The Silence That Surrounds: Screams of the Damned

Narrator’s POV:

The world was unnaturally dark for such an early morning. The fact that the cloud storms above rumbled with intense vibration could only contribute to the fact that across London in the opposite direction, Eli had already begun plans to track down Andros, Aiden and Lily.

“You told me you had a lead on my sister. Why would you lie to me?” Eli asked, her smooth voice vibrating off the empty walls of her father’s old business warehouse that lay directly West of London.

There was no reply from the barely conscious person in the wooden chair. In fact, her other hand held a pair of bloodied tongs with a severed tongue. So, to say he couldn’t reply would be far more accurate.

Silence.

That’s what met Eli’s ears and she was so tired of the silence. It had only been a few days since she took over her father’s empire and the girl was cleaning house faster than Mary Poppins on fast forward.

“My momma used to say it wasn’t nice to ignore someone when they are talking to you,” Eli sighed, turning back to the beaten-up victim and held up his severed muscle with a small smile. “I suppose we should get off on the right foot, considering I was a bit hasty in my actions. I apologize for that. Daddy always told me I have quite the temper and it gets the best of me sometimes.”

The guy whimpered and tried to move his bound hands without success.

Eli shrugged and walked back to him, holding the cooling tongs that were now only slightly red instead of the burning bright they had been when they were used to cut and cauterize the man’s tongue off.

“The good news is, you won’t die. I’m a believer in second chances as you know and I heard you were the best investigator in London. My little sister and her guardians are in Ireland. So, when I specifically asked you why you were back in London, you told me you had a lead in Ireland. Which means your ass should not be in England. It should be in Ireland, reuniting me with my dear sister. Daddy’s last wish and whatnot.” She waved her hand up carelessly with the useless dead flesh following her movement.

The man watched helplessly as she used his severed tongue to merrily taunt him with the fact that he could no longer speak.

She chuckled, observing the man’s eyes with a sorrowfully pained expression and that only made her enjoy his misery all the more.

“Regardless of your cockup, I’m going to release you so you can follow your supposed lead and being the ever thoughtful person that I am, I am going to give you some of my best men to make sure you don’t stray from your assignment.” Eli smiled and knelt to the side of the bloody mess beside her. “I have been rather thoughtless of your needs these past few days. I tend to forget that when I’m making people scream in pain, but I feel you shouldn’t work on an empty stomach and luv? Yours has been making some god-awful sounds. So, I insist on a quick refreshment before you go.” She held up the tong and looked off to the other side of the chair where one of her henchmen stood at attention, nodding to him.

With no warning; the man leant forward and took one of the victim’s fingers, snapping it back with a sharp crack.

The nameless pulp on the chair let out a crackled scream, his mouth opening from the refreshed pain and that’s when Eli forced the tongs into the man’s mouth and snapped his jaw shut around them, releasing his muscled flesh and removing the tongs.

“Shatter his jaw, Joseph. I want his mouth permanently closed. His lies sicken me and I’ve got a schedule to keep to. The more time that’s pissed away is a longer window of opportunity that Andros and them have to disappear completely off grid. I want them found!” Eli whirled around to her security. “If he does not find them within two weeks, bring him back to me. I will welcome him with open arms and a loaded gun.”

The man had gagged on his severed tongue as the slimy piece of flesh slid down his throat.

Eli smiled and turned back, patting the man’s bloodied cheek.

“I hope that tides you over and I’ll make sure my men puree your food up for future references. After all, you can’t die until my little sis is found.” Eli told him, her sweet voice laced with a façade of malevolence.

She giggled, threw the bloodies tongs aside, stood up and walked away, gesturing for Joseph to continue on with his order.

With a quiet sigh, Joseph picked up an aluminum pipe that had been sitting next to their victim and took perfect aim at his jaw, forcing the weapon upward and bringing it down on the man’s mouth with a loud crack.

Though it was muffled Eli could still hear his garbled screams for mercy and unfortunately for him, his captor was void of all awareness of those emotions.

