Harmon - She's all that ever mattered

Harmon - She's all that ever mattered
"Even Olivia? You treated my sister like just another piece of ass," Will ranted, his words a punch to the dick.

Just like that, I lost my shit. I grabbed him by the collar and banged his body against the closest wall.

The air between us was charged with volatile emotions. The plan for today was simple. I was going to tell him about me and Olivia myself this morning if she couldn't. He was going to hit the roof, but I'd have made him understand somehow. Cut from the same cloth. My family. He'd get it eventually even if I wasn't our ideal choice for her.

"You used shit I told you in confidence to try and turn Olivia against me. Brother? That word means loyalty. I'm not your fucking brother."

The truth stared me in the face as he glared back at me. Nostrils flaring, defiance written in his hardened features.The son of bitch still wasn't afraid of me. How could he be? He didn't think I was any better than a speck of dust on his shoe.

"You fucked my sister, Harmon. Right in front of me. You swore—" he returned, nothing but vengeful fury in his eyes as he grabbed my collar right back.

When he pushed against my body, I yanked him forward and slammed his back against the metal cage we were in. Quick glance up at the numbers. We were on the ninth floor.

"Yes I did and it was fucking glorious. I'm not your fucking dancing monkey. You had no fucking right to make me swear shit!" I roared into his face, resisting the urge to fuck him up.

The glint in his eye said he was tempted to take a swing at me too.

Try it, rich boy. I'll give you a fucking reason to recognize me for the damn threat that I am.

The dick that he was, Will always had to have the flashiest room possible in the hotel. The suite was on the twenty-fourth floor as a result.

Fifteen floors to lose my shit.

"What was I supposed to do? You were right. We each fucked our share of women without looking back. That didn't mean shit to me though, because I always thought he'd never do that to Olivia. To me. You used her, like some worthless—"

My fists tightened their grip on his collar. How many ways did I know to kill with my bare hands? I stared at his throat, watching his Adam's apple move, counting them down in my head.

"You arrogant son of a bitch. I stuck a dagger in my actual brother's heart and ran from a life of power to be your errand boy. Why did I do that, Will?" I threw back at him, urgency lacing the anger in my voice.

Another glance up.

Ten floors left.

Time to reign it in. Not descend further into chaos. I pushed back against his body, forcing myself to let go and turn my back on him.

Did he really not understand the place she had in my life? I was an asshole, no question, but Olivia—

Eight floors left.

"You were never that to me. We were family. I trusted you with the most precious person in my life against my better judgement. That fucking pendant you gave her is the reason I'm here with you right now instead of her. You fucking knew the risk fucking her would pose. You endangered her anyway just to get your dick wet," he preached, fear and anger dictating his words.

Emotions I couldn't afford right now.

Five floors left.

Deep breaths. Couldn't be the mess he was. No pacing and fidgeting for me. I had to steady my racing heart.

That fucking pendant you gave her is the reason I'm here with you right now instead of her.

The words wrapped around my heart like a fist and squeezed painfully hard.

"JR clocked the rubies?" I asked an already answered question.

Four floors left.

Then I'd come face to face with Will's phone. We'd be able to track the watch. Then what? I needed to think. Plan. Not obsess over shit I couldn't change.

"Olivia fucking clung to the pendant like she'd die without them," Will muttered with a defeated sigh, stilling to bang his head against the wall.

Olivia didn't need Harmon Chancellor. The man who fell in love with her without meaning to. She needed Chance Winston. The homeless pickpocket turned grifter. Smartest man in the room. The soldier. The fixer. The tormentor.

Two floors left.

No matter how hard I tried to be the pragmatist that kept his dick out of her for four years, the words came out anyway.

"I told myself I wasn't mesmerized every time she spared me a glance. No amount of meaningless fucks could change the way she drew me in though. Still, I didn't fuck her because she was perfect and I was… Me. I switched tactics and got myself a girlfriend, but that just made things worse. Macy was a hollow reminder of Olivia. Guys like me survive by playing everyone around them. Olivia never let me. I couldn't turn Olive into a mark or a meaningless fuck because she's all that ever mattered."

The doors to the elevator dinged open. What the fuck did I think I would get from saying that shit to him? Laying my heart bare wouldn't put her at my side.

"Then you should have kept your dick in your pants, because now your precious feelings may get her killed," Will said coldly, the truce I foolishly hoped we were headed for crumbling to dust as he stepped out of the elevator.

I followed suit, my heart hardening. If I couldn't bury the feelings, I would use them.

"I endangered Olivia just by being near her and I live with that every day. But I'm not the proud asshole that all but handed her to JR. All because your pretentious ass couldn't handle your sister getting laid by a criminal. That was all you," I retorted as we made our way down the hallway, towards the suite.

If we couldn't unite as friends, I needed the distraction of our insignificant argument.

When we arrived, the door to the suite was cracked open. The sight stopped me dead in my tracks. Will opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off, holding an arm out in front of him to stop him too.

"Get a car ready to go. I'll meet you downstairs in five minutes," I said, keeping my voice low.

"What now?" Will snapped impatiently, glaring at me. Desperation and fear lingered in his eyes. I was over that shit. I saw the open door and went into survival mode. "We don't have time for—"

"Fucking go. Listen to me this time, Will. Do as I say so we can bring the woman we love home," I said, retrieving the gun I had tucked into the waistband of my pants.