Chapter 6
Harmony
Elias stands outside by himself against two men. He must be on something if he thinks I’ll leave him out there alone. How is that fair? I don’t care if I don’t have a plan. He needs me. I reach for the door handle, but Serenity’s firm touch stops me.
I turn to face her, and my heart sinks.
She clutches Summer’s trembling body to her chest. “If you go out there, you will only get in the way.”
I shake my head and twist my body the best I can with this stupid dress on to face my sister. “You’re saying that because you want me away from danger.”
“You’re my little sister, so of course I want you safe. But what do you know about fighting? About weapons? You grew up in a bubble.”
Tears fill my eyes as I comprehend her words. I’m utterly useless.
I’m doing this to them, to Elias. My ex-boyfriend turned bodyguard is outside this vehicle right now protecting my family and me because of a decision I made.
I’m officially going to hell.
A shot fires and something thuds outside. I whip around to look. Elias stands there with his Glock still out with only my “boyfriend” still standing. I scan the ground and find a body. A pool of blood forms around the man’s torso.
Is he … dead? Oh my God. Am I a part of a murder? Is it murder when they attacked us? No, I think it’s considered self-defense. Someone wants me gone so badly that they sent people to kill me and don’t care if their men are taken out in the process…
The other guy lunges for the gun next to his buddy’s body, but Elias kicks it away.
It goes skidding across the pavement and disappears from my sight.
In a rage, my “fake boyfriend” slashes out at Elias.
I practically cling to the window, trying to see if Elias was hit.
He’s hunched over with his free hand clutching his side.
Why hasn’t he shot the damn man?
“I’m going.” I crawl across the armrest and inch open the passenger door as my sister yells for me to stop.
A ripping sound pierces the silence, but I don’t care.
This gown can burn for all I care. Hugging my dress to my chest, I creep around the vehicle and pick up the dead man’s discarded gun.
I’ve never held a firearm, never mind knowing how to shoot it. But I have to do something.
I sink back behind the SUV and poke my head out. The other guy’s back is to me, and I aim my gun. Is the safety on? Off? All I know is to point and pull the trigger. Elias shakes his head at me, and the man notices.
He turns and faces me, gesturing to himself. “Are you going to shoot your boyfriend?”
Will this guy ever drop the act?
Elias maneuvers his honed body silently over to this man. His deep blue suit jacket struggles not to rip as it clings to his lean muscles. Why isn’t he shooting the guy?
Our attacker is about to turn back to Elias, so I say, “Just let us go. I promise I won’t go to the police.”
“Lies. Every woman lies.”
Elias reaches the man, lifts his arms over his head, and brings down a powerful force, hitting the guy over the head with his gun. And the guy’s body hits the ground with a loud thud.
My knees buckle, and I collapse to the frozen ground.
My torn dress poofs out around me, soaking instantly.
The SUV door opens, and Serenity rushes out, but I don’t hear anything she says.
A buzz overtakes my brain, and I fall over.
Something soft slides under my head before I hit the ground, and the world goes black.
***
I crack open an eye and harsh sunlight glares through a nearby window. I slam my eyes shut again. The last thing I remember was Elias taking down those two men. So, where am I now? Forcing my eyes open again, I spy the culprit window. The sun beams in through the open blinds.
A gentle hand runs across my head in a soothing motion, and I jerk away.
“Are you awake?” Serenity asks when I adjust.
I take in my surroundings. The room is tiny. A tall, sturdy looking dresser sits on the far wall. And the only other piece of furniture in here is the bed I’m lying in.
Cars honk outside and I flinch. Every noise is like a new threat now. Is this how I’ll feel every day for the rest of my life?
Everything about the day comes crashing down around me. Almost marrying a billionaire? Check. Running away from the cameramen and Anita? Check. Getting attacked? Check. Elias getting stabbed…
“Is Elias okay?”
Serenity’s eyes darken to a more forest green. “Yes, he’s out in the living room with Sully.”
How is Sully here? I try to sit up but wince and fall back to the bed. Serenity reaches out to help me, but I swat her away.
“Whoa, take it easy,” she says in a gentle voice.
“I’m not injured.” How embarrassing is it that I passed out? “Elias had blood on him. Did someone check him out?”
Serenity nods. “I stitched him.” She must’ve noticed my bulging eyes because she said, “Don’t worry. He only needed three.”
