“I heard you took some time out,” Deidre said.
“I got married.”
He saw her freeze into place. “Oh, congratulations. Do I know her?”
“No.” Abel wasn’t about to take the time to talk with her about Harper. She wasn’t part of this world, and he wouldn’t talk about her, not yet.
“Deidre has been having some trouble with a pimp, Douglas. I’ve got some of the boys stationed around the streets.”
“You haven’t ended him?” Abel asked.
“That’s not my job,” Jacob said.
No, it was Abel’s job to go hunting and find the scumbags that threatened the Denton name. This had been a role he begged his father for. Abel liked to cause pain, and staring at his brother, he understood why it was important for Harper to know.
“I better go and start hunting then.”
It was going to be a long night. Instead of getting home by eleven, Abel didn’t even make it home by two, or by three. His work life was going to catch up with him.
****
“Hi, Mrs. Denton, I mean, Charlotte. Have you heard from him?”
Harper paced up and down his sitting room. The dinner she had prepared was still sitting on the table. She hadn’t eaten anything, and decided to wait. Now at three in the morning, the fear, the panic was starting to set in. She had called her two friends, and they hadn’t heard from him. They had been the ones to suggest she call his parents. She only knew Charlotte’s number.
“Who?”
“Abel. He said he was going to be home by eleven, and with it just past two, I’m freaking out. Is this normal?”
There was silence on the line, and her heart started to pound.
“Let me call Maddox.”
Before she could say anything the line went dead. Sitting on the sofa, she tried to think of a logical explanation.
“He had to work late. It’s a casino, and clearly they keep their own time frame. He’s just working late.” Tapping her lip with the phone, she shook her head. “Or he could have decided to have a drink after work. If he is drunk, I’m going to be so pissed!”
The phone rang, and she jumped, nearly dropping it.
“Hello,” she said.
“Hey, Harper, it’s Maddox.”
“Hi, I’m really sorry to have bugged your wife. I’m just really worried. Do I call the police? Do I have to wait for him to come home? Do I leave it twenty-four hours? I really don’t know what to do.”
“Abel is with Jacob, and they’re just sorting out a job. Abel is fine. You should get some rest, okay? Just relax. Don’t worry yourself.”
“That’s it? Why is he with Jacob? I thought he worked at the casino.”
Again, more silence.
“I will let Abel talk to you, sweetie. He’s perfectly fine. Abel knows what he is doing.”
“I’m not saying he doesn’t.”
“Harper, I need to go.”
“Oh, yeah, okay. Take care.” She hung up the phone, and placed it on the coffee table. Sitting back on the sofa, she stared at the door. Something wasn’t right. No one would tell her exactly what Abel did, nor what he was doing. Why would he not be home at eleven? Why wouldn’t he call her?