“Vaughn’s a fifty-year-old man in a wheelchair,” I heave, downing the last of my wine. “How dangerous can he be? I can handle him. I did it once, and I’ll do it again.”
“Don’t underestimate a desperate man. He’s desperate enough that he kept you hidden for weeks. Desperate enough to sacrifice the relationship he’s been rebuilding with Hailey to get you out of Noretto’s. Besides...” Carter leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, “...Vaughn’s not the only one who might want you back. Noretto now knows you’re good leverage. If you’re unprotected...” He lets the rest of the sentence trail off.
It’s a great scare tactic, I admit.
My imagination flares, conjuring a dozen different scenarios, each more chilling than the last.
“There are too many moving parts in this game,” Carter continues. “Too many agendas and power-hungry men looking for an upper hand. You’ll be safer staying in Columbus. Preferably with me and Hailey.”
My anxiety spikes, a big ball of frustration swelling low in my tummy. “I didn’t come here to live with you!”
“Then why did you come?”
“I... I don’t know! I thought you’d say Vaughn made everything up, that no one will use me, that it’s safe to go home!”
“Sorry to disappoint. You’re not safe, Bianca. Going home is out of the question. It won’t take long before either Noretto, Grey, or Vaughn come knocking.”
Tears well in my eyes, blurring my vision. I haven’t cried this much since I was a little girl. Waterworks will make me come across weak.Helpless. My frustration mounts, intensifying the tears. It’s a vicious, closed cycle.
“So, you’ll keep me here against my will?” I grind my teeth, inhaling through my nose to get a hold of my emotions.
I’mnota blubbering mess. Ever. I’ve been the only person I can count on since I was eight. Squaring my shoulders, I picture my helplessness as a drop of water. I shudder, shaking it off before meeting Carter’s unwavering control with defiance.
“How does keeping me captive make you any different from Vaughn or Noretto?”
The only indication that my words hit a nerve is the way his Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “I’ll keep you safe.”
“Noretto kept me safe. Locked up, but safe. He didn’t hurt me.” Crossing my hands over my chest, I lift my chin. “I’mnotstaying with you and Hailey. No offense, but I don’t know you.”
And as tonight proves, family ties don’t mean shit.
His mouth parts, undoubtedly ready to deliver another lecture about the threats lurking in the shadows, waiting for me to let my guard down.
Ryder beats him to the punch, his level tone slicing through the heavy atmosphere.
“Cleveland’s two hours away,” he says, grasping the backrest of Koby’s couch.
Should my mind be focusing on the way the veins on his forearms snake up to his elbows, the biceps bulging under the fabric of his white shirt? I doubt it.
Should I feel like I’m spiking a fever when he stares right through me? Definitely not.
“I can set surveillance and alarm systems in her apartment,” he says. His words are aimed at Carter but his eyes are locked on mine. “I’m sure you can send someone with her who’ll keep her safe.”
The implication of his last sentence tears my attention from the ink peeking above his collar.
“A bodyguard?!” I snap upright. The wine coursing through my veins makes me wobble.
“I’m not forcing you to stay in Columbus, Bianca. If you insist on going home, I can accommodate it, but do you honestly expect I’ll send you on your merry way without protection?” With a flick of his wrist, Carter orders me to sit back down. “While I understand your frustration, you’re a target. You’re Hailey’s sister, and because of how much my pretty girl’s been dying to find you, you’re not just leverage over Vaughn, butmetoo.”
Now he’s the one rising to his impressive height. He pulls a packet of cigarettes from the drawer, leans against the wooden desk, and before he asks, Broadway throws a lighter his way.
The office fills with smoke, gray clouds hanging in the air.
“You?” I ask, one eyebrow raised. “I don’t think I follow.”
Koby chuckles, masking it with a cough and a groan. “Boss here gets a bit...restlesswhen Hailey’s upset.”
Carter ignores the jab, filling his lungs with another drag of his cigarette. “Both Noretto and Grey are aware there’s not a thing I won’t do to keep Hailey happy. They put her through hell and I’m never subjecting her to that kind of stress again.”
