Tanner turns his blue eyes on me and he gives me that winning smile of his, but it doesn’t reach his eyes, shooting chills through me. “I’m trying to protect you from your keepers. I promised to be your hero andsave you from them.” He licks his lips, dropping his gaze down my body. “After all, we all know how good you taste.”
My mouth drops open. The heat of the guys’ eyes burn into me. My face heats and my stomach sinks. I don’t even think before my hand flies, aiming for his face. He catches my wrist and tugs me toward him. As I stumble, an arm wraps around me, drawing me back into a hot body with a low growl.
“Leave.” Caden’s voice is hushed and terrifying in my ear. His arm is steel around my center. I want to sink into him and let him protect me, but what if they believe Tanner’s lie?
Tanner smirks and drops my wrist. “Another time, Harper. You’ve got my number.”
He steps back into the shadows and fades away, leaving me to deal with the fallout.
CHAPTER 28
The Blind Spot
Caden
The red clears from my vision when Tanner leaves and Harper relaxes into me. Her vanilla scent floods my senses, easing anger. Tanner Lewis at Harper’s house might as well be a red flag in front of a bull.
The guys work to keep him out of my path, knowing I can’t see reason around him. And fearing I’ll take it too far. They aren’t wrong. I’d like nothing better than to wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze until that knowing, taunting light dies in his eyes.
Harper runs a smooth hand along my arm. She gasps when she feels my knuckles. They’re already swelling a little, but I can’t feel it with all the rage and adrenaline pumping through me.
I look at Jack, needing clarity. “What was he doing here?”
Jack frowns and glances at Harper. “Checking on Harper.”
Her attention is on my hand. She’s either really focused or avoiding talking about it. This is a pile of shit we can’t ignore though.
“You need ice,” she whispers, looking up at me with those soft brown eyes. That fucking caring tone in her voice will always be my undoing.
I sigh and look around at Luke, Eli, and Nico. Luke is fuming. I’m not sure what Tanner said, I didn’t catch any of it. My blood thundered through my ears and my vision narrowed to only Tanner.Nothing else mattered. But whatever it was, it pissed off Luke. Eli watches Harper with suspicion in his dark eyes. Nico? Nico looks confused as fuck.
“Come on, little nympho. Fix me up then.” I turn with Harper toward the door and guide her into the kitchen. I’m no longer amped up, but it’s slowly morphing into a need our girl isn’t ready to fill.
Nervously, she moves away from me with a glance back before she opens a drawer and gets out a kitchen towel. The others file in and take seats, while she digs in the freezer for some ice. Luke stands like the asshole he is, slightly in her way, making her go around him. I lower into a chair at the table and watch her.
This is the first time I’ve seen Tanner all year. The guys are careful to keep him out of my sight. Especially after I threatened to kill the fucker after what he did.
But Tanner was here. For Harper.
That burns me deep inside. The betrayal sits uneasy because she may not know. If she knows though… if she knows and still let him close to her. Some small part of me would want to hurt her for that. I don’t know how to feel about that part, because the majority of me only wants to protect her.
She brings over the towel filled with ice and sits in the chair beside me. Our knees brush. She takes my hand in hers and holds the ice against my knuckles, wincing when she touches them like she’s the one with the injury and not me.
Her brown eyes flick up to mine. Uneasiness is in her eyes, like she’s not sure where we stand. No one says anything.
I draw in a breath and blow it out. “What did he say?”
Harper flinches and her gaze falls to my hand. Luke straightens from leaning against the counter. Harper shivers but doesn’t move away from me. He takes in every inch of her, as if he’s weighing her.
“He said he tasted her.” The words are clipped and damning from Luke.
She winces. Her hand tightens on mine slightly.
“And then she tried to slap him,” Jack offers.
When Tanner grabbed her, everything in me stilled, and instead of being the aggressor, I became the protector. For her.
Her gaze lifts to mine. Unshed tears shimmer in the light. They beg me to listen even though she’s not saying a word.
