Have you ever felt your heart plummet? It sort of feels like how your stomach feels on a rollercoaster, but in your chest. It was the same feeling I got when I heard my brother say that.
I pulled away from his leading hand on my shoulder and shook my head. “No! You said you had time.”
“Something came up, Al, I’m sorry,” he said, voice a little sterner.
“But you said?—”
“Alta. I don’t understand why you’re acting like this. You know when I say something is important, it is. Do not act like a child,” he scolded.
In all honesty, it was some of the nicer things Ox could say, yet somehow it felt like a whip lashing across my skin. Mypride.
“I’m not a kid, Ox,” I said, voice croaking.
“I know you’re not,” he said. “And that’s why I’m asking you to stopactinglike one—” He stopped, his words cutting off abruptly as his eyes flew over my head. His gaze was not a nice one as he took quick steps around me, no longer paying me or our conversation any attention. “Can I help you?”
“Not sure.” Deep baritone cut through the air and straight to my ears. Whipping around, I leaned around my brother’s shoulder to see the last person I expected to see at that moment.
Harper stood large and intimidating in front of us. Tattooed arms on display as they crossed over his chest. When I popped my head around Ox, his eyes locked on mine. And what a look that was. Normally tame and jesting, his eyes looked fiery, his jaw so tight I could see his pulse in his temple. “Problem here, Boss?”
“There’s no problem, sir—” Ox started.
“Wasn’t talking to you,” Harper retorted.
Ox’s shoulders seemed to broaden, his stance getting wider as he took in the situation in a new light. “Excuse me?”
Oh my God.
Springing into action I rushed around my brother and in between the two of them. Ox immediately tried to grab for my elbow, but I shook him off, facing my client first.
“Harper,” I said.
His eyes were lasered in on my brother, glaring like I’d never seen him glare before.
I snapped, my voice more authoritative this time. “Harper!” He looked at me. “There’s no problem here. Go back inside.”
His eyes went from me to my brother who must have been seeing fire by now—Oaxaca did not take threats lightly. Apparently Harper didn’t either as he simply said, “No.”
“Augustus—”
“You’re out here arguing on the street, Boss. I won’t leave if you aren’t safe,” he said.Stubborn man.
Turning quickly, I looked to my brother, my eyes pleading. “Ox, tell him I’m safe.”
Ox looked at me like I was crazy. “Who is this?”
“He’s a client, Oaxaca, and he’s concerned. So please be nice and tell him I’m safe so he’ll go back inside,” I said.
“A client?” Ox’s tone was disbelieving as he took in the guy over my shoulder. He seemed to make a decision about him as his eyes hardened. “Alta, vámonos. Ahorita.”
“You go. I’ll stay here,” I said.
He shook his head. “No way in hell.”
“Ox,” I whined.
“No way in hell,” he reiterated. “Explain. And make it fast.”
I huffed, turning sideways so that I was split between the two of them. Two men not listening to a thing I was saying. One who had told me my ideas were shit, in not so many words of course. And the other who was too busy helping everyone else to evenlistento me.
