Page 31 of Hidden Truths

“Hey Cal. Harlow just flew through here. She looked really shaken up,” the guard, Dean, says once he sees me. He’s already opened the gate.

“Thanks, Dean!” I yell, already pulling through and speeding towards my house.

Harlow’s car comes into view, parked sideways in the driveway like she flew in at an angle and ran out. I throw my car in park in the middle of my lawn and jump out, running towards my front door. I don’t even bother turning the car off.

“Harlow!” I call the moment I cross the threshold. “Cora!”

“Here! We’re here!” Harlow’s voice is strained as she comes rushing into the living room. She has Cora clutched to her chest. I run to them, anxiously checking them over, trying to figure out that terrified look in her eyes.

“What’s going on? What happened? Why wouldn’t you answer me?” I ask more harshly than I meant to, but she’s freaking me out.

“I-I-I’m sorry about the money,” she stutters out around the fat tears falling down her beautiful face.

“I don’t give a fuck about the money, Harlow. Why are you so scared?” I ask, more gently. I want to take Cora from her, just to assure myself she’s ok. But Harlow seems to need her more than I do right now, and Cora is asleep against her chest.

“Someone knows,” she cries. Then proceeds to tell me about some man that cornered her in a parking lot.

All I see is red. Rage that someone would do that to her and rage that Cora was even there at all.

“You threw a hissy fit and put my daughter in danger! What the fuck were you thinking? What is wrong with you?” I scream at her. I can’t contain it.

Harlow flinches back like I hit her, and Cora wakes up with a loud cry.

“I understand you’re upset, Callahan, but if you ever speak to my daughter like that again, it will be the last thing you do.”

I turn to see a furious Harrison Ray standing behind me with a disappointed Maverick.

“She put my daughter in danger!” I argue.

“My daughter was in danger!Mydaughter! She took your daughter to a store to get clothes. A very public store. Do not take this out on her!” The anger in his voice has me wanting to cower. Physically, I stand my ground, but mentally, I’m already trying to figure out how to apologize to Harlow.

“It was my fault, Dad,” Harlow says meekly, and that tone alone is what breaks me. Harlow is anything but meek. I put that sound there, and I hate myself for it.

“I have the security footage. Everyone sit down so we can watch it and you,” he says, looking directly at me, “you can find a way to beg for Harlow’s forgiveness.”

We all sit dutifully on the couch, Harlow choosing to sit on the opposite side of me, Cora still cuddled against her. Mav sits beside me, shaking his head.

Harrison pairs his phone to the TV and plays the footage. I watch as this man scares Harlow. I can see, even in the grainy picture, how scared she is. I watch as she puts herself between him and the door Cora is directly behind.

Harlow put herself directly between danger and Cora. I cover my mouth, but I can’t help the sob that escapes.

“Firecracker,” I say, looking over the woman I so poorly judged just minutes ago. She keeps her focus on the screen, and I can see the determination there.

Mav goes rigid next to me, causing my attention to swing back to the screen.

“Fuck,” I mutter.

“You know who that is?” Harlow asks.

“It’s my fucking dad,” Maverick answers, standing abruptly and pacing the room.

“Why would your dad be in the parking lot of a mall? In Massachusetts? He’s a Maine Senator.” Harlow asks.

“He keeps sending me emails asking if I’m done with my ‘little rebellion’ as he puts it,” Mav answers, running his hands through his hair. “He keeps saying I need to join the family business. He wants me in law school and in some political position. I’m an embarrassment to him as I am now.”

“You’re leaving out the part where he wants to arrange your marriage to one of his political allies’ daughters,” I add.

Mav snorts. “Yeah. There’s that too.”

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