Hot Set

by Ivy Blake

  “Don’t worry. They’re both downstairs,” I said.

  I carried her into the spare bedroom of their home and laid her down. She wasn’t fucking sleeping in a room with a busted window. Her parents must be insane. It was like they didn’t give a shit at all what happened to her, as long as it didn’t affect them in any way. I set Harper on the edge of the bed before I peeled back the covers, helping her climb underneath them. I scanned what parts of her body I could to make sure she wasn’t hurt, then I bent down to kiss her forehead. She smiled up at me with her sweet little smiles, and I watched as the freckles that dusted her nose crinkled with delight.

  Then, I turned off the light and shut the door behind me.

  “What’s going on?” Ryan asked.

  I looked up at him with hard eyes as he held blankets in his hands.

  “Your daughter’s window is busted. Her floor is covered in glass. She’s not sleeping in there. It’s not safe.”

  Then I stood with my back to her door as I clasped my hands in front of me. I hung my gun between my legs, readying it in case another threat came our way. Ryan’s eyes were casing me, studying my body and the way I held myself. I watched as Harper’s mother made her way to the room so she could begin vacuuming up the glass.

  There was something unnerving about the way Harper’s father was staring at me. And it only solidified what I knew I had to do.

  I had to find out who was threatening Harper, then I had to get her the fuck out of this house.

  Chapter 17

  Harper

  Within the span of ten minutes, there were motorcycles rumbling down the road. I peeked out into the backyard from the guest bedroom as people clad in Black Angels leather cuts were casing the house. Some were in the backyard, walking around where Cade and I had experienced one another. Had he told them about us? Was that why they were looking around?

  Some of them were searching the front yard while others were driving around the block. I was shaking with fear as they came in and out of the house. Some came upstairs and took a look around in my room. Some were climbing the outside of the house, trying to figure out the angle of trajectory to figure out where the brick was thrown from. I had my bedroom door closed so I wouldn’t have to see any of them. Every time one of them looked up and caught me in the window it frightened me even more.

  They searched and cased and patrolled for two hours, but came up empty-handed. My mother was a fucking wreck, and my father was secretly seething. He wanted to sleep. My father was a damn diva when it came to his sleep. He was probably cursing himself for even hiring them. They were keeping him up, and I knew all of us would pay for it in the morning.

  “Ryan, please just call the police.”

  “No, Patrice. The police are just going to go to the media.”

  “No, they won’t. That’s not what they do,” my mother said.

  “I’m not taking the chance. We’re too close, Patrice. Too close to the election to blow it over some shit like this.”

  “That ‘shit’ is a threat to our daughter, Ryan.”

  “She wouldn’t be a threat if she was pregnant, Patrice.”

  “It is not her fault,” my mother said. “Not by a long shot. Now you call the police or I’ll-”

  “What?” my father asked. “I would like to hear what you would do if I didn’t call the police. Having this leak in the media is what they want. Whoever this is, they want to ruin my campaign. But they’re not going to. I’m going to win this. If anything, to shove it in their face.”

  “Funny. I thought your campaign was supposed to be family-oriented,” my mother said.

  I heard a loud crack before my mother started to cry. I sat on the edge of my bed, listening to their conversation as I pulled the covers up over my face. My father was losing control. He was spiraling in his anger. Neither of them cared that they were standing outside my damn door, but I was shocked as to what I just heard. Maybe they forgot I was in here or maybe my father really didn’t care that much.

  Either way, it showed me exactly how much of a shit my father gave about me. And it was only a matter of time before he treated my son with the same amount of disregard. My heart hurt listening to them talk about me, but my heart was riddled with fear when I heard him hit my mother. My father had been many things, but I’d never once seen or heard him hit anyone.

  Until now.

  I hunkered down into the covers and pulled them over my head. I heard motorcycles riding off into the distance, leaving me here with the likes of a man who was on a rampage. I tried to blink my tears away as I sniffled, trying my best to keep myself grounded. Everything I experienced my child would experience as well, and I wanted to be strong for them.

  For him.

  The house quieted down, and soon my parent’s snores were filling the house. I could hear someone walking around downstairs, and it comforted me to know Cade was there. I thought about how he would perch himself outside my door. Or maybe he would come in and sit in the chair across from me. Maybe he would take another chance and slip underneath the covers and hold me close to him.

  I was able to close my eyes and slip off to sleep, blocking out the thunderous crack that kept echoing off the corners of my mind. I dreamt of Cade and how we would ride off into the sunset. How we would stuff my things into the cargo container of his motorcycle so he could whisk me away from this place. I thought about his body. How good it felt to be against his warmth again. I thought about how his hands gripped tightly onto me and how those same hands cupped my stomach with a gentle, protective nature.

  But I was startled awake again by a sound I couldn’t quite describe. A sliding sound, like wood on wood. My eyes fluttered open as my heart began to slam against my chest, my hands gripped the covers tightly to my body.

  “Cade?” I asked.

  “Who’s Cade?”

  The rough voice hit my ears before an arm clamped around my neck. I struggled against the grasp as they choked my windpipe. I tried to cry out for help as my legs kicked the bed, trying to make any sound I could to signal that I was in trouble.

