My body stilled.
Rogue’s with Harlow at the moment.
My mind slammed into my heart and nausea coursed through me. And then the sound of gunfire rang out, and everything blurred as Griff and I battled bullets.
13
Harlow
“So, you’ve told Scott you’re pregnant?” Scarlett asked as we loaded the dishwasher in the café kitchen.
“No, not yet,” I admitted quietly.
“Shit, girl, when are you going to tell him?”
“I was going to do it last night, but then he came home from your place all stressed and it just didn’t feel like the right time to do it.”
“I don’t think there is a right time for this kind of conversation, except for as soon as fucking possible.” She stopped what she was doing and stared at me as if she was waiting for me to agree with her.
“I’m honestly going to do it. He’s just got so much going on at the moment.”
She nodded at me like she didn’t believe me, and I was about to defend my decision again, but the sound of Mum coughing from the front of the café stopped me. I headed out to where she stood hunched over, still coughing. She’d been getting progressively worse all day.
“Go home, Mum,” I suggested as I rubbed her back. “I’m sorry I gave you a cold, but at least I’m all better, so I can look after the café while you rest.”
She coughed one last time before straightening. Nodding, she said, “Thanks, love. Hopefully I’ll be better tomorrow.”
“Don’t come in if you’re not. I’ll take care of everything.”
She took off her apron and hung it up in the kitchen before grabbing her bag and heading out. I gave her a kiss goodbye and told her again not to come in tomorrow if she wasn’t up to it. Knowing my mother, though, she’d be in even if she was sick.
“I like your mum,” Scarlett said after she’d gone.
“She’s a good woman.”
The three of us had gotten on really well and the day had flown by with Scarlett helping us. Mum had mentioned that perhaps she might want a part-time job, but I hadn’t had time to mention it to her yet. Besides, I wanted to spend more time with her before offering her a job – I wasn’t sure whether Scarlett was someone I could spend a lot of time with.
“My mother never gives me the time of day,” she blurted while fidgeting with the tea towel. This was the first time she’d shared something personal with me.
“You’re not close?”
“No. The only person I’m close to in my family is my brother, and most of the time that’s only because I force myself into his life.” As she said this, she pulled her phone out and checked for a text from Scott. She’d been checking it religiously since he called about her brother.
“Still no news?”
She shook her head. “Nothing yet.”
“Do you want to call Scott and ask him? Maybe he got tied up and forgot to call.” I doubted it, but I figured it couldn’t hurt.
She tapped her phone against her leg in a nervous type gesture, and then said, “Yeah, I might give him a call.”
“Okay, I’ll leave you to it.”
I headed to the bathroom and gave her some privacy while she phoned Scott. It had been a busy day and I was exhausted. We only had another hour at work and I was clock watching for that minute we could close up shop and go home.
Tonight I will tell Scott.
Even if he’s busy with club stuff, I’ll make him sit down for a minute so I can tell him.
I took my time in the bathroom in case Scarlett had managed to get hold of Scott and when I finished, I wandered back out to the front of the café looking for her. However, she was nowhere to be found, and instead, Rogue came barrelling in through the front door.
“What the fuck is she doing?” he roared, fury plastered across his face.
I shrunk away from him. I’d never seen him so angry. “What is who doing?”
“Don’t give me that shit. Scarlett. She just screamed out of here in your car.”
Oh shit.
“I was in the bathroom; I didn’t realise she had left.” A shot of nerves spiked through me and I reached into my back pocket for my phone. I dialled Scott twice, but both times the call went straight to his message bank.
Rogue stared at me while I frantically tried to get hold of Scott. After my second attempt, he said, “He’s not answering?”
My heart dropped into my stomach.
This is not good.
I took a step back. “No, but I’ll keep trying.”
Or maybe I’ll try Blade.
As I jabbed at my phone to find Blade’s number, Rogue snatched it out of my hands and stomped on it. His dark eyes met mine and he snarled, “There’s no point trying Scott again ‘cause he’s not likely to answer any time soon.”
My hands madly flailed beside me, searching for a chair to lean on as my legs almost gave way.
No.
Not Scott.
My heart thumped in my chest and I yelled, “What have you done to him?”
This can’t be happening.
He laughed and it was the most sinister laugh I’d ever heard. “Scott Cole’s getting what he’s deserved for a long fucking time, and you, you little bitch, are gonna get what I’ve been wanting to give you since I fucking met you.”
He took a step towards me and I stumbled backwards. My legs were like jelly and didn’t want to move. Fear had taken over my body completely – fear for Scott’s life and fear for what I knew Rogue wanted to do to me.
“No!” I screamed and turned to run into the kitchen. We had a back door and if I could just get to that, I could get outside and run for help.
Even though my legs didn’t want to move, I forced them to. The adrenaline flowing through my body helped me make it to the back door, but the door was locked.
Oh my God.
No. No. No.
My fear roared in my ears and I gritted my teeth against the nausea forcing itself upon me.
Even though I knew Rogue was right behind me, I turned. I had to. The key for the door was in my bag and I had to at least try to get it.
He stood right behind me when I turned, and because I’d anticipated that, I kneed him in the balls and shoved him hard so he stumbled back.
As he screamed obscenities at me, I hurried to my bag, but then I had another idea. I decided to keep heading for the front door instead of fumbling in my bag for the back door key.
“You fucking bitch!” he shouted and I realised he was close again.
Shit.
I was half way to the front door when his hand latched onto my shoulder and he yanked me back. His strength was too great for me to struggle against and I fell back into his grip.
“You’re gonna regret messing with me, Harlow.” His breath crawled across my face as he pressed his mouth close to my cheek.
No asshole, you’re going to regret messing with me.
Thank God Scott taught me some self-defence.
I dropped my weight and then aimed my elbow up and back at his head. At the same time, I stomped on his feet and then rotated out of his hold. I kicked him hard in the balls again and when he doubled over in pain, I took a step back and kicked up under his face as hard as I could which caused him a great deal of pain.
He held his face as he stumbled around yelling at me. When I was satisfied I’d slowed him down enough, I turned to run as fast as I could away from the café to go in search of help.