“Maze lives with me, Mom,” Harlow said, distracted by the door.
“I thought you lived with Ryske,” Lena said.
“I do,” Harlow said.
“The three of you live together?” Lena asked, probably wondering about their weird setup.
There was no time to answer. When Harlow saw who her father was ushering inside, she jumped to her feet again.
“Shit,” Harlow said aloud and grabbed Maze’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze before skirting the table and running into the hall. “What the hell are you doing here, Zance?”
Neither man had seen her coming, so her question startled them both.
Penzance turned. She didn’t like the solemn look on his face. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”
When she’d needed him, she couldn’t find him. But that was no more his fault than it was Ryske’s for being inaccessible when she’d wanted him to be near.
“Sure,” Harlow said, and gestured him towards the den, but she turned to look in the dining room.
Just making eye contact with Maze was enough to let him know that he was needed. He got up to join them.
Once they were in the den, she closed the door and Penzance turned, only to be startled by Maze. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“Well, I am,” Maze said, sliding his hands into his pockets. “What’s your problem?”
“She doesn’t trust me anymore,” Penzance said, opening his arms in a shrug. “So I’m out. But she sent me here with a message.”
That made Harlow move closer. “She sent you here?” He nodded. Her trepidation made her reach behind her for Maze’s hand. He gave her it and moved forward, resting the other on her shoulder. “Is she coming here?”
“She says no,” Penzance said. “Something went down with Brash, don’t know what, but he trashed her whole apartment. Animal put a knife to her throat.”
“Shit,” she breathed out, letting her cheek fall to Maze’s hand.
“I don’t think they’re done with her,” Penzance said. “Brash said he was coming back for her, that it wasn’t over… But he wanted to do it right… whatever ‘it’ is.”
Taking her down, she’d imagine. It might be difficult for him to kill Ophelia given that she was Jarvis Hagan’s sister, and although she was responsible for his death, would he want her dead? Even Harlow couldn’t answer that.
Learning the truth would’ve been a shock to Brash who had probably taken control of Animal. Animal was easy to control and seemed to like orders. Maybe he needed someone else to guide him, she didn’t know, but that didn’t lessen how dangerous he was. Animal was a weapon that Brash could point and shoot at anyone… including the messenger.
“You came to tell us that Brash wants to hurt Ophelia, why—”
“I gave him the recording,” she murmured, trying to figure out what to do next.
Harlow was yanked from her verve with a violent tug when Maze whirled her around to grab her shoulders. “Are you crazy?”
“Not all of it,” Harlow said. “Just the end. I edited it, so he could hear the truth.”
Maze’s anger was obvious, but she wasn’t. “Why?” he asked, giving her a shake. “Why would you—”
“She took his collar off,” Harlow snapped back. “I had to do something! We were at the club and he was ready to finish me, Maze! Don’t you get it? At the club, with Pothos and bedrooms and—”
“Okay. Okay,” he said, holding up his hands and backing off. “I understand… you prepared it before?”
She nodded. “I couldn’t go back after I got Hagan’s message. I went home and waited for you guys. When you didn’t come back, I couldn’t just sit around. Brash wanted to hurt me. He’s been baying for blood. Ophelia promised to give me to him when Ryske went to her. I didn’t know what was going to happen. She’s been going crazy without Ryske around. She wants to know where he is… This started when she demanded I take her to him… I wasn’t going to do that.”
Maze took a long breath in and closed his mouth to breathe it out. “You’re the only one who can reach him. Har—”
“No,” she said. “If I call him—”
“He’ll come.”
“Yeah, but at what cost? Brash probably still wants him dead too. I cut the start of the recording because I didn’t want to renew Brash’s hatred for Ryske. But Ryske was being protected by Ophelia. Now that Brash doesn’t give a damn about Ophelia’s orders, how do we know he won’t come for Ryske as well?”
