Prince and the Pauper

Chapter Five

Think of Geordie. He needs you. You can't lose this job. Hold your tongue. This was the mantra cycling through my head as my eyes locked with the man I loathed most in this world. My hands were starting to throb from how hard my fists were balled up, the urge to lunge forward and attack Dante with all my might was overwhelming. His blue eyes flashed with recognition as my eyes daggered his, and his thin lips curled into a mocking, sinister smirk. Bastard.
"Ah! Mud-rud girl!" Dante clapped, rocking back on his heels. "Been a while since we last talked." Each taunting word cut loose one more chord that had me clinging to my sanity, and I was on the verge of lashing out.
"We didn't talk. Not directly, anyways." I spat. "I just sat there listening while you spun the court your web of lies." My eyes were daggers, and a part of my brain wished I had real ones with me. Then justice would finally be served to my brother.
"Dante," Harry spoke up, his voice eerily dark, "I suggest you leave. Now." Harry's jaw was clenched, and he too, looked at Dante with a look that could kill.
"Still so wound up about all this nonsense, are we brother?" Dante rolled his eyes, and leisurely strolled across the library to place himself on the couch near Harry . "We are flesh and blood, Harold. Let bygones by bygones already." Harry opened his mouth to retort but I cut him off.
"Flesh and blood!" I bitterly laughed. "Ironic, don't you think, Dante? Since you attacked my  flesh and blood, literally." I growled, standing to my feet the second Dante did. He sized me up and down, his arms folded against his chest.
"I will repeat what the judge said to you, girl." His venomous tone had my whole body on over-drive, ready to pounce and send him into the neighbouring room of Geordie in the hospital. "Where is your proof?" His remark was cruel, and he knew it. That had been the exact sentence the judge in court had said, and it was what lost me the case. What lost me my justice for my brother. I had tried to convince them I was an eye-witness, but according to Dante's damn good lawyer, I was "too emotionally compromised" to provide an accurate testimony. My tongue slid through my teeth as I tried to keep my anger in check, and thankfully Harry stood up now.
"Dante, get out of my library dammit!" His voice was loud, and oozed with authority. Even Dante himself flinched at the raised temper in his brothers voice, and I found my body straighten with smugness that Dante had lost his winning smirk.
"Fancy yourself a mud-rud do you, brother?" Dante scoffed, his evil stare diverting to Harry. "Taking the saying 'getting dirty' to a literal level I see." His eye glowed with confidence, and a hint of evilness too.
"I said..." Harry drawled out slowly, a chill slithering around my body and the low tone, "Get.out." He pointed to the door. "Now." Dante hesitated a fleeting moment, before shaking his head and strolling over to the door, only stopping inches from the door when Harry called out again.
"Oh, and Dante?" Dante slowly peered over his shoulder with a sickening scowl. "Her name is Devonne." With that, Dante scoffed one final time, before slamming the door loudly behind him, silence filling the library.
"Damn." I muttered, capturing Harry's attention, who twirled to look at me again, a proud smile gracing his lips. "Way to stick it to the man, Harry." I grinned, earning a laugh from him, a twinkle returning to his eyes.
"What can I say? Behind this smart suit it a bad-boy waiting to be un-leashed." He smirked, my head tossing back and laughing loudly, showing how I doubted that very much.
"Oh yes, you're bad to the bone, Styles." I sarcastically smiled.
"I blame the daddy issues." His retort made my smile tilt higher to the left, and I softly shook my head.
"You know, you're not the total posh-totty-ass I thought you were." Harry's deep laughter boomed around the library, and he walked towards me and when we was inches from me his large hands came up to my shoulders, and he spun me around. My body stiffened slightly at the contact, but eased off when Harry spoke.
"That door leads to my office. Work awaits." I groaned, and he laughed and he gave me a gentle push and sent me staggering, my feet stumbling forward, and I trudged into his office.
"Mother of..." I breathed out when I entered his office. The whole back wall was a large glass window, looking down on the busy streets below. In front of the window was a long office desk, a black leather chair facing the door we just entered. The desk was surprisingly cluttered. Papers sprawled all over, multiple empty coffee cups, and his pens scattered around his computer.
"Ugh, cleaning was never mentioned in the paperwork." I groaned, and Harry laughed as he walked past me and walked around his desk to sit in his chair, leaning back in it and watching me carefully.
"Not cleaning. Organizing." He clarified. I pursed my lips and placed my hands on my hips, making him quirk his brow.
"Hey, if you'd prefer to go on a coffee run..." he trailed off, and I grimaced at the thought, the idea horribly cliché.
"Organizing!" I clapped with fake enthusiasm. "I'm pumped!" I started forward and firstly gathered all the pens into a handful. My eyes scanned for a pen-holder, which he didn't have, and I was oddly surprised. Harry was watching me with a cheeky smile on his face, and I found myself wanting to impress him somehow. As if it prove I had this job because I could be good at it, and not just pity. An idea struck, and with my spare hand I grabbed an empty coffee cup, flicked off the lid with my thumb, and dumped all of the pens into the cup. I glanced up at Harry, and he had his eyes closed and he shook his head playfully, fighting off his laughter.
"Improvisation, I'll give you that, Dev." He teased. "And as impressed as I am, how about I give you a real job, and you start with that pile of papers?" His eyes flickered to a large stack on the corner of his desk, and my eyes widened. He raised his brows challenging me, and I huffed, picking up the intimidating stack.
"Better get started babe, we've got a long day ahead of us."