Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 110802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Belinda’s mouth tightened. “Harper, I really must insist that you reconsider —”
Harper sighed. “You might be the sort of person who’ll change for a guy and show him only what you think he wants to see, but I’m not. I’m just me. People can like it or they can lump it, but they won’t change me. I will not go to that event looking like someone I’m not. I will not act soft and genteel. I will be me. You don’t have to approve of that. It isn’t your job to care. Now, how about you walk on out of here and take your clipboard with you.”
The cambion jutted out her chin. “I have a job to do and I will —”
“Do you really want to take me the fuck on, Belinda? I honestly hope you do. I have a lot of tension to work off. Smacking the shit out of you would really help with that.” Harper truly wasn’t kidding.
Hugging her clipboard to her chest, Belinda cleared her throat and backed away. “I’ll leave you to your massage.” She stomped off, but the carpet was so plush that it kind of ruined the effect.
As the door closed behind her, Devon muttered, “She needs a good bitch slap.”
Yeah, she damn well did. It was at times like this when Harper wondered if just maybe she was wrong and it was Belinda who was one of the Horsemen. But, honestly, she couldn’t see that uptight bitch who truly had a major thing for Knox wanting any part in trying to expose him for what he was. Belinda was just too much of a goody-goody.
“Hey, you and Knox are in a magazine again. A reporter took a picture of you together getting out of the Bentley, and they’ve added another photo that zoomed in on your rings.” Khloë angled the magazine so that Harper could see it. “They say ‘sources told them’ that you and Knox got married in a Vegas chapel.”
Harper had figured that the human reporters would come to that conclusion. She and Knox were only hot news because in the past he was so rarely seen with the same woman more than a handful of times.
“I’ll bet Knox will be happy to know that humans think you’re married and unavailable,” said Devon.
Harper nodded. After all, he’d said as much when he gave her the rings.
“Call me evil,” began Khloë, “but I like how much this is eating Belinda alive.” That made the therapists chuckle.
Raini lifted her head. “Ladies, we’re supposed to be relaxing. Belinda is not a relaxing subject, so let’s move on from that.”
Harper did her best to clear her mind and enjoy what was left of the massage. After that, each of them had both a manicure and a pedicure before finally leaving the spa. Keenan was waiting outside, ready to escort her out of the Underground and to the car. As the girls were off to the mall, Harper said her goodbyes to them and then left with Keenan. He radiated menace as they walked, on high alert for any signs of Crow.
Fortunately, there were none.
Exiting the club that doubled as the entrance to the Underground, Keenan walked her to the car and opened the rear door. “See you later, sphinx.”
“Sure thing,” she said, reading the message on her phone from Martina. She slid into the car, and Keenan shut the door. “Hey, Tanner,” she greeted.
It wasn’t until he pulled away from the curb that he spoke. “Not Tanner.”
Harper’s head snapped up from the cell phone… and she met manic blue eyes in the rear-view mirror. Fuck. Stunned, she froze for a short moment. Then panic set in and she went to lunge at Crow. That was when his hand whipped back and grabbed her leg – there was no tug inside her chest this time; there was a sharp and incredibly painful yank that stole her breath and, with it, so much psi-energy that white-hot pain blasted through her skull. It was a struggle to stay conscious. A struggle she was losing.
Frantic, she telepathically reached out to Knox. More pain tore through her skull, and her agonized cry seemed to echo in her mind. And now she could feel herself fading. Her vision dimmed and blurred.
“I know it hurts, but it was necessary,” said Crow, sounding very far away. “Just sleep. Everything will be fine. You’ll see.”
Then the lights went out.
Pulling his chiming cell phone out of his pocket, Knox sighed at the name on the screen. He sorely regretted promising Harper he wouldn’t involve himself in her little problem with Belinda, because he sure would love to fire her right that very second. He’d gathered with Levi and Larkin in his home office to discuss the security measures for the event; he didn’t have time for this shit.