Trapped in her darkness

3- Protecting her

James PoV

She takes another step backwards and involuntarily, my jaw clenches, betraying my deep frustration.

I understand she must be traumatized by everything that she went through before Connor found her, but I am not one of her aggressors. I sure do not look like a criminal!

I frown, failing to control the spasms of irritation crossing my face.

She steps back again, and this time she grabs Connor's forearm and holds on to him desperately.

Seriously?

So, my brother is her protector now? And what am I? The villain?

My eyes narrow at their closeness, focused on her hold on Connor’s forearm.

Why is this bothering me? Their proximity… Her reaction to me.

Why do I even care about her reaction? I just met her thirty seconds ago!

“I am James. Nice to meet you, Harper.” I say, putting my hand down since she does not seem to be open to shake my hand anytime soon.

She shivers when she hears me say her name and I am not sure whether this is because she is afraid of me or something else.

“Co… Connor?” she looks at my brother, so many questions in her eyes.

“Calm down, Harper. Despite this awful frown adorning his face, my brother is a nice guy.” Connor says, a comforting smile on his face.

But when he turns to look at me, he glares at me.

What? I am not allowed to frown now!

“But…” she tries to interject.

“Relax, baby. I called him. James is my older brother, and he can help us.”

“No…No… No Connor. I knew it... I should not have listened to you. I must leave!” She says, panicking.

I am not sure what pisses me off more... Him called her “baby”? or her reaction?.

She lets go of Connor’s arm and turns around to go back in the guest room.

But, a few seconds later, she does a U-turn and looks back at my brother.

“Umm… Can I please get my dress back?” she asked him, her cheeks turning pink, giving her a cute pure air.

“It is in the washing machine. But…”

“Ok… No problem… I can deal with that.” She babbles, lost in her own turmoil.

“Ummm… Can I get your sweatpants? I will keep your t-shirt and pants. I can send them back to you by mail once I find new clothes. I cannot go out like that…” She mutters, talking incoherently.

“Harper... Hey, baby. Calm down.” says Connor as he pulls in a hug.

“Ok. That’s it. Let’s sit down and sort this through. I do not have all night!!” I snap.

Connor turns his hand to the left, glaring at me some more.

“Can you stop scaring her!”

“Me? I didn’t do anything!”

“Drop the frown for starters.” Connor rolls his eyes at me.

“Sit. I do not have all night!” I grumble.

Connor rolls his eyes at me... again!... and looks at Harper, running his thumb on the palm of her hand.

“Harper, baby, can we just sit down and take? If afterwards you still want to leave, I will personally drive you wherever you want. But let’s talk first. Ok?”

I am impressed with how Connor connects with her and how he can soothe her.

Impressed … But irritated as well!

I sigh, frustrated with this whole situation… especially with my own behavior.

“It is just that your brother is scary.” She murmurs.

Connor laughs out loud as I throw daggers at him. Me, scary?! Pfff!

“Don’t worry, He has a grumpy face, but he is nice, and he always helps me.”

I sit down on the couch and arch an eyebrow glaring at my brother.

“Baby, let’s sit, OK?” he tells her, and they both sit on the same couch, next to each other.

“Please don’t call me that.” She whispers in his ear, but I catch it.

I grin like an i***t pleased that she blew him off… Or at least that she believes it is too early for words of endearment between them.

Connor notices my smile, but he misconstrues this as an attempt to stop terrifying Harper.

“Look b… I mean look Harper. He is not frowning. No reason to be scared anymore.”

Harper glances at me, frowning.

“His smile is creepy.” She leans in and whispers in his ear.

Excuse me?

Me, Creepy?

No woman has ever called me creepy!

Connor bursts out laughing as he gives her a side-hug and says:

“Take that, Mr. Most Handsome Bachelor!”

“You are so funny, Harper!” he adds, smiling at her.

I clear my throat, adopting my signature I mean business face. I want to solve this problem and get out of here… Pronto.

This girl and her relationship with my brother are making me feel things that I never felt before. And I do not plan on understanding those feelings. I just want to get it over with and never have to face them.

“So, Harper, who are those men and why are they after you?”

Harper nervously chews on her bottom lip, as her body grows tense to the point of shaking.

“Harper, I just want to help you.” I tell her, softening my voice to reassure her. And I fight the urge to stare at this bottom lip of hers.

She looks at me, her big brown eyes burgeoning with tears. She nods, swallowing a lump in her throat.

“I… My mom and stepdad were drug addicts and working with local drug dealers. No… I should start from the beginning… I… I’m sorry I am too stressed.” She whispers.

“It’s ok. Take your time.” I say, patting her knee gently.

