EIGHT
Harper
As she opened her eyes, the first thing that registered in Harper’s mind was the malevolent, devilish glare that stared back at her.
Harper didn’t have to download what had happened. She knew she’d fainted for only the second time in her life. The first time was in gym class in eleventh grade from terrible cramps.
She’d never guessed that being given bad news would have checked her brain out of reality, but there it was.
And Cain was sitting too close for her liking.
“Move,” she said groggily, rubbing her fuzzy temple.
He didn’t move away, and what was worse, he looked concerned, like he wasn’t the asshole causing her body to go through distress.
“I said move away from me.”
Hesitant and frowning, he stood, returning to the desk’s edge, where he sat like royalty, looking down on his inferiors.
But what Cain… shit, what was his last name?
“What’s your surname?”
“Emerson.”
Ah. What Cain Emerson hadn’t factored into his dastardly plans was she was no low minion for him to push around.
The couch was soft beneath her, and she pushed to a seated position, her back straight. She would not relax another second in his company. She’d learned her lesson, and repeating the same mistake would be detrimental.
“Are you okay?” he inquired; her eyes instantly found his. Unbelievable . Pretending to care, was he? He could fuck all the way off and around again.
“Don’t act compassionately. Explain what you were saying about my dad and what the two have to do with you.”
At that, the door opened, and Damon, the doormat gofer, strode in, holding a cup in one hand and a package of cookies in the other.
“I thought she might want a snack.”
“The hostage doesn’t even get a pizza? Pathetic kidnappers.” She snarked, trying to keep her uncompromising bitch attitude in place while she figured out her next move. Only Cain knew what he was up to. Damon, too, probably. That put Harper two steps behind, but like any woman, it was scientifically proven she had more brain cells than these two men. She could get out of this. Maintaining composure was essential. Her dad’s voice echoed in her mind, urging her to remain unruffled, pay attention to all details, and discover a path forward.
Damon snorted and flashed her a grin, like he found her so hilarious. Harper didn’t smile in response.
“I guess I can call a pizza. What do you want?”
“I won’t be staying long.”
Damon outright laughed now. Cain’s facial expression didn’t alter. He didn’t even pull his intricately focused stare away from her when he told Damon to leave.
“How do you know my dad?”
“I don’t, personally.”
“Is this your idea of a good time? You picked my family at random? Because I can tell you kidnapping his daughter is right up there with slashing his bike tires. You’ll be in a world of hurt when he knows about this. And that isn’t an empty promise.”
The bastard smirked, and she hated how she could still admire his perfectly masculine face.
She refused to be subjected to betraying body. Re-fucking-fused. Plenty of criminals were good-looking, but that didn’t mean she’d lust after them. Whatever growing attraction she’d once felt for Cain was gone now that she knew what deck of crazy cards he was playing with.
“You know, Harper, I like that mouth of yours.” He said in a husky, suggestive tone.
She ignored the heated compliment warming her stomach.
Be-fucking-gone, betraying body syndrome .
“Look how flattered I am,” she said, straight-faced. “Your window for trying to charm me has closed, dude.”
“Cain. Or you can call me husband. I’d enjoy that most of all.”
“Not this shit again. Are you certifiable? I’d like to know since you’re holding me hostage.”
“You’ll be home in your cute little bed with the red and white flowers soon enough.”
His gunmetal-colored eyes flared when he waited for her to realize he’d described her bed covers precisely, which could only mean he’d somehow been inside her apartment.
It was suddenly difficult to swallow around the choking emotion in her throat.
Was she succumbing to the delusions of captivity, or could she trust the megalomaniac’s promise to let her go home? It was still undecided.
Keep her head. That’s all she had to do.
Cain pushed off the desk, hooked up the coffee and cookies, and waited like a towering, multi-story building until she took both from him. The caffeine assaulted her nose, and she felt the pang, needing her liquid drug.
“Is this drugged?”
