The guys and Dad all glance around at each other, the looks passing between them for long enough that I’m convincing myself they’re about to tell me that I’ve got my priorities real fucked up.
To my surprise, Declan breaks the silence, taking a step forward and drawing all our attention to him. “I’m going with her to the set, Dad, and Kai and Jaxon will be with her in Hawaii. I think she will be okay, and it might actually be a good idea for her to get out of here for a few days. Between the package at Neighpalm HQ and this, he’s definitely got too much access to our usual places. Hopefully, Hawaii will be out of his reach. It’s not like everyone has the resources to drop everything and fly there on a moment’s notice.”
Dad frowns, his shoulders slumping after a moment like he’s realized that any argument he might have made doesn’t hold the same logic as Declan’s reasoning. “Fine, you can do those things, but the boyswill notlet you out of their sight, and there will benoneof the bullshit that’s happened between you all here. I don’t want anyone to have any reason to storm off and compromise your safety.AndI’m hiring security for this place until this madman is caught.”
He turns to Jacinta, his eyebrow raised and shoulders squared as if he’s ready for his other daughter to make an argument for her crazy freedom too, though it looks like he has nothing to worry about on that front. Jacinta is still wrapped in Jaxon’s arms, the streaks of tears on her pale cheeks catching the light as she shakes her head. “I promise I won’t go anywhere. I’m happy here, drawing, at the moment.”
That settled, my mind jumps to the threat I received yesterday, and my body makes the decision before my mind can, pushing everyone out of the way to rush to DS and Jenny’s stall. Another scream leaves my mouth when I take in my beloved animals.
Both are just standing there, but they’re covered in whatever the mannequin’s body is coated in, making them look like Carrie at the prom. Totally unfazed, Jenny happily walks over to the gate and nudges my head. DS’s ears are flat back, and she’s shaking her head, trying to get the dripping stuff off of her. I'm surprised whoever it was could actually get close enough to do this without getting bit.
An arm around my shoulder has me turning and burying my face in the offered chest. I can tell by the scent that it's Kai. He smells like warm summer days, and his hand strokes over my head as he whispers in my ear, “Everything will be okay. We’ll find the fuckers who did this, and they’ll wish they’d never been born.” A wave of warmth suffuses my body, and I want to snuggle in and let him take care of everything, but I know I can't do that.Aside from the faux blood-covered animals, there’s also the dance floor orgasm to worry about later. Complication, thy name is Harlow Stubbs.I pull away from him and move to get the things I need to wash the animals, wanting to tackle the easiest obstacle first.
“What are you doing?'' he asks as I bend over to fill a bucket with water. The rest of the family is talking quietly, Oliver still wrapped around Holden, and I’m starting to think there's more to that relationship than I first thought. There’s something about it that just looks more intimate than a brotherly connection, and my mind thinks back to Hope’s unexplained comment from dinner.Control your curiosity, Harlow. Take care of your animals first, and then you can worry about orgasms, and too-close brothers, and all the other shit that’s piling up on your to do list.
“Harlow?” Kai’s voice behind me has me snapping out of my dirty musings. Looking back at him, I remember his question as I catch his eyes on my ass.
“Oh. Well, I can’t leave them like that. I’m going to clean them up.” The heat in his eyes is practically smoldering, and I’m thrown off for a moment. I mean, I know kinks come in all shapes and sizes, but Ireallydidn’t think there was a fetish for bloody animals. Maybe I shouldn’t go to Hawaii after all. Some shit might just be too weird. That thought almost startles a laugh out of me, but Kai’s started to respond, so I make myself focus back on him.
“As much as I like what’s going on here,” he says, a hint of a chuckle in his words as he gestures to my outfit, “maybe a change of outfit would be a good idea. Though please, keep this one for another time.” He grabs my bucket of water as I straighten, my eyes wide and cheeks burning with what’s definitely a deep blush.Well, check “Dad seeing my nipples” off the bucket list I never wanted.
“Harlow.” The quiet voice catches my attention. “There are overalls in the tack room. May I give you a hand with washing them?” I slowly turn to Jacinta, schooling my expression before we’re face to face. Her hands are twisting together like she’s nervous, and she can’t meet my eye.Would it kill her to apologize to me?I mean, really, we could put all of this behind us and move on if only she would own up to her mistakes. The last two days are really shoving my face in the fact that I have bigger shit to worry about than Jacinta Summers. In any case, I’m not going to let my animals be uncomfortable any longer than they have to be, so I’ll take her assistance, apology or not. The animals always come first.
