Chapter 33

HARPER

I wake up hot and sticky with Declan’s heavy leg tossed over my hip and Cy’s arm around my waist. Someone has their hand tangled in my hair, I reach up and realize it’s Emerson’s hand. As gently as I can, I extract myself from the mess of limbs. My bladder is screaming at me from the bottle of water I chugged right before bed.

After I finish up in the bathroom, I decide to go down and start some cinnamon rolls from scratch. My muscles ache from last night, but I savor the pain with each step. I’m finally starting to see how this could work, and last night was an amazing example of that.

I open my phone to look through my notes app to find the recipe I created but notice dozens of notifications. Messages from Mom and Cillian from an hour ago, Google alerts, texts from Banks and my cousin. I open Bank’s messages first.

Banks

Do NOT go online

Call me ASAP

I love you and it will all be okay

What the heck is going on? His messages are meant to be comforting, but I’m just alarmed. The first thing I do is open Google, and I’m hit with a notification of an article about me. Bile rises in my throat as I see the first headline.

Disgraced Preacher Scott Flynn’s Daughter Finds Herself in a Scandal of Her Own

Apple doesn’t fall far from the Flynn tree as preacher’s daughter lets stepbrother run…

I drop the phone before finishing the rest of the incendiary headline. But then I hear a video playing. I look down in horror to see a grainy video of last night playing. I barely make it to the sink before I get sick.

I have to get away from this. I need to find somewhere safe. There’s only one place for me to go.

I slip my shoes on and grab my purse before plucking the keys to Cy’s Ducati off the counter. Thank god he’s been teaching me how to drive it when Declan and Emerson aren’t around. Before they even realize what’s happening, I’ll be halfway to where I’m going. I pull on my helmet and start up the bike as quietly as possible as the sun rises behind the trees.

The end for now.