“Wait,” he says.
“Arden!”
Both of our heads snap up toward the parking lot. Carter Forkerro’s G-Wagon is parked half on the curb, the lights on and door left wide open. He jogs over to us, concern written all over his face, blue eyes flaring with a look I know too well by now.
I glance back at Noah, who is stupid enough to shoot an irritated look at Carter.
“I’d suggest taking your hands off me now,” I murmur quietly.
“I’m not scared of him.”
“Famous last words,” I grumble, wiping my eyes quickly.
I turn toward Carter as he reaches us and move to intercept, but he blows past me with an expert sidestep. His face ishard, cold, and lethal. He buries both fists into Noah’s vest, physically lifts him off the ground, and slams him into the side of his cruiser.
I suck in a little breath of shock.
At this moment, Carter doesn’t care that Noah is a cop. He doesn’t care that there is a gun strapped to his body, either. The only thing he cares about is that he was touching me.
“What the fuck are you doing, pretty boy?” Carter snarls.
Noah gives him a cool look, far too calm for this situation. I blame the uniform, it makes simple men feel invisible.
“What the fuck areyoudoing, Fokerro?” he snaps back. “You should be keeping your nose clean right now, not assaulting a police officer.”
“Oh, I assure you, I have yet to get to the assault part.”
Noah cocks a brow. “Add threatening a police officer to those charges.”
“Touch her again and I promise you, I’ll beburyinga police officer.”
Noah’s eyes flash, jaw tightening. His hand twitches and my heart almost stops. His fingers flexedjustenough for me to notice.Towardhis gun.
“Walk away, Forkerro. I’ll let this slide for Dolly’s sake.”
“Don’t do me any favours,” Carter growls, getting right in his face. “I smelled it on you when I met you, you know? Your desperation. The way you watched her. She doesn’t need your protection or your bullshit anymore, got it? She has me.”
He’s a liar.
“Carter,” I say weakly.
“One second, Bub,” he says without looking at me. The use of that stupid, silly nickname that we started as a joke, calming me with such little effort. “Why is she crying, Officer Peck?”
“Carter,” I say, my heart thumping against my ribs. “Please.”
The ER bay doors open. Whitney, Autumn, and Susan rush out, stopping short when they take in the scene. My eyes widen, and I reach for Carter’s arm, hauling him backward as best as I can. I think it was the‘please’that got him, because he lets Noah go, even though it pains him to. He steps back with an extra little shove, pointing a finger at him as a final warning.
When he turns to me, he doesn’t pause to consider how I’ve ignored his texts tonight. He doesn’t care right now. He reaches for me, cupping my face in his hands. “What the fuck is going on, Red?”
“Why are you here?” I whisper.
“I called the hospital when you wouldn’t answer me. Susan said you were crying. That you got a phone call and looked out of sorts and she didn’t want you driving. I thought… We thought?—”
That he died. That my father died and I finally got the call.
I shake my head, fresh tears burning behind my eyes. I feel everything. I feel Noah’s stare burning into the back of my head. I feel Whitney and Autumn’s worry, and Susan’s palpable guilt. I’m still furious with him, but I alsoneedhim. In this moment, I realize that IneedCarter Forkerro.
And he lied to me.
