Captivated by shadows [h.s.]

20.

It became quiet after Liam parked in front of a large building. Nobody said a word, nobody moved.

My eyes wander back to Harry, who was still looking gloomily out of the window as if we were still driving.

"Are you ready?" Niall asks me, his arm still tangled in mine.

"I don't know, I think so," I reply uncertainly. Now that I'm actually going to meet Eduardo - the man who's been giving me a headache for almost a fortnight.

"It'll be fine." Niall smiles at me and nods slightly to give his statement more force.

I could hear Harry snorting heavily next to me before he got out of the car and walked into the building without us.

Liam sighs softly. "I think we're going to have to drink ourselves senseless with Harry today." he says to Louis, who only replies with a nod.

We also got out of the car and walked straight towards a grey metal door, which Liam pulled open with a flourish so that we all came in at once.

A long, narrow corridor with white walls stretched out in front of me. Liam and Louis led the way, while I stood rooted to the spot.

This corridor looks a lot like the ones I ran for my life in, covered in blood.

My heart began to beat faster, and my breathing became heavier, and suddenly I could see it again.

Steven's face.

"Hey" Niall turns to me and raises his hands to my face, so I looked at him and focus on him. "It's going to be okay," he breathes and literally pierces me with his eyes. I nod as I look into his bright blue irises. We stood there for a few seconds until he held out his hand to me, which I took. "You're not alone," he said, before he started walking with me in the same direction as the others.

A moment later, we stopped in front of a dark brown wooden door. Niall let go of my hand and reached for the door handle. With every inch the door opened, my heart beat faster.

The first thing I saw was Liam, Louis, and Harry standing with their arms crossed against the wall to my left. When I looked to my right, I could see a wooden desk with two chairs facing each other.

An older man with black hair and a black moustache sat on one of the chairs and looked towards me. He was wearing a black suit with white stripes and had a cigar burning in his hand. I stood paralysed and stared into his cold green eyes, which blended in perfectly with the grey-green walls.

"Well, come in," his voice was rough and deep, and I reluctantly entered the room. "Sit down, my beautiful," with a grin on his lips, he pointed to the free chair in front of him.

My gaze falls on Niall, who smiles gently at me. "It's all right," he assures me.

Together we walked to the free chair that Niall pulled back for me with one hand so that I could sit down. A few seconds later, he joined the others behind me against the wall.

"What's your name again?"

"Rosalie," I breathe nervously as my heart beats up to my throat.

"All right, Rosalie. My name is Eduardo. I'm sure you've heard of me." I nod, which makes him smile. "I was told that Richard's people kidnapped you?" he asks me another question. I nod again.

I play with the rings on my fingers as I watch him put his cigar between his teeth to pour a drink into his glass.

"What exactly did they want from you?" my mouth went dry as dust as he questioned me about the past event.

The imaginary hammer began to pound on my head again and the noose around my neck got tighter and tighter.

"They asked me for a chip," I replied with all my strength, knowing full well that the boys were hearing this for the first time too.