"Don't overdo it!" Nancy exclaimed.
"Don't worry," Grant said. "I'll keep an eye on him."
It was strange being back at the office. Carter felt disassociated from everything around him.
The whole incident was burned in his brain. The screams as Stacy and the two brothers fell over the edge. Why did it have to happen like that?
After Allie told him to leave early and go home and rest, Carter went to a bar to drink. He just wanted to be numb, and he didn't want to be in the penthouse by himself, nor did he want to be with Allie.
The upscale bar was dark, and the manager hurried over to greet him when he walked in.
"Mr. Holbrook! Have you recovered from your injuries?"
"Well enough," Carter said. "Just need some alcohol. They won't let me have any pain meds."
"You've come to the right place," the manager said as he led him to a booth. A waitress came by with a line of shots. Carter sat by himself and started to drink. Across the sea of tables, he saw a man making his way toward him.
Digby.
"Vance is in jail because of you," Digby said in a low voice.
Ignoring him, Carter downed a shot then picked up another one. "Vance tried to have me killed," he replied.
"No, he didn't," Digby told him. He looked as if he were about to cry. "Vance was just angry. He didn't want to hurt anyone!"
"That’s too bad. He's going to be charged as an accessory to kidnapping and attempted murder, I would assume. They might even put the blame on him for the three deaths," Carter replied as he took another shot.
"Hey, baby." A dark-haired girl cuddled up next to him.
As Digby left, the woman grabbed Carter's jaw and kissed him, snapping a selfie. "You look like you could use some cheering up," she said. "Want me to show you a good time?"
Carter pushed the girl off of him, paid his bill, and left to go to the bar across the street.
71
Allie
When she saw Carter back at work, Allie she didn't think he should be back so soon. He clearly needed more rest.
"Just go home," she finally told him. "You look terrible."
He nodded and left, not even bothering to pack his things.
Making a mental note to check on him when she was off work, she went upstairs for a meeting with Grant. As she was leaving his office, she saw Jack coming out of a conference room. He cornered her, an angry look on his face.
"Can I help you?" she asked tersely.
"I don't want you with my son. Do you understand? It's your fault those people died, and it's your fault Carter was injured. You're trash, just like that girl Stacy. You make terrible decisions, and you're going to drag Carter down into the muck with you."
"I never putCarter in any danger."
"Yes, you did—the car crash, now the murderous friends of yours."
Allie pursed her mouth. She didn't want to give away Carter's secret that he had actually been the one to crash the car. It was just one more reminder that their relationship, if she could even call it that, was built on lies and deception.
"You know," she said finally, "Carter is an adult, and he can make his own decisions."
"I'm just trying to protect him. You don't understand what it means to love someone the way I love my son, because you have nothing—no family and no friends," Jack said.
