HARRY
It was all a blur.
Emotions were heavy the moment I had stepped into the kitchen, but only escalated the longer I stayed. I had felt my temper rise with each explanation. I tried to settle it - I really did, but everything that they said, everything that they told me, did nothing but further my rising anger.
My family is at risk and I'm going to do everything I fucking can to keep her safe.
The scared look that hung heavily behind Isabella's hazel eyes is the reason why I'm here. She could try her damnedest to convince me that she wasn't scared, but I know better. I know her better than anyone.
-
"What are you going to do, Harry? We don't know what this guy is capable of. Besides - we don't know for sure if he's the one my dad is working with," she tried to reason with me. Her hands held onto my own, and with each word she squeezed them tight.
"I know for a fact that it's him. Unless you think it's Maddie, there's nobody else with the intials M.S. that would be out to kill me." A shiver ran through my spine. It felt surreal that this was happening. That he was the reason for my death sentence, and the reason my girl was shaking in my arms. "I'll sort it out."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know yet," which I could tell scares her the most. Going into this blindly is setting me up for trouble.
"We'll go with you guys," Jaz piped in. I fixed her with a stare that earned a step back in response. She quickly stood her ground in retort, and glared back. "I'm not going to let you leave out of this house and do god-knows what. Both of you. You're not only doing this for yourself. Anything that happens - positive or not, will effect not only you, Harry, but all of us too. We're coming."
"No. Fuck no," I shook my head with added effect. "There's no way in hell I'm letting you anywhere near that bastard. Who know's what he'll do once he see's both of you there. This isn't some playground fight that you have with your mates."
"Babe, he has a point. You're not coming with us," added Ben. I looked over at him, nodding firmly in acknowledgement.
"Harry, please... I should be there. Maybe if he see's me... I don't know... he's working with my dad-"
"Which is exactly why I'm not letting you go. Knowing your dad, he won't hesitate to kill us both - he's that fucked. I'm not going to risk losing you again. Not now. Not when I just got you back. You're safer staying here."
Isabella opened her mouth to protest, but before the words could leave her lips, she was rushing towards the bathroom.
I heard her wretch into the toilet- a sound that caused goosebumps to flair against my neck. Without hesitation, I rushed after her.
Isabella was crouched in front of the toilet bowl, her hands held tight to the rim. Dark hair sticked to the back of her neck, evidence of her perspiring body. When her body jolted once more to release another round, I wrapped my arms around her and held her to me, whispering words of comfort.
"It'll be okay. You're fine," I whispered against her hair. I cringed at the sound of her dry heaving. "It's okay baby. Let it out."
Once she was done, her body slumped against my chest. Leaning over to the side, I wiped her mouth and the few tears that ran down her cheek with a tissue. "Okay?"
"Yeah," she sighed.
"Did you eat something that made you sick?"
"Probably," she mumbled quietly. There was something strangely off with the way that her body tensed at the innocent question, but I didn't bother to push her. It was probably just something she ate.
She washed her face and rinsed her mouth once everything was settled. I pulled her back into my chest and wrapped my arms around her into a tight hug. "Don't worry about us. We'll handle it."
She tightened her grip around my waist and buried her head into my chest some more. "I know, but that doesn't mean I don't worry."
"I know, baby. I know..."
-
I wasn't as surprised as I should have been when Ben agreed to go with me. Our brotherly bond had been growing stronger and this seemed to be the cherry on top of this fucked-up-cake.
As much as I tried to forget about the way Isabella cried as she clutched me to her chest, or how she told me to be careful - all I could think about was that. The image was engraved into my fucking mind as we drove down the gravel road that led to Mariano Jr. Savino's estate.
If you had asked me years ago if I would be willingly driving down to where Mariano Savino lived, I would have punched in you the jaw. The blood that ran through us was cold. It wasn't that I feared him. It was the exact opposite. The mere thought of him sent rage through my system and anger flowed in my veins like it was my life supply.
In simpler terms, I despise him.
"So, what's the plan when we get there?" Ben's voice broke the silent rage that I was seething in. He looked away from the road and stole a glance towards me, and waited patiently for an answer. I shrugged.
"Haven't gotten there yet."
