“What are you trying to say?” I wrap my arms around myself, feeling cold without Luke’s touch.
“Whatever those men are looking for, they’ll find it. One way or another. And they won’t care who they go through to get it. People have disappeared for years and never shown up again.”
Like my father? Does she think my father didn’t leave us, but maybe he was made to disappear?
I swallow, taking in her words and what it implies.
Her eyes look sad when she focuses on me. “If this gets to be too much, we may have to run. You and me.”
Luke
There was a haunted look in Jennifer’s eyes. She knows more than she’s letting on. But if I want to keep Harper, I have to play nice. That and Jennifer has been kind to all of us, even though we crashed into her and Harper’s lives with the grace of a wrecking ball.
“We have other things to discuss tonight.” Eli glances around the room. “If you get kicked out of Harper’s room?—”
“I have my laptop for the guest room.” I glance back at the door they’re behind. It makes me nervous. While our parents wish they had control of us, Jennifer does influence Harper. A lot.
“What do you think she’s talking to her about?” Caden asks.
“Probably how we’re a bad influence and she should ditch us.” I shrug. “She might not be wrong.”
Everything that’s happening to Harper now is because of us. We claimed her. Not the way we’ve claimed girls in the past. Wesingled her out as special to us. And she is. There’s no other girl like Harper in the school.
Not because of her previous status of being untouched, but because she’s Harper. She doesn’t have girlfriends telling her exactly how she should act or they’ll ostracize her from their group. She doesn’t have a fear that we’ll be less interested or more interested if we don’t like something.
She accepts us. All of us, even with the way we treated her. She makes us feel.
Does she deserve better than us? Probably. Will we ever let her go?
Before I can finish my thought, the door opens and Harper’s eyes lock with mine. Whatever her mother told her shook her. She doesn’t hesitate though. She walks across the room, sits next to me, and takes my hand.
I stroke my thumb over the back of her hand as her mother resumes her seat.
“I’m not going to pretend you boys don’t know who you are up against.” Jennifer focuses on me. “You know how vicious your father can be. But there’s one person I will protect with everything and that’s Harper.”
“We can keep her safe,” Caden says what we’re all thinking.
We’re united on this. Harper’s safety comes first. We can’t protect her from threats we don’t know about, but we can from the ones that are clear and present in our lives.
Jennifer’s lips thin, but she nods. “I wish this didn’t fall on you guys.” She looks at me. “Your father shouldn’t ask you to find important documents.” She turns and looks at the screen. “You shouldn’t be left in charge of your fifteen-year-old sister.”
She shakes her head. “You shouldn’t have to protect my daughter. She shouldn’t be in danger of anything except from you breaking her heart.”
Could I give up Harper if I thought her life would be better without me in it?
Harper rests her head against my shoulder and her vanilla scent fills my nose. I’m not a self-sacrificing man. If I want something, I keep it. I want Harper. I need her on some deeper level I haven’t examined too closely.
“We’ll do everything to keep Harper safe.” I blow out a breath. “She’s worth fighting for.”
Jennifer leans in. “I wish I could protect you all. But when it comes down to it, if I have to choose, I’ll always choose Harper.”
I siton the guest bed with my laptop, knowing Harper is just one wall, one door away, but tonight, I need to stay here. It’s about trust and I need to gain more of Jennifer’s.
I log into the chat and Harper’s gaze swings to what I assume is my window.
“Are you okay?” she asks.
Eli smirks. Caden looks like he wants to laugh. Jack already is laughing but he’s muted. Nico looks amused.
