The next morning, we all take a seat at the kitchen table. After Sullivan and I caught up on a week of missed sex, we were too exhausted to talk about the whole Tiffany thing, but we can’t put this off any longer.
“Start from the beginning,” Oliver orders, looking at Sullivan.
“Like I already said, it started with me going to Tiffany just to tell her to leave Harlow alone. When I did, she told me that I shouldn’t be worrying about her when there were bigger things going on. Supposedly, there are these guys looking for Harlow. I asked her what the hell she was talking about, and she went on to tell me that there have been these rough-looking guys on campus asking around about Harlow.”
“What kind of guys?” Banks asks.
“Well, that’s what I’ve been trying to find out. Every time I talk to Tiffany, she only reveals a little bit. It’s clear she was enjoying having me around, so she made sure she only gave me a smidge of information each time I saw her. She told me if I wanted any more information, I needed to be nice to her.” Annoyance laces his words, and I can only imagine how hard this must have been for him. I hate Tiffany, hate her so much right now.
“I wasn’t even sure if she was telling the truth or just playing games, but the more I listened to her and talked to others, her friends and a couple of guys around campus, the more I started to believe her.”
“Fuck,” Oliver says under his breath.
“According to Tiffany, these men were showing pictures of you and asking what classes you had, and where you were staying. I was so consumed with finding them that I even talked to campus security, but like I expected, they completely brushed me off. I’m pretty sure they think I’m some crazy, overprotective boyfriend now.” Sullivan sighs, and all over again, I want to crawl into bed with him and forget about our crazy life. But I can’t ignore this, no matter how much I want to. Someone is out there looking for me, and I don’t know why.
“Do you think my dad sent them?”
Sullivan shakes his head, “I don’t know why he would. I mean, he knows where you’re staying, right?”
I nod, “Yeah, you’re right… but who else would be looking for me, and why?”
“I don’t know, but I think we should consider hiring some kind of security again. Just to make sure you are safe in the moments that we aren’t with you.” It’s a shame Milton is in hiding.
Frowning, I say, “I had hoped that we were past this, but it seems like every time things start to get better, something has to happen. I just want to be happy.”
“You can still be happy. We’re all together in this, Harlow. Where you go, we go. If we have to hire a little more protection, then that’s what we do. Like always, your safety is the most important thing to us.” Oliver speaks this time, giving me a dazzling smile that melts my heart.
“I know, but when does this stop, when do we get to be normal people. I’m not anything special, and yet I’ve come closer to dying more than the average person.”
Banks laughs, “Well, I can tell you right now you’re pretty fucking special. As for why people are out to hurt you, no one really knows why people do the things they do. Shelby is just mental, and now that she’s been put away, the biggest risk is gone. Now, we just have to figure out who these guys are and what they want?”
Oliver places a hand on my shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze. “Everything is going to be okay. Nothing is going to happen to you. Not now, not ever.”
Just as I’m starting to calm down, and feel a little better about the shit storm called my life, a knock sounds against the door. The brothers exchange a look before Oliver pushes away from the table. The loss of his touch leaves me cold, and for some unknown reason, this inky dread starts to tug at me. I’m not sure why, but it feels like something bad is about to happen.
Sullivan moves closer to me, and Banks watches Oliver as he walks slowly to the front door. The knocking grows louder, harder, more insistent. Whoever is on the other side of that door is growing more impatient by the second.
“Are you guys expecting someone?” I ask Sullivan, just as Oliver makes it to the door.
“No, which is why I don’t have a good feeling about this.” His words have barely left his mouth when I look up and see Oliver opening the door. All hell breaks loose then. Immediately the door is forced open, knocking Oliver back against the wall.
I stand up so fast, the chair I was sitting on falls back and crashes to the floor. My head is dizzy, and fear has a tight grip around my throat, making it hard to breathe. I want to go to Oliver, but that would only put me in danger.
Two large men dressed from head to toe in black enter the house. One of them closes the door behind him, while the other one pulls out a gun and aims it at Oliver’s chest.
A gun. No, no, no.
One of the intruders starts yelling something, but somehow my brain can’t decipher what he’s saying. My hands start to shake, and my lips wobble. Maybe I’m in shock, or maybe it’s the fear I have of watching someone I love being hurt or worse.
