I ease into Vincent’s room and close the door behind me. I hit the bathroom where I know he’s got Harper’s pills. They’re not the best for doping people into unconsciousness, but they will have to do. I grab the little orange bottle and head back to her room.
“He’s already moaning,” Harper says, when I enter.
“Here, give him ten pills.”
“Ten?”
“He’s a big guy. We want to make sure.”
She takes the bottle and counts out the pills, while I go back to the door and peek out, making sure no one saw me.
“How do we make him swallow them?”
I grab the pills from her outstretched hand and walk over to Vincent. He is waking up, which is good. He’s gonna need to swallow them himself once I shove them down his throat. “Get me a toothbrush.”
Harper rushes to get that and then comes back, handing it over. I shove it in his mouth to stop him from biting me. “Get me some water.” And then I drop each of the tiny white pills into his mouth. When the bitterness hits his tongue, he grimaces and tries to spit them out. But Harper is there with the water and I tip his head back and pour. “Swallow, asshole. Or you’re gonna drown. Get me more water, Harper.”
“Fuck you,” my brother manages past the toothbrush as he spits the water out.
I find two pills and snatch them up so I can dump them back in. “OK, let’s do it the hard way, asshole. But I’m warning you. There’s worse things than being drugged overnight.” And then I lean down into his ear and whisper so Harper can’t hear. “I know you kissed her. So believe me, I can think up some very good ways to get even with you for that. Now swallow the fucking pills.”
I drop the two pills in and pour the water.
This time he swallows.
“That’s a good dog, Vincent. Now, while you drift off into slumber, I’d like you to think about things. I’d like you to think about how they used you, just like they used me. I’m not out to kill you. No one told me to kill you. But you’re delusional if you think I’m letting you take Harper.”
“You’re going to get her killed.”
“No, I’m the one who will keep her alive. The plan is already in motion, Vincent. It’s a done deal. Everyone in this house will be dead tomorrow night.”
“If you make it until tomorrow night. No one will mistake you for me, you sick fuck.”
“You’re wrong. I’ve been practicing my Vincent routine for months. You think you were watching me? You think you pulled this over on me? Maybe James wasn’t ready to see the truth, even as he watched it go down. But I’m Tet, asshole. I see everything.”
I untie his feet and pull him up so he’s standing. He sways a little when I push him towards one of Harper’s closets. She’s already got the door open, so I walk him in and kick his legs out from under him, so he crumples back to the ground. Then I tie him back up.
I lean in to whisper again. “You never had a chance.” And then I kick him in the teeth. He falls backwards into some hanging dresses, his face obscured by the flowing gowns.
Harper turns off the light and I walk out, closing the door behind me.
“I think he said we’re having dinner tonight.”
I nod my head and smile at the thought of tonight’s dinner. “Yeah. They have a gown for you in his room. I’ll go get it so you can get ready.” I pull her close and kiss her on the lips. In a familiar way. A way that says I love her and that’s all she needs to know right now.
I walk across the hall and go into his closet to find her clothes for the evening. It’s been planned for a very long time. Years in the making, in fact.
The gown is a shimmering silver. The skirts are very elaborate and they flow all the way to the floor. It’s not very revealing, which is nice. Even though I know all eyes should be on her, I don’t want people staring too hard at my Harper.
I choose a suit for me, and change quickly. I add a silver tie and pocket square to match Harper’s dress, and choose his most expensive pair of shoes.
My image in the mirror is not Tet.
I sigh at that realization.
It’s just James in here after all.
I grab Harper’s dress and go back across the hall. She’s in the shower, so I lay the gown over a chair and peek my head in. “I can hear people down there, Harp. So don’t take too long.”
The water shuts off and she opens the glass shower door, showing me her wet body.
“Fuck, woman. Don’t tempt me.”
“We can skip the party,” she says with a smile. Her hair is still dry, but little tendrils of it are falling out all over her face, making her look a little wild.
She drives me wild. “No fucking way. We’re not missing this night. Now get dressed.”
I back out of the bathroom and make my way back to the hallway. I walk towards the stairs, slowly. Listening for conversation. I hear the Admiral’s voice and… Nick.
Harper will be so excited.
I stop at the top of the stairs and listen. I stand there several minutes, absorbing the small talk before the conversation gets heated. I strain to hear.
“No,” Nick says. “I’m not taking part in it. I came back to get her. She’s not staying here.”
“You came back hoping One would be here with the file.”
“Won’t he?” Nick asks. “You sent him to drug Harper. He killed her, did you know that? He killed her and Tet saved her life.”
“Is that a debt you feel the need to pay back?” the Admiral asks him.
I don’t hear the answer so I step forward, making a creak on the stairs. Both men come into view and they are looking at me like I caught them in the middle of a secret. Which I might’ve.
“Well,” I say loudly. “Look who’s back. It’s good to see you, Nicholas.”
He tips his head at me. “Vincent.”
“Did I hear something about you taking Harper away from me?’
“She’s not your prize, Vincent. She’s not a commodity to be bought and sold.”
“Nicholas,” the Admiral snaps.
