Deadly Forever
Hardy Brothers Security Book Twenty-Four
Lily Harper Hart
HarperHart Publications
Contents
Copyright
1. One
2. Two
3. Three
4. Four
5. Five
6. Six
7. Seven
8. Eight
9. Nine
10. Ten
11. Eleven
12. Twelve
13. Thirteen
14. Fourteen
15. Fifteen
16. Sixteen
17. Seventeen
18. Eighteen
19. Nineteen
20. Twenty
21. Twenty-One
22. Twenty-Two
23. Twenty-Three
Mail List
Acknowledgments
Books by Lily Harper Hart
Copyright © 2016 by Lily Harper Hart
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
1
One
“There’s my little hen.”
James Hardy grinned as he dropped a kiss on his wife’s forehead upon entering their house. It was the thick of summer, so he expected to find her floating in their pool – bathing suit optional, of course – but instead she was fully dressed and fluttering around the kitchen counter. Since he left work early with the intention of playing a few water games, her demeanor didn’t bode well for his plans.
For her part, Mandy Avery-Hardy merely rolled her eyes as she checked the contents of her purse. “If I’m a hen, does that make you a rooster?”
“That depends,” James answered, moving closer and exhaling on the sensitive ridge of his wife’s ear. “Do you want to go upstairs and let me crow?”
Mandy involuntarily shuddered at his sexy tone even as she steeled herself for a litany of complaints. She knew James came home expecting a little afternoon delight. He was going to have to find it with himself, though.
“You can crow to me later,” Mandy offered, disengaging herself from James’ hands as they drifted over her hips. “In fact, you can crow multiple times if you want.”
James stilled, narrowing one eye as he looked his wife up and down. She was a beautiful woman on a normal day, but she appeared especially pretty today. Er, to be fair, she seemed to be working overtime to be pretty today. James found his wife irresistible when she wore no makeup and dressed down. He didn’t mind it when she applied makeup, but he thought she was prettier in her natural state. Today she was all made up for … something. He couldn’t remember what, though.
“Oh, don’t blow a gasket,” Mandy chided, shaking her blond head. “I can see your mind working from here. You’re asking yourself if we had plans and you forgot them or something.”
“I am not,” James protested, making a face. That was exactly what he’d been doing, but he’d been married long enough to know that it was dangerous to admit anything of the sort. “I remember exactly what we’re doing.”
Mandy crossed her arms over her chest and locked gazes with her husband. “What are we doing?”
James licked his lips. He shouldn’t have made such an erroneous boast. She was going to catch him in a lie, and no matter how minor, he was going to look like an idiot when this was all said and done. He had no doubt about that. “We’re … going out to a special seafood dinner.”
James played a hunch. Mandy loved seafood and they enjoyed romantic dinners together. They went out at least twice a week. It was a safe bet.
“Oh, that’s sweet,” Mandy intoned, patting his arm. “It’s noon, though, and we usually go out to dinner after five.”
“Oh.” James owned Hardy Brothers Security, a security business in Southeastern Michigan, so he was understandably embarrassed by his guess. He should’ve realized it was far too early in the day for them to fixate on dinner. They were a very food-oriented couple, though. He was simply playing the odds. “Do we have a lunch date?”
Mandy pressed her lips together as she tilted her head to the side. She loved her husband beyond reason, but she was well aware she was about to irritate him. “I don’t have a date with you at all,” she replied, choosing her words carefully. “I have a date with someone else.”
James made an annoyed growling sound in the back of his throat and stared at Mandy, practically daring her to say she was going out with another man. He wasn’t overtly territorial – okay, he was, but not in an oppressive way – but he could tell his wife was about to spring something irksome on him. “Who are you going out with?”
“I’m going out with four someones.”
James rubbed his hand over his chin and then the corners of his mouth tipped up. “You’re going wedding dress shopping with Ally, Sophie, and Emma, aren’t you?”
Mandy matched him grin for grin and nodded. “We’re doing final dress fittings today,” she explained. “As the matron of honor for all three of them, I have a special dress, too. I even got to pick it out myself. I think you’re going to like it.”
“I like it best when you’re naked,” James said, guileless. “Can you be naked to do this important job?”
Mandy made an annoyed “well, duh” face that caused James’ heart to flip. He wanted to kiss her senseless and that’s exactly what he was moving to do when his wife slipped away from him.
“No way,” Mandy chided, wagging a finger as James scowled. “If you kiss me you’ll somehow convince me that going upstairs is a good idea and we’ll get naked.”
James wasn’t about to be dissuaded by his wife’s stern face. “You say that like it’s a bad thing, baby.”
Mandy loved his hangdog expression but she had no intention of letting him manipulate her. “You’re the one who suggested we do a triple wedding,” she reminded him. “We’ve got three grooms and three brides and instead of handling three separate shindigs, you’re the one who suggested one massive event. This is your fault.”
