Page 49 of The Reluctant Siren
“I would say fuck you, Ian, but I need you right now. Watchafter her until I get back. I want her down in the parking garage in tenminutes.” Chase looked to his twin. “I know she won’t forgive me, but at leastshe’ll be alive.”
Ben’s eyes closed and he moved, following his twin. “I’lltalk to him. Nat, I’ll see you downstairs with Harlow. Don’t walk down withoutIan, okay? We’ll work this out.”
He walked out the door.
Her mom turned Harlow’s way. “Baby, I’m sorry. He’s scaredbut he’s right that you need a safe place.”
“You think he’s scared but he’s practically giddy because itmeans he can lock us all up and pretend Greer and I aren’t grownups,” Harlowreplied. “I won’t let him lock me up. I know that he’s seen the worst of whatcan happen, but I can’t live my life like that.”
“I can get you in witness protection,” Jack offered, lookingserious for the first time.
“Another cage,” Harlow shot back. She looked at Ian. “Isuppose you’re going to be my first jailer.”
Ian shrugged. “I think it’s funny that your dad thinks I’mgoing to follow orders. Like he hasn’t known me for… I don’t even want to gointo how many years it’s been, but he should know me better than to treat melike an employee when I don’t have a check in my hand.” He turned his gaze onNiall and Jensen. “You two have any plans?”
“Well, I thought I might haul Harlow out of here under herdads’ noses and take her to a place that Hamilton will never find, hole up, andfigure out what to do from there,” Niall replied.
Jensen nodded. “What he said, but I probably wouldn’t havesaid it because now her mom is going to call her husbands or something. He’snot good with subterfuge.”
“Oh, I disagree,” Harlow argued, her eyes narrow. “I thinkhe’s excellent at subterfuge. After all, he fooled me.”
He was going to work on that. “Are you coming or not? Youcan come with us or go with Jack or your dads.”
Her mom turned to her daughter. “Baby, if you think there’sany chance…”
Harlow shook her head. “There’s not, but I also don’t likethe other alternatives, and I’m not dumb enough to go out on my own. Ian,you’re not going to stop me?”
The big guy sank into his chair with a yawn that made himlook like a sleepy lion. “Like I said, I don’t see a check in my hand.” Andthen he pinned Niall and Jensen with an icy gaze. “But if you get her hurt, Iwon’t need a check. I’ll help Chase disembowel you just for fun.”
“I’m going to get going before Chase disembowelsme,”Jack said. “I’ll keep in touch. Hopefully it won’t be long. Jensen, I needeverything you have. Which is why I might have already sent a couple of agentsto your place to grab your laptop and anything that might help.”
Jensen puffed up.
Niall put a hand on his arm. “Were you going to turn it overor not? We need to move so if you’re going to fight, do it quick.”
“I didn’t say I was going with you,” Harlow said in herbrattiest tone.
He was done. They were both so fucking dramatic. He strodeover to her, leaned over and had her in a fireman’s hold before she could pullany of her self-defense moves on him. He held her firmly by her legs. “Mrs.Dawson, I swear I will guard your daughter with my life and with Jensen’s. Infact, I’ll try to make sure he dies first because I’m far easier to live with.”
“Niall, what are you doing?” Harlow asked, clearly shocked.
Her mom put a hand on her daughter, leaning over. “You usethis time, baby girl. See if you can get what you need. I’ll try to keep yourdad off your back.”
“Ian, I will pay you to kill everyone. You don’t even haveto torture them. Clean kills are fine,” Harlow offered. “I can do it. This isthe reason I’ve saved my trust fund.”
Ian snorted, an entirely amused sound. “And miss the drama?”
He liked the big guy. “I don’t want to drive past her dad.Should we hide somewhere until he’s gone?”
Charlotte picked up the landline on her husband’s desk. “Noneed. Go out the back way. I’ll have security let you through. Is the other onegoing? Or should Jack take care of him?”
Jack shook his head as though that was a terrible idea. “Imean, Jensen wouldn’t like witness protection. I swear the names they give outare a deterrent. Do you think you can answer to something like Mortimer Lackey?Seriously, I saw that one the other day and wondered what the dude did to pisssomeone off.”
“I’m going with them.” Jensen moved beside him. “And it’sbest you don’t know where we are. I’ll find a way for Harlow to call in when wecan. Keep her family updated so we’ll know when she can come home.”
“Hey, we should talk about this,” Harlow began.
“In three minutes your dad is going to come looking foryou,” Niall pointed out.
