Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ace
I know Hunter said this ain't a formal meeting, but Harper is the only woman at the table, surrounded by three Sterling brothers.
And my brothers know how much she hurt me. They're not showing it, but the wariness is there. In the way Colten watches her without blinking. In the way Hunter keeps his arms crossed.
These men don't trust easy. They don't trust at all, most of the time.
But they knew the Harper I fell in love with. She was always here with us. Her parents and ours were good friends. Sunday dinners. Barbecues. Christmas mornings where she'd show up in her pajamas and my mom would make her a plate before she'd even sat down.
Harper has no reason to betray us. No reason to lie.
I know it in my gut.
Hunter clears his throat, glancing between the two of us. Her leg is bouncing so hard the table's vibrating. I place my hand over her thigh, pressing gently. Reminding her I'm here, and that it is okay. Fuck, I always want her under my hand.
"Harper, I'm just going to let you talk. Tell me everything." Hunter leans back. "Start from before. I know you were investigating the murder of Ashley. I know you helped Lola get to me when I was locked up, so thank you."
My eyes go wide. You don't often hear Hunter Sterling thanking anybody.
Harper smiles softly.
"Okay. Well." She presses her palms flat on the table. "I don't know where to start."
I lean in. "Just take a breath, baby. We ain't here to examine you. We just want to help."
She nods. Takes the breath and her leg stops shaking under my palm.
"I'm a criminal journalist for a company called LA Press.
The murder of Ashley was submitted to our tip line.
I caught wind of it because they mentioned Red Creek, so I pretty much begged my boss, a guy named Hudson Blake, to let me have the case.
" She pauses. "I was trying to find the real killers.
Some kind of story to spin it away from you. "
My heart races. Even Colten raises an eyebrow. That's as close to shocked as Colten gets.
She's been protecting Hunter since before any of us knew she was here.
Harper taps the table with her nail. "I gave Hudson the most boring possible story. One he would never dream of publishing. Because everything was so covered up, it was easy. I thought I made it so boring he’d never be interested in New Falls again."
Hunter scratches his stubble. "Alright. So you covered that. What happened after?"
She blows out a breath. "Gianna Milano happened."
The energy in the room crashes. We all know the Milano name. The Italian family that runs LA. They ain't anything to do with Enzo or our organization. But we've heard the chatter—a war brewing between them and the Greeks. It makes sense now. Why the Greeks are building an army in our backyard.
"Happened how?" Colten asks.
"She found out the Greeks bought a ranch in New Falls. She wanted my boss to find out why. To find out the mafia scope here in Arizona. And…" Harper swallows. "To see if the man who shot her brother dead in the streets a couple of weeks ago was hiding out here."
I sit back in my chair and run my hands through my hair.
"Fuck," I say.
So that asshole wasn’t lying to us. But knowing the Milanos are preparing to retaliate changes the dynamics.
"Yeah." Harper looks at me. "This is also kind of how I ended up in my other situation."
I swallow. "How? Is Gianna making you—"
"Ace…" Hunter warns.
She shakes her head.
"No, Hudson needed a favor. His father is terminally ill, but Hudson is—" She searches for the word.
"A man child," I offer the first thing that springs to mind. He’s the kind of asshole who has to manipulate a woman into being his.
"Yeah. That. His father won't sign over LA Press until Hudson proves he's changed.
Settled down. So he thought a country girl like me might win them over.
" She twists her thumb ring. "It was meant to be one date.
Except after Gianna got involved, I knew I had to take this case off Hudson.
So I agreed to be his fiancée in exchange for working this and keeping Gianna off his back. "
I rub my hands over my face. "Jesus, Harps."
Our fuckin' mess put her in this position. Our secrets, our enemies, our blood—it all rolled downhill and landed on the shoulders of a woman who's been trying to shield us from it.
"So what exactly do they want from you? What do you know?" Hunter asks.
She straightens up. The nerves are fading now.
She's in her element. The journalist. The woman who gathers information for a living. And that passion is exactly why she left. So I’m kinda glad she loves it.
But I need to buck my ideas up, figure out a way to make sure I can give her the world right here so that she doesn’t have to run again.
"I need to give Gianna the intel. I need to find out exactly what the Greeks are doing at Ranch 42. And I need to find out who killed Gianna's brother and report it back to her."
Hunter nods slowly. "Okay. We want to know the same thing. We can work with you."
She continues, "My plan was to avoid even referencing Sterling Ranch. Your ties. Your organization."
I arch an eyebrow. "Sweetheart, how much do you know, exactly?"
She grins. The first real grin I've seen in hours. We never hid it from her back then, but didn’t flaunt it either.
"I know enough. That Sterling Ranch is involved in a huge organized crime group.
I know that Reese and Beau are… missing.
" She raises an eyebrow. "I know that Hunter did not kill his ex—the Greeks did.
I know that we need to bury this and give Gianna what she needs before she finds out there is something here in New Falls worth coming after. "
Good fuckin' girl.
"And how are you suggesting you get Gianna this information?" Hunter asks.
"My first idea is to go to the town hall and bribe my way into the sales documents.
I've never known a ranch to sell off parts of its land that fast. There was no deal when I was last here, so this is recent.
" She taps her nail again. "And then finding Gianna's brother's killer? I was kind of hoping you guys could assist me there. That’s what she wants the most."
I rub my hands together. "You want us to start interrogatin'? Shame we just killed one of them."
Her eyes go wide. "Ace," she hisses. "Remember, I don't need to know that shit. If it ain't in my brain, no one can get it back out of me."
Hunter chuckles. "Smart girl. Ace could do with some of that common sense you've got."
