The Key West Anthology (20 page)

Chapter Three

Harper

I had no idea what the hell Jett’s problem was, or Easton’s for that matter. I didn’t need a damn keeper. I could handle my own shit.

Quinn had the front door open before I even got out of my car. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she waited for me with a scowl on her face.

“I’m going to pulverize both of them,” I told her as I stormed past her into the house. I heard the front door click shut, and I spun around, throwing my hands in the air.

“They’re crazy if they think this shit is okay. Who does stuff like this?” I growled. “I haven’t even been seeing Ian long, and they already have to cause trouble. They are just looking for the chance to butt in.”

“I talked to him,” she insisted.

“Yeah, like that matters. He’s a determined asshole. Quinn, Jett has always been like this. When Alexis and I were growing up, he scared off every boy that would smile at us.” I dropped my bag to the floor and flopped down on the couch. “I spent my entire time in high school feeling ignored. No guy would attempt to ask me out, not when they would have Jett to deal with. He’s a controlling ass and I’m over it.”

I was on a roll. “Oh, and Easton, I don’t even know why he cares about this anyway. He barely talks to me, and when he does, he is just so…” I couldn’t find the words to explain Easton. I groaned and made fists at my sides. “He is just so cocky and arrogant. He thinks he controls the world and everyone in it. He needs to just go back to Miami to his big house on the hill and leave me the hell alone.”

That man has always gotten under my skin. There was just something about him that made my blood boil. I hated the way he would watch me, when he thought I couldn’t see him. He made me anxious and irritated and…

“You like him,” Quinn gasped. “You have the hots for Easton Black.”

“You’re insane, you know that? I used to like you. I’m thinking I may have been wrong about you.” She had to be delirious. I did not, nor could I ever have the hots for Easton. He was just…overbearing, and he frustrated me to no end.

“If you say so.” Quinn lounged back on the couch and propped her feet up on the coffee table. “But I don’t think I have ever seen you so at a loss for words. Easton brings out a rambling, uncontrollable side of you. You are usually so on top of everything. You rarely lose control, and you’ve never been unable to express yourself. That usually comes so naturally to you, except when you’re talking about him.”

“I always ramble and I never have control. I’m very spastic, and you just—” I glared at her, and she only smiled as her eyes widened.

“Gah, you are going to drive me nuts.” I shoved at her shoulder and she fell to the side, laughing. “Whatever, I’m leaving, but you better tell my brother that the chances of him ever having kids is iffy. I may have his manhood removed for being such a bitch.”

I grabbed my bag and left in a hurry, Quinn’s laughter following me to the door. She was without a doubt certifiably insane.

I did not have the hots for Easton.

***

I had one more asshole to handle. Ian and I had an understanding. He was an attorney with very demanding hours, and I accepted that. With the dedication and hours I had to put into running my own salon, I rarely had time to worry about Ian being so busy in return. In fact, we’d found we only had time for last minute dates and booty calls. It worked for us.

Today things had changed, and a visit to Ian at Meyers, Murphy, and Canter was definitely a must. He needed to understand that I wouldn’t sit back and allow him to act the way he had this morning. It wasn’t my style. I was more the type to hold grudges and make your life miserable in return.

I pulled up outside the building that held the law office and contemplated if I should go around to the parking area behind it or just leave my car here out front. What I had to say wouldn’t take much time. I truly had no intentions of allowing him a chance to speak; he’d said enough this morning.

Deciding to just leave my car parked where it was, I grabbed my purse and climbed out. I entered the building and read the sign just inside that would direct me to the place where I would find the ass that needed to be set straight. I had never been inside this particular building prior to today, and I soon found that his law office was located on the third floor.

Tapping at the button, I waited impatiently for the elevator as I looked around while fidgeting with the hem of my shirt and trying everything to appease my irritation from my shitstorm of a day.

The elevator dinged, and I looked up to find myself staring into the face of the man who just a moment ago I had an entire speech prepared for. A speech that would explain to him just how I wouldn’t be taking any shit from him in the future. But for the second time that day I found myself speechless.