“Ryske’s old news,” Maze said. “He didn’t hurt Anwen. She’s alive, so—”
“Hagan died thinking that she was dead. That’s got to jam Brash’s craw. His boss never knew that she was out there. Don’t forget, Ryske did fuck her, there’s no changing that, and that’s what caused the hatred in the first place.”
“That guy and his damn dick,” Maze grumbled.
“You know that’s not fair,” she said. “You know what happened with Anwen.”
“Look, guys,” Penzance said, stepping into the fray. “I’m sure this is a great debate, but you need a plan. Ophelia said you have until Friday. She expects you’ll show at the club. If you don’t, she’s coming for you. It’s showdown time.”
“Oh, yeah,” Maze asked, folding his arms with an air of expectation shimmering around him. Harlow wasn’t sure he trusted Ophelia’s restraint. “What’s your plan?”
“You listened to the message, right?” Maze nodded. “You have to find whatever Parratt’s wife has.”
He became more discerning. “You want to turn the consortium against her.”
“I’ll give her two options. Either she leaves or all of us turn her in.”
“She’ll sing.”
“Doesn’t matter if we put it on her.” Harlow raised a finger. “We have her on Jarvis’ death. We have the murder weapon and can provide cops with the edited recording. Whether they can use them as evidence or not, they’ll at least confirm that we’re telling the truth. We can edit the Hagan recording, show that he feared his sister was going to hurt him. And we have the evidence of their parents’ murder.”
Raising a hand, Maze touched the key that was tied to the chain around her neck. “Hard to believe we’re trusting him.”
“There’s evidence, Maze,” she said. “It’s compelling. The doc says he’ll translate the medical notes that prove she has a condition.”
“And if Ophelia comes in shooting?” Maze asked.
“I’ve authorized Ryske on the safe deposit box,” she said. “You guys can still use it, even if I’m not around.”
That startled him; his hand dropped. “We’re not going to let anything happen to you. Doing it at the club, it could be a setup.”
“Maybe,” she said. “But we have to try something.”
“Is there a plan B?” Maze asked.
Unfortunately, there was. “Yes.” When she didn’t elaborate, he zeroed in on her. “I’ll confess to the cops, and Ryske goes to her. That’s it.”
Blinking, Maze moved away again. This time, he almost stumbled and came to a stop when he hit the high arm of the pull out couch. He dropped to sit on it. “You’ll go back to jail.”
“Yeah… Better than going on the run.”
“Do you think? Do you think Ryske will think so?”
“It’s the only way to control her. He’s the only one who can control her. Ryske knew that; he knew that from the beginning. That’s why he made the suggestion in the first place. If he’s intimate with her, she’ll listen to him, she’ll believe him. The rest of you will be safe if he’s in her bed.”
“Then why do you have to go to jail?”
“Because just going to her won’t be enough,” Harlow said. “She’s going to feel like she’s been duped too many times. She still wants him, but she’ll want to know I’m far away… Anyway, does it matter where I am?”
“It matters to me. It will matter to Ryske.”
“It can’t matter to him,” she said. “If I’m free somewhere i
n the world, I’ll be too much of a distraction for him, too much of a temptation. He has to make it real with her, as real as it can be.”
Maybe over time he would grow to love her and they could be happy. Like when Ryske had been ready to send her to Rupert, he’d known that she wasn’t happy, but with Rupert she was safe. Ophelia might be a crazy person, but she wouldn’t hurt Ryske, so he’d be safe with her. In fact, Ophelia would go to all sorts of lengths to protect and keep him, so he might even be safer with her than without.
“You can’t just give up.”
“I don’t want to give up,” she said. “That’s why I want to fight. But you asked for a plan B and I’m sorry, but that’s it.”
Leaving the couch, he came to take her shoulders again. “It’s not. No way. We’ll call that Plan C. Plan B is getting you and Ryske the hell out of dodge.”
“Yeah?” she asked, letting her head tip to the side. “And what about those people through there?” Pointing toward the dining room, she thought about her family. “Ophelia knows they’re here. She knows that to hurt me, all she has to do is hurt them.”