“Make sure to make him look pretty, Joe and don’t hold back. I want him made over by the time I get back and then I will send for daddy’s plane, takes too long to get to Ireland by ferry and I doubt the inspector there will be coherent enough to wait that long.”

She waited for Joseph’s grunt of acknowledgment, before making her merry way from the warehouse to the fifteen plus people that waited outside.

“Gentlemen! How wonderful of you to come! Did you get a lead on Styles and his men? I’m dying to know.” Eli clapped her hands with a large smile to see some of the men look apprehensive of the young leader and why wouldn’t they be? Her unpredictable nature was as dangerous as a wild tornado.

“Ms. Dawson, wonderful to see you, luv. We bring joyous news. We found their cabin and organizing a group as I speak. Will twenty-five men be enough? If not, we can make it an even thirty.” One member from the front of the group greeted with a rat-like smile.

Eli walked over and kissed his cheek.

“Darling, how good of you to come through for me, I am much relieved that I finally found a gentleman that doesn’t bring me disappointment.” Eli exchanged back with a not so innocent smile of her own.

“Oh darling, we all know what happens when people disappoint you,” The guy replied with a nervous laugh, grabbing her hand and leading her away from the mob. “Besides, I brought you a present. A little pigeon and a little cutie at that. I figure you could find some use from him or if nothing else, put him in a cage and make him sing.”

Eli chortled and stopped by her lover’s car boot, his hand pressing a button and the hood popped open, revealing an unconscious Papers.

She squealed, knowing he was related to drug runs for Style’s gang.

“He’s adorable! I have a cage just big enough! Brett, you are the best! Though, I’m afraid I’m going to have to clip his wings so he doesn’t try to get away and warn Styles, but I adore him! He’ll be a perfect little informant and young ones such as these are more prone to manipulation,” Eli grated, throwing her arms around Brett and giving him a kiss on the lips. “I knew your daddy would come through. I can’t wait for tonight. Styles is going to die and I’ll finally have my revenge for Razor and Blade! You can help me! He has a bird named Sophia Stone, we can have some fun before we kill him. His men can die first! Oh my God, I’m so excited!”

Brett just smiled, because what could he really say to the crazy girl?

“Anything for you darling. Come, the knock on this one’s head is going to wear off soon and I don’t want him getting away. The little bastard was hard to catch the first time, even with him being injured. I saw him in the middle of the road before the police raided that inner circle bike race and dad has a list of all inner informants and drug runners for Damien Styles. Papers here, he gets them and brings them to Emily and Aurora, you’ve heard about them, yes?” Brett asked, reaching in and taking Papers from the boot, his muscles constricting when he pulled the smaller boy into his arms to carry him into the warehouse.

“Yep, they’re his main organizers.” Eli nodded and followed her beau to the warehouse.

“To get to Damien, you need to take out their inner circles. Emily and Aurora would be the start. I have a whole list of their contacts, baby, but it’s going to cost you.” Brett smirked, dropping Papers on the hard floor and grabbing Eli by the shoulders, planting a forceful kiss on her lips.

She had no problems responding.

“Name your price.” She replied back in a silky husk, deepening their kiss a little more.

“Well, let’s put little bird in his cage and then we can come to an…arrangement.” Brett smirked, dominating the situation once more.

Eli giggled and nodded.

“Okay, I have just the cage. Daddy used to put mum in it when they first started dating. She would try to escape and he never got rid of it. It’s over here.” She told him, breaking away from his touch and leading her new boyfriend to another sector of the huge building.

“I bet that was an interesting story. So, how did you two meet? Oh, he kidnapped me and we fell madly in love.” Brett snorted.

Eli frowned.

“Mum never loved daddy. I loved him, because he was my dad, but mum never did. She fucked the slave-boy and got herself knocked up. Turns out, Andros is Lily’s dad and not daddy’s like she should have been. I knew there was always something fruity with my sister. Now I know what, she inherited weaker genes.”

Brett pulled a frown of his own.

