Stealing Their Harley, page 3
Alekai gently eases me onto my feet, but rather than take the chance to run again, I step toward the green-eyed god.
“Hey, Scooter.” The oh so familiar voice strikes me like nails on a chalkboard. I stumble on my path to Mr. Green Eyes, the misstep causing my hip to slam into the corner of the chair. The sound of the chair sliding across the hardwood and crashing into the wall mimics the way my heart feels at the sound of my father’s voice calling me by my childhood nickname.
Time seems to stand still as I slowly pivot in place to lock eyes with the man in the doorway. “Dad?”
My father and I stare at each other for a long time, the silence deafening. He’s the first to break the silence, taking several slow steps in my direction. “Wow, you’ve grown so much in less than a year. How have you been?”
The anger I’ve held in since the day he left boils to the surface and I lash out before I can rein myself in. “I guess I would look a little different to you, huh, Dad? You haven’t seen me for almost a year. Now, why is that again?” I place my finger on my chin and tap as I purse my lips, pretending to contemplate the reason. “Oh, that’s right! You ditched us! You decided your family wasn’t worth your time and you fucking left us high and dry. I’ve been really great. The last year has been a god damned breeze.”
A hand wraps softly around my forearm and the touch calms me enough to take a few deep breaths. With a quick glance, I find the third guy, the one with bright blue eyes, holding my arm. He’s leaner than the other two men, more of a runner’s body with lean hips and long torso. Out of the three, he seems the softest and most approachable. He gives me a crooked smile, turning my insides to jelly. “I know you don’t know me. I’m Dawson, by the way. Anyway, I don’t want to piss you off more, but you may want to hear what he has to say.”
The warm and fuzzies disappear as fast as they came. “Nothing he says will ever make what he did okay.” A thought occurs to me suddenly. My eyes jump from Dawson to the green-eyed god who must be Kacen, then Alekai. “Did he hire you guys to kidnap me so he could talk to me?” I spin on my heel and pin my father with a glare. “Was that your master plan? Are you seriously that crazed?”
“Not quite.” He cringes and shakes his head. He looks older somehow than the last time I’d seen him. More like it had been a few years, rather than eight months. “Something bad has happened and we need to talk about it.”
My hands rest on my hips and I roll my eyes. Maybe if I hear him out, I can finally go home. Rico must be wondering where I am by now. “Worse than you abandoning your wife and child? Are you sure there’s something worse?”
My father hangs his head and leans against the doorframe for support. Drawing in a long breath, he proceeds to drop a bomb on me. “Your mother’s been taken, Harley.”
The world stops. The only sound I hear is my own blood rushing in my ears. My heart batters against my ribcage, and I try to absorb the meaning behind his words. It takes several long moments to fully sink in. When it does, I don’t think, I simply react. I launch myself at him, ready to rip him apart, but three sets of arms wrap around various parts of my body, holding me back.
The tight grip the guys have me in doesn’t stop the stream of profanity and insults from spewing out. “You worthless, lowlife, pathetic, piece of shit! What did you do to my mother?” On the last word, my voice hitches. If that bastard did something to her, I am going to kill him.
“Harley Lowell!” My father gasps. He’s never heard such hateful things from me. I’ve never felt such hate for him before, though. “Watch your mouth, young lady. I’m still your father.”
“You are nothing to me,” I spit back, tugging on the arms around me. I just need to get a few feet closer. Then he will be in range to strangle. “Where is my mom? Tell me now or so help me—”
“I don’t know, Harley.” He takes a long breath and lets it out with a whispered curse. “I never wanted to leave you guys. I was reckless and people from my past found me and everything went wrong. I thought leaving was the best way to keep you safe. Somehow, they figured it out. They found me, Scooter. They know you and your mother are my weakness. They will try to use the both of you against me. I’m so sorry, honey. This is all my fault. I should’ve protected you better.”
