Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
T hey pulled up at her parents’ large home in Presidio Heights. It was where Harlow had grown up. Her father had worked a lot, and they’d never lacked for anything. He’d taught them the value of hard work.
Clearly, he’d forgotten that lesson.
There was a police cruiser and another gray sedan at the curb, and she realized the second vehicle was an unmarked police car.
Easton pulled to a stop, then jogged around the Aston and helped her out.
A cold breeze teased her hair that she’d loosely tied back. She hadn’t paid much attention when she’d gotten dressed. She’d pulled on some black leggings and a large, oversized cream sweater.
Easton had shocked her by wearing jeans. Dark denim that hugged his ass in a way that made her mouth water, and he’d topped it with a blue sweater the color of his eyes.
A man in a suit broke away from the uniformed officers.
He was cop-hot. Strong face, with a muscular body and a walk that announced he’d once been military. His brown hair was cut short, and she got a glimpse of a holster under his jacket. A badge was clipped to his belt.
“Hi, Easton.”
“Hunt.”
The men shook hands.
“Harlow Carlson, Detective Hunter Morgan.”
“Nice to meet you,” Harlow said.
“I wish it was under better circumstances.” The detective eyed the two of them. “Sorry for ruining your Saturday morning.”
“Was anything taken?” she asked.
Surely if they’d found blood or anything concerning, he would’ve mentioned it.
“Maybe you could tell me. I tried to contact your parents, but I didn’t get an answer on either of their numbers.”
“My mom’s away at a yoga retreat, and regularly turns her phone off. And my dad’s…off on business.”
Hunt’s green gaze was piercing, and she guessed he wasn’t buying that.
“Come on.” He jerked his head toward the house.
He led them in the front door. The scent of lemons hit Harlow. It was a cleaning product the housekeeper had used since she was a little girl. Everything looked normal. Her mom liked the Hamptons style—lots of white with touches of blues and wood.
“They got in through the back door to the kitchen,” Hunt said.
In the kitchen, broken glass was scattered across the floor.
“They have an alarm,” she said.
“Disabled.”
Had this been Antoine looking for her dad? Rhoda looking for her dagger?
“The house has been searched, but they were pretty careful, except in the office.”
Her father’s office was a mess. She gasped, and Easton wrapped an arm around her.
The desk chair was tipped over, things were yanked off shelves, and empty drawers hung open from the desk.
Harlow bit her lip. Behind the desk, the safe set in the wall was open and very empty.
“You know what your dad kept in here?” Hunt asked.
“Some cash, a little jewelry, a few business papers. Nothing hugely valuable.” She looked around. “Not worth all this effort.”
“You know why someone would break into your father’s office, Ms. Carlson?”
“Call me Harlow. And…um…” She wasn’t sure how much to tell the detective. Her father was consorting with criminals, had stolen a valuable collectible.
“If we find out anything, we’ll let you know,” Easton said smoothly.
Hunt sighed, a resigned look on his rugged face. “How much trouble is Carlson in?”
“We’ll contact you when we know more.”
“Is Vander involved?”
“Vander is involved in a lot of things,” Easton replied.
Hunt stared at the ceiling. “Fuck. Sorry, Harlow.” The detective pinned Easton with a glare. “This is some fucked-up situation where you keep me in the dark, then pull me in to clean up your mess.”
“When a crime has been committed that we need to report, we’ll call you. Like we always do.”
“You owe me, Norcross.”
“I’ll buy you a beer.”
Hunt snorted. “I want a case of something old, Scottish, and expensive.” His gaze turned serious. “Call me if you need me.”
Easton nodded. “Thanks, Hunt.”
“The uniforms are going to board up the broken window.”
“Thank you,” Harlow said.
“Let’s go.” Easton urged her out of the office, and to the front door.
In the car, she twisted her hands together. “We had to lie to a police detective.”
“Oh, Hunt was very aware of that. He’s used to us…skirting some of the rules.”
“You did it to protect my dad.”
“Your father isn’t a drug kingpin or murderer, Harlow. He got in over his head and he’s floundering. This will all be over soon.”
Her cell phone rang. Mom was on the screen. “Mom?”
“Harlow!” Her mom’s voice was almost a screech. “I got a message from the police . The house was broken into. Your father isn’t answering again.”
Harlow pinched the bridge of her nose. “It’s fine, Mom. I just left the house, and met with the police.”
“Oh, my gosh. What’s happening?”
“The window on the back door was broken, but that’s it. Everything’s fine.”
