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I hate this guy. I hate that poor Alice is sat upstairs crying with a split lip and black eyes. I hate his smug fucking attitude even as he can barely stand. I really hate the way he keeps ogling Annika. And I hate the words his filthy mouth spits at her. An all too familiar rage brews and I take a moment to appreciate that I am now in a position that doesn’t require me to tamp it down. I step over to him and ram my fist into his gut, the air leaves him in a whoosh and if it weren’t for the two big blokes holding him, he would be curled in on himself on the floor.

“You’ll watch your fucking mouth when you speak to her.”

“Oooooh,” he chuckles. “Someone’s got a crush. Tell me, does she warm up a bit or just lie there like a dead fish.”

I punch his face, blackening his other eye and bring my elbow down hard on his shoulder, hearing a satisfying crack. He screams profanities at me, and I’m about ready to keep going when a soft touch at my shoulder brings a wave of calm over me.

“Enough,” she breathes into my ear from behind and her voice travels straight to my dick. Stepping up to Gregson, she considers him for a moment before looking to Benny.

“Contact Lee and arrange for three of my guys to watch him in a holding house until I decide what to do with him.”

“Yes, sir,” he says with a nod. “You want us to do anything about the injuries?”

She looks down at the broken man with disgust. “Absolutely not.”

24

ANNIKA

We drive back home in a peaceful silence. It’s strange to me how it feels natural for Harvey to be coming home with me, to be feeling eager to see the girls again. It’s like something huge is happening but I can’t quite put my finger on it. There’s this bubble of anticipation floating about in my stomach, and it seems to go into overdrive when I’m alone with Harvey. After two of the best orgasms I’ve ever had in my life, I don’t think I can deny to myself how much I want him. I find his arrogant charm oddly endearing and watching him speak to the poor girl at Scarlet House was jarring. He was so calm, understanding, gentle and kind. Everything I am not. The way he seems to have made friends with everyone around him in such a short amount of time is intriguing to me. I’ve never made a friend in my life.

Pulling into the garage, we sit in the car for a moment. I feel like I want to say something, but I don’t know what.

“You okay?” Harvey asks me, looking at the side of my face.

“Of course.”

“Do you always have this much trouble with Kukris in Talon territory?”

“No.” I sigh. “Something is going on.” I roll my shoulders and stretch my neck, feeling the tension I’m carrying there.

Harvey’s warm hand covers mine where is rests on my thigh. “We’ll figure it out,rainha.”

I look at where we touch, my knuckles burning under his fingers and that anticipation bubble bouncing off the walls of my insides. I take a sharp breath, my heart pounding, and turn my hand over until we’re palm to palm. Our fingertips brush and an electrical current travels from the contact to my chest. I don’t hate it, but I am scared of it, so I take my hand away and clear my dry throat. “We should go find the girls.” I’m up and out of the car before he can argue.

We find the girls in the pool with Guinevere. Mabel calmly swimming laps while Keeley splashes madly in the shallow end. These two adore the water as much as I do, and I think to myself that I should get them more bathing suits.

“Hi Anni! Hi Harvey!” Keeley calls excitedly, waving at us as we walk into the humidity of the pool room.

“Heyprincesa.” Harvey smiles at her, heading to the edge of the pool. I stay back by the sunbeds.

“Are you guys coming in?” Keeley asks.

“Sure,” I answer. “I just need to get changed and I’ll be back down.”

Harvey turns to see me waiting at a safe distance. “What are you doing back there?” He smiles in amusement. “Scared of a little water?”

I cock my brow at him. “I’m in heels and my suit is Versace, I’m not going anywhere near the water.”

“What’s the worst that can happen?” he teases, but as he throws his arms up in question, he steps back and loses his footing on the side of the pool. Shock paints his face as he tips backwards, and his arms reach forward as though findingsomething to grab onto but there’s nothing. He hits the water with a loud splash, water flying high up into the air. Keeley shrieks, Mabel gasps, and Guinevere claps her hand to her face. Harvey emerges and blows out a big breath that spurts water out with it and wipes his face with his hands.

I can’t help it, I laugh. It’s a high and unfamiliar sound, rusty but hearty. The four of them in the pool look at me in surprise, probably because they’ve never heard such a sound coming from me. I can’t even muster the common decency to be embarrassed by the outburst because I’m still laughing. I’m laughing so hard my stomach starts to hurt, so I wrap my hands around my middle and bend over.

Soon, the girls and Guinevere are laughing too. Harvey is looking at me in shock, but his pretty mouth is hitched up at one side. “Oh, that’s funny, is it?” he asks me.

“You were so cocky!” I howl. “So sure of yourself. You look so stupid!” I’m delirious, tears streaming down my cheeks and I’m getting lightheaded from not bringing in enough oxygen.

Keeley is still laughing loudly and Harvey splashes her, which earns him a shriek. He gets to the side and hauls himself up with his arms, bringing himself to stand by the side of the pool again. My giggles subside as I watch his sopping wet, black t-shirt cling to him, his jeans—weighed down by the water—are hanging slightly too low on his hips and drops of water run over his bare arms. My mouth goes dry and I’m momentarily paralysed. Until I see his intent that is.