I didn’t expect to find the man I had been sleeping with for the last three months with his arm draped over the shoulder of a very attractive brunette. That wasn’t even the worst part. It was the tiny baby she had strapped to her chest and the little toddler pulling at Ian’s pant leg. The word
daddy
spilled from his lips over and over while he looked up at Ian, bouncing in excitement.

My chest literally ached. I felt sick, not because I loved him but because I’d slept with a married man. A man with two sweet children who had no idea their daddy was such a scumbag.

I stood before them in a daze, staring as everything moved in slow motion. The entire scene felt surreal.

The woman smiled and stepped past me, guiding the toddler to the side. I looked up to see Ian staring at me, a look of shock on his face. Or maybe it was fear; it could be both.

A gentle laugh caused me to look away from the man I currently wanted to throw down the elevator shaft. “Silly man, will you move out of her way so she can use the elevator?” The brunette tugged on Ian’s arm and pulled him toward the exit. She smiled lovingly at him, and I felt my stomach churn.

I took in a deep, agonizing breath. I felt like I may get sick at any moment.

Taking one last look over my shoulder, I turned to watch Ian and his family walk out of the front door. Just before the glass door closed, he looked back over his shoulder, and our eyes connected.

Life had just got a lot more complicated.

Chapter Four

Easton

It had been two days since I contacted Bennie and Ray. When Ray called this morning and said they had the information I needed, my stomach dropped. His tone said it all—they found shit I wasn’t gonna like. Which only meant that Jett was gonna hate it too.

I pulled up in front of the little office the guys called their home: a small private investigation firm, among other things that were a little darker and unadvertised. Both Bennie and Ray were retired marines who had since become a team of two badass dudes. They had a long list of clients that entrusted them with some high-profile cases and information. Like I said, they got the job done and their reputation was well known.

Entering the office, I found both guys waiting for me with a file laid out on the desk between us.

“There it is, son.” Bennie pointed to the file. “The information you needed on Ian Wilson.”

He paused for a moment. “Some pretty interesting things we ran across.”

As I thumbed through the documents and pictures, my anger only grew with each passing second. “Fuck,” I whispered as my stomach twisted and turned.

For the next hour, I analyzed the shitstorm this Ian guy had created. I read the guys’ report notes and looked at the pictures they were able to capture. They floored me.

“Thanks,” I said, gathering up the papers. “I need to take these things over to Jett.”

I sent him a quick text as I left Bennie’s to make sure he was at the restaurant and confirmed that he was on his way there too. We actually pulled into the parking lot within seconds of each other.

His face was solid, expressionless. He stood by the back entrance waiting for me to join him before we went inside. There was a silence between us until we entered his office.

We both took a seat on opposite sides of his desk, and he leaned forward, looking at the file in my hands. “Is it bad?” he asked.

“It’s not great,” I replied. “You’re not going to like it, and I’d hate to see what Harper does to the guy when she finds out.”

Actually, Harper going off on Ian and beating his ass may be kind of entertaining to observe.

I slid the file across the desk and watched Jett as he did just what I had done not even an hour ago, his jaw ticking with agitation and anger. “I can’t believe this shit,” he said. “I don’t know what I thought we would find, but I never once imagined it would be this shit. Harp’s gonna be pissed.”

Yeah, she would be pissed—at us for snooping. Hopefully in the end she could accept that we were both just concerned.

“I got to go talk to her.” Jett was already dialing his cell phone before I could reply.

I could tell by his reaction that her phone had gone straight to voice mail. He then tried another number, and after a quick conversation with whoever was on the other end, we found that she had not been into the salon for a couple days.

Jett buzzed Callie, his assistant, who also happened to be Harper’s best friend. After a few minutes she stuck her head through the doorway and smiled at me. Callie was a cute girl. She was full of attitude, much like Harper, and fun to get wound up. She knew how to fire back, and she kept Jett on his toes.

“What’s up, boss man?” she asked as she closed the door behind her.

“When was the last time you talked to Harper?” His tone came out clipped and full of a little more attitude than Callie usually tolerated.

