"How did you do that?" my girlfriend Hazel asks I pull on my shirt while she watches. I turn to look at her as I pull my jeans up. Hazel is pretty in that classic, brown-haired, blue-eyed girl-next-door kind of way. We've been dating for a year, now, and it still shocks me that I've kept my home life a secret from her. I only lie to her because I care for her. Or, that’s what I keep telling myself. The truth is, she is my first girlfriend, and I’m in love with her. I love how simple she is, how she only wants me and nothing else. It’s easy being with her.

"Just that boxing class I told you about," I say, wanting to flinch at the lie that comes out smoothly from my mouth. Hazel smiles, wrapping the bedsheet around her as she walks over to me.

Hell, I'm a sixteen-year-old lad, I can't keep my eyes off her even after I've just had her. 

"Why don't I stay at yours, tonight?" She pouts, and I sigh. I don’t like letting her down, I never have, but this is just how it is now.

"Not tonight, I've got to go," I say walking closer to her and kissing her forehead as she sighs.

"Why won't you let me stay at yours? It's always rushed with you, and then you leave," she asks me.

"We could book a hotel and stay overnight together." I avoid her question.

"Harley," she grumbles.

"I have to go," I say, not looking at her again as I leave her house and head to my car. I drive back to my home in a few minutes, and I know the boys are hiding in their rooms as dad’s car is here. 

When I walk in, I hear the music blasting downstairs in the basement, and I try to make it to the stairs without them hearing me. I don’t want to deal with this shit, tonight. Just one night off would be fucking great. I know Seb is out with Luke tonight, but I couldn’t find Elliot to tell him I was going out.

"Come on, boy, your dad has been waiting," Arthur, my dad’s best friend and business partner, says coming out of the kitchen with some girl about my age wrapped around him. Arthur has a cruel expression, which matches his personality, and an expensive-looking suit on. His brown hair is cut short, and his blue eyes watch me like I’m about to run. I bet he would love it if I did, but he knows I won’t. I won’t leave my brothers with my asshole of a father.

"Okay," I grind out, letting go of my tight grip of the bannister and following Arthur down the stairs to the basement. I'm a little taken back to see three women naked and dancing on the bar as music blasts through the room. I catch Elliot's guilty face as he sits by our dad in the middle of the room, on one of the sofas. There's a woman sitting on Elliot's lap kissing his neck, and I swallow the urge to vomit at the knowledge Elliot doesn't have much choice right now. You know what . . . fuck it, it's worth a beating to stop this happening. He is too young for this, and it’s not like I can call the police or social services to help. The local police live in the Cage, and the last social worker that came here suddenly got very rich and disappeared.

"Elliot, get the fuck upstairs," I say, glaring at my father as Elliot slides the woman off his lap, jumping up, and rushing out. Elliot gets it worse than Sebastian, and I have no idea why. It’s bad enough that Elliot is the image of our father, the two look so alike.

"Harley, no need to ruin all the fun," he says, and the few guys in the room laugh at my father’s poor joke. No part of this is fun, it’s just messed up. Arthur smirks at me as he sits at the bar watching, and I pull my gaze away from him back to my father.

"Come, sit," he commands, nodding his head to the empty seat next to him. I tighten my fists and sit next to him on the sofa like he asks because I know he will just get Elliot back if I don’t. My father is dressed in a shirt that's open, showing off how much of a big guy he is. Luckily for me, I follow our father in that trait. I'm nearly as big as he is with all the training. The fights are few and far between and much more for my father's sick pleasure than the money I earn. The minute I sit down, the slut that was flung over Elliot sits on my lap with her wandering hands. The smell of stale cigarettes and cheap perfume fills my nose, making me want to be sick. When I look up, seeing her dazed eyes and the injection marks scattered all down her arms, I feel sicker.

"Tell me, how is that pretty girlfriend of yours?" Arthur asks with a smirk as his hand travels up the short skirt of the woman he is with. She has similar marks on her arms, and I bet my father is the one that gives her all the drugs she wants.

"Fine," I grit my teeth, hating that he even knows what she looks like.

