. Victor looks panicked and tries to pull the door closed a second time. I pull my gun out.
"I think you better let us in." I say, cocking mine. Victor reluctantly opens the door and we shove past him into his living room. Michael sits on his couch, putting his feet up on his coffee table while I take a drink out of the open wine bottle that's sitting on his kitchen counter.
"What's this about?" Victor asks nervously. He's hovering by the door. Michael clears his throat loudly.
"Our story starts in 2010 when our lord and savior, Louis Tomlinson, came to the the United States and started building his American empire. With the backing of the founding chapter of the Tritons, Louis built Atlantic City's largest casino. He named it 'The Triton' because he doesn't give a fuck."
"Amen!" I chime in, raising the wine bottle. Victor looks between us wildly trying to figure out just what's going on.
"Louis quickly rose to the top of the criminal underbelly of the East Coast and holds a monopoly on many imports including...."
"What do you guys want?" Victor interrupts.
"He was just getting to the good part!" I exclaim. "The part were Louis smites those who turn on him."
"Amen!" Michael proclaims as he stands from the couch.
"Is this about the money? I have it." he runs into the bedroom and begins shuffling around. Michael and I make eye contact and try not to burst out laughing. I feel my phone going off and I answer it without looking, assuming it's Ashton checking in.
"Syles."
"Hey, that's your name!"
"Arden?" I say, confused. I pull the phone away from my face and check the caller ID. Fuck. "What are you doing?"
"Noooooothing. Well, something." Why is she talking like that?
"Are you drunk?" I ask
"No. I only had five or three. I can't remember." Victor reappears with a black bag and shoves it into Michael's hands. I follow him out of the apartment.
"Are you at home?" I ask her as we get into the elevator head down to the lobby.
"Nope. I'm at a party. You should come." No, I shouldn't. I'm trying to stay away from you, but you're not making it easy. At the same time, I don't like the thought of her riding the subway home in her current state.
"Where are you?" We've made it to our bikes. Michael is waiting for me to get off the phone.
"Delta Phi Epsilon penthouse. It's biiiig." I turn to Michael.
"You want to crash a sorority party?"
"Hell yes!" he answers enthusiastically.
"We'll be there soon." I say to her before ending the call and dialing Ashton.
"Irwin."
"I need the address for the Delta Phi Epsilon penthouse."
"Is this for business or pleasure?" he quips.
"Would you just send me the damn address?"
"It's already sent. You're welcome, asshole." he says before hanging up on me. I glance at the address before starting my bike; it is just a few minutes away. We arrive and find a small group of girls outside, leaning against the apartment building. They watch us curiously as we park and climb off our bikes.
We take the elevator up to the packed out penthouse. It's bursting at the seams with people who are in different states of intoxication.
"Holy shit." Michael swears as he surveys the crowd. There is probably a three to one ratio of girls to guys. There is a loud commotion at the the other side of the room as a large birthday cake is wheeled out. Everyone starts signing 'Happy Birthday' to a girl I recognize as Arden's friend. I think her name is Mary.
I scan the group for Arden and can't seem to find her. I start pushing through the crowd looking for her. There's a group of girls around the cake jumping around and singing along to some song blasting from the sound system about feeling twenty two. Suddenly there are two hands place over my eyes and a voice whispers in my ear
"Guess whooooo." I pull the hands away and turn around quickly to see Arden smiling up at me. She's in a tight, lacy black dress and her skin is slightly flushed; she's obviously intoxicated. "You came!" she says excitedly before wrapping her arms around my waist. I try to ignore the way my heart flutters and unwrap her arms from me. "Hey!" she pouts.
"How long have you been here?" I ask her.
"Since 8:30? I think?" she answers. That about two hours ago.
"Let's get you some water." I grab her hand and lead her through the crowd to a large table that's filled with food and non alcoholic drinks. I retrieve a bottle of water from a bucket of ice, unscrew the cap and hand it to her. "You need to drink this. You should probably eat something too."
I stand there to make sure she's going to drink it before going to the other side of the table and making her a small plate of food. I grab another bottle of water on my way back over to her. I hand her the plate and then drag over two folding chairs for us to sit on. She's playing around on her phone when I get back.
"You need to eat or you're going to be sick tomorrow." I gently instruct, pulling the phone from her hands and setting in my lap. She starts picking at the food on her plate.
"Why do you leave?" she asks, her eyes are looking down at the plate in her lap.
"What?"
"You always leave." I feel a pang of guilt shoot through my chest. I wish I could stay. I really do, but I can't.
"I don't want to." I say, hoping she won't remember this conversation tomorrow.
"Then don't." she retorts.
"It's not that easy." I reply. I uncap the second bottle of water and hand it to her. The sound system starts up again. This time it's blasting some song about a snake.
"You could text me sometimes." she suggests over the music. I exhale loudly unsure of what to say. Yes, I could. I could get attached to you and drag you down with me, but I'm not going to do that.
