Ruthless Heir (Ruthless Billionaires #5)

Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One

Asher

“Any contact from Josh or Harper?” Olga asks, setting the glass of lemonade down on my desk.

“Nothing.” My voice has a faraway sound that I don’t recognize. It’s as unbecoming of me as my actions.

All I’ve been able to do since Harper left with Josh is confine myself within the walls of my office at home and wait it out.

I don’t know where Josh took Harper because he’s not answering his phone and she left hers here.

I couldn’t even try to find them because I wouldn’t know where to start. I could enlist some expert like Jericho and have him track her down, but then I’d end up looking like some crazy psycho boyfriend and make things worse for myself.

“Let’s hope you’ll hear something soon.” Olga offers a kind, hopeful smile. “If I know Harper, she’ll be just as worried about you as you are for her.”

She knows what happened. Even if she didn’t, she could have guessed from the mess my face was left in after I allowed Josh to beat the crap out of me.

“This is a difficult situation.”

“I understand but I know she loves you. You have to believe in that.”

It’s nice of her to say that but I worry my fears have finally come to light. Harper might have chosen to keep the peace because she doesn’t want to upset Josh. The lack of contact might be her way of trying to come up with something to tell me.

“I can only hope.”

“Is there anything I can do for you before I head out? I’ll be away for a few hours.”

“No. I’m good.”

“Let me know if you hear from Harper.”

“Of course.”

She dips her head and saunters away, allowing the still silence to reenter the room and taunt me like it did before. It screwed with me right from the moment Harper left. Last night was worse when I went to bed alone.

I couldn’t sleep. I watched night turn to day and when I didn’t hear from her I got the sinking feeling that things were a lot worse than I imagined.

I decided to distract myself by doing some work that’s due next week but I’ve hardly been able to focus on that.

I resume going over the contract for the resort in St. Barts.

An hour later I’m still reading page one.

Fuck. What the actual fuck am I going to do? What am I supposed to do?

I shouldn’t have allowed Harper to leave. But what if she made her choice then and decided to leave me?

My thoughts are interrupted by a tap on the door. It’s already open and when I look up I expect to see one of the maids.

Instead I find Josh standing there. I’d almost think we were back to yesterday when I first saw him, except his clothes have changed. It’s also later in the day and the bruises from his fists are on my face.

I stare at him, wondering why he’s here.

Yesterday changed everything between us and I’m not sure I know him anymore. But if he’s here it means he wants to talk. There’s only one thing I want to know.

“Where is Harper?”

“She’s at a hotel I booked for us.” He keeps his gaze fixed on me as if he’s waiting for me to strike back and retaliate in vengeance for yesterday.

“Why are you here?” I decide to get to the point. “Come to fight me again?”

“No.”

“Really? Because if you do it won’t be like yesterday, and you won’t win. I wasn’t going to hit you in front of Harper. And I allowed you to hit me because I lied to you.”

“I know.” He breathes out a sigh and walks in, stopping by the desk. I hope like hell he’s not going to tell me some bullshit because I won’t sit here and listen to it. This whole thing is outrageous.

“She’s in love with you,” he finally speaks after what feels like an eternity of waiting.

He pulls out the seat in front of my desk and plants himself on it.

“I always knew but she’s never had the guts to tell me the way she has now.”

I’m ready for another fight but decide to tamp down my rage so I can speak to him in a calm manner. He seems to want to talk it out with me.

“Josh, for years I tried to respect boundaries and keep my distance, but I wish I hadn’t. If I had done what I wanted to there’s no way in fuck she would have ended up with Nick.”

He bows his head for a moment and when he looks back at me I can see in his eyes that he’s acknowledged what I said and the rage from yesterday is gone.

“I always worried that you’d hurt her. You’ve never been serious with anyone. The only time I saw you try was with Natalia. She was the longest relationship you ever had.”

“You blame me for her death.” The words feel worse outside my head. “I know people did. I know you did, too.”

“I didn’t blame you.”