Without saying a word, he took the cup and sipped. Grimacing as his Adam’s apple worked to swallow the hot liquid.
“It’s too fucking sweet, but it’s not drugged. It’s the coffee you enjoy.”
“And how would you know the brand I drink? Oh, yes, you’ve been in my house, haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to.” He answered evenly, as though breaking and entering made sense to him.
“Did you go through my things?”
He cocked an eyebrow like she’d insulted him. “No.”
Once she held the coffee again, she sipped it slowly, letting the sugar improve her energy.
She could remain calm. She was a goddamn Marinos.
Albeit a pampered one.
Her family may have equipped her for difficult situations, but she never thought she’d face one. Harper had always known her family would be there to ride to the rescue.
Suddenly, she was knee-deep in an impossible situation, relying only on her survival instincts.
She’d been aware of the privilege of what it meant to be a biker princess.
It wasn’t just her father’s status that made her important; he was both feared and respected, and she inherited his legacy.
It was a symbol of family.
Having people who loved her completely.
Harper knew she could call on any number of people if needed. She never went to a party without a prospect waiting outside to drive her home safely.
They were obnoxious, overbearing, and utterly intrusive, and she loved each of them.
Being a biker princess meant she had a whole village of loved ones.
Her entire life had been within the MC.
She was born into a legacy that meant something special to her.
Noise, trouble, and danger came with that way of life. Even when others judged her wrongly, she never disliked that her life differed from theirs. Lockdowns sometimes lasted for weeks because of safety precautions, and other times, she needed an escort to her classes. It was normal.
Harper held her head high and smiled, knowing she was part of something unbreakable.
Being a Marinos held significance in Denver.
But from the little Cain had claimed, he wanted to break the club apart. Especially her father.
The meaning and reason behind it all eluded her. Yet, she planned to maintain a brave front, refusing to show any fear, to discover the truth.
“Feeling better?” he asked when she put the cup on the small coffee table in front of her feet. She clashed eyes with Cain, hating how kind his voice sounded. He’d completely fooled her.
“Yes. I’d like to get this over with, if you don’t mind. I won’t cause a disturbance.”
“Sweet baby, you could scream until you turned blue, and no one other than Damon would hear you. And once he’s got his gaming headset on, he doesn’t come running for anything short of a fire.”
The devil didn’t need to waste his breath reissuing his threats. She’d memorized them.
“I won’t be screaming. What did you mean I’m going to help you bring down the Renegade Souls?”
She watched a tick working through his jaw. Regarding her, he stepped forward and sat on the low-slung coffee table. She refused to shrink from his proximity as his leg almost touched hers. Cain rested both arms on his knees.
“We met once. I don’t suppose you remember. You were just a tiny thing.”
Harper’s eyebrows arched, surprised at his unexpected statement. Suspecting his dishonesty, she remained silent, letting him weave his stories.
“I was visiting my grandparents, and I got into some shit and cut my arm badly.” He rolled back his shirt sleeve to show a faded scar inside his forearm. “In the ER, a chatty blonde kid came bounding up to me, wanting to see all the blood. I remember you had something stuck up your nose.”
Hold up. Wait a minute.
Why did that sound familiar to her?
She had a fuzzy memory of her mom’s story about taking her to the ER for beads stuck up her nose.
Could Cain have learned the story from another source to use to manipulate her?
He smirked almost fondly, and the look confused her even more. “You patted me on the head and asked if I’d cried. I talked to your dad that day, too. I saw his president cut and told him I would be in an MC one day.”
Had the RSMC turned Cain away, leaving him bitter and disgruntled?
She felt the soul leave her body when his words were low and heavy.
“Around that time, I’d found out Zach wasn’t my biological father. I started acting out, trying to deal with it. I only later learned that the man I talked to at the hospital was involved in my birth father’s death. Your old man, Harper. How’s that for luck to put me in his path like that? Or for his baby daughter to latch onto me the way she did?” he smiled, but there was nothing warm about it, and she tried so hard not to shrink away, to show any fear. He’d probably get off on it.
