Marry Screw Kill(59)

“I’m taking Harlow home with me and will meet you in one hour at the penthouse. You will have your bags packed and the keys to the car for me. As far as I’m concerned, your time in Rochester is over, too. I want you on the next flight out of here tonight. I don’t care if it takes you to Saint Louis.”

I ball my fists at my sides and fight the urge to punch him and take her away. Harlow looks from my eyes to my fists and shakes her head. She knows what is going on in my mind.

“Don’t go, Harlow. Come with me.” I plead with my eyes, begging her to release James’ hand and turn her back on him for the last time.

“I—” Harlow starts to speak.

“Until I have the money from the bracelet you sold today, I will consider it stolen and get the police involved. I have the receipt for it still. It truly belongs to me.” James brushes aside Harlow’s windblown hair and whispers to her, but I hear him clearly.

“Don’t worry, Sin. I swear, it will work out. Go back to New York City. Live your life and I’ll figure out how to do the same.” Her shoulders shake with emotions and her bright blue eyes, just moments ago filled with joy, contain sadness and defeat.

“You heard her. She’s coming back to me.” James tries to pull Harlow into an embrace, but she presses her hands on his chest and backs away from him.

“I will go back to the house with you, but I will never be with you again. It’s over.”

“I can work with that, love.” James smiles, hearing what he wants to hear in her words. In his sick, demented mind, he won.

James places his hand on Harlow’s lower back and the simple act of him touching her makes the blood pump through my veins at lightning speed.

After taking a couple steps toward the car, James uses his free hand to open the passenger’s side door for Harlow. In a couple seconds, Harlow will be sitting inside the car with James. Off to his house. My pounding heart and sweaty palms mean only one thing. This is wrong. Me letting her leave with him.

Harlow turns her head and peeks over her shoulder at me. Tears fill her eyes and run rivers over her cheeks. The lost, fearful look in her cloudy blue eyes guts me.

They will haunt me for the rest of my life if I let her go. So, there’s only one thing to do.

“James,” I shout, and watch Harlow jump in her own skin.

In unison, they turn around to face me. James squints at me in an unspoken challenge. Harlow gazes at me with a glimmer of hope. My choice is made.

Fuck living for myself. For once in my life, I have a chance to do a noble act and save a life.

“What do you want?” James hisses at me. Gone are any pretenses of us being friendly enemies. Hate radiates from his every pore.

“Harlow,” I say while running the few feet between us.

I pull back my fist and swing it forward with every ounce of vengeance for Harlow I possess.

My fist to James’ jaw brings a bone crushing sound. I hardly feel the impact as James’ head flies backward at an inhuman speed. He had no time to react or bring his hands up in defense, so my punch lands swift and hard.

Harlow gasps, then screams as James falls in a weightless heap onto the ground. I reach out for her and wrap her in a tight embrace.

“God, I had to do it.” I smooth my hand over her soft hair, but know we have precious seconds to leave while James is unconscious.

“Did you kill him?” Harlow asks with a voice full of fear and worry.

“I clocked him good, but he’s going to live. Grab anything out of the car you want to take with you. We need to get the hell out of here. Now.”

I take her hand in mine and we run to her car. She opens a side door and pulls out her purse.

“I have to take the box with me. All my memories are in it.”

Seeing it in the back seat, I open the door and grab it.

“You’ll have to place it on your lap. There’s no room in the damn car. Hell, let’s take your car and leave the damn Porsche.”

Harlow nods and wipes the last few remaining tears from her face. I notice her fingers are shaky, but the river flowing down her cheeks is replaced with determination.

“Get in.” I race around to the driver’s side, buckle myself in, and glance over at Harlow. She gives me a weak smile. “We’re heading back to the penthouse. James has a safe in his closet and I have a man there now trying to open it. Fingers crossed he does. I saw James putting papers in it yesterday. Who knows what he’s hiding.”

“Isn’t that illegal? I don’t want you getting into trouble for me.” Harlow worries her lip, always more concerned for others than herself.

“He’ll never know it was opened, unless we find something on him. If we do, he’s the one in trouble.”

“Thanks, Sin.” Her words and slight hopefulness reinforce my decision to save her from whatever hell lies ahead with James.

“You’re worth it, Harlow. I should’ve shut him up the second he opened his sick mouth.” I caress my hand over the worn fabric of her dark jeans and squeeze her thigh. She is so fragile, yet so strong. She was willing to go back with James to keep him from ruining my future as a doctor. I will recover from whatever he might have planned. I have the resources to fight him. Harlow has nothing and is willing to give up everything for me. No one has ever shown me a love with that much sacrifice. No one. Not even my grandmother.