Page 34 of Queen of Blades

Both Harper and Paul stopped and peered down at his side. Apparently, chasing her and bringing her to the ground had reopened his knife wound. A slight and unwelcome pang of guilt jolted through her. She had no business being remorseful over defending herself. If she had to, she’d do it again.

Fingering the edge, Paul cursed under his breath.

“Got any skin glue?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah.” Paul sighed. “In the bathroom.”

As they passed him, Eddie reached out, and Harper jerked away.

“You have leaves and twigs in your hair,” he said before plucking them from her. Holding them before her face, he showed them to her with raised brows.

She huffed in response.

Eddie held the door, and Paul shoved her back into the house. She stumbled but never found her footing and landed face-first on the sectional. The men clomped past her as she rolled to her side and worked to a seated position.

Paul flopped down on the sofa beside her and let out a heavy breath. “Will you please behave while we’re here?”

“Why are you acting like I’m being unreasonable?”

“Because you are.”

Blinking at the absurdity of his request and statement, she shook her head. “At this point, it’s annoying that I have to keep repeating this to you. Were you not hired to murder me?”

“No. It’s an open contract. Anyone can do it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Semantics. Either way, the end goal is my death.”

“I don’t know.”

“Yeah, you said that before. What does that even mean?”

“I don’t know!” Paul ran his hands up the sides of his head, through his short blond hair, and curled his fingers into fists.

Lifting an eyebrow, she regarded him with concern. He was definitely stressed. Another zing of guilt tore through her. Which made no sense. Shewantedhim to be at the end of his rope. He’d make more mistakes that way, increasing her odds of living.

She was under no obligation to make things easy for her murderer, no matter how well she knew him or how attractive she found him or how talented she knew he was in the sack.

All of that was inconsequential. All that mattered was that he wanted her dead. Maybe.

What was this “I don’t know” bullshit?

18

Paul

Pauldidn’trecallHarperbeing this annoying years ago. Though, to be fair, she wasn’t fighting for her life back then. Maybe he should cut her some slack.

Gritting his teeth, he let his brother clean his side and glue his wound shut, then, for good measure, add those butterfly closure strips. From the bags of clothing Eddie brought, Paul tugged a T-shirt over his head and scrubbed a hand through his hair.

“Alright, I gotta get going,” Eddie announced.

Paul nodded. “Thanks.”

Turning his eye to Harper, Eddie pointed a finger. “Behave,” he said with a wink.

“Fuck off,” she snapped.

Biting back his laughter, Paul couldn’t blame her for her response. His brother, on the other hand, let his chuckle out with no regard as he left the house.

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