Pursue (Portland Street Kings Book 3) Read online

  Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Author Note

  Books by Evie Harper

  Dedication

  Warning

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Epilogue

  Pursue- Book #4

  Connect With Me Online

  Darkest Sneak Peek

  Darkest Sneak Peek

  Books by Evie Harper

  About The Author

  Acknowledgements

  THE PORTLAND STREET KINGS

  TAIL

  Book Three

  TAIL

  Copyright © 2016 by Evie Harper

  Published by Evie Harper. First Edition July 2016

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing. Except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For permission requests, email the author at [email protected]

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places are incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy of each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was no purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  Cover Design: Letitia from Romantic Book Affairs

  Editing: Hot Tree Editing

  Proofreading: KMS Freelance Editing

  Cover Images: Darren Birks Photography and Shutterstock

  AUTHOR NOTE

  Tail is book three in the Portland Street Kings series. Therefore Collision, book one and Fatal, book two should be read before Tail. These books are not standalone’s. The overall plot continues throughout each novel, however each story does have a new couple with previous characters.

  OTHER BOOKS BY EVIE HARPER

  YOU LOVED ME

  You Loved Me At My Darkest (Lily and Jake)

  You Loved Me At My Weakest (Emily and Kayne)

  You Loved Me At My Ugliest (Alexa and Joseph)

  PORTLAND STREET KINGS

  Collision (Slater and Piper)

  Fatal (Mack and Lana)

  Tail – (Dom and Della)

  Pursue – Coming 2016

  Untitled – Coming 2016

  DEDICATION

  To all the readers who have fallen in love with the Portland Street Kings. I appreciate each and every message you send me. Thank you for loving the Kings as much as I do.

  WARNING

  For Mature Audience 18+

  Contains Adult Situations & Language

  Prologue

  Della

  Archer nips at my shirt and then at my shorts, hoping to find more apple slices. I smile at his determination. “Nothing left, bud. You cleaned me out.” Leaning on the gate, I place both hands on Archer's nose and give him a kiss before I head to the house. Abi promised to show me how to make a pork tenderloin sandwich, Iowa style, tonight.

  Jared and Abigail hold a permanent and special place in my heart. They’re the grandparents I never had. They’ve been a soft place for me to land over the last few weeks. Abi has this beautiful grace about her, even when she’s smacking my elbows off the table at dinner time, while Jared takes no bullshit. You speak the truth always, or he’ll pull you up no matter who's around and call you out. Yet he has the softest eyes and the warmest hugs.

  I often wonder if this is what all parents are like: strict yet so welcoming there’s no other place you’d rather be.

  Walking out of the barn, I spot Dom across the way trying to fix the seed planter. His determination and hard work to help Jared and Abi get their farm back in working order has earned my respect. And reminded me of the man he was before my heart broke in two. No matter how high or thick I built my walls, he kept crashing through them until all that was left were my fears. With my protection gone, my anger leaped to stand in its place; I cut Dom deep, got nasty and hurt him as much as he hurt me. And then there was nowhere else to run, nowhere else to hide. I was stuck out in the open and my heart was exposed. I was forced to remember the love I’d pushed so far down I’d almost forgotten it was there at all.

  When Dom and I arrived, I'd been scared, afraid to show I cared at all. I didn’t want to be a fool again, but Abigail and Jared showed me what I’d be missing if I didn’t at least try to reach out to Dom, to speak my fears, and lay my doubts and scars bare before him. There were a lot, and I couldn’t make any promises for what our future might be like. The things I’ve been through have shaped who I am and will shape who I’m yet to become.

  Fear and anger are my defensive mechanisms. I expect tragedy now. It's only a matter of time, and it’s why leaving tomorrow is so important. The Harris farm is everything I ever dreamed of as a child. Every grain of love that’s cemented in every brick and piece of dirt that fills this beautiful place is what I envisioned. The echoes of a once whole and happy family with carefree children who’d race through this barn and field, laughter filling the air is what it embodies. If I close my eyes, I can hear the giggles, see the smiles and even pretend I was one of them. It’s inevitable, though, that I must open my eyes and realize it's a dream that can’t ever come true. So tomorrow, Dom and I will leave and return home to my fucked-up life. And this farm, Abigail, and Jared will always be my happy place. Somewhere I can go in my mind when times get tough and hopefully one day I can bring my family here, and they can feel the same sense of peace and love I’ve felt.

  Dom looks up at that second, and I give him a small grin. He winks at me before going back to fixing the machine.

  Walking to the house, I squint to see if I can spot Abi through the kitchen window, but I freeze when a gunshot sounds, and it’s quickly followed by a scream from Abi. No!

