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He nods, his head bobbing against the chair. “Yeah. Harlow thought he looked familiar because we’re related.”
We’re quiet for a moment while we all process the new information. So there really is no way for Nico to get out.
“You know what?” Ezra says. “I, for one, am relieved.”
Nico’s head snaps upright to look at him incredulously.
“It explains the hot and cold, pulling away bullshit you’ve been doing with Harlow,” Ezra continues. “Not that it forgives it, but at least I can see how you could still be the decent Nico she insisted you were.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry about all of it,” Nico says.
Ezra nods. “I believe you.” Maybe that’s enough for both of them.
Nico coughs lightly, clearing his throat before he sits upright again.
“I’m especially sorry to you and your family, Sawyer.” I nod as I swallow, feeling both of their gazes on me. “I’ll pay for whatever your father needs from here on out.”
“We don’t want your money, man,” I say with a frown.
“Then I don’t know how to fix it.” I can see the guilt he has for it, see his need to throw whatever he can at the situation to make it better. I see it and I understand it, but that doesn’t make it possible.
“Sometimes you can’t fix it. Sometimes you just have to get through it.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Harlow
My alarm wakes me up, and I rub my eyes as I silence it. I hate the morning shift. I also hate how life is so busy these days. What I wouldn’t give for a lazy morning in bed with my guys. Sawyer rolls over next to me, wraps his arm around my waist, and presses his lips to my hair before he promptly falls asleep again. At least, I think he does, until I try to lift his arm off me and it tightens around me instead.
“Too early,” he mumbles, and I smile at his cute sleepy voice.
“I know, I’ve got to get to work.”
He’s quiet for a moment, but then he suddenly sits up, rubbing his own eyes and running a hand through his messy hair. “Okay, I’m getting up.” He could easily have another hour or two to sleep before his morning training, and I don’t want him to go without rest because of me.
“You don’t have—”
A different arm snakes around me, making me startle. “Let him take you.” Okay, I’m too tired to argue with both of them. Plus, I secretly not-so-secretly love the way they look after me between them and how they seem to actually enjoy doing it. “But give me a kiss before you get up.”
“I’ve got morning breath,” I complain, but Ezra cups my face, tipping it toward him and taking my lips with his. It might be a gentle kiss, but the way he takes what he wants will always make me melt against him, and as I do, the kiss deepens. Until my alarm rings again, making Ezra groan and nuzzle into my neck. Oops, I must’ve snoozed it. Although that’s probably a good thing; I could easily lose track of time kissing Ezra.
After work, I Uber from The Grind to the compound, as Sawyer and Ezra are both already there. I’m walking toward the locker room with my head in my phone when a shadow appears in front of me, and I have to pull up quickly so as not to barrel into them. I glance up to apologize for not paying attention, but my words get caught in my throat when I notice who it is. Memories flood back as I stare at the guy who drugged me.
I think I’ve been dealing with it pretty well, considering, but it’s only been two weeks, and now that he’s right in front of me, my flight instinct kicks in. I take a look around the hallway, but there’s no one else here—just me and the man who looks like an older version of Nico.
“Harlow, it’s lovely to meet you... officially.” His eyes are inquisitive and his tone placid, but that doesn’t stop the adrenaline rushing through my veins. He might be working hard to look non-threatening now, but I remember the cloth going over my face, then being swept up by him and carried away. Non-threatening my ass. “Could I borrow you for just a moment?”
The way he’s being so polite is throwing me off, because we both know the last time we were this close, he shoved a soaked rag over my mouth and took me to god knows where to bribe Nico. Seeing him here and now, you’d never guess he was so evil.
“I have a session to get to,” I mumble, but he smiles a strained smile as if he’s uncomfortable.
“Don’t worry, I’ll write you a note.”
Then he turns and strides away, and I feel an invisible string pulling me behind him. I’m not sure what other choice I would have, honestly. Assuming this is Nico’s dad, I’m here in the first place because it’s what he wanted, so suddenly deciding not to follow his requests seems a bit futile.
I shuffle behind him like a child heading to the principal’s office, and as he pushes a door open, I step inside, but rather than going any farther, he stops and stands to the side of the door.
“The famous Harlow.” The voice makes me jump out of my skin. I spin to face the man I didn’t notice as I came in, sitting arrogantly behind a huge desk. “It’s so lovely to see you so... conscious.” My skin crawls at the thought of anyone seeing me that vulnerable, but especially these two strangers in the room with me. “Please, take a seat.”