"You need to think of something. We can't go in their blindly." I'm not a moron. I knew that. But all I could think to do is to choke him with my bare hands.
"Confront him. Tell him to mind his own fucking business and to get out of mine."
Ben scoffed, "You know these lads. They're not going to back down with a simple please."
"If I do anything else, m'putting Izzy at risk and I can't do that."
A long sigh emitted from Ben, as he leaned forward against his steering wheel. "Honestly? She's at risk no matter what. If her dad is really linked up with Savino, then anything can happen to her. From the sounds of it, her dad wants you dead and Savino won't think twice to follow through with those orders. You have to go into this with a strong head, a fucking game plan, and to not think about only you in this. You have to think about what's best for both you and Isabella. If you love her as much as you claim you do, you'll keep that in mind. Yeah?"
"Yeah."
I pulled the zipper down of my leather jacket and patted against the inside pocket where my gun remained hidden, making sure it was still there.
"You still got that thing?"
"Don't you?" I retorted back.
"Jaz doesn't know that I do."
I smirked. I could only imagine how she would react if she knew that her husband kept a gun near his bedside table. It was force of habit - a habit we had picked up from being involved with all this shit from our past. I was more involved than Ben, but he still kept his firearm in case of emergencies. I guess this was an emergency.
Time went by as we inched closer and closer to Savino's estate. I could see the iron fence that lined their mansion, where rows of black Mercedes' lined the driveway. The closer we got the sooner it dawned on me that this was going to happen... and I needed a plan. Fast.
-
ISABELLA
I don't know how long it's been since Harry left, but it couldn't be longer than five minutes. Jaz and I sat quietly at the kitchen table, our tea's cold in front of us. My stomach grumbled in anxiety as I listened for Ben's car. I stopped hearing it long ago, but there was still a small piece inside of me that hoped that maybe, just maybe, they changed their mind and was coming back.
Jaz was quiet beside me. Her hands clasped tightly in her lap. It wasn't only my boyfriend who was potentially at risk, but her husband as well. All because of me, and my father. If there was one thing I could change, it would be to not have either of them involved in this mess. It wasn't fair to anyone.
"I can't handle this anymore," Jaz's sudden voice surprised me, causing me to jump in my seat. I yelped in pain as I hit my knee against the wooden table. I bring it up to my chest, rubbing it soothingly as I looking questioningly (and slightly annoyed) at her.
"What's the matter?" It wasn't like she was the only one that couldn't handle the wait... the unknown. I was shaking in my chair because of just that.
"I can't sit here and wait anymore. I need to be out there, with them. I don't know. I just... I can't not do nothing," she threw her hands out wildly as she exaggerated each word. I stared at her, with a blank look. She had to be out of her mind!
"You're joking, right? We can't follow them..." I paused. "Can we? I mean, Harry was pretty damn adamant about how dangerous this was. If we go, we'll be willingly putting ourselves into trouble."
Subconsciously, I placed my hand at my stomach.
"I don't know how all of this works. I never grew up in the world of lies and drug exchanges or whatever, but I did grow up in a family that fought for what was important to them, regardless of the dangers. And Ben and Harry are important to me. They're my family. Iz, you're my family." She pulled my hands into her own and squeezed them to her. "And judging by the way you've been acting the past few days, that little bean is my family too."
I froze. "W-what?"
Jaz laughed, "Please. I'm not stupid. I've noticed the way you've been holding your stomach all the time, or how you threw up - a lot... and how you haven't had any of my cocktails the past few days. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that you're pregnant. You're pregnant, aren't you?"
My tongue laid heavily in my dry mouth. I didn't think it was obvious. I was trying my best to hide it, not wanting anyone to find out, but I wasn't as sneaky as I thought.
I cleared my throat, taking a sip of the lukewarm tea, hoping to coat my desert-like mouth. "Y-yeah. I am."
I should have expected what happened next, but I still yelped in surprise as Jaz shrieked in excitement. She leant over and grabbed me into her arms, squishing me to her chest in an overly friendly hug. "I'm so happy for you! What did Harry say when you told him?"
"I haven't told him yet," I admitted quietly, as she slowly released me.
"He doesn't know?" She gasped, bright blue eyes wide.
