Chapter 8

I was dressed after three hours of trying to be perfect. I was late, yes but I knew Jimenez wouldn't mind. I was wearing a body hugging black jumpsuit with an allusion neckline that had an opened back. I had straightened my hair and let it sit on my shoulders and did my make up to perfection but didn't over do it. It seemed natural since I used neutral colors but used a red lipstick to match the bottom of my black heels.

 I looked amazing and I knew it was going to drive him nuts as I slipped my phone in my wallets and had one of my guards drive me to the event since I knew Nick or Harry was taking me home tonight. I arrived late as ever but knew my brothers would arrive in an hour or so. 

I walked in with two of Jimenez guards and sat at the table I was assigned, feeling Harry gaze on me. One of the guards pulled my seat opened as I sat with the Jimenez family at their table. 

"Perdona a me por tardar." I said asking for them to forgive my tardiness and kissed their cheeks, telling them to sit. "Thank you Kelton." I said sitting down and we chatted for a few minutes and a plate of food was served infront of us. 

"You look amazing!" Manuel's wife Gina grinned from across from me on the round table. "Thank you! You do too." We were speaking spanish since they didn't know much English and I smiled at the two little girls who sat at the tables giggling at me.

"Hi Chico." I said and he grinned at me. "Good, you look amazing as ever." "Well I'm very flattered, you look handsome." I said before taking a bite of my chicken fajita tacos and we chatted for a little while before I heard my name being called from across the room. 

"I'm so happy you could make it!" Manuel said and I stood up, hugging him and pressed a kiss to his cheek the same time he did. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." I grinned and he let me finish eating, eating himself and we chatted. 

After we were done the tables were cleared and tall standing tables were placed in their place and the poker and many other gambling tables were placed with an empty floor in the center to just talk and loiter around and a bar in the far end of the room. 

"It was honestly a pleasure seeing you all. I should have some fun before my brothers get here." I smiled at them and walked away. I grabbed a glass of red wine from the trays passing around and greeted the people I knew. 

"Mr. Styles." I smirked at Harry who bit his lip as I approached the couch where him and the guys were sitting. "Boys, pleasure to see you all again. I didn't get to formally introduce myself earlier but I'm Leslie Ibarra." "Known as the reaper." Harry said and I laughed. "Known as the reaper." I repeated and their jaws dropped. 

"But you're so." Niall said pointing to me. "Hot!" Louis and Liam finished earning a dirty glare from Harry. "I'm extremely flattered. Thank you." I said and Harry patted the seat next to him.

 "I would but I actually have small business to attend to." "Can I offer you a dance?" Harry stood up and held his hand out to me. I smiled at him and chugged the rest of my wine. 

"One dance Styles, no silly business." I said putting my hand in and my glass on the glass table. "One dance." He smiled and lead me to the center of the floor where several other couples were dancing and one of his hands held mine while the other was around my waist. My free hand that wasn't in his was on his shoulder as we swayed to the soft music playing from the speakers. 

"What business would you rather tend to than me?" Harry asked with a cheeky grin. "Oh brother, anything." I joked and he licked his lips and looked at me with a hurt expression.

 "You dislike me that much?" "No, quite the opposite. i like you so much I need to keep my distance from you or I'll find myself wanting something that you aren't ready for."

 "Like a relationship."

 "Harry you and I both know you don't do relationships. I've heard my stories about you and I quite frankly don't have time to fool around and get hurt." "And who said anything about hurting you? You're the only person I know to make me feel the least bit human." "Harry. I don't want to have this conversation here." "Be my business partner." "What?" I looked at him confused. 

"Work with me. Be my right hand. I need advice and someone to check me, you said it yourself. I'm messy with things, I need you to keep me from being messy. You keep me sane, I met you yesterday and trust you with everything and anything." He looked into my eyes and my heart stopped beating for a few seconds. 

"Harry." I sighed heavily and looked at our chests since they were so close to eachother as is. "Please. Just think about it." 

"I have a business to run. I'll help you when and only when you need me. You're more than welcome to come see me or I can see you but I don't want any romantic relationship." "I suck at relationships. I've never been in one but you're special. I don't want to fuck it up. You are very important to me, believe it or not Leslie Ibarra. I need you in my life." 

"Believe it or not Harry Styles, I need you too. You keep me sane and you're really fun to mess with." "You're the only woman who could ever get away with half the shit you say. The boys haven't stopped pestering me about you since our meeting earlier this morning." "I see." I laughed and he grinned. "I love that sound. It's like music to my ears." "What?" I asked confused and he put his lips inches from mine. 

"Your laugh." I blushed and looked down. "You're making me blush." I laughed and separated myself from him and pressed my lips together as I looked up into his green eyes. "Believe it or not I think it's cute." He grinned and I rolled my eyes looking to my right to see my brothers come in. Nick's eyes landed on me and immediately darkened when he saw who I was with. 