“Yeah, that would be helpful,” I tell her, and her body loosens in relief as she makes her way toward the tack room to change.
“The police are on their way. They told me to not let you touch anything until they get here,” Dad says to us all. “Let's go up to the house and leave everything like it is until then.”
“But, but..” I try to argue, and he puts his hand up.
“It’s not going to hurt the animals to stand there for another half an hour, Harlow. I’ll get them to clear that area first, and as soon as they’re done, you can wash them,” he reassures me. I relent, not wanting to put anyone further on edge by having to argue with me.
The others leave, Oliver and Holden not touching anymore, though they do seem to be having a quiet conversation before they both follow Dad out of the stables.
“You go ahead,” Thomas directs, the edge to his voice making me look at him closely. There’s a calm authority to those three words that make me feel like he’s not as rattled as everyone else. What has he dealt with as the head of Neighpalm Airlines that gives him such a cool head now? Who is this man? “I’m going to wait here for the police or in case Josh comes in for any reason.” He drags a bale of hay out to the feed room and puts it next to one of the stable walls, settling his long body down on it. I can’t help but notice he’s wearing gray sweatpants and a black wifebeater, his feet bare and his red hair tousled like someone has been running their hands through it. I have to cross my arms over my chest to hide what his whole look is doing for me.Damn these traitorous nipples.
Jacinta walks over to follow the others, throwing a pair of overalls at me on the way. “Wipe your drool, will you?” she says quietly as she goes past, seeing where I’m looking. My eyes snap to hers, finding a very surprising amusement instead of the usual venom, but then it’s like she realizes we're bonding and they cloud over again. Ending the moment, her gaze moves to the mannequin and she shudders before she breaks into a jog. “Wait for me,” she calls out before disappearing through the doorway, leaving me with just Kai and a watchful Thomas.
“Come on, this’ll give you a chance to get changed,” Kai suggests, and I quickly take the overalls back into the feed room, hanging them on a hook. I haven't been in there before, but it looks to be well stocked with medical equipment too. There’s an ultrasound machine in the corner, and the nerdy vet in me almost can’t resist checking out the equipment, but it just gets added to the long list of shit I have to make time for later.
When I return to the others, Kai and Thomas are having a quiet conversation, their murmurs stopping when they see me. Kai smiles, but it looks a little strained. “Come on, let's go.”
“Can I bring you a coffee or something?” I ask Thomas as he watches me with those green eyes that seem to see so much. Thomas is always watching, taking things in. You never know what’s going on in that head of his. I guess all those years of remaining quiet around others taught him the value of looking and listening. I’m a little sad that he had to learn that lesson, but it makes me even more intrigued to find out what’s going on beneath his surface.
The pause seems to stretch for hours, a weird kind of tension or anticipation building between the two of us. I’m not really sure what the feeling is, but it’s definitely got a life of its own. A small smile crosses his mouth before he replies, “Yeah, that would be great. Thank you.”
Kai wraps his arm around my shoulders, and we make our way back to the house. The lights are blazing now, especially compared to the darkness of when we returned home. I’m not sure how everyone heard me from inside. Maybe Oliver woke them all when he saw me come home without his car? But then how would Dad have heard in the other wing? As I walk inside, my attention no longer occupied by the ghastly stable scene, I notice he’s in a business suit, as are Declan and Jaxon. In fact, apart from Holden, Thomas in his sweats, and Jacinta in pajamas, they all are.
“What's with the suits?” I ask them, trying to distract myself from the scene in the stables.
“We attended a charity dinner tonight, and we had only just gotten home before you did. We were sitting having a nightcap on the patio until we heard you scream and followed Oliver out to the stable,” Jaxon explains, pouring a cup of coffee from the pot on the counter and sliding it over to me.
Giving him a small smile of thanks, I’m about to ask what charity it was for, any kind of small talk to distract me from what happened, but Oliver prompts me again.
“You never said what happened to my car.” His eyes are creased at the edge with worry, his gaze locked on Holden and the bottle of whiskey he’s just pulled out of a cupboard. Holden pours a big slug into a glass before throwing it back without a flinch.
Hunching my shoulders, I avoid his gaze when it switches to me, the pause going on too long. “Harlow,” he growls.
“Fuck, Oliver, I’m sorry, but the stalker was busy tonight. He must have trashed your car and then hurried back here to do what they did out in the stable.”
