Demons

Chapter 35

*ZAYN'S POV*

Adrenaline pumped through my veins. I came to this small town to get away from the action that was California, but apparently 'the action' seemed to want to follow me.

I landed another punch on the middle aged man's face, full of rage that he would try and go back on his word. If I lost another client, Malcolm would have my ass. Hell, if I didn't do everything exactly correct, Malcolm would probably just kill me off, though he knew very well how important my job was. It's been that same job I've been doing since I followed the letter to that abandoned hell house. What a stupid fucking mistake that was.

"Thank you very much, sir." I condescendingly laughed at the man on the ground with the bloody nose, before taking the $200 out of his shaking hands.

This was my day job; Malcolm wanted to keep me occupied. I felt so guilty, so dirty, for doing this to the poor man. But I had to comply with what Malcolm wanted. Josh had told me that it gets easier, but then again, Josh was already pretty fucked up.

"Please! I need that for food!" He burst into tears as I was walking away. I couldn't do anything about it. Malcolm had only begun to trust me enough to send me alone, without any "bodyguards" or shit.

But this man was poor, it wasn't his fault. Malcolm was playing him, toying with his faults. No one deserves that. That is pure cruelty.

"Here." I threw $100 back to the ground where the man was laying. Everything inside me was warning me of Malcolm's wrath, but what I really wanted to do was give the pathetic soul all of his money back.

I ran back to my BMW and heard the man crying thanks out to me, but ignored it. How can I accept his gratitude for not stealing everything from him? I started up my engine and sped away from the dirty outskirts of town.

Turning on the radio to drain out the culpability of my actions that was drowning me, "Give Me Love" by Ed Sheeran came on. I was surprised that they still play this song, yet I knew the reason. This was a beautiful song, and it reminded me of a beautiful girl. I couldn't stop myself from humming along to the tune, while my mind fled back to Lacey.

It fled back to her inviting smile the first time I met her. It fled back to her cheeky smirk when she applauded my skills at singing opera. It fled back to her adorable laugh when we would talk about stupid shit those late nights I would sneak into her room through that balcony door.

It fled back to her annoying defiance at anything I wouldn't tell her. It fled back to her humiliated yet still somehow perfect face when that stupid asshole stood her up on Valentine's Day. It fled back to her flowing tears when she opened up to me about Sandra. It fled back to the wounded look on her face, when Ivy made me choose her over Lacey.

Speak of the devil. My cell phone buzzed incessantly in my pocket and I struggled to pick up Ivy's call while speeding down the highway. Thankfully, I was able to catch the call just in time without colliding into the delivery truck next to me.

"Hey! Where the hell are you?" Ivy's mad voice greeted me, and I rolled my eyes. Sure, her snappy attitude was certainly sexy sometimes, but it was mostly just really fucking annoying.

"See? You answer the phone like that, and it makes me want to hang up," I chuckled at my advice, and she scoffed jokingly.

"Okay, okay fine. Just come over ASAP. I want you," she whispered seductively. Of 'course, she didn't just want me for sex, she wanted to pick a fight with me in person. But the sex afterward made it all worth it. Gosh, I sound like such a dick.

"When I can. I have to take care of something first." I stated."Of course, you do. Because everything always comes first, except me. Fuck your business, fuck you, and fuck Lacey!" She screamed. So I guess she wasn't going wait to fight me in person.