I swallow down the bile that threatens to come out. Three stitches because of me. I took too big of a gamble when I thought they might let it slide that I refused to slander Victor on Everlasting Love. Why do I have to lie about a good man? Someone must be plotting something. Something big.
But now, I’m not the only one paying the price.
The only good thing is I’ll get to see Sully again after all these years of being gone at school.
Whenever I wasn’t sure about something, his voice always popped into my mind.
“Don’t get in cars with strangers.” I always laughed at that one because Uber and Lyft were how I traveled outside the city.
The door bursts open, and Summer comes inside with an apple juice box. “Mommy, I’m bored.”
Even with everything going on, I stifle a laugh. Kids never read the room.
“I think we’re bunking here for tonight, sweetie.”
“But there’s nowhere for me to sleep.”
I pat the bed beside me. “You can sleep with me.”
“But what about Mommy?”
“If we all snuggle really close, we’ll fit.” Thankfully the bed is a full-size, and it will honestly make me feel safer, too. It will be a tight fit, but we can manage. I can’t remember how many times Serenity and I slept on a twin bed together when we were younger.
A soft knock interrupts us, and Elias pokes his head in the already open door. “Can I come in?”
I fidget with my blanket, pulling it up to my chin even though I’m still in my wedding gown. But somehow, I feel more exposed than if I were naked. “Yes. Did you need something?”
Even after how we ended things four and a half years ago when I left for New York, he didn’t hesitate to protect my family and me. So, why did he ghost me on the day I left?
“Sully said we need to turn on the channel with Everlasting Love.”
“Why?” I haven’t thought about the show with everything going on, and now my heart pounds wondering what’s going on.
He taps on the screen, and a few seconds later, he angles his phone toward me.
Victor is on camera, but I can’t hear anything.
Elias lowers himself onto the bed opposite Serenity.
The bed dips under his weight. He’s so close I can feel the heat radiating off his body, and my heart goes into overdrive.
Get a grip.
Anita’s familiar face pops on screen. Her lips curl up. “So, you’re willing to come back for a reunion if Harmony agrees? Are you hoping for her to regret her decision?”
Victor’s light blue eyes never waver as he replies, “If not marrying me was the right choice for her, no, I don’t hope for her to regret her decision. But if she has a change of heart, then I’ll happily still marry her.”
My jaw drops. If someone left me at the altar, I wouldn’t be so quick to forgive.
Anita turns back to the camera. “We’ll have some news on a special episode soon. Stay tuned.”
Elias turns off the screen. I practically scramble for his phone, but he pockets it. Is that really it? I can’t believe I’m hearing about this on live TV rather than them calling me.
My palms turn sweaty, and I wipe them down my wedding gown, beads catching on my skin.
Someone already attacked me once. When Victor said he had to go clean up the mess I brought on him, I didn’t realize it would be to say something like that on television for all to see.
How do I stay under the radar when Victor and Everlasting Love are bringing more heat to me?
What if the texter finds out I’m here and sends someone else?
My entire body trembles, and I instinctively glance up at Elias.
His familiar and steady gaze eases some of my shakiness.
I can almost feel his arms around me, strong and steady.
He’s already protected us once; I have no doubt he’ll do it again.
Elias leans in so close that it would be easy to fall into the safety of his arms and says, “You need to call them immediately and tell them no.”
I only nod in response, my gaze latched onto his lips.
He pulls my phone out of his pocket and hands it to me. The device chimes from within my hand, and I breathe in and out rapidly.
No. No. No. No. This can’t be happening.
I turn on the screen with my heart rampaging within my chest and open the new message. I blink as if it will erase the words in the text.
Unknown Number
I’ll show you what happens when dirt like you tries to climb out of the gutter. Who do you think you are to try protecting a man like Victor Barlowe? He wouldn’t think twice before chewing you up and spitting you back out.
I can feel Elias’s intense gaze on me even without looking up.
Turning off the screen, I hold the phone to my chest. Tears well in my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. Whoever this is has already done enough to me. I can’t let them break me, too.
Elias’s eyes stray to my hands where I have my phone still in a death grip. “Is everything okay?”
“Uhhh.” I look between Serenity and Elias. They both wear mirroring expressions of concern and edginess. Then I stick out my hand and say, “Here.”