Chapter 27

Harper

“Y ou’re a local girl.” Marla Washington eyed me over her ultra-stylish red eyeglasses, the words sounded more like an accusation than a question. “I didn’t realize that, which makes this even better.”

I blinked. “How does that make anything better?” I’d run from Steel City as fast as I could and I never looked backed, hadn’t even considered coming back until I landed here by accident.

Marla smiled. “In politics, local is everything, that’s how.”

This was the oddest meeting I’d ever been invited to. I wondered if Serena dealt with oddball clients like this all the time before she passed them along to the planners who worked for her. Marla didn’t seem like she’d work for a politician. She seemed more like a society wife or a cutthroat fashion editor, but her demeanor was very girl next door. It was confusing and I was on edge from the moment I walked inside her local office inside a nondescript office building in downtown Las Vegas. “Well, okay.”

“I think you’ll do a great job with this event, Harper. And if so, just remember that this fundraiser will be filled with people who spend half of their lives attending or hosting various fundraisers.”

I nodded, understanding her meaning clearly. “I will do my best.” The budget for this thing was outrageous and the expectations were high, but not demanding. “I like to get everything down before we do another meeting, if that’s all right. I know you’re busy, so I find it works best to approach with options and costs for everything before we make anything official.”

“That sounds perfect, Harper.” She stood and I did the same. “I appreciate you coming down here for this meeting. I have three more scheduled today or else we could’ve done this at a restaurant.”

“Not a problem. I’ll be in touch.”

Her phone rang in the middle of her goodbye and I found the exit on my own, happy for a moment to myself. Marla was intimidating as hell, but this opportunity was one I couldn’t pass up, and I wouldn’t. But the short elevator ride to the lobby was more than enough time for me to freak out over whether or not I needed to inform Nicole and Serena about it. This was a local job, and Marla had come to me, not Serena.

Still, it didn’t feel right. But it didn’t feel wrong.

I stepped out onto the sidewalk just as my phone rang. Gio’s name popped up and a smile instantly lit my face, which was something I’d worry about at a later date. “Hey! You must have a sixth sense or something because I just finished up with Marla.”

“Harp.” Gio’s voice was tight with tension. “Whatever you do, don’t leave the building. I’m on my way to get you right now but some shit might be going down and I need you to stay inside.”

My heartrate kicked up and I looked left and then right, finding the busy street lacked danger. I relaxed and backtracked into the building with a smile for the receptionist who mostly directed traffic. “What’s going on?”

“Not sure yet but I just have a bad feeling.”

“Okay. I’m inside.”

“Good. I’ll call you back when I’m outside.” He ended the call before I could say anything, which was good because my hands shook so badly that I dropped my phone, and it took three attempts to pick it up.

Gio was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a worrier. Despite the dangers of the MC life, he was capable and prepared, and he knew how to handle just about anything that came his way, so hearing the worry in his voice had me freaked out. I tried to keep calm but as I paced up and down the lobby, every worst-case scenario played in my head. Thankfully I didn’t have much of an imagination because both scenarios involved me or Gio getting tortured and then killed.

The familiar ringtone that belonged to Gio sounded in the lobby and startled me from my thoughts. I answered the call, “Gio?”

“Yeah, I’m right outside.”

I nodded and looked through the glass door. “I’m on my way.” I stepped out into the chilly evening air and Gio seemed so far away. The sidewalk was wider than most, but every step felt like it took great effort. I was walking fast but it seemed like I was making no progress as my gaze scanned the area for threats.

Suddenly a shot rang out and my feet stopped moving. I looked in horror as Gio’s body twisted back and to the left before he toppled off his bike.

“Gio!” I don’t know how I got them moving but I started to run towards the bike, towards Gio. “Gio,” I called out again but suddenly my legs were off the ground. I was floating. No, I wasn’t floating, someone had grabbed me. “Let me go!” I kicked and screamed and squirmed with every ounce of my body.

“Are you sure this is her? She looks like a business lady.” The voice was muffled and lightly accented.

“Yeah, this is her. The bitch said she would be here, and here she is.”

Bitch? What bitch?

Confusion weighed heavily on me, but I didn’t stop trying to rescue myself so that I could get to Gio and make sure he was okay. “Gio,” I called out again, utter fear seized my vocal cords.

“Stop. Fucking. Moving.” The men were having trouble carrying me because I wasn’t a willing victim. “Stop!”

“Fuck you,” I shouted and kicked backwards, aiming for whatever body part I could find. “Let me go!”

“I like ‘em feisty,” one of them said with a menacing chuckle.

Gio stood up and relief coursed through me, but fear returned at the sight of the blood dripping down his left arm. His gaze met mine and he shook his head, which I took to mean that I shouldn’t call out for him, so I didn’t.

“Asshole,” I grumbled to provide a greater distraction.

Another shot rang out and I screamed with my whole body as a now-familiar warm spray landed on my right side and I realized Gio had taken one of my kidnappers out.

