HARRY'S POV
He's got her.
I have to find them, before he hurts her or does something to her. I honestly don't know what I'll do to him if he hurts her in anyway, but I already want to snap him in half. This is all my fucking fault. This is what happens when I care about things, they get destroyed.
I can't imagine how frightened Melanie is, it physically feels like my heart is being ripped out my chest. I've never felt like this before and that's why it's just better if I don't care. It's much better to not feel at all than to feel this, but it's too late and now I need to work out a plan, now.
I don't have her location, but he doesn't know that I know where he's staying, so he could take her there. Let's start by taking a trip down to that hotel shall we?
Without any hesitation, I throw on my jacket, grab my keys and head out the door. In a situation like this, is usually call up some back up, or normally have Joe drive me.
Joe is probably the closest thing I have to a friend. He's one of my guards, but we've known each other a long time. He knows secrets about me that even Wolfe and his guys don't know, but Joe and I would never call each other friends because even so, we just do our business. No outside gatherings or social events happen between us and we don't actually talk much, anymore. That's on me though.
Anyway, there's no time to waste, so I'm driving full speed towards The Golden Star Hotel.
My connections aren't quite up to par to get out of a 50 kilo drug job, but a speeding ticket? No problem, so that's the least of my worries. I just need to get there. To her.
Time feels like it's dragging itself through syrup. I can't get there quick enough. The sound of her screams replaying over and over in my mind on a constant, torturous loop.
She should be screaming other things.
Fucks sake not now Styles, get yourself together.
Her fearful noises still ringing through my head, I park up around the back of the hotel and guess what I see? That's right, the fucking taxi she got in earlier. They're here.
A small feeling of relief washes over me that they're actually here, but that's quickly replaced back with my anger and fear of her getting hurt.
Of course, there's no open door at the back, but it'll look less suspicious if I go through the main entrance anyway, acting like I'm on my way up to my own room.
So that's exactly what I do.
I walk around to the front, walk straight passed the main desk and head to the stairs; we've got no time for elevators.
Unfortunately, the room suspected as his is on the tenth floor. Never have I ever travelled up stairs at such an intense speed. I reach the top, not out of breath, just slight panting. More casually than my trip up the stairs, I walk around to find room 1023.
It's one of the end rooms, but I eventually find it and knock gently on the door, we don't want him to get suspicious, or worse, not even open the door.
MELANIE'S POV
How I've managed to stay silent? I don't even know, I'm sure it has something to do with the weapon poking in my back. It's extremely difficult to coordinate myself with this bag over my head but I hear the sound of a door unlocking and I'm forcefully shoved inside.
I'm sat down on a chair, my arms tied behind. When the bag is pulled off my head, one of the last places I expect to be is a very glamorous and expensive looking hotel room.
The question I've been thinking this whole time though, especially now, is how the hell did he get me up here without anyone questioning him? Like he had a gun to my back, bag over my head and there were no interruptions here. I know for sure we didn't come through a lobby or main entrance of any kind, at no point did I hear other people so...? Back entrance or something?
My eyes squint at the sudden bright light, they're certainly extra sensitive anyway from the constant stream leaving them. This is the first time I get to see his face properly. He had a twisted grin that made me feel uneasy as he began his words.
"Don't cry sweetheart, I'm not going to hurt you" he strokes a strand of my hair. Not comforting at all. He bends down next to my ear, "Unless you piss me off or don't cooperate" his tone changing to a much deeper, serious one. This just makes me cry more, which I think pisses him off.
Even closer to my ear, in a very aggressive growl he says, "I told you to stop crying, so stop". It takes all the self control I have to blink out the last of my tears and bring them to a halt. Pretty sure I couldn't have done it if I didn't see the gun laid on the table beside us.
"That's a good girl" he says before placing a quick kiss on my cheek and backing away. It makes my skin crawl.
"Now, you're going to cooperate and answer my questions aren't you sweetheart?"
