Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
E aston stormed through the doors of the hospital waiting room. He spotted Rhys in a chair, hands dangling between his legs.
“Rhys.”
His brother looked up. “Carlson’s in surgery. Took two bullets to the chest.”
Fuck . “Harlow?”
Rhys nodded his head toward the door. Easton covered the ground quickly and shoved it open.
Vander leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. Harlow was at a sink, scrubbing her hands.
They were covered in blood. Her gray sweater was streaked with it.
Easton’s internal organs tried to rearrange themselves. He already knew it wasn’t hers, but the sight of her like this was something he didn’t like. At all.
Vander pushed away from the wall, squeezed Easton’s shoulder, then left.
“Harlow.”
Her head whipped up, meeting his gaze in the mirror above the sink. Her eyes were wide, her face pale.
He wrapped his arms around her from behind.
She leaned into him and made a hiccupping sound. “Easton, there was so much blood.”
“He’s in surgery, baby. He’s fighting.”
“I can’t get the blood off.”
“Here.” He moved to the side and slid her hands under the water again. Soon, the water washed clear.
He pulled her sweater off, leaving her in a pretty, silver-gray bra. He grabbed a cloth off a stack of them beside the sink, and wiped away any remaining streaks of blood off her skin.
Her wounded eyes met his. “Thank you.”
“I’m here, Harlow. Lean all you want.”
Her chest hitched. “I’m afraid that if I do, I’ll fall apart.”
“So, fall apart. I’ll catch the pieces.”
She bit her lip, her voice a whisper. “I’m really afraid that I’ll do that, and then you’ll disappear.”
He pulled her to him, holding her hard, and pressed his cheek to her hair. “I’m not going anywhere.”
She gripped him. “I’m so afraid he’ll die. I’ve been so mad at him…”
“You’ve got to have hope, baby. And he knows you love him.”
Easton felt fresh tears soak his shirt. He stroked her back until he felt her drag in a shaky breath.
“Here.” He lifted the sweater he’d brought with him.
“My spare sweater I keep at work.”
“Vander warned me you might need it.”
She pulled on the pink, scoop-neck sweater. “Thank you.”
He took her hand and pulled her into the waiting room. Rhys was sprawled in a different chair. Vander was standing by the window.
“Any news?” Harlow asked.
Vander shook his head.
Easton towed Harlow to a chair. She clutched his hand like a lifeline.
The doors opened and Saxon strode in, his suit jacket flaring. He lifted his chin.
Vander strode to meet him. “You meet with Pierce?”
Saxon nodded. “But we were too late. It was Pierce’s people who shot Carlson.”
She squeezed Easton’s fingers.
“It’s done now,” Saxon said. “Pierce said her quarrel with Carlson is done. As long as she has no trouble with Norcross, she’s happy to get her seventy grand whenever Carlson can pay.”
“One down, one to go,” Vander said.
“Antoine,” Harlow whispered.
Easton scowled. They still had to come to some sort of agreement with Armand. And even if he had cut Hugo loose, the man had gone underground and was likely still carrying a grudge. Easton was worried about what the man might do.
“Gia’s bringing Scarlett over,” Saxon said.
Moments later, the doors flung open and Scarlett raced in, Gia a step behind her. Ace trailed the women.
“Harlow!” Scarlett made a beeline for her sister.
Harlow leaped up, and the sisters engulfed each other and started crying.
Gia moved to Saxon and pressed a kiss to his lips. Then her gaze met Easton’s. “Any word?”
“He’s in surgery.”
Gia nodded. “I’ll get everyone some bad coffee.”
An hour later, Easton could see that Harlow and Scarlett were barely holding it together. There was still no update on Charles Carlson. When the waiting room door opened again, he glanced up to see Rome holding it open. A slender blonde entered.
She was an older, slimmer version of Harlow.
Harlow blinked. “Mom?”
“My girls.”
The woman hurried over and hugged her daughters. “Is he…? Is there any news?”
Harlow slid an arm around her mother. “Not yet. But no news is good news. Why don’t you sit down?”
“No.” Eleanor Carlson straightened. “I know I haven’t always been the strongest, most organized person. And maybe not the most perfect mother. I know I’ve leaned on you too much, Harlow, but I’m not sitting down.”
Mrs. Carlson lifted her chin, a move Easton had seen Harlow do too many times to count. And despite her bravado, he saw the woman’s hands were clutching her handbag. She was nervous, but not backing down.
“Mr. Nash told me that your father got himself in trouble.”
Harlow shot Rome a narrow look.
Mrs. Carlson touched Harlow’s hand. “He didn’t give me all the details, but I want them, Harlow. I’m not hiding or burying my head in the sand. And I’m not letting your father and you take care of everything for me. Look where that’s got us. Your father shot—” The woman’s voice cracked.
“Okay, Mom.” Harlow hugged her. “Let’s sit down and I’ll start at the beginning.”
Easton stepped up behind Harlow and squeezed her shoulder.
