Harwal, book 3

Chapter 14

"What on earth were you thinking?" Grandma snaps.

I frown at her question. "What do you mean?"

"Drugs," she hisses.

This fucking thing again. "What are you talking about with guests here?" I use her weapon against her.

"You said you don't want to talk in front of Dante and this man heard everything yesterday, don't try to avoid the subject."

"What a backwards way of thinking. Could you listen to me for once? I didn't take drugs. And I need to talk to you about what you found out, not this shit," I say and lift my hand to stop her next barrage of complaints. "My friend got taken by slavers, but they were targeting me. That fucker you tracked found me, and wanted them to kidnap me, but they got Greece instead."

Grandma gapes her mouth and her face pales. "No," she whispers and places her cup on the table. "You need to get away from the city."

I scoff loudly at the audacity. "We're not going anywhere. I need to save Greece."

"Think about your son," Gran says with a chastising tone. "What happens if that man finds out he has a son? Do you even think about what could happen?"

I grind my teeth and take a moment to calm my nerves. "Gran… don't make this sound like it's my fault. You went and poked around the hornets nest."

"This isn't about blame—"

"You told me to kill the guy!" I snap. "You found him and now that it came to bite you in the ass you want to try to escape Joddel? Are you fucking crazy?"

"Isn't that a better choice?" She whispers, visibly shaken.

It honestly might be. If this were a normal situation I'd be on board with that plan, no matter how dangerous it is to try and smuggle people out of here. But Greece's life is on the line now.

"I can't leave my friend there and escape," I say calmly. "I have an appointment in the lab the day after tomorrow, so I'm going there, find Greece, and help her."

"What about that asshole?" She snaps, rising from her seat. "The man who ruined your life, the one you're terrified of. What if you see him? Will you be able to kill him, let alone face him? Just leave this rotten place."

I stare emptily at her strangely defiant expression. She made this whole mess and now she's trying to pretend like it's all on me? I can't make sense of what the hell she wants. Yesterday she was begging me to kill him, but now she's telling me to turn my tail and run?

"What do you want from me?" I ask, tired of her games.

"Think about Dante," she says.

I fling my hand up and scoff. "What the fuck? Do you think I don't think about him? He's the first on my mind every goddamn hour, minute, and second of the day. I'll do anything to keep him safe."

Grandma smiles and nods at my words. "Then leave your friend and escape with Dante."

"I swear to God, if you don't stop now, I'll do something we both will regret," I mutter and put my mug on the table so I don't fling it at her. "I'll try to do just as you asked. I'll try to kill him, if I don't come back, you try to escape with Dante. Ask Gurk to—"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Grandma interrupts me, spitting on me with the outburst. She stands right in front of me and stabs a finger at me. "I'm an old woman, what can I do? Do you want to send your son alone to the world?"

"You started this whole problem!" I snap back and get up to face her. "You are the one who got that… that rapist to come after me again! We were good!"