by Vi Keeland
FIFTEEN
My lungs strained against my chest. It hurt to breathe, but I bit my lip and listened.
“Franco didn’t order the hit on AJ. Everyone thinks he did and he took the credit, but it was Cristino who ordered it.”
I closed my eyes as a shudder went through me, remembering my brother’s pleas. “Please, Tomino, please.”
Carter’s voice grew rough. “It was Tomino, his little brother, who did the hit.” I felt his scrutiny as he added, “But you know that. You were there.”
The image of Tomino raising the bat came back. It seared me.
“So was I.”
Reeling, I tried to slide off his lap. His hold on my thighs kept me anchored to him. He pulled me closer and kept going, now in a whisper against my ears, “I was upstairs. AJ was coming to me and I saw it, but I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even get my window open long enough to yell down. Hell, not that I could’ve done anything, but I wanted to try.”
He was there. My eyes were wide open now and unblinking, crushed against his chest. He was there. I couldn’t get around that.
His hand started to brush my hair back as he continued, “When it happened, I couldn’t look away. And when they took that bat to him, that was the beginning for me, Emma.”
Oh god. A whimper left me. I burrowed into him now.
“I already knew I was going to kill them, but then, when I saw you crawl out from that vent, I snapped. You, you! You saw the whole thing. They did that in front of you, but I replayed it in my head. I realized that they didn’t know you were there. They couldn’t have, because,” his hand shook behind my head, “if they had, they would’ve killed you too. Or worse. They would’ve taken you with them.” There was no restraint now. His voice slipped and the icy rage he felt that day was in him again. “I killed all of them, Emma. I’d do it again. I have done it again. I went to Tomino’s house that afternoon. I went from room to room and I sliced their throats. When that didn’t work and there were too many of them, I used their guns on them.”
My hands turned into fists on his shirt. My shoulders bunched together and I hated what I was hearing, but I had to hear it. A part of me wished that I had been there, that I had been the one enacting the revenge that I could only hear about. I was biting my lip, trying to keep everything in, and I tasted my own blood. But I didn’t stop biting, I only bit down harder.
Carter’s voice had grown distant as he remembered that day. He took a deep breath. His chest lifted up and down. “I’m not going to tell you everything. I don’t need to add to your nightmares, but when I was done at the house, I went to The Blue Chip and shot Cristino. I shot him and his two drivers in his office. There were a few more that I didn’t know about until later, but I still killed them. I killed all of them. For you.”
There was a hitch in his voice, but I didn’t move. I stayed pressed against him, biting so hard that blood trickled out. I felt it slide down my chin and knew it covered him as well. It didn’t matter. “You went to Mauricio after that?” I wrung out, my own voice was hoarse. It was painful to speak.
“I left The Blue Chip and took a cab to their warehouse. It was Farve who saw me first. I was damn lucky he did. I had blood on me by then. I don’t know how I got it on me, I don’t remember touching the bodies, but somehow it got all over my face. I’m surprised the cabbie didn’t take me to the police. He could’ve. I was out of it by then, but yeah, it was Farve that saw me first. He remembered me from my dad. He’d been drinking buddies with him, but I knew he never approved of the beatings I got.”
I remembered when Carter would sleep at our place; almost every night, he would slip in through the patio door. He had never spoken about it when we were kids, and since I had come into his life again, the topic hadn’t been raised. I remembered one night when he had been laying on the couch, bruised and still bleeding. I never knew what to say. AJ ignored it; he did it because that’s what Carter wanted. But I couldn’t ignore it that night. I slept on the floor beside him. When I woke, his foot had slipped off the couch and rested against mine.
I didn’t move for hours. I held still until Carter took his foot away. When he woke, he never said a word. He got up and went back to his home. Thinking about it now, a few tears for him came back to me, but I remained quiet. When he wanted to talk about that, I would be there for him.
“Farve vouched for me. He said I was a good fighter and loyal.”
I knew the rest. They had taken him in and there had been more massacres left behind by him. When I was taken into social services and shuffled between foster homes, I still heard stories about Carter Reed, the Cold Killer. The stories had stopped by the time I graduated high school. It wasn’t until my first year at college that I realized why, he had moved up. Octave opened, and a few more clubs followed.
Four years later Carter Reed had turned into a legend.
He held me now and pressed another kiss to my cheek. He whispered, “Franco Dunvan replaced Cristino in the Bertal Family. They found out that everything I had done stemmed from AJ’s death. Everyone knew he’d been my best friend, so he wanted to put a hit on you.”
“What?”
He nodded, his eyes were remorseful. “But they couldn’t. What I had done was too big. The police were never pulled in because Tomino’s house was their base for making sex slaves. The Bertal family hid everything and cleaned it all up, but Franco wanted to avenge Cristino to make more of a name for himself.” Carter shook his head. “We heard his elders never allowed it. You were too young and you were an innocent, but that didn’t stop Franco from trying. He just never made any outright moves that the Bertal Family could link back to him.”
Everything in me hurt. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to feel. It hurt to think. It hurt to speak, but I rasped out, “They tried to hurt me? All my life?”
