The Beach Hut on Plum Island

6. CHAPTER 6

“Finn?” Leon looked at Finn in surprise before his gaze returned to Harriet. “You two know each other?”

He felt Harriet’s shoulders stiffen as she took a step closer to Finn, and he got the feeling there was a lot more to the story of Harriet’s relationship with the man.

“Yes,” Harriet answered before Finn could.

“Since when?” Estelle looked Harriet up and down like she was a piece of dirt on the woman’s overly expensive shoes. “I thought you hung out with the American elite?”

“What are you two doing here?” Harriet ignored the woman’s question. “Is my uncle here too?”

“Weren’t you only supposed to arrive in two days?” Finn’s hand found Harriet’s, and they linked their fingers together. He looked at Harriet. “Isn’t that what your parents said a little while ago when we spoke to them?”

“Yes.” Harriet nodded, and he felt her relax a bit as she leaned toward him before addressing Leon and Estelle.

“We, uh…” Leon’s eyes narrowed as he assessed the body language between Finn and Harriet, pointing with his index finger. “What’s going on here?”

“Why are you holding her hand?“ Estelle eyed their linked hands with distaste before her eyes widened, and her head swiveled toward her cousin. “Leo, doesn’t she know?”

“Know what?” Finn raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly.

He saw a flash of anger flit through Leon’s eyes.

“Harriet, could we perhaps have a word…” Leon glanced at Finn pointedly. “In private.”

“About?” Harriet’s brows creased, and Finn realized she was playing the pompous jerk.

“It’s a private family matter,“ Leon told her.

“Oh!” Harriet feigned ignorance, and Finn had to hide a smile. “You mean about your family? Is your mother alright?”

“What?” Leon looked at her, confused for a moment. “My mother’s fine.” He looked perplexed. “No. I mean, this is about your family matters.”

“Oh!” Harriet said, smiling. She turned and smiled lovingly at Finn and nearly bowled him over while his heart tried to crack his rib cage to reach out to her. “Then you can talk in front of Finn.” She rubbed her hand lovingly on his arm. “He’s part of my family too.”

“What do you mean?” Estelle almost shrieked and looked at Leon. “I think you’d better tell her that she can’t be seeing Finn now that she’s going to be engaged to you.”

“Excuse me?” Finn spluttered and gaped at Leon before looking at Harriet. “Sweetheart, what does he mean?”

“I don’t know,” Harriet played. “This is why I warned you that we should’ve at least told my parents about us.”

“We couldn’t. It just wouldn’t have been right with everything our friends were going through,” Finn reminded Harriet.

“I know.” Harriet stared into his eyes and nearly made his knees buckle when she reached up with her free hand to cup his. “That’s why I love you as much as I do. You think of everyone.”

It took everything Finn had to keep himself upright as his knees suddenly felt wobbly at the look in her eyes. Her words seemed to sink into his skin, straight to his nerve endings, and into his heart.

“Wait to tell everyone what?” Estelle stared at Finn and Harriet with such contempt that Finn suddenly realized where the saying if looks could kill, came from.

Harriet turned toward them and held up her left hand. “That Finn and I got engaged a couple of weeks ago.

“What?” Leon and Estelle choked in unison.

“You know it’s not official until King Titus has endorsed the engagement,” Leon pointed out snidely. “And I can all but guarantee you that he will not endorse this engagement.”

“But I did,” Gray’s voice echoed from behind them. “And as Harriet’s official Royal guardian, it’s what I can do, and I did it the moment they told me.”

“Prince Grayson,” Estelle immediately curtsied as she turned toward him.

Leon bowed respectfully, but Finn saw that look of menace in the man’s eyes once again. From what he could remember of Leon when he knew him as Leo, the man thought he was better than everyone else.

“You knew about this?” Leon looked at Gray in disbelief. “Why didn’t you inform your king of it?”

“Because I didn’t see a reason to, and I respected my sister’s and Finn’s right to tell our parents when they were ready to,” Gray told them. “Up until a couple of days ago, my uncle hadn’t spoken to Harriet in over a year.”

“With no disrespect, Prince Grayson,” Leon addressed Gray, “but your uncle still outranks you and can overturn this unfortunate incident.”

“Excuse me?” Finn’s shoulders stiffened, and he began to realize why Harriet had lied to her parents about being engaged and then started packing to run off to Cape Town. “First, I will not have you speak about Princess Harriet as if she were a piece of property.“ He pulled her protectively closer. “I will not have you disrespect our feelings for each other or fobbing our engagement off as an unfortunate incident.” He looked at Harriet, a warm smile spreading across his lips. “I knew the moment we met that she was going to steal my heart.”

