by Fiona Archer
“Jesus, I’m fucking sorry this happened. I don’t know why you were targeted, but I promise we’ll get whoever is responsible, and the bastard will pay,” Seth vowed, his voice dangerously low.
“It’s not your fault, handsome.” She closed her eyes, hoping he believed her. “Please don’t blame yourself.”
“Forget that. I’m not what’s important here. You are.” Seth voice turned harder, commanding.
“We can’t assume tonight’s intruder is the same one who’s attacked us online.” Likely, yes, but nothing was certain.
“True, and Adam’s checking all possible scenarios, but for now, we’re guessing everything’s connected.”
His reasoning made sense.
“Do me a favor, Harper.” Seth asked. “Call Jinx. I don’t want you staying there tonight.”
She gave a mirthless laugh. “Truthfully, I don’t think I’ll get any more sleep tonight, babe.”
“Your building’s entry doors—front and back—are going to be replaced either tomorrow or Monday, and until then, I don’t want you staying there another night.”
She straightened in her chair, resistance stiffening her muscles until reality kicked in. Even with her security measures, the prowler had managed to gain access. “Good point. I’ll call Jinx.” Any discussion on enhanced security to her building could happen tomorrow. Right now she sensed Seth was holding onto his control by a thin thread. The same one she was clinging to as well.
“I’ll be there as early as I can tomorrow morning,” Seth assured her.
“But you had meetings lined up for Sunday morning.”
“Meetings can be rescheduled. You take priority.”
Tears pricked the back of her eyes. She blinked against the burning sensation and cleared her throat. “I’ll text you Jinx’s number just so you have it on hand. But I’m not leaving until I find out what’s happening with Nitro.”
“Fair enough. I’ll be phoning Nitro and Ryan myself to say thanks. And Adam was contacting Dillon after me, so don’t leave until he’s there to drive you to Jinx’s place.”
She relaxed in the chair. Heath had been wonderful, no doubt about it. But Dillon she knew the best out of all Seth’s brothers and was the most comfortable around. And right now, that counted for a lot.
The paramedics started to pack up. At some point, a gurney had been wheeled into the living room. Heath nodded at her phone and pointed to his chest. “Handsome, I think Heath would like to talk to you, and the paramedics are taking Nitro with them, so I need to see if he’s okay.”
“Right. Call me when you get to Jinx’s place.”
“I will.”
“I won’t be happy until I’m holding you, coffee girl.” The phone did little to hide the gruffness in his voice.
Hers wasn’t much better. “I know, handsome. Me too. Speak to you in a bit.” She handed the phone to Heath, and went over to Nitro who was now lying on the gurney. Behind her, she heard Heath’s voice as he reassured Seth she was okay. But her concentration was focused on the somewhat bedraggled figure in front of her. “Look at you.” She gestured to Nitro’s bloodstained gray T-shirt and bandaged head. “My hero.” She bent down and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, honey.”
“All in a day’s work, babe.” He gave her a crooked smile.
“You could have got seriously hurt.”
“The alternative was him attacking you. Besides, I had my trusty sidekick following behind.” He glanced at Ryan, who now wore a clean T-shirt over his jeans.
The doctor walked over and kissed Harper on the top of her head. She turned and hugged him. “Okay, my two heroes.” She glanced at both men. “Seriously, guys. Thank you.”
Ryan tightened his arms around her before taking a step back. “The paramedics need to get Nitro to the ER to check for a concussion. I’ll follow and bring his sorry ass home.” His expression turned serious, and his voice turned low, commanding. “I believe you’re calling Jinx?”
Wow, at some point Ryan had managed to turn all badass and she’d never noticed until now. Probably because she’d known him since he was in kindergarten.
She pointed to Heath speaking on her phone. “As soon as he’s finished, I’m calling.”
Ryan squeezed her shoulder. “Then we’ll get going. Phone me if you need anything.”
“Sure.” Harper gave Nitro’s arm a comforting squeeze. “Don’t forget you’re covered under the café’s health insurance.”
