Calloused

7

"You should stop scowling, you're going to scare the new guards." Niall mumbled to me as we walked down the hall and towards the kitchen.

"Why is that my problem? They should be scared." I retorted.

"Good to have you back Ms. Ice Queen." Niall grumbled.

"I don't have time to play nice Niall. If I want to survive this lifestyle, I have to be cold. The minute you contacted me in Arizona you should have known what I was going back to. More so, who I was going to go back to being" I snapped back.

Deep down I felt bad about switching my demeanor on him. He always hated when I acted like this towards him and the others. But a part of me hoped that he knew why I had to act so cold. In order to eliminate Vincent, I needed to be merciless and ready for anything.

"Skylar Rachel Rivera! Where have you been?" My mother's voice made me freeze. I turned around to see her leaned against the kitchen counter with her arms crossed.

Oh boy, here we go. I mentally groaned. My mother and I had always had an interesting relationship.

She would scold me one minute then take me shopping the next. Bipolar clearly ran on her side of the family.

"Mama?" I smiled weakly.

"We've been worried sick! Baby you know what our conditions were when we let you leave." She pouted, coming over to trap me in a death gripping hug. I didn't protest as I allowed her to suffocate me.

"Things just got.. I'm not sure what I was thinking. I'm sorry mama." I frowned into her hair, my voice came out shakier then I expected.

"Never, I mean never do that again. Do you understand?" She asked, pulling away to look me in my eyes. Her honey brown eyes danced between my icy blue one's. I nodded, swallowing back the lump that suddenly appeared in my throat. I had missed her so much.

"Now, your father wants to see you in his office. He needs to talk to you about everything that you have missed." She kissed my forehead and turned me back around in the direction of the office.

I did as I was instructed and walked back down the hallway I had just came from.

I didn't bother looking back at Niall. He already knew what responsibilities had returned to rest on my shoulders. I was his future boss after all.

I stood outside of the tall, solid, dark oak door for a moment before I finally raised my hand to knock.

"Come in." My father's muffled voice called through it as he invited me in.

I took a few breaths before I turned the door handle and let myself in.

I closed the door behind me and turned my full attention to my father who sat behind his large, antique wooden desk. That big bulky thing had been in the family for generations.

"Papa." I greeted him.

"Sit." He instructed, gesturing to the chair sat opposite of him at the desk. I moved quickly and sat down. I crossed my legs nervously.

"You've missed a lot." He started off.
"You should have stayed in touch with me. If you had, perhaps maybe we wouldn't be in this position." I gulped as he continued to speak calmly.

"Seven of our men are dead. Seven." His voice changed slightly but it was hard to read him.
"Vincent wants to make us pay. He wants every one of us dead." He continued. I knew better not to interpret him.

"So I am leaving this one up to you. It is your responsibility to take care of him. He is threatening us, I want him eliminated." My father's normal light hearted tone disappeared, he was speaking to me as if I was one of his business partners. This made me shiver as I realized how angry he truly was. I knew he wasn't angry with me though.
All of his hatred towards Vincent was starting to show.

"I understand. He will be dealt with properly this time." I agreed.

"I've assigned Mr. Styles to assist you. Given your past with each other, I expect you two to work through your issues in order to complete the task ahead." My father said sternly. My heart clenched in my chest as my father's words sunk in. He said his name.

I didn't say anything as I kept my head low.

"Remember who you are. You can go now, I will be expecting thorough updates on Vincent." He dismissed me. I exited his office in silence. I closed his door behind me, I felt my eyes begin to burn.

I kept my head low as I walked down the hall and towards the stairs. I needed a minute to gather myself before even attempting to face anyone. Before I could reach the stairs I bumped into someone. I stumbled back a few feet at the sudden contact.

"Watch where you're going idi-" My words caught in my throat as my wide eyes met the person I had ran into.

He glared down at me, the familiar frown plastered across his face.

"What's wrong? It looks like you've seen a ghost, love." His voice was laced with so much venom it physically hurt.

"Nothing to say?" He smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"I'm surprised, you used to have a lot to say, princess." His words slashed at my insides, and I was pretty sure he knew it.

Princess.

His words bounced around my head. Without realizing it, my legs gave out beneath me. It felt like I was falling in slow motion. I waited for my head to make contact with the hard, tile flooring but it never came.

My vision was clouded with black dots as my hearing faded in and out. I couldn't process anything. I was beyond overwhelmed with everything and it hadn't even been a full 24 hours yet.

"Hey! Look at me! Wake the fuck up! Sky!" His voice finally came though my ears but I couldn't open my eyes.

"I-I can't b-breathe!" I gasped for air.

"H! What happened!" Niall's voice barked in the background.

I tried to follow their words but my mind wouldn't allow me to.

I kept getting bits and pieces.

"Call the doctor for fucks sake!" His voice was full of panic and desperation. It felt odd to hear him like that. Especially someone who should loathemy existence.

"Please, Sky. Wake up." He whispered angrily. That was the last thing I heard before I lost complete consciousness.