“Where’s your father?”
“He’s busy with some work deal. You know how he is.”
“He works too hard.”
Harlow bit her lip. “And he just wants you to relax.”
“I do have a Bikram yoga class starting soon.”
“Go, balance your chakras.”
“I hear that sarcasm, Harlow Maree.”
Harlow smiled. Her mom could be funny and sweet when she wasn’t being anxious and paranoid. “I like yoga too, Mom, just not as much as you do.”
“You’re sure everything’s fine?”
“Nothing to worry about.” Harlow kept her tone as breezy as she could manage. She said goodbye and shoved the phone back into her handbag. Then she let out a long breath.
“You should tell her,” Easton said.
“No.” Harlow shook her head. “Mom’s…delicate. She doesn’t deal well with stress. We shield her.”
Since she was a child, Harlow knew not to go to her mother with a cut or bruise, or any kind of problem.
Her mother would panic and fall apart. Once, when Harlow was eleven, she had broken her arm falling out of a tree.
She’d waited an hour until their housekeeper had arrived and told her.
Harlow had learned to deal with things herself.
And when Scarlett had arrived, after her mother suffering several bad miscarriages, Harlow had helped take care of her baby sister and her mom.
Now, she needed to fix this mess.
She needed to get back to Easton’s and call her dad’s friends and track him down.
Finally, Easton pulled into his garage and Harlow sprang out of the car.
“I need to start calling—”
He grabbed her ponytail. “First, I’m going to make you brunch.”
She had to admit that any time she thought of this sexy man cooking for her, she felt a little tingle right between her legs. “Isn’t it too early for brunch?”
“It won’t be once I’m finished making it.”
She was hungry. “We’d better take the stairs so I can earn it.”
He palmed her ass. “As long as you don’t do anything to lose these curves.”
She smiled at him.
“I’m going to work out while you make your calls,” he said.
“Then I really need the stairs.”
They walked up the grand staircase and she looked up at the huge, spherical, black-metal light fixture in the center. So grand, but with a modern edge.
“So, what’s for brunch?” she asked.
“I’m going to make you croissants.”
She stopped and looked back at him. “From scratch?”
He took the last step so they were at eye level. “Yes.”
Oh, God, could the man get any more perfect?
Easton smiled. “You should see the look on your face. Any other woman would be delirious about getting diamonds, but for you it’s croissants.”
“ Homemade croissants.” She pressed into him and kissed the underside of his jaw. “You’ve clearly been hanging out with the wrong women.”
He caught her chin, his handsome face serious. “Clearly.”
Her belly did a slow tumble.
“Come on.” He tugged her up the stairs.
* * *
“Our women are smashed,” Saxon said.
Easton glanced over to where his sister, Haven, and Harlow sat on stools in his bar room. The three of them all clutched martini glasses and were howling with laughter.
Harlow snort-laughed and almost fell off her stool.
Easton smiled. Damn if she didn’t look beautiful and cute as hell half drunk. She wore a pretty, flirty, aquamarine dress. Gia and Haven were dressed up, as well.
“You’re a goner,” Rhys said.
Easton looked back at his brother. Along with Saxon and Vander, they were all on the large sectional, nursing beers.
“Takes one to know one,” Vander said.
Rhys looked at Haven and grinned. “Hell, yeah. And I’m happy as hell.” He nodded at Easton. “And here’s our big bro, watching a gorgeous drunk blonde snorting, which admittedly is cute, like she’s a flawless diamond.”
“Goner,” Saxon agreed.
Vander snorted. “You took forever to admit that you were in love with our sister. At least Easton’s moving faster than you.”
“And you were ready to knock my teeth out when you found out about me and Gia.”
Vander shrugged. “It’s a brother’s job to intimidate anyone who touches his sister.”
Easton listened to Harlow laugh again. “I’m just glad to see her happy and relaxed. Even if it is alcohol-induced.” She’d been stressed and sad all day. “She called around to all her dad’s friends. No one’s seen him, or if they have, they aren’t talking. She thinks one guy was lying.”
“Name?” Vander demanded. “I’ll get Ace or Rome to look into it.”
“Gregor Howard.”
Vander tapped out a message on his phone.
“I just want her safe,” Easton said.
“I’ve talked with Antoine and Rhoda,” Vander said. “Both are pissed, and on the hunt for Carlson. But they also know Harlow’s off-limits. Ace has some leads on the dagger.”
