Page 67 of Brutal Obsession

My heart heaves. More than an hour’s passed, but the organ continues slamming against my ribs like I’m still watching armed foot soldiers ambush the place where Harper works.

I don’t start to calm down until I’ve locked the motel room door, barricaded it, and checked all the windows and ventilation systems for security failures.

Harper watches me the whole time with wide-eyed alarm. The moment I stop moving, I know she’s going to ask me a hundred questions.

Not that she doesn’t deserve answers. It’s just that an hour ago, I didn’t believe I’d be alone in a bedroom with her ever again. Now that I am and I’m certain this is our last night together, my body aches with desperation to fuck her.

Who cares about anything else? Nothing else matters when her skin touches mine. That’s today’s lesson. I can wallow in my rage over my own weakness for this woman some other time. For the rest of my life, in fact.

Harper will return to a normal life that holds no place for me, leaving me behind with only anger for company.

When I return to the main room after splashing scalding hot water on my face and washing the cut on my arm, she’s standing beside the bed with her arms folded, like she hasn’t decided whether she’s staying the night with me or not. She probably hasn’t. This is my chance to convince her.

“The De Lucas have a grudge against Finn. They think he conspired to get their heir thrown in jail. Matteo De Luca, the last don…had Finn’s first wife killed.”

Harper listens intently. “What does any of this have to do with me?”

I utter the words the same way I would when giving a report back home. “Your dad had Riley step in and pretend to marry Finn, to save Shane and the rest of the family from embarrassment. So the De Lucas were after Riley since, as his alleged wife, they also want you.”

Harper’s hands fly over her mouth, her eyes rounding. “No, no, no, no. Not Riley.” She glances around the room like she’s lost before snapping to attention. “Where are Riley and Finn now? What happened? Did my dad force her to marry him?”

“No. They’re still in New York. Everything is okay now. But about a month ago, the De Lucas did come after them.” I was up close and personal for that particular clusterfuck. “They fucked up Finn’s arm pretty bad.”

Horror paints her face. “And Riley?”

I don’t think Harper needs to hear that these motherfuckers car-bombed her sister. Morale is already rough around here. “Riley’s fine. But Enzo knows you’re missing, and he wants to find you so he can use you as leverage.”

Harper’s huge sigh of relief fills the entire room with carbon dioxide.

The tension in my body won’t release. Not until Harper and I are back to okay. Or whatever fucking setting makes her thread her arms around my neck while I tongue her.

I’m hoping we’ve concluded this conversation, but I know that’s just wishful, lustful thinking when Harper’s brows pinch together.

“This doesn’t make any sense.” She shoves both her hands through her hair. “If the De Lucas are after me, why are you trying to take me back to Finn? The safest I can be is far away from him.”

She’s not wrong. But that doesn’t change the plan.

“I’m not trying to take you back to him.”

“You liar! I heard you on the phone with him, plotting to have me home in time. Admit it.” Her voice shakes. “My dad sent you here to drag me back to marry Finn for real.”

“No.” I force out a hard breath. “There are no wedding plans. Not for you, as far as I know.”

“What does that mean?”

All of a sudden, I’m hit with a severe case of cottonmouth. Based on how this conversation has gone, plus her actions over the past two months, Harper has no interest in marrying Finn.

I don’t think, anyway.

If I read her wrong and she bursts into tears when I tell her that she won’tshe be marrying him, I’m going to lose my shit.

“It’s about Riley.”

She inhales. “What about Riley?”

“Your sister and Finn fell in love or some shit while covering for your ass. They’re a thing now. I don’t know all the details, but…” I shrug.

Harper blinks. I brace myself for a barrage of questions, but instead, Harper flies to the bedside table left of the mattress.

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