Her cheeks redden. She ducks her head. And I swear, in that moment, every man at this table falls for her a little bit. Not like I do. But the way you fall for someone who's brave enough to walk into a room full of dangerous men and offer to fight alongside them.
"How long are you here for?" Colten asks, looking directly at me when he says it.
Harper shrugs. "I don't know. I'm probably going to have to split time between here and LA. Depends how long it takes. Gianna doesn't seem like the kind of woman to wait around. I'd rather get her the information so she's off my back. Then I can deal with Hudson."
I slide my arm around the back of her chair. "Deal with Hudson how? Because I have an idea…"
She laughs, shaking her head. "Ace Sterling, you are not going to LA to kill my boss. Once I've got the information, it sounds like Gianna is going to start a war in LA. You have to keep your ranch protected. Maybe let her just kill the Greeks?"
I nod. It fuckin' hurts my heart how fiercely protective she is. Not just of me. My family. My ranch. Everything.
"So you're going to end your fake engagement?" Hunter asks, glancing at me.
My brothers are not subtle about this at all.
"Yeah. I'm not marrying him. No way. His dad just needs to sign over those papers, then I'm free."
I look at her. Really look. I've got so many questions. When she's free, does that mean she wants to come home? Or is her life still in LA? There are so many things, yet all I can do is fight, however I need to, to keep her as mine.
And all of this is my thought process, when we ain’t even kissed yet.
Hunter straightens up. His eyes darken. When he speaks, it's the boss talking. Not the brother.
"I'm saying this now. In front of you both.
" He looks at me. Holds my gaze. "Ace. Under no fucking circumstances do you go to LA with Harper.
You do that, you risk starting a war. Enzo already knows the situation there—he's making moves that will obliterate both families, so we can insert one more aligned with our organization.
But you go there? You're a direct target. You hear me? I have no doubt the Milano’s already know about us. "
"I hear you, brother."
Hunter just name-dropped Enzo in front of her, and that tells me that he trusts her enough. That kinda information would get someone killed.
"I know you have history. I know you've got things to work out.
But don't get killed over it. And don't bring a war to our doorstep.
This ain't about us. This is about Wyatt.
About my unborn kid. Your future kids. Everything Dad gave us.
" He pauses. "LA is not our war. But getting the Greeks out of New Falls is. "
Hunter turns to Harper.
"Those are the terms of my deal. We will help you if you help us. We can get you the intel for Gianna. But if anything happens to Ace—" His voice drops. "If you run off again and he follows you and something happens to him, I will hold you personally accountable for that. Do you understand me?"
"Y-yes. I understand." She meets his eyes better than most men can.
Hunter picks up his beer. "Good. Now I'll get my men together, and we'll look at getting hold of some Greeks for the answers."
He stands. Colten joins him.
"We appreciate you lookin' out for us, Harper," Colten says. And the way he says it tells me she's earned something from my brother that most people never do.
The door crashes open behind us.
We all turn. Jett, out of his flamingo shirt, dressed like an actual cowboy for the second time today, skids into the room.
"Sorry, I'm late."
Colten laughs. "Late? Didn't realize you were invited."
Jett scowls. "Yeah. Did the pigeon get shot delivering my invitation?" He looks at Hunter.
"I think you've done quite enough for today, Jett," Hunter says, fighting to keep a straight face.
Jett glances at me. Then Harper. His eyes go wide.
"Oh. Harper. Hi." He scratches the back of his head. The confidence evaporates. "Sorry, you know. For earlier."
"For kidnapping me dressed like a divorced dad?" Harper says, without missing a beat.
"Hey! That's exactly what I said he looked like!" I laugh, turning to her.
Jett holds up his hands. "Wasn't my finest moment, I appreciate that. I am very sorry, though, Harper."
"You're fine, Jett. Just don't do it again."
She leans into me. Her lips brush my ear. "I need to use the bathroom. Do you mind?" She looks at Jett and squints. “I drank a lot of blue Gatorade while tied up.”
I bite back a laugh. "I'll wait here for you."
She stands and walks past Jett. His eyes follow her out. I clench my fist on the table.
The second she's gone, he turns to me.
"So, do you think… now that I've apologized, she might let me take her out for a drink?"
Colten presses his fist against his mouth, trying to hold it in. Jett frowns, completely unaware of social clues here.
"What's so funny? I think she's totally into me."
"Go for it," I reply. "Ask her. See what she says."
His mouth drops open. "You're serious? You think I should?"
I lean back in my chair. "If you want me to tie you up in the barn and whip you until you bleed out. Go for it."
Silence follows.
"I'd probably then burn you alive," I continue.
"Alright, message received. You fucking lighter-happy lunatic." Jett backs toward the door.
Harper pads back through, heading straight for me. And just like that, I smile. Can't help it. The woman walks into a room, and my whole face changes.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Jett says from the doorway. The longest, most annoying realization of his life.
"I'm out," Colten announces, brushing past him.
Hunter pauses at the door. "If you need a place to stay, just let me know. I can have one of the ranch houses cleaned up for you."
Harper smiles. "I'll be fine. I'm going to stay at my parents'."
Yeah. We'll see about that.
"Actually, Ace, would you mind taking me to my car? I left it at the diner."
I look at Jett. "Jett, you and Tate go get her car. Drop it to her parents'. I'll send you the address."
He doesn't argue.
"I'll drive you," I tell her.
Baby steps. That's what this is. But I don't want steps.
I want my girl back. But knowing another man has already proposed to her and is using her. It’s messin’ with my head.
I always dreamed of Harper walking back into my life. This just wasn’t quite how.