Chapter 66
The Fog of War
Harper
It didn’t feel real until I saw his face and heard his voice. My father isn’t even a memory to me. But now I feel like I’ve lost something huge. My heart feels wrung out, and I’m not sure what to do next.
I untangle myself from the guys and head to the bathroom. When Luke tries to follow me, I hold my hand up to wave him off. It’s not a rejection, but I know he might not feel that way. I just need a moment alone to get myself under control.
When I close the door, I take a deep breath. Little hints of my father reflect back at me in the mirror now. I’ve never seen anyone but my mom in me before, but my lips are his and the shape of my face.
Shaking it off, I need to focus on what we’re doing here.
Grabbing a washcloth, I quickly wash my tear-streaked face.
I should have been with my mom when she watched that.
To hold her and cry with her over the fresh feeling of loss.
Knowing she’s felt this since he disappeared and hid it from me all these years breaks my heart.
We should have been able to grieve together. Not just soldier on.
I take a deep breath before going back out to face my guys. They’ve spread out in the living room again. They watch me as I walk in. I could sit with any of them and find comfort, but I go to sit next to Luke. He takes my hand and kisses my head.
“You good?” His words are soft, and I turn to meet his eyes. We’ve come so far from who we were in the beginning. He searches my eyes like he’s worried he’s lost me. I’m not used to Luke being vulnerable, but he has this hole in his life like I do.
Only, where my mother loved me so much I never missed my father, his father hurt him to make him forget his mother.
“I love you.” My heart is warm being able to share that with him. To give him the love he never knew.
He smiles and presses a kiss to my lips. Resting his forehead against mine, he breathes me in before saying, “I love you.”
He cups my jaw and brushes his thumb over my lips. “Are you ready?”
I take a moment to absorb this feeling of being here with all of them. Of knowing we’re just starting out. Somewhere deep inside me I know we can go the distance.
When I nod, he straightens and looks over at the others. “What do we know and how are we going to use it?”
“There was a video camera in my room. And we might be bugged in other places.” Caden runs a hand through his hair. His eyes focus on me. “We should at least look to see what’s bugged and what isn’t.”
“I researched and bought a few audio jammers for us.” Eli leans back in his chair. “We’ll need to be able to talk without being heard once we get back. And there are other things we don’t want recorded.”
When his eyes meet mine, a little jolt of heat sparks through me, but now isn’t the time. I’m just glad he’s thinking about things like that.
“Once we know where the bugs are,” Luke says, “we should use them to our advantage.”
“We won’t know who put the bugs there.” Jack sets his laptop to the side. “It could be our fathers, Zach and his crew, Tanner, Sidney, and the others. For all we know, there could be people we don’t even know about gunning for us.”
“Like Brandon Walker?” Luke says.
I turn with my brow furrowed. “What?”
“Walker farm was mentioned.” Jack rubs his jaw. “The basketball guys were talking about it.”
“Brandon doesn’t live on a farm.” I try to think of him mentioning a farm.
My heartbeat quickens. They’re blaming my friends again.
Brandon isn’t really a close friend, but he’s Kenz’s boyfriend.
How long before they start pointing the finger at her again?
“Neither Brandon nor Kenz ever mentioned a farm.”
“Found it.” Eli looks up from his laptop. “Walker farm is an old name. The Walkers owned it in the early 1900s, but it was sold to Zach’s family in the late 80s.”
I release my breath.
“Good to know.” Caden smirks. “I was going to beat on Brandon a little to see if he would tell me anything.”
“No beating up Brandon.” I can’t imagine how Kenz would feel about that.
Luke tips my face his way. “We can’t rule anyone out, princess. Not even your bestie’s boyfriend. Brandon seems like a good guy, but we aren’t going to risk you by having a blind spot.”
I want to be stubborn and tell him he’s wrong, but how would I know?
Do I trust Kenz? With my fucking life. But Brandon?
I trust Kenz’s judgement and she’s been with him for two years.
But otherwise, I don’t know him that well.