"Pamela, baby, take my boy and teach him how to look after that sweet girlfriend of his," dad says stroking the arm of Pamela on my lap. Sickness fills me when I process his words.

"No," I push away from the sofa to stand up, making Pamela jump off my lap, and my father stands, too. There’s a strange silence in the room, just the music playing, but no one says a word. I know better than to show him up like this, but I don’t want to fuck whoever he wants, anymore. I can’t and keep dating Hazel. It’s not fair to her. He comes close to my face as he grins in a cocky way. 

"You'll fuck her, or I’ll get your brothers to,” he says, knowing that I will protect them no matter what.

“When you’re done, I have someone for you to fight. I don’t want him walking after, so be ready." He squeezes my shoulder with a warning in his eyes, and I know he would beat the shit out of me if I say no. I look over the stupid woman who must be ten years older than me, and I don't want to do this. I don't want to cheat on Hazel. I don't have any choice. But, there is one choice I have, and that’s breaking up with Hazel tomorrow and then never having a relationship again.

I don’t deserve that kind of happiness, and my brothers need me.

I wake up in a hot sweat as the memories of that fucking night wash over me, making me feel sick. What the fuck is causing me to remember this shit? It takes me a few times of rubbing my face to remind myself I’m in a better place. That I’m not a kid anymore, but the resolve of staying away from women and anything serious has never left me. I avoid girls my own age in case I fall for them, in case I like them too much. Older women are just easy, and means I can walk away in the morning. No matter how shit that makes me. I do tell them that it’s never more than one night and usually, they want the same thing.

I roll out of bed and head to the shower and turn it on hot to wash away the thoughts of anything I remember. I dress in a suit and try to think of today, and then realise that I'm taking Tilly to my work today. Why the fuck am I nervous? I haven't been able to get that kiss out of my head since Saturday, but all Sunday I couldn't get her alone to talk because Izzy was there. 

I brush my long hair back into a knot at the back of my head, and I finish straightening my tie. I have two Skype meetings today and three other meetings about new classes to join the gym. It's going to be a long ass-day. I look at myself in the mirror noticing all the changes since I was seventeen years old, these days I don't look like my twenty-four-year-old age, I look in my thirties. That's why I have no fucking clue why someone as hot as Tilly would kiss me when she should be with someone her own age. Fuck, I know four years isn't a big age difference, but to me, it feels like it. 

I come out of my room at the same time Tilly does. I flash her a smile as I check out her outfit. Fuck me, she looks like a sexy librarian. She is wearing tight, little, black slacks and a fitted, white shirt. Hell, she even has these black glasses on. Shit, all I'm going to be thinking about today is fucking her over my desk with just those glasses on. Maybe she could keep the heels on too.

"Morning, I like the glasses," I say in a deeper voice than I usually talk in, as my palms start itching for me to touch her.

"Morning to you, too. Thanks, I only wear them when I work." She blushes, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear as the rest is up in a tight bun. 

I step a little closer, just so I smell her sweet, fruity smell and whisper, "You should always wear them, they make you more spectacular than usual." 

"Oh," she whispers back as we stare at each other.

The door down the hall bangs open as Luke comes out of his room, and I step back.

"Good morning," he shouts in a way too cheerful voice for first thing in the morning.

"We’re leaving in an hour," I say to Tilly, but I leave before I do something stupid like press her against the wall and kiss her. I have to adjust myself in this tight suit, and Luke notices with a laugh before he walks down the stairs.  I'm lucky he doesn't say anything. I hear Tilly following us, but I force myself not to look back. I need to get as far away from her as possible. I head straight to the espresso machine and turn it on, sliding a cup underneath it.

"Do you want one?" I ask Tilly as she hovers in the doorway. 

"Nope. I can buy my own food later," she says as she nervously looks around.

"You can eat with us, the cleaners are paid to do a weekly shop, and we never eat it all," I tell her. 

"Are you sure?" she asks, and I nod. 

"So, coffee?" I ask again.

"No, I’ll just have some juice and toast. I don’t like coffee," she says.

