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Flynn nodded. “As I said, you broke the rules. The punishment is death.” He pulled the trigger and Lockerby dropped to the ground. Half in and half out of the water.
Harper’s whole world flipped on its axis. She gasped for breath and flailed for something to hold on to. Flynn waded into the water and pulled her and Gina out. He untied her hands and put his arm around her. “I’ll take Harper back to the house. There’s a cleanup crew on the way.”
“Got it. I’ll keep this one here with me.” Lazlo nodded toward Gina, who was shivering with her hands still tied.
Flynn walked with Harper back through the tunnel. She wanted to yell at Flynn, to rage at him for lying to her, for killing Lockerby in front of her. For leaving her all alone with him. But she could barely stand. She was freezing and in shock. He opened the door and sat her on the steps until the door to the tunnel closed.
“When we go out there, not a word to anyone. No one will ask you any questions. You can never speak about any of this to anyone. If you do, I won’t be able to protect you.”
She stared at him. She couldn’t think. Couldn’t speak. How could he tell her this stuff now?
“I’m going to take you back to your condo. You weren’t feeling well and went to lie down in one of the rooms upstairs. I took you home. Do you understand?
No.She didn’t understand. She didn’t understand a damn thing. But she just stayed silent. He turned and opened the door. Shah was standing on the other side, gun in hand. “I need a blanket,” Flynn said.
Shah took one look at Harper and sprinted away. He was back before they’d cleared the unfinished area, with a thick, woolen blanket.
“I’m going to take her home. Hold things down here. Let me know if there are any issues.”
Shah nodded. “Understood.”
Flynn wrapped Harper in the blanket and then tucked her under his arm. He guided her upstairs, out the door, and into his rental. Twenty minutes later he walked her into her condo. “I’ll stay here until you’re settled. You’re safe.”
She nodded and started walking toward the stairs. It was so fucking overwhelming she didn’t know what to do or what to think. She went up the stairs and straight into her bathroom. She turned on her shower and peeled off her wet clothes. Once under the hot spray, she stared sightlessly at the wall. She stayed that way for a long time. Finally, as the water temp cooled off, she washed her hair and the rest of her. Her hands had stopped shaking and her teeth finally quit chattering. Rinsing off for a final time, she turned off the water and climbed out of her shower. A hot cup of tea had been left on the counter.
Harper stared at it and then promptly burst into tears.
CHAPTERTHIRTY
“Ispoke with Lazlo. The cleaners arrived. Everything has been handled,” Flynn said as he drove back toward Everlasting Manor. “He’s bringing Gina down to you. Or he’ll do whatever you decide is necessary.”
“Yes, I spoke with him,” Archer said.
“You might have given me the heads up about him.” Flynn was ticked off that Archer hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him the truth about the young cop. Although, if truth be told, he should have realized it at the very beginning. He had the look of a killer.Takes one to know one.
“You’re pissed. I get that, but the whole point of men like Lazlo is to blend in and be support if needed. I sent him there months ago to get a bead on what was going on. I knew Fisher and Davis were up to something. Lazlo’s job was to find out what without them knowing. If I told you about him, it could have blown his cover.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Flynn snarled.
“Flynn, there are things going on that are extreme, even for the Society. I don’t have all the pieces of the puzzle…yet. I will not do anything to jeopardize the chances of me finding out what’s going on. Live with that or get the fuck out.”
Flynn still was pissed, but frankly, it was less at Archer and more at himself. The whole situation made him want to vomit. Maybe he should do as Archer had suggested. Although it wasn’t that easy. Archer’s version of getting the fuck out usually ended up six feet under in some unmarked grave. It might be time to pull the pin. Get as far from the Society as he could. And as far from Harper as physically possible. The look on her face after he shot Lockerby slayed him. The horror at what he’d done. He could have gotten her out of there and let Lazlo do the deed, but she needed to know the truth. There was no future for them if she didn’t understand who he really was. Now, there was just zero future for them.
“How is Harper?”
“She’ll be okay. It will take her a while to get over it but she’ll come around.”
Archer’s voice changed. “We have a problem. Harper knows about us now. We can’t let that stand.”
“I’ve got news for you; Harper knew about us before. She knew all about the Society from her ex-boss William Findley. Apparently, the man gets blackout drunk and tells anyone who will listen about the Lock and Key Society.”
Archer swore. “I’ll take appropriate action with Mr. Findley. However, that doesn’t solve our Harper problem.”
Flynn’s pulse pounded in his ears. Adrenaline shot into his veins. “We don’t have a Harper problem. I just told you. She already knew about the Society and she won’t say anything.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“It is that fucking simple. Harper Edwards is not a threat,” he growled.