  That, someone, had me.

  That they were going to kill me.

  “Night night,” the voice said.

  Then, a cloth came down around my face.

  Chapter 18

  Cade

  I met with the guys in the garden to see if they’d found anything. This shit had gone on long enough. Even though I told a lie to get us in here, there was obviously a threat directed at Harper. And that shit wasn’t gonna fly.

  “She’s fucking pregnant, you guys. This is serious,” I said.

  “I agree. Fucking around with pregnant chicks isn’t good,” Blade said.

  “I didn’t find a damn thing on the casing of the neighborhood,” Doc said.

  “Nothing in the garden,” Vex said.

  “And with the hole where it in the glass of the window, that brick had to come from from the street. Which means we’re dealing with a dude,” Ink said.

  “Or a very strong fucking woman. But my bet’s on a guy,” Blade said.

  “We gotta figure out what’s going on and who this person could possibly be. Which means we need to speak with Ryan,” I said.

  “I’ll go get him,” Doc said.

  I looked back up at the guest bedroom window that Harper was now in. She wasn’t at the window, but I knew he was scared. She had to be, with everything going on. We were stomping around her house and flooding her neighborhood with the loud sound of motorcycles. She was already on edge from our talk, and then a damn brick came through her fucking window.

  I honestly wanted to get her a doctor, but I knew I had to keep my distance for now.

  “What is it?” Ryan asked.

  “We gotta know everyone you’ve pissed off,” I said.

  “You mean besides people who aren’t voting for me?” he asked.

  “This is serious. Someone is after your daughter because of something you’ve said or done. Now be straight with us
. Who have you pissed off?” Doc asked.

  “Do you know how many death threats I get a day?” he asked. “I’m not trying to be difficult. It’s just that I’d literally be handing you over three hundred emails. And that’s just over the past four months. They pour in. People who think they can threaten my family and I and get me to stop with this election.”

  “Well, it’s getting personal,” Ink said. “We gotta have a place to start. Can you get us those emails?”

  “I’ve deleted them,” Ryan said.

  “Then go into your trash bin in your email, pull them out, and forward them,” I said.

  Ryan’s eyes pierced mine, but I wasn’t backing down on this. He was acting like this was just some fucking charade. We were going to go at this the same way the police did. Except we weren’t gonna fucking talk to the media.

  “Help us save your daughter, Mr. Thomas,” Vex said. “Otherwise, her blood’s on your hands.”

  “Her and that grandson of yours,” Blade said.

  My anger rose to high precipices hearing them talk like that. I balled my fists up at my sides as I loomed over Ryan. He wasn’t such a fucking hot-shot when he wasn’t behind his damn podium. He was a coward. An abusive, bullshit coward.

  “Where do you want the emails forwarded?” Ryan asked.

  “Print them out and hand them off to Cade,” Doc said. “He’ll get them to us.”

  “Print them off?” Ryan asked.

  “Is he serious with this shit?” Vex asked.

  “Fine, fine. I’ll print them off and get them to Cade tomorrow. Will you be around tomorrow? To protect Harper?” Ryan asked.

  “If you want me to be the one doing it, someone else needs to stay here and watch the house so I can get some rest. If you want me here, I can sleep on the couch,” I said.

  “I’ll stay behind,” Blade said. “I can perch on the roof and keep an eye out.”

  “The roof?” Ryan asked.

  “Just let us do what we do,” Doc asked.

  “Whatever, I’m going inside.”

  “That man’s a real piece of work,” Ink said.

  “He’s a dick,” I said.

  “We don’t have much to go on until we can get those emails. A brick and a letter, and none of it helps us. We don’t have handwriting or anything of that bullshit to go on. The only thing we can do right now is guard them with the family in the house,” Doc said.

  “You thinking of cooping them up?” Vex asked.

  “That won’t work with a pregnant woman. She’ll have doctor’s appointments and shit,” Blade said.

  “That’s what Cade’s for. Blade, you’ll do night shifts with Cade. Vex, Ink, you guys’ll be with me during the day,” Doc said.

  “Sounds good to me,” I said. “I’m gonna go check on Harper.”

  “Who?” Blade asked.

  “The fucking pregnant daughter, man. Learn some names,” I said.

  “Sensitive Susan over here,” Ink said, grinning.

  “Going inside now,” I said.

  The guys began to drive off, and I heard Blade scrambling for the roof. I walked up the stairs and heard Ryan talking with his wife, but it wasn’t long before I heard a mighty crack. I rushed up the stairs and stood at the end of the hallway, my eyes taking in the scene before me.

  Ryan was hovering over his wife as she held her cheek.

  “There a problem?” I asked.

  They both turned and looked at me before Ryan stalked off to his room.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  I watched as his wife followed closely on his heels, not bothering to answer my question. That told me this wasn’t the first time he had hit his wife. I started wondering if he had ever laid his hands on Harper. I was shaking with anger. The thought of anyone laying their hands on her made me see all kinds of shades of red. They had been standing right outside the room Harper was in, and I could only hope she was asleep. So she didn’t have to hear her father crack his hand against her mother’s fucking cheek.

