Page 78 of The Secrets We Share

“Shh, go to sleep.”

His lips caress my skin and disappear into nothingness as sleep claims me.

A harsh poundingand raised voices startle me awake. I groan, throwing off the sheet to climb out of bed. Rushing toward the sounds of breaking pottery, I stumble to a stop in the hallway. Harkin fights off two hulking men, resembling the muscle that brought us to my grandfather. I’m weaponless until my eye catches on the small glass decorative orb on one of the coffee tables. The previously useless home décor is heavy in my hand, and I lob it at the man with his back toward me.

“The fuck do you two think you’re doing in our home,” I yell at the meatheads trying to manhandle Harkin into submission.

The intruders, now distracted by my arrival, lose the upper hand of their two-on-one with Harkin. He launches a right hook and sends one collapsing to the ground. The other guy rushes him, forgetting I’m there in the hallway. Throwing my hands up, I shuffle back to the last bedroom, peeking inside to grab one of the many guns we have stashed around the apartment. They’re still fighting when I return; the one from the floor has regained his footing, and punches hurl through the air.

The apartment is decently soundproofed, but I doubt it’ll keep the neighbors from hearing a gunshot and sending the police. That leaves me with two options, send off a warning shot or hope that pressing the barrel to one of these asshole's heads is enough to cut the bullshit. I choose the latter, keeping the former in my pocket.

“I said, what the fuck are you doing here?” I yell, stepping up to one of the men trying to wrestle Harkin’s arms again and pressing the gun into the back of his head.

He stills, and the scene finally settles. I shove the gun harder into his skull, waiting for an answer.

“Listen, I’ve asked twice now. If you make me ask again, my finger might get a little twitchy, and then your friend over there is going to have to explain to my father or grandfather, whoever the fuck you two work for, why you didn’t come back with him. How about you don’t cause me more issues with them and answer the fucking question,” I bite out, sounding slightly more unhinged than the irritation I’m actually feeling.

Harkin chuckles, and the guy under my hand bristles. It’s the man across from us that finally speaks up.

“Your father sent us to collect Mr. Greyson to ensure today’s job runs smoothly. He said you weren’t needed.”

“Oh, did he now? And tell me, Frank, I can call you Frank, right?”

“It’s Nico,” he says, rocking from foot to foot.

“Great. Here’s what you’re going to do, Nico. You’ll call up your boss and tell him that Mr. Greyson isn’t going anywhere with you and that if my father needs someone to ensure this little scheme goes off without a hitch, he’ll have to take me instead.”

“Absolutely, fucking not,” Harkin roars. “You’re still recovering. You’re not going anywhere.”

“Listen to me.” I lock my gaze on his beautiful blue eyes. “If my father is going to take someone hostage, it’s going to be me. Don’t push me on this.”

I need him to let me go. My father isn’t likely to harm a hair on my head, but Harkin, I don’t trust the two alone in the same room. Once the job is done, he might get the idea in his head to eliminate the obstacle standing in his way of me joining the family. He’s delusional enough to think that would be the key tohis success when it’d be an excellent way to get himself removed from this planet.

“I don’t see you calling your boss like I said, Nico. Come on. I thought we were making progress.”

The man doesn’t have much of a backbone for the line of work he’s in. His partner shifts, and I shove the gun again, reminding him of its existence.

“Na uh, buddy. You just keep standing there and wait until we have word from your boss. How about that.”

He stops shifting, his hulking form a good eight inches over mine, and if I’m being honest, my arm is starting to ache from holding the gun up.

Nico finally moves, digging a phone out of his pocket and making the call. The call must ring for a while because he starts looking antsy before someone picks up and he can speak. They go back and forth, and a line of sweat beads on his brow. He clears his throat, muttering a “yes, sir,” before hanging up.

“Mr. Morelli has agreed to your terms.”

“Very well. Now, if you two will give me a few minutes to get dressed and grab the stuff I need to work, I’ll meet you in the parking garage in ten.”

Nico looks a little unsure if he should leave and possibly let me slip through his fingers. But I have no intention of going back on my offer. I just need a few minutes to reassure Harkin that this is what we need for the plan to work and to put on some pants.

THIRTY-FIVE

HARKIN

THE DEATHE OF PEACE OF MIND - Bad Omens

The moment she’s back within my grasp, I’m going to strangle the life out of her. I don’t care if her logic made sense, and this serves to give us a leg up. She should have let them take me instead. Her tracker cruises further from the apartment, and my skin itches as I watch the little dot inch closer to the docks.

I was on the phone with James the second the front door slammed shut in my face. This is a code red, and we’re onto plan B. He still hadn’t confirmed eyes on my father, but now that Keira’s out there, his safety and retrieval are falling down a peg on my list of importance.

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