I should leave.
Iwantto leave. To never see Carter’s face again.
But I need to stay; I need to see this through and close the book on him, forever.
“Do you want to talk to him?” he asks, and this time I don’t hesitate to answer, quickly shaking my head as I hold his gaze, afraid of what I might see if I look away.
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I won’t make you,” he says in a rush, clearly sensing my panic at just the thought, as he steps toward me before stopping abruptly. “Can I touch you?”
This question pulls me up short.
Can he touch me…
“Yes.” My voice is nothing more than a pathetic little squeak that only serves to embarrass me further.
He probably thinks I’m pathetic.
With slow movements, he walks around me, giving me plenty of time to move or change my mind; he wraps his arms around my waist before pulling me back into his chest.
The air doesn’t feel so thick, the need to run doesn’t feel so overwhelming, and when I look up through the glass, Carter doesn’t look so big and scary.
“We’re going to kill him,” Vince says, almost more to himself than to me, but I nod regardless. “He’ll never stop if we don’t. It’s the only way to ensure your safety.”
I know he’s right. Carter will never let me go; it’s obvious by the scene playing out in front of us, yet I can’t help but worry about the ramifications.
“I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.” I’m not even sure he heard me at first, my voice low and weak as my fear once again works to choke me.
“We won’t. I promise.”
“He isn’t the first person we’ve had to deal with,” he says, clearly able to read my skepticism despite not being able to see my face.
I take a deep breath and let myself feel his reassurance before I nod. It’s weak and pathetic, which seems to be a running theme right now for me, but it’s all I have, and when his arms tighten around my waist, I know it’s enough.
I turn my attention back to Carter and find I’ve missed a bit. He’s got a few new bumps and bruises, and his left eyebrow issplit, leaving blood running down into his eye. Yet he still smiles, as if he’s the cat that got the canary.
“Killing him keeps our family safe.”
I feel Vince freeze before he pulls away, and I could smack myself.
Why did I say that out loud? That was definitely an inside-my-head thought that did not need to be spoken.
Idiot.
Before I can spiral any more out of control, Vince’s fingers lace through mine as he gently pulls me toward the table to the far right of the room.
“Say it again,” he says, turning to press a button on the wall, a smile on his face that I’ve never seen before.
“Killing him keeps our family safe.”
I do as he asks, and I’m damn proud of myself when my words aren’t as sad and pathetic. That is, until I hear the echo of my words, and my head snaps back up to look through the glass as I realize what the button does.
Alex, Nathan, Carter, and Des all look toward me, though I can tell they can’t actually see me, as none of them are actually on the mark; it still feels intense.
Des now stands shoulder to shoulder with Alex, staring down at Carter like he’s less than the dirt under his shoes.
Loathing—that’s what that emotion is, and until now I’d never really seen it.
Des didn’t even want me to come down here, but despite the fear and panic, I know I needed this closure, and he’s come to face it with me.