  I walked over to her door and stood there, listening to see if I could hear anything. But when all I could catch was silence, I decided to head back downstairs.

  Blade had his perch, and it gave me some comfort knowing he was there. I sat down on the couch, allowing myself to relax. I wasn’t ready to tell any of the guys about Harper and I. It was obvious they didn’t recognize her, and I had enough I was trying to field. Harper didn’t need any more stress, and I was worried that Doc might pull me from her detail if he knew how personally involved I was in all this.

  After about an hour, Harper’s parents were filling the house with their snores. It was insane what the two of them could crank out. There was no way in hell I was going to be able to sleep with that racket, so I decided to go check in on Harper. Make sure she was sleeping soundly so I could settle my fears.

  But just as I got off the couch, I heard Blade padding around on the roof.

  I knew that was a bad sign. I ran for the stairs and leaped up them, skipping as many as I could to get to her room. Blade was running along the roof now, which meant there was something he saw. I could hear the spit of his silencer going off, and it filled my chest cavity with fear. Something was going down. We had missed something, and it was about to cost us.

  I ripped Harper’s bedroom door open and saw her bed empty. The bedroom window was open, and I felt the blood drain to my toes. I went over to the closet and ripped it open, hoping this was just some terrible prank. That maybe Harper had tried to throw whoever the hell it was off her trail by making it look like she wasn’t in the room.

  “Cade! Cade!”

  I heard Blade’s voice trickle in through the window. I heard him running across the roof, making his way to Harper’s room. I watched him crash through the broken window and tumble onto her floor, shards of glass digging into his leather coat.

  “Where the fuck is Harper?” I asked.

  “Just one person. A man. Tall. Broad. Tanned skin and a thick beard. Very light blue eyes, scar wrapping around his throat. I couldn’t figure out if it wrapped all the way around his throat.,” Blade said.

  “Where the fuck is Harper?” I asked again.

  “With him,” Blade said. “Whoever the fuck that man is… he’s got her.”

  “Who’s got who?”

  I turned on my heels to see Ryan standing at the door with Harper’s mother in his arms. I dug out my phone as my eyes locked with Ryan, my gaze settling hard onto his as Doc picked up the phone.

  “Get your asses back here,” I said. “Harper’s been taken.”

  Chapter 19

  Harper

  My eyes ached as they fluttered open. My neck was sore, and it was hard to swallow. My jaw felt like it was on fire and my legs felt restrained. I tried moving my arms and wiggling my toes, but I was strapped to something. Panic rushed through my veins as I looked around the room.

  I was in a small apartment. No bigger than half of the downstairs of my home. I was in a wooden chair, duct-taped in my place and going nowhere. Tears began to form in my eyes as I whimpered. I had to pee. I was thirsty. My child was tumbling around in my stomach, and I couldn’t even guard him from attacks. I tugged at the tape on my wrists and jumped around in the chair, but soon I heard footsteps falling.

  I whimpered as a large man in a ski mask appeared.

  “Well, well, well. Look who’s up.”

  My jaw quivered as I tried to block everything out. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. The guys were watching out for me. Cade was looking out for me. This was just a terrible nightmare, and in a moment I would wake up in my own bed.

  But what if it wasn’t a dream?

  “Help! Somebody help me! Please! Anybod-!”

  The man in the mask cracked his hand against my cheek. The thunderous sound was painfully reminiscent, and tears began to fall upon my cheeks. I had been taken. Holy fuck, the men that were threatening me had captured me. How was that possible? Wasn’t there a guy on
the roof? Cade had been downstairs, right?

  Or had it been them all along?

  “I’m pregnant. Please,” I said, whimpering.

  “Then if you want your baby to live, you’ll do what I say.”

  “Okay. Okay, I swear. Just… just don’t hurt us. Please.”

  My cheek was swelling, closing the bottom portion of my eye. Tears were falling upon my skin like raging waterfalls as something was pressed to my ear. It was a phone, and it was ringing. My eyes darted to the man in front of me as I took in all I could think about him. His tan skin and his light eyes and his lopsided smile with his yellow fucking teeth.

  I wanted to rip the tape right off my hands and clock him square in his jaw.

  “Hello?”

  “Daddy?” I asked.

  “Harper? Harper! Is that you!? Where are you? Who has you?”

  “That’s not what I told you to say!” the man yelled.

  He ripped the phone from my ear as I struggled against the restraints.

  “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I just didn’t know who you were calling, I’m sorry.”

  I sobbed as I bowed my head. The man was looming over me, showing me that he was in control. That he was the dominant one. Thoughts of Cade swirled around in my head. How I had felt so safe with him. Protected with him. I had been an idiot to think I was truly safe with anyone. With any man who declared some sort of love for me. My father told me he loved me, but he loved me for what I could give him.

  And now, I had been taken right from underneath Cade’s nose.

  “Let’s try this again, you little slut,” the man said.

  “Harper? Harper! I swear to fuck if you harm a hair on my daughter’s little-”

  “Hello, Ryan,” I said.

  I was reading the prompt cards in front of me as a shiver ran down my spine. They weren’t serious, were they?

  “Harper, where do they have you?” my father asked.