Eleanor Carlson looked up at him, and blinked. “Who are you?” Her voice was breathy.
“I’m Easton Norcross.”
The woman’s eyes widened. “The billionaire?”
“Easton is my boss,” Harlow said.
“I thought your boss was a woman called Meredith?”
“I was temporarily reassigned to Easton.”
Easton felt the urge to shake her. He hated that she was hiding their relationship.
He dragged in a deep breath. His feelings weren’t important right now, not while Charles Carlson’s life hung in the balance.
“Easton and his family—” Harlow waved at the others “—have been keeping me safe. All of us.”
Her mother’s mouth dropped open.
“And I’m staying with Easton.” Harlow’s gaze met his. “And I’m…in love with him.”
His fingers flexed on her shoulder.
“Oh.” Mrs. Carlson swallowed. “And how do you feel about my daughter, Mr. Norcross?”
“Mom!”
“I’ve met handsome, rich men before, Harlow. They take what they want, then discard it when they’re done.” The woman’s gaze met his head on. Behind him, Easton heard Saxon and his brothers chuckling quietly.
Eleanor Carlson was clearly finding her spine.
“I want to know your intentions toward my daughter.”
Harlow groaned.
Scarlett snickered. “Mom, did that yoga retreat include some sassiness lessons?”
“Mrs. Carlson, I’m in love with your daughter,” Easton said.
Harlow’s face softened, and she smiled.
“And I plan to marry her.”
Harlow choked. “What?”
Eleanor smiled. “Well, that’s very good to hear.”
Harlow shook her head. “I… I…”
“Not right now.” He cupped Harlow’s jaw. “But eventually.”
Harlow started breathing fast. “I…need a second.”
“She’s going to hyperventilate,” Scarlett said.
Easton smiled. “Nothing like knocking the ever-efficient Ms. Carlson off balance.”
Harlow rallied enough to elbow him. “I guess that means that one day, I’m going to have your babies.”
He froze, his mind going blank. Babies? Then his brain filled with an image of Harlow, her belly swollen with their child.
“Ha, got you back,” she said.
He shook his head. “Tell your mother what’s been going on with your father.”
When he looked up, he saw Scarlett smiling at him.
He wandered over to join Saxon, Rome, and his brothers. Saxon slapped his arm. “Welcome to the gang.”
Vander looked at the ceiling and Rome shook his head.
“The whipped gang,” Rome muttered.
“The regular sex with a gorgeous woman who lights up your soul gang,” Rhys corrected.
Easton watched mother and daughters. Harlow used her hands as she talked.
Finally, Eleanor Carlson jumped to her feet, her hands balled into fists. “I’m going to kill him.”
“I have no idea exactly how much he owes Antoine, but it’s a lot,” Harlow said.
Mrs. Carlson pressed her fingers to her temples.
Suddenly, the door opened, and an older female doctor in blue scrubs stepped out.
“Charles Carlson’s family?”
Harlow whirled. “That’s us.”
With arms around each other, the women stood in front of the doctor. Easton stood right behind Harlow, pressing his hand to her back.
“My name is Dr. Navarro,” the doctor said. “He made it through surgery.”
“Thank God,” Mrs. Carlson breathed.
“He’ll have a challenging recovery ahead, but nothing vital was damaged. He’s very lucky.”
Harlow and Scarlett sobbed.
“Can we see him?” Mrs. Carlson asked.
“He’s in recovery and still unconscious. Mrs. Carlson, you can pop back for a short visit. I suggest everyone else come back tomorrow when he’s awake.”
“Thank you, Dr. Navarro,” Harlow said.
Rome jerked his chin. “I’ll stay with Mrs. Carlson.”
Easton nodded. “Mrs. Carlson, you’re welcome to stay the night with us.”
“Please call me Eleanor, Easton. And no. I’m staying here.”
Easton ran a hand over Harlow’s hair. She turned to him and he pulled her close.
* * *
Since Easton hadn’t slept the night before, it didn’t surprise Harlow that she woke first the next morning.
Warmth spread through her. She got to watch him sleeping.
Her father was alive, and the knife had been returned. Her mom and her sister were safe. Right now, Harlow could just breathe, and enjoy watching her man sleep.
She was on her belly, and he was on his side, facing her, with one muscled arm a delicious, heavy weight across her lower back.
God, he was so handsome.
Not sleek and pretty. No, he was ruggedly handsome. Even in sleep, he didn’t look boyish. The sharp blade of his nose, his high cheekbones, and ink-black lashes resting on his cheeks. There was so much to take in. Stubble covered his jaw, and his Italian heritage was stamped all over him.
With a happy sigh, she nestled into the pillow and watched him. Finally, she got to see him totally relaxed. She already knew that he was bad at switching off, too busy trying to outrun the darkness of his past. She smiled. She’d help him with that. Help him learn to relax.
This amazing man was in love with her. She reached up and traced his full bottom lip. He shifted a little, his arm tightening on her.