  Quickly twisting my head to find Dom, I see him dropping his tools and running, but he’s not going toward the house; he’s coming straight at me.

  My knees bend, and I pump my arms out and race to the house.

  I won’t abandon them.

  “Della.” I hear Dom growling quietly behind me. I sense his heat at my back as he closes in on me. I want to scream how much I hate him for what he’s trying to do, but I can’t focus on anything other than keeping my shaking legs steady as I run.

  Sensing something whip past my back, I know it’s Dom reaching out for me. I attempt to go right, but he captures me, his arm going firmly around my waist. A hand slams over my mouth, and Dom rushes us backward to the barn and inside. Struggling, he pushes me against the wall and pins me there before releasing his hand from my mouth.

  “Dom, don’t do this. We have to help them.”
The fear in my voice forces my words to come out strangled.

  “I’m going to, but you have to promise me, Dell, that you'll stay out of sight and let me deal with this. I won’t go until I’m absolutely sure you will stay here and keep yourself safe.” His words come out rushed and out of breath.

  Unspeakable fury wraps around my heart and chest, and all I can do is grate out, “I promise. Go.”

  Dom pushes off me and races out of the barn so quickly I drop to the ground before I can find my footing.

  Leaning against the barn wall, I stare up at the roof, tears falling fast and heavy. My mouth opens, and I scream an almighty silent curse to the heavens, damning them for bringing me tragedy yet again. For not letting me have even this small amount of happiness in my life. Everywhere I go, darkness follows.

  Chapter One

  Dom

  “I hate you,” Della says with a coldness I’ve never heard from her before. Even so, a sudden lightness hits my body because she spoke to me, acknowledged me. Since Della woke up from her wrist surgery three days ago, she’s not said one word to me.

  Slater let me know that he’d spoken with her about who I truly am and what I was really doing in Portland. I know he wouldn’t have shown me any favors. Instead, he would have told Della bluntly that I was a lying motherfucker, who would not ever be welcomed into their home again. He would have told her everything, each tiny slice of truth, and as much as my mind tells me it’s what’s best—get it all out there and maybe she can forgive me—my heart is screaming on the inside. It doesn’t want to take any chances when it comes to Della.

  “I know,” I reply, dropping down into the hospital chair and bowing my head in defeat.

  “Don’t do that,” she demands, and I raise my eyes to look at her. “Don’t wear that ‘pity me’ look. It makes me sick that you get to walk around like you’ve been hard done by when you’re the liar. You’re the one who fooled me.”

  I’m not sure if I should be happy that she at least feels something for me, even if it is anger, or if I’m just blind to the rejection.

  “You deserve to be angry, Dell—"

  “Don’t,” she grits out. “It’s Della to you.”

  Shaking my head, I stand with more power behind my actions this time. If she doesn’t want to deal with us right now, then fine; we do have bigger problems. “I get it. You hate me.” My voice is strong. “That doesn't change what’s coming, and you and I both know you can’t stay here. Come with me to Minnesota. Lucini sent Paulie, his caporegime, to find and kill you, Della, and fuck, I’m not kidding when I say that man knows no bounds. He’ll wipe out all your brothers when they try to protect you. He'll get to you whatever way he can to do his job and be on the next fucking plane home to have dinner with his wife and kids. If we leave today, we could have a good day or two head start on him, and then he’ll never know where you went. We’ll call your brothers from the road and explain.”

  Della squeezes her eyebrows together and looks out through the large glass window. Her shoulders tense, and she fists her hands, but it must have been automatic because she winces in pain when moving her left hand.

  Instinctively, I step toward her, but I freeze when she recoils from me. My heart shatters into a million pieces knowing my touch actually disgusts her.

  I take a hasty step backward, trying to conceal the hurt building inside me because I only have myself to blame for this. Della feels things strongly. She may be putting on a brave face, but I know she doesn’t like to hurt people on purpose. I don’t want her to hurt anymore for me, even if it’s because she’s the one putting me through the pain.

  “Why Minnesota?” she asks.

  “I have friends who live there. Good people who can help us. I also have a home there, and you can stay as long as you need to.” And there's someone I need to say good-bye to.

  Della nods. “All right, I’ll go with you to Minnesota. Try and form a plan with my brothers and also see if your friends can help me, but other than that, Minnesota is where we end. I’ll meet your friends and find my own way from there.”

  Swallowing hard, I nod and ask, “What about the O’Connors, your brothers? They could also help you. Hell, I'm not sure you could keep them out of this.”