“We’ll pay for protection.”
“Forever?” she asked. “My sister is pregnant. I don’t want my niece or nephew growing up surrounded by armed guards. How long would it last? How long until she gets to one of them?” Pissed that she was starting to feel the angry grief that came with acknowledging how this might turn out, Harlow was losing control. “Do you think I want him with her? Do you think it makes me happy to send the man I love to a psychopath? It makes me sick to think of him touching her let alone…” The idea of Ryske being intimate with Ophelia made bile churn in her gut. Controlling the sickness, she couldn’t subdue her angry tears. “I need him with her. Don’t you get it? I need him there. We all do. I’ll make him do the one thing he doesn’t want to do because it will keep you safe, it will keep our crew safe, and our families safe. Because she won’t stop, Maze. She won’t fucking stop.” Curling her fingers into her palm, Harlow let her nails dig in deep to her sensitive flesh. “She will pick us off one by one, and the inevitable will happen anyway.”
“Nightingale,” Maze murmured, stroking her arms.
She didn’t want his comfort. Throwing his hands away from her body, she turned to march over to the window that let her see into her parents’ side yard.
“You know what makes it worse?” she whispered. “He’ll use me… He’ll use what he feels for me, and our intimacy to get him through. It’s the only way he’ll be able to make himself be with her… He’ll be with her, thinking of me… How sick is that?”
“He loves you,” Maze said. “Only you. He won’t be able to do it.”
Spinning around, she wanted him to see nothing but confidence. “I’ll tell him to.”
And that would be enough. Ryske had floated the idea at the beginning, understanding that he had the power to control Ophelia. But they all knew that Harlow had that same power over him. Even if he’d changed his mind and decided it wasn’t something he wanted to do, if Harlow said she wanted him to, he’d do it, even against his own will.
“He can’t be with a woman he isn’t attracted to,” Penzance said. “After what she’s done to you and everyone he cares about, there’s no way he—”
“He can,” Harlow said, letting her attention drop to the floor. “He will do it.”
“There’s no way.”
But Harlow knew her man and that was how she knew he’d use their memories to do what needed to be done. He’d close his eyes and remind himself why he was there, because she’d sent him there. And he’d recall where she was and why she’d gone there, to keep him safe.
Ryske wouldn’t want to. But if she told him it was the only thing that would keep her safe, he’d do it. She’d hated the idea every other time he’d brought it up, so if she suddenly authorized it, he’d know they had reached the point of no return.
“And if she kills you?” Maze asked, displeased with the direction of the conversation and her attitude, but what was she supposed to do? This was their life. “What then?”
“Then, it’s moot. Ophelia will leave you guys alone if Ryske and I are out of the picture.”
“She won’t kill Ryske,” Penzance said. “You just said she wanted to be with him and she wants you out of the way. So she won’t have a problem killing you, I believe that, but Ryske, she won’t kill him.”
Without blinking, she turned cool eyes to him. “She won’t have to.”
“Okay,” Maze said, raising his hands. “I’m not listening to this anymore. This has gone too far.” Looking left and right, he almost expected someone to materialize out of thin air. “Where the hell is Ryske? You’ve gone fucking crazy.”
He believed it. Maze was an exasperated man at the end of his rope, but she smiled.
“Bale has instructions,” Harlow said, feeling it only fair to prepare Maze for what could be inevitable.
He became incredulous, his head bobbing toward her. “You’ve talked about it? You’ve talked about…”
She didn’t blink and Maze threw up his hands again, this time turning his back on her. Penzance stepped in front of her. “You’re worried about your family, and I think you should be,” he said, giving Maze a minute to mutter away to himself. “You shouldn’t leave them alone tonight. Are they all staying here?”
“Yes,” she said with a nod. “Maze and I are staying.” He acknowledged that, but she took his hand. “You’re staying too.”
Startled by her assertion, Penzance would’ve glanced over his shoulder at Maze if she’d let him turn, but she kept hold of him. “What? Why?”
