My Father's House

Chapter 3

Kael and I stepped into the cream marbled lobby and there was Maria, as if waiting for my entrance. She shrieked and rushed toward me. My torn jacket and blood-stained face added to her horror, a stranger the only thing keeping me upright. With a quick mental recap of my questions for him for later, I let myself be drowned in Maria's embrace.

Explanation took less time than I expected. Maria was grateful that a passer-by had saved my life. She accepted that the police were working to find the identity of my attacker. Fortunately, Kael did most of the explaining. I stood by, waiting for Maria to call me out on my lies, but she never did.

The police were called and arrived minutes later. After my statement, Kael began his. Maria pulled me to the side, under the large marble staircase of the hotel's foyer.

"Are you sure you're alright, Harper? I can't believe you've recovered so quickly." She squeezed my arm, her lovely face furrowed in concern. "You had to be so terrified!"

I nodded, trying not to feed into the panic Maria suggested. "I'm a little shaken, yes. But I'll survive." I tried for a smile and achieved only a shadow of the expression.

"Don't leave my sight for the rest of the trip! I can't stand it." Maria moved a piece of my brown hair to look at the damage to my scalp.

I loved her to death but pushed her hand away, grasping it tightly between us. There would be no joining in her frenzy even though in my mind, it was easy.

"Calm down. I can be tough when I have to."

"Oh yeah. Orphan brat." Maria rolled her eyes, trying to lighten the mood. "I hoped I spoiled you enough to bring you down to the level of the rest of us terrified millionaires." Being an assistant editor at a publishing company in New York hadn't made me a millionaire. But Maria still insisted I was one by association.

"Oh, I was terrified enough. Trust me."

Maria brought both her hands to sit on either side of my face. Hoping not to get the talk was pointless. It was in her nature to warn me.

"You are a beautiful woman, Harper. Even if there is a little warrior still left in you princess, you need to remember that most attackers of young women are by acquaintances, friends in fact. You can't trust anyone!" She dropped her hold on me to twist a lock of her black hair over her shoulder, a nervous habit I had adopted as well. "I mean it. Don't take any chances. I don't want to lose you."

Nodding, "I do my best. You know. Trouble just seems to find me. I hate it." Looking away, guilt nagged me for hiding half of the story. Instead of reading my look as remorse, she decided on another hug. I returned her embrace.

Our discussion ended, and Maria released me to my room to freshen up. By the time I returned, Kael was gone, the rehearsal dinner well under way. Assuming enough damage had been done to the evening, I didn't inquire about his absence. His leaving wasn't a surprise anyway.

The rehearsal dinner would continue well into the morning. Around eleven, I made my excuses and left, my accident earlier proving quite the leverage in my argument for an early night. Security in the hotel was absent, Garrett's room found simply by asking the girl at the front desk for his room number. This morning I wouldn't have noticed if the names and associated room numbers were posted in the front hall. Interesting, how paranoia set in.

Garrett answered after two short knocks.

"Hey! What are you doing up here? I thought you had a party tonight?" He leaned against the doorframe and gave a devilish grin. "Did you have a change of heart?"

"Well, I didn't come up here because I missed you." I moved a lock of hair off my forehead where it had conveniently hidden my head injury.

"Harper! What happened?" He opened the door wide and let me in.