Black Mail

Number 100

12 YEARS LATER:

The bottom slot on my shelf was empty. I stared at it with trepidation. One more, one more and I'd be at 100.

99 sex tapes lined my shelf above the empty 100th slot. Liam's next to mine was at 106 sex tapes. Louis, next to his was at 112. Harry's the last on the wall was sitting at 117. One more person and I was finally graduating into the 100's. I had been ridiculed from the boys for sitting below 100 women for the last six months. Louis was getting antsy and wanted me to take up a new person soon. I didn't want to tell him straight out, but I was taking a break. Making sex tapes was tiresome- fun- and a lot of work. My real work as senior illustrator at a big media company called Anime Media London Co. had been getting really hectic over the last year while we'd been working on an updated spider-man anime. I'd been the project manager, and the top cartoon drawer. It had been the best project I'd worked since I started at Anime Media 8 years previously. That project had keep me so busy I had almost ceased doing my other work all together. Hence why the boys had proceeded me.

"Hey Romeo, are you done ogling the wall? I need you to take me to the work. My car's still in the shop. I need to leave in 5 or I'm gonna be late." Liam left just as quickly as he arrived, going back into the kitchen to scrounge for something to eat.

I followed behind into the kitchen to see Louis standing over the stove, and Harry leaning over the counter talking adamantly.

"I told him. I told him not to leave the truck unlocked even for five minutes, and he didn't listen to me." Harry bite into his apple viciously. "Someone broke in and literally stole every syringe inside. I think he's going to get fired. My boss went crazy last night."

"That sucks mate. I hope he doesn't, he's a good paramedic. Morning boys. I made eggs for you." Louis pulled the pan off the stove, scraping eggs onto four plates.

Liam sat down immediately, wolfing down the eggs. "Thanks Lou, these are great. Niall, eat quickly, I've gotta jet." I rolled my eyes at him. He was always in a rush this one.

"Oh Niall, I was wondering if you could also drop me off at the department?" Harry suddenly piped up, giving me a cheeky grin.

"I thought today was a day off? These are actually really good Louis, thank you." I looked at Harry expectantly.

"It is, but I need to go in for this stupid meeting with the team. It's a long story." He sighed, ruffling his short cropped hair.

"You need a ride to the office too Louis? School bus Niall has it under control!" I joked. The boys laughed. Louis waved me off.

"Okay, we gotta go. Harry, get a move on." Liam stood up, looping his belt through his jeans. He was always rushing, also meaning he was never fully dressed until he literally stepped out of the door.

He dropped his dish in the sink and told me to get a move on one more time. A second later I heard him slipping on his shoes and coat at the door. "Niall, Harry, if you don't get to the car in 5 seconds I'm going to strangle both of you. I've already been late 3 times this month."

I sighed, grabbing my work bag, Harry getting his too, and following Liam out the door.

"Have a good day at work sweetheart!" Louis called jokingly from the kitchen.

"Yeah, yeah." The door closed behind us.

Louis, Harry, Liam and I had been living in a penthouse sweet on Hyde Park for 8 years now, not One Hyde Park, but an apartment on Hyde park, which was still extremely expensive. All through university we had been doing our blackmail thing, and it was insane to see how many people would go to extraordinary lengths to keep that stuff private. Over those years, we had accumulated so much money we didn't even know what to do with it. Once we graduated, finally moved to London and got jobs, the money just kept rolling in. We decided to live together. Four blokes, none married, doing some serious underground work that could land us all in jail for life, it seemed like it was easier to manage.

Louis, these days worked for the government, which brought him a good chunk of money regardless of all the extra cash on the side. Liam, as a firefighter, and Harry as a paramedic were both doing well for themselves. Not what Louis and I made, but not lacking in the least. We were comfortable together, in our beautiful double floor penthouse.

"Locked," Liam called out at me. I clicked unlock, and my range rover clicked open. Liam and Harry clambered in. We dropped Liam off first, and once he was gone Harry come to the front.

"So Niall," Harry started as we pulled back onto the street.

"Yes Harry," I smiled at him out of the corner of my eye. His short cropped hair was finally starting to grow out, and some of his dark chestnut curls were dropping into his eyes. He brushed them back impatiently.

"Louis asked me to talk to you about your 100th." Harry looked uncomfortable, his big green eyes shifting back and forth uncomfortably.

I fought the great urge to roll my eyes. "You all know that after my last work project I got a serious promotion. This new project is coming, and you know if we don't get those papers signed we could be sued for drawing pictures that look like someone. I've been really..."

"Yes Niall, we all know. Work is really busy for you right now. He just wants you to take one of more person. He just wants you at 100 and then you can take a real break. We all know what you've been doing by the way. You weren't fooling anyone." He smirked at his last comment.

This time I couldn't repress the eye roll. I shoved my glasses up my nose, trying to cover up the eye roll. "Listen Harry, you tell Louis that if he wants me to get to 100 he's more than welcome to give me a file."

We were very systematic. We weren't amateur anymore. We were the real deal. We had files, and I mean files on people. Who they were, what they did, their medical records. It helped immensely that Harry was a paramedic, and that Louis worked for the government.

It sounded sick but we always sat down together and watched each others tapes. Not in a weird creepy, get off on this kind of way, but in a let me tell you how to be better kind of way. We would critic each other on technic. We kept it professional, and never spoke about each other like that unless we were watching that person's video. It was one thing we agreed on. No one was allowed to beat anyone down for the content of the video for sheer pleasure.

"Alright, I'll tell him." Harry nodded just as I rolled up to his department. "Thanks for the ride Niall. You're the best."

"How are you getting home?" I snagged his sleeve before he got out of the car.

I loved all the boys, but Harry, we were a little closer than the rest. Always had been. He meant a lot to me, he felt like a son to me sometimes. I always had this urge to take care and protect him.

"I don't know." He shrugged uselessly.

"Mate. Come on." I released his sleeve. "Come to my office after. I'll take you home at lunch."

"Thanks Niall. You're seriously the best!" Then he was out of my car, slamming the door shut and running inside, for once not in his paramedic uniform.

I sat in the parking lot for a moment longer, my already shaky mood today even more bothered. I needed a serious break, but I knew Harry and Louis wouldn't give up.

A/N:

So there it is! Part two! 

What do you think so far! I'd love some feedback! Can't wait to hear about it!! 

Michelle