Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

brOOKE

I go to knock on the door, but it swings open.

“Asher,” I call out to what seems to be an empty house. Chase comes running in behind me, gun out. I’ve never been to Asher’s house before. I didn’t even know where he lived, so I had to call Chase. It’s the first time we’ve spoken since I learned he lied to me. Truthfully, I think I still would have called, even if I did know where he lived. Asher’s voice frightened me. There was such despair in it.

I ignore Chase, sweeping the house like he’s SWAT or something. I head up the stairs and open different doors until I come to Asher’s bedroom and spot him sitting on his bed.

“Asher, is everything okay?” I take a step forward. “Who’s here? I don’t understand.” He looks at me, or maybe through me—I’m not quite sure. He shushes me and gestures to the corner, and that’s when I see her. Her head is resting against the wall, her eyes closed.

“She cried herself to sleep. She won’t let me near her.”

I exhale. I can barely see her under the purple and blue hues her face is covered in. Her bright blonde hair is now dull and filthy.

“What happened to her?” I whisper.

“Her whole body looks like that, but she won’t let me touch her to help clean her up. I don’t really know what bruises and what’s dirt.”

“Downstairs is clear.” Chase walks in and looks over at me and Asher. “Oh.”

I don’t even acknowledge him. I can’t.

“What do we do?” I ask Asher.

He just shakes his head, putting it in his hands.

Okay. I take a second to think. “Chase, take Asher outside so I can look after Harper, please.”

“Harper?” He takes a step forward. “Jesus fucking Christ,” he says as he looks over at her.

“Please. I can’t deal with you right now and her. Just get Asher out of here for a minute.”

“C’mon man, let’s give her some time.”

Asher nods and stands up, taking one last look at Harper. “I’m sorr…”

“If you finish that sentence, so help me god, I will end you, Asher. Sorry, doesn’t fix this. Now, get out.” Chase pulls him out the door leaving just me and my best friend alone.

I walk over slowly. “Harper,” I whisper. Her eyes flutter, so I call her name again. She wakes up with a fright, her eyes darting around the room as if she’s trying to work out where she is.

“Shhh, it’s okay, it’s okay. I’m here.”

“B,” she whispers, and I nod.

“B,” she repeats.

“I’m here, Harper, I’m here.”

“Is this hell?”

“What? No, no, it’s not. I know you’ve gone through…” I trail off because I don’t know. “You’re at Asher’s house and you’re safe, I promise you.”

“No, Asher, Asher had me taken…they said I had him to blame.”

“No, he didn’t. He’s spent all week trying to find you. He’s been out of his mind looking for you.”

“But they told me.”

I shake my head. “He…” I sigh. She’s not ready to hear this. “Harper, I think we should get you into the bath so I can look you over, okay? Is that okay?”

She looks at me for a minute. She looks like a child, lost and innocent, and after a moment of silence, she nods. I go to help her get up, but she flinches.

“Okay, it’s okay. I don’t have to touch you if you don’t want me to. I was just going to help you up. Do you want me to help?”

She shakes her head. “I can’t,” she cries.

“Hey, it’s fine. I won’t touch you, but can I touch the blanket to help you?”

She nods softly, sniffling. I step closer, slowly, not to frighten her and wrap my arm lightly around her.

“Where’s Asher?”

“He’s here. He’s in the kitchen, I think.”

She doesn’t say anything else, but I help guide her to Asher’s en suite. She perches on the edge of the tub as I lean over it, putting the plug in and turning the tap on.

I turn open his medicine cabinet and, thankfully, find a first aid kit. I knew he would have one. The amount of scrapes these boys get in. I pull out a small bottle of iodine and a cloth, wanting to fix that lip.

“This is gonna hurt, but I need to make sure this is disinfected.” She nods again. Harper is usually so strong—her fire burns brighter than mine, but she sits there almost meekly.

I let a few drops of iodine fall to the cotton before moving to place it on the cut, but she recoils. I freeze and just slowly extend my hand to her. She picks up the cloth carefully so as not to make contact before pressing it to her lips. She winces, but at least it should make sure it doesn’t get infected.

I reach over, turning the tap off. Putting my hand in the water to make sure it’s not too hot.

“Okay, we need to get you in the tub. Harper, I don’t know how to do this without touching you.”

She shakes her head. “I can do it.”

“Okay, do you want me to stay?” She shakes her head, and I sigh.

“I’ll go find you some clean clothes. Maybe Asher has something you can wear. I’ll put it on the bed for you. Take as long as you need, okay? I’ll be outside the door; you can call for me.” She nods at me, and I stand up.

“You sure you don’t want me to stay?”

She shakes her head and so even though I don’t want to, I step out, leaving her alone.

I close the bathroom door behind me and as I rest my head against the door, I hear her sobbing softly.

I take a step away, wiping the tear from my eye and head into Asher’s walk-in closet. I grab a large hoodie and some sweatpants that I think she might be able to roll up. All these bastards are over six feet, so it’s gonna swamp her, but there’s nothing I can do about that right now. I lay them out on the bed for her before closing the bedroom door. I hear voices coming from the kitchen and walk downstairs.

“He dropped her off a couple of hours ago. He said that she’d been moved from guy to guy. I dunno.”

I clear my throat as they look around, surprised. “I’ve managed to get her in the tub.”

Asher jumps up, running past me. He bashes right into me, but I turn, running after him. He heads straight up to his bathroom through his bedroom, storming in the door.

Harper is in front of the medicine cabinet and jumps as he crashes into the room. He walks in, pulling everything out he can find from the room—razors, pills, even those tiny scissors from his first aid kit.

“What are you doing?” I shout as Harper backs her way into the corner, clearly frightened.

He just glares at me. “Get out of here.” He hands everything over to Chase, who’s behind me, before pushing me away from the door and closing it. I look at Chase, confused.

“His sister, remember,” he says gently to me.

I didn’t think. I didn’t even go near that train of thought of her hurting herself. She wouldn’t, would she?

Chase sighs. “C’mon, we can wait in the kitchen for them. I made some coffee.”

I nod before following him out the door, cursing myself for not thinking about her safety.