Malefactor [H.S.]

48

tw: minor talk of suicide

Harry Styles

I lied to Camden. We didn't come back to New York with the drugs. Niall, Zayn, and Riley are traveling back on my jet today with it and are the ones bringing it back to this country.

In my defense, none of this was my idea. I was knocked out from Lucia's guards and didn't know what was going on until I woke up on the bed in the back of the jet. She was sitting up beside me staring into space with her earbuds in. Once she realized I was awake, she explained that Niall and Zayn said we were traveling back to New York with the drugs to get them away from Lucia as quickly as possible.

That was a lie. They weren't worried about Lucia coming after the drugs. She already got her payment and more, so it meant nothing to her at that point. They were worried about her coming after us again, specifically Camden, since there could be assumptions she's secretly undercover or some bullshit like that. So, they lied to her and sent us away.

I only found out when I left her alone in the bedroom after she fell asleep to go call Zayn. He told me the truth, saying he'd call me when they were thirty minutes away from landing. They were supposed to come back yesterday but apparently, there was a storm down there so all flights were grounded.

Here I am now, sitting in my running car at the airport, watching as the jet descends from the sky and lands on the runway.

Camden would've killed me if she knew the truth. I'm sure she wouldn't have believed me if I said I didn't know Riley would be traveling with a bunch of illegal drugs until we were already over the Atlantic Ocean, so it's better if she just doesn't know until later. Zayn and Niall are already coming back with me so they can finally tell her the truth about how she got involved with Colin, so what's one more lie on top of other, more important ones?

When the plane lands safely and the door opens to let the stairs hit the ground, I'm on my feet and rushing toward it. Riley's already heading down the stairs, Niall behind her carrying her bags. She's wearing a pair of sunglasses but I can see her eyebrows raise at the sight of me.

"Shit," she curses, lifting them to rest in her hair. She eyes me up and down, sucking in harshly. "Niall wasn't kidding when he said they fucked you up."

I glare at him, moving out of the way so they can fully step onto the ground. Riley comes to a stop with her hands on her hips, continuing to shamelessly gawk at my injured state. My eye is still fucked up but it isn't as swollen today, the bruises beginning to turn a nasty shade of greenish-yellow that mixes with the purple. Camden audibly gasped when she saw me this morning, so I know I look like shit.

"Yeah, well," I try not to snap, my words still coming out clipped.

I walk with them toward the other car that's running, the one that's supposed to take her back to Niall's. He hands her bags off to the driver, who loads them up in the trunk.

"Camden didn't come?" she frowns, looking around as if I'm hiding her behind me.

"No, she was too tired," I lie, thankful it's still early enough in the morning for this to be believable. Even if she did know the truth about us having to go drop the drugs off to Colin, there was no chance in hell I'd let her anywhere near him.

I glance over my shoulder, looking at the plane to see if Zayn's come out yet. Beside me, Niall says, "I'll be back in a few hours. We gotta go over this stuff with Luminary." I turn back around just in time to see them holding each other while they make out, almost gagging at the sight. I walk away, stalking toward the plane to see what's taking Zayn so long.

When I step aboard, he's sitting on the couch casually like there aren't literal tons of illegal cocaine stashed away on the jet. He looks up, nodding at me in acknowledgement. I go to yell at him when Niall appears, sighing loudly.