The Keepers (Niall Horan FanFic)

Chapter 11-31 Days

"Hello, Miss Aster." 

I attempt to yank my dress back up, clutching it with both hands, backing against the mirror. "Why the hurry? I'm in no rush." He chuckles, and I can hear the sickening smile in his voice. 

"How did you-"

"Find you?" He says, chuckling again. "My dear Miss Aster, did you really think that message was a bluff? Because you should know, Miss Aster, that he word bluff is not in my vocabulary."

He pauses as I feverishly glance around the room, my eyes resting on the one dark corner obscured from the city lights. I stare into it, willing my eyes to adjust to the darkness.

They don't have to. He rises, stepping out of the shadows.

"Clever," I say, straighting up as best as I can while slipping the strap of my dress back onto my shoulder. "Did you pay off that flourescent desk clerk to give me this room?" I say, lifting up my chin.

He smiles that sinister smile and takes a step towards me.

"I knew you were smarter than most people give you credit for," He says, taking another step. "So tell me, Miss Aster," He whispers, inching closer. "Why did you intentionally make such a dangerous mistake?"

I feel a shudder creeping up my spine as I try to utter my next words. "Because," I say, my eyes flitting downward, my jawline inches from his ear. "I wanted you know," I whisper, my lips hovering beside his earlobe, "That I'm not afraid." I stand my ground, hoping I sounded as confident as I'm pretending to be.

Suddenly I'm thrown against the mirror as I feel his fingers lock around my throat. A black haze blinds my sight as I feel the glass crack upon impact with my skull.

"Oh, but you should be, Miss Aster," He says, his mouth pressing into my ear. "Because you have no idea what I am capable of." I gasp as I claw at his hands that are wrapped securely around my throat. "Stop-sto-"

He releases his grip and grabs my shoulders, flinging me like a rag doll onto the queen-sized bed. I gulp in as much air as my lungs can hold, knowing that I'm too weak to physically defend myself. Trying to regain my voice isn't working, but I have to talk, to calm him down, distract him from his rage-

Too late. His hands pin my shoulders down, pressing them into the bed comforter. Stabs of pain shoot through my shoulders as I attempt to resist the urge to cry out.

"I didn't like what you did, Miss Aster," He whispers, his cold brown eyes looking into mine. "You disobeyed-or misinterpreted?-my message, though I'm willing to bet it wasn't the latter. Your little mission caused complications that I don't have time for. I'm a very busy man, you know," He says, smiling. "I don't have time to chase a too-bold teenagers that are trying to prove a point. As a matter of fact, my employees were wondering why I even bothered leaving you alive.."

I instantly stop struggling. Leave me alive? He wouldn't-couldn't-wouldn't kill me. No. This business isn't that serious. If you fail, you lose your dignity and your name, but never, ever your life. No man or woman would be insane enough to let their determination drive them to that degree.

I look into his eyes, reassuring myself. Eyes always give away a lie.

Nothing. His eyes are nothing but a demonic stare, grinning from ear to ear.

"I will, you know," He says, sliding his hand up my arm, sending a spasm through my bones. "I will kill you. If you don't do exactly what I ask of you. I would have, had I not noticed the change in Mr. Horan's attitude once you stepped onto his radar. I realized then that you were the only one who could do this job-which is why I pursued you.

I need you to this job, Miss Aster. This is more than simply taking down another sensation and destroying their career. Had you any idea what my client is worth, you'd probably feel the same way. This is a money drop, Miss Aster. A way for me to aquire more money in 31 days than I have in 13 years. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as the American's like to say. And you, unfortunetly, are the only one who can get me what I want."

Understanding dawns on me as I realize exactly what his words mean. He would've killed me. Will kill me. Now he can't, because Niall's already falling. A money drop. Tremendous profit. Me, standing in his way, an infuriating obstacle yet very valuable component in the result of his ultimately getting what he wants.

"You can't kill me," I say in a whisper. "You have no choice. If you kill me..your money dissapears, along with your reputation. So you can't." I say, regaining some of my earlier confidence.

"Very true. The money would dissapear, down to the last cent..but you should know I don't tolerate bad children, Miss Aster. I can't waste time running after you. The only reason I'm standing here is to warn you that if you ever try anything without my permission, if you so much as walk when I haven't told you to, I will kill you. It would be a costly setback in my mission, but you're replaceable. Everyone's replaceable, Miss Aster," He whispers. "I think it'd do you good to remember that."

I tense as I feel him slide his hands up my arms, his right lingering on the thin strap I recently pushed back into place. I look at him with the most revolting look of silent fury I can manage while desperately trying to master my self-control; if I resist, he'll know I'm more stupid than slightly insane, that I didn't listen to what he was so carefully trying to tell me.

I stay silent as his hands roam down the front of my dress, lightly tracing patterns with his fingers into the curve of my breast. "Good," he says, slowly smiling down at me. "You're learning. Always knew I liked you. Please don't ruin that by making me kill you, Miss Aster. It'd really be quite a pity."

He stands, apparently satisfied. I slowly sit up, my eyes boring into his. If only you knew how badly I want to kill you, I think as I adjust my position. He smiles, his eyes answering my statement. The feeling is mutal.

"I'm flying you back to England. You will leave this room in 10 minutes. I've provided some more comfortable clothing, though I must say, I think I'm taking a fancy to that dress. I'll be sad to see it go.

What you do when you arrive back home will be completely up to you; though let me warn you, Miss Aster, that I'm watching you. Obviously you should know that by now, but I say it again: I'm watching you. Closely. I see every move you make and don't make. One more little stunt like the one you just pulled-" He turns from the phone book he's examining to look me in the eye- "And I will kill you. Just like that. Now you know I only say what I mean, and I mean it when I say this: If you don't find something about Mr. Horan that would provide a big enough wrecking ball to take him down, you will suffer as a result of your failure. Then, once you are broken, I will kill you. 2 of the 3 options result in death, so I'd highly advise you to take the third at your own expense. It would be most unpleasant for the both of us, seeing as I don't enjoy killing and quite frankly, neither does the one who's being killed. So make it easier on the both of us, Miss Aster, and do what I'm so graciously paying you to do."

He makes his way towards the door, turning the handle. He's halfway out when he turns around, the light from the hallway revealing one of his cold brown eyes.

"Oh, I almost forgot," He says, a smile playing on the edges of his lips. "You have 31 days to aquire his secret." He steps through the door completely, leaving it slowly closing behind him. I sit in silence, unmoving, as I hear his footsteps fading down the hall.

31 days. That's all I have. A month to find out what, if anything, he's hiding. A month before I find out exactly what the word failure is accompanied with in my employer's mind.

31 days.