Harper shook her head. “You’re forgetting just how opposed I was to dating demons. I fought you even harder because you were also my anchor. Not that it got me anywhere,” she grumbled. “Bottom line: I don’t want Drew. Nothing he says or does could make me leave you. Why is that funny?” He was giving her one of those highly amused, “you’re so ridiculously cute” smiles that held a hint of condescension.
Brushing his mouth over hers, Knox lifted a brow. “You think I’d let you leave?”
“I could totally leave if I wanted to. You insist on ignoring my warnings about just how terrifying I can be when in berserker mode. It takes a lot for me to really lose my shit. But when I do, I do it in a spectacular fashion. Seriously, people have fled in fear when faced with—stop laughing at me.”
Shoulders shaking, Knox captured her face between her hands. “Only you could melt my mood when it’s so foul.” He kissed her, poured himself into her. Sipped and nipped and bit, alternating between gentle and rough. Then, grabbing a handful of her hair, he snatched her head back and traced the shape of her mouth with his tongue. “Mine.”
Fisting his shirt, she swallowed. “Yours. Just as you’re mine.”
He dipped his head as he kissed his way down her neck. “Bed.”
“Bed,” she agreed.
Harper wrinkled her nose. The smell of the citrus air freshener was so strong, it almost burned her nostrils. The last time the Primes had gathered in this very conference room was to discuss the issue of her being hexed—something that it later transpired had been thanks to Nutty Nora. As she’d been pregnant at the time, Harper had stayed at home and missed the meeting. This time, however, she sat at Knox’s side, her elbows propped on the long, smooth glass table.
She was also watching each of the Primes carefully. All looked grim aside from Thatcher. He kept sliding uneasy looks at the others, cheeks flushed with self-consciousness. He had to know that many of the whispers circulating the table were about him and his recent relationship with Alethea. He had to feel the suspicious glances aimed his way. To his credit, though, he jutted out his chin in a “fuck you all” gesture.
Dario, too, was on the receiving end of many suspicious looks. Considering that he was the most obvious suspect due to his grandmother being one of the Horsemen, it wasn’t in the least bit surprising. Unlike Thatcher, he didn’t appear dour. Nor was he displaying any “fuck you” language. No, he seemed intent on ignoring the attention and was in fact chatting amiably with Malden.
If Jonas had been there, he probably would have defended Thatcher against the whispers. Harper had been present when Knox called the encantado early that morning to rem
ind him of the meeting. Jonas had reiterated that he had no interest in attending.
“Shame Asher couldn’t be here,” said Jolene, beside her. “He’d have melted all this tension easily.”
Sitting on Jolene’s left, Martina nodded. “He’d have had them laughing.”
Just thinking of Asher made her tense. Intellectually, she knew he’d be fine with Keenan and Larkin, but that didn’t stop her from worrying. Although Harper hadn’t wanted to leave Asher, there was no way she’d take him to a meeting where Thatcher and Dario were present. In her mind, one of them was most likely to be the Horseman.
She’d wanted Tanner to stay with Asher too, but the hellhound had just stared at her patiently. As her bodyguard, he went where she went … which was why he was currently stood behind her chair just as Levi was stood behind Knox’s. Both were on guard, much like Jolene’s anchor, Beck, who stood on Tanner’s other side.
“I had to sneak out in case Asher accidentally cuffed me to him again,” Harper told her grandmother and Martina.
Jolene cackled. “That will tickle me for a long time.” That’s a very distinct mark on your neck.
Harper resisted the urge to touch the bite. Knox had been rough with her in the shower that morning. It was part of that whole “you’re mine and don’t forget it” message he felt the need to drum into her brain on a daily basis. Basically, his possessive nature was live and electric due to Drew’s behavior, and she was seeing the ass-end of it.
I’m assuming Knox told you about Drew’s tattoo, Jolene added.
Harper shifted awkwardly in her seat. Her demon’s upper lip curled at the reminder of the tattoo. Yep, Knox told me. I keep thinking that maybe Levi didn’t see the tattoo clearly on the picture.
Oh, he saw it clearly. I had Drew show it to me. She sighed. The boy always was reckless.
Mouth quirking, Harper said, That boy is in his late thirties.
He won’t live to see his forties if he doesn’t do as I ordered.
Grabbing the pitcher, Harper poured some iced water into a glass. What did you order?
For him to allow Raini to remove the stupid tattoo and for him to return to Cuba earlier than he’d planned.
I spoke to Devon and told her about it all. She’s sad to think that he could be hurting, but she also thinks he and I weren’t “meant to be”. She said she’ll talk to him.
Jolene gave a curt nod of approval. He listens to Devon.
Beneath the table, Knox gently squeezed Harper’s thigh. Who are you talking to? As her anchor, he could feel the echoes of her telepathic conversations but couldn’t understand the words. The same applied to her when the situation was reversed.
Grams, Harper replied simply before sipping at her water. Are you kicking this meeting off or what?