"What do you mean, 'you'll think about it and get back to me'??? This offer is not going to stay on the table for much longer."
"My company is just not 100% sure that we're ready to abandon ship and merge. We need more time to weigh our pros and cons. We'll be in touch." The line goes dead.
All morning I've been dealing with investors backing out or hesitating on the promises they made earlier in the year. This practically never happens. Something is up.
The boys have been in back-to-back radio interviews, each of them over the phone. We've kept the little assassin incident to ourselves so far but I fear it's only a matter of time before someone leaks that information too.
My nerves all over the place. The hotel phone rings and I jump. "Hello?"
"Hello Ms Carmichael. We have a delivery for you downstairs."
"Alright I'll be down." When I get downstairs to the front desk, there is a bouquet of white and purple lilacs waiting for me. They're all harshly smeared with red paint.
"No note?" I ask.
"No ma'am but the delivery boy said 'I'm always watching'. Very mysterious, that gentleman was." A chill runs through my bones. He was here?!?!
I immediately scope the area for anything suspicious. Everything is moving slowly, like my mind is trying to process one thing at a time.
"Hey Lydia. We need to talk." Jamal comes up to me and breaks me out of my trance. We get in the elevator and head back up to my room.
"You look like you're having a stressful day but I know this is something you'd wanna know."
"What did you find out?" I ask as we exit the elevator and step into my room.
"One of my contacts got back to me and found out that someone's been keeping tabs on everyone you do business with. Within the last few weeks, some of the investors you've been handling have increased their bank account savings exponentially."
"Payoffs. That's why they're all hesitant. Someone's paying them off to not do business with me." My headache just turned into a full blown migraine, mixed with a shot of anger.
"Right. Also I looked into the two people that tried to kill us and found that they were contract killers with no specific affiliation."
"That way it would be harder to trace them back to the person who hired them." I sigh. Jamal notices the flowers.
"Lilacs?"
"The purple lilacs stand for love and the white lilacs stand for youthful innocence. The red paint on both types of flowers means our love is tainted just like our innocence. He sent them and he delivered them himself. He probably watched me get them at the front desk."
"I have a bad feeling about this." Jamal says, taking a seat across from me. I can see the tension written on his face.
"I have another phone call in a bit but good job. I'm glad to know I can always rely on you, Jamal." He relaxes a bit and rolls his eyes.
"Yeah yeah yeah I'm the best and you love me blah blah blah. Keep your emotions to yourself geez." He gets up to leave and squeezes my hand reassuringly.
The boys are finished with rehearsal and I go to pick them up. One of the bodyguards is driving and I am in the passenger seat. Jamal is in the back, typing away on his laptop.
"Hey boys. How was rehearsal?"
"Pretty good. Can't wait for the show tomorrow." Harry says.
We pull out and start heading back to the hotel. I'm on Twitter responding to some fan tweets and following a few people when I look up and see something in the rear view mirror.
YOU ARE READING
Animal
Fanfiction"He wants to see you." Jamal says, leaning against the balcony. "He always wants to see me. The answer is still no." "He's grown tired of your games Lydia. He's not exactly happy about your little affair with Zayn." "Haha an affair? Is that wha...
