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It also didn't matter that Asher had left me a million messages saying how sorry he was or that they should have handled this better.
Or that Miguel kept leaving little voice notes, each longer than the other. I hadn't heard them.
I wouldn't do it.
The only reason I'd agreed to meet Harper was when she called me, she had only one thing to say.
"I'm not here to make your shit with Reed easier. God knows he's a tough piece of work. But I can end Hunter Montgomery once and for all. Not just for you, but everyone else he's done the same crap to. If you want that, I'm your girl."
I'd known then that I needed to close this chapter, once and for all, my personal issues be damned.
So, here I was.
When Harper strode into the cafeteria, the vibe was the same as a queen riding high off a conquest, her high heels clicking against the polished wooden floors.
Her tailored power suit hugged her curves in all the right places, and her hair was styled in a sleek bob that framed her sharp, intelligent features.
She could have been a supermodel or a judge—there was literally no in-between.
I took a sip of my sweet tea. "You're talking about conning a con artist, though. I don't think Hunter's going to fall for it."
"Way ahead of you."
She pulled out her phone and typed ferociously, the tips of her frosted nails click-clacking against the screen with maddening urgency.
Then, she passed her phone to me. The page that was open in front of my eyes was a dating app. It had Harper's profile, except here, she'd listed her profession as a dancer. She also had some ideal pictures on display, each more confident than the other.
"Let me introduce you to my fake dating profile," she said, smiling easily. "This is what I did the day Reed told me about your case. Now, I've had a jam-packed four days. If you go to my chat box, you'll see I've been having some conversations with our man."
Totally unsure of what to expect, I opened Hunter's name on her chat box. There was a string of messages between the two of them. Wow, neither had wasted any time.
Harper:I've been looking for you all my life.
Hunter:You're very forward.
Harper:So some would think. But you know better when you spot someone just like you, don't you, Hunter? I know what you do. I used to be friends with one of the bitches you swindled. Smart move playing her. She was a twat.
Hunter:Who sent you?
Harper:No one and nothing except my own love for the game. I want you to teach me.
Hunter:Why should I believe that?
Harper:Honestly, what have you got to lose? If I wanted to report you, I'd have done it a long time back. But that's not my agenda. I love the way you think, Hunter Montgomery. I love that brain of yours and how you've found a delicious way to keep it occupied. I'm intrigued.
Hunter:Can't say I'm not interested. What are you doing tomorrow?
I returned the phone to Harper, feeling too sick to continue reading. "Did he really fall for it?"
"I met him yesterday. We spoke a lot, but I'm taking my time. He has to come clean himself. Without that, it'll be like I'm pushing too hard, and that just makes me look suspicious. But don't worry," she said, tapping her fingers on the table, "he's going to slip. He's too conceited and egotistical not to."
It still felt pretty bleak to me, but I nodded. "Okay. Honestly, I'm hanging my hopes on you."
She gave me a kind little smile. "In the meantime, I'd suggest getting back in touch with the fraud inspector from your bank, okay? I'll set up a meeting between the three of us. We don't want anyone to think you're not cooperating, Juniper. So if it means you have to listen to someone tell you, in subtle and unsubtle ways, that you were careless and stupid, so be it."
Wow, she really didn't mince her words. I couldn't help liking the woman. "Okay," I repeated. "Whatever it takes, I guess."
I was about to finish my drink and ask Harper if we could leave when the front door slammed open.
