Dove

I stand still in the line between two tall men, very strong looking. I put on the black hat in my right hand, making sure it covers the majority of my face, and also decide to look down even though I know that my sex will hardly be hidden just like that, considering my petite body.

All of sudden someone opens the main door, so forcefully that its wood comes crashing against the cold stone wall, and part of the the pale paint falls on the floor. After that, I hear the slow tapping of boots on the floor as the person approaches us with a steady pace. The person, of whom I can only see the dark boots and part of their slim legs, stops in front of the man on my right. As nonchalantly as I can, I glance up at him, and see him nod slightly.

"Good evening, Mr Styles" he says, his voice not missing a beat.

The man in front of him only grunts, and moves on.

I look down again. The boots surpass me, and their owner stops in front of the man on my left. However, he doesn't turn towards him. On the contrary, he turns back. With one single step, he's in front of me. For a few seconds none of us says anything. Then, all of sudden, he takes away my hat, and my dark hair falls on my shoulders.

I look up, and see the most gorgeous man I've ever seen. The first thing I notice about him is probably the intense green of his eyes. The light of the room, that isn't faint enough for me not to see the colour, gives his stare an unusual intensity, so intense that it is hard - if not impossible - to turn away, as if I was a little boat caught in the deadly whirl of the ocean waves in the middle of a thunderstorm. That, only if the bright blue of the water was a deep leaf green instead. But at the moment, I can't come up to a better comparison for that stormy gaze. His hair is dark and messy, a lock of hair has fallen on his forehead, but he makes no move to put it back in its place. My blue eyes automatically go down to his lips before I can stop myself. They are of a deep shade of pink. He bites them softly. I wonder if the young man in front of me is really Harry Styles. He has the features of an angel, how can it be that he's done all the things I've heard around? He seems almost too beautiful to belong to this world.

Then, he speaks.

"You're a girl" he states, and the darkness held in his deep, vibrating voice almost makes me quiver.

"Got a problem with that?" I say looking right into his eyes, trying to show him that I have no intention of being put down by his words.

"And why would you be here? Is my father worried I won't get to satisfy my needs during the long trip?" He snickers at me.

I raise an eyebrow at the stupidity of his sentence. Of course someone like him would say something like that. People like him always expect others to live in order to tend to their needs and only theirs, and even more if they don't have their same social status. "I am not a prostitute" I reply snappily, "I'm here to defend your bratty ass like everyone else here."

He stays silent for a few seconds scanning my body, probably deciding what to do of me. He steps closer, making sure to belittle me with his height. "What's your name?" He asks lowly.

"Dove Winters" I reply, "At your service." I give him a fast bow, a sign of respect that I actually don't have for him.

He glares at the curtsy. "Do you even know how to use a gun?" He asks.

I'm about to give him the same reply I gave to his father yesterday, but then, right before opening my mouth, I realise that all he wants is to make fun of me instead.

Without waiting for a reply, he reaches behind himself and takes something that's attached to his belt. He puts the black object in front of my eyes. "This is a gun" he says out loud, making sure that everyone in the room can hear him. "It's bad. It does bad things" he continues, as if he's speaking to a child. "You have to be careful with it. Or else you might end up killing someone... You know, pressing the trigger. You don't want the people around you to end up like your uncle did, do you?"

My breath fastens up, but I know better than attacking the son of Des Styles, so I decide to ignore the stinging of his words.

"Well, hopefully you won't shoot me in the back at the first chance you're given. Trust me, if you do, you'll be dead before saying your goodbyes to your family" he adds, before stepping in front of the man on my left. "I know you" he says, "You're good."

"It'll be a pleasure, Mr Styles" he replies.

"Likewise" Styles says, before heading out of the room, not sparing another glance to us.

As soon as he frees us from his presence, I make my way to his father's office. The guard outside recognises me and lets me in, since Mr Styles is free in this moment.

"With all the respect, your son is an asshole" I say walking across the room and straight to his desk as he's putting in order some sheets, making room on the wooden platform in front of him.

He looks up, a bit taken aback by my sudden entrance. "Tell me something I don't know, Miss Winters. He's a bit hard to deal with, but I'm sure you'll find your way. Anyway, tomorrow morning is the chosen date. Tonight at dinner we'll go over the plan again. Needless to say you're supposed to attend, and you'll be required to sleep in the Mansion tonight."

"I refuse to spend my dinner in the company of your son" I reply harshly.

He raises an eyebrow. "Well my dear, soon you'll be spending entire days with him, it's about time you get used to his presence. Arnold will take you to your room, now leave."

I huff and exit the room. As soon as I get out, a guard comes next to me. "I'm required to bring you to your room" he simply says and starts walking in the direction of the stairs, not even waiting for me to follow him.

I run a bit to catch up with him. I'm brought down a corridor on the third floor. He stops at the very end of it and takes out a key, opening the door on the right.

"This will be your room for the night" he explains. "That's Mr Harry Styles's room, right in front of you." He says pointing at the room on the other side of the hallway before stepping into the room and pointing at a little button next to the door. "If you need something during the night, push this button and one of the servants will tend to your needs right away. Dinner will be at eight. Now it's 6:30pm." He makes his way out of the door and down the corridor as soon as his explanations are finished.

"Hang on!" I shout hoping that he will hear me, "Why do I have to sleep next to Harry Styles?"

The guard doesn't hear me, but someone else does. The door in front of me opens slowly. I stare right at it, hoping that it will only be a maid. But of course, I've never been particularly lucky.

"Why wouldn't you, Dove Winters?" The young man asks, leaning against the frame of the door.

I glare at him and retreat into my room, slamming the door. I take a look around the room. The bed is big, right in the middle. A little shelf is on one side, completely empty, probably waiting for a new owner to put stuff on it. On the other side there is a little desk, and right in front of the bed a fireplace, the only source of warmth of the entire room. I mindlessly sit on the bed, wondering what to do to occupy my time until 8pm. I have almost resorted to sleeping a bit, when someone knocks on my door. I go to open it, and find out it's Styles.

"What do you want?" I hiss at him, getting ready to slam it in front of his face.

"What about we get to know each other better? You know, considering all the time we're about to spend together" he suggests, checking me out.

"And what kind of thing would you want to know about me?" I reply raising an eyebrow.

"You're very beautiful, Dove. What does a man have to do to sleep with you?" He smirks, entering my room and leaning against the wall next to the door.

I put on a calm face and I close the door, before standing right in front of him. In a single fast motion, I take out the knife I always keep attached to my belt and lightly push the cold blade against his pale throat.

"I don't care who you are, dare touch me with a finger, I'll slit your throat before you even understand what happened."

Thanks to my closeness to his body, I feel his heartbeat fasten up considerably against my chest. "I like them aggressive" he replies deepening his smirk, making his dimples show. He has dimples?!

I fight the strong urge of pressing the blade harder against his throat and put it back in its place. "You're advised, Styles."

He glances at me sceptically. "You wouldn't dare, anyway. I know my father has your parents imprisoned. If you kill me, they die as well."

I glare at him. "Don't try your luck."

"Retract your claws darling" he replies, "I'm going out."

As soon as he gets out I lock the door to make sure he won't come back in when I least expect him, leaning against it and damning my bad luck. Of course Styles would be hard to deal with. Just fucking perfect.

I detach from the door suppressing the strong, sudden need to punch someone, opting for lying down on the bed and momentarily escaping the situation by sleeping until dinner time.