Adversity ~ H.S.

Chapter 1

I've always loved the sky; sunsets, sunrises, the pitch black night. I love all of it. It's peaceful and elegant, and you can always rely on it. Even when it feels like you can't go on anymore, the sun will always rise and another day will start. It's almost comforting in a way.

I'm sat on the old, mossy roof tiles of the main house. The sun is setting slowly and I'm basking in the remnants of the light. I come up here all the time, and not just this roof top but all kinds of rooftops. Anywhere with a good view of the sky. It helps me think and helps me relax, it's the only place I'm truly alone.

I shut my eyes for a second as I feel the wind breeze over my face. It's been a long week and a long month and an even longer few years.

My breathing evens out over time and I feel that usual sense of calm flood my body. I lean my head back so i'm laying down on the roof's slope. My hair blows across my face and sticks to my lip stick but I can't find it in myself to care in this moment. I feel completely at peace.

Until a loud honk of a car horn pulls me out my thoughts; I open my eyes and look down at the usual shiny black Mercedes in the driveway, while shielding my eyes from the sun with my hand.  A head pops out the drivers window, a head with a slick back mop of jet black hair and a pair of the most mesmerising brown eyes I have ever seen.

He waves me over so I shuffle out of my position and throw my legs off the roof, dropping myself down onto the terrace. He walks towards me as I climb down one of the solid, white marble pillars that are attached to the side of the brick house. I don't even have to think about where I put my hands or feet, it's all muscle memory at this point. I jump down when I reach about 3 feet above the ground. My feet plant onto the floor and soon after I feel his large warm hands on my biceps stabilising me.

"I hope you weren't planing on jumping." He mumbles half jokingly as he lets go of my arms once he knows I'm not going to trip.

I smile and pat his cheek, "not today. You can't get rid of me so easily Zaynie boy."

He chuckles to himself and shakes his head but his mood doesn't last long as his smile falters and his body stiffens. His body language tells me everything I need to know. We have a task.

"Briefing?" I ask and he just nods simply. It must be big if he's being so tense, I haven't seen him like this in a while. Zayn is a slightly higher rank than me so he usually knows more about what's going on.

We both turn to the big oak doors and make our way inside together, side by side. Zayn holds the door for me and I thank him with a slight nod.

Zayn is a saint. Well at least to me. He still has violent tendencies and some form of god complex but he's always had my back. Being a woman is hard enough as it is, but when you add being a woman in organised crime, the hardship increases tenfold.

I get given the shitty jobs and people try to pull stuff on me as if I'm not smart enough to see it coming. In reality I'm the smartest person in this building but unfortunately for me, Zayn is the only other person who sees that. Or I guess fortunately for me, at least I have someone.

We've been working together on almost everything for 3 years now and when we're not working together, we hang out. Sometimes he shows up at my apartment out of blue, at all times of the day and night. He either needs me so much that he can't live without me for a day or he hates being alone. I assume the latter.

Most people in this branch of work are tortured by their emotions in some way or another, nobody just lives a straight forward life and then joins a gang for the thrill of it. It was usually our only option or at least the lesser of a few crap options.  At least it means we're all interesting and none of us trust anyone, in this day and age the worst thing a person can do is trust.