I sat up straight and waited for Zayn to enter my room. I knew it would be him by the way he opened the door directly after knocking. He walked in, his hair in a tizzy, yet the rest of him was unusually calm, minus his bloodied hand. 

"Oh, hi, Z-Zayn." I cowered slightly as he walked towards me. He didn't look mad at all, if anything I think he was relieved to see me sitting there. "Uh- bad day?" I asked him. 

"You have no idea." He stood in front of me and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I couldn't finish a business deal and I like to follow through with deals I start. I apologize for my mood." Zayn picked up his hand to his face and made a small hiss under his breath. "I probably shouldn't have slammed that vase." He lightly chuckled, lightening the mood in the room. By that point I figured John didn't tell him everything. 

"Was it expensive?" I asked, smiling at him to continue this mood. 

"Very." Zayn full blown chuckled. "But no worries. I didn't like the thing anyways." He shook his hand back and forth as it shaking away the pain. He then stood back and just stared at me. I opened my mouth to say something to him, but he began speaking. "This business deal I was making..." He cleared his throat and continued. "It was with Liam."

The shock hit me at first. "What?" Then I was confused. Why was Zayn making business deals with Liam? I knew that they knew each other from Liam being at the party, but actually being in business together really shook me. "W-why?"

"I asked you once before who had hurt you so badly and you said you were fine. Remember?" How could I forget? Zayn had treated me to the dinner date of my life and it was right after Liam had beaten me nearly to death. "I couldn't get rid of him with just my money so the deal went sour." Zayn shook his head. "I'm sorry."

So that was the business deal he was talking about. He was trying to buy out Liam and have him let me alone. "D-Don't apologize. I can handle it myself." I told Zayn, even though I couldn't. Each time Liam was near me I felt closer and closer to death. 

"No, I have been neglecting your presence here and the best I could do for you would be to get him away from you, but my money can't buy that kind of deal." He looked down to his feet. "And even worse than that; I cannot protect you once you leave this place."

Then buy me for life. I wanted to say, but there was no way I was going to bring Zayn into something like that. I doubted he knew much of the prostitution ring I was in. After all, he was a first time customer when I got a hand on him. He didn't know the half of it. "I'll be fine." I bit my bottom lip. I wouldn't be fine, that was for sure. "I've made it this far. I'll be just alright." I huffed. There was a quick movement in the room and I was pushed back against the bed, Zayn straddling me and pushing me down into the plus of the mattress. I stared up at him in shock. "Z-Zayn?"

"You don't get it Niall!" He shouted down at me, getting in my face. "How could you be fine? Lasting this long. That's a joke. You're only sixteen, you idiot! How are you supposed to know anything about living when you've been wasting your life like this?!"

He knows.

"I'm not-" I cried out. Zayn's grip on me started to hurt as he pushed me into the mattress. "I-"

"Please don't lie to me, Niall." Zayn pressed his forehead to mine and stared into my eyes. "I know. John told me everything." Zayn's grip loosened, but I stayed there, looking for any sign of anger in Zayn's dark eyes, but there wasn't any. "Why wouldn't you tell me?"  

"Why would I tell you?" I shot back. "Why would I tell anyone?" I shook my head and pushed Zayn away. He stumbled back from the bed. I sat up and hugged myself. "What was I supposed to do? You came out of nowhere and treated me like I was a person. And then you went ahead and bought me for a whole month. Was I going to tell you I was sixteen? Hell no. I would have never gotten away from it all if it weren't for you. So go ahead, kick me out because you obviously don't want sex from me." I grabbed the collar of my shirt, bringing it down to show off my pale skin and collar bone. "You touch and never go all the way. Guess it's good that you didn't now that you know I'm underage." 

I didn't know where all this rage was coming from. Maybe it was from all the pent up anger I had been feeling over the years.  

"Shut up." Zany said under his breath, but I continued to b.itch it out. 

"I mean honestly. If I could remember how many men I've been with-"

"SHUT UP, NIALL." 

I snapped my mouth shut and stared at Zayn who was red faced and huffing in annoyance. He took a moment to compose himself, and I wasn't even sure if he really had composed himself fully. He walked up towards the bed again and grabbed my chin, yanking me towards him. "Just do it already. Tell me off. Kick me out. I'm getting sold off in the auction next week anyways. It's my turn for the Rounds, at least that way I can be used like I'm supposed to be." My face felt wet and I realized that I had started to cry. Not tears of sadness, but of frustration. 

"You're what?" Zayn pulled back. This time his red face was paler than usual and his mouth was slight agape. "Auction?" 

"Don't worry about it." I sniffled. God I hate crying. And this was the second time in the matter of a few hours. Zayn remained silent as if he was contemplating what to say next. But everything was out. He knew everything there was to know about me and yet I was still in the dark about him. 

"I need to think about this." Zayn said, pinching the skin just above him nose. "Dammit." He huffed, grabbing at his collar and loosening his tie. I thought I was done for. I eyed the closet where I hid my packed bag. Maybe I could get out without being noticed? "Niall, you have put me in a very tough situation." Zayn said in a low tone. 

"I-I can leave if you want me to." I said, getting up from bed. That was my cue. Get my s.hit and go. "Really. You don't have to deal with me. I'm used to being thrown out." No matter how much I didn't want to leave, I knew there would be a time that I would have to go. I already left in the end. 

"No." Zayn said quickly.

"What?" I was shocked to even hear the word come out of his mouth. 

"No, you have to stay here." Zayn said again. This time with more emphasis. "I may have not been able to make a deal with Liam to leave you alone, but I sure as hell can keep you safe." Zayn stared at me, looking me straight in the eyes. I could feel the determination dripping from him. 

"You can't. Louis will come for me." I managed to speak out. My throat felt closed up due to my emotions. "He has people. He knows where you live. I'll be forced into the auction." There was no way out of it. 

"Then I will buy you outright." Zayn said matter of factly. He really was determined to set me free from this life. I knew he was different and I knew there was something about him that set me on edge, but I didn't know that he had been the escape I was looking for. "I promise you, Niall." He kneeled before me and took my hands in his own. "I will save you."

It was like he was giving me an oath. I couldn't say anything back to him. I was speechless. My knees felt shaky and my hands shook in Zayn's. His grip held tighter until I couldn't hold myself together anymore and fell to my knees as well. "Y-you promise?" I asked him through blurry eyes. 

"I promise you your freedom, the world, and everything else that you deserve." 

I couldn't help myself from smashing my lips against Zayn's, and this time, he didn't pull away.

A/N: Short and Sweet.

Much Love

Jachxx