Page 39 of Harper’s Renegades

Hearing him explain it that way actually helped to settle some of my nerves. I knew how to handle fussy rich people with their absurd demands. My job was always to walk them back to the realm of reality and what was actually possible with what they gave me.

Magnus came to a halt in front of a corner area where a small couch and a few other seats were positioned in a way to make it feel more secluded. It was still in plain sight but gave the illusion of privacy. An older gentleman was seated on the couch with his leg crossed over the other as he read the newspaper. Behind him was a man dressed all in black, hands clasped in front of him, screaming that he was a bodyguard. Another similar bodyguard was stationed at the entrance to this area, blocking anyone from speaking to the man.

“François,” Magnus spoke, addressing the gentleman.

He dropped the paper, revealing his face. It was a face that was incredibly similar to Jean-Claude. There was no mistaking their family relationship. François, though, had a head of neatly maintained white hair along with a matching beard and intelligent brown eyes.

“Ah bonjour, Magnus, Casper, Jaxson.” He stood, shaking their hands until he came to me. “You must be Harper.” He took my hand and kissed the back of it before patting it affectionately. “I’m so grieved to hear that my late son behaved so heinously toward you.”

“Thank you for your kind words, and I’m sorry this situation ended in your son being killed,” I responded calmly, even though my skin crawled at his touch.

“Please sit. I wish to speak with you on that matter,” François requested as he gestured for me to take a seat on the couch.

Instead, I chose one of the chairs across from where he’d been sitting. A glimmer of surprise appeared in his expression, but it was quickly hidden behind a friendly smile. “I promise you, Harper, my intention in this meeting isn’t to cause more trouble between us. All I wish is to hear your version of what happened last night. I’ve raised four sons, and Jean-Claude was my youngest. It seems I failed him in some way, and as an old man, I wish to learn from my mistakes. You see, I’m soon to be a grandfather.”

“Congratulations, I’m sure you’re thrilled. I myself was incredibly close to my grandparents. In many ways, they raised me,” I shared. “As for what happened last night, I’m not sure you could have done much to prevent the situation. We’d been having a lovely dinner, and I got up to use the bathroom. After I finished washing my hands, I heard someone enter but didn’t think much of it since it was a public bathroom. It wasn’t until he addressed me I noticed it was a man who’d joined me.”

“Had you seen my son at all that night?” François asked, cocking his head to the side.

“No. We weren’t even in the main dining area but in a secluded space outside. He could have been in the main dining area when I walked through, but I didn’t notice him,” I explained.

François flooded his hands in his lap as he regarded me. “What did he say to you?”

“I spoke first, asking if he knew he was in the women’s bathroom. He ignored my question and commented how interested he was to meet the flower the Wright brothers had found who was willing to fuck them all,” I said, my voice flat and factual as I relayed my interaction. “He then proceeded to tell me I should come with him, and he would show me how a real man treats a woman. He made a grab for me, and I slapped his hand away. Then Magnus joined us, instructing your son to leave me alone. When I tried to leave, Jean-Claude grabbed me, pulled me against his chest, and licked me. Then Magnus shot him.”

François grunted and rubbed his fingers over his forehead like he was starting to get a headache. “It was wise of you to be honest and truthful in your retelling. I’ve seen the video surveillance of the bathroom, and it is just as you stated.”

“They can’t have surveillance in a bathroom. That’s against the law,” I blurted, my anger building at the injustice.

François just smiled at me as if I were some naïve child. “My dear, you are not in America. The rules here in Bali are not the same, so I wouldn’t expect to be treated the same way.”

My gaze flicked over to Jaxson, who was sitting diagonally from me. His expression didn’t give anything away, but I let the matter drop since he wasn’t reacting either. François was right, I wasn’t in America, and I couldn’t assume the rules and privileges were the same.

“Now what?” I asked, returning my attention to the mobster.

“That is up to you. The offense was made against you. Yes, Magnus killed him, but that was because he touched what he shouldn’t have, and he knew it. The initial assault still hasn’t been dealt with,” François explained. “What is it that you want in compensation so we might keep this matter between us. My grandchildren don’t need to know their uncle behaved too brutally. I’d prefer to preserve his memory in happier times.”

My jaw dropped at this. He wanted to buy me off so I wouldn’t go around bad-mouthing his son. How many times had he done this? It was obvious to me I wasn’t the first victim of Jean-Claude’s, not with an ego such as his. That bastard believed he would get away with what he was doing because he’d done it before.

I sat back in my seat and crossed my legs, placing my hands in my lap to mirror François. Right now, I held the cards. The question was how to use the hand I was dealt. “I want a favor to be cashed in at a later date. Things are brewing in the criminal world, and I imagine there might come a time I could use your help. One favor, no questions asked, once used, it’s gone. Does that seem fair to you?”

François’s face split into a wide grin, giving me a slow clap in response. He dropped his hands and leaned forward, producing a piece of paper from inside his suit jacket. Then he grabbed a pen out of his breast pocket and started to write down our agreement. When he was finished, he twisted the top of the pen, and a knife popped out. He pricked his thumb and placed it over his signature, then handed the paper to me.

Carefully, I took it, avoiding the blood, and read over what he’d written. It was straightforward, stating what I’d said with fancier words, but it was all there. Taking the pen, I signed my name, but instead of using the same knife, I held out my hand to Magnus. He glared at me but produced the knife I’d guessed he was carrying. “You’ll understand if I wish to avoid the possibilities that might occur using a contaminated blade.”

“Smart and beautiful, how did they manage to find you?” François answered with a rueful shake of his head. “You boys better not lose her, ever. If I didn’t already have a mistress I cared for greatly, I might be of the mind to win Miss Peirson over.”

“If there is any advice I can offer you, François, it would be to never give them a reason to believe those words. When it comes to me, there is no gray area, only black and white,” I shared as I stood. “It’s been an experience, one I hope we don’t ever repeat. Enjoy the rest of your day.” I bid farewell with a wave of my fingers as the guys followed after me.

Chapter eighteen

Harper

The moment we exited the coffee shop, Ghost grabbed me around the waist and twirled me around. “That was one of the most badass moves I’ve ever seen. You say that you’re not cut out for this world, but from what I saw back there, you could have men like François wrapped around your finger.”

I couldn’t help but giggle at how silly Ghost was acting, but I had to admit, I agreed with him. I’d handled myself well back there.

“Does that mean Magnus will let us do some shopping and get ice cream?” I asked, peering up at the man in question.