Page 53 of Between Steel and Secrets
She laughs darkly. “What are you suggesting, Ashton? String him up, torture, interrogate, and then kill him?” There’s a smile on her face.
“I’d do all of that for you if it’d make you happy.”
She smacks my chest. “You’re so full of shit. I love you, but if you hang him, I’ll never forgive you for committing murder.”
I grab her wrist, intertwining our fingers together. “Did you just say the l word to me?”
Nova’s eyes widen, and she turns her back, hurrying to the table to shovel her books and papers into her backpack.
“Nova?” I’m watching with rapt fascination. “I love you too.”
The moment is interrupted when the front door slams shut and the house shakes. Frowning, I poke my head around to see Harper holding Zeke in her arms and locking the front door.
“Where the hell is Luca?” Harper shouts.
“He’s not home yet,” I say. “Do you need something?” I try to defuse the ticking timebomb that is Harper McKenna Ricci.
What the hell happened?
Her hair is a bit disheveled and the fury in her dark brown eyes makes my stomach revolt. I can’t even force a smile. There’s pain and concern etched all over her face.
“Where’s Luca?” she asks again, just as forceful.
Nova comes around the corner, backpack in hand. “He’s probably still at class, Harper. What’s wrong?” She puts her bag on the floor and walks over to offer to take Zeke, who has a bit rosy cheeks.
“Someone tried to pick up my son today from school.”
“Who?” Nova asks the same question that I’m wondering.
“That’s what I’d like to know. He wouldn’t give his name. Claimed to be Zeke’s father.” She grinds her teeth and hands Zeke over to Nova.
“Is it possible his biological father showed up?” I ask. Harper has never mentioned the father to me, but I’ve done a little digging. Assuming it’s the guy she dated in high school, he’s not that hard to track down.
“That was my first thought but, no, it’s not him. She rolls her lips together and steps closer, staring up at me. “Tell me everything that you and Dante have been working on, Ashton,” she demands.
“You know I can’t do that.”
“You can, and you will. If my son is in danger, I need to know what the hell is going on. No more secrets!”
Thirteen
Harper
Nova comforts Zeke, taking him out of the room while I wait for Ashton to explain what the hell is going on.
He and Luca have been working for Dante for months, keeping secrets, as they always do.
I’ve let it slide, since the danger seemed to have passed after the last time I was at the Ricci home.
But finding out that a man with a snake tattoo on his neck showed up and tried picking my son up from daycare…
When he wouldn’t give his name or show any identification, they called campus security.
The guy fled long before the campus police showed up.
There wasn’t much more of a description, other than he was approximately our age, had dark hair, dark eyes, and the tattoo.
My ex would never have let anyone near him with a needle, with his trypanophobia. Besides, he doesn’t have dark hair or dark eyes.
