Devil's Due [h.s.]

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

I didn't end up going to work the next day, but not because Harry told me not to. I did it because I actually had some shit to do in the morning. Shit that just happened to come up after my little meeting at the bank.

It also helped to take my mind off the impending dinner. The ominous, mysterious masquerade that I'd been roped into going to. I'd somehow managed to evade thinking about it for an entire week, only to wind up obsessing about it on the final day.

When I'd left a few hours ago, the sight of my reflection in the mirror was enough on its own to send me running for the hills. Eyes, sullen and dark, skin all blotchy and spotted in places. It was terrifying really, what a week of pure anxiety could do to a person.

All I really wanted to do was paint. That was all I ever wanted to do when I was stressed, or upset, or on edge, but that wasn't really an option for me right now. Not when my head felt both full and empty all at once. I wasn't even really sure what I was thinking, nor if I had anything worthwhile to put down on a canvas.

So, retail therapy it would have to be and retail therapy it was.

I'd been out for hours last night and this morning, the fresh million-dollar credit card burning a hole in my pocket. It was intimidating, yes, but I forced myself not to think too hard about it – much like everything else. Once you thought too hard about anything, things were bound to go to shit.

I wished I could say that I was surprised when I wound back up at my apartment in the early afternoon to find it unlocked. Had it been a week earlier, the very notion of knowing someone else had entered my apartment would have sent me away screaming. Now, unfortunately, I just huffed a small sigh and pushed the door open.

Today was different though than others in a number of ways. Instead of Harry lazily splaying himself on my couch, feet up and unbothered, he was standing and pacing the kitchen, dressed in a pair of black dress pants, a dark blue silk blouse with shoes to match. His eyes snapped to mine as I entered.

"You've got to stop doing that," I muttered, dropping a few bags at my feet. "I know you have a key but the least you could do is wait until I get here."

"Where were you?" Harry asked, voice low.

"Out," I shrugged. I gestured to the bags of groceries. "Shopping."

"I mean yesterday," he seethed. He ran an agitated hand through his hair. "Apparently you fucking left and the only way the guys out back knew is because they watched you come back?"

"Guess they aren't very good at their job," I shrugged, placing my purse on the kitchen counter. Dropping to my knees, I pulled the bags of groceries toward me and began to unload them. "Plus, do you not have cameras out there that should have told you I left?" I glanced at him with an amused grin. "Are you hungry?"

"I know you fucking did that on purpose, River," Harry hissed. He stalked over until he was right in front of me. I leaned over to open the fridge, but he slammed his hand flat against it and held it shut. "You snuck out."

Leaning back on my heels, I crossed my arms over my chest. "You act like I'm not allowed to leave my house," I shot back. "I was leaving to do what you asked me to do. I bought a fucking mask."

I leapt to my feet, shoving a hand in my pocket. "Here," I huffed, pressing the credit card to his chest. He placed his hand over mine, furrowing his brows as he glanced down at it. "Take your stupid fucking drug money back. I want nothing to do with it."

"What are you talking about?" he growled, prying my fingers off his chest to grab the card.

"I know," I muttered quietly. Glancing once around, my tone lowered even more before I added, "I know that there's almost $2 million fucking dollars in there."