Chapter 28

Poppy

Henry! No, no, no!

Desperation grips me as I step forward, ready to run after Andrew and plead with him not to pursue my brother, but Julian's arms envelop me as my knees give way.

"Don ' t listen to him," Julian's voice is a low growl, his embrace so tight it borders on suffocating.

"My brother... he... he threatened everyone, Julian. Before you arrived, he said—"

"Poppy," Julian ' s voice cuts through the chaos like a beacon in the dark, jarring yet oddly comforting. "He's trying to scare you. Don't let him win."

My feet leave the ground, and I close my eyes, battling the urge to break free as Julian carries me through the lobby, into the elevator, and presumably back to his office.

What a spectacle Andrew has made at my workplace. He's stripped something from me, just as he promised. How can I return here after this?

It's Andrew ' s first calculated move in his twisted game. Like a game of strip poker, Andrew ' s going to peel off every layer I have slowly, every person and thing I care about until I ' m exposed to him.

"I need to call my brother," I manage to say, my voice thick with dread. Even if I call, Henry wouldn ' t listen.

"Let her," Theo interjects, his presence still looming.

Julian gently guides me into the armchair in the lobby, kneeling before me with his phone in hand. "Andrew is desperate, but he won ' t be able to harm anyone you love, Pumpkin. Harper is guarded; I'm guarded." He tries to assume me.

"And my brother?" The question trembles from my lips.

"I ' ll ensure his safety, too," Julian replies, casting a glance at Theo.

My hands are shaking so violently that Julian has to steady them for me. Slowly, I type in Henry ' s new number. Henry never gave me this number himself; Harper had to hack into his account to find it. I ' ve never dared to call, fearing that one attempt would lead him to block me, unable to face the pain of such rejection again. So, for years, it just sat like a false prophet in my phone and memory, promising aid—a hope that he would be there for me like Peter was that night.

I press "call," and Julian lifts the phone to my ear. It begins to ring, his intense gaze locked on Theo as if Theo holds all the answers. Perhaps he does; maybe Julian shared with him the turbulent history between Henry and me.

One ring. Two. More. Voicemail.

Theo mutters something indistinct, drowned out by the ringing in my ears. He pulls out his phone and announces to Julian, "I ' ll be back." His gaze settles on me with a promise: "I'll make sure your brother is safe and protected, Poppy."

But how?

The call drops, severing what feels like the last fragile connection to my brother. He never answers. Why would he? I took his twin from him.

***

Everyone is here: Harper, Kent, Julian, and the mysterious Theo, crowding Julian ' s apartment in an attempt to project calmness and control. They reassured me that they had everything under control: that Dan had a team safeguarding Henry and that Andrew would never confront me again.

Lies. I can see it, not just myself, but Harper too, who casts wary glances at Theo as if he were the devil in disguise, scheming to ensnare her soul.

I've been clutching my phone to my chest, treating it as if it were my cherished childhood teddy bear, silently pleading for Henry to return my call.

" Let ' s get some fresh air," Harper suggests, standing up, coming over to me, and gently taking my hand. " We can sit on the balcony while the boys talk." Her emphasis on "talk" causes Kent, Julian, and Theo to halt mid-conversation and fix their gazes on her as if she's unearthed a secret they hoped to keep buried. As we head to the balcony, she grabs a bottle of wine, skipping the glasses entirely.

Stepping out into the night, the distant skyline of downtown Dallas appears tranquil and carefree, its lights twinkling against the dark expanse above. Harper slides the door shut with a quiet sigh, settles beside me, twists open the wine, and takes a swig directly from the bottle before passing it to me.

"They're lying." She whispers as she licks a drop of wine from her pressed lips.

I accept the bottle but hesitate. "What?"

"Drink, Pops. We ' re both going to need it."

So, I do. It feels sacrilegious to gulp down the rich, savory wine in such a manner. "Harps," I use her nickname as well, "I ' m not sure how much more of this I can handle."

" How about the truth?" She offers, her gaze drifting back inside where the brothers are embroiled in an emotional discussion.

"Dan's team has a mole. I've been taken off the case," she reveals, nudging the bottle back to my lips. "Drink, Pops." Then she divulges more: that the case has been transferred to someone even Dan fears; she's got the short stick of leaving false clues to catch the mole. Harper doesn't do sidelines; Dan should know that. She's always in the thick of the action, and the way her eyes are calculating and plotting tells me she plans to get directly in the middle again.

Perhaps it's the wine or the sheer number of mental wounds I've sustained. Still, I share everything with her—every insidious doubt Andrew planted in my mind, especially about Theo and how my living and work arrangement might not be so random.

"Tell me he ' s lying," I whisper, handing back the bottle.

She takes a long drink. "Do you want me to lie?"

I close my eyes, feeling adrift.

"I don ' t know, but I'll find out," Harper says, determination lacing her voice.

"What do I do, Harper?" I murmur, rubbing my swollen eyes. Over my shoulder, Julian and Theo are deep in an argument, their backs to us, with Kent acting as mediator.

Julian has to be my hero. He just has to be.