"I only found out a few days ago, and it hasn't exactly been the most calming of situations over here. I didn't want to add anything else to the pot. Not when we don't know what's going to happen with my dad. I wanted to be sure we were okay before I told him. It's stupid, but I didn't want him to do anything dumb if he knew we were expecting. You know Harry. He's very protective of me, if he knew I was pregnant? He probably would have flown back to New York and bombarded my father with the news." I sighed, "Regardless, he's doing something stupid. Maybe I should have told him."
Jaz scooted her chair closer to me and swung her arm around my shoulders. "Harry is going to be okay. Ben is with him and he'll make sure of that. You just have to take care of you right now. That's my niece growing inside of you, don't you know."
I laughed, "Who said it's a girl?"
"Auntie's intuition."
"You're ridiculous, you know that right?"
"I've been told from time to time," she giggled. "But hey, you stay here and rest. I'm going to see if I can track the guys down and follow them, keep an eye out or something. If things start to get tricky, I'll call the police."
I stood up quickly, pulling Jaz with me. "If you're going, I'm going."
She shook her head no immediately. "There's no way in hell I'm letting you leave this house. If Harry knew I took you and his child to an obviously unsafe situation, he'll have my head!"
"Nothing's going to happen, Jaz. I promise you."
"We don't know that," she retorted. "The stress of the situation is already getting to you. If you see first hand whatever it is that's going to happen between the lads and Savino's gang, you'll for sure bring harm to yourself and the baby."
"Remember how you said that you do anything to protect those you love? Well, me too. I love Harry and I love this little bean," my hand rubbed my stomach, a sigh emitting my from my lips. "I'm going with. End of.
-
It still baffles me how quickly we were able to find our way to where Harry and Ben were. Maybe it was Jaz's stealth skills, or the iphone tracker app she has synced up to her phone, but I felt a sense of instant relief the moment I saw Ben's dark blue car.
"I think this is it," she said as she pulled up behind a set of bushes, tall enough to hide us from view, but low enough for us to see.
The gates to Mariano's home was wide open, Ben's car parked in between. I watched quietly, my breath held tight, as Harry stepped out of the passenger's door. Ben followed closely behind him, as three men walked out of the mansion and towards where Ben and Harry stood waiting.
"Who are they?" I whispered to Jaz, nervous that by some chance they could hear my voice.
"I think that's Savino and some of his men."
It was like watching a silent movie. But instead of enjoying the mystery of what was happening, I felt more and more anxious.
The shorter of the three men took a step towards Harry. His hands were clasped behind his back, a crisp button up donned his tatted upper body. We sat as we watched the two interact. From the way that Harry stood, it was easy to notice that he was on guard. His back was stiff, his hands hung at his sides, and legs spread apart in an intimidating stance.
He looked aggressive in his stance. It only urged my curiosity to know what was going on between the two men.
"I need to get closer."
As I began to open the door, Jaz leaned over her seat and shut it. "Hey! Watch it! You always got me."
"Are you mad?!" She whisper-shouted at me, eyes wide and mouth agape. "You can't go out there! They'll see you!"
I whipped my head towards the entrance of the mansion, fearful that they could hear our silent exchange. But to our luck, they were too preoccupied with one another.
"Listen, you were the one who said we needed to come here... that you couldn't wait at home. Sitting in this car isn't doing us any good. I need to know what's happening. There's bushes and tree's lining all around here. We can easily crouch behind them and they wouldn't suspect a thing."
I could tell by the way she was biting anxiously at her lip, that Jaz was considering it. She took her keys out from the ignition and turned her phone to silent. I followed suit, leaving my own belongings behind.
"We have to keep quiet. If they see us, we'll get in a lot of trouble. We can't make this harder for the boys."
"I know, Jaz..."
"This is stupid. Really, really stupid."
I sighed, "I know it's stupid! We're fucking risking our lives. Anything could happen. We could get caught and it'll throw whatever it is that Harry and Ben have planned out the window, but that," I pointed towards Harry, "is the love of my life and the father of this little peanut. I need to get closer and see for myself that he'll be okay. That this will be sorted. I don't know... maybe I'm hormonal, maybe I'm just plain old stupid, but I can't sit here and watch without fully knowing what's happening." I bit my lip harshly to stop myself from rambling even more.