Banks grabs me and shoves me behind him and Sullivan, building a wall in front of me. Because they are so much taller than me, I can barely look past them and over their shoulders, but that doesn’t mean I’m panicking any less. In fact, my panic has reached new heights, because now that I don’t have a clear view of what’s happening, I don’t know if Oliver is okay, or if one of these men are coming for Banks or Sullivan.
“Everybody, calm down,” a gruff voice orders. “You do what we say, and no one needs to get hurt. You do the opposite, and well, I’m sure you know what’s going to happen.” A coldness sweeps through me, and I do my best to continue breathing, tiny little black spots form over my vision, the bubbling panic residing inside me is only getting worse.
“What the hell do you want?” Banks speaks, his tone defensive.
“Right now, I want everybody to slowly grab a chair and sit down with your back against that wall over there.” Peeking around Banks, I can see that the man is pointing to a spot in the dining room. “We’re going to have a nice little chat.”
I try to step around Banks and Sullivan, but they don’t let me pass. They’re like an immovable mountain. Instead, they push me back against the wall, keeping me shielded from the man making demands.
“Just relax and take a seat,” a second voice orders, and only then does Banks pull up a chair and motion for me to sit down. Oliver comes up on the other side with two more chairs, a menacing look in his eyes. A moment later, all four of us are lined up against the wall.
The two men each grab their own chairs and sit down in front of us, with their guns in their hand, but they’re not pointed at us, not right now, at least. My eyes stay trained to the weapons. I know it wouldn’t take much to raise a hand and shoot one of us. All of us. Just the thought of it has my heart beating against my ribcage with the force of a sledgehammer.
Now that I have a better view of the men, I allow myself to take a good look at them when they’re facing away. Both of them are tall and muscled like brick walls.
Something tells me they probably don’t need those guns to inflict major damage on their enemy. One of them has a huge scar across his face, making him look like some kind of ancient gladiator. The other one has tattoos all over his hands, neck, and even some on the side of his face. At a glance, I can tell you that I would turn and walk the other way if these guys approached me at any time.
My breathing is ragged, and even I can tell I’m close to passing out.
“You need to calm down, or you’re going to hyperventilate,” one of the men barks. I can feel his dark gaze on me, and that only makes matters worse.
“What do you want?” Oliver grits out, diverting the attention away from me.
“We’ve been made aware that you four have been making threats against our boss, and we do not take threats of any kind lightly.”
“There must be a mistake, we don’t even know who your boss is, so how the hell could we possibly be making threats to him,” Sullivan interjects, and I want to tell him his condescending tone isn’t going to help us, but I can’t even get my lips to move.
“No?” The guy with a million tattoos cocks his head to the side. “Your little girlfriend here should know. Or are you denying having a video of your father and Xander Rossi doing business?”
Business? The way he says it. In an instant, everything comes crashing into me. Just when I thought I couldn’t get any more scared, the name Xander Rossi is mentioned. Shit. That is who sent these men. That is who is looking for me.
Somehow finding my voice, I say, “I- I wasn’t threatening him. I just wanted my father to leave me alone.”
Scar face smiles, and maybe it’s meant as an actual smile, I don’t know. But it’s menacing like if a lion showed you its teeth right before ripping you to pieces.
“We don’t really give a fuck what your motives were. Fact is, you have something you shouldn’t have, and we are here to collect it.”
“That’s all you want? The video?” I force the breathless words out.
“Yup, that’s all, sweet cheeks,” tattoo guy winks, and I hear Oliver grunt next to me, making the two men chuckle.
“You can have it,” I tell him, “it’s on my laptop in my room.” I point up the stairs. “And there is a copy on a thumb drive on my desk too.”
“There is a copy in my dresser as well, bottom drawer on the right,” Oliver admits.
Scar face nods toward his friend, who gets up and heads up the stairs.
“You sure it’s not anywhere else? Some place online, maybe? On one of your computers?” His gaze sweeps over Sullivan and Banks.
“No, that’s all we’ve got,” Banks snarls, and I can see from the way he’s sitting with his back ramrod straight, his muscles straining, and his fists clenched tightly that he’s barely dealing with these guys without losing his shit.
“Look, we won’t release it,” I assure him, surprised at how strong my voice sounds. “We really weren’t going to use it to hurt your boss. I just wanted something against my father, that’s all. I can see now that we made a mistake. We don’t want any trouble, we told you where it is, and we’ll even help you destroy all of the files.”
The guy in front of us nods and strokes his chin as if he’s thinking about something intently. A moment later, tattoo guy returns, holding three laptops in his arms.
“That’s all I could find,” he tells his friend.