Grasping the bottle from Harper, I down two hefty swigs, enough to make Jonah's whale envious of the size I can swallow. "Has Julian been lying all this time, Harper? About the apartment, the job, himself?"

Her blue eyes narrow thoughtfully, then flick back to the penthouse. "I think we've found ourselves in a maze, Pops, and there's only one thing to do when you're trapped in a maze."

I swallow hard. "What's that?"

"We have to seek higher ground," she replies, her playful demeanor gone, replaced by the ruthless hacker determined to get what she wants.

"How do we do that?" I ask, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"We do exactly what I've always wanted to do and what I told you to stop doing," she says, placing a reassuring hand on my knee. "We run."

"Run?" I whisper in shock, leaning in. "This," I gesture around us, "isn't a game, Harper, or an action movie. This is my life. What does that mean?" I kick my feet out from under me, "Because these feet don't run. They trip and stumble. That's what I've been doing for years. Trying to escape Andrew, trying to start a new life with Julian only to trip on Andrew again."

"We'll speed walk then. I hear that's better for the glutes." She jokes. Her blue eyes look down at the bottle as she swirls it in her hands now. "It means I don't trust anyone but you, Pops. This place is crawling with the CIA, and now there's a new team—a team that terrifies even the CIA. We just need to get away from everyone and figure things out. Nothing is permanent. Maybe Julian is innocent."

But maybe he's not. That ' s what she's not saying.

My body trembles. "I can ' t..."

"You can, and we will. I already have a plan in motion," she says, setting the bottle down as if she needs her wits about her for what's to come.

"What the hell does that mean?" I press.

"Shh," she smirks, "It's okay, it's going to be an adventure. You and me against the world, outsmarting Andrew."

"I'm not an action figure, Harper. I crumbled when I confronted Andrew. Look at me—a mess, drowning my fears in half a bottle of wine."

"We're savoring our future victories. We're celebrating early." She refuted, "Glass always half full, Pops, no more doubts."

"I'm a mess, Harper," I stress as I grab my hair and twist it into a knotted bun.

"Every mess has the potential to be fabulous. And we will be. It might be nothing, and if so, I'll let you pick out my straightjacket. But what if I'm not crazy? What if Andrew was onto something? I'm not siding with him; trust me, I'm going to destroy him. I just need to get us away from all these fucking dicks. Our pussies need a break. We need a cleanse. I ' m going to get to the bottom of what ' s going on with Julian and this whole situation and how it fits in with Andrew."

I slap my forehead. "Oh my god."

"There's always a time for prayer, Pops," Harper replies, her voice taking on that familiar sly, devilish tone. She ' s zero to sixty when it comes to plotting world domination.

"What am I supposed to tell Julian?" Am I considering this?

"Nothing. Rule 101 when running is not to tip off the chasers—unless you're into that kink."

"Are you doing this because things with Kent are too serious?"

She narrows her eyes, wounded. "I'd never jeopardize your relationship because I'm afraid of mine."

I sigh. "I know. I'm sorry."

" I ' m honestly not sure who the Sterling men are anymore, and since we ' ve both been dick deep in them, I ' ll call the shots and say we take a little siesta to think."

"But what do I tell Julian?"

"You ' re going to finish your wine, shower, and go to bed. Tomorrow, you're going to tell him you're going for a swim on the rooftop. I'll join you. That's all you need to know. Leave the rest to me."

My expression slackens. "Who the hell are you, Harper?"

She grins. "I'm every liar's worst nightmare, and I'm your best friend. I've had an escape plan for us since I started at the NSA. Once Dan brought me on board, I upgraded our exit strategy, thanks to inside access to CIA databases. The world is full of pricks, and sometimes, we just need a breather. I've saved enough Bitcoin for us to live comfortably, and I've got enough fake passports for us to travel incognito. Don't worry," she reassures with a giggle, "I know one thing: that man inside loves you. He might be lying, but his love is real. His uncle heads the CIA, and his brother Theo, that shady fucker, has connections we'll uncover. Don ' t worry, if we're caught, I ' ve got allies; our time behind bars won't be long."

" That ' s your safety net!" I shake my head. " No way!"

She grips her stomach and laughs, " Oh, your face. But seriously, yeah, that ' s my plan. It made you laugh, didn ' t it."

I touch my cheek, " I ' m not laughing." I ' m spinning.

" But it made you stop thinking about all the men in our lives, right?" Her blonde brow raises in hope.

I hate to admit it, but yeah, it did.

"That's because it's insane."Does she want to run with fake IDs?!

She shrugs, "You and me together—that's always been the definition of insanity. But we always have fun, and I know my bestie, right about now, needs some fun, a distraction from all the men, even the ones who love us."

Maybe running is best just until I figure out what ' s going on. I pray I don ' t stumble, only to find that Julian hasn ' t been my hero but the villain all along.

***

I let Julian make love to me that night, and the entire time he whispered his words of protection, I was left wondering if I were Eve, Julian was the snake, and his dick was the apple, promising me everything I ever wanted. Maybe not the best comparison, but it would certainly make Harper proud.

Was this man truly trying to save me? Maybe he was, but at what cost? Had he been lying all along?