I don’t think he wants to hurt me though and he’s never mentioned any beef with the guys.
“We don’t know if he’s involved.” Nico straightens a little. “But the guys are right. We can’t eliminate anyone at this point, so everyone is a suspect.”
I release a breath. “Fine, but I don’t like it.”
“Noted.” Luke releases me. “What do we know?”
“Zach’s crew is planning on doing something to Harper at Homecoming.” Eli sets his laptop to the side. “Sidney worked it so Harper is on the Homecoming court.”
“You don’t think my little nympho earned it.” Caden smiles at me, but I just shake my head.
“It’s possible.” Eli studies me with his head tipped to the side. “We did put her on the map and she has been dressing to be noticed.”
I arch an eyebrow. “That wouldn’t get me the girls’ votes, which I’d need to get on the Homecoming court. It’s definitely a setup like Ashley told you.”
Eli shakes his head. “I’ll see if she has more information now.”
I swallow, not liking being indebted to a Cheermonster for anything. “Did you arrange what she needs?”
Eli nods. “She’ll get exactly what she wants, but not from me.”
His eyes soften, and I give him a little nod of acknowledgement. We’re good. He’s not going to try to find what he needs outside of me, and I’m willing to continue to explore my limits with him. Like how he bound me and whipped me.
My ass still stings with a dull aching throb, but the bath helped mute it. While it was happening, it was intense. And when he fucked me after... My insides buzz at the memory.
“We need to get our fathers to back off.” Luke slides his hand on my thigh, and I inhale sharply at the sparks lighting me up inside.
“Give them what they want.” Jack nods to my dad’s computer.
“Absolutely not.” I try to stand, but Luke’s hand keeps me where I am.
“Not the computer, sweetheart. Give them some information.” Jack leans forward with his elbows on his knees. “We can talk to your dad’s friend and find out if he has something that will take them some time to figure out. It doesn’t have to be actual information or anything important.”
“It just needs to come from me.” Luke squeezes my thigh. “I say I found it but don’t know what’s on it. That will give us a few days of my father being happy. Maybe.”
“What are we going to do about Sidney?” I need to know because she’s not getting near Luke.
“If Penny tells us—” Eli stresses the word if— “then we play it out. Luke is there. We see what she has planned and make sure Luke doesn’t get drugged.”
“If Penny doesn’t tell us?” I don’t really want to see her hurt, but what kind of social punishment would they give her if she’s actually double-crossing us?
“Then we work it a little different.” Eli’s gaze falls to Luke’s hand on my bare thigh and smiles wickedly. “We could show her what she’s up against. If you’re willing to participate, kitten.”
I swallow. “What?”
“It would mean we put on a show for Sidney.” Luke slides his hand higher and strokes his finger along my panties. His eyes meet mine. “I’d fuck you when she tries to come into my room.”
My brow furrows. I’m not sure I want to share that with her.
Luke threads his fingers into my hair and cradles my head. “If she saw what you and I mean to each other, she’d know there’s no chance.”
“What if I don’t want to share with her what you feel for me?” I arch an eyebrow.
“Anything less won’t make her turn tail and run, Harper.” Luke traces my jawline with his thumb. “The other option is to let her think she’s winning so she can tell me what she’s planning.”
Dangerous game. “You’d let her touch you?”
“No.” His eyes blaze with heat. “Never. But if she thinks I’m willing, she might give us more information. Like what she plans to do to you. And that’s worth it.”
“But all this depends on Penny.” I turn to look at Eli.
“If she’s on our side or not.” Eli nods.
I want to bite my lip, but I don’t. “I don’t want Sidney to think she’s won.”
Luke turns my face back to his. “I wouldn’t let her leave with that delusion, princess. Once I had what I needed, I’d make sure she finally gets that I’m in love with you and nothing she can do will change that.”
“We need to ask our friend in there about the why now.” Caden’s words draw my attention from Luke.
“They may know what stirred the pot suddenly. Your father said they would protect you and your mother. What if because we got close to you, they threatened Luke’s father?