“I’m sorry, kitten. I didn’t mean to strike up bad memories, let me make it up to you.” He smiled then, following her to a far-off corner.

In the corner of a windowless room was a small cell equipped with a small shower, a sink, a toilet and a small cot with the bars stretching fifteen feet across and about ten feet in width. The cage itself was the size of a small hair saloon and left plenty of space not to feel claustrophobic.

“Put him on the cot, I’m going to go and get a hammer.” Eli ordered in excitement, unlocking the unused cell and practically running from the room to find the object of her desire.

“I better make sure he stays out. I maybe an asshole, but I’m a sane one.” Brett shook his head, knowing Eli was about to cause great pain and though he’s all for the occasional nail pulling, he knew the kid he currently just dropped on the cot didn’t do anything but be associated with the wrong circle and in good conscious – however small his might be, wanted him to experience as less trauma as possible.

So, with no other thoughts on the matter he raised the end of his elbow and brought it down hard on the kid’s temple with a loud crack.

“That should buy him a couple more hours, if Eli has anything to do about it though, it’s not gonna last,” Brett said to himself, looking around the depressing prison. “Needs a TV and some art.” He concluded his sparse thoughts.

“I found it! I found the hammer!” Eli skipped back into the room, waving the hammer and running to Brett’s side, throwing her arms over his shoulders again and kissing him with harsh determination. “I’m going to take care of little bird here and then we can go over some plans for Styles and his gang. I want their deaths to be painful! I want them to be gruesome and I want them to be slow!”

Her tones were going between whispering and yelling. She was way too happy and that was also slightly concerning – but Brett learned the first time she pulled a knife on him during their date that she was also crazy and hell, they say the insane ones were the best in bed.

“It will be, darling. We will go tonight in the cover of darkness and kill Harry Styles.” Brett agreed to her overenthusiasm.

“And their gang!” Eli screamed, bringing the hammer up and using her full weight to bring it down on Paper’s ankle.

Brett flinched at the crack of Paper’s ankle being broken, but paled when she dropped the hammer and took out her knife.

“Did you know that the peroneal tibiae controls movement of the ankles and if it’s cut, they’ll walk with a hobble for the rest of their life? I only wanna damage one foot so he can’t go off to warn Styles and really, he’d look super cute with a hobble, don’t you think? Daddy showed me how to cut the tendon when I was like, eight.” She gushed, kneeling down to the boy’s level and placing the blade on the tendon of his already damaged foot.

Brett turned away the same time he heard the cutting of flesh, paling a little more than before.

“Oops, I forgot about the blood. Ah well. JOSEPH?! GET ME A PAIR OF HEATED TONGS TO CAUTERIZE MY LITTLE BIRD, HM?” She screeched, standing up with a short laugh and throwing her arms around Brett’s back, the now bloodied knife held tightly in her fist. “Come on, sweet-sweet. We got to go tell your group the good news about tonight and then from now till then, I’m completely and utterly –“ She paused to slink her body to the front, throwing the knife down as she did son, her tentacles wrapping up to Brett’s neck. “Yours.” She finished in a predatory groan.

Brett picked her up bridal style and locked the cell door.

“I believe I can live with this arrangement. However, business first and pleasure second.” He sighed and walked with her to finish the meeting with his group.

“Alright, a quick announcement and then I’m yours and you are mine. For the whole day, no interruptions.” Eli pouted.

Brett chuckled.

“I promise, darling. No disruptions.” He promised genuinely.

Eli kicked her feet back once in excitement and nodded. It had been a long time before she and Blade had sex that she wondered if maybe Brett would compare, she was holding out some hope, but in the back of her mind, revenge was the only thing she seemed focused on.

Harry Styles would die and she would see to it that the rest followed swiftly before, but not without suffering. The torment would be excruciating and she was looking forward to every blood chilling moment of it.

*

At the Cabin – Daybreak:

--

Zayn, Niall and Liam had guided a soaked Louis from the leaking car boot and down to the basement without much of a struggle.