I knew that us being here was a stupid idea. Harry had been very explicit when he told us to not leave from the apartment. We were already risking a lot just by being here. Leaving our car would only put us more in danger, but, I couldn't explain it. There was this voice inside of me that was screaming for me to get closer, to see and hear everything, to know that Harry was saving our relationship, our family, and stopping all of this drama for good. I needed too.
"Alright. Let's go then."
We opened the doors quietly, careful to not make any noise. We shut the doors, my teeth biting onto the inside of my cheek as I prayed that noise wouldn't echo.
Slowly and carefully, we walked through the bushes of the surrounding forest. Not once did my eyes leave Harry. I followed Jaz, our hands clasped tightly together, as we safely made it to large group of bushes and trees. We crouched behind them, our knees digging into the twigs and branches of the muddy dirt, as we listened to the exchange between Harry and Mariano.
Their voices were loud as they spoke. Harry's anger evident in his slow drawl. I squeezed Jaz's hand tightly as the shorter of the three, assumedly Mariano Savino, stepped closer towards Harry.
"Back down, Styles. We don't need to make this harder than it needs to be." His voice was eerily calm as he spoke. The sound alone created a coating of goosebumps all over my skin.
"I'm only saying this one more fucking time, Savino. Why the hell are you working with Franklin Maxwell."
"That, I can assure you, is none of your business."
"The hell it's not. He's trying to get me fucking murdered and I know you're behind it. Don't bullshit me."
"You seem quite sure of yourself."
"I'm not as dumb as you might think," he hissed, anger protruding in each word he spoke.
"Franklin Maxwell and my father have been good friends for many years. When he found out that his little goodie daughter was hanging around the likes of you, he contacted us. We assured him of all your great qualities - the drugs, stealing, and women you quite enjoy. He was especially pleased to hear about your little stunt years ago with my brother's fiancee."
"What's he talking about?" I whispered, confused. It couldn't be Sarah that they were talking about...
"You know that was a fucking accident." It was Ben's turn to speak. "Marigold shouldn't have been there in the first place. It wasn't her that they wanted."
Marigold? I felt confusion invade me as I listened on. Not once did Harry ever mention her or what could have happened between them.
"You were trying to kill my fucking brother but shot his fiancee instead."
"What the hell does any of this have to do with Franklin Maxwell."
Once again, I watched as Mariano smirked. "Our family is like his family..."
"Since when?" I asked out loud. Jaz shushed me in response.
"... and when he heard about Marigold's death, he was just as devastated as the rest of our family. I mean, it was his little lovechild after all."
My breath caught in my throat. "Oh my god," I muttered, my eyes widening in surprise. My father had another daughter? To say I was confused would be an understatement.
"You're fucking lying."
"Why else would Franklin be so keen on hearing about you being the one who shot her. And then to find out that you are dating his other daughter? It was pure gold, mate. As if the god's above had planned this all along. Revenge is a bittersweet thing, and his revenge is to see you dead."
"Were you the one that stabbed me?"
Mariano laughed. "God no. That was, well... just wait one moment. I believe he's here. Dante-" he whispered something into his ear. When Dante came back, a blonde haired man followed behind him.
"You fucking son of a bitch," shouted Harry.
My stomach sunk as I watched in complete horror as Chase stepped out of the mansion's doors. There were many different senarios that played in my mind that would accurately depict what happened to Harry all those months ago. But none of them, zero, had Chase as the starring character.
"We should get out of here. Call the police, do something. We can't be here," panicked Jaz. I could feel my heart hammering inside my chest. "Oh my god."
"Chase? Chase has been behind this all along?"
"You fucking bastard. I thought we were mates," shouted Ben. "All this time I trusted you, and you were trying to kill my brother? That's fucked up."
Chase didn't look at Ben, his focus only on Harry. He said something, too quiet for us to hear, but whatever it was had stirred something inside Harry.
My heart was hammering inside my chest as I watched in horror as Harry pulled out something from inside his jacket. Everything went quickly. My stomach knotted in fear and anxiety as the sounds roared in front of me.
And just as quickly, everything went quiet.