Page 2 of Their Cruel Play
Harper rounds the corner with her stick held high. Her hair is a messy halo around her head and her brown eyes are wide open. “Who was that?”
“Is Kenz okay?” I step toward her, needing to touch her. To know she’s safe now.
Harper glances over her shoulder. “She’s okay. She nailed him with one of my lamps, but he didn’t touch her.”
When she turns back to me, I’m right in front of her. He could have hurt her. If the guy had knocked me out, he could have done whatever he planned to do. If I hadn’t been here... My hand shakes as I cup her cheek.
“You need to do what I tell you to do, princess. I could have caught him if I wasn’t worried about you.” It’s not a lie.
She narrows her eyes holding up her stick. “You needed backup.”
Shaking my head, I wrap my hand around the back of her neck. My lips tug into a smile at the weird stick in her hand. “What even is that?”
“A pinata stick.” She shrugs and her tank top strap falls down her shoulder. She glances toward the door. “We didn’t call the police.”
“Good.” I really don’t think that would have gone over well, especially with me here. They would call her mom, and Harper might actually get grounded. I don’t think this is an isolated incident or even a coincidence.
We were busy earlier and no one planned on sleeping with her. I wasn’t supposed to sneak in and take her to the guest bedroom either. Kenz must have surprised the intruder.
When her brown eyes drop to my lips, my focus returns to her.
“Why are you here?” she whispers, shifting slightly closer.
“Couldn’t sleep.” The words are quiet in the darkness of the house.
“You broke into my house and carried me into the guest bedroom?”
“I didn’t break in.”
She rolls her eyes. “I didn’t let you in.”
Pulling her hair, I tip her head back and lower my head until my lips hover over hers. Her breath coats my lips. She searches my eyes.
“You always let me in, princess.”
“Uh, not to interrupt, but...” Kenz stands in the doorway.
I straighten and turn Harper in my arms so she can see Kenz. Needing to feel her, I draw her back against me.
“Did he say anything?” I ask.
Nothing stood out about him from what I saw. Besides that he’s a guy and he was average height. He felt muscular. Probably our age.
Kenz shakes her head and crosses her arms. “I woke up and he was just there. Standing in the doorway. I screamed, and he startled. Then I threw the lamp at him.”
“Can you remember anything about him? Smell? Eye color?”
She shakes her head, and her gaze drops to Harper. Her eyebrows raise as she pointedly looks at me. She’s probably wondering why I’m here but fuck that noise. Harper is mine.
“We should look through the house and make sure no one else is here. Also find how he got in.”
Harper spins in my arms. “Should we split up?”
“No.” I brush her hair behind her ear.
“But we’d cover more ground,” she argues.
“There’s only one person that guy was after tonight.” I exhale. Fuck, I’m not letting her out of my sight, and I don’t think she’d be okay with Kenz going on her own. “I’m not convinced he won’t double back and try again.”
