His features soften as he rises to his intimidating height, crossing the room to crowd my personal space. Curling his finger under my chin, he tips my head up so I’ll meet his eyes.
“I wouldn’t leave you here if I wasn’t sure you’d be safe. The place will be on full lockdown while I’m gone.”
There’s enough conviction in his tone to obliterate a small city, but it doesn’t make me feel any better... and I realize that, when it comes to my safety, I don’t trust anyone more than Carter. Not even my own father... not even Nash.
“Hailey,” he tuts, swiping his thumb along my jaw. “What else is on your mind?”
“My dad,” I whisper. “When you find the evidence and give it to your father... what happens to my dad?”
“Nothing. Killing your father would cause a huge rift in the way people like us operate. If Rhett wanted Charles dead, he’d be dead by now. And so would you. He never would’ve sent me to break you. He would’ve sent me to kill you.”
So I should be grateful to the cops who eagerly work with the mafia, helping them along. I owe them my life...
“If...” I pinch my lips, my cheeks heating. I’m pushing the line here, but Carter keeps insisting he wants my trust, so what have I got to lose? The worst he can do is sayno.
“If... what?”
“If my dad calls, or you call him... could I talk to him? Just for a minute. I can do it on speaker and—”
He presses his finger to my lips, stamping a kiss on my forehead. “Took you long enough. I thought you’d never ask.”
My head tilts slightly, a silent question hanging in the air when he moves away to open a drawer in his bedside cabinet, He pulls out a cell phone.
“Charles is the only contact in here.” He swings back to me and pushes the phone into my hand.
I stare at him, stunned beyond belief. “You’re giving me a phone? What if I call the police?”
“You will.” He smirks. “Your father’s a cop, remember?”
“I meant dialing an emergency number.”
“I know what you meant. Ryder worked his magic on this phone the first night we got here. I thought you’d demand to talkto your dad sooner. His number is the only one you can dial and the call can’t be traced.” He moves back, leaving the phone in my hand. “Even if you could call someone else, you wouldn’t.”
I cock an eyebrow despite the weight of his words making my palms sweat. “Why not?”
“Because you don’t want to leave, Hailey. Tell him I said hi.”
A small chuckle falls from my lips as I roll my eyes at him. His eyes darken in an instant, a greedy look crossing his face. He goes feral when my eyes roll, and back at Lakeside I’d recant, all apologetic for making him hard in an inappropriate situation.
Not since we arrived at the safe house, though. I deliberately roll my eyes at him any chance I get. Now, I add a smile and a wink, slipping out of his bedroom. My mind fills with Carter fucking his hand while he thinks about me.
Good... I hope he does. I hope he decides it’s not enough and stops acting so noble.
24
HAILEY
The phone’s slick in my clammy hands as I tapVaughnonthe screen, sending the call. It rings, once, twice, the sound echoing like a drumbeat in the quiet room.
“Carter? What’s wrong?” Dad answers, his voice like a balm over my frayed mind.
“Dad, it’s me.”
The silence that follows reverberates through my head until a relieved snort hits my ears. “Hailey. Oh, thank God. Are you okay?” His voice is brimming with pain, urgency, and worry. “Where are you? What happened? Where’s Carter?”
“He’s here. I’m okay. I don’t know where I am exactly,” I admit, gazing out the window to the sprawling, dense forest. I could be anywhere, really. “But I’m safe. I promise. What about you? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, sweetheart. Don’t you worry about me. It’s so good to hear you. I can’t believe he let you call...” His voice cracks like eggshells and I think he’s close to tears.