“And the thumb drive?” Scar face pins me with a look.
“It was on my desk, and I haven’t touched it since I put it there.” Terror starts to take root again. It has to be on the desk, that’s the last place I put it. The thought of it not being there, oh, god. I can’t think about that…
He turns back to his partner, who gives him a head shake.
“Okay, let’s go for a walk, blondie. You can find the drive for me, and we can get the hell out of here.”
“No, you can’t take her…” Banks shoves from his chair but is immediately pushed back down when scar face crosses the space and presses the barrel of his gun into his chest. A gasp catches in my throat. Time seems to stand still. My entire body starts to shake, and I already know the image before me is one I’ll never be able to forget.
Leaning into Banks’ face, the crazed man whispers, “I didn’t ask what you want. I said I’m taking her with me upstairs to find the drive. As long as I find it, no one gets hurt. I’ll return her back to you without a single hair out of place.” He gestures to the other guy to come over by us. “You just sit tight and don’t make any more stupid choices, and she’ll be just fine.”
Banks doesn’t say anything, thankfully. I’m not sure that I would be able to protect him, to save him if he did something stupid right now.
When scar face moves the gun away and points it back down at the floor, I finally start breathing again. Sucking in a ragged breath, I push from the chair and slowly come to stand. My legs wobble, and Oliver wraps an arm around my hip to steady me. I don’t dare look at him. The thought of something happening to them because of me… I would never forgive myself.
On shaky legs, I walk out of the kitchen without looking back. I don’t have to turn around to know the man is walking behind me. In that moment, all I can hear is my thundering heartbeat and the sound of his heavy footsteps against the wooden floor.
Grabbing onto the railing to steady myself, I climb the stairs, but the crushing fear makes my head spin, and I have to stop once I reach the top step. A wave of dizziness overcomes me, threatening to pull me under and into the maddening darkness.
All at once, I’m swaying like a tree branch caught in a storm. I can feel the railing in my clammy grip. Blinking away the dizziness, I try and steady myself, but my legs are still wobbling, my knees knocking together. When the guy behind me places a gentle hand on my shoulder to steady me, I almost let out a scream. If I didn’t think I might tumble down the stairs right this second, I would shove him away.
“Just take it slow and find me that drive. No need to get yourself all worked up, sweetheart. I’m not going to hurt you unless I absolutely have to.”
“What about the guys? Are they safe? Are you going to hurt them?”
“Only if they do something stupid. Now isn’t the time to be a hero. As long as they follow directions, I promise nothing bad will happen.”
I swallow down my fear and give him a tiny head nod. Taking the last step up, I start down the hall and into my room. My feet are heavy as I head straight for my desk. With trembling fingers, I open the top drawer searching frantically for the drive. Pens, pencils, sticky notes, everything inside that drawer goes flying.
Every second I can’t find it feels like an eternity. Fear rapidly mounts, and for a moment, I wonder if maybe it’s lost.
What happens if I don’t find it? No. I can’t think like that. I’ll find it. No matter what. When my fingers scrape against the back of the drawer, I start to think of another place I might have put it… but as I move across the back, and to the other side, my fingers graze against something metal and tiny.
Sweet baby Jesus.
Wrapping my fingers around the small device, I almost sag to the floor in relief. “Here it is. That’s it,” I’m basically panting as I hand it to him.
He smiles, and it leaves me feeling cold rather than warm. “There you go. See, that wasn’t so hard, was it? Let’s go back downstairs. You walk ahead of me,” he orders and points his gun toward the door. I’m only feeling a little better as I walk out of the room, down the hall, and then the stairs. When we enter the kitchen again, I find all three brothers staring at me. One gaze more intense than the next, and I force the tiniest smile because right now, that’s the only way I can let them know that I’m okay.
“Got it,” scar face tells tattoo guy, a satisfying grin appearing on his lips.
“Great. Well, thanks for having us over at such a late hour,” the man snickers. “I hope it goes without saying that we were never here, the video never existed, and you forget the name Xander Rossi for good. I don’t have to tell you what happens if you don’t, right?”
“We’ll be happy to forget this whole thing,” I say quickly, wanting this moment to end.
“Perfect. You mind seeing us out, lover boy?” he asks, looking to Oliver. The way he’s looking at him gives me the creeps and makes me feel like something bad is going to happen. Everything inside me tells me not to let Oliver go with him, but as Oliver gets up from his chair, I find that I’m stuck in place, my feet sinking into the wooden floor like it’s quicksand.
