Page 143 of Remorseless

“I didn’t take what you wasn’t willing to give, so shut the fuck up. You gave it up to add to your arsenal against CJ. When will you get it through your hard fucking head that all you’re doing is alienating him further?”

“He was supposed to punch you! You haven’t spoken to me in days.”

“You really expect me or anyone else towantto talk to your whiny, scheming ass? Now, get out of my fucking room. I’m tired.”

He’d been serious, so she’d gone downstairs to the sofa, wailing as loudly as possible, determined to draw someone out.

No one came.

Angry, she stormed to the bathroom, locked herself in, and jumped into the shower, staying under the spray until it turned cold. Ignoring the banging on the door and Aunt Zoann frantically calling her name pleased Harley to no end.

She’d yelled, “Go away. I’m not done yet.”

When she finally left the bathroom, everything was dark and still. They’d gone to bed, hopefully pissing themselves.

Now, the house was silent, as if they’d forgotten her. She didn’t smell bacon or coffee. She didn’t hear Aunt Zoann bustling around or Uncle Val walking out the back door to take care of Hogzilla.

The bell rang. She waited, expecting Uncle Val to appear since he usually answered the door. The bell rang again. It dawned on her that no one was home.

She glanced at the clock. 10:15AM.

Aunt Zoann had allowed her to oversleep. Harley had missed school. What was going on? Had something happened?

The bell rang a third time.

Spooked, Harley stood and tipped to the door. “Who is it?”

“Grant.”

Harley swallowed, real fear erasing everything else. She hurriedly unlocked the door.

Lolly’s stepson brushed past Harley. He was tall and handsome, blond like Pop. He looked exhausted.

“Get dressed, Harley.” He offered no explanation for why he was in town and at the log cabin so early in the morning. “We have to go.”

“What are you doing here? I didn’t know you were coming to town.”

He grimaced, rubbed the back of his neck. “Sloane was in New York and had his pilot come to Boston to pick me up on his way here.”

Panic hit Harley, but she bit her lip. Grant didn’t like her anymore. If she started to cry, he wouldn’t care. “Is Lolly and Pop okay?”

Scowling, he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Do you give a fuck?”

Maybe, she deserved Grant’s derision, but after watching her father walk away, enduring Ryan’s rejection, and Pillar of Earth’s debasing, she couldn’t handle another argument. She turned. “Get out,” she threw over hershoulder.

Grant swore. “I didn’t intend to tell you because I have a fucking headache, and I don’t want to deal with your tears.”

“Then don’t! I don’t want to deal withyou.”

“I’m only here because Mort sent me. I can walk out that fucking door and leave you in the dark.”

“About what?” Harley screeched, rounding on him.

“Roxy wants you there, too.”

“For what?” She smirked. “Did the old battle ax break a nail? Waa-waa-waa.”

“You’re so fucking impossible. Roxy has enough consideration for you when you’ve pissed off everyone else. Aunt Zoann and Uncle Val tried to get you to open the fucking door last night, so you could go with them.”