CHAPTER SEVEN
Nico
“You’re such a grump. I haven’t managed to drag you out in forever.”
I smile over at my sister in the passenger seat.
“I’m not a grump. I’m really busy.”
“I know, you’re always either working or studying. I admire you, but you’re so young. You need to have fun.”
“Study—”
“Don’t give me that crap about studying being fun for you.” She rolls her eyes. “I know it’s notjustan excuse to get away from us, but it can’t count as actual fun.”
“I’m not trying to get away fromyou.”
“I know, sorry. That was a cheap shot. And I don’t blame you. I just miss you.”
“I miss you too, but you know I’ll be there in a second if you need me.”
“I don’t, not in that way. I may as well live in an ivory tower.” I for one am glad of that, even if she’s not. Being locked away is the safest place to be for the women in our family, but she doesn’t need to hear that right now.
“You’re out now, aren’t you?” I remind her.
“Yeah, going for an old lady brunch with my brother,” she scoffs. “It’s not even bottomless.”
“Weren’t you just moaning about missing me?”
“You know what I mean.” She shoots me an apologetic smile, but I do. “You know the only reason he keeps me locked away is because he’s worried the Guards will get to me.”
Okay, maybe we are having this conversation. I let out a heavy sigh at her bringing this up, but better to talk about it in the privacy of the car than once we’re out of it. “I know, Clara, and it’s shit. But—”
“No, Nico. What’s shit is that he doesn’t actually care about me getting hurt. We both know he treats women worse than what they’d do to me. He just can’t bear the thought of the Guards having got one up on him. They’d see catching his daughter as a win, and that’s all he cares about.”
“He would care.” She scoffs, and I don’t blame her. I couldn’t even bring myself to sound overly convincing. I sigh at the turn in mood, but the Closed sign on the coffee shop door pulls my attention away. I was trying to get a peek at Harlow through the glass as we went past. Pathetic, I know, but I’ll take what I can get when it comes to that girl. But closed? It shouldn’t be.
“Whatever,” my sister replies sullenly.
“Sorry,” I mutter distractedly as I park across the road. “Do you mind if I check in on the shop quickly?”
“God, even on your day off you can’t turn it off, huh? You’ve got two minutes. I’m starving.”
I agree with a nod and jump out, crossing the road to try the door. Yep, definitely locked. I know Harlow should be here, but I’m not sure who she should be with. No one called to ask me to cover, though, and I hope nothing bad happened. Using my key, I unlock the door and hear sniffling in the second before the bell rings, but it stops as soon as the sound rings out.
“Hello?” I call, my heart jackhammering at the thought of Harlow being hurt in here. She comes through the swinging door with her hand pressed to her chest.
“My god, you gave us a heart attack! I definitely locked the door.”
I jingle the keys in front of me.
“Is everything okay? Who’s us?” That’s Fleur’s cue, and she joins Harlow behind the counter.
“Sorry, it’s my fault,” she says.
“Are you alright?” I ask. She nods and wipes her eyes on her apron, clearly not alright.
“We’ll reopen in a second, I just need a moment. We haven’t been closed that long, and it was quiet, thankfully.”