TWENTY-SIX
Harper
Thursday came all too soon.
Following a night of confession to Angie and Knox, Harper awoke bleary-eyed and utterly exhausted. She needed a lot of coffee to face another round of confessions at her parents’ house.
No amount of caffeine could have braced Harper for the disappointment she faced.
After trying to redirect Cain’s actions, she had achieved next to nothing other than catching feelings. Could she truthfully say her actions were about her family?
No matter the threat, her father would have told her to speak to him, and he would have taken care of it. And now she was dreading seeing their disappointment in her. And seeing the hurt in her mom’s eyes. Harper would do anything to stop her mom from going through that pain again.
With a mug of coffee in her hand, she stood out on the balcony overlooking Laketon, breathing in the cool morning air, and made a call. Noticing there was zero communication from Cain.
Was he gone for good?
Would she receive divorce papers in the mail?
And why did she feel sick to her stomach at that prospect?
She couldn’t dig into the reasons behind the emotion because her mom answered.
“Hey, sweetheart, good morning. Did you sleep well?”
Hearing her mom’s loving voice, Harper felt like crying in her lap, as she used to do after falling off the jungle gym.
“Hi, Mom, are you and Dad at home today?”
“No, sweetheart, we’re hosting Jamie Steele, his son, and VP this morning, so we’re at the clubhouse.”
“Oh, okay, I’ll drop by sometime today.”
“You will? I can’t wait to see my darling baby girl.”
A smile touched Harper’s lips. Her mom acted like she hardly saw her kids. They were always involved in one another’s lives, too much sometimes.
Until she kept a demon of a husband secret from them.
“I love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too.”
Driving to the club compound once she was ready for the day, she sat in her car for a few minutes, staring at her phone. Wondering why Cain hadn’t contacted her. He usually stalked her obsessively, but it had been over twenty-four hours without communication.
Sighing, she climbed out of her car, intent on talking to her parents. But Knox appeared at her door before she could close it. He grabbed her arm and marched her across to the garage, which was closed for the day.
“That hurt.” She hissed, yanking her arm back. “What’s your problem? Did you get out of the wrong side of someone else’s bed this morning?”
“ What’s my problem ?” he curled his lip. “At the moment, it’s you. I’ve been up all night looking into your mess.”
Harper was taken aback, not just by what he said, but by the delivery of his words. “I don’t have a mess. There is a situation.”
“Yeah, a situation that’s been going on for how long did you say? Since before your birthday. That’s nearly a fucking year, Harper. A year you’ve known the son of Mom’s rapist was in Colorado, on a revenge mission against the club, and you said jack-shit.”
Hurt stung her throat, but he wasn’t wrong. “I was handling it.”
“How?” he snapped his eyelids to tight little accusing slits, his hands rested on his trim waist.
“I can handle Cain.” She insisted. “He hasn’t done anything this far.” Knox stared at her like he thought she was full of shit.
“When I asked him about his father—about Hades—if he’d known all along, he just looked at me, Knox. Like I’d ripped his guts out. I don’t think he knew the truth.”
“I don’t give a shit about that guy’s emotional state or what he knew or didn’t know. The fact is, he’s been planning to fuck us over for how long? Years, maybe.”
“That’s nothing new. People try all the time to mess with the Souls.”
Knox blew out a breath. “You’re actually defending the piece of shit.”
Shit . She had been defending Cain. Harper felt her face heat.
“No, I’m not.” She lied to cover her shame. “I’m just saying, it’s nothing we haven’t faced before. Two years ago, Lawless stopped that hacker from breaking into how many businesses? The year before that, Hawk was nearly driven off the road. Before that, Reaper and Paige were nearly in a hostage situation.” She explained. “And the club handled it.”
“Yeah, the club did. Collectively, Harper. Not one little girl thinking she’s a super fucking woman keeping this shit to herself because the guy is hot.”
Another wash of heat hit her face. “That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it? Am I wrong?”
