Page 28 of Caspian (HC Heroes #14)

H arper slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Cas, who was sprawled comfortably under the covers, his breathing deep and even.

She paused for a moment, watching him sleep.

A smile tugged at her lips. He looked so peaceful, a stark contrast to the tension that had filled the air yesterday.

But last night in bed, the amazing, thoughtful man had kept her mind off the mounting stress of the threats with a night of hot, intense, pleasure.

He’d earned his rest, and she felt grateful for the way he always seemed to know exactly how to help her breathe again.

But as she quietly grabbed her clothes then snuck out to get dressed in the living room, the worries and thoughts from the previous day began to creep back in.

Cas had confided that he wanted to set a trap and not wait for another threat that could be deadly.

Harper agreed. There were supposed to plan it this morning, but she didn’t have the heart to wake him.

Still, her mind buzzed with a restless energy that wouldn’t let her sit still.

She needed to keep busy, to find something to occupy her hands and her thoughts before the bulk of everything pulled her under.

The garage would be perfect—her refuge, a place where she could focus on her great-grandmother’s desk and feel a sense of control amidst the chaos.

Deactivating the alarm, she stepped out on the outside stairway, and made her way down to the garage, flipping on the lights and taking a deep breath of the familiar scent of wood and sawdust. She moved toward her workbench, ready to dive into the tasks that had been waiting for her when she remembered to shut and lock the door.

But as she reached for the handle, someone burst in, hitting her with the door, sending her backward.

Harper’s pulse quickened as a man stepped in. He was broad and somewhat stout. Had to be one of Anderson’s thugs. He had the look of someone who was used to intimidation, his posture menacing as he blocked her path.

“Well, if it isn’t the little investigator,” he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. “You and your friends don’t know when to quit, do you?”

Harper’s mind raced but she forced herself to stay calm. She squared her shoulders, refusing to show the fear that clawed at her insides. “I could say the same about you,” she shot back, her voice steady. “What do you want?”

The thug took a step closer, his gaze dark and threatening. “You need to drop this, sweetheart. Stop digging where you don’t belong. Mr. Anderson doesn’t take kindly to people who can’t mind their own business.”

Hah. She knew it!

Harper held her ground, her heart pounding but her resolve unshaken. “And I don’t take kindly to people who cover up murders. I’m not stopping until the truth comes out.”

His expression hardened, and a second later, he lunged at her.

But she was ready. She’d trained for this—after the school shooting, she’d promised herself she’d never be helpless again.

As he swung at her, Harper ducked low, delivering a sharp elbow to his side that made him grunt in pain.

She moved quickly, dodging his next blow and using his momentum against him, she threw him off balance.

Harper was about to make a mad dash for the door, but then she saw the flash of metal and her blood ran cold.

Memories of that fateful day at school ripped through her mind.

The thug’s eyes were wild as he pointed a gun in her direction.

Harper’s mind went blank, her instincts screaming at her to move, but before she could react, she heard footfalls on the steps.

Oh, God, Cas…

He stepped into the garage, his expression shifting from confusion to alarm as he took in the scene. The thug’s eyes darted to Cas, and he instantly turned the gun on him.

Harper’s heart lurched practically out of her chest. Time seemed to slow as she watched the gun swing toward Cas, fear surging through her like a tidal wave.

No! I can’t lose him too.

Without hesitating, she launched herself at Cas, tackling him to the ground just before she heard shots go off. They echoed in the confined space, deafening cracks that reverberated through her bones.

They hit the floor hard, and Harper braced herself for the pain, expecting the searing heat of a bullet. But it never came.

Cas rolled her over, his hands frantically checking her for injuries, his eyes wide with fear. “Harper! Are you hit?”

She blinked, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She shook her head, still stunned by the force of the fall. “I-I’m okay,” she managed, her voice trembling. “I don’t think I’m hit. Are you?”

“No. I’m fine.”

She raked her gaze over him, needing to be sure. At the lack of bullet holes and blood, she blinked back threatening tears.

Thank, God. She couldn’t go through it again. Not again.

“Good timing, Bro.” His gaze darted to the side, and she followed his line of sight.