James shrugged. He couldn’t really argue with the assessment. His brothers Finn and Grady both got engaged to their girlfriends at the same time his co-worker and friend Jake Harrison proposed to his sister Ally. Since the idea of three weddings in short succession made James want to punch someone – or at least run away to a sandy beach until all of the planning was over – he suggested uniting the events.
At first there was a lot of complaining. Sophie Lane, Grady’s fiancée, didn’t want a big wedding. Emma Pritchard, Finn’s fiancée, didn’t have a lot of friends so she wanted an intimate affair. Ally Hardy, on the other hand, wanted to be viewed as a princess and wear an actual tiara. When James pointed out that he would be willing to foot the bill for a triple wedding, though, everyone jumped on board. Now the incredibly tight family was only days away from the big event – and it was starting to fray everyone’s nerves.
“I didn’t hear you complaining when I came up with the idea,” James pointed out. “You thought it was awesome because you’re the matron of honor for everyone and you didn’t want to go through three ceremonies any more than I did.”
“You came up with the idea to save yourself from being the best man three times,” Mandy countered. “Don’t deny that.”
“I would never deny that because it’s totally true,” James said, smiling as he finally managed to snag Mandy around the waist and draw her close. “We haven’t had a lot of time to
spend together over the past two weeks, though. I came home early because I thought we could swim naked together.”
Mandy was torn. She would like nothing better than to do exactly that. She had obligations, though, and she would never ruin Ally’s big day. Sophie and Emma would be more than happy to let her skate on the fitting. Ally, on the other hand, would pitch a righteous fit.
“I have to go to the fitting,” Mandy said, running her index finger down his cheek. “I promise to swim with you later, though.”
“Naked?”
Mandy didn’t want to laugh and encourage him, but she couldn’t help herself. “Definitely naked.”
“Good.” James pressed a sweet kiss to Mandy’s lips before separating. He was at a loss for what to do with himself now that Mandy had plans. They’d only been married for a little more than a year, but he’d honestly forgotten what he used to do to entertain himself before exchanging vows with his favorite person in the world. “Maybe I’ll take a nap. For some reason that doesn’t sound nearly as much fun now that I know there’s no chance of you joining me, though.”
Mandy barked out a laugh, delighted. “You need to plan your big bachelor party event,” she reminded him. “That’s coming up and you all need to agree on a venue.”
“We already know what we’re doing,” James said. “We’re drinking and playing cards. We might smoke some cigars, too.”
Mandy was understandably dubious. “Are you going to have strippers?”
James’ grin was impish. “Strippers are people, too, baby.”
“That wasn’t really an answer,” Mandy said as she checked the clock on the wall and realized she was running late. She rolled to the balls of her feet and kissed James’ cheek before separating from him. “You need to make your plans and arrange cabs or a limo to get you home so you don’t have to worry about driving.”
“I’m on it, wife,” James grumbled, tugging a restless hand through his hair. “You don’t need to be so bossy.”
Mandy ignored the dig. “And James? No strippers.”
James’ earnest expression was enough to melt Mandy’s heart … and resolve. “Baby, you’re the only woman I ever want to see naked. You don’t have to worry about strippers. You will, however, have to get naked for me after the party … and maybe even do a little dance.”
“Deal.”
THE WEDDING boutique was located in the nearby mall, and Mandy was the first to climb into her dress and walk onto the main floor to eye herself in the three-way mirror. After numerous disagreements on color schemes, everyone finally agreed a simple black-and-white affair would be best for everyone involved. That meant Mandy could pick out a black dress she would actually wear again, and she went with a simple shift that showed off her sculpted shoulders. It had a flowing skirt with a relatively high slit up the leg – it was almost too risqué for a wedding – but she loved the way she looked in the dress. She knew James would, too.
“You look beautiful.” Sally Jordan, the boutique’s head designer, smiled as she ran her hands over the lines of Mandy’s dress. “It fits perfectly, too. You look … amazing.”
“I was just thinking that my husband is going to love this slit,” Mandy said, pirouetting in front of the mirror. “I love the fabric, too. It’s shiny but not overpowering.”
“I’m happy with how it turned out,” Sally said, shifting her eyes toward the dressing room where Ally Hardy could be heard exclaiming loudly. “I wonder what her issue is now.” It took Sally a moment to realize she uttered the words out loud, and she offered Mandy a watery smile. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
Mandy took pity on the woman and rested her hand on Sally’s shoulder. “She’s just excited,” Mandy explained. “She’s been dreaming about a wedding for as long as I’ve known her – which is a really long time, mind you – and now she’s finally getting what she wants.”
“Her fiancé must be a saint.”
Mandy chuckled. “He’s got more patience than anyone I’ve ever met,” she confirmed. “He loves her, though. He wouldn’t change anything about her … especially her enthusiasm.”
“Well, at least she’s excited,” Sally said, taking a step back. “The other one in there … Sophie … doesn’t even seem as if she wants to get married.” Sally said the name “Sophie” as if she was trying to swallow something terrible.
