Heidi pouted and then fished a diamond belly button ring out of her pocket. The little girl could always be counted on to take something shiny. "You're no fun," she said.
Harper gaped at her. "How did you even get this?" The glass reception desk doubled as a display cabinet for jewelry and other products, and Harper always kept it locked.
Heidi gave her a look that said, "Don't insult me." Then she skipped over to Richie.
He patted his daughter on the head. "You make your daddy proud."
Harper rolled her eyes. "I'll see you all soon."
They said their goodbyes, and Robbie then ushered the kids out of the studio.
Determined to find the damn keys, Harper restarted her search. She checked every desk drawer, the spaces between the sofa cushions, and then underneath the table and couch. Once she was positive they weren't in the reception area, she moved onto the tattoo stations and thoroughly searched every one of them – still no keys.
Harper's inner demon huffed at her in sheer exasperation, like she was failing on freaking purpose. It had absolutely no sympathy for her; it just wanted to be with its mate.
///
Sharing your soul with a dark predator that was essentially a psychopath could be a bitch of a situation at times. The demon had no conscience, no empathy, no ability to love. It also possessed a strong and annoying sense of entitlement that made it a persistent motherfucker.
As Harper made her way through the breakroom and into the stockroom, a mind – dark, familiar, and comforting – brushed against hers. You're late, baby. It wasn't a reproach; more like a need for confirmation that nothing was wrong.
She smiled as the velvety, smoky, rumble seemed to slide over her skin. Knox's sinfully seductive voice truly shouldn't be legal. I'm sorry, I can't find my keys.
You don't think anybody's taken them, do you? There was a promise of retribution in his words.
No, they're here somewhere. But as Harper scanned the inventory, she didn't see them.
I have a spare set. I'll bring them to you.
She lifted a brow, even though he couldn't see. And just why do you have spare keys to my studio?
A vibe of amusement touched her mind. Apparently, her snippy remark didn't bother him. It used to be one of my security offices, remember?
Oh, yeah, she'd kind of forgotten that. Give me ten minutes. If I haven't found mine by then, I'll use the spare set.
If that's what you -
She frowned when he abruptly cut off. Knox?
I need to have a quick talk with Levi, he said, sounding distracted. After that, I'll come to you if you haven't already arrived.
If he was doing that "keeping things from her to protect her" thing again, there'd be an argument for sure. But since his mind had already pulled away from hers, she didn't bother saying as much.
Turning her attention back to the mystery of the disappearing keys, Harper looked in the small restroom and gave the kitchenette a thorough exploration. Nothing.
Cursing, she returned to her office to give it yet another search. Looking under her sketchpads, she froze as a prickle of awareness danced across her nape.
She was about to turn when a heavy weight slammed into her back, propelling her forwards so that she was bent over the table. Just as fast, the back of her shirt was ripped open and a body appeared in front of her as two meaty hands grabbed hers, fisting her own hands and pinning them in place.
"We need to do this quickly," said a gruff voice.
What the fuck? Knox! No response. A familiar, protective power rushed from her belly to her fingertips. They prickled as the power fought for release. Harper would be more than fucking happy to release it on her captive, but her hands were trapped. "Get the fuck off me!"
"Do it now."
Someone blew into her ear, and suddenly Harper was at home. She stood in the doorway of her bedroom. It was almost eerily dim. Weirdly, the entire space was bare apart from one thing: a cradle. It would have been deathly quiet if it wasn't for the sound of a baby crying.
For some reason, the sound made her stomach tighten. She crept forward, feeling disturbingly compelled toward the cradle and -
Abruptly back in her office, Harper hissed through her teeth. The flesh of her back felt like it was on fire. Her demon raged, freaking the fuck out. Harper writhed and struggled against her captive's grip, scrambling to understand what the hell was happening.
"You want to release me," she said in a compelling tone that came with the sphinx package.