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“Shield?” echoed Alethea.
“You think there won’t be any repercussions if Knox is involved. If you want to start shit with another Prime, you start it and end it on your own.”
Alethea arched an imperious brow. “You speak for him now?”
“When I think someone is trying to use him like that? Damn fucking straight. And he’d do the same for me.”
Knox stepped forward. “Which is why I’ll address the little stunt you pulled at Harper’s studio. You’ve never been anyone to me, Alethea; I know that, you know that. Most importantly, Harper knows it. You heard what happened to Isla, didn’t you? It happened because she dared to hurt Harper. Think about that before you do anything else.” Knox then guided Harper out of the hall, through the mansion, and out of the building.
On the steps, Jolene said, “Well, that went pretty much as I’d expected.”
“I really don’t like that little bitch,” said Martina, rooting through a wallet that obviously wasn’t hers. “I heard from Khloë that she appeared at the studio. Ooh, there are some nice credit cards in here.” She pulled out a thin, silver box and opened it up with a bright smile. “Mint, anyone?”
Beck held out his hand. “I’ll have one.”
At the faint scent of smoke, Harper sighed at Martina. “I don’t even want to know what you did.”
Jolene kissed Harper on the cheek just as the valet pulled up in her Mustang. “I’ll see you again soon, sweetheart.”
As the imps drove away, Tanner grinned. “Your family has a way of spicing up politics.”
Harper blew out a breath. “Imps don’t take politics seriously.”
The valet brought over the Bentley next, and they all hopped inside. As they drove through the gates, Levi said, “It surprised me that anyone would put any stock in Crow’s vision, especially Mila. She never seemed the paranoid kind.”
“She’s not the only Prime who believes it’s possible; she’s just the only one willing to voice it,” Knox told them.
“Seriously?” asked Harper. She knew he could pick up stray thoughts from people with weak shields.
“Yes.” Knox tangled their fingers. “Some were even wondering if you could be pregnant. Did you notice that one of the other female Primes patted your arm as we were leaving?”
“Yeah,” replied Harper.
“She can detect pregnancy,” Knox told her. “She smiled in sheer relief when she sensed no baby.”
“Do Alethea and Jonas think the vision could be real?” Levi asked.
“I don’t know,” said Knox, massaging Harper’s palm with his thumb. “Their shields are strong. I’ll have Larkin and Keenan look into the Dario situation. They should be able to find out if he has become a recluse and if maybe this rumor of him forming an army has any substance.”
As Levi and Tanner began to discuss some sentinel-related business, Harper turned to Knox, intending to ask him just how many Primes had that dumb theory about her being pregnant. Instead, she frowned, because he had the weirdest look on his face. “What?”
“You defended me to Alethea,” he said.
“And you find this amusing?” He sure sounded like he did.
“Touching,” he corrected.
“And amusing,” she pushed.
Knox’s mouth curved. “A little.”
“Just because you’re, like, super powerful doesn’t mean people shouldn’t defend you.” But he was looking at her like she was a cute harmless little bunny that was obviously on drugs. She sighed. “You’re still not fearing my mighty wrath.”
“I’m trying.”
“One day I will unleash it and you will flee in terror. Why are you laughing? It’s only the truth. A sphinx in full-on berserker-mode can wreak major destruction and instill fear into the hearts of all who… stop laughing!”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Harper was just slipping on her shoes when Knox strolled into the walk-in closet a few mornings later. He was fully dressed and his hair was slightly damp from the shower – a shower they’d taken together during which he’d fucked her hard against the tiled wall. She took a moment to just drink him in. To admire his striking dark eyes, broad chest, solid shoulders, and purposeful stride. It was sometimes hard to believe he was hers.
Knox shackled both her wrists and kissed her gently. “I have news.”
And she just knew… “Carla.”
“They managed to track Crow to a motel room. He wasn’t there, but Carla was.”
Her stomach twisted at his grim tone. “She’s alive?”
“Yes. But he hurt her.”
“What did he do?” It was bad; she could feel it.
Knox didn’t want to trouble her with the details, but he understood that she needed to know. “He removed her reproductive organs.”
All Harper could do was gape.
“Her cervix, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and her womb.” Knox’s voice vibrated with anger. He didn’t like Carla, but she was still one of his demons and she’d suffered badly. That wasn’t something he could be calm about. “Crow was a surgeon, so he knew exactly what he was doing. He purposely kept her alive. She’s unconscious and weak, but she will recover.”
Physically, maybe. But who could mentally recover from something as horrific as that? “I just… I so didn’t expect that. I mean…”
