Chapter 25
Even if things take time, and we're both impatient, some things are worth waiting for.
HARRY'S POV
My gaze isn't set on anything particular, just watching people dance and drink to the high heavens. But I do keep a steady eye on Shay as she speaks to Sid rather loudly about when she went to a football game when she was young. He listens, not minding that's she's on the verge of being drunk, and laughs when Shay frails her arms about, recalling what happened. I've come to realise that Shay is very happy when she's on a buzz; more happy that usual.
My hand has never left hr uncovered knee, so she knows who she belongs to. Me. I'm glad that she's wearing a dress, one that I picked out at that. She only brought two dresses when she left her house, one of which was too long for my liking. The one she wears now is deep purple that comes down to mid-thigh, and only has one shoulder strap from the plunging 'v' shaped bust. Her hair is as usual, straight with waves interrupting every once and a while. Though she's in a dress, Shay refused to wear heels and put on her only flats.
I hear the other guys, Steven, Ty, William, and Luke talking about a few of the women in the club. Kylie and Emily are on the dance floor, grinding on men they just met. I don't linger on them long when Lucas, who's sitting on the other side of me, nudges me with his elbow. Like me, he's leaned back in his chair with a drink in his hand, and two empty shot glasses of vodka in front of him.
"So have you heard?" Lucas asks, not looking at me. I do the same, not meeting his eyes, but I can see him shifting in his seat. He only does this─ these actions ─when its business, but my mind is hazing over as I take another swig of beer.
"Yes, Lucas, we all know you shaved."
"Har, har, very funny," he says sarcastically. "But no. I'm talking about Evan gaining more recruiters. He's building by the day, Harry."
Though things become serious very quickly, I remain impassive from his words. No, I wasn't aware of this until now, but instinct gave me a feeling Evan was becoming stronger. The men from the alley were only a small─ very small ─portion of Evan's men. He's basically growing an army and will except anyone who can hold a gun.
And our organization is working to rat them out.
We're the ones that have to beat Evan and his men before he takes over small towns and then London. We try and make sure, young, teen-aged boys─ and some girls ─don't do anything that will make Evan notice them, but sometimes it's not that easy. But my department works with computers. Getting past fire walls and cameras, keeping check on stocks─ very tedious things to say the least. And Lucas is the start of it all. He's our boss, the one who first decided that Evan's little "gang" needed to be stopped when Evan's dad was still alive.
Evan's father died three years ago by Lucas' bullet. Little did we know, he had a son that he had kept a secret; and when word got out about his father's murder, Evan rose to take leadership.
With these thoughts running through my mind, I take another drink from the middle of the table and pop off the metal top. "Let's deal with this later, yeah?"
Lucas nods, and glances to Shay who is chugging heavily from her beer bottle. "You should dance with her," he points his chin towards her.
It's rare when Lucas gives out advice─ especially about this topic ─because he expects us to already know it, but I have a feeling he's right.
Throwing my arms up in defeat from his glare with a grin, I lean into Shay, my mouth by her ear. I feel her still from my proximity and the bitter smell of beer surrounds her like a second coating of skin.
"Come dance with me," I demanded.
Without a second of hesitation, Shay nods. My hand finds hers and I pull her up. Leading her into the mass of intoxicated dancers, I snake my right arm around her waist, my fingers tracing her hipbone and she leans into my side. The ground beneath our feet shakes from the pulsing music. I have to shove through people, trying to get lost in the crowd with Shay, far away from problems and reality in general.
I'm suddenly pulled back by Shay and in an instant her body is pressed to mine. Because she didn't have any extra height from heels, Shay had to stand on her tiptoes to reach my lips and surprise me with a short lived kiss. When she pulled away, I saw the hungry look in her eye, yet I'm almost positive it's the alcohol in her system.
"I thought we were gonna dance," she slurred drunkenly. I smirk from the words that stumble out of her mouth and grab her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. I like her like this though it's not really her, it's her system compromised.
"Then let's dance, Baby."
I sling her arm over my shoulder, and my hand returns to her ass, squeezing lightly. Shay giggles in my neck as we begin to move along to the thumping bass. I press her harder to me, wanting to feel every crease and groove that is Shay. I capture her lips with mine, properly tasting the remnants of beer and her lip gloss. Without any warning, I spin her around, her back now facing my front and drag her to my chest once again. I can practically feel her grin without having to look at her.
The space we move in has become very heated and I can see a small bead of sweat roll down her exposed shoulder. I gather all of her long hair to one side, peppering short kisses to her neck and shoulder. I retrace my tracks, and find to hollow spot behind her ear, and she groans, tilting her head to give me more room. I begin to nibble at the spot, and then suck, successfully creating a hicky. As my teeth graze the mark, Shay hisses, but continues to move with me, grinding into my hips. I hum against her skin, sharply thrusting forward to her back. The friction makes both of us breathe heavily.
My eyes slowly move around the room on instinct. It's as if I could feel someone watching our every action and move. I scan through faces, and finally land on a very familiar one. Emily is securitizing Shay and I's every move with an odd look in her eyes as she dances with a different guy.
Emily immediately looks back to her partner when she sees I catch her, but I can't think any more about it as Shay intertwines her fingers with mine at her hip. Her head turns enough to be able to kiss me, but she doesn't. She's such a tease and she doesn't even know it.
"Let's get out of here," she murmurs, her plump lips just ever so slightly brushing the surface of my skin.
I'm taken back from her forwardness, but quite happy that she did. I don't know how much I can restrain myself before making a move and I'm surprised that I've lasted this long. If it were any other girl, we would've been far gone by now. I realised long ago that drinking had made Shay bold, but I didn't think she'd be so valiant and cheeky, actually suggesting we'd go back to my place for a good time.