I nod. Which makes me notice, he doesn't like it when I don't answer him with words. "I can't hear you" he states in an irritated tone. "Y-yes" I suck up the little courage I have to say.
"Good. How's Harry?" The spite in his voice cuts like a blade. He has a smug smile, "Where is he by the way?" He asks in an innocent tone. Of course, why didn't I realise sooner? It's him, the one Harry was so worried would get me. I guess Harry was right to be so anxious about it. I feel my eyes ready to burst again but I bite back the tears. "He- he's-"
"He's not coming, he doesn't know where you are" he laughs. He crouched down next to me and caresses my cheek with the back of his index finger. I tense at his contact but he softly says, "He fucked me over so time to fuck him over, time to fuck up everything he even remotely cares about"
Okay so does this mean his statement about not hurting me was a lie?
"And a little birdy told me he cares about you very much, isn't that right?" he walks around me. I don't respond, simply because I don't know what to say.
"I said isn't that right?" He repeats himself. When I nod and force out a quiet "I think", he stands directly in front of me. "Do you even know who I am?" he questions.
"I- I think so" this has gotta be the ex friend Harry was talking about. He laughs.
"I- I think so" he mocks me and laughs again. "Styles and I used to be the best of friends, we worked together for a guy called Wolfe-"
"Oh I know him" I make the mistake of interrupting him. I feel a stinging sensation across my cheek; my eyes water as I'm certain a bright red hand print forms on my face.
Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.
Too late, I'm crying.
"First of all, don't interrupt me. Second of all, I know you know him, who do you think told me about you?" he laughs in my face.
Wolfe is working with this guy? Or maybe it was a change of heart after Harry yelled at him about me? Either way, I have to make sure Harry knows, if I ever see Harry again that is.
He's about to start another sentence when he's interrupted by a knock at the door. He looks partially confused, partially irritated and very mad.
He looks at me and points in my face, "I swear to God you better keep your mouth shut" he aggressively directs and puts a finger to his lips before making his way over to the door. The chair I was tied to was around a corner so I wouldn't be seen. I do as I'm told and keep quiet.
I hear a voice. I don't think I've ever been happier to hear it. He found me.
HARRY'S POV
The door opens slowly and I put my foot in the door before he can slam it in my face. He wasn't expecting me yet, so he's not ready for our little confrontation.
He likes to be prepared, so he'd be a perfectly fine match for me, if he was ready and knew I was coming. In reality, I don't think he was ever going to come directly for me, he's too much of a coward. He was just going to destroy everything around me that I love, then watch as I crumble into nothing. That's what I think by the way his face drops when his eyes land on me.
He wasn't expecting me which tells me one majorly important thing: he wasn't using Melanie to trap me, which means he probably would've hurt her to hurt me. I was already pissed, but now I'm pissed.
"S-Styles?"
"Malik" I nod and smirk smugly.
Here he is, live in the flesh, Zayn Malik. He really thinks he could get away with taking what I care about? Fucking idiot.
"Fancy seeing you here, long time no see" he attempts to make friendly conversation as he rubs the back of his neck. My laugh comes out bitter as I shove him out the way and head straight inside. I'm a lot stronger than him so it didn't take much strength.
"You can't do that, get out my hotel room!" He yells after me. Some fucking nerve he's got.
It's a large room, my eyes scan the room and I can't see her. That is until I look around the corner and see her tied to a chair. Is he serious?
I make my way over to her instantly, I see a burning red mark on her face - he didn't fucking dare?
I'm pulled back, turned around and Zayn's fist instantly connects with my jaw. I laugh in his face. Melanie's scream when he hits me is all the encouragement I need to swing straight back and hit him in the same place.
This isn't exactly the side of me I wanted Melanie to ever see but Zayn can fuck off if he thinks he can beat me up.