“She’s the opposite of Ally,” Mandy explained. “She didn’t even want a wedding. She wanted to go to City Hall and plan for a big honeymoon instead. Her father wouldn’t allow that, though – she’s an only child – and Ally didn’t like the idea either. She doesn’t mean to be petulant. She’s simply not keen on being the center of attention.”
That was putting it mildly. Sophie Lane was a local newspaper reporter and she much preferred chasing stories to being one.
“Oh, she’s not going to be the center of attention,” Sally drawled. “Ally won’t allow that to happen. If anyone even looks at either of the other brides, Ally is going to poke out their eyes and drown them in the champagne fountain.”
Mandy snickered. She enjoyed Sally’s dry sense of humor. It couldn’t be easy dealing with three brides at the same time, and since the brides in question for this wedding were vastly different, it was like trying to walk cats on a leash to get them to do anything in tandem.
“It’s almost time for the big day,” Mandy said. “It will be over soon.”
“That’s the only thing sustaining me,” Sally teased, taking a step back. “As for you, this dress is perfect. You can change out of it and put it in the garment bag. When you go back to change into your street clothes, send out a bride.”
“Do you have a preference for which one?” Mandy asked, her eyes twinkling.
“Well, I’m not generally a glutton for punishment, but I would like to save the easiest bride for last,” Sally answered. “Send out the pouting one or the bossy one. They’re equally ulcer adjacent.”
Mandy had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing, and when she returned to the dressing room she found Ally futzing with her tiara in the mirror while Sophie reclined on an over-stuffed bench and stared at the ceiling. They were as different as two brides could possibly be.
“What are you guys doing?” Mandy asked, narrowing her eyes.
“Oh, that dress is gorgeous,” Ally enthused, running her hands over Mandy’s frock. “You’re going to look amazing. Are you going to wear your hair up or down?”
“Up.”
“Good choice.”
Mandy already knew that was Ally’s preferred hairstyle because they’d talked about it at length. Mandy wisely didn’t bring that up now, though. “Yes, I thought so,” she deadpanned, smirking when she saw Sophie’s bored expression. “Sally wants one of you two to go up next.”
“Sally only wants Ally or me because she’s saving Emma for last,” Sophie intoned, studying her stubby fingernails. “She thinks Emma is the dream bride and Ally is Bridezilla.”
Mandy had to swallow her laugh because Sophie was always dead on when it came to reading people. “What does she think about you?”
“That I’m like the Wednesday Addams of the group,” Sophie answered, not missing a beat. “I’m the morose and pouty one. Do you remember the movie where Wednesday was sent to the sunny summer camp and she got her revenge by using the irregular campers and threatening the bulk of the good kids with bows and arrows?”
Mandy nodded. “I liked that movie.”
“I did, too,” Sophie said. “I always thought that summer camp was for losers and wannabes. That summer camp is how I’m picturing this wedding, though. I’m going to start shooting people with arrows.”
“You’re a delight these days,” Mandy said, giggling. “You know that, right?”
“She’s a pain in the butt,” Ally countered, her eyes never leaving her reflection. “I think I look like a princess.”
This wasn’t the first time Mandy had seen Ally in her wedding dress, which was as overbearing
and large as her personality, but each time she did it took her breath away. Ally was the best friend Mandy would ever have. She was loving and loyal to a fault. Sure, she was a lot of work, but the best things in life always required dedication and energy. Mandy couldn’t wait to share Ally’s big day with her.
“You definitely look like a princess,” Mandy said. “Jake is going to cry when he sees you.”
“Oh, good, that’s what everyone wants,” Sophie deadpanned. “A crying groom should really liven up the festivities.”
Mandy could see why her attitude was chafing poor Sally. “You should go out there first,” Mandy suggested. “I think it would be best for everyone if we got your fitting out of the way.”
“One Wednesday Addams reporting for duty,” Sophie said, sighing as she pushed herself to her feet. Her spaghetti-strap dress was as simple as Ally’s over-the-top frock was ornate. “I want to get it done, too. In fact … .”
Whatever Sophie was about to say was cut short because Sally picked that moment to hurry toward the dressing rooms. She shoved Sophie back when the woman tried to enter the main floor of the store and her expression reflected distress.
“What is it?” Mandy asked, instantly alert. “What’s wrong?”
“The mall is on lockdown,” Sally whispered, her cheeks flushed. “We have to hide back here.”
“Lockdown … but why?”
“We only got a short message with the alert,” Sally said, licking her lips. “There’s a group of men in the mall … and they’re armed.”
Mandy exhaled heavily as she locked gazes with Sophie. “Well, this isn’t good.”
2
Two
“What are you doing back here?”
Grady Hardy looked up from his brother’s office desk and made a face as James strolled through the door. He tried to minimize the computer window he was working in, but James merely rolled his eyes when he recognized his brother’s actions for what they were.
“I don’t care that you’re playing Candy Crush when you’re supposed to be working,” James said. “As for why I’m back … well … my afternoon plans fell through. I figured I might as well get something done here since there’s nothing interesting to focus on at home.”
Deadly Forever (Hardy Brothers Security Book 24) Page 1