Devils Star | h.s

Chapter 20

Before arriving to work this morning I had successfully made it out of the apartment without bumping into Harry. Because god knows how awkward that would have been.

I now sit at my desk, dusting off the leftover pastry on my hands from my croissant and taking a sip of my coffee. As much as I wanted to dwell on my very awkward situation with Harry, these cases continued to steal my focus.

This was the third girl who was kidnapped and murdered. Their families kept hiring our law company to investigate and represent their side.

All of them were similar to my age and background. Ambitious and goal-driven university students who had excellent grades and a great future ahead of them.

All to just be killed in the end.

And there was still absolutely no sign of the killer. How is that even possible? How could someone get away with kidnapping and killing so many young women?

"Miss Winters?" the sharp sound of Black's secretary caught my attention. "Mr Black has called for you."

-

"How was the party?" I asked Natasha. After leaving Black's office, I made my way to the roof where I found the redhead putting out a cigarette. "For someone who initially didn't even want to go, you sure enjoyed yourself."

"I forgot how energetic young people can be." I rolled my eyes at her consistency in referring to herself as old. She's only a few years older than me. "All these guys in their thirties sure get lazy over time."

Natasha continued to tell me about her night at the party, oversharing the details of her one nightstand. "Let's talk about the upcoming work trip!" Natasha says, changing the subject.

"Thanks for telling me about that by the way." After following the secretary into Black's office, he began to tell me all about this annual work trip that happens each year. It was an overnight stay organised by the company to "strengthen the team bond". "So, what's this all about?"

"We basically stay at some fancy expensive hotel, eat overpriced food and get drunk."

"I thought we were supposed to strengthen the team bond," I repeated Black's words.

"Isn't eating food the size of a grape and getting drunk strengthening the team bond?" Natasha smiled with a simple shrug of the shoulder.

"Good to know."

"You're gonna like it," Natasha says, sensing my slight hesitance and uncertainty toward the whole thing. "All we do is relax and eat expensive food that the company pays for. It's basically a reward for all our hard work."

-

The moment I had been dreading all day was finally here; Having to face Harry. I had been standing outside the door to the apartment for a while, trying to contemplate any which way I could of avoiding him but even I knew that wasn't possible.

I took a deep breath, opened the door and I could feel my feet moving before I had the chance to even open my eyes again. It wasn't until I collided into a hard chest that my eyes suddenly opened.

It was Harry.

I could feel his rings rest on my forearms as his hands stopped me from falling and moving any further. "You know, you don't have to avoid me Aurora." his voice was deep, and his face rested softly.

"I'm not avoiding you."

"So you're not avoiding me because we kissed yesterday?" even with his eyebrows frowning slightly I could see the glint of mischief in his eyes, the playful smirk that rested on his lips as he spoke teasingly.

"I- I didn't." I denied. I could feel the heat radiating off my face- which was probably as red as a tomato right now. Even without looking into his eyes, he affected me. And he knew that.

A deep chuckle rumbled off his chest, his curls bounced on his head as he shook it slightly. "Well, now that's cleared. I have to get to band practice before the boys chew my ass for being late again."

"Goodbye, Harry."

Harry's POV.

"Harry, why don't we have some fun?" I heard Pixie ask. If truth be told I stopped listening about an hour ago when she showed up.

The whole ordeal with Pixie and I was my idea. Seeing the panic behind Aurora's eyes the night she returned home and found out about the leaked picture made my chest hurt. Knowing that I was the one who put her in the spotlight unwillingly made me feel some sort of guilt I'd never felt before.

She didn't deserve that. I know how harsh the media can be, and how they can twist everything. My supposed 'fans' can slaughter someone they don't know.

But at times like this, I really do regret my decision. Don't get me wrong, Pixie is an amazing woman. She's very hard-driven in what she does, and I would be lying if I didn't say she was beautiful. But she was also very entitled. And I don't like that.

I don't like that she thinks she can snap her fingers at me and I'll dance for her like some fucking circus chimp. No fuckin' chance.

I was pulled away from my thoughts by the voice of Pixie repeating my name, only getting louder each time I didn't reply. "What's wrong with you?" she asked when she finally had my attention.

"What are you talking about?"

"You've been distracted all night. Are you bored?"

"A little," I mumbled to myself. I closed my eyes and rolled my head back mentally preparing for another argument when I heard her gasp at my words.

The argument between us was short. I honestly didn't remember anything when I woke up the following morning. The only thing that seemed to be on my mind was Aurora.

When she came home last night, I remember how she stood so confidently between my outstretched legs. The look in her eyes like she knew she had me on my knees the second she crawled on top of me and crashed her lips into mine. The taste of her cherry chap stick infused on our tongues.

That damn cherry chap stick was all I could think about. During rehearsals, I found the mix of berry and our rather rock music to be quite the mix.

Cherry, cherry, cherry.

As soon as band practice was over I didn't stick around long enough to see where the boys had ventured off to. Though the sensible answer to that would be the obvious; The Winking Lizard. I had other needs to be met with first.

The grunts of the man in front of me were clouded, almost inaudible. His face was no longer recognisable with the blood that smeared across it. My fist met his weak spot beside his ribs causing him to duck in pain, giving me an open shot of his face once again.

I could see the bruises starting to form on his face and bare torso. But that didn't stop me. I kept going and going until he eventually passed out on the cold concrete beneath him. I didn't stop until I was left with only the sound of my own hard breathing and red-painted knuckles.

Fuck....