“I didn’t ask you to say a damn thing,” she said. “You and your dick are your problem. Am I pissed? Yeah, probably, but only because I’d like my sister to have the best.”
“You don’t think I’m good enough for her?”
Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine she was talking to Felipe. Someone she had to keep her cool with even when he was pushing her buttons.
Rubbing her forehead, she took a moment to lick her lips. “Rupert, I think you’re an incredible man. I think you have a kind heart and a generous nature—”
“Yeah, and that worked out for your special new friend, didn’t it?”
“I didn’t give him your money,” she said, losing her cool to exasperation. “He didn’t ask me to take money from you! I took your money and I gave it to someone he has no love for. I told you that you’d get it back and you will. Ryske was fucking livid when he heard what I’d done.”
“He knows what you did with it?” Rupert said, pointing at the restaurant. “So, if I go in there and demand to know why he let you get yourself mixed up in something that meant you required a half million dollars…”
“Oh. My. God!” she said, spacing out the words, grabbing for her hair. “Ryske doesn’t let me do a damn thing! He’d suspect he’d slipped into some sort of parallel universe if he thought for a second that I deferred to him or any man. It might be difficult for you to understand this, but I am not the same woman you shared your bed with. I’ve grown. I’ve changed.”
He wasn’t deterred. “For the better? Is that what you think? When you were with me, you would never have been making out in restaurants, using the language you do… accused of murder! How can you be so relaxed? Your life is spiraling!”
That made her laugh. “My life? Are you shitting me? Rupert, look at the state of your fucking life! Everything I’ve done, it’s been my choice. I stand by my decisions. Right or wrong, I take ownership of them. You’re standing here giving me the righteous speech when we both know that your future has been dictated to you. Don’t get me wrong, I hope you’ll both be very happy, but God, Rupert… How could you be so stupid?”
For a minute, he just looked at her. She witnessed the moment he surrendered his high horse. “Harlow,” he murmured, paling suddenly. “I feel like I’m losing my grip.”
“Hey,” she said, rushing forward to scoop her hands around his jaw when it looked like he might fall on his face. Loosening his tie to give his throat more space, she also unfastened his top button. “Look at me, Rupe… Look at me.”
His eyes met hers. There was such resignation in them that her heart broke. “You are an amazing man and you’re going to be an amazing father,” she said, stroking his face and widening his smile. “I’m honored that your blood will mix with the Sweeting line.”
The softness in his gaze made her feel more secure in his ability to stay upright. “Harlow,” he said like he got comfort from the word.
Holding his face, she brushed her thumbs back and forth on his cheeks. Dread trickled in when he licked his lips and dropped his attention to her mouth.
She leaned back. “Not that honored…”
The familiar whistle startled both of them. In the shadows, Harlow knew they weren’t easy to spot. She spun around, expecting to alert Ryske to where they were. Turned out that wasn’t necessary. Ryske was at the edge of the parking lot with her already in his sights.
“Was that him?” Rupert asked. “Whistling at you?”
Didn’t take long for his judgement to return. “Come on,” she said, grabbing Rupert’s hand and pulling him toward the group.
“Are we ready to leave?” Jean asked when they got there. “Harlow, will you and Ryske ride with us?”
She was tempted to say they weren’t riding with anyone and asking Ryske to call Noon. But, her sister was there, shaking and sweating, so she gave up notions of abandoning her.
“No,” she said. “We’ll ride with Rupert.” The declaration surprised her parents. Harlow let go of Rupert to take Ryske’s hand and grabbed Lena’s hand too. “You come with us.”
It was only a short trip, so she doubted her parents thought twice about the kids riding in a separate vehicle. Ryske got in the front passenger seat while Rupert drove. Her father pulled out of the restaurant parking lot. Rupert put his car in drive, but Harlow bounced forward to grab his shoulder.
“Hang back,” she said, watching her parents’ taillights turn out of the parking lot. When they were gone, she let him go. “Go to the quarry.”
