“She’s only part of the triad. You’re the other part. I’ve decided. We’re coming to New York.”

When I’d relayed the impending arrival to Carter, Cole offered one of the floors in his building that was open and fully furnished. Carter responded with a firm no.

“Not here. I do not want them to mix with you.” He’d been talking to Cole as he said those words, but a deep, ominous feeling passed over me. For some reason, I felt like he was talking to me. I still couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in my gut.

“Okay.”

The two looked to me and then Carter nodded once, with authority and finality. “She’ll want to see you, but I don’t want you traveling back and forth. Noah has a place here. You can stay with them, and I will call in more guards to secure his building.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll come for the nights.”

So I would still have him at night. Relief swept through me. I’d been scared for a moment that he would pull back, spend all his time with Cole, and I would be alone. “Okay. That’ll work. Theresa will want to spend the days together, anyway.”

“I’m sure Noah is hoping to get work done at the New York Richmond.”

“I’m sure.”

“You will not go in with him.” His eyes flashed in warning.

So I was officially hiding? It wasn’t just for this week. “Carter.” I moved closer, making my voice quiet. This question wasn’t for Cole to hear.

Cole stood, giving me a polite smile, before he gestured to the door. “I think that’s my cue. It was nice having you here, Emma. I’d like for us to have dinner before you go back home.” He glanced at Carter, at me, and gave another smile. “The three of us.”

I reached for Carter’s hand as Cole left. “Is the war already happening? Is that why I’m hiding?” Déjà vu washed over me. Like with Mallory, but this was worse. I saw the fear in Carter. It was shimmering just under the surface, and it had him on edge.

“I…” He stopped, then drew me onto his lap. Pulling me so I was straddling him, he rested his hands on my hips and didn’t look me in the eyes for a moment. His gaze was downcast. He leaned forward, resting his head into my chest. A deep shuddering sigh left him, and I blinked back tears. I felt his fear then. It was in me, too. Closing my eyes, I wrapped my arms around him and held him. No matter what he said, this war was real. If it wasn’t full-blown now, it would be. Carter knew it, and I trusted him.

“Carter,” I whispered.

He tipped his head back, looking up at me.

I framed his face with my hands and vowed, with every inch of me, “I will stay alive. No matter what happens, I will.”

His Adam’s apple jerked up and down. I could tell he wanted to believe me, but that was the fear. “I can’t lose you.”

“You won’t.”

“They could come for you.”

I shook my head. “You’re not in, right? You’re making money for them. Why would they want to hurt you?”

His hands rested over mine. “Because it’s not about money. It’s about power. They didn’t kill you before. I handed them a solution on a silver platter, but Cole is back. His presence changes everything. They thought he was dead. It’s a matter of time before they find out I’m the one who saved him.”

Carter was to blame. That’s what he thought. I frowned. “You think this war will be because of you?”

He shook his head, slightly. “No. If the war happens, it’s because the Bartel family wants the Mauricio land and assets. That’s all, but this isn’t like last time. I didn’t have anyone to lose.” His hand touched the corner of my lip, resting there. “No one knew about you.”

They did now. Now he had me to lose.

Oh god. I started to feel a different form of terror. He had to think clearly. He had to be ruthless. He couldn’t hesitate. I knew that much. If you wanted to survive, you fought back.

“If something happens, you don’t hesitate,” I told him fiercely. “For any reason. I will fight back. I will stay alive. I will, but so will you. Got that?”

He gave me a half-grin. “When are Theresa and Noah coming?”

“In three hours.”

Tags: Tijan Carter Reed Romance
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