52. The Clandestine Meeting
The Clandestine Meeting
Nico
It’s dark as we drive up into the hills above the city. Harper keeps her gaze out the window across from me in the back seat. We took two cars. Jack plans to meet up with us at Caden’s after he drops off Mike and Emma.
“We’re sure this isn’t a trap?” I ask. This feels strange. Why now? Why didn’t he talk to us last weekend? And why would he tell us anything after Caden beat him up?
Harper’s eyes turn to mine. Caden sighs in the driver’s seat. Luke and Eli are in the other car.
“Are we sure?” Caden runs a hand through his hair and glances in the rearview mirror at Harper. “No. But hopefully it will be worth it. You two stay in the car in case we need to get out fast, until we’re sure it’s okay. No arguments.”
Harper’s been quiet, but the assumption is we’re being listened to again. I can’t wait for this part to be over. To be able to have a conversation with the girl I love without worrying about our parents or whoever is listening in.
To be done with physical therapy and able to fuck my girl the way I want to.
This whole thing is frustrating, but I do appreciate having Harper to myself after school.
We need that time to reconnect. While our relationship, just the two of us, is important.
It’s also important we all stay connected. That’s what weekends are for.
Caden stops his car and we wait until Luke and Eli pull up.
“Stay,” Caden orders before he steps out of the car and leans against Harper’s door, making sure she obeys him. She shakes her head as she looks at his back.
She releases a breath. “Are you doing okay?”
I nod and reach out my hand for hers. She smiles. Our fingers tangle together like they were meant for each other. There’s this whole future we’re trying to get to, but in the meantime, I need to start enjoying these moments.
To realize, I have the girl of my dreams. And I’ll do anything to keep her safe.
Luke opens my door. “Come on. He’s here.”
Harper’s brow furrows, but I want to be out there. I want this guy to see what he did to me. I just wish I’d been the one who got to beat him up for it.
Eli opens the front door and pulls out my crutches. Caden opens Harper’s door to help her out. I squeeze her hand before releasing it and letting Luke help me out of the car.
“We need to show a united front.” Luke’s voice is quiet. His eyes narrow on mine as he searches them for my strength. I straighten. “That includes you, no matter what.”
I look across the roof of Caden’s car to the other car parked with two people in it. A girl about our age gets out of the passenger side as Art, the asshole who took out my knee, gets out from the driver’s side. She crosses her arms like she’s cold as she looks over at us.
Art walks around to her side and puts his arm around her shoulder. He leans down so their heads almost touch. His lips move, but they’re too far away for us to hear anything. She presses against him ever so slightly.
Harper leans against the car next to Caden. “Who’s the girl?”
“Don’t know.” Eli walks around the car with me, and I take the spot on Harper’s other side.
Luke and Eli step in front of us. All of us provide a human shield around Harper.
Art and the girl close the distance between us, leaving about three feet between them and us. The shiner on his eye is fading, and he walks with a slight limp. Nowhere near the damage he did to me, but at least Caden got a few hits in. He clears his throat.
None of us speak. He called this meeting. He can tell us what he knows or run back to Zach. We’re not going to tell him shit.
“This is my girlfriend, Nina,” he says.
She has a hand on his chest but doesn’t say anything. She watches us warily, like we’re the problem.
“You asked us here.” Eli straightens. “We’re here.”
“We need a way out of this,” Nina says. Her voice is steady and strong.
“It’s okay, babe.” Art squeezes her shoulder. Their eyes meet and lock for a second. He lifts his gaze to us. This time around he’s a lot less cocky. He runs his free hand through his hair and huffs out a breath. “I know what went down tonight.”
“Okay?” Luke doesn’t sound impressed. The entire incident is probably common knowledge by now.
“I also know Zach is out already. Probably will get off with a slap on his wrist. And he’s making plans for tomorrow because he came to the house all fired up.” Art glances down at Nina, and she gives him an encouraging smile. “He doesn’t give two shits about the guys still in lock up.”
“He doesn’t give two shits about anyone but himself. Those guys are disposable to him.” Nina shakes her head and looks between Luke and Eli. “All he cares about is money and power. And he doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process. We’re on the wrong side of this.”
