Page 9 of Lethal Hearts

“The job’s done,” Harper said in a flat voice.

She looked at Mikhail and he gave her an encouraging nod. At present, they were both in his car. Mikhail had dismissed his driver, so it was just the two of them. Mikhail parked the car in a dubious back alley of a rough neighborhood.

“Done?” Don Juan sounded surprised on the other end.

“Yes, I accomplished the task you sent me to do,” Harper said, purposely rushing her words.

Juan quickly recovered.“I need proof.”

“Of course you do. I’ll send you a picture of his corpse but first I need someone to pick me up,” Harper explained.

While she told Don Juan the story she and Mikhail came up with, Mikhail opened a vial of fake blood and splashed it over his pristine white suit.

Harper didn’t know where he found the substance or how he acquired it so quickly. It didn’t look like a Halloween prop but something expensive, like the kind one used in horror movie sets. To complete the effect, he punched a hole in the left-hand side of his shirt to mimic a bullet wound.

“Let me get this straight. You managed to persuade Mikhail to go on a private drive with you, no guards, and you took him out right there and then?” Don Juan was saying.

“I convinced Mikhail I wanted some private time with him in the car,” she said stiffly.“Are you saying it’s hard for you to imagine I’m capable of seduction?”

“You did not give me the impression you were confident when we first met,” Don Juan said.

“Can you judge me? You were holding my father captive. Enough talking. Mikhail’s bodyguards would soon suspect something is up. Do you want the picture or not?”

“Send it,” Don Juan said.

Harper gave Mikhail a nod. Mikhail undid his seat belt and slumped in his seat. He tilted his head to one side and stared at her unblinkingly. Harper took the photo, shocked by how corpse-like and still Mikhail appeared. He’d agreed to some makeup beforehand, so he’d look pale. Harper sent Don Juan the photo.

Less than five minutes later, Don Juan called her again.“Well done, my dear. I truly didn’t believe you had it in you. I’ll be sending a driver to pick you up, and the corpse. I want to be certain it’s him. I hope you don’t mind,” Don Juan said.“Send me the address where you are right now.”

“Fine, but just hurry. Also remember our deal. Have your driver bring my father as well,” Harper said. Sweat dripped down her brow and for a second, she thought Don Juan would end up laughing and telling her he didn’t buy her act one bit.

“Very well. You’ve done me a great favor by killing my greatest rival. You can have your father, or what remains of him,” Don Juan said.

Before Harper could prod him further about his words, Don Juan ended his call. She looked at Mikhail, who was texting his men on the phone.

“It’s done,” she whispered after sending Don Juan their location.“I really hope he’ll fulfill his end of the bargain.”

“He will. Juan has no use for either you or your father now. My guess is that the so-called driver he’ll be sending is a hit man hired to take both you and Alfonso out,” Mikhail said.“I’ve informed my men. They’ll be closing in on our location soon.”

“I wouldn’t know what to do if I was on my own,” Harper whispered.

She was telling him the truth. Harper would probably be six-feet under by now, if Mikhail and she didn’t make that bargain. If she could save her father, then marrying him would be such a little thing.

“We’re in this together now, wife,” Mikhail said.

“I’m not your wife yet, Mikhail,” she reminded him.

“But you will be soon. No use arguing about labels,” Mikhail said with a shrug.

The next thirty minutes dragged on. Harper grew nervous by the minute but all Mikhail had to do was reach out and stroke her arm to calm her down.

Hearing the rumble of a car engine, Mikhail released her hand and resumed playing dead. Harper nabbed the vial and sprinkled the remaining fake blood on her top before getting out of the car. She wrinkled her nose. It smelled like real blood too.

“What is this?” Harper asked.

“Pig’s blood,” Mikhail answered.

Shuddering, Harper pretended to stumble out of the car. It was eerily silent in the alleyway but she knew Mikhail’s men had positioned themselves strategically around the area.

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