She narrowed her eyes and placed her hand on her hip. “Good morning, Jett, how is your day so far?” She paused, and I could sense the attitude we all knew so well spilling off her. “Well, my day actually started out pretty shitty. Colin has once again called in sick, which leaves us short in the kitchen. Jude is having his period, apparently, because his attitude is a little worse than usual. He has a fat lip, and a cut above his eye. I’m not asking but maybe you should. Oh, and the employee bathroom sink is broken, again.”

Jett stood from the desk and walked around to the front, where he leaned back and sat on the edge. I could tell he wanted to bring up his worry about Harper. The two of them were pretty comical at times. They bickered and fought like brother and sister.

“I’ll deal with Colin, and Jude for that matter. I’ll also call the plumber.” He paused, his jaw ticking once again. Quinn had really been a great influence on Jett. He’d rarely kept his cool prior to falling for that girl. “I’m sorry your day has been shitty, Cal. But I need to know when you last heard from Harper. She’s not answering her phone and I need to talk to her.”

I think in that moment she sensed that Jett was barely hanging on. She stepped forward and a look of concern came over her face.

“It was on Tuesday. Why, is something wrong?” she asked.

“She hasn’t been to her salon in two days,” he replied.

Harper was just as dedicated as Jett as far as business went. At school she had gotten degrees in both business and cosmetology. She wanted to know all aspects of the business when she started her own salon, Allure. Just a few years later, it happened to be the most talked about, in-demand salon in Palm Beach.
It was Harper’s baby and she would never allow herself to be gone for two days without a damn good reason.

“I’m going to step out for a while, is that okay?” I think Jett asking Callie surprised us both. She only nodded as he rushed past her. I moved quickly to follow him.

“Can you let me know once you guys find her? Please, let me know she’s okay,” Callie called after us. I assured her I would before jogging to catch up with Jett.

He was just crawling into his car when I exited the back door. “Hey, you want me to follow you?” I asked.

“No, I got this,” he assured me. “I’ll call you later.” He was in the car backing out of his space before I had the chance to argue.

Sitting around waiting was going to drive me crazy.

Chapter Five

Harper

I sat on my couch staring at the television. It had been playing the same thing over and over.
Die Hard
. Yeah, the last thing my ass wanted to watch was any girly shit.

I was sick to my stomach every time I thought about Ian or his cute little family. It broke my heart that he didn’t value what he had. How could anyone risk breaking up such a sweet gift? His wife seemed so nice, and his kids were adorable.

Kids. That was the part that made me the most nauseous. I couldn’t get over the fact that I was the other woman. Yeah, I had no idea I was, but it didn’t change the end result. That poor woman, she had no idea she was married to a scum bag.

My mind wandered off for days, questioning if I was the first one he had cheated on his wife with. Somehow I doubted that. Now that my eyes were open, I could see Ian taking every chance he got to sweet-talk his way in to any bed. I remembered the times I had looked the other way when he winked at another woman. I was never jealous. Why was that?

“Harper.” I rolled my eyes at the sound of my brother’s voice as he began beating on my door. It was only a matter of time; I was aware of that. Jett was not only my older brother, he was overprotective and extremely nosy. He felt like he had to protect me from the harmful events of life. He was overbearing, arrogant, demanding, and cocky, but I loved him. He meant well, I knew that. He has always been that way with Alexis and me. We were his little sisters that he would do everything he could to keep safe.

The knocking continued right along with him demanding I let him in. For the first time in two days I smiled to myself. My big brother to the rescue.

When I opened the door and took in his angry expression, I knew I didn’t need to explain what had happened. Mr. Nosy had already found out the details of Ian’s hidden life. I was more than positive that Easton Black was the source of his information.

Easton was worse than Jett. That man had no boundaries. All he had to do was flash his smile and throw a few hundreds around, and voila—instant information.

I stepped aside, allowing Jett to enter. When he pulled me in for a hug, I choked up. That was Jett. A protective brother but also an amazing friend.

