Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
“Nothing happened.” Harper shrugged. “Once I was behind security, the feeling was gone, and then I was dealing with Paige’s phone call and getting fired. I was a little distracted.”
“You think this company would hire someone to take you out?” Gray asked bluntly.
“No,” Harper replied immediately. “It’s—no. That’s crazy. I quit, and I had an NDA, so it’s not like I could talk about their shit even if I wanted to.”
“Doesn’t guard them from prosecution,” Leo said thoughtfully. “Anyone approach you?”
“No. No one.” Harper plucked at the neck of her sweatshirt. “When do you think I could go home? That guy’s dead, so…”
“Not how it works, Harp,” Gray said sympathetically. “There’s usually a contract—he didn’t fulfill it, so someone else could pick it up.”
“There could be more of them?” I asked, every muscle in my body clenching.
“Maybe not,” Gray replied. “Maybe so.”
“Fuck.”
“This is just great,” Harper said, the pitch of her voice rising with each word. “So, I’m just going to be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life?”
“Hell no,” Leo replied. “We’ll figure this out, Harp. Just might take a minute.”
“So, I’m just supposed to stay here? In the clubhouse?”
“For the moment,” Leo confirmed.
Harper’s chair nearly tipped backward, she stood so quickly. “I’m going…somewhere. Is Mom in your room? I’m going to see Mom.”
We watched her stomp away.
“Woody’s got people workin’ on it,” Leo told me as Harper disappeared around the corner. “Casper and Gray have also been reachin’ out to their contacts all night. We’ll trace it back, cut it off at the source.”
“You really think it’s her old job?”
“Best lead we have,” Gray replied. “Nothin’ else makes any kind of sense.”
“I’ll talk to my pop and set up some security for her,” Leo said. “Might be able to bring her home tonight if we’ve got the boys for it.”
“Okay. Anythin’ you need me to do?”
“Keep her from climbin’ the walls?” Gray said, getting to his feet.
“Good fuckin’ luck,” Leo scoffed.
After checking on Harper, who was in Leo’s room with Lily and Rose, I made my way to the garage to work for a few hours. Even with shit going sideways, we still needed to have income coming in. I was scheduled to do the brakes on a Toyota pickup that day, so I pulled it into my bay and got to it.
The garage wasn’t full, but other members were in and out all day. I just kept my head down and did my thing. I felt wrung out after the events of the last twelve hours, and getting back to a little normalcy was just what I needed. It helped knowing that Harp wasn’t far away if she needed me.
When I decided I was done for the day, I cleaned up and ventured back into the clubhouse. Someone had ordered pizzas, and they were lined up along the bar, but I ignored them even as my stomach growled. I hadn’t even had coffee.
Harper was in the spare room we’d occupied the night before, asleep. I didn’t wake her as I pulled off my boots and set my cut and hoodie on the end of the bed, but the moment I crawled in next to her, she stirred and lifted her head.
“All done?” she asked, propping her head on her hand.
“Yeah. You get a good nap in?”
“A couple hours, I think,” she replied. “Time all kind of runs together here.”
“I know what you mean.”
“It’s like a casino, you can’t tell what time it is because the lighting never changes.”
“Not in the bedrooms,” I countered, jerking my head toward the window. It was covered by thick curtains, but you could still see a little light along the edges.
“Yeah, yeah.” She groaned and fell to her back. “How the hell did I get into this mess? I don’t even drive over the damn speed limit. What is wrong with people?”
“You figure that out, let me know,” I replied dryly. “We’ll get it figured out, baby.”
She was actually taking the situation well, all things considered. Seeing someone killed in front of you wasn’t an easy thing to wrap your head around. Getting held at gunpoint wasn’t either. Knowing that there were people that were actively trying to kill you would’ve been a mindfuck for anyone.
“Good news is,” I said, pushing her hair away from her face, “you don’t gotta worry about it anymore. We’ll find ’em, and until we do, everyone’s on high alert. No one’s gonna get close to you.”
“I feel really bad that I brought this home with me,” she said quietly. “Gram could’ve been really hurt.”
“Men underestimate Farrah at their peril,” I told her, smiling. “I’d have her at my back any day.”
“Is life going to be like this for us?” Harper asked carefully.
My heart pounded at the implication.
“You grew up in the club,” I reminded her. “You ever feel anythin’ but safe?”