“What?” Rupert asked. “It’s dangerous out there.”
“It’s dangerous in here,” Ryske muttered, taking his focus to his side window.
“It’s in the wrong direction.”
“It’s five minutes,” she said. “We’re not going to swim or climb. We just need somewhere quiet. Out of the way.”
Muttering something inaudible, Rupert started to drive, going in the direction she’d requested. Sliding back in the seat, Harlow put a comforting arm around Lena.
“Quarries are good places to get rid of bodies,” Ryske said. “In my experience.”
Figuring something had happened in the restaurant to upset him, she just rolled her eyes and stroked Lena’s hair. They drove over the no entry sign that had been ripped down by kids years ago and up around the sweeping road that wound through the trees.
At the highest ridge of the quarry, Rupert stopped the car. It was dark and the moonlight was bright, but they weren’t there for the romance of the scene.
“Everyone out,” Harlow said and everyone did as they were told.
“What are we doing here, Harlow?” Rupert asked, checking his shoes like he was worried they might be ruined on the damp grass. “This is insane.”
“Ryske,” Harlow said, catching him up and snagging his ribs to back him up against the hood of the car.
“Harlow,” he said, mirroring her scholarly tone and hooking her hair back behind her ear.
“What’s the most important thing you need before any op?”
Wrapping her arms around one of his, she propped her hip against the hood and leaned against him.
“Blowjob?” he asked, earning himself a smack in the stomach. He laughed. “A plan. You need a plan.”
“Right,” she said and gestured at Rupert and Lena who were standing about ten feet apart, both displaying differing expressions of unhappy. Slipping off Ryske’s jacket, she took it to Lena and put her in it before going back to Ryske. This time, she leaned back against him instead of the hood and laid her arms over his when he wrapped them around her waist. Slanting to the side, she peeked up at him. “Tell me, baby, do they look like two people with a plan?”
His smirk was quick. “No,” he said and kissed her forehead. “They don’t.”
Rupert stretched an arm toward them. “You expect us to trust him?”
“Trust him with what?” Harlow asked. “He knows you got Lena pregnant.”
“Yeah,” Ryske said. “I am the only guy present who hasn’t slept with every woman present…” He paused. “Huh… I think that’s the first time I’ve ever been able to say that and mean it.”
Nudging her elbow back into his ribs, Harlow silenced him. “Ryske is excellent with a plan. He’s also excellent at thinking on his feet; something neither of you can do well. You’re about to reveal something to two people who could alter the course of your lives… Rupert, what are you going to do if my dad explodes and fires you?”
Stunned, Rupert blustered. “He can’t fire me for personal reasons.”
“Can’t he?” Harlow asked. “And, Lena, you live at home… What if mom and dad flip out and you need to get out of there fast?”
Lena just let her jaw sag and didn’t have a response.
“She can stay with me,” Rupert said. “But, it won’t come to that.”
“Yeah, God forbid you let the woman you knocked up into your apartment,” Ryske muttered.
“Wait a second,” Harlow said and looked at Ruper
t. “Am I still on the deed at the apartment?”
He shrugged. “Possibly… Yes, you must be.”
“Oh my God,” she said and shifted her weight to her feet. “Did you have sex in my bed? Wait. Don’t answer that.” With a shudder, she settled back against Ryske. “I’m so glad we’re getting a new bed.”
Ryske let his lips rest on her hair. “We did it in Bale’s bed,” he said.
“That’s different. It wasn’t his actual bed, it was a guest bed,” she said. “Anyway, he’s not my ex… and you didn’t get me pregnant.”
“Something I’m sure the doc will be checking on soon.”
Bale had checked his brother’s girlfriend more than any regular brother would. At least she understood why it was so important to him. If Ryske got her pregnant, he’d have to live a safer life. Bale was just looking out for his brother’s well-being.
Getting back to the point, Harlow knew they didn’t have a lot of time. “Look, this isn’t complicated. Just get your stories straight. Decide what you will and won’t tell them. What do you want to share?” Neither of them looked any more certain. “Okay, try this… let’s role play.”