“That’s why I’m there. For the benefits.” Her head barista chuckled to himself as Ryan rolled his eyes.
“Idiot.” But one that she loved. And Ryan, too. They hadn’t hesitated to put themselves in harm’s way for her. Some families are chosen. She watched the paramedics guide Nitro, followed by Ryan, out of her apartment.
As Heath finished talking with Seth, Dillon rushed into the living room. His hair looked like he’d raked it with his hands multiple times, and his white T-shirt and jeans were rumpled. Likely dragged on in a hurry. “Harper.” He opened his arms and she walked into his hug. The comforting warmth conjured a fresh burn of tears, but again, she fought them back. “I’m so glad you’re safe, kiddo.” He kissed her forehead.
“Thanks, Dillon.” She stepped back, and tried her best to give a reassuring smile. And failed judging by the way his brow creased. “I need to call Jinx and get dressed. Give me a few minutes, okay?”
“Of course.” He moved aside so she could pass.
Once in her room she rang Jinx, whose sleepy greeting soon gave way to threats of violence against the long gone intruder. Jinx said she’d have a glass of wine ready for her bestie upon arrival.
By the time Harper dressed and gathered up Mal and his gear, the adrenaline rush that had kept her going over the last thirty minutes had waned. It took two attempts with her shaking hands to close the zipper of her overnight bag.
Mal had picked up on her fear, turning skittish and putting up a fight getting into his cat carrier. “Come on, baby. We’re having a sleepover at Aunty Jinx’s. It’ll be fun.” The kitty blinked through the plastic grid, his plaintive meow telling her he wasn’t convinced all was well.
Dillon insisted on doing a walkthrough of all the rooms, checking the locks on windows as she waited in the living room. Meanwhile, Heath finished with the two remaining officers.
The big detective told her that officially her case would be passed to another detective who was on his way, and would contact her. Darn, she hadn’t even thought about Heath being stuck on desk duties or that from what Seth had shared he worked in Homicide. A crime team would dust for prints on the back entry door, but considering the guy had worn gloves he wasn’t hopeful. He gave her a hug, reassuring her he’d lock up her apartment. He was waiting for Adam, who would, no doubt, inspect every inch of her apartment and the entry points of her building.
After thanking Heath again, she was grateful for Dillon’s steady arm around her shoulders as he led her and Mal to his SUV parked out front. Forty minutes later, and two glasses of wine down, she was curled up in the bed in Jinx’s spare room, Mal fast asleep at her side.
She envied the kitten’s peacefulness, wishing she could banish the troubled thoughts in her head. The memory of Nitro fighting off the prowler played in her imagination like a scene from a scary movie set on repeat.
At some point, exhaustion took over. Her last thought was of Seth and the comfort of knowing he’d be back later that morning tempered by the sobering truth that whomever invaded her privacy was still out there, watching.
****
Seth tossed the notepad on his desk and leaned back against the high-backed chair. Friday already. Thankfully, the weekend stretched out before him.
Christ, what a week. Last Sunday had been a rush of rebooked flights and breaking the speed limit to reach Harper. They’d stayed at his place that evening after a visit to her apartment to pack a bigger bag and spend some time at the café. Adam had already organized new entry doors to be fitted Monday and Tuesday.
Harper had been cool and not complained about his older brother’s taking charge, but after her witnessing Nitro being attacked, Seth guessed that when an expert on security spoke, she was going to listen.
He turned his head sideways, the black leather cool against his face. His gaze skimmed over the view of downtown Seattle, with its mixture of buildings and busy streets.
The weekdays had flashed by as the countdown to the sale of his business drew closer. Just over a week to go. But the nights… He smiled to himself, remembering the way Harper’s body yielded to his, had trembled with her pleasure, and the way her cunt gripped him with a hard, hungry need that tested the limits of his control and endurance. And they’d cuddled afterwards. He’d never been a man who left a woman immediately after sex. But with Harper, his desire to linger went deeper. The impulse to hold her tight, to comfort, and run his hands over her damp skin was a compulsion he couldn’t deny himself.