“I knew the moment I saw you that my whole life had been leading me to you.” Harriet’s voice was soft and hoarse.

She smiled back at him, and Finn swallowed, reminding himself they were playing a part and trying not to get lost in Harriet’s beautiful green eyes. But for a few moments, he was drawn into their depths, and the world around them faded away until there were only the two of them. That was until someone cleared their throat, and they were snapped back to the present.

“While this is such a touchy scene,” Leon said, “I would put some space between the two of you until King Titus has been informed of your engagement.”

“I don’t think so,” Finn informed Leon. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, Harriet and I have an early morning with her parents.” He looked at Gray. “You’re welcome to join us for breakfast tomorrow, Gray.”

“I might just do that,” Gray told him. “I’m glad I bumped into you, Harriet. I was coming to see you.” He glanced at Leon and Estelle, staring angrily at them. “Excuse us, we have family matters to discuss.”

Finn and Harriet stepped around the still gaping Leon and Estelle and walked to Harriet’s suite. Finn could feel their eyes boring in them with every step, and a cold shiver crept up his spine. He knew from his dealings with Estelle in the past that this was not the last they’d see or hear from those two, and there were going to be consequences for angering them. But what Finn did know was that he was glad he’d offered to help Harriet and couldn’t blame her for wanting to flee the country.

Finn smiled to himself, thinking that a trip to South Africa was looking better and better the further he was pulled into Harriet’s life. While he was so proud of his kids for wanting to help, Finn was glad they were leaving before King Titus arrived in a few days. While Finn didn’t mind slaying dragons with Harriet, he didn’t want his kids caught in the crossfire.

“Are you alright, Finn?” Harriet’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he realized he was standing in the doorway to her suite, staring into space.

“I’m fine, how are you?” Finn asked her, stepping into the suite and following Harriet into the living room while Gray closed the door.

“That man just creeps me out,” Harriet admitted. “His cousin is a viper.” She pulled a face. “Is it just me, or was it kind of creepy the way they just appeared in front of us, and we were just talking about them a few minutes before that?”

“I know, right?” Finn frowned. “And what are the odds that stalker Estelle would be the same person you were talking about?”

“I’d say pretty good,” Gray’s voice came from behind Harriet. “Leon’s father and ours went to the same boarding school in Switzerland together. Our uncle was the one who introduced Leon’s parents.”

“I don’t see how that would make the chances of Finn and Estelle crossing paths pretty good,” Harriet and Finn looked at Gray confused.

“They also lied to us as to who they were,” Finn told Gray and Harriet. “Estelle told me that Leon was her brother Leo. They introduced themselves as Estelle and Leo Desjardins.”

Harriet and Gray glanced at each other, nodding, and Harriet said, “Leon’s father’s family name is Desjardins.”

“Finn, you and Riptide used to come to Joyce Isles often, even when the annual surfing competition wasn’t on,” Gray pointed out. “I’m betting you met Estelle there?”

“Yes.” Finn nodded. “My late ex-wife and I were judging a snowboarding competition when I met Estelle on Joyce Isles.”

“That makes sense,” Gray said. “Leon Senior always found every excuse to visit Joyce Isles and would always bring Estelle with him.”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot about that,” Harriet said, turning to Finn. “Leon senior latched on to our father when they were at boarding school together. Then, when my father passed the crown onto his younger brother, Leon Senior latched on to my uncle Titus.”

“Oh, he wanted to be associated with a king,” Finn realized.

“Yup,” Harriet nodded in confirmation. “The man was a golddigger and social climber. Leon Senior’s father was a count, and they were wealthy wine farmers who owned vineyards in France, Greece, and Italy.”

“When my father married my mother, Leon Senior was already big pals with Uncle Titus,” Gray continued. “My father was supposed to marry Leon’s mother, but he met and fell in love with our mother. Leon Senior saw that as an opportunity to marry a duke’s daughter.”

“Leon Senior didn’t even care that he would have to give up his last name in order to get the title jure uxoris,“ Harriet told Finn.

“By courtesy of his wife,” Gray translated for Finn. “In some rare cases, a man can get the title of duke through his wife, which they did. Because my grandfather favored the marriage, Leon Senior sold the vineyard in Greece to my grandfather.”

