31. Harrison
31
HARRISON
W hen I woke yesterday morning, my chest was tight with dread and Raegan was in my arms.
Today, the dread is gone. But so is she.
I’m in the guest bedroom, and I roll to one side, exhaling hard as I hit my shoulder, which hurts like someone ripped it from its socket.
Last night comes back to me in a rush.
Our friends headed directly back to their hotel from La Mer, but Raegan and I were at the police station until after five.
We answered questions independently. Somewhere along the line, a medic put five stitches in the cut in my chest and reset the shoulder that had been dislocated before my dive across the room.
After the police released us, Raegan and I drove home in near silence. Raegan took a shower in the guest bathroom, and I washed off in the en suite. After, I padded out to the hall to see if she was still in the bathroom—only to see the guest bedroom door closed.
I opened the door to find her lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. I crawled in next to her, pulling her body to mine.
She hasn’t talked about what happened in that room. The way she kept her cool to gain the upper hand on Mischa in a way I couldn’t have was amazing. It might’ve given me a heart attack, but I respect her even more than before.
But as I lay next to her, I wondered…
How sure was she that someone was coming? Did she think we’d left her?
I’m relieved Mischa is dead. But witnessing her at his mercy, knowing I won’t forget it for a long fucking time, is a parting gift he would’ve appreciated.
The ache in my shoulder is nothing compared to how it felt to see her helpless in that room. That will linger on my soul.
Now, the door nudges wide.
I shift up on an elbow, hoping it’s her, but the top of Barney’s head and furry back appear as he pads to the bed. He noses at my hand and lifts hopeful eyes to my face.
Fuck, it’s impossible to be a dick to a dog.
After stroking his head, I get up and pad out into the hall.
The shower’s on—second one in twelve hours.
I want to talk to her, but accosting her while she scrubs extra blood from under her nails isn’t the right time.
I head down the hall to my room for clean clothes. Barney follows, and after, we head downstairs together.
My brother is already drinking coffee and reading a newspaper.
“How was your evening?” I ask.
Ash frowns. “Uneventful. Boring even.”
My brows lift.
“Relatively,” he adds.
I take the paper from him.
He’s not as pale as he was last week. Instead of being lethargic, his voice is light. His reactions are quick and irritated.
“I was a dick about you using,” I say.
He shifts an arm over the back of the next chair. “Is this some kind of ‘near death experience’ remorse?”
I grimace. “It should’ve been me helping you. Not Leni or Raegan.”
Sebastian studies me a long moment, then holds out a hand. “Don’t worry about it. I want to get my shit together. I will,” he vows.
I clasp his forearm.
“Brunch is at two down at the marina,” he says. “Tyler and Annie are bringing the baby.”
“Is Beck coming?” I ask.
An exasperated sigh. “How the fuck should I know?”
Natalia appears with a coffee, and I thank her as I drop into a chair. “Raegan’s upset. What happened in that room… I don’t blame her.”
“What did happen?” Sebastian asks.
I don’t want to talk it out, but I need to tell someone because it’s burning a hole in my gut. So, I tell him everything, struggling to get through a few parts.
“That’s intense.” He blows out a breath.
“I wanted to save her.” I pause, my coffee halfway to my lips, then set the cup back down. “It felt like I was the one on my knees.”
Noises behind us have Ash looking over my shoulder. “Morning, sunshine.”
I turn as Rae comes down the stairs wearing a T-shirt and denim shorts. I rise and hold a chair for her. She sinks into it.
“You were on fire last night,” Ash comments. “Have you checked out social yet?”
“Been busy.” But her lips twitch, and I’m grateful to my brother for reassuring me it’s still possible for her to smile.
Natalia brings her coffee and biscotti, and Raegan murmurs her thanks. My gaze runs over the bruise on her cheek as she breaks off a piece of cookie and holds it out to Barney, who devours it and eyes her like she’s the sun, moon, and stars.
Get in line.
Ash rises from his seat. “Brunch this afternoon. With everyone down by the port. If you’re up to it.” Her gaze flits to mine, then away again.
Raegan doesn’t answer, and my brother shifts out of his seat and heads toward the door.
I can’t stand the distance between us. But when I cover her hand with mine, she flinches.
“How’s your shoulder?” she asks.
“It’s nothing.”
Not compared to what happened to her.
She looks away, and I grab her chair and drag it toward mine until she can’t avoid my gaze.
“It hurts, love. Is that what you want to hear? It aches, but the only thing I cared about last night, the only thing I care about now , is you.” I try to put my agony into words. “When I saw you in that room, I’ve never been so terrified in my life. I did everything I could to protect you. But underneath… I felt helpless. If he wasn’t dead already, I’d have killed him for touching you. The second I got free.” I grimace. “I didn’t expect you to be the one to do something fucking crazy. It took everything in me to hold back.”
Her gaze softens with compassion. “You waited?”
“You asked me to. And I told you, we’re a team, love.” I smooth back her hair from her face. “You’re brave and beautiful, and you came into my life like a storm and wouldn’t leave. You taught me there’s more to life than a list of assets bearing my name or a team of people in my employ.
“You reminded me that damaged people can still love. You tried to take down a Russian drug dealer. Unassisted. Fuck . If you need space after last night, I will give it to you. But I won’t pretend I want to be anywhere other than where you are. I won’t tell you I’m not jealous Barney got to lick your hand just now.”
Her eyes glaze over, her lips parting. Every second she’s silent leaves me ripped in two.
