Page 37 of Harper’s Renegades

Harper

“You want me to do what?” I demanded as Jaxson handed me a mug full of coffee, only to pull it back when I shot up from my seat. “That man’s son all but assaulted me, and he wants to meet me to hear the whole story? Why, who in their right mind would say something like that and not plan to kill the person who shows up?”

“Angel—”

“No, Ghost, I don’t give a shit what you say. This is ludicrous,” I yelled, pointing an accusing finger at him. “The whole fucking point of me being here is to keep me alive and out of trouble. This, this is just asking for it.”

“Doll, sit down.” Magnus barked, slamming his hand on the counter.

I sat crossing my arms and glaring, knowing there was nothing they could say that would get me to do this.

“Thank you, I’m sorry I snapped at you, but you aren’t giving us a chance to talk,” he reasoned, giving me a warning look. “Jean-Claude is the son of a well-known and powerful French mobster, but he is the youngest son who wasn’t liked by many. He’s always had it out for the three of us, and this was just the final straw. His father knows I was in the right to kill his son. He touched what’s ours after I told him to let you go. As a favor for not making a big deal out of this, his only request was that he be able to speak to you,” Magnus explained.

“How do you know he won’t just shoot me?” I countered.

Magnus sighed and leaned on the counter across from me so we were at eye level. “Because I would shoot him dead before he ever had the chance to move for his gun. The other two would take out his bodyguards, and the whole matter would be over in seconds. If there is anything that a crime family understands, it’s protecting what’s yours.”

Spotting the mug of coffee Jaxson set by me, I reached out and slurped some of it loudly as I thought over what Maggie said. “The meeting is in public?”

“Yes, at an open-air coffee shop owned by neutral people,” he answered.

“What if he had snipers to take me out since I’ll be in the open?”

Magnus walked around the counter with a frustrated growl, picked me up to set me on it, and stepped between my legs. Now that we were nose to nose, I could feel the effort he was putting into not demanding to listen to him like he normally would.

“Harper, I understand you’re rattled after what happened last night. I’m guessing that is the first time you’ve been so close to someone getting killed?” Magnus asked.

“Second, when Dax saved me, she killed two of those biker guys in front of me,” I corrected. “Neither of them splattered on me, though. That was new.”

He lifted a hand, cupping my throat, letting his thumb stroke up and down my pulse. “If there was another way I could have killed him, I would have so you didn’t have to go through that. Death isn’t easy to swallow for most people, but when it leaves such an impression like that, it sticks with you.”

“I think I’m dealing with it fine,” I stated, raising my chin in a challenge.

“You are. Other than those few nightmares last night, I think you are doing remarkably well. The thing you need to learn about the dark side of the world is it comes with give and take. I killed his son. He wants you personally to tell him what happened. There are a lot more things he could ask for if he wanted to, but that was his request. While none of us love the idea, I’ve made the situation as safe as I possibly can.” He pressed his lips to my forehead and held them there for a moment before pulling back. “Will you do this for us, please?”

The fucker said please! Now, what am I supposed to do with that?

“Fine, I will play my part in this… but…” I said, poking Magnus in the chest. “Know I will hold you responsible if something goes wrong, and you have to tell Dax about it.”

The other two both swore under their breath at that threat.

“You have yourself a deal, Harper,” Magnus agreed, then grinned at me. “Well played, you knew that if Dax found out we didn’t keep you safe, she would bring hell down on us.”

“Damn straight,” I said, giving him a peck on the lips. “Now free me so I can go get dressed. I’m not wearing a baggy T-shirt to meet a mob boss.”

“You have twenty minutes before we need to leave,” Ghost warned.

I gave him a thumbs up and headed into the bedroom, then paused to spin on my heel. “Do I get to carry a gun?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Absolutely the fuck not.”

Jaxson and Magnus turned on Ghost for his contradictory answer.

“Why the hell would we give her a gun? She’s only shot it the one time, and they will be patting us all down. The agreement was that none of us got to bring weapons to the meet,” Magnus argued, shoving his brother.