Or maybe Luke’s father made a move toward your mother? ”
Oh, shit. “Mom hasn’t mentioned William coming after her.”
“But you being with us would have brought her back into his sights.” Caden releases a breath.
“What if they’re the reason for why now?
What if they made an initial shot across William’s bow to get us to back off.
It would explain why William beat the shit out of Luke to get him to stay away from Harper.
Especially since the fathers are now leaning into using Harper.
What did they say that sent our fathers into a panic? ”
“So,” Jack says, “we’re asking the ghost in the machine if they initiated this thing with Luke’s father and for something to give Luke’s father to keep him busy?”
“Yes.” Eli straightens. “That leaves us with Homecoming.”
“If we shouldn’t go, that’s fine.” I was looking forward to the guys all dressed up and getting to wear a pretty dress. “There will be other dances.”
“We should let it play out,” Eli says. He’s focused on Luke. “This is our opportunity. We know they’re going to make a play for her. We know Sidney has a plan. Otherwise, we’ll be caught flatfooted like the football game or when her tire got slashed. This is our opportunity to take Zach down.”
My insides clench and my hands grow clammy. Even with weapons, I’m not sure what will happen if Zach gets me separated from my guys. I twist my ring.
Luke releases a sigh and draws me onto his lap. “You’re right, but I don’t like it.”
I rest my head against his steady heartbeat.
“Both Nico and I will be able to keep an eye on her while you have court things to attend.” Jack pushes his hand through his hair. “We’ll make sure we have other ways to track Harper’s movements.”
“We should check out Walker’s farm.” Nico adjusts his knee with a wince. “Scope it out to find out if it’s where they maybe do drug deals or if not, what they’re doing out there.”
Luke’s hand runs up and down my spine, making me warm while our conversation chills me.
“We need to start the campaign to bring Zach down.” Caden captures my attention. “And it’s time to dethrone the queen bee. Sidney’s not satisfied with the status quo. If she keeps coming after Harper, we’re going to be dealing with this bitch all year.”
“Maybe we rig the final vote for the king and queen.” Jack smirks. “I’ve managed to slip into those files before.”
“You need more sleep.” There are things only Jack can do, but I don’t like the thought of him wearing himself out.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart.” He winks. “I’ll be sleeping with you more this week since it’s just Eli and me on duty. Though our night with all three of us, none of us are getting any sleep.”
“Can we go after the fucker who did this to me?” Nico growls. “It’s not just football I’ll be missing out on while I heal.”
Luke lifts me to my feet and I cross the room to sit next to Nico.
“We’ll have more time to hang out during football practices.” I lean my head on his shoulder and take his hand.
“Trust me, I’m holding you to that, but I still want to figure out this guy’s deal.” Nico kisses my head.
“I’m not sure it’s him.” Caden scrolls through some screenshots on his computer and holds up one from inside the meeting house. “He may be part of Zach’s crew even if he goes to another school.”
“Makes sense to have distributors at all the nearby schools.” Eli rubs at the stubble on his jaw. “He might be easy to take down if he’s selling like Tanner was.”
Nico shifts to get more comfortable beneath me. “Good.”
“Tanner Lewis.” Caden squeezes his hands. “Can we just bury that guy?”
“No killing.” I straighten. “No one is going to jail for these assholes.”
“He’s just biding his time.” Caden’s eyes dig into me. “He wants to hurt us again.”
“And he’s planning to use me to do that.” I nod, and even though chills race through me, I don’t show it. “He’s also using Zach for the same purpose. So maybe Homecoming is his end game.”
“I’ll have Mike stay on him.” Jack makes a note. “We have a lot of moving pieces to track this week. Maybe we should take a nap before we head back?”
“After we talk more to our friend.” Eli’s gaze goes to the kitchen door before it returns to me. “Still no thoughts on who it is?”
I shake my head. “None. But Mom seems to know and didn’t tell us not to trust them, especially since my dad trusted this person with me.”
Jack stands. “It’s time to see what our friend can do.”