Chapter 18 Legal Shit #2
I’ve been to this floor many times to make sure the other suite is perfect, down to every detail like fresh flowers and champagne chilling on ice before guests arrive. But I’ve only been in Devon’s once when I was dropping off his mail while Harlow was in the hospital during her kidney donation.
I watch Harlow swipe her card and open the door to their suite. “Are you sure about this? I don’t want to put you out or impose.”
Harlow holds the door open for me. “Are you kidding? This is the most fun thing I’ve done in weeks.
I can’t wait to get back to work. Devon has hovered over me since the surgery.
If I didn’t love him so much, I’d find it annoying.
It’s good we love to spend time together.
Still, I can’t wait to get back to work.
Can I make you a cup of coffee before we dig in? ”
I cross my arms over my chest and take in the century-old details of the suite. “I’m wound tight enough about tonight. The last thing I need is more caffeine. I’ll take a glass of water though. Thank you.”
She goes to the kitchen. “I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t want to assume you didn’t have anything to wear, but I could see it on your face. It’s girl code to have each other’s back, right?”
I look out the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Jett was right when he stole my car. It’s starting to snow.
I’m not sure when I’ll get my borrowed car back, but at least it will have new tires on it.
Stealing that car ranks right under killing Vlad.
I keep telling myself one was out of sheer self-defense, and the other was pure survival.
I had to get out and get away. I stole the oldest car I could find in hopes it wouldn’t hurt the owner as badly.
I doubt it, but it’s the rationalization of a car thief with morals.
I talk as I watch the snow fall. It’s so thick in the distance, I can’t see the tips of the mountain range. “I’m not sure when I’ll be able to return the favor. I don’t have a lot to offer to have your back.”
“Nonsense. Just let me know if I ever have food in my teeth or something. That’s good enough for me.
” Harlow comes to my side and hands me the water.
“Should we go look? You’re smaller than me, but I have some dresses that I bought thinking they’d be motivation to lay off the carbs. Crazy how that never works, right?”
“Yeah, so true.” That’s a lie. I have no idea how that works. I’ve spent my entire adult life eating what I was given and wearing what Andrei provided me. I dressed to be looked at.
I follow Harlow to her bedroom as she talks. “This will be fun. I’m an only child. Or else I was until we learned about Jett. After my mom died, I needed a woman in my life. My stepmom was horrid.”
“We have some things in common. I’m an only child, though my mom just left when I was very young, and I never had a stepmom. And my dad ... well, I won’t get into that.”
Harlow shoots me an empathetic look. “Devon told me. You don’t have to dredge that up with me unless you just want to talk about it.”
We go through their bedroom and straight to the oversized closet. “Wow. You weren’t kidding when you said you had a lot to choose from.”
In addition to the closet, there are racks lining the middle of the room with clothes.
“Please don’t judge me. I attend a lot of events, and many are formal.
Or else, I did when I lived in New York.
I’m scaling that back now that I moved here.
My assistant just had all this shipped to me from my old place there.
I feel bad taking over Devon’s space.” She puts her hands on her hips and looks from the racks to me. “What size are you?”
I shrug. “I usually just buy what looks like it will fit and make it work. I haven’t done much shopping. When I escaped, I took a wad of cash that got me across the country and bought a couple outfits from a thrift store. I’m saving as much as I can, so if I buy anything, it’s thrifted.”
Harlow pauses, but she doesn’t say anything about how sad that is or try to fix it.
She gives me a small smile. “Whatever you’re doing works.
You have an eye for great style. I say keep doing what works for you.
Let’s see, The Greenhouse is dressy, but I’d say more cocktail, right? What color do you feel good in?”
“I’m not picky. I haven’t chosen my clothes since my first year of college. I’m just trying to get by.”
“Then this will be more fun than I thought. Let’s dig in.”
For the next hour, I try on so many dresses, my head spins. Harlow fawns over some and puts her foot down on others. In the middle of it all, she brings in snacks and more drinks. There are a pile of dresses on their bed and shoes litter the floor.
Harlow hangs up the select few she declared were nothing short of amazing.
“I’m sending all of these with you. You might change your mind while you’re getting ready.
In fact, keep these. I can’t fit into most of them.
Plus, after seeing them on you, there’s no way I’d wear them anyway.
I just wish we were the same shoe size. There’s nowhere to shop in Winslet for shoes. Your black heels will work perfectly.”
“I hope so, they’re the only pair I own outside of a few flipflops and a pair of sneakers. It looks like I need to get something to wear in the snow.”
Harlow glances out the bedroom window. “It’s really coming down. My first snow back in Winslet. It’s beautiful.”
