“Ask me to come back,” Maya said. Harper frowned.
“What?”
“Ask me to come back to Chicago. Ask me to drop everything and leave, right now, because I will do it. I’ll find Aleksander and tell him I changed my mind, and then I’ll run the whole way, not stopping for anything until I’m with you again.”
She spoke with no hesitation. As though it was the only possible answer to this situation.
“Are you serious?” Harper said.
“Yes. You only need to ask.”
Tempting, to say the least. Since this damn worry that had gnawed into her body was at its highest when her thoughts spun tales of Maya lying dead somewhere. Having her within line of sight would negate them.
Harper looked out the window. At the night city of Chicago sprawled out below. She closed her eyes, biting her lip.
“Then I won’t,” Harper said quietly. “It’s important that you’re out there. It has to be. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been handpicked by a literal King.”
“That doesn’t mean—”
“Please don’t. If you argue, I’ll cave and ask you to come back, and that won’t solve anything.” Harper smiled. “Be honest. Would the Chains be worse off if you left right now?”
Maya stayed quiet. Then chuckled. “I don’t want to be honest. I’ll sound arrogant.”
Harper laughed, the noise ending on a sigh. “Then we shouldn’t discuss it. Otherwise, we might say something we regret. But, if you don’t mind, you can double the updates. I’m kind of a wreck without them.”
“Only if you triple the phone calls. If I don’t have them, I’m kind of a wreck myself.” She cleared her throat. “Actually… Aleksander gave me an hour to myself. I know it’s late, but… can you just talk? Let me hear your voice?”
Harper’s heart fluttered into her throat, smothering her speech in the process.
Maya really had to stop saying voice-stealing things.
“Sure,” Harper said. Though it took her a moment to do so. “But I don’t really have anything interesting to say.”
“That’s not true.” Maya’s voice was so soft that Harper nearly sighed. “Everything you say is interesting.”
Chapter 26
Aleksander hadn’t lied when he said hearing Harper’s voice would help. After only seconds of her talking, the pull in Maya’s chest had waned into a slight tug. Minutes later, and it was all but gone.
It didn’t even matter what she was talking about. It could be anything, or nothing. If spoken in Harper’s beautiful voice, it became fascinating.
“I just have a bad feeling about her,” Harper said. “I don’t know what it is. Based on a first impression and Nell’s somewhat biased accounts, Casey is a real catch. But something just feels off. I can’t put my finger on it.”
The conversation had wandered through multiple topics before settling here. Apartment decorating, the Lotus being close to opening, Trish micromanaging the lawyer she’d been recently afforded. But this current one was the only time a degree of worry had laced Harper’s words.
“Want me to ask around about her?” Maya said. “People here might know something. Since Casey works on the patrol teams.”
“That won’t tell me anything. Whatpeoplesay doesn’t mean much, anyway. I’m just worried that Nell is jumping into this too fast. She has a habit of doing that, especially if the people around her are being romantic. Evie and I both having partners might have gotten to her head.”
Maya couldn’t help but notice the use of the word ‘partner.’ Especially since it seemed like Harper hadn’t been aware she said it.
Maya didn’t point it out. She’d gotten close to oversharing just before, and venturing near that topic would probably make her slip. Would make her admit that she didn’tmissHarper, but ached for her. That Harper’s voice soothed her heart like a balm did a wound. That her body felt incomplete whenever Harper wasn’t next to her.
It was honest. But it was also a tad intense to say out loud.
“I’m sure Nell will be okay,” Maya said. “If something happens and Casey turns out to be bad news, she’ll tell you. Right?”
“Yeah…” Harper paused. Then sighed. “Or no, actually. She didn’t with her last boyfriend. It took a neighbor hearing them fight and calling the cops before she admitted that hemightbe a problem. Nell thinks the best of people. A lot of them take advantage.”
