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"They were."
"At least that should make it easier, shouldn't it?"
"Yes, now we can narrow it down. I'll walk away now, so we can actually use you as bait.” His voice is hoarse. This is killing him. He bends down and kisses my cheek. "You have no idea how hard it is to walk away from you," he whispers in my ear. "I love you, Harper. Don't forget that." He stands tall and blows out a breath. “I’m sorry I got called away. I’ll see you later on.” This was part of my plan, but it still feels terrible hearing him say that.
He kisses my cheek and vanishes.
And I'm alone, in a crowd of people. This is a feeling I am quite familiar with.
When my brother walks in, I hold my head up high. The two men by his side look vaguely familiar.
I know them. They were his friends. I’ve seen both of their faces a hundred times as they came back to my family home over the years.
The man who assaulted me, who ruined me wasn’t hiding at all; he was under my nose the entire time.
I had no idea.
I don't even know which one it was.
Maybe they were both complicit.
I feel like I'm going to be sick.
Nikko is about an arm’s length away. I give him a quiet little gesture, even as my brother and his friends head over to me.
“You alright?”
“I know them.”
“Shit,” he mutters. “You still don’t want a drink?”
I shake my head. “Would love to change my mind, but no. I’m good.”
“I can stay?—”
“Go,” I hiss. Draw in a deep breath and square my shoulders.
When Nikko heads to a side table holding some canapes, my brother reaches me. "There you are.”
His two friends give me the once-over and nod. Marco Vittori has a shaved head and a ragged scar running down the right side of his face, along with coal-black eyes. His buddy Leonardo is not quite as tall and much leaner. He looks away when I look at him.
I give my brother a tight-lipped smile and nod. “Saul. How are you?”
“Oh cut the shit, Harper,” he says in a low voice, as he scans the room. “You can dress up all you want, but I know who the fuck you are.”
My smile broadens because I know who the fuck I am, too. “Where did you all go? Aleksandr went to pay you a visit and found the home vacant.”
He can’t hide the look of panic in his eyes.Yeah, that’s right, asshole, my scary-as-fuck husband came looking for you. Better be on the lookout.
He covers up his fear with a shrug.
"I have no idea. I haven't been home in a month. I had shit to do. Think I want to hang around with Mommy and Daddy?" One of his buddies laughs, and a chill skates down my spine. I know that laugh. I know that fucking laugh. And when I look again at Leonardo, and he looks back at me… I see my daughter’s eyes.
My blood runs cold. Against everything in me, I reach out a hand and lean in, lowering my voice. “Leonardo, isn’t it? So glad you could come. Gentlemen, please excuse me.”
I turn away and tamp down the nausea in my belly.
I text Aleksandr.