I put up my hand as I descend the rest of the stairs and cross the polished wood floor where they are standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows that look out at the back yard. “Admiral, please. I think I may have a solution that will satisfy everyone.”
“He’s already moaning,” Harper says, when I enter.
“Here, give him ten pills.”
“Ten?”
“He’s a big guy. We want to make sure.”
She takes the bottle and counts out the pills, while I go back to the door and peek out, making sure no one saw me.
“How do we make him swallow them?”
I grab the pills from her outstretched hand and walk over to Vincent. He is waking up, which is good. He’s gonna need to swallow them himself once I shove them down his throat. “Get me a toothbrush.”
Harper rushes to get that and then comes back, handing it over. I shove it in his mouth to stop him from biting me. “Get me some water.” And then I drop each of the tiny white pills into his mouth. When the bitterness hits his tongue, he grimaces and tries to spit them out. But Harper is there with the water and I tip his head back and pour. “Swallow, asshole. Or you’re gonna drown. Get me more water, Harper.”
“Fuck you,” my brother manages past the toothbrush as he spits the water out.
I find two pills and snatch them up so I can dump them back in. “OK, let’s do it the hard way, asshole. But I’m warning you. There’s worse things than being drugged overnight.” And then I lean down into his ear and whisper so Harper can’t hear. “I know you kissed her. So believe me, I can think up some very good ways to get even with you for that. Now swallow the fucking pills.”
I drop the two pills in and pour the water.
This time he swallows.
“That’s a good dog, Vincent. Now, while you drift off into slumber, I’d like you to think about things. I’d like you to think about how they used you, just like they used me. I’m not out to kill you. No one told me to kill you. But you’re delusional if you think I’m letting you take Harper.”
“You’re going to get her killed.”
“No, I’m the one who will keep her alive. The plan is already in motion, Vincent. It’s a done deal. Everyone in this house will be dead tomorrow night.”
“If you make it until tomorrow night. No one will mistake you for me, you sick fuck.”
“You’re wrong. I’ve been practicing my Vincent routine for months. You think you were watching me? You think you pulled this over on me? Maybe James wasn’t ready to see the truth, even as he watched it go down. But I’m Tet, asshole. I see everything.”
I untie his feet and pull him up so he’s standing. He sways a little when I push him towards one of Harper’s closets. She’s already got the door open, so I walk him in and kick his legs out from under him, so he crumples back to the ground. Then I tie him back up.
I lean in to whisper again. “You never had a chance.” And then I kick him in the teeth. He falls backwards into some hanging dresses, his face obscured by the flowing gowns.
Harper turns off the light and I walk out, closing the door behind me.
“I think he said we’re having dinner tonight.”
I nod my head and smile at the thought of tonight’s dinner. “Yeah. They have a gown for you in his room. I’ll go get it so you can get ready.” I pull her close and kiss her on the lips. In a familiar way. A way that says I love her and that’s all she needs to know right now.
I walk across the hall and go into his closet to find her clothes for the evening. It’s been planned for a very long time. Years in the making, in fact.
The gown is a shimmering silver. The skirts are very elaborate and they flow all the way to the floor. It’s not very revealing, which is nice. Even though I know all eyes should be on her, I don’t want people staring too hard at my Harper.
I choose a suit for me, and change quickly. I add a silver tie and pocket square to match Harper’s dress, and choose his most expensive pair of shoes.
My image in the mirror is not Tet.
I sigh at that realization.
It’s just James in here after all.
I grab Harper’s dress and go back across the hall. She’s in the shower, so I lay the gown over a chair and peek my head in. “I can hear people down there, Harp. So don’t take too long.”
The water shuts off and she opens the glass shower door, showing me her wet body.
“Fuck, woman. Don’t tempt me.”
“We can skip the party,” she says with a smile. Her hair is still dry, but little tendrils of it are falling out all over her face, making her look a little wild.
She drives me wild. “No fucking way. We’re not missing this night. Now get dressed.”
I back out of the bathroom and make my way back to the hallway. I walk towards the stairs, slowly. Listening for conversation. I hear the Admiral’s voice and… Nick.
Harper will be so excited.
I stop at the top of the stairs and listen. I stand there several minutes, absorbing the small talk before the conversation gets heated. I strain to hear.
“No,” Nick says. “I’m not taking part in it. I came back to get her. She’s not staying here.”
“You came back hoping One would be here with the file.”
“Won’t he?” Nick asks. “You sent him to drug Harper. He killed her, did you know that? He killed her and Tet saved her life.”
“Is that a debt you feel the need to pay back?” the Admiral asks him.
I don’t hear the answer so I step forward, making a creak on the stairs. Both men come into view and they are looking at me like I caught them in the middle of a secret. Which I might’ve.
“Well,” I say loudly. “Look who’s back. It’s good to see you, Nicholas.”
He tips his head at me. “Vincent.”
“Did I hear something about you taking Harper away from me?’
“She’s not your prize, Vincent. She’s not a commodity to be bought and sold.”
“Nicholas,” the Admiral snaps.
I put up my hand as I descend the rest of the stairs and cross the polished wood floor where they are standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows that look out at the back yard. “Admiral, please. I think I may have a solution that will satisfy everyone.”