Louis looked like hell with tear stained red splotched eyes, deep lacerations of blood on his wrists and a slightly daub shirt from when he had been struggling in his bonds.

“I need to stitch your wrists, Lou.” Liam said softly, leaving Zayn and Niall to watch the silent brunette while he went to get the supplies.

Zayn didn’t waste any time in grabbing the wooden chair from the wall and sitting it down behind Louis with a loud thump.

“Sit.” Zayn ordered gruffly, pushing on one of Louis’s shoulders in an attempt to get him to listen.

Louis didn’t protest the treatment and let Zayn push him down, eyes staring blankly ahead in an almost unblinking trance.

Zayn wasn’t satisfied and brought his fist up to catch Louis’s cheek.

Louis’s head snapped to the side with force, but no sound of pain escaped. He was numb and unresponsive.

“I’m not sure which one of you is acting more like the bitch right now. I think Sophia is falling into second place.” He continued bored, pulling the gag from Louis’s mouth.

“I think it’s safe to say that you won bitch of the year, mate. Congrats.” Louis responded softly, flinching when Zayn chuckled and bent closer into his personal space.

“Still so you, Lou. Why don’t I adjust that some, huh?” Zayn asked, before standing up and delivering a painful kick into Louis’s chest, knocking over the chair in the process.

“Oi! That’s enough, Z. If you don’t leave, I’m gonna go tell Harry.” Niall stepped in and stopped Zayn from smashing his foot down on the other member.

Zayn growled, but turned swiftly and walked up the steps without protest.

Niall let out a small sigh of relief when it didn’t escalate anymore, because he was not used to so much confrontation, even on a bad day.

“You alright there, Lou?” Niall asked, bending down and helping Louis from the ground, picking the chair up in the process and helping his fellow gang member back down into it.

“If I said yes, would you believe me?” Louis returned weakly, forcing a snort through his nose. It didn’t reach his emotions and Niall could only pat his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, mate. Here, let’s get this off you, that wire is slicin’ off yer’ hands.” Niall tried to help, going behind him and gently unwinding the sharp wire keeping Louis’s hands prisoner.

Louis nodded a thanks to Niall and brought his limbs back to the front with a groan.

“Is Sophia alright?” Louis asked, eyeing the basement door when it opened.

Liam came back down with a medical kit and a few syringes.

“We took her into Harry’s room and she’s been sitting at the windowsill, I believe H is dealing with her now.” Niall shrugged, watching Liam approach and start to take out a pair of medical gloves.

“I need sleep. Between bathing unconscious hostages, cleaning the linen on their beds and fixing injuries, I am not going to be able to get up until the late afternoon. I swear, I have never felt so sleep deprived.” Liam muttered in a low rant.

Louis remained silent, wincing when Liam took his arm and brought it up to examine the injuries.

“Christ almighty, Lou. You’ve done scrapped some of these to the bone just about. I’m going to numb the area and give you something for the pain before I stitch and clean, alright?” Liam asked, looking down at Louis while his pain filled cerulean eyes glanced back at him.

“I don’t feel any pain, Li,” Louis told him, bringing his injured wrist back down into his lap. “It’s almost a relief.”

Liam nodded cautiously.

“Alright, so you don’t want the shots?” Liam asked with confusion, looking at the bed Sophia had been raped in and thought back if it had been sanitized after. “Niall? The bed is sanitized, right? I want to get Louis moved over there so I can fix him properly.” Liam addressed Niall, seeing him nod.

“Save for a few stains, the bed is clean. I made sure of that after last time.” Niall responded, glancing at the door as it opened again, Harry coming down the steps with an exhausted glare.

“Liam? When you’re done with Tomlinson, would you mind removing Sophia’s cast? I want it wrapped so she has more free range of her hand. Broken or not, she needs to be able to defend herself and she won’t be able to do that with the plaster on.” Harry asked, his eyes roaming over to Louis. “When you’re done with him, I want him tied up. He will be dealt with later this afternoon.”

Liam nodded and helped Louis from the chair and over to the bed.

