“Buy an entire apartment building? How the fuck would I know?”
“You want your name stamped on the mortgage? Do you want someone digging into us for five seconds and finding out where we all live? Unless we own the entire building, we don’t have any good way to make sure it’s safe enough.”
“Pay cash. Buy a damn house. I don’t care.”
“Rook.”
“What?” I yelled. “We have the shop. We’ll stay here if we have to for a while until we find somewhere.”
We had the garage door open, trying to get a little fresh air in the place after Hero dropped an entire can of cleaner earlier. A figure stepped into the open door, and we both jumped up, not expecting anyone back here this late.
The light spilled onto her, and I could finally see the girl’s features. “Harper?”
“Hey,” she said, taking one step into the garage. Her face was red and tear-stained, but she still straightened her shoulders to face us.
My heart thundered in my chest, wondering why Harper would be here, crying and upset. Regan hadn’t messaged me, and now this.
Panic bubbled, and I clutched my phone hard. “Regan?”
“Not here, but she’s fine.”
“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “What are you doing here, then?”
“I need…help, and from what I’ve seen and heard, you guys might be people who could do what I need.”
I glanced at Aiden, who raised an eyebrow. “We probably could,” he said. “But you’re going to have to be more clear.”
“I’m being harassed, followed a lot. A guy won’t leave me alone.”
“And that is making you come to us to do what?”
“He pretty much attacked me tonight. I started a new job because I need some cash since my parents split, and I can’t exactly be away from him since he’s my manager.”
“How bad?” Aiden asked, nodding at her.
“Bad enough that I think if something doesn’t happen right now, there will be a next time and I will be in the hospital.”
“And why wouldn’t someone like you go to the police?” I asked.
Harper’s family was wealthy. Since the divorce started, it seemed that most of that money had been tied up with a fight between her parents. Evie had dug up plenty of shit on them, but even with a string of public crimes, they were still a highly respected family. Between the divorce and one very private court case for fraud, most of their more liquid assets were frozen solid.
“There’s been issues since my parents got divorced. They have all these ideas that I’m depressed and since they pay my tuition, I’m forced to go to therapy every week. I’m worried they will label me crazy and not do anything about it. They also don’t know I got a job.”
“Fair concern. Why not just quit?”
“I struggled to find this job. No one really believes someone with my last name would need a job, so they don’t take me seriously. I’m looking for a new one, but he found out I would be leaving and it escalated. Fast. I think even if I never went back, he’s going to be bothering me.”
“Hard to argue that being possible. A rich, beautiful woman,” Aiden said. “People would do depraved things if they thought it would get them a chance at that money, or you.”
“And why would you think to come here?”
“Regan told me some of what she’s seen. And she seems to trust you. A little, at least. I thought you might be willing to help me.”
I wanted to ask more about the part of Regan trusting me, but I couldn’t bring myself to say the words.
“What do you want us to do?” I asked. Aiden wasn’t wrong about people trying to get close to her for the wrong reasons. And if she felt like he wouldn’t stop even if she left, she was also probably right.
“Stop him? Scare him? I don’t know. Don’t you break legs and gouge eyes out or something?”