“But my grandfather didn’t want only that vineyard,” Harriet continued. “He was after Duke Gladstone’s olive groves, which surrounded the vineyard he acquired from Leon Senior.”

“Old Duke Gladstone never forgave our father for not marrying his daughter, so he refused to sell any of his land to a Joyce. I think it was stipulated in his will.” Gray added. “My uncle had a falling out with my grandfather when Harriet was nineteen, and when our grandfather refused him the crown and said he was going to pass it straight to me, Uncle Titus found a way to get back into our grandfather’s good books.”

“Yes, he sold me out!” Harriet hissed, her eyes flashing with anger. “He tricked me into what he called a courtship with Leon Junior, and before I knew it, my uncle was announcing our engagement.”

“Wait!” Finn sat beside Harriet, and when she flopped onto the sofa, Gray took a seat in an armchair. He looked at Harriet. “Your uncle manipulated you into a relationship with Leon Junior as a way to get the olive groves your grandfather has wanted?”

“He did,” Harriet confirmed. “Worse, my grandfather fell for it and believed that I was in love with Leon.”

“Our grandfather was already showing the early signs of dementia,” Gray explained. “We never noticed it because everyone forgets words or people’s names, but my uncle didn’t miss it. He saw it as an opportunity to get the crown early and add to Joyce Isle’s produce by acquiring the olive groves in Greece.”

“But the olive groves are in Greece,” Finn said.

“Yes, but the produce that comes from the olives would be made on Joyce Isles,” Gray told him. “Just like the wine from the vineyard, it’s all bottled and labeled from Joyce Isles.”

“Oh!” Finn’s eyes widened, and his heart went out to Harriet even more when he realized her uncle was using her. “That’s horrendous.” His brows creased. “So your uncle sees you as nothing more than a pawn in his wanting to increase Joyce Isles’s revenue?”

“Pretty much!” Harriet nodded in disgust.

“Why did he let you break off the engagement all those years ago?” Finn was interested to know, and his frown deepened when he saw the look that passed between Gray and Harriet. He tilted his face slightly sideways as he asked. “What did you two do?”

“My uncle was emotionally blackmailing Harriet.” Gray’s voice was laced with anger. “My sister made herself ill because of it. Harriet didn’t want to marry that pig. The man had a wandering eye and …” He glanced at Harriet as if looking for permission, and she nodded. “Leon emotionally abused Harriet.”

“Harriet…” Finn’s face dropped with his heart as he looked at her, and words failed him.

He couldn’t imagine anyone doing that to her. She was so strong and vibrant, but Finn had noticed her wilt a little around Leon. But Harriet had also stood up to the man, and pride burst in his chest. Finn realized his daughter, son, sister, and their friends were right about Harriet—she was a truly remarkable woman.

“My uncle kept reminding me that I had broken Alex’s heart and the only way for him to ever move on was for me to be unavailable,” Harriet told Finn. “My grandfather’s health was deteriorating as well. He’d had a transient ischemic attack, or TIA as the doctors call it, and my uncle used that to keep me engaged to Leon.”

“My uncle kept promising Harriet that as soon as they’d bought the land they wanted, she could end the engagement,” Gray told Finn. “But Leon’s grandfather, the old Duke, was still alive, and he wouldn’t sell the land until Harriet and Leon were married.”

“I tried to tell my uncle that Leon was a no-good cheat and liar, and I doubted he would ever sell that land to my grandfather because it was their only leverage over our family,” Harriet added. “But my uncle told me that he liked Leon, and I was just looking for excuses to get out of the marriage.”

“All of a sudden, my uncle had gone from speaking about Harriet being engaged to Leon to getting married to Leon,” Gray shook his head. “That’s when I stepped in. My sister was wasting away. She’d become so thin from all the stress and abuse from that pig Leon.”

“Gray and I set Leon up,” Harriet said, looking at her brother with a smile. “We knew that my grandfather would never allow me to marry a man like Leon if he knew who he and Leon Senior really were.”

“After some investigation, Harriet and I found out that Leon Senior had not only gambled and partied his family’s fortune away, he was quickly going through the Gladstone’s money as well,” Gray told Finn. “To make matters worse, Leon had picked up his father’s bad habits and had nearly burned through all his trust fund money.”

“Geez!” Finn ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. “How old was Leon then?”

“Twenty-two,” Harriet answered. “A few months before I called off the engagement, Leon’s father had a massive heart attack that he never fully recovered from, and his mother, Gloria Gladstone, took back the reins of running the family.”

