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“That’s not happening,” Eric replies. “The end. No more conversation.”
“Eric—”
“No.”
I glance at Blake. “Blake,” I plead.
He just points at Eric. “What he says.”
“He’s desperate. My mother left me a message ordering me to call your father, Eric. I’ll call her back and convince him I really have turned against you.”
Eric rounds the counter and pulls me hard against him. “If he hurts you, I go to plan C and then you’re gone and I’m in jail the rest of my life. Is that what you want?”
“No. But why—”
“Because I said. And because I know how hardheaded you are, so that won’t be enough for you, I need you to trust me,reallytrust me. I’m protecting you.”
“I’m protecting you,” I counter.
“Iprotectyou,” he counters. “That’s just how it is.”
I laugh. “Really? Did you just take that caveman attitude with me?”
Blake whistles. “I’ll just get a bagel and pretend Eric’s not about to get his ass kicked by a hundred-and-ten-pound female.”
Eric releases me and faces the island, pressing his hands to the granite, and speaking to Blake. “Is your wife as bullheaded?”
“Worse,” he says, finishing off a bite of a bagel. “And she’s an ex-FBI agent who carries a gun.”
“I’d like to meet your wife, Blake. Maybe she can give me tips.”
“We walked right into that one,” Blake comments, disapproval in his tone.
“Ineed to buy us time,” I say. “He gave me twenty-four hours to make contact, and nearly eight are gone. He’ll have a move planned when I don’t show up.”
“He probably has a move already in play and it won’t take twenty-four hours for us to find that out,” Eric says, pushing off the counter and facing me again. “You haven’t called him. You haven’t called your mother. That tells him that you’re talking to me, not them.”
“Then I need to call him now.”
“What you need to do is listen to me.”
“Okay. Then I’m listening. What are you going to do, right now, to distract him?”
“What he doesn’t expect. What I never give him.”
“Which is what?”
“Me. I told you, Harper, this is all about me. He wants me.”
“You said he fears you.”
“Which means he needs to control me. He’s attempting to do so through you. He needs to know if he goes after you, he gets me.” He pulls his phone from his pocket and punches in a number. A moment later I hear, “It’s Eric. Let’s meet.”
My heart zips and zags.Is that his father?
“Your hotel room,” Eric says. “Yes, coffee in your hotel room works.” Eric disconnects. “I’m going over now.”
I catch his arm. “The last time you went you were attacked.”