“Because you just said my family need protection and I know you’re capable… It’s time you came home, Zance,” she said. “You’re one of us.”
“Wait a second,” Maze said, marching over and pulling Penzance back to break apart their hands, like he was worried she was being infected by him. Taking his glare from Penzance, Maze bowed and leaned close to whisper at her. “Have you talked to Ryske about this?”
“Do I need to talk to Ryske about this?”
Like he couldn’t quite believe his ears, Maze blinked a half dozen times then his brows rose. “Yes, you fucking do. Those two were closer than brothers and that one…” He jabbed a thumb back over his shoulder in Penzance’s direction. “He fucked off without so much as a thanks for the memories.”
“Har, I don’t need anyone stepping up for me,” Penzance said and began to back away.
But she pushed Maze aside and took Penzance’s hand to pull him toward her. At the same time, she grabbed for Maze’s hand, so she was holding them both.
“I am stepping up for you,” she said. “You didn’t ask me to do a damn thing. I’m telling you that you’re part of this family… Whether you like it or not.”
Maze was muttering again. “Insane,” he said. “You’ve lost your fucking mind.”
Harlow just smiled and stepped between them, forcing both to turn toward the door as she put an arm around each of their waists. “That’s possible,” she said. “It could be withdrawal… it’s been a while since Ryske slipped it to me.”
Penzance was on the same page as her and happy to lighten the moment. “There are two right here that—”
“Watch that mouth, Vane,” Maze growled. “You wait ‘til Ryske gives you permission to talk to her like that.”
“Uh, I give him permission,” she said, opening the den door. “You two relax, it’s time to charm the in-laws. Come on.”
32
Having Penzance at the end of the table was awkward at first. Lena kept staring at him and Rupert kept staring at Lena staring at him. It might have been because Penzance had broken Emma’s heart. But Harlow had a feeling that her parents had told Lena not to raise that subject while her trio were having their conference in the den.
By the time dessert was finished, Penzance had her family eating out the palm of his hand. He was good at what he did. Almost as good as Ryske. Not th
at she’d ever make that assertion out loud.
They stayed up to have a drink and Maze took some time to do some research on the laptop he’d left in the entryway. No one commented on him working. She knew what he was doing, so left him to it.
All retired to bed about the same time. Harlow did feel better to have Penzance in the house, sleeping in the guest room. So, if something did go down, she’d have additional backup.
Her and Maze lay in the dark together for a while not saying anything. With her head on his chest, she liked the comfort of his fingers combing through her hair. At some point, they started to talk. She couldn’t remember who had started, but they reminisced about the better times they’d shared since the night Ryske had crashed into her.
Harlow drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face and woke up with one too. But it shrank when, just like the previous morning, she reminded herself that she wasn’t going to see Ryske that day.
Her father and Rupert went to work. She went shopping with Lena and Jean for baby things, with their two bodyguards in tow, though Harlow didn’t let on that’s why the men were around. Her mother and sister took her to the dress shop to be fitted for her bridesmaid dress. Mocking her wearing the elegant peach gown seemed to be a uniting experience for the guys.
Before she knew it, they were at the dinner table again. Seated between Maze and Rupert with Penzance at the end of the table, Harlow was supposed to be listening to Lena’s story about a parenthood class. Everyone else was listening, but Harlow’s mind was wandering.
It was Thursday. Tomorrow, something would change. If she didn’t lose her life, she could lose her freedom. She’d been counting on Ryske returning home tomorrow, but she had no idea if he’d come early in the day, or if he’d just show up at the club.
Scraping her fork through her pasta, Harlow couldn’t stomach a bite. All she wanted was to look at him, to see him one more time before—
The front door opened.
Harlow wasn’t the only one who heard it. The noise of it bursting open and someone storming through the entryway door wasn’t quiet. Usually the dining room door was open, but Jean had closed it that night to trap the scent of the candles inside the room.
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