“You can go home. I’ll make sure you get there safe. Or you can come back with us.” He gives me the choice that’s haunted me for weeks now. “There is no other way I leave you, Aria.”
“Carter… he’ll know you-”
“He thinks you’re missing. He thinks your family took you back… or worse.”
“They aren’t my father’s men.” My head shakes vigorously, knowing he’s speaking of the man upstairs and wanting to deny any ties to him. “That man was coming for us, both Addison and me, but I don’t know him. I don’t know who he is or what’s going on, but he’s not someone my father sent.” Reaching out to him, I grab Daniel’s jacket and he lets me, returning the gesture and shushing me once again.
“It doesn’t matter. That’s not the point.” His words are more blunt and drenched with impatience I haven’t seen from him before. Lowering my hand, I take a half step back as he tells me, “Right now, Carter thinks you’ve been taken by someone. But I can get you out of here, away from all this if it’s what you want.” My gaze falls to his throat as he swallows. The noises of the night are drowned out by the sound of my blood rushing in my ears at the thought of leaving Carter.
“You’re offering me a way out?” Thump. My heart slams against my ribcage and I can’t pinpoint which reason it’s chosen in this moment to remind me it still exists. Either from the hope, or the fear of leaving.
Daniel only nods once before telling me, “Away from here and to your family, or wherever you want. You can go, Aria. I…” He struggles to complete his thought and turns away to cover his face with his hand before looking back at me. “I know you and Carter are on bad terms, and I…” He trails off again and swallows thickly before lowering his hand and looking me in the eyes.
He sees my pain, my agony; they’re reflected in his dark gaze. “You can go. Or you can stay.”
Chapter 2
Carter
Time moves too fucking slow. The drive back to Sebastian’s place… every fucking roll of the tire is too goddamn slow.
If it weren’t for the knowledge that I can pull the video feed from the security cameras on the property, evidence that will lead me to her, I wouldn’t own a shred of sanity any longer. The phone in my hand is closer and closer to breaking as I bound up the steps and the anxiety grows. It’s been in danger of breaking since the moment I first heard that Aria was missing. In danger of being splintered and thrown however far I could just to release the tension and pain still rippling inside of me at the thought of losing her.
“Where are the monitors?” I don’t hide the anger in my tone the second the door is ripped open wide, Jase beside me, his footsteps barely keeping up with mine.
Before I can even scream at whoever’s in here to get me the fucking tapes, I nearly trip over something on the floor. Stumbling forward, I barely catch myself. Eli. Fuck!
My throat closes and a sickness shoots through me. I can’t help but reach to his throat and press my fingers against his icy skin. Even though he’s cold, I still hope for a pulse. One second passes, and it hurts. Another second with nothing, and I can’t fucking stand the cost of waging war. A war I choose to fight. All for her.
He’s gone.
His eyes are closed and his blood is pooled around him. Jase has to step in a bit of blood to get around me and the bright red is smeared across the floor. We share a look as a few of our men come in behind us.
“Get him home.” I give the command evenly, not revealing a shred of the emotions I’m feeling.
Control.
Eli dying is a reminder that I need control now more than anything. He will be missed and he will be mourned, but even he would tell me to focus on revenge right now.
“She’s outside,” Jase says and at first I don’t understand what he’s talking about until I turn to look over my shoulder. With the wind sweeping her locks off her shoulders and showing more of her skin, Aria glances at me.
She’s here. She’s safe. Relief is all-consuming for the briefest of moments.
I have her.
Those beautiful hazel-green eyes of hers swirl with a mix of pain and regret. Not the relief I’ve been envisioning since I was told she was gone.
“She’s here.” The words leave me without consent, buried under my breath as I slowly stand.
“Carter.” Daniel’s voice carries across the hall as I make my way to them. He steps in front of her, but I still see her face, not daring to break her gaze as my pace picks up.