Page 12 of Love, Honor, and Ink

Chapter Four

Punching his brother in the face wouldn’t solve his problems.

Maybe if Harper kept chanting that in his head, he’d be okay.

It’d been three weeks since he’d last talked to his brother and he still wasn’t over it. Sure, Ari wasn’t planning on marrying the guy and never had been, but that didn’t make it right. His brother had had the audacity to go along with Arianna’s father’s plan, and that made Harper want to beat something. He and Ari hadn’t even talked about it.

No, it was just something they brushed under the rug.

Justin didn’t matter to her, and from the look on her face whenever Harper tried to move a little closer, take the next step, he wasn’t sure he mattered the way he wanted to either. He couldn’t blame her or even be angry about it. She had a right to her feelings, and he needed to get over it.

He shook his head. Nope, he wasn’t going to think about that right then. Instead, he’d go get coffee with his dear brother since the bastard had asked. Normally, Harper wouldn’t be caught dead with the man, unless it had something do with beating him senseless, but this time, Harper had agreed to the meeting.

First, he wanted to make sure the smug man knew that Ari couldn’t be bought. She’d walked away from Justin and Xavier, ready to move on with her new business. Or, at least, she was ready now.

Second, he needed to know if Justin had any tricks up his sleeve. Harper wouldn’t put it past his brother to find another way to get Ari.

Ari was worth fighting for—something Harper had known all along. She might not believe it of herself, but she was at least beginning to. He’d make it his mission in life to ensure she understood her worth.

And that he’d be by her side for all of it.

He let out a breath, trying to clear his thoughts of Ari and everything that he’d been holding back for far too long. Right then, he had to worry about his pain in the ass brother, not about the woman who he’d have to fight for.

With one last shake of his head, he got out of his truck, slamming the door behind him. Apparently, he had a little extra adrenaline rushing through his veins. He needed to get a handle on it before he met Justin. He really didn’t want to spend a night in lockup for beating the shit out of his brother.

Not that once the police got to know Justin they’d charge Harper—Justin was a fucking menace—but Harper’s brother was the type of guy to cry foul and whine about it until Harper was locked behind bars.

Fucking prick.

Okay, so that train of thought wasn’t helping his temper.

Harper went in and ordered his caramel macchiato since Ari had gotten him addicted to the damn things. As it was, he had to add an extra mile to his morning runs to burn them off, but it was worth it. Ari did yoga and sometimes ran with him to burn off her excess sugar, and he’d gladly give her more caramel so she could run beside him in the mornings.

Harper closed his eyes and groaned.

Okay, he really needed to stop sounding like a lovesick fool. He was starting to annoy himself, let alone others around him. Thankfully, he usually only thought it and didn’t act out his feelings. Having him trail behind Ari with a hangdog expression probably wouldn’t endear him to her in any fashion.

When his coffee was up, he took it and sat at the corner table so his back was to the wall. He wanted to see Justin come in and make sure he was near an exit. It never hurt to be too careful with the bastard. He wasn’t sure there was ever a time he and Justin had gotten along as kids. Even when they’d been younger, Justin had pushed at him, literally and figuratively. He’d lied and whined to get what he wanted, and eventually, became the man Harper despised. When Justin had ended up working with Ari’s father, Harper had almost walked away from it all—and her—before trying to find a new job and a new life outside of Denver. But he hadn’t been able to give up on his best friend, knowing she would need the support to work how she did with her father and Harper’s brother.

If he’d left Denver, maybe everything would have been different, and he wouldn’t be the man he was today. But he’d be a whole lot emptier. Denver was his home. He loved the mountains, the air, the fact that the weather never stayed the same throughout the day. He had roots here and had made himself a home. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Ari had worked with Justin, he’d have completely cut the ties that bound him to a man he couldn’t respect.

And hopefully, once he figured out if Justin had other plans up his sleeve, he could walk away completely.

He sipped his drink and lifted a lip in disgust as Justin walked in. His brother’s gaze landed on him for a brief moment before dismissing him and walking over to the barista. Harper rolled his eyes, used to the way Justin treated him.

According to his brother, Justin was the suave one, the businessman in an expensive suit. He had important contacts and knew how to get ahead in his world by having his lips firmly attached to the nearest ass that got him places. He wasn’t a wedding planner, but a business mogul who moved people and contracts around like chess pieces. Of course, without Ari there to do all the work—work she actually loved—Justin wouldn’t be anywhere.

Harper, in contrast, was the blue-collar worker who didn’t want to own his own business and worked in manual labor. Or so Justin saw it. In Justin’s eyes, Harper was one step above a trash collector. Though without that trash collector, Justin would be living in his own filth, so Harper never really got too offended by it. And hell, Harper didn’t want to own his own business because he truly enjoyed what he did, and he wanted the freedom to spend more time using his hands without having to worry about paperwork. Montgomery Inc. took care of him, and he knew he’d be able to work with them for years to come once he finished this first site.

Harper got to live his dream, do what he wanted, and work with people he trusted. He wasn’t family by blood, but the Montgomerys tended to take in strays—even those that worked for them. He might not have his name on the door, but he sure as hell had a job he could live with for a long damn time.

He might get dirty and sweaty most days, but he also got to see his work with his own eyes and watch it start from a shell of what once was and grow into what could be—sometimes even making it better along the way. Harper had pride in his work and what he did on a daily basis. Justin only felt as if he’d made something of himself if he were surrounded by people that could ensure his greatness and advancement into the next phase in his career regardless of who he hurt in the process. The other man might work with weddings, but he also did his best to fit himself nicely into the pockets of the elite grooms and brides that came to Colorado for a perfect wedding. Harper wasn’t sure what Justin’s next grand scheme would be since he knew his brother didn’t want to “plan” weddings for the rest of his life, but whatever it was, it would be something the man wouldn’t have to work hard for.

Harper had no idea how the two of them had come from the same parents, but it was what it was. Nothing could change Justin, and Harper was beyond trying.

As long as the little prick stayed away from Ari, that was all Harper cared about.

Justin strode toward Harper’s table, Americano in hand, and his perpetual sneer on his face. Dear Lord, Harper was afraid it would freeze like that if Justin didn’t smile every once in a while. Of course, those smiles usually had to do with Justin getting something he wanted by hurting someone in the process, so Harper should probably be grateful Justin wasn’t smiling at the moment.

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