Page 20 of Harper’s Renegades

Darting in, Ghost kissed me, licking my lower lip, asking for me to open for him, which I did, seeing no reason to deny myself. If it was his mission to convince me, this was a good start, but I wasn’t going to give in until asked. I could only handle one brother ordering me around. When he broke our kiss, he looked at me expectantly.

“Oh, was that you asking me because I didn’t hear anything,” I asked, trying to keep my face straight as he scowled.

“Harper, will you please sit with me on the way back?” he mumbled.

I gave him a bright smile and nodded. “Since you asked so wonderfully, yes, I would love to sit with you on the way back.”

The others snickered, and Jaxson made the sound of a whip as he flicked his wrist at his youngest brother.

“All right, let’s get a move on it,” Magnus ordered, hopping into the driver’s seat.

The engine roared to life, and we were off down the dirt road. Today I noticed that not many people were out working, so I assumed it must be a weekend. Of course, not knowing where I was, I had no idea if they kept the same views on weekends the way we did in America.

It could be a holiday or something else entirely, so I decided to ask, “What day is it today?”

“I think it’s Saturday, but I’m not really all that sure. When we don’t have a job to worry about, we tend not to worry about schedules,” Magnus answered, reaching out to put his hand on my thigh. “Enjoy living in the moment. We have nothing pressing that needs to get done.”

While I loved the sentiment and wanted to do as he suggested, I wasn’t used to letting control go like that. I’d been working for so long to get where I was, then in the blink of an eye, it was chaos, and I was in another country with three men.

“You guys didn’t really burn my shop down, did you?” I inquired, remembering it was a suggestion they’d made back in LA when they tried to convince me to leave with them when I thought I had a choice.

Magnus looked at me out of the corner of his eye but didn’t answer me. I’d been with them the whole time. There’s no way it could have happened without me knowing. Then I realized I’d been knocked out for a solid eight hours or more. What if the insurance company was trying to get ahold of me, and I didn’t answer? There would be an investigation, and with me missing, they might think I’d been kidnapped. Okay, well, I kind of was, but having the police look into things wasn’t good either.

“No, we didn’t burn your shop down,” Magnus finally answered as if he sensed I was beginning to panic. “We hired someone to complete the remainder of your orders and to let them know you’d be traveling for inspiration for the next few months, and the shop would be closed.”

Surprised, I blinked at him a few times as my brain caught up to what he was telling me. “Who did you get to do the job on such short notice? Also, how are they getting paid? I don’t have the funds to employ someone like that if I’m not getting more orders in.”

“It’s been handled. Nothing you need to worry about,” Magnus stated, giving my thigh a squeeze.

“What does that mean,” I snapped. “This is my business, my blood, sweat, and tears that built it to what it is now.”

“Yes, it absolutely is,” Magnus agreed. “Let’s just call us a silent investor helping you to expand your business and keep its reputation while you’re gone. The landlord has been informed of your travels and the next six months are paid upfront.”

“You can’t do that,” I yelled. “What gives you the right to make that kind of call?”

“Harper, the other option was burning it to the ground and pinning it on a rival designer as retaliation. We figured this was the better option to go with. As for what right do I have? You’re ours, doll, and what needs doing will be done regardless of how you feel about it. What would have happened if we had just left the shop to sit? We don’t know how long you’re going to be in hiding. We couldn’t risk leaving loose ends like that.”

I let out a frustrated scream and shoved his hand off my leg, not wanting to be touched while I was angry. Turning my back to him, I looked out the window. There would come a time I would get bossy old Maggie back for all the controlling shit he was pulling right now. It would take some planning, but I was willing to be patient to make it happen.

Magnus turned on the radio, and the car filled with music as we drove.

Chapter ten

Harper

This time we didn’t head for the mountain. Instead, we passed through a village. I could tell we were in the eastern hemisphere by the style of the buildings and the open-air markets with vendors yelling about their goods in a language I didn’t recognize. It was slow-going with more people on foot or riding bikes than cars.

Once we passed the village, Magnus pulled up to a large gated entrance, where he punched in a code that caused the keypad to blink green, followed by a buzz, and the gates started to roll back. Pulling in, we headed down a paved driveway up to a group of low warehouse-type buildings. The crack of gunshots going off told me this was clearly where the shooting range was, but the location even existing didn’t make much sense to me.

Magnus gripped my arm, pulling me back when I tried to get out. “Harper, I need you to listen to me carefully. This compound is run by a well-known drug lord in this country. He doesn’t come down here, but this is where his men train, which means there are eyes and ears everywhere. Don’t speak unless one of us gives you a sign it’s all right to talk.”

“Why the hell are we even here if it’s that dangerous?” I demanded, narrowing my eyes. “It doesn’t make much sense to bring someone who’s in hiding right to the enemy.”

“Tigo has no interest in anything but dealing his drugs. He keeps his nose out of other people’s business unless they put themselves in his,” Jaxson interjected. “We have access to this place because we’ve done a few jobs for him, and it was part of our payment. These men know who we are and what we do for a living. They won’t mess with you, and if they do, then they deserve what’s coming.”

Blowing out a breath, I slumped in my seat. “I’m never going to have a normal life again, am I? Between you three and Dax, I’m getting a trial by fire into this whole criminal underbelly going on in our world.”

“It might be best to consider that your old life is over, and something far more exciting is just beginning,” Ghost offered as he pulled my door open, holding out a hand to me.