“Oh,” Ryske said like she’d just got his interest for the first time.
She ignored him. “Pretend we’re mom and dad, tell us,” Harlow said. Lena looked to Rupert. “Come on, just do it.”
“That’s what got them into this mess.”
“Crash,” she whined at him.
“Sorry, yeah, okay,” Ryske said and cleared his throat. “So, young man, little lady, what is it you want to tell us?”
Harlow laughed. “That sounded nothing like my dad.”
“I’ll play daddy for you later,” he said and kissed the top of her head. “This is for the kids.”
Harlow dragged her nails up and down his arms that were still tight around her torso. “Who’s going to break the news?” she asked. Neither of them said anything. “One of you has to do the talking.”
“I’ll do it,” Ryske said, pushing her out of his arms and urging her forward to stand them a couple of feet apart facing each other. He cleared his throat. “Mr. and Mrs. Sweeting.” He leaned back to side whisper at Rupert. “Never hurts to show a little respect.” He turned his focus back to Harlow and spoke in a calm, slow, even tone. “I have something to say that’s going to surprise you. I expect you to be surprised, shocked, maybe even disappointed, but I have to be honest with you. This is something you have to hear.”
“What would you like to say?” Harlow asked, doing her best to play her mom straight.
“I fucked your baby girl, shot my load in her snatch, and knocked her up.”
Harlow slapped his shoulder. “Crash!”
He laughed. “Okay, I’m sorry…” Ryske took a moment to compose himself and then straight as an arrow he spoke. “In a moment of weakness that has proved to be the most crucial of my life, I gave in to something I shouldn’t have. I let my baser desire overtake my good sense and my great respect for you and your family,” he said the words with such sincerity that even she was enthralled. “In a dark moment when we were both in need of comfort, Lena and I sought refuge in each other… We made love…”
He paused like he was letting that sink in. “You… you slept with Lena?” Harlow asked, trying to remember her role in this play.
“I did,” Ryske said, showing nothing but contrition. “I know I shouldn’t have done it. I disrespected you and what I once had with Harlow. We both agreed it was something we shouldn’t entertain again. We hoped karma would bring our penance… Instead, it chose to give us a gift.” Ryske took a couple of steps backward and grabbed Lena to pull her to his side, then moved both of them back to his previous position in front of Harlow. With his arm around Lena’s waist, Ryske smiled and rested a hand on her stomach. “We’re expecting a child… Your first grandchild.”
“You… you slept with Lena?” Harlow said again, sure that would stick in her mother’s throat for a while.
“I fully understand that this is a surprise to you,” Ryske said, still stroking Lena. “It was a surprise to both of us… But, we’ve talked about it, we’ve absorbed it, and… we’re going to do the right thing.”
“The right thing?” Harlow said on impulse; that was her reaction, not the one her mother would have.
She didn’t think it was necessary to marry a man just because he knocked someone up. So, she took exception to the characterization. Except this wasn’t about her ideology, it was about her mother’s.
“Yes, Mrs. Sweeting,” Ryske said, sliding over her error and incorporating it as part of the scene. “I asked Lena to marry me… and she’s made me the happiest man alive by accepting my proposal.”
Harlow was sure Rupert had said something along those lines when they’d told her parents about his engagement to her.
“Oh God,” Rupert said, drawing everyone’s attention. “Harlow.”
14
Rushing past Ryske and Lena, Harlow took hold of Rupert’s arms. “Don’t freak out. I know this is a lot.”
“It’s more than a lot,” Rupert said, driving a hand through his hair. “Your father is going to kill me.”
“He won’t,” Harlow said. “He will be disappointed and I’m sorry, Rupe, but you have to take that on the chin.”
His eyes fixed on hers. “What were we thinking?”
“You were thinking that you were lonely. That you were in shock and weren’t in your right mind. It’s just one of those things.”