The other man’s grip tightened around my waist as he dragged me towards a waiting van. I went slack, giving him all of my weight to slow him down but the fucker was determined, which only heightened my fear.

Three more shots rang out and my gaze sought out Gio, who had put three bullets into the van. A second later the sound of a car horn went on and on as if someone was lying on it. Or dying on it.

“Shit,” the kidnapper mumbled.

“Save yourself,” I whispered. “Let me go and get the fuck out of here so you can live to fight another day.”

He laughed but there was no humor in it. “I might as well put a bullet in my own fucking head if I come back without you.”

With those words, I knew my fate was sealed.

More shots rang out and I lost sight of Gio as the man shoved me into the back of the van. He pushed his dead friend out of the driver’s seat and took off.

Gio’s bike was right behind us, but more bikes sounded in the distance, and I knew the Steel Demons couldn’t have possibly gotten here that fast, which meant Gio was outnumbered.

Shit.

Tears streamed down my eyes as gunshots rang out in loud bursts. Gio would have no choice but to escape to save himself. If he didn’t, he would be shot to death.

A loud sob escaped when the sound of the group of motorcycles grew closer and I knew whatever happened, Gio was no longer chasing the van.

I was completely alone now. Gio wouldn’t know where they were taking me which meant any rescue effort would take more time than I likely had.

I never told Gio that I loved him. Now that I was faced with the reality of death, I knew what I felt for Gio wasn’t just an intensified version of my lifelong crush. It wasn’t the effect of great sex either, at least not just the effect of great sex. No, I loved him. Loved the man he’d become, gorgeous and charming and protective without stomping on my need for independence. I loved him, I was wildly and madly in love with my brother’s best friend.

And I would never get the chance to let him know.

I cried until my tear ducts were dry, until my body ached, and my throat burned. Regret washed over me that I hadn’t told Gio how I felt, that I hadn’t taken full advantage of our time together. That I hadn’t gone after my dreams and started my own event planning company and hadn’t told Nicole to go fuck herself.

There was so much I wanted to do that I hadn’t done yet. So much that I put off for later and now it looked like later wouldn’t be an option.

***

I was so lost in my thoughts and in my woes that I hadn’t realized the van had come to a stop, or how long we’d been driving. I hadn’t done any of the things everyone says you should do if you get abducted, and now we were here.

“Come on.” The only guy left standing wasn’t as aggressive when he untied me and dragged me into a dark building. “Wait here and don’t try anything funny.”

I ignored his words and the minute I was alone, I looked around and squinted in the dark in search of doors or windows, anywhere that might provide me with an escape option. I couldn’t see shit. “If only I had my… oh shit.” I patted my body suddenly remembering that I hadn’t put the phone back into my bag that was now lying on the sidewalk outside Marla’s office, I’d stuffed it in my jacket pocket when I’d seen Gio. I pulled it out and turned on the flashlight. Empty shelves filled the room and even though windows covered three walls, they were all about fifteen feet above the floor. “Double shit.”

Turning off the phone, I dialed Gio. His phone rang and rang. Feeling desperate, I almost hung up until I heard the sweetest sound. “Harp? Fuck baby, I’m so sorry.”

“Gio, you’re okay!” Those whispered words were filled with relief. “I’m glad. I was so worried I’d lost you.”

“Ask her where she is,” a male voice asked.

“I don’t know. It looks like an empty warehouse of some sort, but I don’t know where we are. Sorry.”

There was some shuffling and then Gio cursed before another voice spoke. “Leave your phone on Harper. Just set it down somewhere and leave it so I can track you.”

“Slate,” I whispered. “Gio said you were a tech nerd.”

“I’ll give him shit about that later. Hang tight Harper, we’ll be there soon.”

The sound of a squeaky hinge startled a shriek out of me. “Someone is coming. Gotta go.” I hurried on my tiptoes back to the spot where I was left and crossed my arms, watching as half a dozen men walked towards me.

I recognized the man in front as Viper, the man responsible for my shit luck since I came home. “You’ve caused me a lot of fucking trouble, bitch.” Before I could say anything, he unleashed a full body backhanded slap against my cheek.

It stung instantly and knocked me back a few steps. My face felt like it was on fire, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of my pain, muffling all but a closed mouth grunt. I hated this man more than I’ve hated anyone in my whole life.

“You could’ve just fucking left.” He wasn’t just angry, he was worried and afraid.

I glared at him and held the side of my face. “I didn’t hear anything, and I wasn’t going to say anything until you and your goons started threatening me!”

“Well, it’s too late for that now ain’t it?” He held his hand out and someone placed a phone in his palm. His smile was wicked while the phone rang. “I have something you want now too. My product for her life. You have twenty-four hours before I start leaving her body parts on your doorstep.” Viper’s gaze never left mine as he ended the call and walked away, leaving his men to follow behind him.

And I was left alone.

Again.