“It was not a good time for the Gladstones. They nearly lost everything,” Gray told Finn. “The push for Harriet to marry Leon got worse, and now, not only would it get my family what they wanted, but it would save the Gladstone family as well.”

“Gray came up with the idea to get proof to give to our grandfather of what my uncle and Gloria were up to,” Harriet continued the story. “We set up a trap for Leon, which he not only took the bait for but basically ran right into.”

“I got my grandfather to make me Harriet’s legal royal guardian as she wasn’t twenty-one at the time,” Gray told Finn. “I know it’s archaic, and it angers us all, but all the Joyce princesses and even the queens have to have a legal guardian. It’s usually a family member and can be an older brother as long as they are over the age of twenty-one.”

“When my father passed up the crown, my guardianship went to my grandfather,” Harriet explained. “So now you can see why I never wanted to be a princess.”

“I now completely understand that,” Finn assured her.

“As the next crown prince, if I found a valid reason, I could legally decline Leon as a suitable husband for my sister,” Gray explained. “So we hired a PI to follow Leon and get all the actual proof we needed to prove that the Gladstones were using the Joyce family to keep them from ruin.”

“I may have used this woman who I had a class with at Oxford who had on more than one occasion hinted at how she wished she was the one to be marrying Leon as the bait,” Harriet said with an unabashed grin. “She also just happened to be the daughter of a wealthy and very stuffy businessman.”

“The PI got us the information and pictures we needed to prove to our grandfather what kind of people the Gladstones were, especially Leon.” Gray’s grin mirrored Harriet’s. “And the next thing we knew, Harriet was free, and Leon was basically being marched down the aisle by the woman’s terrifying father.”

“So Leon was forced to marry the woman you set him up with, and I take it your family still didn’t get the Gladstone’s olive groves?” Finn asked for clarification.

“That was a drawback.” Gray shrugged. “Joyce Isles olive produces from the groves we have there, and some around the world are very lucrative. We don’t need that land. I think it’s just become some sort of weird challenge for my uncle now.”

“We’ve never actually understood why my grandfather and now uncle have been so transfixed on that land in Greece,” Harriet stated. “But it seems that their obsession with it has reared its ugly head once again.”

“Because Harriet, as far as my uncle knew, was still single with no divorce, breakups, etc. within the past five years,” Gray sighed. “He decided she was fair game to serve up as an incentive for the property.”

“Which also means that the Gladstones are probably once again heading for financial ruin and hanging onto what they still have by the tips of their fingernails,” Harriet told Finn. “Especially after Leon’s latest divorce from the sugar baron heiress who not only kept all her money but is demanding her half of whatever wealth Leon has left.”

“Wow!” Finn breathed. “People really don’t know what goes on behind the scenes in the lives of the rich and famous.”

“As soon as Harriet was free from that pig, she came back to the States, enrolled in night classes, and got a job at Danes Studios,” Gray told Finn, pride shining in the man’s eyes.

“Gray!” Harriet said, annoyed, her cheeks turning a delightful shade of pink. “Finn doesn’t want to know my life history.”

“My dear little sister,” Gray said to her. “If Finn is going to play the role of your fiancé successfully, he needs to know who you really are.”

“Then I’m going to make some tea,” Harriet said, looking at Finn. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“What tea are you making?” Finn asked, now invested in hearing what Gray had to say; he knew he wasn’t going home anytime soon.

“Herbal tea,” Harriet told him. “Actually, it’s a blend from South Africa that I think you’ll enjoy.”

“Sure,” Finn said with a nod. “I’ll try some.”

“And you, Gray?” Harriet asked her brother.

“I’ll have some too, thanks Harry,” Gray said, and Harriet walked into the kitchenette. “You’re very brave to do this for my sister.” He looked at Finn when Harriet was out of earshot. “I will be forever in your debt for doing so. I have no idea what’s really going on with my uncle, so I have to warn you things may get really rough around here when he arrives.”

“I think I can handle it,” Finn assured Gray. “I’ve faced down scarier things than a King on a rampage.”

“I hope so,” Gray said, a warning light flickering in his eyes. “Because my sister is one of the best people I know. She’s not some spoiled pampered princess. Harriet has worked hard to get to where she is today. When she got a job at Danes Studio, Harriet refused preferential treatment and insisted that she work her way up just like Brad had to do.”

“Brad told me that his family ensures that the next generation that takes over Danes productions starts at the same entry level as any other newbie in their company,” Finn told Gray.