“I’m going to put him out, I think this will go over bet –“ Liam started, but got cut off when Louis spoke to Harry’s retreating back.

“You can punish me to the harshest extent, but leave Sophia from this. She was following my orders.” Louis spoke, plopping down onto the bed in exhaustion.

Harry paused at the steps and turned back around to make his way back to Louis, towering over him.

“Yeah? All your orders, no fault of her own?” Harry demanded with a disbelieved scoff.

“No fault of her own,” Louis murmured, meeting the jaded eyes of their leader. “I’m pretty manipulative, you of all people know that.”

A few heartbeats of silence followed before Louis spoke again.

“El was important to me, Harry and if you dig enough beneath your icy heart, you’ll find that Sophia means something to you too and beating her unconscious won’t change anything. Nothing will. She is Sophia Stone, the light in your darkness. Stop trying to snuff out the light, mate, because hers can’t be extinguished. El’s couldn’t either, because God knows I had tried.” Louis said, tears falling silently to his cheeks.

Harry knelt down so they were eye level, his teeth gritted together.

“Sophia means NOTHING to me.” Harry growled, taking his hand and gripping Louis’s jaw, forcing his surrendered eyes to his. “Nothing matters anymore, Louis. What goal I have is to make sure my Goddamn gang doesn’t get killed because their heads are up their arses. I will punish Sophia how I see fit and you will stick to knowing your Goddamn fucking place!”

He threw Louis’s head to the side and stood to leave, but Louis’s words stopped him once more at the edge of the stairs.

“It won’t help. The more you abuse a dog, the more they yearn to make their owners happy. She’d do anything for you, H. It’s a shame you can’t see that.” Louis replied to Harry’s outburst softly, flinched when Liam injected him with a sedative.

“Let’s lay you down, okay, mate?” Liam asked, helping to support Louis’s body as he laid back on the bed with Niall bringing his feet up so he was positioned straight.

“You speak like you know her.” Harry snarled, watching Louis’s tired eyes finally close with defeat.

“More than you, Harry. Talk to her, test her – “Louis’s voice trailed away into even breath, the sedative taking effect and pulling him into temporary relief from his anguish.

“Cuff him to the bed when you’re done. I got to get Sophia ready for bed; considering everyone else around this damn place seems preoccupied.” He gestured sarcastically with his hand and made his way up the steps and into his room, seeing Sophia’s sleeping frame lying on the windowsill.

Harry stilled at the door with a shake of his head at the sight. If he wasn’t so tired and angered, he would admire the peacefulness of her relaxed face as she slept.

“Fuck my life,” Harry muttered, eyeing the way the short green dress exposed her thigh and rode up her small figure so the edge of her bum stuck out. “Sophia?”

He trudged over to her tiredly and shook her shoulder briskly.

“Wake up, I need to get you ready for bed.” Harry told her placidly, stepping back a step when her eyes opened.

“What time is it?” Sophia asked with a yawn, looking at Harry and smiling gently.

Harry’s frown deepened, he had no idea why the hell the lass was smiling, but it was unsettling considering she was supposed to be getting punished.

“Early morning. I was tasked to getting you ready for bed, you will be sharing a room with the hostages.” Harry informed her without emotion, holding his hand out for her to take.

She nodded and placed her good palm into his, allowing him to help her from the window and over to the left side of the bed.

“Thank you.” Sophia acknowledged, sitting down on the bed with his guidance.

Harry shook his head and walked back to the other side of the room to his vanity, pulling out a baby-doll blue nightgown, the length of it reaching the floor and the material of it at least two sizes too big on Sophia’s small body.

“I wouldn’t thank me just yet, Ms. Stone.” Harry told her, his voice a mutter of agitation when he walked back over and sat down beside her, glancing over the green dress that hugged her beautiful figure.

Sophia smiled again and turned to her leader, hand gently grasping his.

“I know, but you’re only doing what you feel you have to. I accept my punishment willingly, whatever you should feel appropriate.” Sophia told him, her tone as genuine as she could muster.