“They who? What the hell are you talking about?” With three sets of hands holding onto me, stroking my hair, rubbing my back, and hugging my waist, I can’t hold onto the fury. All I want to do is curl into them and let them take all my problems away. Somehow, I think they’d be good at distracting me.
My father shakes his head sadly. When he glances up at me his frown deepens as the three men around me continue to soothe my anger. The frown quickly disappears into a look of concern and he clears his throat. “I can’t stay any longer. I had you brought here to keep you safe. I can’t risk your safety. I trust these men with my life. They will take care of you until I can find your mother.” He stares at me with regret. The guys let go of me and step back. I can still feel the heat of them surrounding me. “I have to go, Scooter. I’ll be back for you as soon as I can, and I’ll explain everything. Maybe then, you won’t hate me so much.”
I’m at a loss for words as I watch him walk down the same hallway I tried to use as an escape route. Just before he turns the corner he stops and glances over his shoulder. “I’ll make this up to you somehow, even if it’s the last thing I do. I love you, Harley.”
And just like that, he walks away from me for the second time.
My head and my heart feel like they’ve been trampled on after the confrontation with my father. I need to get out of here and fast. All I want to do is go home and cry on Rico’s shoulder about everything. Maybe my father is lying and my mom is waiting at home for me.
Without further hesitation, I race through the hall in the direction my father went. When I run into a large set of French doors, I yank on them with all my strength. No matter how hard I push, pull, and kick the doors, they refuse to budge. I try the windows on either side of the doors, but they won’t open either. Panic sets in and I race through the house, pulling and pushing and banging on every window and door I come across.
The guys don’t follow me, which allows me to slow my frantic pace. I return to the now empty living room and grab a fireplace poker. With all my might, I try smashing the closest window. My arms vibrate with the impact and I lose my grip on the poker. It falls to the floor with a loud rattle with the window still intact. The glass is unbreakable.
Cursing, I search the house for another way out. Most of the interior doors are locked but I keep trying them. I’ve nearly run out of options when I pull on the final door and it swings open without issue, much to my surprise. Sadly, it only leads to a bedroom with Kacen sitting on the king-sized bed that takes up much of the center of the room.
Kacen waits patiently for me to survey the room. Blues and yellows mixed together with grey make up the color palette. The furniture is all done in grey with yellow and blue detailing. Under other circumstances, I’d find the room calming and serene.
After I take in the room Kacen raises an eyebrow at me, waiting for my next move. The problem is, I don’t have one. I didn’t find an escape route. I’m stuck.
When I simply stand in the middle of the doorway and stare at him, he stands from the bed and shakes his head. “There is no way out, Harley. We were told to keep you here and keep you safe. We always honor our promises. Always.”
There’s a deeper meaning behind his vow, one I don’t understand, but I’m too tired to question it.
Kacen gives the room a wide sweep with his arm. “This is your room while you’re here. Feel free to make it your own.”
“I’m not staying here.” Even as I say the words, a sick feeling settles in the pit of my stomach at the thought of leaving these three strange men and never seeing them again. I swallow it down, sure I’ve gone mental. “I’m going home. You can’t legally keep me here, you know that, right? This is a felony.”
“Not for us, it’s not.” Kacen’s smirk is full of mischief and secrets. “We don’t play by the rules of your kind.”
“What is that supposed to mean? Is this an alpha male thing?” I sneer at the overly confident brute. “Do you guys think you’re better than me because you’re men?”
“No.” He shakes his head, unphased by my anger. “Never mind. Are you hungry? Alekai is cooking dinner.”
My stomach rumbles right on cue. “I’m not eating anything you crazy bastards give me. For all I know, it’s drugged or poisoned.”
He scoffs and walks over to stand in front of me. He leans down and whispers in my ear. “Trust me, babe, we aren’t the kind of guys who would drug or poison anyone.”
