Mom works tonight. That means someone will be over to sleep with me.
“Are we going back to our normal or are we doing a rotation for bedtime?” I toy with my straw.
“We might have you come to our houses this round, kitten.” Eli tips my chin his way. “We just have to be careful.”
I swallow. I don’t think anything about this week is going to be easy. But if we want to find answers, we’ll do what we have to do. Even if that means meeting everyone’s parents and telling them they’re all dating me.
CHAPTER 70
Coup De Main
Luke
Harper fiddles with her phone as we pull up to her house. Her gaze jerks up and collides with mine. She’s nervous. We’re heading back to reality. Even though we worked a lot, it was nice to play with her and know we’re not being listened to.
I get out and open her door. When she steps out, I draw her into my arms. She comes willingly, crashing into me sweetly. Her arms wrap around my waist and her head rests against my chest. I don’t know how I lived before her hugs.
She releases that sigh she gives right before she surrenders to me. The tension drains from her, and she softens in my arms. Knowing what Zach and his crew might want to do to her makes me want to shove her back in the car and drive as far away from this place as possible.
Leaving is an option, but not a good one. We’d all be drawn back. By family. By commitments. And we’d end up in this spot all over. Until we prove we’re strong enough to hold our line, they’ll keep coming at us.
The only way past is through. The only course left is victory. Prove to them there will be hell to pay if they touch her.
She draws away first, slowly, prying us apart like it takes effort now. Like she doesn’t want to leave my arms but knows we have things to do. Unable to resist the lure of her plush lips, I tip up her chin and kiss her tenderly.
She’s the only one I’ve ever had the desire to kiss this way. Before it was about the conquering, easing an ache. With her, it’s about so much more than that. It’s this fierce connection. This need to have her in my arms, in my life. When I lift my head, the look on her face screams her love, and my heart beats harder.
I’ll do anything for her.
That should frighten me, but it doesn’t. No matter what, I’ll keep her safe and burn anyone to the ground who wants to take her from me.
“Come on, kitten.” Eli holds his hand out to her and she takes it, but her eyes don’t leave mine. He has her bag in his hand.
I head for the door and hold out my hand for her key. She quirks her eyebrow, knowing I have a way in without her key, but she drops it in my hand.
When I go to put the key in the lock, the door swings open. I stop. Fuck.
“Stay out here.” I hold my hand up to Eli.
“Mom?” Harper’s eyes grow wide, but Eli wraps his arms around her. Her gaze darts to her mother’s car in the driveway. I can see that need in her to break away and run into the house.
“It’s probably nothing, princess.” I try to reassure her, but everything in me is on red alert.
The others pull up and Jack and Caden get out of the car. I gesture them forward. So far, I haven’t heard anything from inside the house. What are we walking into? Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it. But everything inside me needs to protect Harper.
“Come on, kitten. Let’s go check on Nico.” Eli’s eyes meet mine, and I nod. As jealous as I was, I couldn’t have handled thison my own. I couldn’t be the only one Harper has to rely on. But I can be one of five.
Once Harper is farther away and Caden and Jack come in close, I lower my voice. “Door was open. No idea what we’re walking into.”
Caden’s brow furrows and Jack pulls out his phone. He brings up the security application.
“The cameras are disabled.” Jack taps on the screen. “Someone’s downed their Wi-Fi.”
“I thought this one worked on a cellular plan?” Caden glances over his shoulder at Jennifer’s car in the driveway. From the outside, everything looks normal. It could just be a glitch and a coincidence. Maybe she didn’t pull the door shut all the way.
“It does.” Jack moves his phone close to the door and his bars vanish. “There’s a blocker inside.”
“Should we call the police?” I ask.
