Page 9 of The Secrets We Share

“Don’t fuck that shit up, Harkin. That girl loves you, but knowing her, she’s waiting for you to say something before she tears down that final wall.”

“Enough about my love life. What the hell is going on with you and Stacey?” I pry.

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit. You showed up here with her.”

“She wouldn’t stop hounding me about Keira,” he tries to justify.

“And the tension between you two? The firm hand?”

“Nothing’s happened,” he says again, a little less confident.

“Yet,” I mumble, but he doesn’t argue. I leave it; what he does and who he does it with are none of my concerns. But Stacey is a handful. I’ve seen it firsthand.

“Do you have any leads on where my father is being held?”

“Nothing’s popped up yet, but I hope your mom’s hiding something. If it’s Domenico, he likely gave her instructions that she can only share with you. But since you’ve been MIA?—”

I cut him off. “You should have told me. I could have reached out from Colorado. It would have been no different than calling from here. You fucked up.”

“I needed to sort some shit before you risked your location. But now that it’s compromised, the timing is better.”

The doorbell rings throughout the house and into the backyard. James and I are on our feet, rushing through the office and down the hall, past the kitchen and into the entryway.

Both girls stand at the door, arms weighed down with takeout bags, staring at us with amused grins.

“Dinner?” Stacey finally breaks the tensions rolling between the four of us. She passes, and James is on her trail.

Keira slides up next to me. “It’s fine, Harkin. They left the bags at the front door, and I waited until they were in their car and gone to grab them.”

Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pull her to my side and drop a kiss on her temple. “You still should have waited for us.”

“You worry too much.”

“One of us has to.”

We dish out the Chinese food and settle in the living room. Turning on the TV, the news blares to life. I’m about to flip past the channel in search of a movie, but the story catches my attention.

“Greyson Global is facing a legal inquiry on five counts of money laundering. We were unable to reach the company’s spokesperson for a comment. However, a source tells us the company’s CEO, Scott Greyson, hasn’t been seen for months. Was he given a heads-up that this legal battle was on the horizon? Stay tuned as we follow the story as it develops.”

FIVE

KEIRA

Secrets - Omit, Ordell, Rock Jansen

All eyes swing in Harkin’s direction. His face looks ashen with disbelief as he sits there in silence. I grab both our plates and set them on the side table before his ends up on the floor.

“You still want to bet that life savings he was kidnapped?” he asks James, breaking the stilted silence.

“Everything might not be as it seems. Domenico has connections. Plus, when did you start listening to the news and believing the shit they spew?”

Harkin nods, jumping to his feet and walking toward the exit. Before he can make it, he turns back to the group. “Are you guys staying here tonight?”

“Just tonight. I rented us a place down the street, but I figured the girls would want some time together,” James says, as if said girls aren’t in the same room and can speak for themselves.

“There’s plenty of space. I’ll be in the office. I have some work to do.” Then he’s gone, and James quickly follows behind.

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