“What Nina’s saying is, I don’t want to do time for a guy like Zach. And the alternative is that he’s going to get one or all of us killed because of the shit he’s pulling. We’re all fucking disposable to him.”
“You’re just realizing this?” Eli scoffs.
Harper steps forward between Luke and Eli. “So what do you need from us? And how can you help us?”
When Art glances at Nina, she nods and pats his chest.
Art covers her hand with his and meets each of our gazes, stopping on Luke.
“Money would help. And I know some of what he has planned for tomorrow night. He doesn’t trust anyone with the whole thing, but he was fucking bragging about tonight.
He was sure you were going to lose it in the shower room. ”
There’s no way he could have known that unless Zach said something. Art’s gaze remains on Luke. When Harper leans against Luke, he wraps his arm around her shoulders and draws her in close to him.
“When you didn’t, he figured he could still control the situation.
” Art shakes his head. Zach was willing to take a beating to figure out what Luke would do.
Luke remained logical even when Zach had Harper trapped.
Luke sensed the setup and hesitated before acting.
“He thinks he knows what you’ll do in the situation to save your own asses. Or to save her.”
Zach doesn’t know us. He thinks he knows us because of two incidents and maybe a lifetime of watching the others. But he doesn’t know me. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect Harper.
We may be teenagers, but we’re not little boys playing. I may not have been with them here for the things they did. But I wasn’t an innocent when I came back. There are things I’ve done. Had to do. And I’m not afraid to do them again.
“So we give you money and you tell us what he’s planning? That’s your plan.” Eli steps back to lean against the car next to me and also to give me more of a view. “And you’ll be long gone by the time we figure out if you’re playing us.”
“They know about the camera you planted at the drug house.” Art looks over his shoulder like they’ll show up and beat him up for telling us. “It’s why they’ve been so fucking careful. They’ve been careful about what they say there. It’s how they got the idea for the camera in the shower room.”
“How long have they known about it?” Caden asks. Just because they knew doesn’t mean they haven’t slipped up. Kenz has been the one reviewing them this week.
“At least a week.” Art shrugs. “You’ll never catch Zach saying anything incriminating. Fuck, half the time he just encourages the others to do his bidding. Letting them decide what he wants them to do. It’s a fucking nightmare, but the money was good. Especially when you have none.”
“If your information is good, we can give you some up front. When we find out if you’re being truthful, we’ll give you the rest of the payment.” Luke’s tone is even.
Art’s face shows his frustration and then he starts to pull back, but Nina holds him in place. He blows out a breath and looks at her. His eyes soften, and for a second, I see that desire in him to do anything to protect her. He locks that shit up when he lifts his head to look at us.
“Yeah, but I need a guarantee. Because if you don’t like what happens, you might not follow through.” Art’s lips are a thin line as he narrows his eyes on us.
“We’re men of our word.” I straighten. “If we say you’ll get your money, you’ll get your money. You want a guarantee? Don’t fuck us over.”
His gaze slides to me. We aren’t on a football field here. I would destroy him in a heartbeat if I thought he was here to fuck over Harper. But there’s enough fear in his eyes to tell me he’s saving his own ass. He’s not doing this out of kindness.
But maybe his woman is because her concerned gaze hasn’t left Harper.
Harper
Art’s girlfriend, Nina, watches me closely. Both of us are pressed against our men, but I’m not leaning against Luke for support, but to give him mine. I’m pretty sure she’s in the same boat. She doesn’t want her boyfriend going to prison or dying for Zach’s cause.
“We won’t fuck you over,” I say to Nina. And I mean it. No matter what happens, win or lose, if what they say is the truth, then I’m okay giving them the money they need to get out of here. But it’s not my money.
Caden closes in on my back and puts his hand on my shoulder. Sparks ignite where he touches me, familiar and calming.
“We won’t go back on our word,” he says. “We just want to keep Harper safe.”
My insides flutter with nerves. Time is ticking by so quickly. Soon we’ll be at Homecoming, and whatever happens will happen. I dreamed of going to the Homecoming dance for years but never thought I’d actually get to go. And definitely not on the arms of the hottest guys in school.