I'm about to reply when our attention is drawn to the center of the room. Michael is standing there, hands raised by his shoulders and a smug grin on his face as the girls around him -including the ones from outside- sing along with the song.
"This dude named Michael used to ride motorcycles, dick bigger than a tower, I ain't talking about Eiffels...." I shake my head and laugh to myself. Maybe tonight is finally going to be his lucky night.
"Do you want some more?" I ask Arden, pointing to her empty plate. She nods. "Okay, I'll be right back." As I'm walking back to her with more food, I notice a guy hanging around the makeshift bar. There's something about him... "Here. I'll be right back." I tell her as I hand her plate.
I walk closer to the bar, keeping him in my sight. The girl who was occupying the space next to him walks over to talk to someone, leaving her drink unattended. I watch as he reaches into his pocket and drops a small, white, tablet into it.
Rage flashes through me as a march over to him. I have always refused to sell or move date rape drugs. Men who drug and rape women are the scum of the earth as far as I'm concerned- and that's saying a lot coming from me. I grab a fistful of his shirt and pull him into my face.
"I saw that, you fucking prick." I snarl.
"Saw what?" he says pawing at my hands.
"You know what I saw." I shoot back.
"No I don't." he replies, trying to remove my hand from his shirt. As he realizes I'm not going to let him go, he drops his hands and looks up at me, face hard.
"I don't know what you think you saw, pal, but you best let me go. I have friends. A lot of them." he threatens. I feel a prick at my stomach and look down to see him wielding a knife, pressing it into me.
"So do I." I spit. He applies more pressure to the knife.
"Might want to rethink that." I hear Michael's deep voice. I look up from the creep's face and see Michael standing directly behind him. I can't see his hands, but I can tell by the way this guy is arching his back that Mikey's gun is pressing into the base of his spine. "All I have to do is pull the trigger and you'll never use that miserable dick of yours again" he growls. The man lowers his knife.
"Now you're going to give me every pill you have on you and never show you face again." I command. He looks like he wants to protest.
"Now." Michael chimes in. A few of the party goers have become interested in our exchange and start making their way towards us. He pulls a quart sized plastic bag out of his jacket pocket, full of pills, and sets on the table.
"Leave. Now." I release his shirt and he takes off for the door. Michael grabs the bag.
"I'll go flush these." he pushes away through the crowd, in search of the bathroom.
"Harry? What are you doing here?" Arden's friend has made her way over to me.
"There was a guy here dropping roofies in girls' drinks. You need to tell everyone here to get a new drink." I instruct, ignoring her question. I pour out the drugged drink and place the empty cup back on the counter before making my way back to Arden.
"Are you ready to go?" I ask her. She nods yes and holds her arms out for me to help her up. I pull her to her feet and them lead her thought the crowd towards the door.
"Arden!" I hear her friend call. Arden pulls away from me and goes to her. I follow behind. "You're leaving with him?" she shoots me a dirty look.
"Yes. I'm tired." Arden answers.
"Do you want to go with him?" she asks, placing her hands on Arden's shoulders and making eye contact. While I'm glad that her friend is looking out for her, I'm annoyed she's holding us up.
"Yes, I'm fine." Arden answers.
"Okay. Call me if you need anything." she shoots me another dirty look before releasing Arden's shoulders. I grab her hand again and lead her to the elevator.
"Do you think you can ride on my motorcycle back to your place or do we need to take the subway?" I ask once the doors close.
"Your bike is fine." she answers.
Once we're outside I help her get on the back of my bike, which proves to be difficult with her tight dress. I try my hardest to concentrate on the road and not the way she feels pressed against me as we ride back to her apartment.
Getting her up the stairs to her apartment proves to be the most challenging task. I finally give up half way up the second flight of stairs and carry her.
Once we get to her door, she digs her keys out of her bag. She unlocks the door while I'm holding her. She has her key in one hand and her other arm wrapped around my neck. She pushes the door open and I carry her into her kitchen, pausing to kick the closed behind me. I carry across the tiny space to her bed.
As lay her down in her bed she gently grabs my face and tries to pull it to hers. I jerk my head up and out of her grip. She sticks her lip out at me for the second time tonight.
"You're drunk." I remind her. I want to, but not when she's drunk.
"You try to your hardest to hide it, but you're a good person." she says to me, sleep tugging at her voice.
"I'm not a good person." I reply as I watch her drift off to sleep. "But you make me feel like I could be." I whisper.
I turn off the lamp and quietly let myself out of her apartment, locking the door behind me.
A.N. This one is a lot longer than what I usually do, but hopefully it makes up for the shorter chapter earlier today.
What do you think of Harry and Michael working together?
And what did you think of the Harden interaction in this chapter?
As always, thank you so much for your votes and comments. It means a lot.