Ruthless Heir (Ruthless Billionaires #5)

Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Harper

Oh my God.

Of all the things that could happen now. Why this ?

Josh looks from Asher to me, then it’s like his gaze splits between the two of us and he’s looking at us both as if we’ve committed some heinous crime.

What is he even doing home? Or here ?

Josh is supposed to be thousands of miles away under the sea in a submarine. And it hasn’t been freaking nine months yet. He has a good six months left to go.

Asher straightens and I slide off the table, fixing my top.

“Josh,” Asher speaks first. “I?—”

“Don’t. What are you going to say? You can explain? Fuck, there is no explanation. You lied to me.” He glares at Asher, seething, then switches his gaze to me. “Both of you.”

“We were going to tell you,” I speak up, hating the disappointment in his eyes.

“ When ?” He smirks, then he looks back at Asher with disgust. “Let me guess, friend. You used my sister as some pretend girlfriend to buy yourself some more time with your old man. She was an easy option because you knew she’d say yes. You know how she’s always felt about you.”

I’m not surprised he was able to guess the backstory of Asher’s plan but he’s not entirely right.

“It wasn’t like that,” Asher replies.

“I was helping him out,” I cut in because Josh needs to know the important details before he jumps to conclusions. “Asher paid a debt I owed some dangerous loan sharks Nick got me mixed up with.”

Josh glares back at me, now knowing I hid that loan from him before he left.

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry,” I add in a shaky voice.

“So you chose to do this? What the hell is wrong with you?” He’s never spoken to me like that before.

“Josh—” Asher attempts again but Josh holds up his hand.

“Don’t talk to me. I can’t believe I was so stupid as to believe you wouldn’t touch her. My sister is not one of your fucking women.”

“You need to listen to me and stop it. I love her.”

“The only thing people like you love is money and power,” Josh snarls. “Harper, get your things. We’re leaving.”

My God. He’s talking to me like I’m a child he’s come to collect from a playdate gone wrong.

“I’m not going anywhere, Josh.” I shake my head at him, shocked by his request.

“Yes you are. Get your things now.”

“This is ridiculous. You can’t come here and demand that I leave. I’m not a child.”

“You say that after your disastrous track record with men? Nick almost killed you. You lied about him, too. Every time you told me you were fine, you lied! Now he’s behind bars for murder and all kinds of other shit. Someone needs to take charge of your life before you get yourself killed.”

My cheeks burn with hot embarrassment and I can’t argue because he’s right. I did lie about Nick when I shouldn’t have but Asher is not Nick. “I’m safe with Asher. It’s not the same thing. You know that or you wouldn’t have left me with him.”

“Asher will use you and he won’t care how badly he hurts you. He’ll check out when you need him most.”

“That’s not true,” Asher cuts in. “You know me better than that. I would never hurt Harper. I have always been there for her when she needed me.”

“You believe that but you forget that I do know you.” He shoots Asher a death glare. From the sharpness in his tone I know he’s referring to the past. To the girlfriend who died. Had Asher not told me, I would never have picked up on that. “I know you’re a selfish motherfucker when you need to be. You throw women away when you get bored and all you think about is yourself. You’re not going to do that to my sister. She’s been through enough.”

“I told you I’m not going to hurt her.” Asher walks up to him.

The moment he gets close enough Josh throws a punch in his face. And another.

“Stop it, Josh. No!” I scream and rush toward them but Asher places me behind him so I’m not in the way.

“You fucking asshole. How dare you lie to me?” Josh gets up into Asher’s face. “You have everything and you can have anyone. Why do you want her?”

“I told you. I love her.”

“Fuck you.” Josh throws another punch and Asher just takes it, not fighting back. I know he can but he won’t because it’s Josh.

“Josh, stop,” I cry out again but he ignores me.

Josh grabs Asher’s t-shirt and rips it. I see another punch coming and just about manage to move away from Asher’s protecting arm and slip in between them.

“Stop it, Josh,” I cry out louder. “I’ll go with you. I’ll go. Just let him go.”

Going with him is the only thing I can think of that will stop this madness.

“Harper, you don’t have to go anywhere.” Asher stares at me with pleading eyes, blood pouring from his nose and his face already swollen.

“I’ll figure this out,” I promise but I know he thinks I’ve chosen Josh instead of him. I haven’t.

Josh releases Asher and backs away. “Come with me now, Harper.”

My heart aches as I look at Asher, then I turn and head toward Josh.

I don’t look back. I can’t. If I do, I’ll fall apart.

Josh marches away and I follow, feeling Asher’s eyes burning into me, begging me not to go.

