harry
Harry leaves Louis just after lunch to go meet his dad for the business meeting. They aren’t supposed to arrive until later in the evening, but his dad wants him there early to prepare him for God knows what. Apparently, from what Harry can discern, there is a lot of information Harry needs to have before going into the meeting. He honestly couldn’t care less.
As soon as Harry walks in the door to the hotel room, his dad starts in on him from where he’s sitting at the desk, typing frantically on his laptop. “I’m almost done, then I will print this for you to study. You will be taking lead in this meeting. Don’t fuck it up.”
“What? Why?” Harry questions, shocked by the unexpected turn of events.
“Because I said so,” his dad replies, dismissing Harry’s questions as inconsequential.
Harry rolls his eyes at the very dad-like response. He doesn’t he know why he even bothered to ask when he already knew the answer. No sense beating around the bush, he states, “You want me to fuck someone. What about Rayne?”
“Rayne will be with you, but she knows what is expected,” his dad comments, further pissing Harry off. “And to clarify, yes. I expect you to do whatever it takes to make this deal without question or argument. A partnership of this size will be extremely valuable to us. Do you have the paperwork I asked you to bring?”
Harry pulls a paper from his bag and slaps it onto the desk beside the keyboard where his dad continues to type. “Here.”
His dad looks up, anger fueling his gaze. “Change your attitude, boy. This meeting is important.” Harry knows the exact moment his dad sees the collar. His eyes zero in on it like a homing beacon. “What the fuck is around your neck? Take it off. You will not wear that shit to this meeting.”
“No,” Harry responds, steeling himself for the confrontation brewing.
“I didn’t ask, Harry. Take it off,” his dad demands, slamming his hand down on the desktop. “Now.”
Harry lifts his chin defiantly. “No.”
Standing quickly, his dad takes a step forward into Harry’s personal space. “Do as I say.”
“No. I am not taking it off. I can’t...I won’t.” Harry’s dad reaches up to pull the collar from Harry’s neck, but Harry takes a step back before his dad’s hand gains purchase. “It stays right where it is.”
His dad strikes fast and grabs the collar, yanking on it in an effort to remove it forcefully. The collar remains strong and solid against Harry’s neck. He breathes in relief and allows a smirk to grace his face when his dad stops pulling only to finger the padlock. Tightening his hand around it, his dad yanks hard.
“Where’s the key?”
“Somewhere safe,” Harry vaguely answers, confidently standing his ground.
Releasing the padlock, his dad takes a step back. “Why are you trying to make things difficult? Take that fucking crap off. It looks like that hideous thing that Tommo person you have been hanging around wears. I knew he wasn’t a good influence.”
Harry doesn’t respond immediately, choosing instead to remain quiet. He isn’t going to argue with his dad anymore. Besides, Harry wouldn’t take it off even if he could. The clarity it had given him when the lock clicked into place and the calmness that it gives him now feeling the weight of the padlock against his throat, those are things Harry has never had before, and he won’t let them go.