He nodded, framing my face with both of his hands. “I’ve been protecting you all your life, Emma. Mike and Thomas are only two in a long line of men that have been watching you. All your life. Since that day. This has all been for you.” He frowned. “You were supposed to have a guard at the penthouse. He was taking a piss when you slipped past, but the others followed you.” He laughed now. “I couldn’t believe that one. He vowed he’d never piss again to me.”
All my life? They’d been watching me? All my life? I couldn’t wrap my head around that. Wait, did he mean—I sucked in my breath. “Did you know about Jeremy Dunvan before I came to you?”
He nodded, waiting for my reaction.
My eyes were wide-open and panic rose. My chest felt tight. Something was pressing on it. But—I shook my head. It didn’t make sense. He knew, but how? Why had he waited for me to come to him?
I had looked away as I started to comprehend everything, but he turned me back to him. His eyes were tender, loving. His thumb brushed over my cheek. “My men took care of the body and the gun. That’s why the reports said he was missing.”
“But you never said anything to me…” I remembered the hysteria inside of me, the panic at what had happened, how Franco Dunvan was going to kill us. I gulped for a breath, my heart was racing again.
“I knew you’d be scared, but it was your decision,” he murmured. “I’ve always wanted you to be free as long as possible, but when you came to me—”
“Did your men know I was at Octave?”
He nodded. “I was already coming back when they got the call through to me. I knew you were there and that you had decided to come to me.” He tilted my chin so I was eye-level with him. “Finally.”
“You did all of that for me?”
“I would declare war for you.”
He stole my breath, again. It was becoming difficult to breathe around this man. I always felt like I was having a heart attack, and this was no exception. His hand fell down to my thigh and he trailed it over to the inside of my legs. As I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against his, his finger slid underneath my dress and slipped past my underwear for the second time t
hat night. As I drew in a ragged breath, he pushed inside of me, all the way in. His breath was hot against my face, but I didn’t move. I didn’t want to move. He began to move in and out and I trembled on top of him. When he pushed a second finger in and kept the same rhythm, I opened my eyes. I was so close to him. He was gazing back at me, an intense look on his face as his fingers sped up.
I fought against making a sound, but I couldn’t help myself. A soft moan escaped me.
A smirk came over him and he reached around the back of my head. He kept a firm hold there, but it didn’t matter. I covered the small distance between us and touched my lips to his. A fuse was lit. It had already been lit, but when our lips touched, it erupted inside of me. I was burning up. His mouth opened and became more demanding. He commanded entrance. I gave it to him. I would give anything to him.
I loved this man.
I pressed harder against him. My hands clung to his shoulders, and I molded my body to his. I couldn’t get close enough.
“Emma,” he murmured against my mouth.
My tongue swirled up and brushed against his. “Carter.”
It was at that moment the car swerved, throwing me to the side. I would’ve fallen against the door, but Carter caught me. He held me in place as he pushed a button on the ceiling. “Gene?”
The same low voice from the club came over the intercom. “Sir, there’s three of them.”
Carter held still for a moment, thinking. Then he slid me off his lap and pushed me until I was on the floor. A different look settled over him, a cold mask covered his face. He was no longer the Carter I knew, the one who held me and kissed me. This was the one who killed, and as that sunk in, everything changed. Time slowed until every second passed in rhythm with my heartbeat.
The car slowed.
Carter reached inside a hidden compartment and pulled out a gun. It was black, sleek, and lethal. It fit like a glove in his hand and he moved closer to the door.
Then he burst out, exploding out of the car.
I jerked up from the floor as our car slammed to a halt. Doors were thrown open, rocking our car from the force, as people charged from the front. Then I heard the screech of another car’s brakes. Shouts were heard. Shots rang out in the air. Someone screamed.
I opened my mouth, trying to hear myself, but I couldn’t. It was as if someone had thrown a veil over me. I could see out, but I couldn’t hear, not fully. Everything was muffled. Then pain exploded inside my head, and as the ringing started to dull, I could hear again. I could hear too much now.
“Cart-” someone yelled. That sounded like Mike, was it? My heart was pounding.
I started to move closer to the door.
Bang! Bang!
I swayed to the side as someone flew against the car. Then, with a low grunt, he pushed off just as quickly.
“Carter!”
That was someone else, maybe Gene?
My heart was pounding in my ears as I moved even closer. My fingers grabbed onto the leather exterior, but I couldn’t get a good grasp. I was still kneeling on the floor and moved over until I was at the edge of the opened door—bang! Bang!
I jerked back, eyes wide. My heart jumped up into my throat. It was right there, ready to burst out of me, but then I gritted my teeth. I was a part of this. I was the reason for this. I had to see.
As I stuck my head out of the car, three pairs of legs blocked my view. They had formed a living wall to my opened door, and I fell to the ground. A burning sensation registered with me, but it was so far away. I barely felt it. I would deal with it later. As I knelt there, I peeked between their legs. They had them planted with their arms raised and guns pointed outwards.