“You want to lick my hand?” she asks at last.
I exhale a half laugh. “I want to lick you everywhere.” My heart hammers against my ribs. “How was it? Your set, I mean.”
There’s a spark behind her eyes, signs of life returning. “Incredible. The crowd was so into it. I felt like a priestess, Harrison. At the altar of the most awe-inspiring ceremony.”
My chest tightens. “The way you wanted to play La Mer… That’s how I want you. The way you felt on that stage… That’s how I feel when I’m with you. You make me glad I’m alive, like there’s some purpose outside of me. I don’t want to live in a world where I don’t get to feel that.”
Her head lifts, and her dark gaze searches mine. I can’t dare to name the emotions there for fear I’m wrong.
“I love you too.” She holds out a hand, and my heart kicks.
I grab her hand before she can think twice and press my lips to her palm. The feel of her, warm and real and here, soothes the ache in my gut.
That’s not enough, so I cup her face and tug her toward me. When I crush her lips under mine, she meets me.
“Raegan,” I murmur against her skin, unwilling to pull back. “I want to be with you. Tell me you want that, too.”
Her phone rings and she yanks it out of her pocket. I want to hurl the thing across the room, but she looks torn. “I have to take this.”
She’s out of the room before I can respond.
* * *
RAE
Ash claims the back seat when Harrison drives us to brunch. It’s our first time without security in weeks. Harrison’s hand rests on my thigh, his fingers brushing the skin exposed by my shorts.
The phone call I took an hour ago echoes in my head. I feel better than I did this morning, but the events of last night still weigh on me. My cheek hurts, and I resist the urge to brush it.
The way you felt on that stage… That’s how I feel when I’m with you.
Harrison’s words meant everything. I love him with parts of me I didn’t know could love.
There’s no chance of going halfway with Harrison King—not emotionally, anyway.
Since last night, my social media’s blown up. But I don’t know how to tell Harrison about the phone call I got earlier.
Harrison finds parking, and we get out at the port. The restaurant is open air, with jaunty blue-and-white-striped umbrellas mimicking the sea. Our friends are already at a table, and my chest expands.
The last time I went through hell, I was alone.
I’m not anymore.
“Good morning, superstar.” Annie passes the baby to Tyler so she can rise and hug me. “Or should I say afternoon?”
“Late night,” I say as Harrison pulls out my chair and claims one on the other side.
“About that…” Tyler starts, and I stiffen. I don’t want to rehash it again.
Beck leans in. “Yeah. Let’s hear it.” He looks around the table. “How’d the set feel?”
The knot in my chest loosens. “Amazing. I have a dozen messages from my publicist I haven’t returned with requests for interviews, even a documentary.”
“That’s so great!” Annie gushes, and even Elle bobs her head.
Beck snorts. “And you didn’t want to be on my TV show.”
“I didn’t say yes to the documentary.” I sneak a look at Harrison.
Because there might be something bigger .
The waitress comes to get our drink order.
“What’s next for everyone?” Elle asks, looking around the circle of us. “We brought down Harrison’s nemesis, right?”
Tyler nods. “Paid you back for saving my life.”
“You never told me what happened,” Annie prods.
Harrison and Tyler exchange a look before Tyler says, “I was driving in London. Wrong side of the road. I got messed up and drove into a fountain.”
“You’re joking. I pictured it as something crazy or sexy or dramatic,” Annie says.
“It was dramatic,” Harrison weighs in. “The man drove into a stone angel. Water was spurting from her navel.”
Tyler winces. “It wasn’t pretty.”
“You should save that kind of drama for my show,” Beck goads.
“I’m not going on your show.”
Beck shifts an arm over the back of Tyler’s seat. “It’s one of the top ten streaming shows, and we’re only in the first season.”
“People are bored and stupid if they want to watch you fuck around,” Ash drawls.
“My fucking around,” Beck says, “is charming.”
The baby fusses, and Beck motions to Tyler, who passes her over.
Within moments, Rose quiets.
“What about you?” Annie asks Harrison.
“It’ll take time for Mischa’s estate to be worked out, but as the investigation unfolds, many of his assets will be repossessed and sold off. I’ll be first in line.” His gaze meets mine.
I squeeze his hand. He’s always wanted that club, and I can’t expect that to change now.
More than that, I want him to have it.
“You could be back playing there sooner than you think,” he murmurs.
I shift in my chair. “I got a call this morning from DJ Maxx. This guy I used to work with. I never liked him, but he’s put in a word for me about a residency in Vegas.”
Everyone gasps and gushes, but Harrison goes still next to me.
“When would this residency commence?” he murmurs when the waitress brings our drinks.
“Four months.” He doesn’t answer, so I add, “I’ve been traveling forever. Maybe it’s time to put down roots. I want more than living out of a suitcase. I could buy a place. Hell, I could be a grownup. Even get my own espresso maker.” I try to joke, but he doesn’t smile.
“An espresso maker in Vegas.”
I lift a shoulder.
I can picture it. Crowds there to see me, a club to call my own. The familiarity was one of the things I loved about Debajo, but I’ve outgrown it. I want a new challenge.
But I don’t want it without him.
Harrison’s hand resting on my knee withdraws. His ocean-blue eyes I love cloud, and he rises abruptly from his seat, tossing his napkin on the table before addressing the table. “Excuse me. I’m afraid I can’t stay.”
Before I can say a word, he’s halfway to his car.