The mountains and manor grounds are transforming into a white wonderland. I can’t take my eyes off it. “I’ve never seen snow in person.”
“It’s so different here than what we’d get in New York.
There’s something magical about it in the mountains.
” Harlow comes to my side and wraps an arm around my shoulders to give me a squeeze.
“I’m so happy you’re here. Once this is all sorted, you can relax and know that you’re truly safe.
I’d say that Devon will take care of it, but it looks like Jett is handling that all on his own. ”
“That’s been a new development. I hate that he’s doing so much for me.”
She drops her arm and turns to me. “I’m still getting to know my brother, but I don’t think he’d do anything he didn’t want to. And from what I can tell, he wants this. I think you came into his life at just the right time. He’s healthy, and now he has you.”
I think about last night. Jett stripping me naked, putting his mouth between my legs, and sleeping naked against him all night. I slept so well, I barely had time to get ready before the big meeting with the makeshift task force.
Harlow’s phone sounds with a text. She looks down at it and smiles. “Jett must be missing you. He didn’t even ask if we were done. He’s on his way up.”
I look at the stack of dresses and gowns that she insisted I take with me. “You really don’t need to send all these. One is enough. I’ll have it cleaned and returned in a few days.”
“Are you not listening? These are yours to keep. Devon will be happy that I’m making room in the closet. Wait, you need jewelry. Let me send you with some choices.”
I’m about to tell her she doesn’t need to do that, but she disappears into the closet.
There’s a knock at the door, and Harlow calls, “That’s Jett. Can you answer it? I’ll be right out.”
I take the pile of dresses she insisted are now mine and go to the door. When I open it, Jett is standing there, shoulder to the jamb with his arms crossed.
A smile spreads across his face when he sees me. “Did you find what you need?”
I lift the evidence in my arms. “Your sister is generous and too sweet for her own good. I’ll never wear all of these.”
“Don’t leave yet!” Harlow yells from the other room. “I’ve got more for you!”
I smile at Jett. “See?”
“No one knows better than I do how generous she is.” He pushes off the door jamb, and I let the door shut behind him.
“What did you do after I left?”
He takes the dresses from me and drapes them over his arm. “Do you really want to know?”
“Yes.”
“Devon lent me a handgun small enough to wear under a jacket. Then we went over worst-case scenarios.”
My eyes fall shut. “Okay, maybe I don’t want to know.”
He tags me behind the head and leans in to kiss my forehead.
“None of them will happen. You have one job, and that’s to get him to talk.
You know what we need him to say. We’ll take care of the rest. Oh, and Bella’s associate, Jarvis, is heading to Florida.
He was on his way back to Washington and changed his course.
They tracked Andrei’s phone pinging back to a port near Tampa.
If there are client files or ledgers, he’ll find them. ”
“They’re just going to send someone to search his yacht? Andrei is dangerous, and he has dangerous friends. They need to know that.”
Jett smirks and shakes his head. “I’m just getting to know this group, baby, but from what I’m getting, they’re not worried about danger. Their job is to walk into danger and eliminate it. They just don’t usually work in our country. A boat will be a piece of cake.”
“But they don’t even know me. Why would they do any of this?”
“They’re doing it for Devon, and Devon is doing it for Harlow.”
“Doing what for Harlow?”
We turn and see the subject at hand walk around the corner from the bedroom. “I was giving Lennon the condensed version of Bella and her coworkers.”
Harlow shoots me a knowing look, which might make me feel better if I actually knew something.
“They’re very good at what they do. Devon knows them well and has worked with them often.
Don’t worry about them.” She hands me a tote bag that’s nicer than anything I own.
“Here is everything you’ll need and more.
Purses, jewelry, and I threw in some extra stuff just because. I don’t need any of it back.”
I don’t look inside that bag. It’s heavy enough, I can’t imagine what’s in it. “I can’t accept this.”
“Of course you can. You’re doing Devon a favor—he’ll have more room for custom suits and Italian leather shoes.
Which means you’re doing me a favor too.
I had so much fun today. When all this is said and done, we’ll have a chance to get to know each other better.
” Harlow reaches out and gives my hand a squeeze.
“Good luck tonight. With what you’ve been through so far, this meeting will be a piece of cake.
Jett will never leave your side, and you have an army of experts behind you. ”
“Thank you, Harlow. For the girl time, the dresses, and the distraction. I haven’t had friends for a long, long time.”
“Not anymore,” Harlow insists. “This is your new normal. Right, Jett?”
I turn to look up at Jett. His gaze on me is intense. I’m not sure if it’s about me or Andrei. Hell, it could be about the last few days. I’m overwhelmed in the worst and best ways.
“Right,” Jett agrees and holds out his free hand for me. “Let’s get this shit done.”