  Della's eyes light up when I mention her blood brothers, but she quickly conceals her excitement and looks down at her shattered wrist and mutters, “One problem at a time. I don’t want to make any decisions until this is all over and I can talk with my brothers about meeting the O’Connors. Skipping town, going on the run, and doing that with you is about all they can handle at the moment.”

  I nod in agreement. “Well, let’s get going then. If we leave now, we could be in Hastings by lunchtime tomorrow.”

  “How the heck are we supposed to get across the country that soon if only one of us can drive?” Della points to her plastered arm, which has been put back together with metal plates and screws from when the train struck her.

  Because if I don’t, I’ll never forgive myself.

  “There’s something I need to go to tomorrow afternoon in Hastings and if we leave now, stay at Aurora in Illinois and leave by seven tomorrow morning, I can make it, with an hour to spare.” I smile, but even I can tell it’s strained.

  Della narrows her eyes and pushes back her blanket and swings her legs off the bed. “Why don’t we fly then?”

  She has no idea how much I wish I could.

  “Della, you don’t just have a hit put on you by Frank Lucini and then board a plane and get the hell out of here. He’s not in the mafia. He is the mafia, the king. He controls everyone who is corrupt or been backed into a corner. The mafia’s biggest enterprise is smuggling drugs from one country to another. He’s the reason most underpaid airport officers can send their children to private schools. I can guarantee you most airport workers within a 500-mile radius of Portland have already seen your picture and know to pick you up on the spot. We have to drive and pay with cash wherever we go. We’ll be off the radar so searching for us will be like finding a needle in a haystack.”

  “Okay,” she replies weakly, staring down at the floor as if finally taking in how serious this situation is.

  “I’ll get someone to help you change, and then we’re out of here.”

  Della’s stare hasn’t moved, so I take a chance and step forward and place my hand softly on her elbow. Her face quickly rises to mine. “This is a dangerous time, but I promise you, Della, I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  Silence fills the room while her eyes search my face, for what I’m not sure.

  Della steps back, and my hand falls away from her touch. “I believe you want to help me. Nevertheless, Brett, Dom, whoever the hell you are… don’t mistake my need for your help with love, because I promise you something also, the day you fucked me with a false name and nothing but lies behind your façade, was the day you killed anything I may have felt for you. I say I hate you because I don’t know any other word stronger, but the intense hatred I have for you doesn’t even come close to the storm that’s built inside of me for you. Don’t get too close because I’ll not hesitate to break you to save myself.”

  ***

  Peering into my rearview mirror, I make sure we don’t have a tail.

  All clear.

  Returning my stare to the deserted stretch of Highway 65, I clench my hands around the steering wheel and push down harder on the accelerator. The rumble of the green Dodge Mickey lent me vibrates up through my body and eases my nerves. Knowing I’m behind a powerful and fast machine, grants me a small amount of relief that we may be able to outrun Lucini’s enforcers and make it to Minnesota unscathed. Hopefully, I can return Mickey’s car without any bullet holes.

  I glance over to the passenger seat and spot my Glock close by and ready for me to snatch up at any moment to protect myself and my girl.

  Glimpsing over my shoulder, Della remains sound asleep across the backseat. Her plastered wrist rests against her chest while her other hand hold
s it there for support. She appears small, like a child curled into a ball, frightened and not knowing which direction to protect herself from.

  That ends now.

  Her words were as good as a steel knife through my heart, but I’ll own those strikes, wear them like badges of honor. I’ll tear down her walls. I have a purpose, not one I’ve been given, but one I want. Nothing else in this world will touch Della King except happiness, family, and love. I hope by the end of this dangerous game we’re playing, I'm her savior and not her enemy.

  Chapter Two

  Dom

  Drumming my fingers on the steering wheel to "Die a Happy Man" by Thomas Rhett, I sense movement on the backseat. Della must be waking up. Glancing over my shoulder, I see she’s still asleep, yet her face is pinched and her movements jerky.

  “Dell,” I yell out, alternating between checking the road in front of me and seeing if she wakes up. She doesn’t, so I pull over on the side of the road and jump out. Noticing a large semi coming straight past us, I immediately cover my face and wait for the dirt gust to settle.

  Opening the back door, I kneel on the seat. Della looks as if she’s in some kind of pain. Gently placing my hands on her shoulders, I rock her. Suddenly, I jump back as she bursts up from her sleeping position. Della’s face is pale, and her eyes are wide. She peers around us wordlessly and rubs what looks like her clammy hands together.

  “Where are we?” she asks, confused.

  “Three hours out from Aurora. You looked like you were in pain, as if you were reliving something terrible, so I pulled over to wake you.”

  “Oh,” she says softly, pulling her injured arm against her chest.