The Blackthorn Syndicate

Chapter 6 - Noah

I stared at the girl as she ascended the flight of stairs to walk to her room. There had been no pictures in the report provided by his men nor had there been much to go by.

I had not pressed on it either, she was nothing more than leverage, to be used as a tool over Henry Callahan's head. I had experience with girls her age considering I had raised my sister who is also seventeen.

I had expected an entitled little girl. Having seen all of Willow's phases, I knew teenage girls were anything but graceful. If his sister had been in the girl's shoes, she probably would have thrown a fit. She probably would have screamed to the point that neighbours from eight houses over would have called the cops. I had expected another version of Willow, a sheltered girl with demands. Surprisingly the girl was far mature for her age. Her arguments had been limited and reasonable.

Once Henry had completely lost it, she had walked out and approached me with her head held high. Thanked me even before going to pack her belongings as her father had expected. I had stared at the tears dripping down her cheeks, the emotion on her face so raw yet.....composed.

I walked back into the dining room and stared at Henry who had his head in his hands, his shoulders shook. I raised my eyebrows in dismay. A grown man crying, nothing I had not seen. A better man would have felt bad, I didn't. This was business. I can not deny the satisfaction I felt at seeing Henry broken at my hands.

There was nothing better than humbling a man who thought he was above them.

My eyes go to the shattered crockery on the floor before clearing my throat. Henry didn't look up but I did hear him take a shaky breath.

"Please do not hurt my daughter. I will do as you say, exactly as you want. Just don't hurt her."

Henry's voice cracked.

A frown formed on my lips as a pit of envy formed in my stomach. I had not known love like this from my parents. The marks of the belt on my back were testament enough however, I owed nothing to Henry nor the young girl.

I lean down to his ear, making sure my voice isn't above a whisper

"Do as I ask, and I will return her to you in one piece. Otherwise, you'll bury her in pieces."

Henry doesn't look up as his shoulders shake once more. I walk out of the dining room when I hear footsteps to see the girl being followed by a servant who carried a single suitcase.

She had washed and changed. Her face was clean, a tint of rosiness left on her cheeks and nose. If I hadn't seen her crying I would have imagined her flushed face was because of the cold. Her previous plain dress had been replaced for a black blouse with daisies embroidered on it and matching trousers. Her head was held high as she stared at him and smiled out of courtesy.

I give a fleeting glance at the suitcase in the servant's hand.

"Will that be all?"

"Yes." The girl replied. She looked at me briefly before averting her eyes to the floor.

"Very well then."

The girl turns to the servant and nods as he walks out of the door, probably placing the suitcase in the car. I watch as she walks into the dining room where Henry had his head in his hands.

She places a kiss on the top of her fathers head. Henry doesn't look up and the girl doesn't wait for him before walking to the front door.

Crisp air greeted me as I followed her out and took the lead, walking towards my car. I opened the back door for her before getting in beside her. The car was already heated and I sighed in relief as the driver pulled out.

I watched as the girl kept her gaze away from me, staring out of the window.

It was 9 pm and everything was dark. Since it was the peak of winters no one was to be seen along the roads. Henry Callahan had loved his privacy yet he was still close to the city. On the contrary, my estate was located much further away from civilization. Since I worked from my home office, I had no need to care much about commuting.

My eyes went to the girl who stared at the darkness outside her eyes fixed at the sky in wonder. The sky was scattered with stars this far away from the city. The sight was beautiful but I had grown accustomed to it yet looking at the expression of wonder on the girl's face made me trail my own eyes up to the sky for a fleeting moment before returning to the girl.

"I believe you didn't quite catch the view in Switzerland."

The girl slowly looked at him as if realizing her reality and politely nodded.

"Yes, Mr. Richardson. I lived in the city. The sky wasn't as bright there."

I nodded.

I wasn't a talkative person but I had wanted to hear her speak. To say something. I had expected her to ignore me. I was waiting for a tantrum but it didn't come.

She was behaving as though she was visiting someone she had known all her life, not going to live in an unknown place with unknown people.

I didn't understand why her behavior appealed to me.

I was a grown man. She was a teenager.

And yet here I was, staring at her again as the car moved on.