Page 55 of Their Wicked Secrets: Untouched, Vol 5 of 6

“More spy shit.” Harper agrees. “It won’t be forever. We’ll figure out a way to make everything safe again.”

“Do you think this would all end if you walked away from the guys?” Kenz’s words are a punch to my gut.

“Honestly?” Harper doesn’t say anything right away.

My breath catches. Would it? If we backed away from her, would she be better off?

“No.”

The word echoes through my chest, releasing me.

“Whatever is happening was set into motion probably when my mom moved into town in high school.” Harper chuckles. “Some of it has to do with the guys, but most of it is about our parents.”

Fuck. How much should she tell Kenz?

I step out, but stop when Harper says, “I love them.”

She laughs like even she can’t believe it.

“Really?” Kenz’s tone is skeptical, but also full of wonder.

“Yeah,” Harper admits. “I don’t know how this will all go. If it will end or if we’ll always be struggling with something, but I know I want to be with them.”

“That’s amazing, H.”

I don’t detect any falseness. Kenz seems honestly happy. I move to see if I can see them.

Kenz is hugging Harper.

I type a quick message to Nico that I’m going into the dead zone, but everything is okay.

“Good,” Nico says.

I step quietly out from behind the tree. A twig snaps, and Harper opens her eyes. They meet mine, and she grins.

“Took you long enough to find me.” She releases Kenz.

Kenz turns around with wide eyes, looking me over. “Didn’t you have practice?”

“Counting on that, were you?” I cock an eyebrow, but glance at my phone as the service blinks out.

“Not really.” She looks uncomfortable.

I close in on Harper and cup her jaw, tipping her face up so I can look into her dark eyes. “Why are you out here?”

“My mom.” She puts her hand on my chest and smiles. “It was the only way to talk to her and not have to worry about being listened in on.”

I look around. There’s nothing out here. “Where?”

Harper glances over her shoulder. “There’s a cabin back there. A safe house that my mom put in place with other nurses to get the women out. In the back of her head, she always thought she might have to get us out too.”

A little shiver runs through her.

“How did you find us?” Kenz steps toward me, narrowing her eyes. “I shut off her phone and mine at the high school.”

Harper opens her mouth, but I slide my hand over it before she can tell her.

“Trade secret.”