Reckless {HS}

thirty-six

Harry's Pov

This was a mistake.

I never should've pushed her away, never should've acted the way I did. Now, here we were, crammed into the backseat of the car, and Delilah was sitting between Niall and me, laughing at something he said. They were friends now, and that was never supposed to happen. It ate away at me, seeing them so comfortable around each other, especially when I had been the one keeping her at arm's length.

Louis was driving, his focus on the road as the city lights blurred past us. Liam sat in the passenger seat, flipping through his phone, going over the details for tonight. But in the backseat, I couldn't focus on anything except the way Delilah leaned toward Niall, a smile on her face that made my chest tighten with something I didn't want to name.

Niall had always been easygoing, with that charm that made people naturally gravitate toward him. I'd seen it a thousand times before. But seeing Delilah react to him like that, laughing and joking with him as if the past few days hadn't completely flipped her world upside down... it felt like a punch to the gut.

I stared out the window, trying to ignore it, trying to get my head on straight. This wasn't about her and Niall. This was about the job tonight. And I had to stay focused on that.

Still, I couldn't help but glance at her every now and then, my jaw clenched tight. She was leaning toward Niall again, her body language more relaxed than it had ever been with me. I'd done this—pushed her away so hard she found comfort somewhere else. And now she was sitting here, right between us, and I couldn't even bring myself to say anything.

It wasn't until Niall leaned in and whispered something to her, making her laugh again, that I finally snapped. I cleared my throat, cutting into whatever joke they were sharing.

"We need to go over the plan for tonight," I said, my voice a little sharper than I intended. It had the desired effect, though. Both of them stopped laughing and turned toward me.

"Right," Liam chimed in from the front seat, glancing back at us. "The charity event at the hotel."

I nodded, forcing myself to focus. "It's high-end, so we need to be careful. Louis, you're on security detail. You'll have access to the cameras and keep an eye on anyone who looks suspicious."

Louis gave a nod, his hands gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. "Got it."

"Niall," I continued, stealing a glance at him. "You'll be our backup, just in case anything goes wrong inside. Stay close to the exits and be ready to step in if we need you."

"Always am," Niall replied, flashing a grin, though I could see he was taking this seriously.

"Liam," I shifted my gaze to the front again. "You'll be outside, monitoring the entrance and making sure we have a clear way out if something goes south."

"Already got it covered," Liam said, his fingers tapping on the screen of his phone. He was always prepared.

I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the last part of the plan—the part I was dreading. "Delilah, you'll be with me. We're going in together to retrieve the necklace."

Her head snapped toward me, surprise flashing in her eyes. I could tell she hadn't expected to be so involved. Niall shifted beside her, his brow furrowing as if he was about to protest, but I cut him off before he could say anything.

"It's the safest way," I said quickly, locking eyes with Delilah. "I need someone by my side who won't stand out. You'll blend in perfectly."

She didn't say anything right away, her expression a mix of shock and uncertainty. I could tell she was second-guessing everything now, probably regretting ever agreeing to help us out. But there was no going back. Not now.

"The target is an expensive necklace," I continued, my voice steady even though my insides were in turmoil. "It'll be on a woman attending the event. We just need to get close enough to her to take it without causing a scene."

Delilah finally nodded, but I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her hands clenched in her lap. She wasn't ready for this. Hell, I wasn't ready for this—for putting her in a situation like this. But we didn't have a choice.

Louis piped up from the front, breaking the silence. "That's it, yeah? We get in, get the necklace, and get out?"

"Exactly," I replied, though my mind was far from clear. I couldn't stop thinking about the risk we were taking. Not just with the job, but with Delilah. She was in this now, deeper than she ever should've been, and I was the one responsible for that.

As we continued driving through the city, the weight of it all settled on my shoulders. I glanced over at her again, but this time she was staring straight ahead, her face a mask of determination. For a moment, I wondered if she was regretting ever meeting me, ever getting involved in this mess.

I knew I was.