forbid her to ask or expect it of him. She wouldn’t put him in such an awkward position but…
Letting him go hurt .
Chapter Seven
Harper stood in his kitchen wearing the sleep pants he’d pulled on after his shower.
He was pouring a glass of wine for his date when Elijah entered and slammed the front door hard enough to elicit a scream from the woman wearing nothing but her panties.
His bodyguard looked at her and said through gritted teeth, “Get dressed and get out.”
Shocked, Harper shouted, “Elijah!”
The look his friend turned on him caused a shiver of fear to skate up his spine. Only an idiot wouldn’t fear the man when he was in a rage.
Harper was well aware that he was armed at four locations on his body. None of the weapons were as deadly as his hands.
To the female whose name had slipped his mind, he said, “There’s a threat. Dress and my driver will take you home.”
“A threat?” She put her shoulders back to exhibit her fake tits and widened her eyes like a baby deer. “Oh, no . I want to stay with you. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you , Harper.”
Her words were said breathlessly, at an unnecessary pitch, and it was so fucking familiar that he hated himself for a moment.
“Dress and my driver will take you home.” She started to speak again and he couldn’t bear it. “ Now .”
While she scurried into his bedroom to find her clothes, Harper stayed where he was and maintained eye contact with his best friend.
Elijah opened the door when she reappeared and the instant she cleared it, he slammed it behind her.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Crossing the room, the bodyguard stopped a foot from him. He wore the same clothes he’d been wearing when he escorted him and the woman to the door of the apartment and walked away without a word two hours before. Already an inch taller, being barefoot in front of him made Harper feel vulnerable.
He didn’t appreciate it one fucking bit.
“Give me a few minutes and we can talk about your tantrum.” Keeping his tone flip, he said the sentence he should have held back. “This one had a lot of energy and you missed out by spending time with your pet rabbit .”
Faster than the eye could track, Elijah wrapped his large hand around Harper’s throat. “Ever refer to Brie with such blatant disrespect again and I will hurt you.”
“ Jesus… ” In forty years, Elijah had never threatened to hurt him. It was Gabriella’s influence.
“Not even he would save you, Harper.” He tightened his fingers slightly and released him. “I gave her up to protect her so fuck you and your energetic whore. Send her a bigger bracelet in compensation.”
“She’s just a woman .”
“You have no clue how wrong you are and on the day you learn, I hope the emotional pain is immense . Perhaps then you’ll learn some fucking humanity. I’m unsure when you lost it.”
“Elijah…”
“Your capacity for cruelty toward a gentle human being sickens me, Harper. Did you purposely slice at her on her birthday, in front of all her friends , or was that a fucking bonus ?”
It wasn’t cruel to establish boundaries.
“Elijah…”
“Don’t try to fucking speak to me when I have the salt from Brie’s tears on my goddamn shirt .” He backed from the kitchen, his body vibrating with fury.
Then he turned and walked to his own room, slamming a door for the third time in less than five minutes.
Harper had never heard him slam a door in his life. He lifted a shaking hand and raked it through his hair.
She had a far stronger hold on Elijah than he’d realized.
* * *
When Brie opened her eyes, again placed carefully in her bed by Elijah, she reflected on the fact that she’d grown weak.
Physically incapacitated for the first time in her life, she’d allowed her injuries and recovery to sap her confidence, her hope,
Letting him go hurt .
Chapter Seven
Harper stood in his kitchen wearing the sleep pants he’d pulled on after his shower.
He was pouring a glass of wine for his date when Elijah entered and slammed the front door hard enough to elicit a scream from the woman wearing nothing but her panties.
His bodyguard looked at her and said through gritted teeth, “Get dressed and get out.”
Shocked, Harper shouted, “Elijah!”
The look his friend turned on him caused a shiver of fear to skate up his spine. Only an idiot wouldn’t fear the man when he was in a rage.
Harper was well aware that he was armed at four locations on his body. None of the weapons were as deadly as his hands.
To the female whose name had slipped his mind, he said, “There’s a threat. Dress and my driver will take you home.”
“A threat?” She put her shoulders back to exhibit her fake tits and widened her eyes like a baby deer. “Oh, no . I want to stay with you. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you , Harper.”
Her words were said breathlessly, at an unnecessary pitch, and it was so fucking familiar that he hated himself for a moment.
“Dress and my driver will take you home.” She started to speak again and he couldn’t bear it. “ Now .”
While she scurried into his bedroom to find her clothes, Harper stayed where he was and maintained eye contact with his best friend.
Elijah opened the door when she reappeared and the instant she cleared it, he slammed it behind her.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Crossing the room, the bodyguard stopped a foot from him. He wore the same clothes he’d been wearing when he escorted him and the woman to the door of the apartment and walked away without a word two hours before. Already an inch taller, being barefoot in front of him made Harper feel vulnerable.
He didn’t appreciate it one fucking bit.
“Give me a few minutes and we can talk about your tantrum.” Keeping his tone flip, he said the sentence he should have held back. “This one had a lot of energy and you missed out by spending time with your pet rabbit .”
Faster than the eye could track, Elijah wrapped his large hand around Harper’s throat. “Ever refer to Brie with such blatant disrespect again and I will hurt you.”
“ Jesus… ” In forty years, Elijah had never threatened to hurt him. It was Gabriella’s influence.
“Not even he would save you, Harper.” He tightened his fingers slightly and released him. “I gave her up to protect her so fuck you and your energetic whore. Send her a bigger bracelet in compensation.”
“She’s just a woman .”
“You have no clue how wrong you are and on the day you learn, I hope the emotional pain is immense . Perhaps then you’ll learn some fucking humanity. I’m unsure when you lost it.”
“Elijah…”
“Your capacity for cruelty toward a gentle human being sickens me, Harper. Did you purposely slice at her on her birthday, in front of all her friends , or was that a fucking bonus ?”
It wasn’t cruel to establish boundaries.
“Elijah…”
“Don’t try to fucking speak to me when I have the salt from Brie’s tears on my goddamn shirt .” He backed from the kitchen, his body vibrating with fury.
Then he turned and walked to his own room, slamming a door for the third time in less than five minutes.
Harper had never heard him slam a door in his life. He lifted a shaking hand and raked it through his hair.
She had a far stronger hold on Elijah than he’d realized.
* * *
When Brie opened her eyes, again placed carefully in her bed by Elijah, she reflected on the fact that she’d grown weak.
Physically incapacitated for the first time in her life, she’d allowed her injuries and recovery to sap her confidence, her hope,
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