“I only recently remembered seeing you all those years ago. I put it together when I saw a baby picture of you in your apartment in daddy’s arms. Tell me, Harper, are you a daddy’s girl? Are you his little princess? Does he value you above anything?”
While Rider Marinos cherished his children, his love for his wife surpassed all others. She wouldn’t give this madman that kind of information. As for the other things, yes, those were all true.
“Yes.” Her voice shook, holding his watchful gaze as Cain nodded at her answer.
“I know.”
“Is that why I’m here? You’re going to ransom me for what you think my father has done to you?”
It seemed entirely believable that her dad had killed Cain’s father, so Harper didn’t question it. Protecting his family was a simple decision for Rider Marinos, and if Cain’s old man had somehow crossed him or endangered anyone Rider cared for, then her dad would have taken care of the threat.
She wasn’t even shocked by it because she’d always felt nothing but love from her father.
“Is that how it works in your world?” he cocked his head, a smile playing around his lips, assessing her like she was a wild animal.
She hated his focus.
Yesterday, his gaze made her heart flutter, but now she just wanted to escape him.
Now, it all added up: Cain bore a deep resentment against her father and the club. She wasn’t sure they were aware—none of the brothers ever leaked such secrets to their families. Everything stayed locked away within the church and the patched brotherhood, especially her father’s trusted council.
Were they aware of Cain’s existence? There were too many unanswered questions swirling in her mind.
She gave a shrug as an answer. “It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened. So, is this about a ransom?”
“No,” he answered, and Harper felt her heart deflate.
Keep her head.
Think carefully before speaking.
Try to reason with a crazy man.
“Here’s what’s going to happen, sweet baby.” Cain leaned in, and his eyes were like the blackest pools of disturbance she’d ever seen. She was convinced he was a perfect example of someone who could be both highly functional and completely deranged. “And I hope for your sake you hold on to your sassy little tongue because there are two choices here, and I need you to pick the right one, hm?”
“What… what do you need?”
“You’re going to marry me.”
So that hadn’t been a throwaway joke. Harper’s belly churned the hot coffee in a fast cycle, urging her to vomit, but she forced it down with several swallows.
Keep her head.
Ask solid questions.
“Can I ask why?”
His smile was so captivating that it felt like he stole her heart, holding it in his hands until it ceased beating.
“Of course you can. You’ll be my eyes and ears in that club of yours.”
Like.
Fucking.
Hell.
Would.
She.
There was no option on earth she’d ever spy on her club. She’d sell the nuclear codes before she did that.
Harper remained composed while her heart clattered, hardly blinking as Cain smiled through his following words.
“And if you’re a good, obedient wife, I will only destroy them a little bit instead of blowing them apart like they did to my father’s MC.” He held up his finger and thumb an inch apart, showing the measure of destruction.
Until this moment, Harper hadn’t known a person could be awake in a nightmare.
Cain’s expression revealed nothing about it being a joke or a cruel prank.
He was deadly serious.
He not only wanted to destroy the Souls, but he also expected her to help him do it.
It felt like light years of silence between them.
“What’s option two?”
“I leave here tonight and put a bullet in each of their heads until no one is left.”
From the coffee table, Cain watched as her mind raced through levels of fear, seeking a way out, a way to escape unharmed.
Was he capable of killing her?
“Do you hate me that much?” she asked, barely holding onto her shattered emotions.
Until now, Harper had been untouchable. And she had to admit, this fucking sucked.
Only now, with her heart nearly failing, did the realization hit her. Her fear was palpable.
Yet, her question made Cain frown.
“I don’t hate you, Harper.” His voice revealed nothing about his true feelings or thoughts.
So why did she feel like he did?
And why was she shit out of luck to escape his presence without doing exactly what he wanted her to do?
Spy or die.
The only two options.
And both sounded incredibly grim.