“Is that what you want?”
“Stop answering my questions with another question,” she demanded. “This isn’t a game. This is my life, my company. So just….stop.” She searched his eyes for his answer, and the emotions surrounding him for a clue, and she was smacked in the gut with his desire.
She stopped herself from licking her lips.
“Fine,” he said, tilting his head in acknowledgment. “As long as you don’t argue with me about helping you, and in return help me find what I’m looking for, I’ll sign everything back over. Believe it or not, Harper, I quit testing you months ago.Every call after that was because I enjoyed our talks.”
She stood on her tiptoes, trying to look him in the eye. His lips twitched at her effort, and he lowered his head.
She raised her brow and smiled before pressing her lips to his in a surprise kiss. His lips were soft yet firm, and she fought to ignore the zap of awareness that hit her. The kiss was quick and unnecessary, but she wanted to level the playing field.
“You’re not right about everything, Cage. You didn’t kiss me; I kissed you. We’ll start tonight at the black tie party at the country club. I’ll be in public and a sitting target. That and my home are the best places to attack.”
“I agree,” he said as his brows dipped, and the look of confusion on his face made her grin. “Most women would be scared.”
“I’m not scared. I’m worse. I’m pissed.” Aggravation clawed at her from his betrayal. Trust hadn’t just flown out the window. It had landed hard on the pavement and then been run over by an eighteen-wheeler before being flung into a cage of bulls, stomped and torn to shreds. Trust…there was none.
“What time should I pick you up?” he asked.
“You shouldn’t. That defeats the purpose of being an easy target.” She stepped around him and left him standingin her room. She had less than eight hours to pull a plan out of her ass that included staying alive, and for that, she was going to need a miracle and a little help from the dead.
Harper stoodwith her sisters on the patio outside the country club. Each looked on, amused at the chaos inside. Beneath the twinkling lights around the room, and the soft beat of the music, swarmed fifteen ghosts that had come to help.
“Who’s Redbeard?” Harper asked the others as she scanned the otherworldly floating among the living in the ballroom.
“He’s Collin’s great-great something. You know those Highlanders are always looking for a fight.”
Harper nudged her. “He does realize that sword he’s swinging can’t actually hurt the living?”
“I’m not sure he cares,” Quinn answered.
“And the one who looks bored? Who does he belong to?”
“Oh, you remember him. He’s the one that haunted my ass over the emerald,” Quinn said turning her back to the ballroom to face her sisters. “It’s game time, ladies. Collin, Coop, and Ian haveeyes on the doors.”
“Where’s Ryker?” Harper shouldn’t care where he was. It almost pained her to ask. Almost.
Cara shared a grin with Quinn before turning back to Harper. “He’s doing surveillance from the van.”
“With Aunt Betty,” Quinn said before she broke out in laughter.
Harper’s smile spread into a full-out grin. He deserved more than a couple hours with the crazy woman. He deserved years. Only then would she feel a little less betrayed. No matter that his excuse had been to save her life.
Grace put her hand into the middle of the circle, and the rest of their sisters did the same. “No one comes into our house and fucks with us. Light the fires and burn the bras. It’s time we kicked some motherfucking balls. Pencil dick on three.”
They pumped their hands together three times and yelled, “Pencil dick,” all together, as if they were a football team about to take the field. The guests closest to the patio doors turned and gasped. Harper grinned and curtseyed.
“Did you just yell pencil dick?” Ryker’s smooth, silky voice asked into the receiver in her ear.
“Why? Are you offended?” Harper asked, walking into the ballroom behind her sisters. The lot of them made a sight.Five women on a manhunt, surrounded by conspirator ghosts helping with surveillance.
“I think you know better. You care to play another round of twenty questions or maybe a different game, like show and tell?”
“Group channel here, guys,” Cooper growled. “No one that isn’t married is playing hide the salami.”
“Hey…” Ian chimed in. “Speak for yourself.”
“You don’t count, Ian,” Collin said and chuckled.