“I do not and will not trust you. You kidnapped me, remember?” Even as I say the words, I know they’re a lie. For some reason my heart wants to trust these men, despite my head reminding me they kidnapped me and are holding me against my will.
“Under orders from your father who has a really good reason to want you here and not out there.” He points to the window. “It’s not safe for you and eventually you’ll understand that. For now, if you’re hungry, come find us.”
With that, he exits the room, shutting the door behind him, leaving me by myself. The second I’m sure he’s really gone I rush to the window and yank on it with desperation. Much to my dismay it doesn’t budge either. “Son of a bitch.”
Kacen wasn’t kidding. I’m locked in this place and there’s no way out. My bag is nowhere to be found and I’m sure they took it, along with my phone. I could try to break one of the windows again, but the more I inspect it, the more I realize it’s incredibly thick glass and without some serious muscle or the right tools, I will never be able to break through.
With no hope of escaping, I sit down on the bed. I drop my head into my hands and allow tears of frustration to escape. First one tear falls, then another, followed by thousands more. I lie back on the bed and curl into myself. I’m tired, hungry, and starting to feel sick again. All I want to do is go home and pretend none of this ever happened.
Chapter 4
“She’s burning up again. I feel the heat of her from here.” Alekai’s concerned tone lures me from my troubled sleep. My body aches, like I’ve been training for a triathlon. My head is foggy, making it hard to think clearly. I pry my sore eyes open just enough to seek out Alekai. He stands about three feet from my bed with Kacen and Dawson flanking him.
Dawson, noticing my eyes are open, steps around Alekai and kneels beside the bed. He brushes errant hair from my forehead then lays the back of his hand against my forehead. His face morphs into a frown and I find myself frowning with him. “Do you feel sick, Harley?”
I take stock of my body. There is not a single muscle that doesn’t ache. The chills are back, but more than anything, I’m tired. “I just need more sleep,” I say, yawning loudly.
As I close my eyes, Dawson springs up from the floor and startles me. Standing over me once again, he shakes his head from side to side, silently saying no. I frown up at him in confusion, not understanding his sudden panic. He stares down at me for a moment before speaking softly. “No, not with a fever this high. I want to keep an eye on you for a while before I let you sleep.”
He scoops me up from the bed and I gasp, my hands fisting on his shoulders for support. “What are you doing?” I try to squeal but my voice sounds weak even to my own ears.
Dawson drops down on the bed with me cradled in his lap. “Keeping an eye on you.”
I want to argue with him, but before I can, he rests his hand on my forehead again, then slowly drops it to cup my cheek. All I can manage to do is watch his darkening expression with wide eyes. It’s anyone’s guess how long we sit like that, but I can’t say I mind it.
He drops his forehead to mine and my breath hitches. “It’s gone,” he whispers in awe. I must be delirious because in the dim light, I swear his eyes seem to glow a shimmering silver.
Trying to marshal my thoughts, I realize his words don’t make sense. I frown and tilt my head. “What’s gone?”
“Your fever.” Dawson swallows hard as his thumb grazes my lower lip. “It’s like my touch took it away.”
Without conscious thought, I pucker my lips and kiss the tip of his thumb. He inhales sharply and leans forward, his hand moving from my cheek to the back of my neck. My eyes close and I ready myself for his lips to meet mine.
“What the fuck are you doing, Dawson?” Kacen’s angry shout startles me and I scramble off Dawson’s lap and plant my feet firmly on the floor.
As soon as I’m no longer touching him, reality spills back into my mind and my cheeks heat with embarrassment. I nearly kissed my kidnapper. What the actual fuck?
Rather than show how discombobulated I am, I push my earlier anger to the surface and project it on the men in the room with me. “Do you three make a habit of watching women you’ve kidnapped sleep? What the hell is wrong with you? Get out!” My hand points to the door of the bedroom, just in case the three lug heads have forgotten where it is. When they don’t move, I stamp my foot like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum and growl out, “Now!”
