“Someone knows our alias and has been tracking it?” Alexander rocked his head side to side. “That’s possible. But it means that whoever it is has patience. They’ve been waiting a long time to dig up dirt. We haven’t used that name in over a year.”
“There were no other cameras in the house. If there were, we would have seen the photos. It’s not like the bedroom is the only place we were exposed.” Julian thrust out an arm when the doors opened, making sure the coast was clear before we exited the elevator’s safe confines.
Bethany sat at her desk, an earpiece in one ear, and her notepad next to her hand. She lifted her head and flashed a smile. “Afternoon, sirs. Is there anything I can do for you?”
Alexander paused while waving us ahead. “I’ll catch up in a minute. I need to talk to Bethany about the coffee situation downstairs.”
I arched a brow, but Julian shrugged. We turned into my office, closing the door and waiting for Alexander.
Julian paced. I stood perfectly still. The contrast in our reactions to stress often put us at odds, but I could pace with the best of them when the mood struck. Today, I needed the peace and stillness of not moving.
I itched for action, which meant I needed to be still. I needed to evaluate the situation from every side and consider all the possibilities. My mind did the pacing while my body locked in place.
“Someone was waiting for us.” Alexander picked up the last thread of our conversation when he entered the room. “That’s the only thing that makes sense. Someone knew about our alias, and they learned about the reservation. Somehow, they made it into the cabin and set up a camera in the bedroom. That suggests they knew something would be happening in there.”
“Maybe they thought the three of us were lovers.” Julian helped himself to a glass of whiskey. He sipped it as he paced, pausing at the windows to stare at the building across from us.
“That makes more sense than anyone suspecting we’d be there with Harper.” I’d been accused of sleeping with Julian before. Back when we first went into business together. For some reason, it was difficult for people to believe the three of us couldbe friends, run a business, and not be sexually attracted to one another. Even stranger if they knew the truth. If we came out to the world that we preferred polyamory, the world would rather us be homosexual.
Fine by me. I didn’t give two shits about someone else’s sexuality.
I cared about mine and the person I slept with.
“That might help Harper.” Alexander sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on his knees and chin on his knuckles. “If she thinks this isn’t about her but about someone coming after us, she might be okay.”
“Those pictures destroyed her confidence in us.” I pointed out the obvious because Alexander needed me to. “We could go to her house to try and explain.” I needed to leave it well the fuck alone, but it was Harper we were talking about. The one woman in the world who had found her way into my heart. I’d rather die than hurt her, and yet that was exactly what we’d done with our carelessness.
Julian tossed back the whiskey and set the glass down on my desk. “Talking to her in person is the best way to clear all this up.”
“Too pushy.” Alexander remained poised like a statue, his expression thoughtful.
“I’m good at being pushy.” I poured myself a glass of Scotch and swirled the liquid around the glass.
Alexander’s gaze slid to me then to Julian. One side of his mouth tipped up in a tiny grin. “We know. But being pushy isn’t always the right answer. If we show up and talk her into forgiving us,I’ll always wonder if we pushed her into something she didn’t want.”
“Harper knows how to tell us no.” I sipped the Scotch and told myself it was the truth.
Julian sighed. “We all know we’re capable of getting the answer we want out of her. We need to let her know the threat is over and let her process. As much as I want to storm over there and hold her, Alexander’s right.”
“I need that in writing.” Alexander held out a hand. “Signed and personalized.”
“Shut up.” Julian snorted a laugh that came out loud and obnoxious.
“Harper clearly did not want to be around us, or she would have stayed instead of running away.” I finished my drink and added my glass to Julian’s on my desk. “I’m going to text her in the group chat. Let her know everything is okay and ask how she’s doing.” I did exactly that, not waiting for permission.
I didn’t need their permission.
Seconds later, I’d sent the text. Julian and Alexander read it in the chat, then added their own to the thread. We apologized, told her the pictures were gone, and asked how she was feeling.
No answer.
Julian resumed pacing.
Alexander stayed on the couch, head hanging low.
And I could not convince myself to move. My body remained frozen in place, locked up in the fear that our time with Harper was at an end.
No.
