Captivated by shadows [h.s.]

24.

Drenched in sweat, I opened my eyes and stared up at the ceiling, which was only lit by the moon.

God, these nightmares are killing me

Sighing, I wipe a few stray strands of hair from my forehead and sit up straight in my bed. I look at my phone, which was lying on the bedside table next to me.

02.41 a.m.

After Niall and the others left, they didn't come back, so at some point I decided to go to sleep. I didn't hear what time they came back.

If they have returned

I wasn't told much about the jobs they had to do, but I knew one thing for sure. It was illegal and always involved a certain amount of risk.

If anything had happened to them, I had no idea, and even if I did, I wouldn't know what to do about it. I didn't know where they were or what they were doing.

What if they are all already dead?

It's strange to think about, but it wouldn't be that unlikely, considering how crazy Richard and his men are. They'd kill me too if I wasn't married to Harry.

What would happen to me if they were dead?

Would Eduardo send me home and pretend that none of this had happened?

I threw back my duvet to get up and get myself a glass of water. Maybe that way I could see if the others were already back or if I should start worrying.

Who should I contact if they are still not here?

Would I be stuck here in Harry's house all this time, waiting for someone to come and get me, or was I supposed to disappear on my own?

Just as I was about to swing my legs over the edge of the bed, I stopped moving. My heart began to race as I could see a black silhouette sitting on the armchair in the corner through the darkness.

What if one of Richard's people broke in to kill me?

As if in slow motion, I reach for the bedside lamp and then get up as quietly as possible. I had to hold my breath, otherwise he would have betrayed me long ago.

"What are you going to do with it? Are you going to kill me with the lampshade?" I could hear a rough voice through the darkness. "Or are you going to strangle me with the cable?" I lowered the lamp again.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, clutching my heart with my free hand.

"Watch out" Harry mumbles.

I walked back to my bed to switch on the bedside lamp so that the warm light flooded the room and I could see his face. He had a liquor bottle in his hand and was staring right in my direction.

"Do you know that it's damn creepy when you just sit here in the dark and stare at me as if you're thinking of killing me at any moment?" A cynical smirk creeps onto his lips.

"Can you read minds?" I could hear how drunk he is.

"You should go to sleep Harry." I sat back on the edge of the bed with a sigh and crossed my legs.

"I'm not tired." he shrugs and brings the bottle to his lips to take a sip.

"How about you sit in another room in the dark and just get on with it there."

"Like I said, I'm just looking out."

"To what?" I asked, but I didn't get an answer from him. Instead, he got up from his armchair and walked straight to the window, which was right next to the bed I was sitting on.