When Rivals Love (Bayshore Rivals 3)

“Yeah, I’m going to have to agree with Mr. Alpha over here.” Oliver hooks a thumb in Banks’ direction. “Over my dead body will you get within ten feet of that bitch.”

All I can do is roll my eyes at their protectiveness. Like I was really going to go out and search for her? A part of me wants to find her and ask her why she did the things she did, while the other part of me is afraid to know the answer. Why would my best friend of over 10 years want to kill me? Yes, she was having an affair with my father, but that can’t be it.

“I don’t mean I’m going to physically seek her out.”

“Better not or I’ll take you over my knee,” Oliver says, the tone of his voice serious, and when I look over at him, even his face says he would do it. “And I’m dead serious, Harlow, if you do something to risk your life for us or put yourself in danger, I will blister your ass so bad you won’t be able to sit for a week. You mean the world to us, and losing you would kill us.” His confession makes my heart beat a little faster.

“I’m not going to do anything. Don’t worry, please,” I murmur softly.

“Stop scaring her with your overprotective tendencies,” Sullivan shakes his head and cups my cheek. Leaning in, his lips gently graze mine. He smells like apples and sunshine, and I want more. Greedily, I reach out and grab on to his shirt, clinging to him. Before I get the chance to deepen the kiss, he’s pulling away. Damn him.

I need some air, air that isn’t filled with Bishop scent, because right now my body is on fire, need pulsing through my veins.

“I’m going to go sit outside,” I announce.

“I’ll join you,” Banks offers, but I shake my head as I get up from my chair, my coffee mug in hand.

“No, I need some time to myself,” I announce, cringing as Banks’ handsome face falls. “It’s not you, really it’s not. I just…”

“We get it, don’t feel like you have to explain yourself,” Oliver answers before either of the other brothers can, and I nod, sliding past Sullivan, and then Banks on the way out. Walking out the French doors attached to the kitchen, I close them behind me and settle on to the porch swing. Sullivan’s phone sits heavy in my pocket. Sipping the coffee from my mug, I know what I have to do, and I hope that the brothers don’t get angry with me for doing it.

I don’t think they’re trying to keep me away from anyone or control me. They just want to make sure I’m protected, but there isn’t anything my father can do to me through the phone, and I’m done sitting around here doing nothing while hiding from the world. I need to know.

Setting my cup down, I pull out the phone and stare at the screen. It feels a little bit like I’m betraying the guys, sneaking around, and taking Sullivan’s phone while he wasn’t looking, but just like they are not trying to hurt me, I’m not trying to hurt them.

I type my father’s name into the search bar and watch as Google pulls up multiple pages, the first one being my father’s company. I look through it until I find my father’s office number and dial it. A high-pitched female voice answers my call on the second ring.

“Lockwood Real Estate, how may I direct your call?”

“Mhm, hi… this is Harlow Lockwood. I was wondering if you could connect me to my dad?” The line goes silent for so long that I pull the phone away from my ear, worrying that the call got disconnected. “Hello?”

“Ah, yes. Could you hold, please?” the woman on the other end asks, sounding a bit frazzled.

“Sure.” I’m immediately put on hold, classical music filtering through the line. I don’t have to wait long before my father picks up.

“Harlow?” His deep voice fills my ear a second later.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Christ, Harlow. Where are you? Tell me, right now,” he demands as if I would tell him.

“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” I answer sarcastically. “I will not tell you where I am, and I definitely do not need you to pick me up. I’m just calling to ask you one thing…”

“I already told you if you want to know about Phoebe, you need to meet me.”

“I already know who Phoebe was… and that I’m her daughter.” Even though I’ve known for a few weeks now, the words are still foreign in my mouth.

“Who told you?”

“It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you’ve been lying to me my whole life. But that’s not why I’m calling. I just want to know one thing, and then you can go back to your perfect little life. Did you know? Did you know that it was Shelby who tried to kill me?” I hold my breath, the seconds ticking by as I await his answer.