Sometimes it still feels like a dream I might wake up from. But if it’s a dream, I’d rather stay asleep. I’d rather be in their arms than have the life back I used to have. If this is the tradeoff, I’m okay with it.
Art nods, coming to a decision. I hold my breath, waiting for the verdict.
“Five thousand now, fifteen after.” His gaze drops to me for a second before returning to Caden’s behind me.
My mouth wants to drop open at the amount. But to start a new life is expensive, I suppose.
“Fine.” Caden doesn’t even flinch.
“Tell us what you know.” Luke’s hand presses me in tight against him.
Art breathes out. “They have a distraction planned for the dance. That’s all I know about that part. They’ll do anything they can to separate you from Harper.”
“But you don’t know what?” Nico sounds angry as he comes up to my side. I reach out and touch his arm. His muscles are hard and tense. He doesn’t look at me, but continues to glare at Art.
We already know this so unless he has more this was pointless.
“Zach’s a secretive fuck.” Art runs a hand through his hair. “No one but him knows the whole plan. He’s not like you guys. He doesn’t have friends. Only people he uses.”
“Then what do you know? Because that’s not worth anything to us.” Eli moves to stand next to Caden behind me. Once again, they’re surrounding me, but this time they have my back.
I settle in, letting their warmth hold me when my knees feel like collapsing.
“Zach’s business is a family business.” Art meets Luke’s eyes. “His father has a farm where they do a lot of their deals. Zach’s been going on and on about how his father got rich off the backs of others. I didn’t realize he meant that literally.”
I swallow, remembering the women my mother helped. The whole reason she was able to escape so easily.
Luke doesn’t move, but his fingers curl into me like he can keep me safe.
“Zach thinks he can climb the ladder a little faster if he helps reestablish the business.” Art pauses. “Look, drugs are one thing. You want to do drugs, that’s on you. I’m just the conduit that provides what you’re looking for, but I’m not about to start trafficking women.”
“What does that have to do with Harper?” Nico asks, but he knows. We all know. We just don’t want to know. I go cold all over.
“He wants to traffic me?” The words don’t shake at all when they come out of my mouth, but my insides tumble over themselves.
Art nods and his eyes meet mine. “There’s a house on his family’s land where they used to keep the women. Kind of a waypoint or an initial entry point. Zach’s obsessed with the idea. He thinks he can provide a product, and it will make him rich. Make his old man proud.”
“What do you mean?” Luke’s fingers are going to leave bruises, but I don’t care. His touch centers me, holds me here when I want to be anywhere else.
“He’s been experimenting with combinations of drugs to make it so the women won’t fight or run.
” Art shakes his head, and he looks a little ill just talking about it.
“Look, I have a little sister and people in our situation are usually the highest at risk for this kind of life. I don’t want that for her. Or for anyone.”
“So his plan is to take Harper and sell her off?” Eli’s voice sounds cold, and I’m sure Art probably thinks that, but his hand is on my low back. His fingers tremble against me. Fury or worry, it doesn’t matter which, but he’s feeling a depth of emotions over this.
The guys press in on me like they’re closing ranks.
Art holds up his hands. “I don’t want anything to do with shit like that. I didn’t tell Zach, but he’s bound and determined. He swears that he’ll be the next king of our city if he’s able to make this happen. His dad still has some connections in the business.”
“Lay it out for us,” Luke says.
“Fuck.” Art runs a hand through his hair and looks at Nina.
She sighs and meets my gaze. “Art’s afraid of the beatdown your men want to give him. But honestly, he’s just the messenger.”
I tighten my lips. It doesn’t matter. We have to know. I give her a small nod that I’ll hold them back if I need to, but we need to know.
Nina draws in a sharp breath. Her eyes fill with pity. “They want to take you out to the house and drug you. They’ll ‘break’ you in and then sell you off. They want to destroy your men and figure losing you, knowing what you’re going through, and being helpless to stop it, will accomplish that.”
My fingers wrap in Luke’s shirt and Nico’s as I lean back, one shoulder against Caden and the other against Eli. Rape, I figured. Murder even was a possibility. But that’s a fate worse than death.