“Yeah, you’re wrong. Everything I do and will do is for our family. I was scared Cain would hurt Dad and Hawk and do something terrible to the club. We’re not indestructible, Knox.”
“We are when we stick together. When we all have the info.”
He was right. But he didn’t realize she’d been put in an impossible position.
“You say you’re handling this motherfucker?”
His name is Cain ; she wanted to correct her brother but wisely kept her mouth shut.
“What have you been doing to handle him?”
His implication was clear, and she wanted to smack the summer tan off his face.
“That’s none of your business.”
An angry Knox pointed his index finger in her face. “Everything you do is my fucking business when it concerns our family, Harper. I’m gonna be president of the club one day.”
“Yeah, one day, that day isn’t today. And when that day comes, I hope you handle something unexpected in the best way possible, even if you have no other options.”
It was probably a long way off, knowing Knox and his sowing his oats ways, or maybe it would never be, but she hoped the woman that came along to capture his attention would knock him so hard on his ass he’d be numb for a decade. He didn’t have the first idea of what it felt like to hold everything inside, keep secrets from those you were closest to, and protect them with everything you had. Then, try to protect your heart from the person who would hurt you the most.
Rock and hard place was a pushover compared to how she felt.
“Whatever you had going with the pretty boy, it’s finished, Harper.” Her brother snapped.
Her eyes narrowed as their mother’s famous temper rose from the bottom of Harper’s feet. Oh, he did not just give her an order.
Harper had never been a fan of being told what to do.
She glared at Knox. “Keep pointing that finger at me, and I’ll snap it off.”
It was a rare moment when she was in an argument with one of her younger brothers. Knox was the more stubborn of the two boys. She was her own woman and wouldn’t stand for someone telling her what to do. Or not to do, as the case was here.
“You fucking end it now, Harp. I mean it, don’t force my hand.”
Her chin went up with a blazing stare.
All three of them had grown up like triplets. Though she was the oldest, Knox acted like her protector and overbearing keeper.
“Or you’ll do what?”
“I’ll put an end to it. You know it’s goddamn fucked up.”
“It’s none of your business what I do.”
“Or who you do? Open your fucking legs for anyone you want, but not him.” She gasped, feeling as though he’d slapped her. They rarely argued unless childish behavior led to a silly fight. His insult felt like a punch to her stomach.
“Goddamn. I didn’t… I didn’t mean it like that.”
Knox was tall like their dad, towering over her in all his six-foot-four stature. He stepped in and cupped the back of her skull.
“You dare call me a whore? How many chicks have you had in your bed this month? Double standards, little brother.”
“I wasn’t calling you a whore. You know what you’re doing is fucked up. Forget everything he’s tried to do; he’s too old for you. He is an untrustworthy asshole, not to mention he’s Hades’ son. How do you think Mom will react when she knows this? It will kill her, Harps.”
Pain sliced right through the middle of her, and she knocked his hand to pace a few steps away, inhaling slowly. She knew that already. Like any mother-daughter pair, they’ve had their share of problems. But she adored her mom and could never knowingly hurt her.
Harper didn’t need Knox to tell her what was fucked up. She had a personal front-row view of the situation; she was far from dumb.
Some things were unavoidable where a man was concerned.
Only when she could speak around the boulder of emotions in her throat, did Harper turn to face Knox. Observant as ever, he had his chin dipped in the same way their dad used when he was about to let them know how disappointed he was.
“How do you know so much about him? I only told you yesterday.”
“I made it my business to find out. I’ve heard about his bounty hunter company. It’s big shit out in California. I didn’t know who he was until now. He’s here, you know?”
Harper’s heart arrested. “What do you mean?”
“At the big fancy house he lives in. I went there last night to confront him. The coward didn’t answer the gate. But there were vehicles outside.”
Oh.
Her heart plummeted.
What did that mean if he was still in Colorado and hadn’t contacted her?
