Hell To Pay

Chapter 17: New Mission

Flint sat in the conference room chair, arms crossed over his chest. He hadn’t seen or spoken to Lyle or Harper since yesterday, not nearly long enough in his book, but he had a meeting to attend. For some damned reason, they were both here. Shouldn’t she be at home recovering still?

She’d looked at him like she wanted to talk, but he’d turned his head away and eventually she’d walked to her own seat and sat down, waiting. Any moment now the phone would ring and they’d be face timing with the big shots on the projected screen on the wall.

Lyle was hovering over Harper’s shoulder and he couldn’t help but think back to the moment’s when he swore his spidy-senses were tingling. The slight touches, the small glances, little words that didn’t seem to hold much meaning at the time. He should’ve known, but he’d never been good at thinking clearly when Harper was in the room. He’d missed the signs but his subconscious had tried to warn him.

“Were you even going to tell me?” He surprised himself when he spoke up and they both looked at him. Her golden brown eyes were concerned as her brow furrowed and she leaned forward.

“Yes.” Her voice was too firm to argue with or call her a liar.

“When?”

“We were waiting for the right moment.” Harper told him, “There were just too many people in and out of my room at the hospital, nurses and doctors. I didn’t want to have that conversation with you and have someone interrupt. I know you too well. You would have left. And you weren’t exactly talking to me after our argument there.”

“He did leave.” Lyle commented sourly. “We haven’t seen you in almost twenty four hours. Wouldn’t even be seeing you now if it wasn’t for this meeting.”

“I needed some time.” He countered, voice deceptively low and stoic.

Zane inclined his head towards him just a little, a subtle warning that he heeded. No matter how much he disliked the bastard, his respect for him just kept trickling right on up. No one else had the balls or skill set to take him on the way Zane did. Harper was right about them both, he needed the jerk because he kept him in check.

He took a slow, measured breath, “Well I appreciate your timing.”

Harper looked sad at his sarcastic answer while Lyle scowled behind her and rubbed at his bruised jaw. “Flint,”

“I don’t want to hear it, Harper.” Still calm, he deserved gold stars for this. When he’d left yesterday, he’d just started walking as Zane suggested. One mile turned into two, turned into a run for another three, then another mile of walking. His new medic kept pace with him until he sat down in a park. He hadn’t known where Zane disappeared to after that until he showed back up with a beer.

She was silent, head bowed but her fingers were tapping an invisible beat on the table until she lifted her head, “Are you at least going to be in your daughter’s life?” She’d never snarled at him like that before and a strange wave of fire flooded his veins. It wasn’t rage pouring through his blood, no, it was all his blood rushing south, heating his core and creating a throb in his dick he didn’t want. At all.

Right now? Really? Fucking prick. He shifted uncomfortably as her heated gaze rushed through him in a way he hadn’t predicted. Her anger shouldn’t be arousing him, but fuck it, he was mad and all he really wanted was to slam into her, her back pinned against the wall as their lips locked, working out their problems the good ole fashioned makeup-sex way. Fuck me, stop it. He mentally insulted his manhood for threatening to rise up right now.

“You’re such a dick, you can’t even answer me this one thing? After all this time?”

“I’ve never heard you yell like that.”