Harry snorted and turned to meet her eyes.

“I suppose you think I’m stupid enough to fall for that old trick? Louis might have taught you how to manipulate, but it won’t work on me Nightshade. It will never work.” Harry counteracted with a growl, squeezing her attached limb painfully in order to control his rage enough not to slap her across the face for her boldness in thinking he was easily fooled.

Sophia remained submissive and moved his firm grip to her face, the back of his knuckles forced against her left cheek when she positioned them there.

“Then, hit me. It only hurts for a moment and it makes you feel better, doesn’t it? I deserve it, don’t I? For disobeying, hurting and causing you stress?” Sophia lowered her black eyes and bruised face from Zayn’s earlier beating to her lap, waiting for him to strike her.

Instead he wretched his hand from hers with an unpleased grunt.

“It doesn’t bring me joy, least of all from pain. I have a window that is vast closing, Sophia. I have a fight to train you for that you cannot hope to win, I have my second in command destroying London to teach you lessons on how to be a sociopath and Steel is in the hospital in a coma and I have a very pissed Damien up my arse because of it,” Harry scratched his head in agitation, before finishing. “You will have to excuse me if my asshole-o-meter is up a few notches. I have had a very bad day yesterday and would like to go to bed and get some rest for a few hours before tackling the day. So please let me help you get ready for bed so that I myself can go to sleep.”

Sophia smiled in excitement.

“Does this mean you won’t hit me?” She asked, turning slightly. “Can you unzip the back for me? It makes it easier to slip out without ruining it. Patrick told me the dress made me the most alluring woman in the store. He also told me it offset my eyes perfectly. Is that true? Does it make me beautiful?”

The way she looked at him made Harry think of an innocent child looking for their lost mother. Her voice sounded much younger and not at all ingenuine.

Which is why his mind ran blank and his eyes gave way to a cold shower of paralyzing fear.

Harry looked at her like a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding car and he was the deer.

“Patrick says that to everyone, even my father.” Harry recovered quickly and dismissed the notion quickly, bringing his hand to the back of her dress, slipping the zipper down gently so the material didn’t bunch up and catch.

“Your father? Patrick told me everyone in the store is scared of him. I can’t imagine Patrick telling him he looks beautiful and living to survive the day after, even if the bloke is as gay as a three-legged starfish, common sense suggests Damien would not take the compliment well.” Sophia quipped in good humor.

Harry felt a small chuckle leave his throat before he could stop it.

“You certainly are in good spirits for someone who just got beaten up by a fellow member.” Harry steered off the subject of her dress, guiding Sophia up and watching the green fabric fall to the carpet with a soft bristle of silk fabric sliding from her skin.

She stood naked in front of him, bare from the waist down, but her mounded breasts clad in a matching colored bra.

Harry reached up wordlessly and unhooked the strapless undergarment, watching it fall to the floor beside the dress.

She turned around, catching Harry’s hand and bringing it up to her cheek so his large hand covered a large bruise already deepening in shades from the brutal punch she had gotten from Zayn earlier.

“If I didn’t have these scars, would you think me pretty? If – “Sophia was interrupted.

“Why do you give a fuck if I think you’re beautiful or hideous? My opinion, Zayn’s opinion – Louis’s, they should me shit all to you, lass. What matters is if you think you’re pretty. Who cares what my bloody opinion is? It doesn’t matter anyhow.” Harry cut her off, his tired eyes garnering turmoil.

Sophia’s face dropped.

“It matters to me,” She responded softly, using her body to move her face close to his, his hand still on her cheek. “Because I –“

“Don’t you fucking tell me you love me!” Harry exclaimed, jerking his hand from her cheek and bringing the back of it upward in a quick motion that made it seem he was about to slap her.

She didn’t blink and in turn, Harry dropped his now free limb on his lap in defeat, breathing hard in an attempt to control the anger pooling from him.

“You can hit me if it makes you feel better, but I can’t take back the truth.” Sophia whispered in her normal gentleness, grabbing his hand and bringing it back to her cheek, eyes not leaving his dark green ones.

