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“Yes,” Asher confirms.
Nick tips an imaginary hat, the faintest smirk on his lips. “We’re going to threaten some bastards, fuck up Micah, save Mia, then watch him get arrested. Bing, bang, boom. Easy.”
“What time will we meet?” Asher asks.
“Before sunset,” Nick confirms.
Harper glances between them as they move toward the door.
“Have a good day, Harp!” Nick calls out. “Also, I got your voice message. Let me know when you plan to fuck me up so I can be prepared.”
She shakes her head at him. “Sometimes, I wonder why my brother ever liked you.”
Laughter roars from me.
“Good one, Harp,” Asher tells her as he follows his brother out the door.
It clicks closed, and when we’re alone, I turn to her.
She looks me up and down, smiling. “You found your pants.”
“And they fit exactly how I remember.”
“They look better than I remember.” Harper falls into my arms, and I stand there, holding her in the early morning sunlight. The silence captures us. “I don’t like this.”
“I know,” I say, stealing a soft kiss. “But it’s almost over.”
* * *
We spend the day together,lounging around, and I can’t help but notice how she holds on to me. When night falls, Asher texts me and lets me know him and Nick are downstairs waiting for me in an SUV. I grab my bag of weapons and swing it over my shoulder.
Harper kisses me like tomorrow will never come. It better.
“Please, please come back to me,” she says.
I kiss her nose, then capture her lips again. “I will. I promise. This is a cakewalk. I love you, Harp.”
“I love you. Please hurry. I’ll be waiting.” She walks me to the door.
Billie is on her way and should arrive at any minute.
We share one final look—silent understanding, a promise exchanged without words—before I turn toward the door, prepared for whatever comes next.
The drive is tense, silence heavy inside the SUV as we navigate Manhattan traffic. I needed to drive to keep my mind busy so Nick got out and forced Asher in the back. My fingers tap restlessly against the wheel, adrenaline and urgency pulsing beneath my skin. Nick’s directions are clipped and precise.
I glance at Asher in the rearview, unable to ignore how his fingers fly rapidly across his phone screen. Every so often, he mutters under his breath, clearly coordinating something. He and Nick both have connections and resources that interconnect with mine, but his contacts can make things happen fast, without red tape or hesitation.
Nick glances briefly at me from the passenger seat, eyes sharp. “You good?”
“Yeah,” I reply shortly, jaw tightening as we roll to a stop at a red light.
He chuckles, shaking his head. “A man of few words. Shocker.”
“Maybe you should take notes,” Asher chimes in from the back, tone dripping with sarcasm. “Could be a good look for you.”
Nick’s lips twitch with amusement. “You’re both so serious; lighten up.”
“I just want to make it back to my fiancée, unscathed,” Asher counters smoothly, glancing up from his phone.