What a disaster.

Josh takes me to a hotel on the Upper West Side. When we walk into what’s supposed to be a suite, I can tell it’s been cheaply done up because of the budget secondhand store décor and the hint of Febreze in the air covering up the moldy smell. Maybe I’ve been in the Hamptons too long.

We drove here in silence. Not the kind of awkward silence you’d normally experience after a blowup like what happened back at Asher’s place, but the kind of silence that’s heavy with dark tension, doom and unexpected endings.

It’s the sort you experience when you have no idea what’s going to happen next.

It’s funny: I understand now why Asher suggested we take baby steps. It was because of this. He saw this coming, this situation where I’d be the one stuck in the middle.

I used to think that no one knew Josh as I did. I was wrong. Asher knew this would happen before it did because he knows my brother better than anyone. Even me.

“Your room is the last on the corridor.” Josh’s stern voice cuts through the thick layer of silence.

“Aren’t you even going to tell me how come you’re back early?”

“The sub had technical difficulties. We had to return to base to get it repaired. I head out again in four months.”

“So you’ll be back in New York?”

“For the moment. I’ll sort us out a place to stay by next week.”

“ I already have a place to stay.” I steel my spine and level him a hard stare.

“You’re not going back to Asher.”

“ Yes . I am.”

Josh’s face reddens with rage and he grits his teeth. “Harper, you don’t know what’s good for you.”

“This is ridiculous. You know that. You’re just freaking out and not listening to me. Asher is your best friend. How can you behave this way and beat him up?”

A pained look enters his eyes but it’s only there for a fleeting moment before it fades. At least my words seemed to have some effect on him.

“Asher gave me a hundred thousand dollars and saved me from whatever the hell might have happened to me.”

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me about that loan?”

“Josh, you’re getting married. You have sacrificed a lot to take care of me. There comes a time in life when a person needs to figure out stuff for themselves.”

“Not if you have people who care about you.”

“Yes. Especially then. Especially when the same person is always saving you. And please, I know you didn’t have a hundred thousand to give me.”

“No, but we would have figured it out. You wouldn’t have had to go to him.”

I laugh without humor. “You are such a hypocrite. You know you would have turned to Asher for help. He would have been the first person you would have thought of because we don’t know anyone else with that kind of money.”

That shuts him down even though he looks like he wants to argue.

“It doesn’t matter. We’ll find a way to pay him back, then we’re done.”

“What do you mean by done ?”

“You won’t see him again. I promised both our parents on their deathbed that I would look after you. So I will.”

“This is not looking after me.”

“Yes, it is.”

I can’t talk to him when he gets like this. He’s only hearing what he wants to hear and his mind is already made up.

“Make yourself comfortable. We’re going to be here for a few days. I’m going to get you some clothes.”

I don’t bother to tell him that I have enough clothes to open my own store back at Asher’s.

“I’ll grab some food, too,” he adds. “What do you feel like eating?”

“I love Asher. I love him. I never told you that I loved Nick. Not once. Everyone, including me, assumed that I loved him. Maybe I did. Maybe I tried to because I could never have who I truly wanted. But I am telling you now that I love Asher and I know he loves me, too. You know you’ve taken this too far.”

“Harper—”

“I’m going back to Asher tomorrow evening.” I keep my voice firm, although he stares back at me openly surprised.

I need him to know that I only came with him to reason with him. I’m not going to allow him to take charge of my life the way he said he would. I know I’ve made mistakes and have landed myself in more trouble than most, but every time I fall I pick myself up off the ground and keep going, stronger than I was before.

I’m different now. Different from the sister he left behind months ago. I need him to know that. “Things are different for me now. I have a different life and I’m happy with Asher. I’m happy with him , Josh. Surely that must count for something. I know you’d want happiness for me.”

“Of course I want you to be happy.”

“Then you must know you’re wrong.”

“I was desperate when I left you with Asher. This job opportunity came up and I knew it was going to change everything for me. It already has. That’s why I left you with him.”

“But if he’s the person you’re trying to make him out to be now, you wouldn’t have done that.”

“That was before I knew he was going to make a move on you while I was away. And how convenient for you two to be together while I was in a submarine.”

“Maybe that’s just how things worked out so we could be together. I’ve made my choice. I’m going back to him tomorrow evening. I hope we can talk about this properly before then and you can see things from my side and remember that Asher is like a brother to you. Please don’t make me choose between the two of you. You have been my rock and such a good brother to me. I love you with all my heart. But I won’t let you stop me from being with the man I love.”