“Who doesn’t like coffee?” I chuckle, making her smile.

“Seriously, I couldn’t live without the stuff,” Luke says, taking the cup from the espresso machine as I glare at him.

“Dude, I’m in a rush today,” he shrugs and starts drinking. I hope the coffee burns his mouth, the fucker.

"Help yourself, Tilly." I wave my hand at the kitchen.

"Sorry, guys I have to go. I've overslept and have an early class," Luke says, grabbing an apple and downing his coffee. 

"Bye," I say, as I get a bottle of juice from the fridge and hand it to Tilly as she puts her toast in the toaster. I eat a few grapes and an apple as she eats her toast in silence. An awkward kind of silence that I don't like. After I make myself a new coffee, I know I need to say something. I don’t want it to be like this between us.

"So . . . today I’ll show you how to work everything. Basically, I just need you to answer the phones and answer any questions people might have," I explain. My other secretary does all the paperwork, so I don’t need her to fill in there. 

"Alright, I can do that," she replies.

"I have a few meetings today, so I can’t be interrupted unless it's important," I tell her, and she nods.

"So, family only?" she asks as she eats her toast. I want to offer her butter, but she doesn't seem to care.

"Yeah, Sebastian, my brother who you haven't met, is my business partner, and he will be there today," I say and drink some more coffee.

"Izzy told me about him. Elliot's twin, right?"

"Yes." I nod.

"Is he the married one?" she asks as she finishes her food.

"Yeah, Maisy is his wife, and Jake is their son. They have another one on the way that I can’t wait to meet," I respond. 

"How far along is she?" she asks, entirely looking at me now as that seems to catch her attention for some reason.

"About four months I believe," I answer and then drink the rest of my coffee and look back at Tilly, who is staring out the window in thought. She is so beautiful and not in a fake way. Unlike most girls I meet, who wear a lot of makeup, dye their hair, and try their hardest to look perfect, Tilly just does.

"Ready to go?" I ask, clearing my throat.

"Sure," she snaps out of whatever thought she had and smiles at me, as she clears her plate and follows me to my car.

"So, do you drive?" I ask as I wait for her to put her seatbelt on. 

"Yes, but my car is with my family in France," she says with a sigh. Why would she have left so quickly and without her car? She only had one suitcase when she turned up here, and it's clear she hasn’t planned any of this. Something else is going on.

"You could ask one of your family to drive it here," I respond, watching her carefully for her reaction. My siren is hiding something, and every lie she tells me is going to help me figure it out. I could ask a friend I know to look her up, and I could have every detail of her life sent to me tomorrow, but it feels wrong to do that. I want her to trust me, and it bothers me that I even care that much. She is digging her way into my life without even trying, and I’m just handing her the shovel.

"No, I will just figure it out," she mutters looking out the window as I drive out of the driveway. 

"Well, my old Range Rover is in the garage. It's just a spare, so no one would miss it if you wanted to borrow it," I tell her.

"Really?" she asks a little taken back. 

"Really," I smirk at her as she smiles.

"Thanks, I mean you don't have to be so, well, nice to me," she says quietly, and I glance over at her. 

"I don't, but I know when someone has had a hard a time and needs someone to be nice for once," I say looking away as I drive the rest of the way to work in silence. I watch Tilly as she looks around the gym as I open all the doors. I can’t take my eyes off the way her red hair shines from the morning sun and little bits of stray hair move with the light wind. The way her bright eyes seem to understand me with one look as she smiles at me. Tilly is something to be stared at, she is so beautiful.

"Here is where you will be and right down that corridor, at the end is my office." I point it out to her before leading her around the desk.

I quickly show her how to work the computer and show her the diary. I show her how to log people in as that’s the only complicated part.

"If anyone new joins, just call my office, and I’ll sort them out if you have any issues." She nods at me. I turn to say hello to some of the early regulars coming in the gym and nearly growl when a guy winks at Tilly making her smile. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. 

"I'm going to my office," I mutter to Tilly who gives me a small smile before I turn to leave.