She and Mal had ended up staying at his apartment Sunday through to Wednesday morning, with him dropping her off at the café early each day, and either him, or if he was busy, Dillon or Heath bringing her back to his apartment in the evening. Call it overkill, but he didn’t want her walking in that back alley behind her building on her own. Not with the bastard still on the loose.
So far, Heath had drawn a blank on Harper’s intruder. The guy had left no prints, no DNA. The goddamn mask ruled out another avenue of identification.
Thankfully, Nitro and Ryan agreed with Seth’s precautions, backing him up during a somewhat heated discussion Sunday afternoon. They’d visited the boys’ apartment, Harper taking up a basket of fried chicken with potato salad she’d cooked in the café’s kitchen. Couldn’t have the wounded heroes starving, Seth remembered with a grin. The blue-haired barista had even put on a fake groan as Harper served out his meal, ruined when Ryan kicked him in the leg as he laughed.
And hadn’t that earned the future surgeon a glare from Harper.
Seth had wisely kept his snort of derision to himself.
Unfortunately, once she’d entered her apartment Wednesday, Seth had been bogged down with meetings and planning groups for the investigation and sale. A quick phone call here and there was their only contact.
But not tonight. He allowed himself a smile. This evening, Harper was staying over. Seth had cleared his schedule. Tomorrow they were spending a few hours at Heath’s for a family barbecue. The catch-up would also serve as another chance for Adam and Heath to update everyone on their investigations.
“Hey, you heading off soon?”
Seth swiveled his chair back to the front. Dillon walked forward, hands in the pockets of his dress pants.
“Yes, I’m picking up Harper in an hour. She’s spending the night.” In his bed. He couldn’t wait to wrap her in his arms, her body limp from a good fucking, and her mind free from worry. “And bringing the kitten. I swung by a pet supply store on my way in this morning and got a bunch of cat stuff, including a bed.” It would save Harper dragging Mal’s gear from her apartment to his. Tell the truth, he’d enjoyed picking out items with the help of a young salesgirl. He hadn’t had a pet in his life since Aurora’s sweet old lab, Abraham, had passed a few months before his mistress. And the chocolate lab had been his first and only experience taking care of an animal.
Considering the bags of kitty paraphernalia sitting in his car, he likely had enough to start his own rescue shelter.
“Hey, you take the woman, you take her kid, too,” Dillon teased.
Seth chuckled. “What are your plans for tonight?”
“I’m taking Joanne to that new Spanish place in the University District.”
“Ah, Joanne. The blonde architect from level eight. This is the second date, right?” Good to see his brother taking a break. Dillon’s commitment to catching the imposter and getting the sale of their company back on track was equal only to Seth’s, Heath’s, and Adam’s.
“Yeah,” Dillon said with a satisfied smile. “Are you bringing Harper to Heath’s barbecue tomorrow? It’d be a good chance for her to get to know us all in more relaxed surroundings.”
Considering most of her interactions with his brothers had been drama filled, a barbecue would seem boring by comparison. “She’ll be there.” She’d even baked some treats apparently. No store-bought cakes from his coffee girl. “What about Joanne? You going to risk two dates in two days?”
Dillon snorted. “Let me convince her to like me first before I scare her off with my brothers.”
Good point. And speaking of future goals…“What are you going to do when the sale goes through?” Seth had asked him before, but Dillon had always brushed him off, saying such talk jinxed any sale. But now that they were two weeks out, regardless of the price, the sale would happen.
“I want to go away somewhere remote, a ranch, some place where nobody knows me.”
“That’s…surprising.” Seth raised his brows. “I thought maybe you’d use your share of the sale proceeds to start up your own management consultancy business.”
Dillon shook his head. “I liked being in business with you. Now I want to try something different.” He lifted his chin toward Seth. “What about your plans? I’m guessing you got a couple of offers while you were away.”
