Living In The Shadows

Chapter 16 "Painted partnership"

Harry’s POV:

Fucker.

I roll my eyes at Paul. That man never takes a rest. For fuck’s sakes I just return from giving my “girlfriend” a handjob to get back to the real job, the job that no matter how much I try to escape, it always finds its way to haunt me back.

I take a look at Jasmine and she nods, faking a smile. I know how much it irritates her when I leave her for this sort of shit. And damn it, even when she’s pouting she looks hot. I can’t help but smile at the thought of her giving up under me. The way her body was trembling and whimpering for more, weakened me for a moment.

I shake the thought off and I enter the second living room closing the door behind me. I’m sure this isn’t something Jasmine wants to hear about. At least, I won’t let her witness another one of my bloody mess of a life.

“What seems to be so important right now?” I ask Paul pissed and sit down on the couch, my feet over my knee.

Paul doesn’t answer right away. Great.

After he sits down and clears his throat, he looks at me for a moment.

“Dalida just came in with some information.” He finally says. That’s a good thing right?

By the way his stare deepens, I know where he’s getting at. No fucking way. He doesn’t expect me to do that again, does he?

Heat rises through me and I feel the tips of my fingers pressing against my palm turning white. I hate that bitch so much I’m ready to shoot her any day, if we didn’t need her ass in this.

“If you tell me to fuck her again, I swear to God–” I begin when he immediately cuts me off raising his hand to shut me up. What the hell?

“What’s wrong with you? It wasn’t that much of a problem before. You sleep with women all the damn time.” He snaps, annoyed.

Not true. I might have slept with quite a few women but each one meant something to me. Or I was too damn drunk to remember anything. But when it comes to Dalida, it has always been physical attraction. I never emotionally moved for her. And the last few times were just for the information, I felt like a male prostitute. Fucking someone in exchange for information instead of money.

Besides, if I go sleep with that bitch again, Jasmine will probably run off for good. Not that I care that much but I can’t put her in danger again. Yeah, I don’t want her to get hurt. That’s it.

“For fun not business.” I settle to say.

“This is about Jasmine, isn’t it?” His sarcastic smile snatches me back to the present and I find myself pretty tempted to swipe his lips off his smug face.

“It’s not about anyone.” I defend and don’t realize how much my voice has risen until Paul raises a thick eyebrow at me silently.

“You know this is not the reason she’s here.” He simply states reminding me of the shitty labyrinth I forced her in, one that she cannot escape. I can’t imagine the look on her face if she finds out. I can’t imagine those brown eyes looking up at me pleading for the facts to be untrue.

I can’t disappoint her.

“What do you want Paul? I don’t have time for your humour.”

Finally, he lets out a snort that I didn’t see coming. That fucker was messing with me.

“Dalida won’t sleep with you anyway. She found someone else.”