The ache in my heart worsens when Josh doesn’t answer. The knife twists deeper when he turns and walks away, leaving me feeling torn.

It’s ten o’clock at night when I hear Josh come in.

I’ve been lying in the uncomfortable bed in my room which feels no better than the little slab I had in the jail cell in Massachusetts.

I came in here earlier when watching TV could no longer distract me.

I’ve no phone to call anyone. I left my phone and purse behind at Asher’s. And the phone in the suite won’t call out unless Josh authorizes it— I tried.

All I could get was room service, which I did because I was hungry.

I get up, hoping that Josh and I can talk in a more reasonable manner.

When I open the door I smell food. It’s Chinese.

I make my way out to the little kitchenette where I see a small carton of food has been placed on the counter.

There is, however, no Josh.

He’s in his room. I can hear him. From past experience I know that means he’s retired for the night and doesn’t want to be disturbed. If I knock he won’t answer, and if I try to force my way in he just won’t speak to me.

Josh can be such an asshole at times. I know he stayed away all day to cool off and most likely so we wouldn’t have the conversation I want to have, but I wish he would talk to me.

I open the food and see it’s one portion of sweet and sour chicken and chow mein, just for me.

If he bought some for himself, he’s eating it in his room.

Fine. I’ll just eat out here. Maybe I’ll catch him if he emerges to go to the bathroom or into the kitchen for water.

But two hours pass without him coming out. I wait and eat, and I wait some more until my eyes are closing.

It’s after midnight now and all I hear is silence.

Reluctantly, I head back to bed.

The next morning I wake at eleven. Super late for me.

A quick scan of the suite tells me Josh isn’t here. He’s gone again and I can’t even call him.

My deadline is eight p.m. That’s when I’m leaving.

If he’s away all day like yesterday, well…

Well, it will break my heart, because I’m leaving anyway.

I shower and change. While I’m drying my hair I hear the front door open and I feel relieved that Josh is back.

Good, now maybe we can talk.

I quickly put my hair up into a bun and walk out to the lounge but I stop mid stride when my gaze lands on Vito Morales.

The loan shark from L.A. who Asher paid off and made him promise to never contact me again.

My heart slows, my lungs collapse, my skin shivers.

What the hell is he doing here?

“Miss St. John, we meet again,” he booms in a hearty voice, slicking his greasy black hair back.

“Why? Why are we meeting again?” What the hell is happening?

“A little bird brought it to my attention that I should have demanded more money from you.” He taps his chest. “I was inclined to believe they were absolutely right when they told me whose arm you’d latched on to. A billionaire . Asher Le Blanche.” He holds up a copy of the New York Chronicle which has a picture of Asher and me at the Astoria, taken weeks ago.

Oh my God, this isn’t happening.

“You were paid what you were owed. Even the interest.”

“But I want more. I was good to you. I gave you time and I’m sure you know that time is money. I need compensation for that.”

“No. Get out now before I call the police.” I’m trembling and I can’t hide it. He can see how terrified I am.

“I don’t think so, angel face.” He laughs in that deep gravelly tone that sounds like rocks moving around in his throat.

“Neither do I.” Nolan steps out from the bathroom, shocking me further. I’m so shocked any air left in my lungs evaporates. “I know you had something to do with Asher’s findings on me, so I did a little digging on my own and found your friend here.”

Oh. Fuck. Nolan is the fucking bird Vito was talking about. “You asshole.”

“Yeah, I am. I figured out that you must have recognized Benjamin Deffort’s name. My research reveals that he worked with your ex. Because you told Asher to dig deeper, he was able to piece together everything I wanted to hide.”

“You’re blaming me because you didn’t get away with stealing more money from the Le Blanches?” I give him an incredulous glare. “You were bound to get caught one day.”

“No, I wouldn’t have. I made sure of it. Until you happened and blew in like a fucking wild card. First, you knocked my sister out of the running to marry Asher, then you fucked over my plans and ruined everything. There’s no way you’re getting away with this.”

“You need to get the fuck out of here and leave me alone.”

“Ballsy. Oh so ballsy. The short answer to that is no. I’ve thought of the perfect way for you to fix this situation so I get the money I need. Vito here is the muscle. What’s that saying? The enemy of my enemy is my friend .” Nolan laughs. “I’m so glad your brother brought you here. There’s no Asher or his entourage of guards or whatever the fuck he has to protect you. You have nothing and no one will hear you scream when we take you.”

I have to get out of here. I can’t allow them to take me.

Blind panic closes my throat and I spin around to run. But another man steps out from behind me, grabs my arm and holds a gun to my head.