Printed // Sheriarty AU

19

* Jim's POV *

I hang up. My mobile phone slips from my grip and lands sith a thud on the wooden floor of my bedroom. My eyes are wide with shock. With surprise. It was Irene all along? The Irene that I was reunited with from my childhood. The Irene that was stuck in a hard place with debt and an abusive boyfriend, who needed me to hand her a way out. I saved her, and this is how she repays me? That bloody woman!

My face becomes contorted with rage, and I scrunch my hands into tight fists, my nails digging into the skin on my palm. I cannot believe that Irene would do such a thing to me. I thought she was smarter than that. At least Sherlock found out who my betrayer was. That's all he had to do. I bite my lip hard to try and conceal the scream or rage that is just begging to burst out of my chest. I crouch down and I pick up my mobile that slipped from my hand, and throw it with vigorous force against my bedroom wall. I needed to smash something. I needed something to break by my hand, and a small amount of satisfaction fills me, but it's not enough to drown out the rage that consumes my body and my mind.

I slam my door open and I stomp down the stairs, my face a mask of pure rage. Sebastian sits with his legs sprawled across the desk at the back of the shop with one of his books in his hand. His face is full of confusion but his eyes scream fear. He hates it when I get angry. Not because we're close or anything, but because I usually take out my anger on him one way or the other. Not today though. My anger is being released on somebody else, and it's going to be spectacular.

"Everything alright boss?" Sebastian asks carefully, his legs slipping from the desk as he proceeds to stand up. I pace the room, rubbing my face with my hands. I ignore his question, in fact I'm not even sure he spoke at all. My mind races at a hundred miles per hour, and all of my senses are drowned out by my thoughts.

"Give me your phone." I stop in my pacing, and I ask him quietly. I turn to look at him demandingly, but his hand does not reach for his phone. "GIVE ME YOUR PHONE!" I repeat, and this time it seemed to be a lot more persuasive. He reaches into his trouser pocket as quickly as possible and he throws his phone towards me. I catch it. I open his phone, as I know his passcode, and I look in his contacts to find Irene's number.

"Where's your phone boss?" He asks quietly and carefully again. I dial her number and I wait impatiently for her to pick up.

"I smashed it." I answer monotonously, wishing he would stop asking so many questions. My wish seems to come true as he mouth remains shut after that. Confusion still riddles his face, but all will be answered soon enough.

The phone is picked up after 5 rings.

"Irene Adler. Come to the bookshop. Now!" I state with a stern, cold voice, and I can physically hear her shake on the other end. Now that fills me with satisfaction. I hang up, not giving her chance to speak, and I toss Sebastians phone back to him.

"What's going on?" Sebastian asks desperately, and a small vicious smile rises to my lips.

"I'm going to have a little word with Irene. It appears she has been a very naughty girl."

***

I sit on the edge of Sebastian's desk, with a small cup of tea placed delicately between my fingers. Steam rises from the hot brew, filling my nostrils with the calming aroma of tea, although it wasn't calming me down whatsoever.

Sebastian sits on his chair, waiting patiently behind me for Irene to arrive. He began asking questions about why I was bringing her in with such anger, but I ignored every question that slipped through his mouth. I blocked out all noise that was created in the room. I stared at the door intently, waiting for the skinny frame of Irene Adler to walk through the door, oblivious of what I'm about to do to her. Sebastian eventually gave up with he questions. I can tell he's irritated as he taps his foot on the ground in a repeated pattern. If it wasn't Sebastian we were talking about, I may have even deduced it as nervousness.