Chapter 37 Harper
thirty-seven
Harper
THE FIRST HIT.
My arms were sore, but my head was clearer as I got into the car to go to work the following morning.
Sparring with Benny was an entirely different form of exercise to my morning runs, which I may have been skipping out on more often than not these days.
My body ached, and yet I felt lighter. I knew one sparring session didn’t magically make me an expert at self-defense, but knowing some of the basics was satisfying. Benny said we could go back as often as I wanted, and I planned to take him up on that.
I didn’t think Leon would try anything physically threatening against me, and certainly not against Benny, but after what had happened with Tristan, well, it wouldn’t hurt to know how to defend myself. It also gave me a wonderful opportunity to feel his body against mine in a whole new way.
Last night had gone from him teaching me how to punch correctly, to some basic holds on the mats, which had very quickly devolved into us grinding on each other until we were too hard to focus on training anymore and we’d fucked in the gym showers before coming back to my apartment to fuck again.
Benny had only just left to go back to his gym for work, but I was already texting him something I hoped would have him struggling to keep a neutral expression as soon as he got out of the car and read it.
Sunlight poured through the car windows as we left the underground garage, and my hand smoothed over the seat beside me to find… nothing.
I turned to look and sure enough, it was empty. No granola bars. No fruit. No hand-wrapped sandwich. No snacks.
I looked up to meet Matthew’s eyes in the rearview mirror, only to find that those weren’t Matthew’s eyes. I didn’t recognize the man in the driver’s seat.
I swallowed, dread twisting in my gut. “Where is Matthew?”
The man’s dark eyes flicked to me in the mirror for a moment before returning to the road.
“Mr. Kimberly is no longer in the employment of Lorens Industries. My name’s Jerry, and I’ll be your driver from today. A new personal assistant will be with you from tomorrow.”
“Stop the car.”
Jerry’s eyes flicked to me again, for longer this time. Then away. He said nothing. He didn’t stop.
“I said stop!” I demanded.
“I may be your driver, Mr. Lorens, but I answer only to your father.”
The air punched out of my lungs and refused to be sucked back in.
I needed to get out of this car right fucking now.
I needed Matthew. I needed to see that he was okay.
I needed to fix this. I couldn’t do this without Matthew.
I couldn’t breathe. Everything was closing in.
The car was too small. Too hot. My clothes were too tight.
“Stop,” I choked.
There was no response.
“Stop, now!”
Again, he ignored me.
Trembling fingers hooked under the cold metal of the door handle as I yanked it open. It swung wide, and a car driving beside us swerved suddenly as the horn blared. My other hand unfastened my seatbelt right as our car screeched to a stop.
I was out in the same second, and the ground was still rushing up to meet me as if I’d dived out while it was still moving.
Traffic beeped. Cars swerved. Wind from vehicles passing too close to me chilled me further as I kept moving, getting as far away from that car, and Jerry, as possible.
He was calling after me, but I didn’t care.
The world was spinning and I was unmoored.
I needed Matthew. I needed Benny.
As soon as I was on the footpath, I broke into a run, rushing toward the nearest buildings to get lost in the crowds.
My hands were still shaking as I pulled my phone from my pocket and pressed Matthew’s name.
“The number you have dialed has been disconnected or is no longer in service.”
I hung up. Tried again.
“The number you have dialed—”
“The number you have—”
“The number—”
I wiped my blurry eyes and hit Benny’s name instead.
“Hey, baby. Miss me already?” he answered, and I sobbed.
“I need you to come get me.”
Benny hadn’t gotten to the gym yet, so it didn’t take him long to turn back in the direction he’d come from and find me.
Once I was in the safety of his car, I told him we needed to get to Matthew’s townhouse as quickly as possible. I knew where it was, even though I hadn’t been there in years.
We were there in minutes.
A huge truck was blocking the front of the small home. Benny mounted the curb in front of it, and once again I was jumping out of a car before it had completely stopped moving.
Matthew was standing between the truck and his home. I was so used to seeing him calm and collected, but he wasn’t calm now, he was upset. Distressed. And it was all my fault.
I crashed into him with a force that almost sent us both to the ground. He dropped the box he’d been holding to hold me instead. Books and papers, and a very familiar-looking paper airplane tumbled over the pavement. I sobbed into his shirt.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
He held me tighter. “It’s not your fault, my boy.”
That wasn’t true. Leon had told me I could’ve stopped this. He’d told me it was going to be my fault and I ignored him.
“Movin’?” Benny asked as he came up behind us.
“Apparently,” Matthew huffed.
“Right, just point me at what I’m fightin’ for, and we’ll load as much of it into my car as we can fit.”
I had to release Matthew so we could take on the repo men stealing his belongings. They weren’t all that bothered by our interference until Benny started threatening people with physical violence if they didn’t hand over the things Matthew valued the most.
Once we’d safely stashed away as much of it as we could physically fit into Benny’s Audi, we dropped it off at his place before coming back to see if there was anything else we could get. They’d finished by then, the truck gone and the townhouse’s locks changed. He’d lived there for twenty years.
Then we were back at Benny’s, sitting in silence around his dining table as he made us strawberry tea.
Matthew’s apartment had been provided to him with his position. His phone and car were assets of Lorens Industries as well. When Leon fired him, he lost it all.
Matthew’s whole life had been that job. He didn’t have family or strong connections outside of it. Apart from me, and Benny, he wouldn’t have had anyone to show up for him if he’d even been able to call.
I’d never hated Leon more.
