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Carter shut the door behind her, announcing that this conversation needed to be private, which meant only one thing. He came back to the bedside and pulled up a chair so we were close to one another. “That’s a loyal woman.”
“I know,” I said with pride, loving the way she sat at my bedside constantly and didn’t want to leave me for even a moment. “I’m very lucky.”
“You’re lucky for a lot of reasons,” he said with a sigh. He pulled his gaze away from me and looked at the wall, his thoughts a mile away. “My father didn’t tell me what was happening. He kept me in the dark on purpose. I just want you to know that, because I would have been there—”
“I know, man. He told me he needed to make sure there was still a man around to take care of the family if they didn’t make it.”
Carter gave a slight nod. “I would have been there. You’re my brother.”
“I know that too. Don’t sweat it.”
He finally turned to me, the shame in his eyes.
I knew exactly where that shame came from.
“This is all my fault… Fuck.” He clenched his jaw, his eyes black like oil. “I’m so sorry… Sorry doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel.”
“We don’t know if that’s the reason.”
“Yes, we do,” he said with a hiss. “My appearance at the Underground must have set them off. Maybe they started watching us. Maybe they figured out what we’d been doing.”
It was the only logical explanation. “But they didn’t come after you.”
Carter turned back to me, his eyebrow raised in surprise. “You’re right…”
“Where were you?”
“At home.”
“Then it seems like they only wanted me. So maybe this had nothing to do with you.”
“But how can that be possible?” he countered. “It’s too big of a coincidence.”
“But maybe it is just a coincidence. Maybe they found out that one of the girls I bought had been returned to her family.”
“Maybe…” Carter shook his head. “But I’d like to know the truth.”
“We may never get it.”
“Do you think they’ll come after you again?” Carter asked.
“I don’t know. But I think I’m going to have to do some damage control either way. Maybe I can meet them, pay off whatever debt they think I owe. I don’t want to look over my shoulder all the time, not when I’ve got a family.”
“You’re right.”
“But Sapphire isn’t going to let me out of her sight for a while.”
“Don’t blame her,” he whispered.
“So I’ll have to communicate with them in some other way. I guess I could call them…” I was afraid to accidentally provoke them.
“I could talk to them.”
“No,” I said quickly. “The problem is isolated to me. Let’s keep it that way.”
“We could ask Bones to help us. He’s got some kind of relationship with them.”
Bones was an incredible ally, a man whom all men feared and respected. “He’s done enough for us. I can’t ask him for anything else.”
Carter nodded in agreement. “Makes sense.”
“We’ll figure it out. After the entire crew was wiped out, the Skull Kings won’t be in a hurry to attack me again. Even they have to be somewhat impressed.”
“Hopefully.”
I rested back against the bed on a thin mattress that wasn’t nearly as comfortable as the one at home. After everything that happened, I wanted to lie in a real bed with my wife beside me. I wanted to rest my hand on her stomach and feel my baby inside her. It was my favorite form of entertainment, other than fucking. Staying with my parents wasn’t the worst idea in the world since she was so far along. I couldn’t take care of her right now, and my parents would be more than happy to get her whatever she needed. And if she went into labor sooner rather than later, I’d have help getting her to the hospital. “I didn’t tell our fathers anything, just so you know.”
Carter looked at me, gratitude in his eyes. “Then what did you say?”
“That I didn’t know what provoked them. And now that there’s a good chance you had nothing to do with it, I’m glad I didn’t tell them. But you need to get rid of that girl and never get involved with that shit again. Where is she, by the way?”
“Chained up at the house. One of my maids is keeping an eye on her.”
“Witnesses?” I asked coldly.
“I had no other choice,” he countered. “I’ve been here for the past three days. It’s not like I could bring her with me.”
I looked away, knowing he was right. “Get rid of her and forget her.”
“Amen,” he said. “And let’s figure out what the problem is with the Skull Kings. They’re psychopaths, but they’ll respond to a good deal.”
“Yeah.”
“And then whatever answer we get, we’ll pass it on to the family.”
