6. Harper
SIX
HARPER
The morning passed quickly, a blur of internet sleuthing and research. The leather of Wyatt’s chair felt buttery against my skin as I squinted at the computer screen. Meanwhile, Brown Dog curled up lazily at my feet, content to spend the day napping.
Maximus Carder had a sordid history. When he was in his twenties, he was kicked out of Harvard University, and enrolled in the military. But that too had ended badly, with a dishonorable discharge. The trail went cold after that.
His wife was an even bigger mystery. Other than their wedding announcement, Michelle Carder had no past and no ascertainable history. It was like she’d materialized out of thin air, marrying into the Carder family fortune.
When the Carder family patriarch died unexpectedly, Maximus had inherited the bulk of the family fortune, creating the Carder Corporation and turning it into the conglomerate it was today. The Carder portfolio now contained more than fifty companies in a variety of industries, including technology, energy, and real estate. And Genocorp.
Their hostile takeover of The Seattle Sun seemed to fit their business profile, but Sun Valley didn’t. What was the connection? There had to be one. And where was the danger my dad had warned about?
And how exactly did my dad fit into all of this? How had he become a… I shuddered, not wanting to think the word, though it sat at the tip of my tongue.
Monster .
Even Wyatt and his crew of large, powerful creatures, seemed fearful of what my father had become.
Had the Carders done that to him?
I needed more information. I needed to call in the big guns.
Scott picked up on the first ring.
“Sorry, can’t talk right now.” He sounded out of breath, huffing through the ear piece. “I’m on my way to an interview. My fourth one this week,” he grumbled. “No one is hiring right now.”
“I haven’t even started looking,” I sighed. Getting fired from the paper hadn’t come as a surprise after my run-in with Michelle Carder, but Scott’s getting let go had. The Carders had cleaned office, bringing in most of their own staff.
“At least you have that hunky piece of man candy and his mansion. Heck, if I had a billionaire girlfriend, I wouldn’t be wearing this stupid suit jacket, having to fake smile my way through another pointless interview.”
I glanced around Wyatt’s swanky office. It was definitely nicer than my old cubicle. I couldn’t exactly tell Scott that I was trapped in a multi-million-dollar mansion and hating it.
An unfamiliar feeling was brewing inside me. Rage.
Scott had been given the same forgetting potion as me, and it was times like this that I wished I could have a deeper conversation with him, nothing held back – one where he knew mythical creatures existed. But that possibility had been taken away from me. Like my ability to leave the mansion.
“Before you go, do you by any chance still have access to The Sun’s interweb?” I asked. “My login stopped working the day I was let go. I know it’s a long shot but…” I sighed hopefully.
“One sec. I’ll check.”
My fingers absentmindedly twirled the end of my ponytail. After a minute, Scott’s voice returned. “You still there?”
There’s nowhere for me to go, is what I wanted to yell. But instead, I answered with a sharp, “Yeah.”
“I still have access. Guess there’s too many names to get through,” he tsked. I could picture the frown on his face, the furrowing of his brow. His hatred for the Carders was equal to mine, though for different reasons.
“Can I—”
“Password is 123456.”
“Original,” I laughed. “Thanks. You’re the best.”
“I know. Let’s hope that Flyfishing Magazine thinks so, too.”
“Scott,” I groaned. “You hate fishing.”
His voice lowered a notch. “Yes, but I hate being broke even more. Good luck with your research, and let me know what you find on the Carders.”
“How did you know that’s what I’m researching?”
“Please, Harper. I know you well enough by now.” He paused. “And, I am all for taking down that snarky blond bitch. Just promise me one thing?”
My lips pursed. Promises weren’t something I was sure I could keep. “What?”
“That I get to see the look on her face when she realizes it was Harper Davis that crumbled the Carder empire.”
My grin stretched from ear to ear. “Absolutely.”
It was a promise I would do my damnedest to keep.
Even with Scott’s login, the Carder trail went cold. They remained a mystery, along with Genocorp. In my experience, the less you shared with the world, the more you had to hide.
Brown Dog lay curled in a ball in the dog bed I’d placed next to Wyatt’s desk. The occasional snore that came from his still form told me he didn’t have the same level of interest in the Carders as I did.
As I paced Wyatt’s office, I paused in front of the bookcase, the light walnut a contrast against the hunter green walls. Its shelves were stuffed with various trophies, a mishmash of gold and crystal. I carefully picked up a diamond-shaped one and read the inscription: Climate Leadership Award 2023 . Grinning, I traced the inscription, Wyatt Westwood , feeling like a proud girlfriend.
My stomach growled as I set the trophy back on the shelf. It was nearly two o’clock. I’d worked straight through lunch, my prison sentence flying by.
“Come on, Brown Dog. Let’s get some food.”
He bolted awake at the mention of food and followed me silently out of Wyatt’s office, trotting down the stairs behind me. I hoped I wouldn’t have another unwanted run-in with Tank. But thankfully, the living room was empty except for the raging fire, and only one guard stood at the front entrance. I turned my body as I walked past so I wouldn’t have to make eye contact.
The whole time, Brown Dog followed closely behind. As much as I disliked Tank, he’d done a good job training the rambunctious lab.
The kitchen was also empty. Where was everyone? Was this what it was like to be Wyatt every day? It felt surprisingly lonely, and I found myself missing the warmth of my old apartment, as small as it was.
And missing my best friend.
Wyatt may have issued orders for me not to leave the mansion, but he hadn’t said anything about visitors. I pulled out my phone and typed a text to Savannah.
Want to come over? I have big news.
She replied immediately.
Busy day at the office, but I’m free later tonight. How about seven? I’m excited to see this mansion of yours.
Three small dots appeared as she continued typing.
And should I bring Connor?
Connor was a werewolf and I knew how much the sasquatches despised the wolves. A slow grin curled at the corners of my mouth as I typed my reply.
ABSOLUTELY. See you both later!
Tank would be pissed. Two could play his game. Wyatt had insisted I think of this house as my own, so that meant I could invite over whoever I wanted. And that included my best friend and her supernatural boyfriend.
Two humans and a werewolf, under one roof. Yep, Tank was going to lose his shit.
There was a note on the counter from Gloria, saying she’d prepared a fresh salad for me in case I didn’t want the elk chilli she’d made for the sasquatches. Sure enough, I found a Tupperware container on the top shelf of the fridge with my name on it. I peeled off the sticky note with the happy face under my name, grateful for her small act of kindness, and dumped it into a larger glass bowl. Brown Dog panted in excitement.
“Sorry. For humans only,” I said to the drooling lab. He sighed and curled next to my feet as I sat on one of the stools, eating my salad.
The shine shone through the large bay windows in the kitchen. In the backyard, I could just make out the outline of the greenhouse jutting through the trees.
“Stay here, buddy. I’ll be back soon.” He didn’t lift his head.