“If I…” Matthew swallowed. “If I could just borrow a phone, or perhaps a computer, I can arrange a hotel to—”
“No,” Benny interrupted. “I have more rooms than I need here. You can have your pick of them.”
“I don’t want to impose.”
“You’re family now, Matty. You stay here as long as you want, and we’ll sort a new phone for you and make sure you have some way to get around.”
“I’ll buy you a car,” I jumped in.
Matthew cleared his throat and wiped his eyes on a napkin before tucking it neatly under his mug again. “Thank you, Harper. But that won’t be necessary. I’m sure your father would—”
“He’s not my father. You are.”
His mask crumbled instantly. Matthew’s hand reached for mine as he yanked me to him in a very firm and very uncomfortable hug as my body twisted between the two chairs, but I held him back just as tight.
“None of this is your fault,” he told me, still refusing to let me go.
I didn’t believe him, but I knew he believed it, and he didn’t need to be comforting me after all that he’d lost today.
“I meant what I said to you.” He smiled as he pulled back, reaching for his napkin again. “It’s just a job, and you are so much more.”
I wasn’t sure about that, but it didn’t matter, because I would find a way to fix this. I’d find a way to get Matthew his job back, and to keep everyone safe.
“Now, I think I might get settled in, if that’s alright.”
“Of course. I’ll help you bring your things up,” Benny offered.
“I can manage, Benny. Thank you again, so very much for your hospitality.”
“It’s really no trouble at all. I’m glad to have you here. The space is yours.”
Matthew nodded. “One more thing.”
“Yes?” Benny asked.
“Never call me Matty again.”
Benny laughed, and Matthew collected a box from beside the stairs to take up to the guest room.
“I can take you to work if you’d like,” Benny spoke softly, his warm hand finding mine on the table.
“I’m not going to work today.”
Benny followed after me with the shopping cart as I filled it. It was the first time we’d been in public together, but I was too angry at Leon and too focused on making things up to Matthew to be nervous about it.
I chose three phones so that Matthew would have options.
And a laptop. And a tablet. An eReader too, because I knew he liked to read.
Then again, I could just get him a bookshelf and some actual books.
That way he’d have even more stuff of his own to fill the space.
I also remembered he liked the color green, and decided we’d get some new bedding as soon as we were done with the electronics.
Buying tech from our main competitor, Noctis Tech, was a small “fuck you” to Leon, but I was counting it.
“My love.” Benny spoke up as he trailed after me. “I’m all for buyin’ Matthew everythin’ he needs, but don’t you think he might want to choose some of it for himself?”
I stopped and looked at the cart, pondering that for a moment before continuing. “Just a few more things and then we can bring him back if he wants more.”
Benny huffed in amusement. “Good plan, baby.”
Once I had everything I could think of, we loaded it back into Benny’s car. “Now we need to go buy him a car,” I said while pulling my seatbelt on.
“We could do that, or we can go give him the phone, because I’m sure he needs that first, and bring him with us to get the car.”
I frowned. I wanted to get everything for Matthew as quickly as possible, but I supposed it made sense for him to choose what car he wanted. I just hoped he wouldn’t be stubborn about it.
“And maaaaybe we get you a car too? And you can use that instead of your bike?”
I rolled my eyes.
It took several trips to bring in everything I’d chosen for Matthew, and when I suggested we go buy him a car right away, he told me he’d think about it and let us know later what he wanted to do.
I had a feeling he was stalling me, but I let it slide for now. If he didn’t pick something by the end of the weekend, I’d choose for him.
Matthew went to bed right after dinner.
Benny and I crossed off another movie from his list, and then we went to bed as well. We were both naked and pressed against each other, but it wasn’t sexual, and tonight I had no desire for it to be. I just wanted him as close to me as he could get.
He held me gently, placing sweet kisses over my shoulders as his fingertips traced the lines in my palms.
My mind drifted. Matthew was as safe as I could make him for now, but what would Leon try to do next? What would he go after when this didn’t get him what he wanted?
“What if I’m not worth all this?” I whispered into the darkness.
Benny stilled for a moment before his fingers continued their whispery movements. “You’re worth everythin’. And none of this is your fault.”
“He won’t stop here. He’ll find other ways to hurt us.”
“Then we’ll deal with it together.”
“It’s not just about us, Benny. It’s everyone close to us too. Rachel works for Lorens Industries. What if Leon goes for her next?”
He was quiet, so I continued.
“We can make the choice that we’re willing to give up everything for this, but we can’t make that choice for other people, pup.”
“We aren’t makin’ it. Leon is.”
I sighed. “Yes, but if we have the power to stop him and don’t, doesn’t that make us just as bad?”
“No.” His fingers threaded through mine, and he pulled our joined hands to rest on my chest over my heart. “This…” He squeezed my hand tighter. “This could never be bad. This could never be wrong.”
I let his hand go and turned to face him, pressing our foreheads together. “I’m so tired.”
“I know, love.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “I’ll do anythin’ you tell me to do if it’ll help you rest.”
“I know.”
“I don’t think you do. So I’m tellin’ you now, my love, my heart, my prince. I will do anythin’ you tell me to do. If you want somethin’ done, I will find a way.”
I kissed him, because I believed him. I knew he really would do anything I asked of him. It was the thought of what I might ask that scared me.
I wouldn’t let myself speak it, I wouldn’t let myself think it, not yet.
But there was darkness growing in my core, born from fear and rage, and it called for destruction.
It called for war. Vengeance. But Benny…
my sweet Benny, my pup, my bear. I wouldn’t allow him to taint his perfect hands because of me.