Was he done with his vendetta?
Was he done with her?
She hated how that last question felt more important.
While Knox paced and ranted about what he’d do to Cain if she didn’t stay away from him, Harper listened like a patient sister.
He was right. And she hated he was right.
But what was she to do when her heart was in this fight?
Her stupid heart.
Thinking about him put a gallop in her chest.
She missed him.
Swallowing, she set up her chin. “Let me remind you, Knox, seeing as you easily forget. I am Rider Marinos’ daughter. Better yet, I am Zara Marinos’ daughter, which means you do not tell me what to do, or I’ll rip your fucking head off.”
It was a bomb going off around them because Knox’s corner lip curled as he bared his teeth, his eyes narrowing.
“Is that so? Guess I have to fucking kill him myself then. I give a shit about this family, even if you don’t.”
And didn’t the little turd-bag stride off after announcing that?
Winded. Panicked.
She could only stare after the extended frame of her brother as he stalked further away. She hurried after him as he climbed onto his bike, starting it with a roar.
“Knox!” she yelled over the noise. He was ignoring her. “You’ll stay out of it, Knox! I will burn your goddamn bike to ashes if you try anything. I will tell your current piece of ass you have crabs.”
Behind her, she heard a rough chuckle. “Just love seeing my kids getting along.” Her dad startled Harper with his presence. He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to kiss her temple.
Feeling comforted and guilty at once, she knew he wouldn’t be so affectionate if he knew the truth.
“What’s brewing between you two?”
“Nothing, Dad. Knox is his usual bossy self. Wish you’d tell him to butt out of my life.”
“He loves you, doodle-bug. He has it in him to watch out for you and Hero.”
“Even if I’m the oldest? Even if I don’t want him to take care of me?”
“Even then.” Rider smiled. “Does he have a reason to be bossy now?”
She didn’t want to lie to him, so all she gave as a reply was a non-committal grumble of noise.
There was no simple way out of this without someone being hurt.
Harper, most of all.
Sometimes, there were no whys or reasons. Just feelings that couldn’t be explained.
She sighed into his side with her mom’s dramatics and felt him chuckling.
“Cheer up, doodle, shit ain’t as bad as it seems.”
Oh, but it was. If only he knew.
There was still the taste of a man so wrong in her mouth, and she ached for more. She craved the temptation of him when she was smart enough to know she should run in the opposite direction.
Far from dumb, she’d been brought up in a biker world. They taught how to survive, cheat and con, lie and protect, fight, and rely on each other because the club never hurt each other. But now she was lying to all of them.
How could she forget the taste in her mouth when it already stained her soul?
It was heady and intoxicating. Hot and male. He kissed like a man, an alpha, someone who wouldn’t let her get her way. The kind of guy she’d always wanted but didn’t realize it until she met him.
A weak man would never have caught her attention. But that man? She could sew herself into Cain’s skin and was sick about the admission.
Harper huffed with a weighted sigh. “You raised a pig-headed mule, Dad.”
“Raised three of ‘em,” he replied in his gruff tone. “Come on. Your mom has lunch made. She wants to see you.”
“And you were sent to fetch me?” They all knew her dad would go to any lengths for Zara Marinos. It was the cutest thing ever, a cuteness that echoed the love between her parents.
It was on the tip of her tongue to confess everything in the courtyard with his arm around her. As grown as she was, she’d always feel like his little girl. He was the blueprint for a perfect man.
And she was going to crush him with her secrets.
“I love you, Dad.” She whispered into his chest before she blew their world apart.
“Love you, too, doodle-bug.” Astute as ever, his blue eyes stared down at her. “Is everything okay?”
She went for it before she could back out. “I need to talk to you and Mom.”
“Am I killing someone, Harper?”
Her heart was torn straight down the middle of her chest.
“I don’t know, Dad.” She answered honestly, “Maybe. I hope not, though.”
“Okay, let’s head to the house, and you can tell us everything.”