I saw Carter in the distance. He was behind a car that had stopped behind us. Another was left abandoned to the side. All of its doors were open and a fire had started from inside. As the flames leapt higher, smoke filled the night sky. It was becoming overwhelming, but I couldn’t look away from Carter. A streetlight glowed above him, and I watched him lift a man to his feet, hit him with the butt of his gun, and let him fall to the ground, unconscious. Then he looked around. He looked calm. He wasn’t alarmed like me. But no, he wasn’t calm. He was enlivened. I sucked in my breath. His eyes narrowed. He raised his gun and thumbed off two bullets. A body fell against the front of the other car and slid to the ground. A gun scattered on the ground next to him. It slid all the way to our car and underneath. It was behind the tire closest to me and I reached for it.
I didn’t know what I was doing. I just knew that I needed to help. I needed to do something.
As I gritted my teeth, I stretched my arm out farther. The tips of my fingers brushed the metal. It was hot and burned me so I knocked it to the side to get a better hold. When my hand closed around the handle, I felt myself being lifted back to my feet. The gun came with me.
Mike was startled as he held me in the air. My feet dangled and skimmed the ground. His grip tightened on my arm and I knew it would bruise, but nothing mattered except the gun in my hand. And Carter. Where was Carter? I looked again.
He was fighting another man. This one was twice his size. He threw a punch. Carter dodged it and jammed his elbow into the guy’s face. As he stumbled back, Carter kicked at his knees. The man fell down, but Carter wasn’t done. He raised his gun once again and brought the back end of it down with all his strength. The guy fell backwards.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
More shots rang out.
Carter looked over. His eyes widened when he saw me, now clasped against Mike’s chest. Then he jerked his gun up and pointed straight at me.
I watched, in almost sick fascination, as his thumb pulled the trigger.
“Agh!”
Mike whirled. I went with him. We both saw a man behind us on the ground. Carter had shot him. Blood seeped from his forehead and his gun fell to the ground.
“Get her out of here!”
“Sir?”
Carter had sprinted back. He waved us off. “Get her out of here. Now.”
Mike threw me inside and flung himself next to me. I was pushed to the ground before I realized what was going on and the car sped off.
“No!” I tried to get up. “Carter!”
The hand on my head tightened. I was held in place. He had half of his body over mine and he yelled in my ear, “He’ll be safe.”
“Carter!”
Mike shook his head next to mine. His voice softened. “He’ll be safe, Emma. He wants you to be safe more than him.”
“No!” I tried to claw at his arm. I needed to get free and get back to Carter. “We left him behind.”
“No.” He shook his head again. Both of his arms came around me now. “There’s another car. He’ll come with that car.”
We had gone too far. I knew I couldn’t get back to him so I listened to what he said. Carter would come with the next car. He had to. Everything would be fine, but as we went back to Carter’s home, I looked down. The gun was still in my hand.
—CARTER—
Carter watched as two cars sped away with Emma in the back. She was safe. He kept telling himself that. She was safe. He needed to make sure there were no others and he was one of the best. He was needed there, not with her. Not yet.
There was a third car, and he sprinted over to it. The driver had been shot and slumped over the steering wheel, sounding the horn. Carter pulled his body back to silence it. Then he sensed movement in the back seat and ripped out a struggling man. The man swung his arm around, trying to aim his gun at Carter but it was knocked away. The man kicked out. That was blocked as well. He swung his other leg at him, but was pinned to the car. He couldn’t do a thing but glare at his captor.
Carter stared at him. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t blink. His eyes were blank. They were ice-cold blue.
Gene hurried over. The taller, older man stopped and glanced around. He stroked his jaw. “That was the first hit.”
“I’m aware.” Carter glared at him. He threw the m
an to one of their guards and crossed to kick at one of the unconscious men. When he was rewarded with a moan, he hauled the guy up and threw him against a wall. “Who leaked her location?”
“We can interrogate them at the warehouse.”
“No!”
“Carter.” Gene stepped forward, placing a hand on his associate’s tense shoulders. “We will do this. Go to your woman. Make sure she’s okay.”
Carter knew he was right. Gene was always right. It was annoying. However, while he would normally ignore the unwanted advice, he listened this time. He remembered Emma’s face and how pale she had gone when she was lifted into the car.
He reached down, wound his arms around the struggling man, and snapped his neck. As he stood, Gene stepped back and asked him, “Did that make you feel better?”
“No.” He glanced up, an impassive mask over his face. “We leave for Chicago tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?”
Carter didn’t answer.
Gene sighed, “There’s another issue.”
Carter snapped his gaze to his friend. His jaw clenched as he waited.
“The boyfriend went back.”
Carter’s shoulders grew even more rigid. “Tell me he went for money.”
“There was no money with him. They’re getting him hooked. They can control him better that way, if they still need him.”
A savage curse came out, but Carter couldn’t do anything about that. He repeated instead, “We go to Chicago tomorrow.”
Gene never questioned him again.
“And call Noah. I don’t want her going to New York. It’s not safe.”
Two of his other men had pulled up on motorcycles. He gestured for one to step off, and he climbed on. He turned the bike around and went home.
SIXTEEN
The car sped into the basement, and Mike carried me through a door. It opened to the gym, and we kept going until we were in the kitchen. After he set me down in the middle of the room, he swept it. Four more men followed and they went in opposite directions. They were checking the perimeter.