And there it is. Phew, for a moment I thought she had been replaced by a changeling or a pod person or something.
“I can’t understand why Dad keeps that woman around. I can’t wait to see what excuse she has this time. Thank god she won’t be allowed to just come and go from here whenever she pleases anymore!”
I can’t get a word in edgewise as Jacinta continues her rant, but I’m okay with that. I don't have the same kind of history with Cecelia that the siblings do, but I guess our couple of interactions really haven't gone well. I think back to her threatening me before the premiere and then my retaliation at the hospital, which she obviously volleyed back with the luggage fiasco. I can’t imagine what perceived insult or offense I have done to her, but I can’t believe she thought I would just roll over and take it.
The current state of silence makes me realize Jacinta has stopped talking, seemingly expecting an answer from me to something I’ve obviously missed.
“Huh?”
Jacinta huffs in frustration. “Were you not listening to what I said?”
“Ah, no?” I wait for the explosion, but her eyes soften with sympathy.
“Of course not. You were attacked again and gravely injured.” I roll my eyes at her dramatics. “You’re probably not feeling up to planning revenge right now. We’ll have a solid day tomorrow to work out our best action,” she says as she leads me into the formal dining room. I haven't been back in here since our horrifying meal on that first day, and the noise is what draws my attention first. Everyone is here, and they’re busy welcoming Kai and Jaxon back home when they all catch sight of me.
“Harlow!” A chorus of voices greets me, and my head pounds, causing me to wince as they swarm toward me. Jacinta automatically steps in front of me, guard dog sister powers fully activated.
“Stop it, all of you. Have you forgotten she almost died a few hours ago? Give her some space.” A small chuckle leaves my mouth, but it seems to do the job since everyone but Dad backs off. He gently but surely moves his other daughter out of the way after quickly whispering in her ear, though not so quietly that I can’t hear it.
“I’m so proud of you for looking out for your sister like that. It’s great to see it.”
Jacinta flushes with pleasure and moves aside for Dad, but she doesn’t leave more than a few steps between us.
My eyes prickle with tears and a lump the size of a melon appears in my throat as my dad gathers me into his arms. His hug is this solid wall of reassurance that finally breaks my emotional dams, and I start to quietly sob into his shirt.
“Harlow, god... Over the years, I have spent many sleepless nights worrying about my children, but I think you are going to be the worst of them.” I can hear the humor behind the words, but that doesn’t help. I just start to shake with everything pouring out of me at once—shock, exhaustion, frustration, disappointment. How in the world is it possible to feel all of these things at once? “My girl, my sweet girl, I’m so sorry this is happening. I don't know if we’re the cause or if this psycho followed you from home, but I promise we are going to do everything we can to protect you.” Dad’s vow to me is fierce, and I don't doubt its truth.
Finally, the quiet murmurs behind him have me trying to push everything back down. A hand with a tissue comes into view as Dad steps back, then Nana takes his place.
“Here, my darling. Wipe your tears and come join the meeting of minds.” Nana gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, and I’m grateful that she doesn't push for more. I think if she did, that would be my complete undoing. Emotional overload and useless for the rest of the night.
She shows me to a seat in between Oliver and Holden. Neither of them say anything, but the moment I sit down, warm, comforting hands grip my legs on either side. It’s just what I need to pull myself together. I wait, expecting Dad to lead the meeting, but it’s Thomas who clears his throat and starts us off.
“I think everyone is aware that Harlow wasn't as safe in Hawaii as we thought she was going to be. After speaking with the police there, we’ve confirmed that the car situation was no accident. The brake lines had been cut, not all the way through but enough for the brake fluid to leak out. By the time you got back to the hotel, it was gone, causing your brakes to fail.” No one looks surprised at the information. “And as for the jet ski, although we don't know for sure, we are going to assume the accident was another attack. Thankfully, not as successful as they’d hoped if they were trying to get rid of her. I know it scared all of us though, so if that was their intent, they succeeded. It could have been a fatal situation just as easily, so we have no way of knowing.”
“But to what end?” Declan growls, his frustration obvious. “What do they hope to achieve? With both the car accident and the jet ski, she could’ve died. How does this person benefit from her death? Not to mention, that car accident could’ve taken Kai, Jaxon, or both with her. Is that a sign that they’ve just been warming up by targeting Harlow?”
Clearing his throat, Thomas captures our attention again. “At this stage, we still don't know, but I do have a development which I haven't shared with any of you yet. I was going to, but then Jaxon called, and I got busy making arrangements for Harlow's security. In the end, I knew we’d have a family meeting so I could tell you all at once.”
“Well, don’t leave us hanging boy,” Poppy demands. “Get on with it.”
“Declan asked me to investigate his PI. He hasn't been able to get a hold of him since he tasked him to look deeper into Harlow’s family. We’ve all been a bit… distracted lately, which is the only excuse I can give for not pushing this to happen sooner. I’m sorry for that, but at least I know something now.” He pauses and takes a sip of the water in front of him, leaving us all hanging. I can hear Declan practically growling across the table, and Oliver snorts quietly next to me.
“My friend at the agency, Jake, called me. Turns out the PI was found dead, his throat slashed. The file he was looking through was missing all the papers inside, and, of course, that file was labeled Summers. It looks like he might have been going in the right direction, but someone wasn't too happy about it. I may be able to dig up more based on any contents of the office or the file, but it’ll take time for Jake to trickle that information to me.”
The table erupts into noise as everyone tries to talk over one another, but my stomach just sinks. Another death that I’m semi-responsible for. It wasn't enough for me to feel guilty about my mom’s death; now I have another to feel guilty about too. I look to Holden next to me and thank a higher power that he’s still with us. Whoever is doing this is obviously not afraid to kill. How many more people are going to die before this is over?
Chapter Four
Oliver
My family erupts into chatter at Thomas’ announcement, and Harlow’s body stiffens under my hand. My eyes meet Holden’s on the other side of her, and he gives me a slight nod; he can feel it too. If I’m guessing correctly, Harlow is going to feel guilty about what has happened, but she really has no need to. She didn't hold the knife that killed the PI, and she is most certainly not responsible for the one that did. She’s just someone who feels a little too deeply, and unfortunately, those deep feelings tend to take her in the direction of assuming responsibility for others’ decisions.
Dad manages to quiet everyone. “Look, in light of the situation, I have put off the trip to Europe. It will give both Holden and Harlow enough time to recover further from their incidents and allow Thomas to lay down some smoke screens regarding where we’re going. Only the people at this table and Hope will know the exact whereabouts of our accommodations when we go away. I’m asking all of you to not go anywhere alone, and as of today, you have a bodyguard, Harlow.”
Up until that last sentence, Harlow had been looking agreeable, but the bodyguard proclamation makes her stiffen even more.
“What? No way. I don't want some stranger following me around all the time. How safe will that be? We won’t know whether they could be bribed, or they may already be a plant, or the stalker themselves,” she bursts out, sounding disgruntled, but Dad holds up his hand.