“That’s right, and that’s exactly what Harriet did.” Gray snorted. “She was so disgusted with Uncle Titus and that our parents had to take a back seat to what was happening that she tried to give her entire Joyce trust fund away.”

“Really?” Finn’s brows rose.

“Uh-huh.” Gray nodded. “Other than paying for her school education while she was at Oxford, Harriet hasn’t touched that money. I look after it for her and run all her charities.”

“How does she afford this suite?” Finn asked.

“Harriet worked her way up the corporate ladder from Danes Productions to the executive level,” Gray told Finn. “When my mother’s parents passed away, they left us each some money and properties. Harriet used some of the money to buy herself an apartment in New York and invested the rest. This is all afforded by her working hard, saving, and investing.” He smiled. “Harriet helps everywhere she can and would literally give someone the shirt off her back if they needed it.”

“I’ve come to realize that in the short time I’ve spent with her this evening,” Finn admitted.

Gray glanced toward the kitchenette and leaned forward. “Finn, I have to ask if you’re willing to brave the storm that’s coming because I don’t want to alarm Harriet or my parents, but I have an awful feeling there’s a lot more to all this than meets the eye.”

“Earlier, I would’ve been hesitant,” Finn confessed. “As long as my kids are out of the line of fire, I’m all in.” He was surprised at how much he meant that.

“Thank you, Finn,” Gray said. “I promise you I won’t forget what you’re doing for my sister. She deserves the whole world, you know. While she can be sassy and as if nothing can break her, at the end of the day, she’s human, and we all have a breaking point. My uncle and Leon are that for Harry.”

“Don’t worry,” Finn assured Gray. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”

“Tea,” Harriet said, carrying a tray into the living room and placing it on the coffee table. “Oh, and I brought some of my homemade choc-chip cookies.”

Gray gave her a suspicious look. “Which ones?” He looked at the cookies as if they were a plate of spiders.

“Don’t worry, they’re made with normal flour,” Harriet told him. She grinned as she looked at Finn and took a seat. “I make gluten-free cookies, and Gray hates them.”

“They taste like cardboard with chocolate chips in them,” Gray moaned and picked up a cookie.

“You bake?” Finn looked at Harriet in amazement as he picked up a cookie.

“When I’m bored or stressed, I do,” Harriet answered. “One of my family’s chefs taught me when I was young.”

“You really are full of surprises.” Finn laughed, taking a bite of the delicious cookie. “Wow. These are good.”

The next hour sped by as Finn, Harriet, and Gray got to know each other. The more Finn learned about Harriet, the more he was drawn to her. He discovered that not only did she have a huge heart, but she was funny, witty, highly intelligent, and the one thing she’d never mastered was surfing.

“How about I teach you to surf?” Finn found himself offering as he was finally leaving to go home.

“Oh, no!” Gray shook his head. “Don’t do that,” he whispered before ducking out of the door. “Night, little sister, I’ll see you both tomorrow.” As he walked away, he shook his head in warning

“I’d like that,” Harriet said, stepping out her door. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

“You don’t need to do that,” Finn told her, but secretly not wanting to leave her.

“I need to pick up some more milk, and I don’t like calling room service this late,” Harriet told him. “The front desk is used to me popping down there in the middle of the night to get more milk.”

“I’m sure that’s why hotels have room service,” Finn laughed.

“I know, but…” Harriet shrugged. “I have two legs, and I need to stretch them.”

They climbed into the elevator and got out on the ground floor, stepping into the now dimly lit foyer. “This place is still quite busy as it’s nearly midnight.”

“You can’t tell me you’ve never been here this late,” Harriet stated with a smile. “Especially as Liam is your best friend.”

“You know, we don’t really hang out here a lot,” Finn admitted as they walked toward the hotel door. “Liam prefers the Beach Hut.”

“It is a more relaxed atmosphere,” Harriet agreed.

“Don’t come out into the parking lot,” Finn stopped near the front doors. “Thank you, Harriet. I had a surprisingly interesting and enjoyable time.”

“I know,” Harriet smiled. “I did, too.”

Finn was about to step out into the night when he spotted Estelle walking out of the hotel’s restaurant. She stopped and ducked behind a tall potted tree, not knowing that Finn had already spotted her.

“Okay, this is one of those times when I say, don’t turn around,” Finn warned Harriet, whose back was toward Estelle, “but Estelle is hiding behind a potted plant spying on us.”

“You know I’m almost obliged to turn around and look now,” Harriet stated, her eyes sparkling with humor.

