Page 8 of Queen of Blades

Which, of course, was a complete and total lie.

“It was before that babysitting gig,” Harper explained. “Either way, it doesn’t matter.” She squeezed his forearm and lifted her drink. “He’s afriend, and it’s good to see him again.”

“Yeah,” Paul agreed. “I never thought you’d come back to Oklahoma.”

When she took a sip of her honeybee, he didn’t miss the way the mirth in her eyes dimmed ever so slightly.

“Just as good as I remember,” she murmured.

Her words tickled his brain as he recalled how things had gotten complicated when they worked together. The memory tightened his trousers as his dick swelled ever so slightly. Wouldshebe as good as he recalled her to be?

“Well, you’ll have to blame our dad for that,” Remi grumped.

He arched a brow. What did Snoopy, their father and the current president of the Roughneck Riders’ Oklahoma chapter, have to do with anything?

Rolling her eyes, Harper swirled her drink. “It’s thelastfavor I’m doing for him.”

Remaining quiet, Paul figured that if he didn’t interfere, the women would continue, and he’d get answers to his questions without even asking them.

“I don’t even know why you bothered. It was fucking Diesel,” Remi sneered. “He’s an absolute douche.”

“Believe me, I’m well aware.” Harper swirled her drink.

“Exactly. Of all the people who could use your expertise, Dad calls in the favor for friggin’ Diesel.”

Lifting her chin and making her spine rigid, Harper sat straighter. “It’s thelasttime. I’m officially done acting as a defense attorney for the Roughneck Riders. As a prosecutor, I can’t keep running down here to bail him out. It’ll sully my name.”

To that, Paul nodded. It made no sense for her to come down here to begin with, but he wouldn’t question it. He may have known her for a short time, but he learned a lot about her. Of all her marvelous traits, her loyalty intrigued him the most.

Despite her career choices, and her aspirations, Harper still came through for her family when they asked. Diesel, her jackass of an ex, showed her no such respect. Yet she stuck to her word and came to his rescue. He didn’t deserve her. He never did.

“So.” Harper intruded on his thoughts and turned her body toward him. “What have you been up to?”

Again, distrust decorated Remi’s face. “Yeah.”

Fiddling with the edge of a napkin, Paul considered his words. “The family business is doing well.”

“I bet,” Remi snorted.

Harper glared across the table. “Stop it.”

He ignored her. “We’ve expanded quite a bit.”

“You’re out of the laundromat?” Harper asked.

Paul couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yes.”

“You’re a Ricci, right?” Remi asked.

He lifted his gaze and met hers.

“Remi,” Harper warned. “Don’t start.”

Holding his stare, her eyes, the same color as Harper’s, went cold. “Related to Eddie?”

“My brother.”

With a slight bob of a nod, Remi shifted her jaw left and right. “Chloe, my ex-girlfriend, worked for him for a while.”

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