“Fuck you. You cannot love me or anyone else. It is against the bloody rules or have you gone completely stupid and forgot this?” Harry grunted, pulling away and unfolding the baby-doll blue nightgown, quickly dressing the cooperating girl.

Sophia let him roughly dress her, but that didn’t stop the need to spark a positive reaction out of Harry and she knew this would either break him or get him angrier. She had no idea what, but she was willing to take a chance to see the traces of the old Harry, the good or bad one. The one that sat beside her was deplorable and that was on his good days.

“Harry? I liked the gent I saw back before the cage, you told me you loved me. Was that all a lie?” Sophia asked, watching his body language carefully.

He tensed as she expected Harry too, carefully following up with more queries.

“Are you afraid of losing me? Because you don’t have to be. I’ll win the fight if that’s what you really wish. I’d do anything you wanted. If I can right out admit that, why can’t you admit that you could possibly love me back? What are you afraid of? My death? If I die, you gained and lost none. So, take a chance and let your heart win for once.” Sophia finished, not letting go of his stare.

Their eyes were locked into an intense gaze, neither looking away.

Sophia leaned forward and let her soft lips linger by his for a few precious seconds.

“You don’t have to answer. In fact, I don’t want or expect you to. I just want to feel something and I only get it with your cruelty. What does it feel like to love and be loved?” Sophia asked genuinely, her hand releasing his and cupping his cheek in a frail hold while making sure to enchant her words with the emotions that passed so vividly through her pupils.

Harry felt the echo of her words in his ears, his heart pumping adrenaline all the while through him like a waterfall.

“I don’t know.” He replied breathlessly, the touch of her lips coming down on his, throwing his logical side out the window.

“Then – let’s pretend we do? Just this once, just today.” Sophia pleaded, temporarily breaking of the kiss.

Harry groaned and set his mouth back on hers to shut her up and she responded with moving her lips frailly with his, keeping the kisses light and gentle, prompting Harry to lose utter control and deepen their embrace.

It’s safe to assume little Harry won that battle, considering all his blood was currently powering him to the point of slow built excitement.

As that was going on Sophia was moving her good hand around in Harry’s pockets; picking them clean of his knife, gun and cell phone – all of which was discreetly done without him noticing.

Make them watch one hand and pick with the other – or whatever Louis had told her.

She was enjoying the temporary power she had over the leader and Sophia would be an idiot not to use it to her advantage.

“Make love to me.” She moaned between kisses, using her good hand to help work the shirt from his body.

Harry grunted and forced her hand away from his clothes, laying her down on the bed as he climbed on top of her without breaking his osculation. It tingled Sophia’s inside, her manipulation worked and though she did care for Harry, she wanted the old one back and he made it clear that he couldn’t be that person.

“Harry? We got to stop now.” Sophia grunted, pushing him away with her good hand and quickly stuffing the stolen items from his pants into the side pocket of her nightgown.

“Why?” Harry cried back, pulling away and looking down at the beautiful redhead.

“Because you never gave me an answer.” Sophia responded, her chest heaving for air from his breathtaking kiss.

Harry’s eyes furrowed in confusion.

“You said pretend? I didn’t think you were legitimately asking for real answers. You said you didn’t want me to answer? Was I supposed to take that as figurative or literal?” Harry huffed, struggling to regain his breath.

Well, there went the mood.

Straight into shit’s creek without a paddle and a future reference of things you should never ask or say during sex.

Sophia froze, hurt filling her soul.

“Do you care for me or fucking not? There’s no maybe, you either do or you – “Sophia started, but Harry pulled back off her quickly with a growl.

“I don’t. I can’t.” Harry put an end to her wonderment and if she was honest, his words stung worse than his punches.

“Fair enough,” She swallowed down her emotions and sat up from the soft bed. “Then at least tell me that you think I’m beautiful.” Sophia compromised, standing from the mattress on shaking legs and looking into the mirror in front of her, grimacing when she saw the ugly marks that scarred her chest, the rest thankfully hidden under the material of her nightgown.

