But that wasn’t the biggest concern. Mo’s safety was the most pressing issue.
What the hell was going on that Lupe thought he was in danger? "What the hell are you involved in?"
"I can't tell you that. It could put you and Mo in more danger."
"Cut the self-sacrificing crap, Lupe. I need to know what I'm up against. If I'm going to keep him safe."
The line went dead.
Fuck. Did that mean she was found out? Or did she just hang up on me because she didn't want to tell me what was going on?
Between Lupe and Harper, I was beginning to think I had terrible taste in women. Or at the very least, my dick did.
I put my phone in my pocket and headed to the kitchen to pour a couple fingers of scotch. I took it out on the terrace and sat, enjoying the warm night air as I reflected on how I got here.
As a younger man, I longed to travel the world and have adventures, which I did. But I lost the taste for it when Bastion died. Today, I found myself even less interested in the drama and cloak and dagger world that I'd been living in.
It wasn't good for a child to grow up in that sort of situation. I wanted to give Mo a stable life. But in order to do that I needed to figure out what was going on with Lupe.
I dug my phone out of my pocket and dialed Dax’s number. Maybe I was retired now, but I was still part owner of the company, which meant I could send him off on a special assignment to Mexico.
CHAPTERTEN
Harper
Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, what did I just do?
I rushed back into my house, shutting the door and sagging against it as the ramifications of what I just did hit me. I'd had sex with a man my brother had hired to spy on me. What was I thinking?
The glare in the room caused me to realize the lights were on. Was it my imagination that the power had been out?
Then I smelled of the telltale signs of a burning cake.
"Shit." I rushed into the kitchen to find that the power to the oven had come back on and while I was busy fucking my neighbor, my cake burned. Smoke billowed out of the oven when I opened the door. Using oven mitts, I pulled out the cake, tossing it into the sink and turning on the water.
I was having a housewarming party tomorrow and my home now smelled like burnt cake. I could leave all the doors and windows open throughout the night to get rid of the burning odor, but since Noel was skulking around, I didn't want to give him easy access into my home for whatever plan he and Bran had concocted.
I did my best to put Noel and what we did out of my head, but it wasn’t easy to do. I relived the entire encounter, gasp by gasp during my dreams that night.
The next day it was a little easier to forget my indiscretion because my focus was on finishing getting ready for my party. By the time my guests started arriving in the early evening, I'd baked a new cake and was able to eliminate the burnt cake smell from the day before.
Bran and Anne arrived first bringing an expensive bottle of wine and a gorgeous looking little clock that Anne designed and had made for me.
"My God, Anne. It's magnificent." I gave her a hug and I realized in that moment how much I missed spending time with her.
"You're welcome. No home is complete without an Anne Erickson original," she said. Her gaze scanned the house. "This place is perfect for you."
I studied her, wondering if she knew that I had bought this house from a holding company she and Bran owned.
"Yes, it was quite the miracle that I was able to get this place." I turned my gaze to Bran. Unfortunately, he had mastered the poker face a long time ago, so he gave no indication that he’d owned the house or had seen it before walking into it just now.
At some point I was going to have to give him a piece of my mind, but now wasn't the time as my other guests began arriving.
An hour later, all my guests had food and drink in hand, and were mingling, enjoying themselves. I took a moment out on the terrace to get some fresh air.
"This place suits you."
I turned as Bran stepped up next to me. "I guess you'd know, wouldn’t you?"