“Hey,” Ryske snapped, making her turn. Wearing a scowl, he shook his head. “Don’t make excuses for him.”
Letting go of Rupert, she faced Ryske, folding her arms. “Oh, are we going to fight about this now?”
“Yeah,” Ryske said. “Yeah, we are.” Easing Lena aside so she was a safe distance away, he marched over to her and Rupert. “He fucked your little sister. No, forget that, he fucked both the man’s daughters. Brysen might be an easier mark than he’d like to admit, but he gave this jerkoff a legacy, a career, a fortune. He’s given him security, invited him into his home and shared his family with him. I don’t think he expected to be taken advantage of like this!”
“Oh, come on,” she said, throwing up her arms. “Lena was there too! They’re both as responsible as each other.”
“For the sex? Yes,” Ryske said. “But the betrayal is his.” Thrusting an arm out, he pointed at Rupert. “He has the bond with your father. Where’s the loyalty?”
“Loyalty? Did you get confused? We are not talking about the guys here,” she said. “I think I’ve slept with every single one of your friends.”
“Yeah, but you haven’t fucked any of them. They wouldn’t come near you. You think if I doubted any of them that damn bathroom door wouldn’t have been fixed the day you moved in? Damnit, when I got back last night and found out Dover was at ours, I knew you wouldn’t be coming home. I knew you’d get in bed with him. It didn’t occur to me to doubt either of you.”
Ryske would never assume to tell her how she felt about her ex or her sister with regards to betrayal or loyalty. But, he could see the situation from the male point of view. Still, that didn’t mean she understood why he was reacting in such a vehement way.
“I don’t understand how—”
“That’s what Brysen felt,” Ryske said. “He trusted this guy, trusted him with his family, his business, his money… Fucking up his relationship with you would’ve been a kick in the teeth.”
Her arms folded again. “That was my fault and you know it.”
“Yeah,” Ryske said, exaggerating his nod. “Right, ‘cause you wanted to be an independent entity instead of a walking womb, I get it, and how dare you.”
His disgust was palpable through his sarcasm. “Ryske,” she warned. “None of this is about Rupert and me.”
“Sure it is, because he’s going to say what I said just now and the first thing Brysen is going to think is that this man is not who he thought he was… And if he wants s
omeone to smack the fucker in the face, I’ll be right there on hand.”
“You are not muscle for hire,” she said, prodding his arm.
Ryske captured her wrist and whipped it aside to haul her forward so her body smacked into his. Seizing her throat, he wrenched her to the very tips of her toes. Just that vehemence in his animalistic glare was enough to make her forget Lena’s screaming and Rupert’s blustering.
“You think there’s anything I wouldn’t do to keep your family happy?” Ryske growled at her, his mouth almost on hers. “I’ve gotta please your father ‘til the day he gives you to me.”
“I belong to no one,” she hissed, ignoring her instinct to grab for his arm. “If you don’t take your hands off me in the next three seconds, you better be ready to snap my neck or fuck my throat… Don’t start something you’re not willing to finish.”
“Never do,” he said, spinning them around to which Lena screamed again.
“Let her go!” Rupert called when Ryske rushed her back against the side of the car.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” Harlow hissed.
Pushing against her, he blocked the others view with his hip and pulled up her skirt to rub her clit. “Hmm, my baby’s wet,” he growled, pleased with himself.
He ducked down to push his tongue into her mouth. If they were just in front of the guys, they’d be fucking already. Harlow could feel the insistence of his erection trying to get to her through his slacks.
Grabbing his shoulders, she pushed him back. “We gotta stop.”
“Oh no, you don’t, Nightingale.”
“Don’t call me that,” she said, pulling him down to coil both arms tight around his neck.
A cellphone rang, and Rupert answered. “Yes, Brysen, I’m sorry, we…”
Forcing herself from Ryske’s kiss, Harlow darted away from him and grabbed the phone from Rupert. “Daddy?” she said, straightening her dress.
“Harlow, where are you? I thought you were right behind us.”
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