After they’d sated themselves on breakfast, Easton had worked out in his gym, with her perched on a nearby weight bench, calling all her father’s friends. He’d watched as with each call, her shoulders had slumped farther.
He’d then seduced her in the shower, before convincing her to watch a movie. They’d watched the latest Wonder Woman adventure and had a late lunch. She’d made more calls, and spoken with her mother again, without telling Mrs. Carlson what was going on.
Then Gia and Haven had arrived. Easton had made them cocktails, and then Gia had taken over.
That led them to now, with three tipsy women.
“So, Vander needs a woman, now,” Saxon said with a grin.
Vander skewered his best friend with a dark look. “Why?”
“Love, companionship—”
“Hot sex.” Rhys winked.
Vander grunted. “I can get hot sex without the rest of it. It all seems like more trouble than it’s worth, besides, I don’t have the time.”
“You just haven’t found the right one,” Easton said.
The three of them looked at him, but his gaze went to Harlow.
“The one who gets you at a glance, who doesn’t let you get away with shit—like lying, or hiding. The one who just has to smile and it lights you up. And when she cries, you want to fucking tear the world apart. The one who sees the stains on your soul, and she still wants you. Just as you are.”
The men stared at him, silent.
“Goner,” Saxon finally said.
“Fuck, yeah.” Vander sipped his beer.
Rhys clinked his Corona against Easton’s. “Who’s going to be your best man, me or Vander?”
Easton’s heart contracted at the thought of marriage, then found its rhythm again. “I’ll keep you posted.”
“Let’s dance!” Gia cried.
“Oh, God,” Vander muttered.
Easton put on some music. The women kicked off their heels and claimed a space. They giggled as they danced.
“I’m heading off,” Vander said. “I’m going to check out a few things on Carlson.”
If anyone could find the man, it was Vander.
“Vander.” Harlow appeared and threw her arms around him. “I just want—” she hiccupped “—to thank you for helping me. And looking for my dad. And shooting at bad guys for me.”
Saxon and Rhys both chuckled, and Easton just smiled and shook his head.
Vander patted her back. “You’re welcome.”
“And to tell you I love you. I love everybody .” She threw an arm in the air.
Vander stopped her from losing her balance. “You’re going to have a wicked hangover tomorrow.”
“I’m feeling way too good for hangovers. Wow, you sure are pretty. Gia , your brother is pretty.”
“Which one?” Gia cried.
Harlow blinked. “All of them. Except Vander is a bit scary. Rhys is too hot.”
Vander spun her into Easton’s arms.
She smiled up at Easton. “Oh, but this one is juuuuust right.”
“Come on, Goldilocks,” Easton said. “Time for a gallon of water, then bed.”
“I really like this one,” she whispered.
Easton felt those words deep in his gut.
Saxon and Rhys rounded up their tipsy women. The trio shared hugs and kisses and several “I love you so much” declarations, until their men dragged them out, laughter and giggling echoing behind them.
“I feel so good.” Harlow threw both arms out and tilted sideways.
Easton swung her into his arms. “Hold onto that feeling, because you won’t tomorrow.”
“I love your sister and Haven.”
“I’m pretty sure they love you back.”
He hitched her up and walked into the elevator and pressed the button.
“I love Saxon, Rhys, and Vander.”
“They’ll be thrilled.”
“And I love martinis!”
“I noticed.” With a grunt, he maneuvered her out and down the hall to his bedroom.
Her fingers stroked his cheek and he met her slightly unfocused eyes. “And I’m totally falling in love with you.”
Easton found himself speechless. Fuck . So many emotions ran through him in a wild tangle.
“It’s sort of freaking me out.” Her voice lowered. “But shh , it’s a secret. Don’t tell Easton.”
“Shit, Harlow, what the hell am I going to do with you?”
She blinked sleepily and snuggled into him. “Keep expecting you to leave. To finally have enough of my mess and get free.” Her voice lowered. “To leave me all alone to deal with it.”
As everyone else in her life was prone to doing.
“Not gonna happen, sweetheart.” He set her on the bed and she flopped backward. He reached behind her, unzipped her dress, and pulled it off.
When he saw the aquamarine teddy made of silk and lace, he groaned. His cock was hard in an instant. She was so fucking gorgeous, and right now, totally off-limits.
“Wore this for you,” she murmured.
“Thanks.” She was killing him.
“Easton?” She sat up.
“Yeah?”
“I think I’m going to puke.”
Shit . “Come on, baby.” He lifted her again. “I’ve got you.”