Chapter Twelve
1698 Words
Jett
“What are you planning to do?” Bats hand on my arm stopped me before I could reach for the door handle. I was shaking with anger, it was so overwhelming that I could barely keep my bike upright the entire ride back from Harper’s shitty hotel room to the bar.
Her room had been trashed, the door hanging off its hinges and inside was even worse. Her belonging were strewn across the room as if someone had let loose a mini tornado in the small confines. Clothes were ripped to tatters. Paperwork everywhere. Photos were torn and burnt.
Who ever had been in there had meant business which meant Harper had done the right thing when she had run.
I couldn’t even imagine what they would have done to her if she had stayed. It didn’t bear thinking about.
“I’m taking her with us, I will petition for her to have a room.”
Bats eyes didn’t blink. “ You don’t need to petition brother, but do you think the club house is the best option for her?”
I scowled. “If any of you animals touch her… she can have my room. I will…” I couldn’t even get the words out. What the hell was he saying? Did he think Harper would be in danger from our club members?
“No one will touch her Jett, not if she is yours but you have to at least tell them why she is out of bounds.” He sighed. “You have to admit …”
“It’s not …” I shook my head hard. My keen nose could smell her just beyond the door. Just out of reach. “I have no claim on her Bat.”
“But you want one. You want to claim her.” It wasn’t a question.
“She will be safe.” I couldn’t even start to think with him breathing down my neck like he was. He was talking about a real claim. A forever claim. And men like us? We didn’t get to do the whole claiming a mate thing. We were out casts even within our own society. We didn’t have the right to shackle a mate to us in our exile.
“She is under my protection and nothing more.” I finally added. “She doesn’t even know we aren’t human and I would like to keep it that way.”
What would her reaction be if she ever found out what I really was? Would she run screaming from me with fear in her eyes? “And she never will make it known Bat. She is under my protection and anyone who …” I didn’t get to finish as he nodded once. “So be it Jett but brother , you care about her. Any fool can see she means something to you. Why are you fighting it so hard?”
“Wanting to bed her and wanting to mate her as two very different things. And I won’t be doing either of them. She is like a little sister to me.” Well that big lie slipped easily from my lips.
I definitely didn’t look at her like a little sister and we both knew it.
“Fine.” He was shaking his head. “What are you going to tell her about …” He motioned to the crumpled envelope in my fist. White and non descript with nothing but Harper’s name in block letters on the front. Who ever had written it had pressed so hard with his pen that it had ripped through the paper in places.
Even the writing looked aggressive.
And I was dying to read it, to break the gummy seal and read what sort of maniac she had tied herself too. I needed to know and then I wanted to burn it. I didn’t want her reading it.
What ever was inside would upset her , I knew it.
“I have to give it to her , I don’t have a choice.” Even though I wished I could hide it from her. She needed to know what was coming for her as well. I would protect her as long as she let me but she needed to protect herself as well. I couldn’t be with her , her entire life. Unless I claimed her of course.
I shook the thought out of my head as I opened the door.
“Jett.” She was on her feet, behind the bar with Teddy as she helped him restock the fridges.
He had got her working? Angrily I caught his eyes, and he held his hands up in surrender. “Her idea Jett , no mine.”
Wiping her hand on a dirty cloth she finally came round the bar. Her torn nightdress was gone. She was in a baggy T-shirt that fell almost to her knees. One of the bar ones we had ordered years ago that no one but staff ever wore. Over a pair of yoga pants and plastic looking flip flops.
Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy heap.
Her eyes red rimmed and puffy , dark smudges under them.
She looked beautiful , especially the way she was smiling at the sight of me. Like her world lit up when I entered a room.
I shook my head slightly. I couldn’t think like that. I didn’t have any right.
“Hey Harper, can I chat to you for a little while before we head to the club house?” I held out my hand and she didn’t even hesitate to wrap her own hand around it. Letting me tug her towards the back of the bar. I wanted some privacy for this conversation.
“What’s happened? Some…” Her wide eyes narrowed. “Why…”
“This is the note that was left for you.” I pushed the envelope across the table , watching her face as she stared at it. She didn’t reach for it though.
“Do you know who sent this?”
“Yes” Her hands were flat on the table but still she didn’t reach for it. She just stared. “Yes I recognise the writing.” She didn’t say any more.
“Who ever left you this , Harper , has totally ransacked your room. Who ever left this is dangerous to you.”
“My stuff?” Her voice was flat , emotionless. It was only the almost imperceptibly trembling in her fingers that gave away how scared she was. And the fact her scent had changed. Instead of sweetness it now rolled over my tongue with an almost bitter after bite.
Shit, I hated her scared.
“We… I will help you salvage what you can and I’ll buy you what ever else you need.” I couldn’t seem to bring myself to tell her that her belongings were gone, ruined beyond repair. Not even her underwear had been left untouched.
“Open the letter Harper.”
She shook her head , “I don’t need to, I know who sent it.”
“But I need to know how big a threat he is to you.” Softly I pressed her hand against the wood , trapping it under mine. “I don’t need to know why you ran, I can already guess. I won’t even ask about your life before you come here unless you want to tell me?” I raised an eye brow at her. She shook her head ,no.
So be it. She had her secrets and I had mine.
“But I need to know what is in that letter so I can prepare. And I am here Harper. No one is going to hurt you when me or my brothers are about and when you are ready to start a new life I will make sure you are safe as well.”
“Ok.” She didn’t seem to be bothered about my talk of her starting a new life. Even though my animal was thrashing around like a wild beast at the very thought of it. With shaking hands she ripped open the envelope, unfolding the paper slowly I watched as her eyes dropped to it.
Her lip started trembling and she bit at it , white teeth biting down on the tender flesh as her eyes moved as she read.
“Harper?”
“Ok.” I wasn’t even sure she was talking to me or herself as she carefully folded the piece of paper up. Setting it down on the table and placing her hand over it as if to hide it from sight.
“Can I?”
She nodded , pushing the paper towards me with just the tips of her fingers as if it was something she didn’t want to touch.
Harper
Found you. But didn’t I tell you once I would always find you.
Come home before it’s to late and we will forget this ever happened. I won’t ask so nicely a second time.
I blinked at the page. That was him asking nicely? He had trashed everything she owned? He had marked up her face and body.
“You aren’t going back to him Harper.” I let the power of my animal to seep into my voice.
“I sh…”
“No.” It was commanding this time. “You are coming home with me. Get your things.”
“Jett.”
“Now Harper, I am you home where you will be safe from him.”
- Writer
