Page 13 of Harry

The music hits us like a solid wall. Lights strobe across the entire space. A bar curves around most of the room, giving way to booths, tables and then in the centre of the floor, the stage. Cages hang from the ceiling, drawing my attention up to the mezzanine.

“Your father’s office is up there,” Aidan says loudly as he points to what just looks like a black wall. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out it’s glass. “Private rooms,” he leans in so I can hear him over the thump of music and his breath is warm against my ear, setting flight to the butterflies in my stomach. This time he spins his hand around, the meaning clear. I sweep my eyes over the mezzanine and realise the sheer number of individual rooms.

“How many women…work…here?” I ask, still moving forward toward a set of stairs I wouldn’t have noticed had I not been following Vaughan and Julian.

“Just over a hundred.”

I stop walking and spin to face him. He almost bumps into me, and I hadn’t realised he was still so close. He stops just before our chests crash together and looks down at me. Something uncoils in my stomach, heating up, wanting him closer still as the fresh scent of his aftershave invades my nose.

“They work a shift pattern over twenty-four hours, none of them do anything they don’t want to do.”

His words are supposed to ease the discomfort I feel at what I’m learning, but somehow, I don’t believe it.

“That is to say, your father never made them do anything they didn’t want to do.” His face twists into disgust. “Philip is different.”

We catch up to the others at the base of the steps.

“Prepare yourselves,” Vaughan says before jogging up, the rest of us following.

Only I don’t think anything can prepare me for any of this.

Aidan

Harry is taking it all in stride. Every new blow to what she knew, every shock to her system, she takes and absorbs. But what is she turning it into?

We get to the top of the stairs and I check with the girls one last time. None of them looks ready, but each of them steels herself to what they are about to walk in on.

Julian raps his knuckles against the door and I send up a silent plea that Philip isn’t banging some poor young woman and we’re about to walk in on it.

Vaughan doesn’t wait for an answer though. He takes the door handle and depresses it, swinging the door open to Philip sitting behind Richard’s desk. James is bringing him a drink from the small bar that is kept fully stocked.

“James?” Brig gasps, confusion clear in the crease between her eyes.

“Good morning girls,” he says and Harry tenses beside me. Jack’s displeasure is clear though she doesn’t seem as repulsed as Harry does.

“Ah, my beautiful nieces,” Philip gushes, snatching the tumbler from James’s hand and rounding the desk. “So sorry for the loss of your father.”

“Uncle Philip,” Harry begins as Philip leans in to offer her a kiss on both cheeks.

Now it’s my turn to tense, hating seeing his grubby hands pinning her arms by her side. It’s a move so many men make, holding the women down while they bestow upon them their ‘admiration’ and ‘respect’ when it’s clearly another way to make women fall in line. Force them to return the gesture.

“Thank you for bringing them up here boys, though I could have sent James as he already knows the girls.” He tsk tsks, like he is chastising us and I wonder if it’s all too late. If he is already established enough in the minds of others that he can slip easily into the position once held by Richard.

“Any news?” I ask. I could be referring to anything, but I’m interested to see what Philip thinks I’m referring to.

“Unfortunately not.” The false sorrow in his tone is clear to me, and Harry and Jack both frown, picking up on it too. “Though I have found that he used one of the legal firms downstairs, so that should make matters easier for the girls and their mother.” He turns his attention to Harry. “James said Corinne stayed at home?”

“Yes, Uncle Philip, she wasn’t well enough to travel after hearing the news. Aunt Pru is with her.”

“Shame, shame,” he mutters. “Such a fine woman, I can only hope time will help to heal her broken heart.”

A bitter taste fills my mouth. He is so full of shit.

“Well, you don’t need to worry about your father’s…business interests… I can keep on top of those,” he says, turning back to the desk.

“That won’t be necessary,” Harry’s strong voice resonates through the room.

All of us spin to look at her. The determination on her face seems to have added to her height somehow. Her shoulders are back and I can see why Richard took her so seriously.

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