“You could have fooled me. Years ago, when you warned me away from Harper, you mentioned Natalia and cursed me out.”

“I shouldn’t have done that.”

“If you didn’t blame me you wouldn’t have mentioned her at all.”

He breathes out a ragged sigh. “I mentioned her because I was being an asshole. I knew how Harper felt about you and I never wanted you to hurt her. What happened to Natalia was the worst thing ever. I knew it was a sensitive topic for you, but it was the only thing that would make you listen to me. So I thought that reminding you about Natalia would keep you from screwing around with Harper.”

I can’t even believe what I’m hearing. “You knew how hard I took Natalia’s death, Josh. I didn’t need anyone to blame me because I blamed myself enough. I was fucking eighteen years old when she died and it’s haunted me every day since. How the fuck could you use that against me?”

“I was used to you hooking up with a different girl every week. Sometimes less than that. I didn’t want you to treat my sister like that. Not when I knew she had real feelings for you. I’m her brother, Asher. I’m supposed to protect her from guys like you.”

“I would never have treated her like that.”

“I didn’t know that. I still don’t.”

“Yes, you do. You just don’t want to accept it.” I glare at him.

“Then maybe I just need you to humor me, on account of the fact that I’ve had to take care of her pretty much from when our mother died because our father was sick. Then she nearly died in that accident that took her memories. She survived that only to be with Nick, who nearly killed her. Now I have to trust you with her.”

I understand where he’s coming from and why he did what he did but it still irritates the hell out of me that he fucked with my mind in such a crude, selfish way.

“You already trust me with her. What you need to do is trust that she’ll be okay with me.”

He nods. “You’re right. That’s the part I need to work on. She chose you and I realized there was nothing I could do. If I continued she’d shut me out, and I’d deserve it.”

I almost smile. Harper chose me. “She will be okay with me, Josh. I swear to you.”

“I guess I’ll just have to take your word for it.” He nods again but this time he seems more positive. “I’m sorry about yesterday. For hitting you. I shouldn’t have lost my shit like that.”

“Like I said, I let you do it because I lied.”

“That doesn’t make it right. How do we move past this? I said and did a lot of things I shouldn’t have, then I took Harper away.”

“We just move past it and try to be the guys we used to be.” I’m not a man who forgives easily. In fact, I don’t at all. People never get second chances with me because I don’t believe in them. I’m only extending the olive branch because I don’t want to throw away years of friendship and I know it would make things easier on Harper if Josh and I can remain friends.

“Thank you. And thanks for taking care of Harper’s loan. I want to pay you back.”

“No. That’s not something you need to repay.”

“It’s a lot of money.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

My phone rings on the desk, buzzing like it’s going to take on a life of its own. I notice on the home screen that it’s an unrecognized number calling me. I hate calls like that. Especially on a Sunday.

Since my number is delisted I know the call must be legit. “I have to take this.”

“Sure.”

I answer the call. “Hello.”

“Asher Le Blanche,” says a deep rusty voice I recognize but can’t place.

“Who is this?”

“Vito Morales.”

What the fuck? I glance at Josh, who straightens when he catches me looking at him.

“What do you want?” I don’t try to hide my annoyance that he called me.

“I have your girl. Picked her up in the hotel room where her brother left her.”

All the blood drains from my body and I stand, suddenly feeling lightheaded, like my head will fall off and crack on the floor.

“What the hell are you doing with her? I paid you your money.”

“What’s going on, Asher?” Josh stands, too and glares at me.

I can’t answer him. I have to focus on why this motherfucker has Harper.

“Here’s what I want. Ten million in cash, not a penny less. You give me that and you get her back in one piece. I’ll send over the instructions in a text.”

“I’ll kill you if you hurt her.”

“Listen friend, you’re not in a position to be making demands. Do as I say and she’ll be okay.” He laughs as if he were telling a hilarious joke. “By the way, Nolan sends his love.”

Holy. Fuck.

“Nolan?”

The line goes dead.