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51
DIANA
“Old habits,” Carter grunted.
“Yeah, I know, they die hard.”
After a resigned sigh, he said, “How about just a word with William, then? That allowed?”
That was a huge step at meeting me in the middle. Although, he’d already taken quite a few steps, including not killing those men in the shed the other day, and ensuring animals didn’t turn them into food. Maybe I needed to do a little moving myself. I could budge, I supposed. “A few words.”
At my meet-in-the-middle offer, he smiled.
I was on the verge of asking, What about Craig?—but a knock at the door saved him from having to hear it. I had a feeling an answer of, No, I won’t kill him either, would be harder to pry from him than food from a gator’s jaws.
“You guys decent?” Mya called out.
“Funny,” Carter grumbled, probably too low for her to hear. “Come in,” he hollered, then stepped back, placing distance between us.
Mya opened up, holding two shopping bags in one hand. “Big Guy here had me run errands for him. Prescription glasses and a few other things for you, too.” She entered, but Dallas remained in the hall, peering at his dad for the OK to head inside.
Carter slapped the side of his leg, and Dallas eagerly ran over to him.
Seeing Carter smiling while petting Dallas made me forget his thirst for vengeance. All I saw was a sweet, kind man with his best friend.
“I picked up a few other things I thought you might want as well,” Mya went on, setting the bags on the bed. “I couldn’t help myself.”
“Like what?” Carter stood tall and went over, reaching into one bag only to drop what appeared to be a red lace bra. “Mya.” He dragged out her name while glaring at her.
“What? You told me to get her more clothes. She needs undergarments, too. A girl can look good while saving the world, can’t she?” She pointed at her chest. “Case in point.” She casually winked, letting me know she enjoyed getting under the “Big Guy’s” skin, just not nearly as much as getting under Oliver’s.
Carter gripped the bridge of his nose, sighing. “Did you wash everything, at least?”
“The machines downstairs had a sanitize mode, so yeah. Tags are removed and everything is set to be worn,” she shared.
The fact Carter had thought to appease my need to be “clean” in the midst of chaos warmed my heart and had me sending him an appreciative nod. He really did know me well. His “study” skills had definitely paid off.
“Thank you,” I said to both of them.
“I’m going to go make a few more calls. See where we’re at on POTUS agreeing to this new plan and getting Craig and Jared brought in for holding.”
“Great.” My attention skated to the bags, curious what else Carter had Mya buy, as well as what she’d bought without his knowledge.
“New plan? Did I miss something?” Mya asked.
Carter gave me a go-ahead nod to share, and so I did. I rambled away, offering her the bullet-point version of my laser plan. “Will you be able to help out with this?”
“I’m not Gwen or Natasha,” Mya began, “but I can hold my own. I mean, God forbid we lose the ability to use Snapchat, right?”
“Real funny,” Carter said under his breath, then gestured toward the door. “Why don’t you give me thirty minutes to talk to the President and the others, then join me?”
“Sure.” I followed his line of sight as it wandered back to the bags. The red bra. Tonight would be torture if we attempted to share a bed. Doubtful Carter was the pillow-wall type. Knowing that man, he’d sleep on the floor and let Dallas take the bed.
“Thirty minutes,” he said again.
If he didn’t see me by then, he’d probably come up and toss me over his shoulder, carrying me down. Not a horrible idea, but bad for his back.
He called Dallas over to him, and without another word, they both left, the door thudding shut behind them.