“Fine, you’re beautiful.” Harry relented with an uncaring gesture of his hand.

“You don’t say it like you mean it, tell me what you really think.” Sophia challenged lividly, making sure to speak without giving her emotions away. Louis spoke to her about that and she needed to appear unbothered by her leader’s hurtful words.

Harry stood up beside her, putting his arm across her back.

“Look in the mirror, Nightshade. Look into it and tell me about the girl that stares back.” Harry ordered calmly.

Sophia did as he asked, but she couldn’t name any quality that she could visibly see to verbalize.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged, making sure to catch his stare in the mirror.

He kept eye contact and mirrored her gesture.

“Me either, angel. Now, I think it’s time for bed.” Harry smiled tiredly, his heart still beating from the quick make out session.

“Let me sleep with you?” Sophia asked, turning so she could look up into his face to see his brow crinkle together.

“You can, but it won’t change anything.” Harry shrugged, really too tired to match wits with her, especially since he had been busy at the Playhouse.

Sophia nodded, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

“Then at least hug me goodnight.” Sophia requested, feeling his arms wrap around her and for a brief moment had wondered if he did it because she asked or did it because he did care.

Whatever the reason, it was his alone and he wasn’t going to let on otherwise.

“Goodnight, Harry,” Sophia said, reaching into her pocket and grabbing Harry’s knife and gun but kept his cellphone. “By the way, you dropped these.”

Harry’s eyes widened.

“How – how the bloody fuck did you do that?! No one has EVER pick pocketed me successfully, except Lou – wait…he taught you how to nick? That son of a motherfucker! “Sophia reached over and kissed Harry’s cheek, cutting off his ranting.

“Not all hope is lost, Harry. Maybe you need to sit down with Lou this evening and reconsider his punishment. He showed me by example and if you let me show you what I learned, maybe you’ll have some belief in me too.” Sophia suggested, turning to walk toward the hall.

“It won’t change anything. There’s no room for error and there’s been too much of it lately.” Harry responded, following her to where the hostage room was, unlocking it for her.

Sophia simply turned when she was in and gave Harry her most charming smile, even if her heart felt like it was breaking.

“You have my word, Harry. I promise there will be no more errors, not from me anyhow. So, rest comfortable and I will see you this avro?”

Harry just watched her turn and go to the windowsill, her body sliding comfortably into her normal spot, just as it had those many months ago. The very same place he used to take her from and tuck her back into bed on the late nights he did security checks. It had become a nightly ritual as she was always falling asleep there.

“Goodnight, Sophia.” Harry nodded and turned to shut the door, leaving the unconscious brothers undisturbed and too tired now to do anything more.

“Good morning, Harry. Sleep well my beast.” Sophia cracked a cheeky grin, shutting her eyes and leaning back against the wall.

Harry shook his head with a sigh and microscopic smile.

“Goodnight, beautiful Belle.” Harry reiterated back, closing and locking the door behind him.

He went out to the kitchen to see Liam washing off his instruments at the sink, Zayn repairing the table and Niall at the stove with a good portion of food out to cook.

“Finish your tasks and then you all can go to bed to catch a few hours. Today is going to be a late start and aside from hostage care, I’m doing fuck-all. Also, no disturbances unless there is someone getting murdered, because otherwise they will meet an unfortunate end, understood?” Harry ordered, seeing Niall hum with a nod, Liam shrug and Zayn grunt out a yes.

Harry nodded once, turned back to his room, diving onto his bed and pulling the covers up to his neck with a content sigh.

It took a few moments to realize however, that little Harry was still hot and bothered.

“Oh for fuck sake, that redheaded demon bitch. You don’t start something you don’t plan to finish.” Harry muttered, trying to replenish the blood back into his brain so he could settle it down to sleep.

Thankfully, it only took a few minutes for the gang leader to pass out from pure exhaustion. He had never been so tired in his life and he blamed Louis, but a small part of him felt less stressed – at least for now.

Notes