"It's been a pleasure Mr. Styles but I have to go." I said and he looked at me confused. "I'll catch up with you later." I said walking over to my brothers who all hugged me and pressed their kisses to my temple. 

"What were you doing talking to him?" Nick asked and I sighed. "Don't start. This is not the type of event where you get angry over something like that." "Don't tell me when to get angry when it pertains to my little sister." Nick warned and I rolled my eyes. 

"You look amazing." Derek smiled and slipped his arm around my waist. "Thank you. You boys clean up nicely yourselves" I giggled looking at their suits with different colored ties. Josh was wearing a Navy blue tie, Derek a maroon, Danny a grey and Alex a purple one while Nick wore a solid red tie. 

"Want to dance?" Josh asked offering me his hand. "Sure." I smiled at him and let him take me to the dance floor and we dance to the music. "So tell me. Have you gotten over your little crush over Harry Styles yet?" He asked me and I blushed 50 shades of red and hid in his shoulder. 

"I take that as I no. I will tell you one thing though Gracie. If things ever get to the point where he hurts my little sister I'll kill him. Myself. I will with my bare hands because you mean the absolute world to me and Nick. You mean the world to all of us but Nick will kill you if you date this man. You understand this?" He asked before extending his arm out and spun me around. 

"I do. Fully." "Then you know the risks and complications that come with it. I for one won't be happy in your decision because you know what he is to us." He said as we picked up the pace to our dance, gliding across the dance floor and I could feel Harry's glare on us. 

"But I will support you and trust your instincts because I know how much you take relationships seriously. Nick is a different story." He said spinning me around again as we waltzed across the large dance floor effortlessly. 

"Thank you. It means alot to me." Josh had a temper like both me and Nick. We had inherited it from our father. The 4 of us had tempers like a bomb and when we blew up we cared nothing of what we damaged which is why Nick and myself always shave trouble getting along. He is the only person on the planet who could make me cry in two seconds. It was one of his many gifts and he was never shy of putting me in my place. 

"Of course princess." He winked at me and I laughed as we continued to dance and when we stopped we were both out of breath from dancing so much and it was hot as balls. 

"Will you play gold fish with me?" I begged and stuck my bottom lip out at my brother who laughed and lead me to the table by Harry where Nick was watching us. 

"That was beautiful. Truly." Nick clapped with an eye roll. "Why do you have to be such an asshole all the time?" I asked and he laughed dryly. "One of my many talents. Piss of the great Leslie Ibarra." He was drunk. I knew by the look Derek was giving me. 

"Fuck you." I said pointing my finger at him and walked away. "Hey." Derek said coming infront of me. "Don't pay any attention to him. You know how he is when he drinks." "It isn't an excuse Derek. You were always the noble brother and tried so hard to keep Nick in check but you can never keep your priorities straight." 

"Gracie. You're our number one priority. Your safety is everything to us. To me." Josh defended and I heard Nick laugh and I sighed. "It's really noble of you Josh. I love you for that but I'm not dealing with this tonight. I'd much rather enjoy my night than to end up crying." I whispered the last part as I pressed a kiss to their cheeks. 

"Come on." Josh held my hand in his and lead me away from the crowd to the main part of the Jimenez house. He walked up the stairs and into the study. 

"Why don't you tell me what this is about." "Josh I'm just tired of him just talking to me like I don't matter and I don't have feelings. I always hoped my first heartbreak was from a boy that would never matter to me in the future but it was from Nick who takes everything that's good away from me. If I'm happy it hurts him so he drinks and tears my spirit. I don't know anyone on this planet who can make me cry as hard or as loud as Nick can and he takes pride in making my life miserable. God knows the day I have a relationship it's not going to last because of him."

"Grace. That isn't true! He loves you." "He's the reason Michael and I aren't together anymore Joshua!" I was tired of hiding the fact that Michael left me because he was scared of Nick. 

"What?" Josh was in shock. "Michael broke up with me because of Nick. Nick told him I wasn't happy after we lost our baby. He told him I wanted more and he would kill him if he made me feel like that again so he believed him over me! Nick ruins everything that's good for me. That's why I was so quick to move out of mom's house." "Gracie that's not true." He shook his head and I looked at him behind glassy eyes. 

"Josh it is. I put that down on my life and the life of my future kids. Nick ruins everything for me. That's why I never visit him because I know he just loves to see me cry." Josh shook his head and pulled me into a hug. 

"I'm so sorry." Josh whispered hugging me tightly. "I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise I'll stop Nick before he gets to hurt my baby sister again." He promised and pressed soft kisses to my head and I hugged his torso tightly and could feel Harry's familiar glare on us as we pulled away and sat on the couch and talked for a little bit.