“You were crying,” Dawson murmurs, moving from the bed to stand next to the other two men. His voice soothes me and makes it hard to hold onto the anger. Something about him melts me from the inside out. “We were in the kitchen making coffee and we heard you crying. We wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t like the angry cry from last night. It was more like a pained cry.” Alekai chews on his lip nervously. “We didn’t mean to listen to you, but we can’t just pretend we couldn’t hear.”
The embarrassment is more than I can handle and I drop back on the bed, using a pillow to cover my face. “I wish I could just talk to my best friend.”
I hear footsteps come closer to me. “Your best friend?” Alekai asks, moving the pillow, peering down at me. “Does this person know where you are?”
“Of course not.” I roll my eyes and push up onto my elbows. “There was no time to tell anyone where I am. You know that. Hell, I don’t even know where I am.” An idea suddenly forms in my mind. “But if you let me call, I won’t tell them where I am.”
Kacen is shaking his head before I can finish. “Not a chance, babe. We can’t risk it.”
“You say you’re doing this for my own good. How is it good for me if I’m worrying whether my best friend is okay or not?” I counter. “You guys can even listen to the call. I just need to be sure. What if these people you think are after me go after everyone I love?”
“She has a point, Kacen ,” Dawson murmurs and I smile widely at him. “We promised to keep her safe. It isn’t good for her to be worrying about her friend while she’s here.”
“It’s not safe for her to talk to anyone,” Kacen insists, his massive arms crossing over his firm chest. My eyes can’t help but track the movement. The man is sex on a stick and if the circumstances were different, I would be tempted to lick him until I reached the gooey center.
I decide to try another tactic. “Do you really think my best friend in the entire world would be okay with me going missing? You guys will be lucky if the cops aren’t already involved in this.”
The three men share a loaded glance, Dawson and Alekai both shrugging at Kacen. Alekai speaks first. “We don’t need the police involved, Kacen . Maybe we should let her call and assure her friend that she’s all right.”
Kacen mulls over his options silently for a few moments before finally blowing out a long breath and dropping his head to look at me. “All right, if we can listen to the conversation and you keep it on speaker, we’ll allow it. But you won’t tell anyone where you are. You don’t mention our names. You don’t say anything about what your father said. You can say you’re fine and safe and that is all. Your life and your mother’s life depend on you listening to us. Do I make myself clear?”
I jump up and squeal like a little kid, feeling like I’ve won a contest. “Yes! Thank you!” Acting without thinking, I leap into Kacen’s arms for a hug and a loud smacking kiss on the cheek. He catches me easily around the waist and pulls my body against his. My legs wrap around his waist when he doesn’t immediately let me drop to my feet.
I’ve been in the arms of all three of them and each one evokes something from within me that I can’t explain. Dawson makes me want to melt into a puddle at his feet with a simple word. Alekai’s cocky smiles and confidence are reassuring and give me butterflies. Kacen’s serious nature and protectiveness make me want to be possessed by him. All three of them have made me want to throw myself at them and kiss them senseless, but somehow common sense manages to interfere every time.
“You can use my phone,” Alekai calls out, breaking the moment with Kacen.
Kacen clearly isn’t pleased with Alekai, as he gives him a mean glare and lets me slide down his body. I let out a small whine at the loss of him, barely audible to my own ears, yet somehow, he hears it. His pupils expand and his eyes flash silver. Wait, what? I blink repeatedly and look into his gaze again only to find them back to the gorgeous emerald green I’m now used to.
Alekai taps my shoulder and hands his phone to me, distracting me. I eagerly tap away at the phone, dialing the familiar number quickly. Rico picks up on the first ring. “Hello?”
All three guys perk up at the sound of Rico’s voice and I frown. They look pissed, but I don’t understand why. They said I could call him. I turn my back, waving off their ire, too relieved at hearing Rico’s voice. “Rico, it’s me.”
