He rubbed his fingers along his jawline, his eyes wide open because he hadn’t blinked once since he got off the phone. “It’s exactly what I feared.”
9
Conway
Carter stepped inside my study and sat on the couch across from me. His drink was already sitting there, the ice cubes fresh and the glass frosty. My elbows rested on my knees, and my fingertips rested against my mouth.
I didn’t look at him, my mind still reeling from the way my world had just shifted.
He took a deep drink before setting the glass on the cherry wood, making a thud and leaving a water ring. “How was your trip?”
“Not here to talk about that.”
“I know. I just thought we could have a good conversation before we have the bad one.” He took another drink.
The lights were low, and the sun had set hours ago. Muse and I returned to Italy shortly after my conversation with Cynthia. I had a great time, but once I knew the truth, I couldn’t enjoy myself any longer. “It was too short.”
“You were there for five days?”
Felt like five minutes. “Yeah.”
He sat back against the cushion and rested his ankle on the opposite knee. In jeans and a t-shirt, he was casual since it was past five in the evening. “I sent that girl home. I could barely get a few words out of her.”
“Good. I’m glad she’s where she belongs.”
“She gave me her name and her home address. But other than that, she was dead silent the entire time.”
“Understandable.”
“But she did want me to tell you that she said thank you.”
My eyes shifted to the floor, and I tried not to feel good about what I did. Muse thought my actions were selfless, but I considered it an act of redemption. Doing one right thing didn’t fix all my wrongs…but it helped. “I hope she’ll be more careful next time.”
“I’m sure she won’t leave the house now. And her family will probably relocate.” He grabbed his drink and finished it. The decanter of brandy was on the coffee table, so he refilled his glass. “I know why you called me here tonight. I know why you cut your trip short. So just tell me what I don’t want to hear.”
My eyes moved to his face, and my frown deepened. “His mother was pregnant with him when his father was killed by our family. His middle name is Bones, but that’s the name he prefers to go by.”
“Shit.” He ran his fingers through his hair, his shoulders slouching in disappointment. “And you’re certain?”
I nodded. “The story checks out.”
“What’s his first and last name?”
“No idea. He didn’t tell her, and she didn’t want to make it obvious by asking.”
“I wonder if we can find that information on our own.”
“Probably.”
“What do we do?” he asked. “He’s had plenty of time to hit us but never has. Maybe he’s left the past where it belongs.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t think we can take that chance.”
“You’re right. We can’t.”
“We have to talk to our fathers about it.”
He dragged his hands down his face and sighed. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“You want to drive there tomorrow?”
“I guess,” he said. “I’ve got shit to do, but I guess it can wait.”
“It has to wait.”
He finished his drink in one go. “They’re gonna break our arms.”
“Probably.”
“And leave a few dents in our skulls.”
“More than likely.”
“I would normally say we deserve it, but now, I’m not so sure. If we weren’t part of the Underground, how would we have even known about it? If it weren’t for us, we wouldn’t even know Bones had a son.”
“I don’t think they’ll see it that way.” My father respected me as a man, but he would always be a little protective of me.
“And our mothers… Oh man.”
“We’ll definitely get slapped.”
“The only time I like getting slapped is when a gorgeous woman in on my lap…”
That made two of us. “We’ll leave tomorrow and hope for the best.”
“Alright. Tomorrow. Are you bringing Sapphire?”
I didn’t want her to be part of this. I didn’t want her to worry about the shit that really happened in this cruel world. “No. She’s staying here.”
When I woke the next morning, I packed my things into a bag, careful not to wake Muse. I wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye, but the second she watched me pack, she would know I wouldn’t be sticking around.
When I finished, I pulled the zipper up.
And that’s what made her stir. She reached beside her as she searched for me on the bed. When I wasn’t there, she opened her eyes and looked around the room. Her eyes settled on me, and an instant look of relief came into her gaze.
It made me feel good and shitty at the same time.
She sat up, running her fingers through her long hair. “Morning.”
“Morning.” I moved to the edge of the bed to kiss her.