"C'mon," I take control. She doesn't say anything as I lead her back to the table to retrieve my jacket and pay for the drinks we had. As I was reaching for my coat, Shay's hand slips back into my tightly.
"Can we please go now?" She says, but it's different this time. She's not seductive as she was a minute ago, but more like she just wants to leave. When I look at her, she's making it a point to stare at her shoes.
"What's wrong?" I ask, but as soon as I glance to the side I immediately see who caused her to act this way sitting carelessly at a table near ours. Shay can sense that I'm fixing to do something rash, but before I could she put her hand on my upper arm, halting me. I could easily yank out of her grasp though I could hurt her in the process.
"Please just let it go. I want to forget what happened─"
"What happened?" This is news to me. I try to recall a time when I wasn't with Shay and she'd talk to Thomas but I can't. She'd been with me all day, and then last night she was with her friends before she came back. And she hasn't had any practices since last time. But I won't stop until she answers me, and maybe since she's smashed it'll be a bit easier.
And I was right because she said, "He k-kissed me last night-t." And that's what it took for my restrained anger to explode through the roof. I rip my arm from her hand. "Harry!"
SHAY'S POV
Damn it, why did I say that? Now Harry will try to kill Thomas and a stupid fight will start. And I'll be the one who technically started it all. Just because I idiotically said something I never should have.
None of Harry's co-workers can tell what's happening, some of them aren't even paying attention until Harry storms past them. Lucas shouts at Harry to stop, but Harry's already reached Thomas and pushed him out of his chair. Then everyone is suddenly on alert.
Sid is the closest to Harry and is the first to reach him, holding him back even though he doesn't know the situation. Whilst Harry is confined, Thomas is able to stand back on his feet with a surprised look in his eyes.
"What the hell?" He shouts at Harry but makes no further advance.
Harry struggles against the arms of his friend. Everyone within five feet of the confrontation has surrounded, Harry's friends are on guard, much like they were the night Evan showed up at the bar, but Lucas is by my side, standing so half his body is covering mine protectively.
"You fucking try to come near my girl again, and I'll raise hell myself," Harry snarls, writhing in Sid's grasp.
"Harry!" Lucas calls him out, but Harry doesn't look back at his boss.
"Check him," Harry nods to Thomas. Everyone but me seemed to know what Harry was talking about because they all shifted from his words. William and Ty, I think but can't think straight enough to remember, approach Thomas and hold either of his arms, making sure he won't try to run. Sid's grip apparently loosened as Harry shrugged but stayed in the same position.
It was either William or Ty that twisted Thomas' head to left, exposing the right side of his neck. Moving some of the hair back, one of the men inspect the skin, and after a moment, he looks back to Lucas with an apprehensive glint in his eyes.
"He's branded."
Lucas lets out a barely audible sigh and if I wasn't so close to him, I wouldn't have heard it myself. "Harry," Lucas says in a softer tone. "Take Shay away from here."
"What─"
"Now! We'll take care of it from here, just get her safe."
I couldn't say anything as Harry reluctantly picks up his jacket, and instantly slings his arm around my shoulder. I turn my head over my back to see the men close in on Thomas, but before I could see exactly what they're doing, Harry jerks my body in front of him, and out of the club doors.
***
I press the cool, damp rage to my finally makeup free face, trying to get rid of this sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach. It feels like the small bathroom in Harry's flat is sweltering right now, especially since I haven't taken off the dress I worn to the club. I can hear Harry rummaging down the hall in his room, changing into more comfortable clothes like I should be doing, but right now I just feel horrible.
I shouldn't have had that last beer.
Harry had been silent the whole ride, not even playing music like he usually does. The atmosphere was tight and threatening. I was scared to speak in case Harry lashed out, but he looked calmer than back in the club. When we got here, Harry went straight to his room and I came here.
I place the rag to the side, resting my hands on the marble counter. I stare at myself in the mirror, my messy hair falling around my face, and start to see the changes in me. Physically and psychologically. And just from a single man coming into my life. I've ran away from home without a single phone call to my father, and now I'm beginning to lose my friends. My thinking is centred on Harry but only because he's made it that way. He's slithered his presence into every aspect to my life either for the better or worse, but it's still there.
And suddenly his figure appears in doorway, which in direct sight of the mirror, so I could see him. He meets my eyes in the reflection, not bothering to speak and that irritates me. I want answers as to what I saw and heard tonight. Like, why was Thomas branded? What's happened to him now?
But right now, I can only articulate one question.
"What did they do to him?" I ask with a hoarse voice.
Harry doesn't move to speak for a minute, just staring at me with cold eyes.
"Well," he started, "Since he's branded, they probably killed him."
A lump rose in my throat, making it hard for me to breathe, as I close my eyes tight and shake my head ever so slightly. And suddenly I drop down to my knees in front of the toilet, lifting the lid and dumping the contents of everything I ate and drank today into the bowl.
Two hands are gathering my hair away from my neck and face, making it easier. The smell is vial, but every time I think I'm done, I throw my head back down. I sit there breathing heavily until I'm positive it's over. Harry's hand runs over my back as my body is sitting between his legs, whispering in my ear comforting words, and telling me it'll be okay soon.
+++++
HELLO!
So on Thursday I got my computer taken because I made a bad grade in Algebra 2 (who needs that class anyways) so this is why it's so late.
I also had a major writing block today but here it is! It's also the first time I've let Harry drop the f bomb since I don't like cussing in my books very much so don't be surprised if it's VERY RARE. I almost didn't put it in.
Anyways, I getting a trailer made and it should be done soon I hope so that'll be up soon!!
-A xxx