“Instead of doing that,” Finn said, taking Harriet’s hands and drawing her closer, “let’s give her something to report back to her cousin-brother.” As he folded her into his arms, Harriet’s wrapped around his neck. He looked down at her with a frown. “Why is Estelle always with Leon’s family?”

“Her parents died when she was a child, and her uncle raised her,” Harriet filled in the gap. “Can you not swing me around so you’re facing the parking lot? Because now I’m dying to see Estelle hiding behind a tree.”

“You don’t think that’s going to be too obvious?” Finn said, leaning closer to Harriet so he could peak in Estelle’s direction. “Okay, well, I’m going to kiss you now and then slowly turn us around so you can see her.”

“Okay,” Harriet breathed, her voice becoming as throaty as Finn’s when their eyes locked and his lips touched hers.

Before he could stop himself, Finn pulled Harriet closer and deepened the kiss as the world seemed to explode around them in vibrant color before slowly fading to where only the two of them existed.

“Pardon me,” a male voice brought Finn back to the present, and he realized they were blocking one of the doorways.

He reluctantly ended the kiss, noting that the dazed look in Harriet’s eyes mirrored the same feeling pulsing through him as he stepped out of the way of the door. He turned them so she was facing the tree while he regained his wits after that earth-shattering kiss.

“Can you see her?” Finn cleared his throat.

“What?” Harriet frowned as the haze in her eyes cleared before realization dawned. “Oh, right.” She whispered, “Can you lean down slightly? You’re so tall I can’t see over your shoulder.”

“Okay, well, I have another idea,” Finn said, taking her hand and stepping toward the door so Harriet could see behind them before reaching over and pushing it open. “Do you see her?”

“Yup!” Harriet said. “She’s right there behind the tree.”

“Are you going to be okay on your own?” Finn looked at Harriet worriedly.

“I’ll be fine,” Harriet assured him with a smile.

“Okay.” Finn kissed her forehead. “Good night, princess. Sweet dreams.”

Harriet watched Finn walk away before turning to go to the reception desk. Finn’s heart was hammering in his chest, and his emotions ran wild as he headed toward his pickup. He was so deep in thought that he didn’t hear the footsteps behind him until it was too late. He was grabbed from behind, and someone plopped a bag over his head. Finn heard someone say, quickly injecting the sedative right before another familiar voice came from behind them.

“Hey!” Alex shouted. “What’s going on? Harley, come quick.”

Finn used the distraction to act quickly. He was about to use his now free head to knock into the person who held him, but he felt the man crumble, and he was suddenly free. There were a few grunts and moans around him before the bag was ripped from his head.

“Finn, what on earth, man,” Alex stood in front of him, holding the hood.

Finn looked around at the three men lying on the ground.

“Let me go,” the fourth man struggled against Harley, who was holding the man with both arms painfully twisted behind his back. “Do you know who I am?”

“Yeah,” Harley told him. “You’re the guy that tried to kidnap my friend, so I don’t need to know who you are, but I’m sure the police will.”

“Why were you trying to kidnap our friend?” Alex’s voice resonated with warning.

“Because he wants to marry Harriet,” Finn told them. “Meet Duke Leon something or other.”

“You’re Leon Gladstone?” Alex’s eyes narrowed, and before they could stop him, Alex punched Leon in the jaw. “Now you know what it feels like when you hit someone.”

“What?” Finn looked at Alex in alarm. “What do you mean by that?”

“Harriet thinks I don’t know,” Alex hissed, looking at Leon in disgust. “But Dawn saw him hit Harriet at a party not long before she broke off the engagement.”

“You hit Harriet?” Finn seethed. He felt his blood boil, and a haze of red clouded his vision as he vaulted forward.

“Finn, no, don’t!” Harriet’s voice pulled him back from the brink of his anger, and he spun around, and she ran to him. “He’s not worth it.”

“Look at what these Neanderthals have done,” Leon growled. “They accosted me in the parking lot. Your uncle’s going to hear about this.”

“Oh, shut up,” Harley told him. “And I’m sure when the police arrive, your unconscious friends here will be able to contradict what you’ve just said.”

“Leon tried to kidnap Finn,” Alex blurted to Harriet.

“Is that true?” Harriet looked at Leon in disbelief.

“I won’t say another word without an attorney,” Leon glared at Alex. “An attorney who’s going to sue you for everything you’ve got for breaking my jaw.”

“If your jaw were broken, you wouldn’t be able to whine,” Harley hissed. “And as far as we know, you were injured when you tripped and fell running from the crime scene.”