Alarm shot through her. Dear God, she’d been abducted, her town house set on fire. Chase had been shot. She didn’t think she could take much more. “What’s happened? Is Michael... Is he okay?”
“It’s nothing like that, honey. Michael’s with Bran. He’s fine. This is something else.”
She didn’t like the serious note in his voice. “What is it?”
Chase sat down in the window seat. “This sun sure feels good,” he said, carefully propping his back against the wall on the opposite end of the cushion.
“Yes, it does.” She caught a glimpse of the bandage around his shoulder and reminded herself to check, see if it needed changing.
Chase released a slow breath. “I have no idea how to say this so I’ll just spit it out. Michael is my half brother.”
She frowned, unable to digest what Chase was saying. “What are you talking about?”
“Your dad isn’t Michael’s father. My dad is. Until a couple of days ago, Reese was the only one who knew. I was trying to find the right time to tell you, but then things went south and this is the first chance I’ve had.”
Her insides were trembling. “Your father had an affair with my mother?”
“Not exactly. According to my father, it only happened once.” Chase went on to explain what Reese had told them about their parents and how they had acted rashly one night. That it was a secret her mother was determined to keep.
Harper finally began to focus, make sense of what Chase was telling her—and why. “So...after what happened to Michael in Colombia and men coming after me, Reese decided to come forward?”
“That’s about it. Michael is a Garrett. Bran, Reese and I are very happy to welcome him into the family. Bran’s in Houston with Michael, making sure he’s safe. By now Michael knows the truth.”
Harper moistened her suddenly dry lips. “But you and I... We aren’t...”
Chase grinned. “No. Absolutely not.”
Relief almost made her smile. She leaned back in the window seat. “I’m glad for Michael, actually. It explains a lot. I have a feeling my father knew the truth all along. He must have seen Michael as a reminder of my mother’s betrayal. That’s the reason Dad treated him so badly.”
“Yeah, that’s kind of what I figured.” They talked about it for a while, about what it meant for Michael to be a member of the Garrett family, how Chase and his brothers felt about it. Then the doorbell rang.
Maddox was already in the foyer when they arrived, standing next to the door, gun drawn.
“I think it’s my friend Shana,” Harper said. “She’s got my clothes.”
“I left word for the guard in the lobby to send her up,” Chase said.
Maddox checked the peephole, opened the door and Shana walked into the condo. Exotically beautiful, with the kind of curves men fantasized about, she was dressed head to toe in EC fashion: skinny jeans and a colorful short-sleeved sweatshirt, high-heeled leather boots and a leather belt slung low around her waist.
“Thank God you’re okay,” Shana said, tugging a rolling suitcase in behind her. She carried several shopping bags, which she dropped on the floor. “Girl, I’ve been so worried about you. Are you really all right?” Shana leaned over and enfolded Harper in a long, reassuring hug.
“I’m okay...considering. Thanks for doing this.”
“Are you kidding me? After everything you’ve done for me, I’d have gone into your flaming town house to find you something to wear.”
Harper laughed and shook her head. She’d given Shana Davis a chance to prove herself, but Shana had more than earned her half of their partnership.
She turned toward the men. “Shana, this is Jason Maddox and Chase Garrett. They saved my life.”
Shana’s assessing glance slid over Maddox with definite approval. “Good to meet you, Jason.”
“You, too,” he said, a faint smile on his lips.
Shana shifted her attention to Chase. “At last...the infamous Chase Garrett. I’ve heard a lot about you—not all of it good.” Her smile was slightly cool. “I guess taking a bullet to save my friend’s life gives you a pass on some of it.”
Chase smiled. “Don’t worry. I plan to make up for the rest of it—whatever it takes.”
Shana’s black eyebrows went up. “Well, then, I guess we’ll see.”