Connor swiftly but discreetly, pushes my hand away.

Can this night be over already?!

“Umm… I never knew my father. I was raised by my mom and, well, since forever, mom was an addict. Mainly addicted to alcohol and recreational drugs. But then, she met my stepdad when I was twelve years old, and he got her into hard drugs.”

I can see lines of stress creasing her forehead, as she narrates her childhood. I feel sorry for her. No one has to go through such hardship, especially at such a young age.

“I did not go to school. I had to work and even steal to bring food home because they were both too high to function. But I was a child, and it was never enough, so they got entangled with local drug dealers. I… They never told me what they did for the drug dealers, but I would assume they sold drug for them.”

She sighs, looking at Connor, then at me, a pained expression haunting her face.

“Five months ago, I came back from work to an empty apartment. I did not think much about it, because it happens frequently; they end up high and wasted somewhere with their junky friends. But the next day, I was woken up by loud banging on the door. When I opened the door, the gang leader himself was there. My stupid parents stole drugs and money from the gang and ran away, leaving me to face the wrath of MS-13 gang”.

Connor and I immediately lock eyes when we hear the name of the gang. This is the deadliest gang in the country.

“They did not care that my parents were not there. They said I should pay my parents' debts. And when I told them I did not have any money… They, they said there were other ways to pay the debt.”

I was fuming inside. Her f*****g parents left her as a pawn! Those bastards knew what they were doing. A beautiful young girl like her...The gang will be more than happy to take her.

She was shivering by now, probably remembering her confrontation with one of the most violent gangs in the country.

“I refused… I tried to fight but they hit me and kidnapped me. I was screaming when they were forcing me down the stairs, but no one came to help me. I was left alone to fend for myself.” She sniffles, her tears running freely on her cheeks.

She buries her head in Connor’s chest, crying uncontrollably now.

I want to find those bastards and kill them myself!

I want to hug her, and whisper comforting words in her ear!

I look at Connor, hugging and consoling Harper. It might be the first time I see him hugging someone that is not family. He was the serious kid, top of his class, focused on his studies, never in trouble. Even after he graduated, he rarely partied or even went out, as he preferred to focus on his work.

And I can give him that: He was excellent at his job. He is working in the Marketing department of our company, and he outsmarts everyone there... By far.

I am pulled out my thoughts when I see her nodding and ready to continue.

“I knew back then, that if they took me, it was over for me! No one comes back! So when they were dragging me to the car, I bit them, then I … squashed their … you know… area. And I ran. I ran as fast as possible. I ran as if I was going to win an Olympic medal. I refused to be dragged into prostitution at eighteen years old. I refused to lose my virginity to some filthy pervert.”

I cannot lie nor can I understand it, but I am delighted that she is a virgin. This girl awakes the primitive man in me! I am not happy that she is just eighteen years old though. I thought she was older… Twenty-one or even twenty-two. Maybe the tough life she lived forced her to grow up too fast and the stress took a toll on her, making her look older?

Why do I even care? Who am I kidding? I care because I cannot see myself with an eighteen-year-old girl, and I want to be with her.

“What happened next?” I ask her, battling against all those inappropriate thoughts.

“I have been running ever since. But they are after me. Every time they find me, no matter where I hide. I have lived in twenty different cities. And every time, they find me.”

“Did you try to go to the police?” Connor asks her.

MS-13 is big and strong. The gang is infiltrated everywhere. I do not think going to the police would help.

“Yes, of course I did. The policemen called the gang members to come and collect me! From the precinct! They are too powerful and I … I just do not know what to do anymore.” Harper says.

Her voice cracks and she starts sobbing uncontrollably. Her heart-wrecking sobs tear through my heart and I find myself determined to protect her. At all costs!

Connor and I stare at each other. There is no need for words. The situation is way worse than we thought. MS-13 is dangerous. We cannot confront this gang straight on. We need to be smart about it.

“Don’t cry, Harper. We will help you. Right James? We will help her, right?” Connor insists.

I run the palm of my hand on my nape, massaging it.

Yes, of course, we will help her . But for now, helping her means hiding her from the outside world. And I doubt, Connor’s apartment is the right place. His apartment is downtown and in a low-security building.

I look at Connor, hugging Harper and running his hand in her hair.

Yes, hiding in Connor’s apartment is out of the question. My brother is already smitten by her, and I do not think it is a good idea to fall for a woman running from the most dangerous gang in the country.

“Yes, we will help you, Harper. For now, the best strategy is to stay low-key... To stay hidden.”

“She can hide here in my apartment.” Proposes Connor, a bit too enthusiastically for my liking.

“No. Your apartment is not properly secure. She will move in with me!”

“What?!” they both exclaim.