Chapter 24

Morgan

“Well, don’t the two of you just look chummy. Who was she talking to, Danny? Don’t think I didn’t see her toss the cell phone on the couch.” Harper makes a Tsk sound as she takes a step in my direction.

I shuffle back, nearly falling over my own feet.

“You have bigger problems than a phone call. Your husband is home and he thinks, she’s my girlfriend,” Danny informs her.

“I see. Did he buy your story?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. He wants us to stay for dinner.”

Her smile falls at his words. “He’s always getting in the way of my fun,” she pouts.

“Look, I don’t know why you grabbed her, but fun’s over. Let me take her home.”

“Not until she returns what she stole from me.”

“I don’t have anything of yours, lady.”

“Ah, but you do. You stole Cole.”

“I don’t want him. You can have him.” I shake my head and step closer to Danny. Bridgette hasn’t spoken a peep and is leaning against the door; her hand is on the knob ready to bolt at any moment.

“He loves you,” she says, tilting her head to the side. “I can tell. I just know.”

“He definitely doesn’t love me. He barely knows me, and if he loved me, he wouldn’t have been fucking you.”

Bridgette blanches at my statement.

Harper waves her hand like what I say doesn’t matter.

“We are going to play a game. I love games, don’t you?”

“Harper…” Danny starts, but she holds up a gun to stop him.

“Don’t get involved more than you have already troubled yourself. You two will put on a smile for Marek. Make him happy. Danny, I don’t know who you allowed her to call, but for that… you will tell Marek you want to join his club. I need you and you owe me.”

Danny’s head falls as he stares at his shoes. What could she have on him that could be so bad?

“As for you.” She points at me. “Play along tonight and I’ll let you live. I only ask you do one more favor.”

“What’s that?”

“Break lover boy’s heart.”

“If I don’t?” I question, growing sick of this shit already.

“I’ll make Cole watch while I give you to my husband. You and your friend. Get your hand off the knob,” she snaps at Bridgette.

“She has nothing to do with this,” I shout back at her, finding my courage.

“Oh, sure she does, she’s here to make sure you do what I want.” Harper gets in my face baring her teeth at me.

“Fine, get Cole here. I won’t have any problem telling him that I am so done with him.”

“Oh, sweetheart, that’s real cute, but you are going to have to do much better than that. You see, he needs to see you with someone else. And Danny here, he can’t seem to keep his eyes off you, so he’ll do.”

“You’re crazy,” I tell her, shaking my head.

“That may be true.” She cocks her gun and points it between Bridgett’s eyes. “But I am a woman of my word. Are you?”

“Stop! I’ll do it.” I look to Danny who looks so lost right now. How could his own sister use him like this? “Come here, Danny,” I tell him. “It’s okay. Let’s show your dear sister here a preview of what she’s buying.”

He steps into me, his eyes are sad but he mouths to me, “You don’t have to do this.”

I want to say no, that hopefully my old man will rain down ten kinds of hell on them all before we go much further than a kiss. Bridgette is shaking and crying. I feel so stupid, getting wrapped up in Cole. Thinking he was special… thinking that he thought I was special too.

Licking my bottom lip, I plaster a fake smile on my face. I hook an arm around Danny’s neck and pull him closer to my mouth. I don’t want to touch him. He did grab me for his bitch sister after all. I want nothing more than to go home to my family and never leave the safety of their net again. I wish now more than ever I hadn’t fought so hard to be independent. I should have just gone along with Carter watching over me, but no, I had to be stubborn. I had to be free, and look what it has costs me.

There’s not time for crying for yesterday. There’s no time to be the dumb girl I was only hours ago. Bridgette is counting on me. It’s time to prove I am my father’s daughter, that I do have the true blood of a Goddamned rebel coursing through my veins and no bitch, no matter how crazy she might be is gonna stand in my way. She doesn’t get to humiliate me. Oh no, I’ll fucking ride free or die trying, just like my momma and my daddy raised me.

With one hand behind my back, I use it to go for the nail file and hope like hell when I shove it in Danny’s eyeball that Bridgette runs like her ass is on fire.

I press my mouth to Danny’s, not really kissing him, only touching my lips to his. My fingers wrap around the small file when the door falls open.

“Here you all are.” Harper’s husband smiles at us all.

Bridgette shrinks into the wall by the door. He hasn’t noticed her, and I spare her a quick glance, urging her to run. She takes the hint and dares to speak. “I’m gonna go use the ladies room. Be right back.” She slips out the door and is gone before Harper can argue.

Dear God, please let her make it out alive, I recite the small prayer inside my head.

“Look at the lovebirds. Our Danny boy is in love. Isn’t it sweet,” Harper coos, fawning over us.

If Bridgette can make it out of here, I can play along a while longer to buy her time.