Page 36 of Surrogate For My Best Friend’s Man 2

“Deuce.” He answered.

“He’s not here.”

“I know.”

That made me nervous. He slipped his hands into his coat pockets. “I came because Mr. Carter got an outstanding obligation.”

“What kind of obligation?”

“Money.”

I swallowed. “How much?”

“Enough.”

He looked toward my house. “There’s also product that’s supposed to be accounted for.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know anything about that.”

“That’s fine, you don’t have to. I’m not here asking you to explain his business.”

“Then why are you here?”

His eyes settled back on me. “To make sure you understand what’s coming.”

My heart started beating faster.

“If Deuce doesn’t have what belongs to us…” He paused. “…this becomes a problem.”

“What kind of problem?”

He looked at me like he couldn’t believe I had to ask. “The kind you don’t want showing up at your front door.”

I felt my stomach twist. “I don’t know where he keeps anything.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“I don’t have his money and I don’t have access to it.”

“Then I’d suggest you figure out who can.”

I stared at him. “You came to my house to threaten me?”

“No, I came to give you a chance to understand the situation before somebody with less patience comes looking.”

That was somehow worse. He stepped away from the door. You tell Deuce…he got a short window. Money or product, one way or another, we get what’s ours.”

I didn’t say anything. He walked past me toward the sidewalk then he stopped. “Mrs. Carter.”

I turned.

“You got a little girl?”

My entire body went cold. He didn’t wait for an answer. “Keep her away from this.”

Then he walked off, I stood there watching him disappear around the corner. I didn’t move because I couldn’t. My keys were still clenched inside my fist. My heart was pounding. Deuce ass was locked up. And now some man I’d never seen before had just stood outside my house telling me somebody was coming for money or product that apparently belonged to my husband. I looked toward my front door. For the first time in my life I was scared to walk inside my own damn house and all I could think about was Brittany.

I sat in my truck for a minute after that man walked away. I couldn’t move, his words kept running through my head. Money or product. Keep your little girl away from this. I looked toward my house. Hell nah I wasn’t staying there.