He sat in one of their outdoor chairs. “Probably not. Madison can’t make up her mind on colours so I’m at the hardware store every second day picking up a new sample for her.”
I sat too, and raked my fingers through my hair. “This shit with Black Deeds should be over in two days. Just got the call from Blade.”
“You trust him now?”
“I believe what he’s told us about Bullet and what happened with his girlfriend years ago. The pain I saw on his face can’t be faked. Not sure about anything else where he’s concerned but there’s a whole lot more about him that we don’t know. Of that I’m sure.”
J nodded. “Fair enough. So, what’s the plan?”
“Don’t know yet, brother. He’ll let us know closer to time.”
My attention was diverted when Harlow came out and joined us. She came and stood next to my chair and rested her hand on the back of it. I reached my arm around her waist and pulled her onto my lap. “Has Madison decided what we’re doing for dinner yet?” I asked.
“She suggested we go out; she’s still annoyed that we had to cancel our girl’s night out last Friday. She figures that we’ll be okay if you and J are with us.” She lifted her arm so that it was across the back of my chair and started gently running her fingers up and down my neck.
“She knows that we cancelled that night out for both of yours safety. Jesus, she holds onto stuff,” I muttered. Her fingers on the back of my neck were messing with my concentration.
“Where does she want to go?” J asked, getting up.
Harlow shrugged, her eyes lost in mine, and her attention to J’s question waning. “Not sure,” she finally answered him.
J chuckled. “I’ll leave you two to it,” he said, and went inside, leaving us alone.
I tightened my hold on her and brushed my lips against hers. “You’re turning me into a fuckin’ pussy.”
Her face broke out in a smile. “I like that. You’re so much easier to control when you’re a pussy.”
I growled. “You don’t want to control me, baby. You like bossy too much; it fuckin’ turns you on.”
“Scott, since I met you, I’ve lived in a constant turned on state. It doesn’t matter if you’re being bossy or being a pussy, I can’t get enough of you.”
“Fuck, woman. You got any idea what it does to me when you say shit like that?”
She grinned, and whispered in my ear, “I hope it gets you hard so that you’ll fuck me as soon as we get back to your place.”
Christ, I was fucking done for now. Dirty words coming out of Harlow’s mouth almost made me come there and then. I smacked her ass. “Up. We’re skipping dinner; I’m taking you home now.”
“Thank goodness. I never thought you’d suggest it so I had to give you a prod,” she said with a wink.
I shook my head. “Harlow, any time that you want me to fuck you? Just say the word; you’ll never hear no from me.”
Twenty minutes later, I had Harlow right where I wanted her; naked and under me. Best fucking way to end a day.
Chapter 27
Harlow
I was dozing on the couch when my phone rang. Sleep wasn’t my friend lately in between working two jobs and Scott keeping me up late every night. Grumbling, I reached out to the coffee table to answer it. Checking the caller ID, I noticed it was Lisa calling me. Worry hit my gut; why else would she be calling other than if she had a problem. I’d had to go up to her school last week and help her make a complaint about being bullied; I hoped this wasn’t still going on.
“Hi Lisa,” I answered, trying to project an upbeat attitude.
“Hi Harlow,” she said in her timid voice.
“What’s up, honey?”
She started crying and my heart hurt listening to her. “Where are you?” I asked. It wasn’t quite three o’clock so I figured she was probably still at school.
She sniffed. “I’m in the toilets at school. Can you come and get me?” she begged.
“Yes, I’ll be there soon. Just wait where you are; I’ll find you.”
Just under ten minutes later, I pulled up at her school and followed the directions she’d sent in her text as to where she was. When I found the toilets, I entered and called out to her. A door opened and she stepped out; her face was a mess from crying, and her hair was an uneven mess. Someone had cut her hair and screwed it up completely.
I waited for her to say something but she didn’t so I went to her and simply took her in my arms and hugged her. She slowly wrapped her arms around me and then squeezed tighter until she was practically clinging to me; her body wracked with sobs.
We held each other for nearly ten minutes while I waited for her crying to subside. Eventually she pulled away from me and I asked, “What happened?”
“They cut my hair and hit me.”
“Who did that?” I wanted to throttle whoever did this to Lisa.
“I don’t want to talk about it. Can you just take me home?”