That’s when she spotted Dale standing in the doorway, his gun raised and his expression deadly serious. The thug was on the ground, writhing in pain, clutching his bleeding hand and shoulder where Dale’s shots had hit their mark.

With his weapon trained on the man, he stepped further into the garage and kicked away the assailant’s fallen weapon. Her attacker was groaning and cursing up a storm.

“This guy isn’t going anywhere. He’s lucky I didn’t shoot center mass like we trained, but we need him alive,” Dale stated. “I already called Gabe. He’s on his way.”

“How…how did you know?” she stammered, slowly pushing herself up to sit, her body still shaking as the adrenaline coursed through her.

“Saw it on the feed,” he replied. “Had a gut feeling something was going to happen, so I’ve been monitoring the backyard.”

Praise be his instincts and Cas’ timing.

“You sure you’re okay,” Cas asked, hands on her shoulders, his face pale and gaze dark with concern.

She nodded, swallowing hard. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

Cas grabbed her arm and brought them both to their feet, then he crushed her close and held her tight. “Thank God.”

Harper burrowed into him, needing to reassure herself that he was alive. He was okay.

That he wasn’t full of bullet holes.

Needing to dispel the images that thought created, she drew back and turned to Dale, while slipping her arm around Cas. She couldn’t bring herself to release him yet. His touch grounded her, and damn she sure needed that right now.

She also needed to thank his brother. “Thanks, Dale. I didn’t even hear you come in.”

He shrugged. “That was the idea,” he said with a faint smile on his lips. “You’ve got good instincts, Harper. You kept your cool.”

She glanced at the thug on the ground, the reality of the situation sinking in. They were playing a dangerous game, but today had proven that she was stronger than her fear, stronger than the threats. No longer was she a prisoner to her old demons.

“We’ll be upstairs,” Cas said, before he guided her out of the garage and up to her apartment.

Once inside, he pulled her close, his warmth and steady presence anchoring her.

He was everything to her, and she’d almost lost him because of her foolishness.

She wasn’t supposed to go anywhere alone.

It hadn’t dawned on her that going to the garage qualified.

She leaned into him, drawing comfort from his presence, but the adrenaline that still coursed through her veins made it hard to fully relax. She kept replaying the moment when the gun had swung toward Cas, her heart seizing at the thought of how close they had come to tragedy.

“It’s all right. I’ve got you,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “Let it out. I’m not going anywhere.”

Her eyes stung and throat heated, and for several minutes, he held her while her tears flowed, and her body shook. When she finally found her voice, she drew back enough to cup his face. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“I thought I’d lost you too.” His hands curved around her neck and base of her head, and he set his forehead to hers. “God, Harper, when you stepped in front of me, and I heard the shots…I think I did die. Don’t ever do that again. Please, don’t ever do that again.”

She swallowed hard and blinked back more tears. “I understand.” She knew exactly how he’d felt.

And now, she understood how Alex had felt. She understood his actions during the school shooting. The only thought in her head, the only goal in her mind when the guy had aimed his gun at Cas, was to save him at all costs. To not let him die.

She drew in a shaky breath, but when she exhaled, it came out slow and steady, and a calm washed over her. “I couldn’t let anything happen to you. I just couldn’t, and that thug was too far from my reach, so I did what I had to because I can’t lose you, Cas. I just can’t.”

“You’ve got me, Harper. I’m not going anywhere.” He kissed away her tears, one by one, and when they finally stopped falling, his mouth found hers.

His kiss was tender and full of so much feeling her heart swelled and nearly burst from her chest. She clung to him, returning the kiss, showing him just how much he meant to her. By the time he broke the kiss, she was shaking again, but this time it was for a much better reason.

Her body was on fire, and she discovered his was too when she slipped a hand under his shirt. Just when she was about to push it up over his incredible body, a knock sounded at the door.

She jumped, and he gripped her hip to steady her.

“That’ll be the sheriff,” he said, studying her face. “You ready to give your statement?”

She nodded. “Yes.” She just wanted to get it over with.

Cas grabbed her hand as they both walked to the door. Harper’s steps were a little shaky, but she steadied herself, knowing they needed to see this through.

When Cas opened the door, Gabe stepped inside, his expression serious but tinged with a hint of satisfaction. “How are you two holding up?” he asked, removing his hat and setting it on the back of a chair.