With Oliver leading the way, I watch as the three men walk to the door, the dreadful feeling that something bad is about to happen only expands with each step they take.
Just before Oliver reaches the door, scar face steps in his way, and without saying a single word, he pulls his fist back and punches Oliver in his stomach, the force of the blow causes him to stumble backward.
“What the fuck?” He wheezes out, doubling over, pain etching deep into his features. He wraps an arm around his stomach just as the second guy delivers another hit, this one onto the back of his head. Oliver slumps forward, landing on the floor in a heap.
My heart sinks into my stomach. I have to do something. Looking to Banks and Sullivan for some type of guidance they both wince, and give me a head shake. I can see they want to do something, but the risk of me getting hurt outweighs what Oliver is going through to them. I don’t care, though, not with Oliver on the floor.
“Stop!” I scream, and jump up from the chair, my body floods with adrenaline, letting me move at speeds I didn’t know were possible. I’m across the room in seconds, but the guys are right behind me, grabbing me by the arms, and hauling me backward before I can tend to Oliver.
Scar face swings around then, pointing his gun at us. He shakes his head as if I’ve somehow disappointed him by not staying in my seat.
“Stop, you promised you wouldn’t hurt them!” I yell, my vision blurring from the onslaught of tears. I struggle against Banks and Sullivan, but there’s no point. Their hands are like heavy iron shackles around my limbs.
“I promised nothing bad was going to happen. This isn’t that bad… not considering what we could have done to you for threatening the Rossi family.”
More tears slip down my cheeks, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I watch them land another kick to Oliver’s stomach.
“Okay, okay, you made your point. Please, just… just leave,” I barely get the words out as I speak between sobs. “I swear, it will never happen again.”
Scar face lifts his hand, and his partner stops mid-kick. “Next time, it won’t be a little ass-kicking. Next time you’ll pay in blood.”
“We understand,” I pant. All I want them to do is leave so I can take care of Oliver. Staring at his unconscious body, all I can think is how this is my fault, if I hadn’t threatened my father then maybe none of this would have happened. This is my fault, all mine.
“Excellent,” scar face smiles, and gestures for the other guy to come over by him. “It was a pleasure doing business with you. Have a good rest of your night.”
Together the two men leave as if they were never here. As soon as the door closes behind them, Sullivan and Banks release me.
“I’ll lock the door,” Sullivan tells Banks, “make sure he’s okay.”
The guys bustle around me, but I’m too consumed with a need to get to Oliver that I don’t even pay attention to what they’re doing. Scurrying across the floor, I drop down to my knees near Oliver’s head. A whimpered sob escapes my lips when I see his face. He looks as if he’s sleeping, no pain on his features, but I know once he wakes up, he is going to be in a world of hurt. I just hope he is going to be okay… he has to be.
Holding his head in my lap, I run my hand over his forehead before spearing my fingers through his hair. I find a bump right away, and do my best not to press against it.
“He’s got a pretty good bump on his head,” I tell Banks, who is kneeling on the floor beside me. He’s got Oliver’s shirt pushed up, and I try my best not to flinch when I see that his ribs are already swelling, taking on a deep red, bluish color.
“He’s got some bruising, but he’ll be okay. He’ll be in a lot of pain, but he’ll live,” Sullivan tells both Banks and me, and even though, I know he’ll be okay, it doesn’t make the fact that none of this would’ve happened had it not been for me, any easier to handle.
“This is my fault, all mine. I’m sorry...I’m so sorry, Oliver.” I start to sob uncontrollably, my heart crumbling in my chest.
“Stop, Harlow. Don’t blame yourself. None of this is your fault. Not every bad thing that happens is your fault.” Banks tries his best to soothe me, his voice soft and kind, but I don’t want to hear him tell me it’s not my fault, not when I know deep down it is.
“This could’ve been much worse, so we’re lucky that it ended like this, and not with you hurt, or one of us dead. People get their houses broken into all the time.” Like always, the guys pretend that these bad things would’ve happened to them even if I wasn’t part of their lives. This wasn’t a random break-in. These people were here because of me. I’m a poison, destroying and infecting everything in my wake.
Holding Oliver’s head in my trembling hands, I pray he wakes soon, and that I can find a way to make the Bishops’ lives safe again.
Every time I need saving, they’re there for me, rescuing me like white knights, but I don’t want to be a princess that needs to be saved anymore.
I want to save myself and them.