“You already know, don’t you?” I asked. “Do you feel better now, knowing that you were right?” I stepped back from him, placing some distance between us. I didn’t want to cry. I wasn’t sad, I was angry. I wanted to make Ian’s life miserable for his lack of respect, for not only me, but for his family.

“No, I don’t feel better. I don’t like seeing you upset.” Jett shook his head in frustration. “That’s why I tried to figure him out before he could hurt you. I guess I took too long.”

“You can’t save me, Jett. You can’t stop all the bad in my life. You can’t stop me from being broken.” I sat on the couch and motioned for him to join me.

“I can try,” he said as he took a seat next to me. Brutus huffed as he flopped down on the floor and placed his paws over my feet.

“You can, sure, but it’s still gonna happen. It’s all part of living, and you can’t stop me from living. Look at Alex. Look at what she went through and what she has now. She has everything.” I smiled, thinking about the life my sister was living. She’d gone through torturous events to get there, but she was happy now. She had an amazing husband who adored her, two gorgeous children, and a ton of great friends.

“And you,” I whispered. “You have Quinn.” At the mention of her, his face lit up. I loved seeing that look on his face. Quinn was the center of my brother’s world. He found her when he least expected it, and the love he had for her gave me hope. I wasn’t a sappy girl, but I did think—or more like hope—that one day I would find a love like both my siblings had.

“I really want to get ahold of this Ian guy.” His voice was full of hate.

“I know you do, but I got this,” I assured him.

The corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk. One I recognized as his vengeful, deceitful smile. “What do you mean ‘you got this’? What are you planning, Harper?”

“Don’t you worry, big brother.” I winked and stood from the couch. “I’m not done with that lying bastard yet. I just let him think I was going to walk away without another word. I wanted Ian to feel as if he got away with it. Now I’m gonna make him squirm.” I paused, running the things I had planned through my mind. This man was going to learn his lesson, one way or another. “I can’t wait to make him piss himself. He is so going to regret the day he made the choice to play with my mind.”

Ian Wilson was going to be taught a lesson. His wife deserved better than he was giving her. Once a cheater, always a cheater.

“Why should I sit back and allow him to move on to the next innocent girl? You know I’m not like that. It wouldn’t be right of me to turn the other cheek. I have to leave my mark on Ian’s life.” I was a firm believer in payback, and I was so ready to feel the satisfaction of breaking him down. Oh the sweet revenge.

Jett looked back at me with an unreadable expression. I almost laughed as I thought about what he may be thinking. I was more than sure he thought I was losing my mind.

***

A few days after I last saw Ian, I felt it was time to make my first visit. Wearing a sexy number, one that showed a lot of cleavage and more than enough leg, I pulled in to the parking lot near his sleek Mercedes. He loved his car. I smiled to myself, feeling all sorts of sadistic.

I straightened my skirt, pushed up my breasts, and unbuttoned just one more button. Let the torture begin.

The elevator dinged as the doors slid open on the third floor. I stepped out and focused my attention on the cute blonde behind the reception desk. I had no doubt that Ian had probably slept with her too. She was too cute and young for him not to have sunk his claws into her.

“Good morning.” She smiled. “Is there something I can help you with?”

I smiled in return. “Yes, I’m here to see Ian Wilson.” She looked down at the computer, scanning over his schedule I was sure, before looking back up at me. Her expression was now one of distaste.

“He actually has cleared his schedule for the next two hours. He has a very important conference call, and I’m afraid I can’t disturb him.”

Suddenly I disliked this girl. Her eyes were narrowed in on me, and she actually thought her explanation would make me leave.

I smiled and leaned forward just slightly, looking at the nameplate on her desk. “Laney,” I said, looking back up to meet her gaze once more. “I can guarantee you, without a doubt in my mind, that Ian
will
want to see me.”

She rolled her eyes and picked up her phone. “Yes, Ian, I’m sorry to bother you, but I have a…” She looked up and me.

“Harper.”

“I have someone named Harper here to see you. She insisted that you would be okay with the interruption.” Laney, Little Miss I Think I Have a Set of Balls, spoke in a condescending tone that made me want to reach across the desk and smack the arrogance right out of her mouth.

