“It is that bad,” I counter. “And that’s just from the outside. I don’t even wanna think about what it looks like inside. Mold? Water damage?”
She presses her lips together in a thin line, and I know I’m right.
“It’s what we’ve got for now,” she mutters. “It’ll do.”
“Maybe if it was just you, and even that’s not good enough,” I say before I can stop myself.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Harper looks at me, brow furrowed.
Right then and there, I make a decision. Harper isn’t staying here another night. Not when anything could happen. Not when she has Cora to think about.
“You can’t stay here,” I tell her.
Her guard immediately comes up. “And why not?”
“It’s a shithole.”
“We’re making do. There’s nowhere else we can stay.”
I know it must cost her to have to say that out loud, even though I’m sure she knows that I know her financial situation is not stable. She wouldn’t still be here if it was.
I shake my head. “There is. You can come and stay with me and my pack mates.”
“No.” Harper puts her hand on the door handle like she’s going to get out.
It would be easier to leave it at that. To let her make her own decisions and not get involved. But the thought of letting her and Cora get out of this car and go to that shitty motel makes everything in me fight against it.
I’m not taking no for an answer this time.
“Think about Cora,” I tell her. “This place isn’t safe for her. It’s got no security, and the parking lot is barely lit. No one who works here would give a shit if something happened because they’re probably not paid enough to. The locks on the outside doors are broken. And look.” I nod out the window to where someone dressed in all black is skulking around outside like he’s either waiting for someone or trying to get in and out unnoticed. “Do you want to keep dealing with people like that when you get home from work?”
Her face is pale in the dim light, and I can tell from her weary expression that she’s been thinking and worrying about the same shit.
“Look,” I say. “It’s not a big deal. Just let me take you somewhere safer. It’s late, and you need rest as much as she does.”
Harper turns in her seat to look at Cora, half curled up in the back. The kid is sleeping soundly, and for the second time tonight, Harper gives in.
She takes a deep breath and turns back around. “Okay,” she says, like each syllable of the word is being dragged out of her and it’s killing her to accept help. “Fine.”
I let out a tense breath I didn’t realize I was holding and nod, throwing the car into reverse so we can get the hell out of this shitty place.
I drive them to the house I share with Everett and Cash on the edge of town. It’s big, big enough to house three Alphas who all value having their own space, and Harper’s eyes go wide when she sees it. From the cars in the bay, Everett and Cash are home, and I can bet they’re wondering what the hell is taking me so long to get back.
As soon as I pull in and kill the engine, the front door opens, spilling golden light from the entryway into the darkness. Cash pokes his head out just in time to see Harper open the passenger side door and step out before going to the back to collect Cora into her arms.
I wait for her to get her things and then lead the way up to the front door.
“What’s going on?” Cash asks, his eyes flicking from me to Harper and Cora. Harper doesn’t look up, just keeps her eyes trained on the top of Cora’s head as she readjusts her grip.
“I was dropping Harper off tonight,” I begin. “Have you seen the motel they’ve been staying at? It’s a fucking pit. I wasn’tgoing to let them stay there anymore. Not with Cora being so young and Harper working nights. It’s not safe.”
A look of guilt immediately flashes over Cash’s face.
“Fuck,” he says, rubbing at the back of his neck. “I didn’t even think to check it out. I should’ve made sure you had a safe place to stay.” His eyes slide to Harper again. “I shouldn’t have just assumed you’d figure it out.”
“I did figure it out,” Harper says shortly. “It was fine.”
Cash steps out of the way so we can all file in, and Everett comes to see what’s going on.