“A few, but since they’re in similar fields to what I’m doing now, and the sale contract prohibits that kind of work for two years, they won’t amount to anything.” He glanced off to the side. “The truth is, I don’t know what I want to do next.” Spending time on a tropical beach somewhere was okay for a holiday, not a career. For the last few years all he’d thought about was building up his company to sell, making it a success and proving himself to his family. After that?
Who knew?
After four years of working so hard toward his goal, the idea of moving on and finding something new left him feeling empty.
His phone beeped. After a quick check, he grinned at Dillon. “Harper got off early and copped a lift from Jinx. She’s coming up now.” He rose to his feet and grinned. “With her kid.”
Dillon chuckled as he stood. “I’ll leave you to it, bro. Have a good evening.” He sauntered out, raising a hand at Seth’s farewell.
He patted his back pocket to check he had his wallet and grabbed his phone. Everything else was still in his car in the building’s basement parking garage. The elevator’s bell dinged just as he entered the reception area. Harper was weighed down with an overnight bag in one hand and Mal’s carrier in another. The strap of her tote bag sat on her shoulder and dragged the wide neck of her orange top off kilter. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but one large strand of hair kept falling in front of her eyes despite her attempts to blow it out of the way.
She looked fucking adorable as ever, and her face lit up when she spotted him. “Hi, honey.”
He stalked forward, grabbing the large canvas carryall out of her hand and dumping it beside her. “Harper.” Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her close and kissed her. Her scent—that feminine summer flower smell that he’d come to associate only with her, filled his senses. He burned to drink up all that was her and not let go. Only the sound of the phone ringing at the reception desk behind them kept him from deepening his greeting. When he lifted his head, he grinned at the blush on her cheeks. His woman was in no doubt he was happy to see her.
A soft cry from the carrier announced someone wasn’t so pleased. Seth reached for the plastic box and lifted it so Mal was at his eye level. The kitten pranced to the mesh gate and squished his little face close, so that a tiny nose pushed through a square. “G’day, Mal.” The kitten cried, and wrapped a tiny paw around one of the plastic slats in the mesh. “I get you want out, mate, but give us a bit longer and we’ll have you running around at my place. Promise.”
“You three look so freaking cute together.” Megan’s voice came from behind.
Seth turned and smiled at the receptionist. Wearing her blue hair in a beehive and sporting horn-rimmed glasses, she was
all stylish geek today.
“Harper, I think last time you were here you weren’t properly introduced to Megan.”
“No, she was determined to find your office.” Megan smiled at Harper and extended her hand. “Nice to finally meet you.”
Harper gave a sheepish grin and accepted Megan’s handshake. “I was a tad single-minded.” She laughed and waved to the kitten. “This is Mal.”
“Mal?”
“Captain Malcolm Reynolds to be exact.”
“Epic,” Megan said with approval.
“Mal from Firefly.” He’d loved that show. Wanted to kick the networks arse every time he watched it on Netflix. One shortened season? Idiots? He turned to Megan. “How can you not like this woman when she names her cat Mal?”
“Indeed.” The receptionist agreed just before she answered an incoming call.
“Ready to head out?” Seth picked up her canvas carry all in his free hand.
“You bet.” Harper adjusted the tote on her shoulder as the elevator bell sounded.
Right on cue.
He looked down at Harper. She met his gaze, hers shining with the same anticipation he felt as they prepared to leave the building.
The elevator doors opened and Seth faced front.
And froze.
A face, so similar to his own, stared back at him.
Tall, much taller than he should be. A black leather jacket instead of a T-shirt and scruffy shorts, muscular instead of skinny. He looked at the face again—it was. Really was him.
Seth’s breath locked in his lungs until his chest burned. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t move.
“Hello, Seth.”
That voice, now older, rougher than he remembered, sounded strong, confident.
Harper squeezed his hand. “Seth?”
The man’s gaze moved to Harper and then back to Seth. The man remained silent. Waiting.
Waiting for Seth to speak.