Page 31 of Queen of Blades

They blended in with the distant neighbors—like they wanted to.

Finally, his brother cleared his throat. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Paul answered honestly.

Eddie nodded. “Dad’s got your back on this.”

Paul shifted his jaw back and forth as he considered those words. “He shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

Paul should’ve never acted on the bounty. “Ignoring the price on her head would’ve been best for the family.”

He didn’t want to get into how Harper was his Achilles’ heel. She always had been. His brother was smart. It was beyond clear. He didn’t have the self-control necessary to restrain himself with her.

Years ago, when he was in his twenties, everyone chalked it up to youth. He didn’t have that excuse in his thirties. She was his weakness. He should’ve let someone else take her out. If for no other reason than she couldn’t be used against him. Men like him couldn’t have people in their life, especially women, who meant anything to them. It was dangerous for everyone involved.

“I mean, we were all kind of shocked you wanted the job so bad, but we know.”

Paul furrowed his brow and stared at his brother. “Know what?”

“We get it,” Eddie said.

“What the hell are you talking about? Whatit?” If his brother didn’t start making sense, Paul would stab him in the neck with a dull stick off the ground.

Eddie eyed him as though Paul understood what he meant.

Paul focused on a rather long, kind of pointy twig on the ground.

“Are you trying to tell me you don’tget it?” Eddie laughed.

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about right now, and it’s pissing me off that you won’t just come out and say it.”

“Harper’s like…” Eddie waved his hands in the air, making some sort of weird circle gesture.

Paul just stared at him, void of any understanding.

“She’s your one.”

“One what?”

Groaning, Eddie slapped his hand to his forehead. “You cannot be this oblivious.”

“Could you just say what you mean?” Paul snapped. His patience was beyond thin.

Sighing, his brother rolled his eyes to the sky. “Okay, how about this? Put your hand in your pocket.”

Paul drew his brows together. “Why?”

“Just humor me.”

Tentatively, he slid his hand into the front pocket of his trousers.

“Is something in there?” Eddie asked leadingly.

“Yeah.” Where was he going with this?

“What is it?”

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