I grab his shirt by his shoulders and push him backwards, making him fall to the floor. When I go to bend down to hit him, he kicks my stomach, knocking me backwards. When he quickly scrambles back up, he runs towards me and punches me in the jaw twice again.
I spit out blood and chuckle "You hit like a girl" then when he goes to punch me again, I grab his fist and shove him back down to the floor. I pick him up slightly by his shoulders and slam him into the floor a few times.
I'm on top of him, repeatedly hitting his face as it becomes more and more bloody. I'm blinded by my rage state, all I see is red and all I hear is the sound of Melanie's frightened squeals. That's when I realise, it's not them replaying in my head like they were earlier, but they were her actual screams.
I stop. I look down at Zayn below me, his face swollen, split and bruising. He's heavy breathing, but my chest is rising and falling more with anger.
I lean in close to his face, "Remember this next time you mess with something that's mine" I spit in his face before standing up and going over to Melanie.
He stays on the floor as I untie Melanie. She flinches at my touch, she's scared of me. "Love, it's okay, I'm sorry you had to see that, I won't hurt you" I continue with more reassuring words as she shakes and cries.
I pick her up bridal style, she buries her face into my neck and we exit the room. I turn to Zayn just before we leave for good and give him a warning look, "I'd fuck off if I were you Malik" and with that, I take Melanie out to my car. We get a lot of strange looks from nosy people, but I don't care.
I place her in the passenger seat and get myself in the driver's seat. When I look in the mirror, I notice my bloodshot eyes and wet cheeks. I didn't even notice I'd been crying but I know it was through the frustration.
As we drive back to my place, I keep one hand comforting her, changing where it is every now and then; her shoulder, her arm, her face. Just helping her calm down and relax. I can tell she's still really shaken up.
Once I park up, she's asleep. I carry her inside and take her to my room. There's no way I'm letting her out of my sight so she can sleep in my bed, I won't be sleeping anyway - not tonight.
The print left on her face from his slap really angers me, it's started bruising a little but it shouldn't leave too much of a mark. I'm crying again as I sit on the edge of the bed next to her, caressing the mark on her face gently.
I realise my own hands, my knuckles split and stained red. With a large sigh, I go to the en suite bathroom. Now, this might be me being dramatic but I'm not closing the door, I can't risk not knowing she's right there. I have plenty of security, in fact there's an almost zero percent chance of anyone getting in, and I suspect Zayn won't be making any visits anytime soon, but I still can't risk it. I just can't.
When I step in the shower, I keep an eye on her by glancing in her reflected in the mirror every now and then. My hands sting under the hot water but I eventually get cleaned up, get dressed in just a pair of sweatpants and lay down next to Mel.
Usually I sleep naked but I'm being respectable.
Like I said I wouldn't, I don't sleep. The entire night I watch Melanie as she peacefully rests. I know that sounds creepy, but it wasn't in a creepy way. My eyes kept glancing up to the locked door, the window and back to her. She's safe, with me and I can't let anything happen to her ever again.
When morning comes, I'm playing with a piece of her hair and staring blankly into space. She stirs and I sit up suddenly, "Melanie?" I look at her.
She slowly sits up and stretches. When she yawns, she flinches and her hand goes to the side of her face, where she was slapped. For a brief second, I see the worry in her eyes, but it's such a heart warming feeling when her eyes lock into mine and they instantly soften with relief.
She gives me a weak smile before bursting into tears, and throws herself forward into my arms. I pull her onto my lap and shush her as I rock her gently back and forth. We'll talk about it later, for now I just need to make her feel safe and comfortable.
She stays in my arms, head buried into my chest as she lets her heart spill out. "Shhh baby it's okay" I continue to rock her.
Zayn is lucky he isn't a dead man.
*A/N*
It's Zayn! Oooh
Special mention for lana_xo_stylesbabeee for our conversation that inspired part of the this chapter (the fight).
Hope you're still enjoying, thanks for reading!
Love you Fruities ❤️