Her lips twitched and her smile fell from her lips. I fought the urge to laugh. I knew Ian wouldn’t turn me away. Not when I had his life in the palm of my hand.

“He said to send you in,” she snarled with her nostrils flaring.

“Why thank you, Laney.” I pushed off the desk and sauntered toward the door just beyond it. I didn’t even knock before pushing it open.

Ian was already rounding his desk as I entered. Tension was written all over his face. “Harper, I’ve been meaning to call you.”

“Sure you have, Ian. I completely understand. I mean, leading a double life…” I fanned my hand out, exaggerating the motion. “It must be so rough. Definitely time-consuming.”

I brushed past him and took a seat in his chair. I leaned back and placed my feet on top of his desk, knocking papers to the floor in the process.

Ian stood frozen in the center of his office, taking me in. I watched the moment his eyes roamed over my bare legs and eventually zeroed in on my exposed cleavage.

“My marriage sucks,” he confessed. “I plan on leaving her.”

I smiled, “Is that so?”

He was falling for it, going to the exact place I needed him to before I could attack. He nodded as he took a step toward me. “I’ve been unhappy for a very long time. I just haven’t found the right way to end it.”

I waited for him to reach out and attempt to place his hand on my leg. “Uh-uh,” I said. His gaze shifted to meet mine. He cocked his head to the side, questioning my response.

Slowly and very skillfully, I lowered my legs to the floor and stood up. I brought my chest within inches of his, pushing out my breasts just a little more. I watched as his eyes shifted downward.

“Why don’t we take a little walk, Ian?” I asked. That cocky, confident smile I had grown accustomed to spread out over his lips. His tongue darted out to wet the lower one as his eyes roamed over me once more. The pig actually thought there was hidden meaning behind my offer. Boy, was he in for a rude awakening.

He followed me closely as I left his office. I could feel his eyes on me. I waved spitefully at Laney as we passed her desk. She had been giving me the evil eye from the moment I stepped out of Ian’s office, so I couldn’t let her get in the last jab. My mind didn’t work that way.

Ian stepped into the elevator beside me and his hand grazed my hip. “What is it you have planned?” he asked.

“It was just feeling a little stuffy in there, thought we needed some fresh air.” I stared forward as the doors closed. I knew in that moment I had the upper hand. He was still trying to figure me out, and that was fine, but I was more than certain he wouldn’t expect what I had in mind.

As we exited the building, I walked toward his car and trailed the tip of my finger along the top of the fender. He narrowed his eyes, watching closely. “So I’ve been thinking. You need to fill your wife in, on all your conquests.” He chuckled like he thought I was kidding. “I know I’m not the only one. I’m not that naïve.”

“I’m not telling my wife,” he stated sternly.

I nodded. I honestly didn’t expect him to agree, but I had to throw it out there. “You do know that I could tell her.” I grabbed my keys from my purse “In fact, I know exactly where she takes her yoga classes every Tuesday and Thursday morning. I also know that she has coffee with her sister Marissa on Fridays.”

The color began to drain from his face.

“Molly seems really sweet. The way she volunteers her time at the nursing home shows that she’s kind. She doesn’t deserve to be married to a selfish bastard like you.”

I dug my key into the fender of his car, and he lunged forward, but I held up my hand to stop him. “Yeah, I wouldn’t consider that if I were you. I mean, you wouldn’t want to add assault charges to your list now, would you?”

“Bitch,” he muttered.

“Yeah, I know.” I placed my palm flat against his chest. Tapping it lightly, I smiled up at him. “But let me just clarify something. You truly haven’t seen how big of a bitch I can be. Not yet, anyway, but we have time.

“I also know that your wife owns everything you have. She had it all prior to your marriage. The fact that her father is responsible for your success has a lot to do with the reason you string her along. Molly should know that all you truly love about her is her money.” The look of panic on his face was extremely satisfying.

I stepped around him, and I swear I heard him growl. “This could be fun, Ian.” I waved over my shoulder and crawled into my Nissan. Playing head games with him was better than I thought.