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“I have to go.”
“But—” She stood with me, her hands twisting around each other. “Emma.”
I put my glass of wine back onto the counter. It was still as full as when I poured it. I grabbed my purse and went to the door.
“Emma, please.”
I whipped around. “What do you want? You know who Carter is—”
“He’s out.”
“You know what I did!” Me. This was about me, too. “Ben. You know, Amanda.”
The pink in her cheeks fled, and she turned pale, so pale. “I swear I’m not going to say anything to him. I can’t. I told you to kill him. Me. I did that. I told you, Emma.”
“What are you going to say to Theresa?”
Theresa had never been okay with Ben’s murder. We’d all been concerned about her loyalty, but Noah kept her in check. She hadn’t said a word, but with Amanda going to the legal side of the law…I wasn’t sure what Theresa would do.
“Nothing. She has no idea. The few times I’ve slept at Brian’s have been when she was at Noah’s. I’ve always been back when she gets home. She doesn’t know.”
“Amanda.” There’d be a night when Theresa would come home early and find Amanda gone, even if she did eventually agree to move in with Noah. She’d find out. “She’s going to know, at some point. You’re not going to keep it a secret. What then?” My voice cracked as I realized I couldn’t trust either of the two friends I still had in my life. “Do I worry about her encouraging you to come clean? About throwing me under the bus?”
“What?” She sounded horrified. “No. My god, no, Emma. How could you—how could you think that of me?”
Because that was where this road was going. How could I be the only one to see it? “It doesn’t matter. It’s done. You love him, and I can see that you really do. I…” had to go. Without saying another word, I took my purse and left.
The hallway was so quiet. The building was quiet. It had never bothered me before, but I had never felt so alone as when I walked to the elevator and out the door. When I stepped outside, I remembered I hadn’t called ahead for the car.
Thomas materialized at my side.
It didn’t matter. They were already there anyway, and he opened the back door for me. I slid in, and when he started to get in beside me, I stopped him. “Please. Can I be alone?”
He pulled back, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but he nodded and shut the door. The front passenger door opened a moment later and I envisioned the three grown men squashed together on the other side of the barrier—the driver and the two guards together.
Another time, I would’ve grinned at that image, but not tonight.
I wasn’t paying attention to the drive, so when the car stopped and my door opened, I was surprised to find we weren’t in Carter’s basement garage. I stared at a private plane, the stairs already extended and waiting. I looked to Thomas. “What’s going on?”
“Carter called. He’d like for you to join him in New York.”
“Oh.” For a moment, I thought he might be coming down those stairs, and I’d be in his arms in a matter of seconds. Sweeping that disappointment aside, I nodded and started forward. “Okay. My clothes?”
“He’ll have clothes there for you.”
Of course. He provided for me. Everywhere. Always. I never needed to question that. I walked up the stairs, ducked inside the plane, and went to the back. As I curled into the bed, Thomas and another three guards took their seats. I didn’t question where the other guard had come from. They always appeared, but I had a feeling that Thomas had called Carter. He could tell I was upset. And instead of coming to me, Carter was having me flown to him.
It didn’t matter, however it came to be. I lay in the bed and closed my eyes, knowing I’d soon be in his arms. That was where I needed to be.
But I wasn’t going to tell him about Amanda. I couldn’t. I felt too scared of what he would do. Not yet. I promised myself that. Not yet. And as the plane started down the runway, I was able to sleep.
When I woke, Carter was sliding his arms underneath me and picking me up. He cradled me against his chest as he carried me from the plane and into the back of another car. Burrowing my head to his shoulder, I let the sleep overtake me, and it wasn’t long until I woke once more in an elevator. Then we were in a room, and he slid into bed behind me.
He pulled me once more to his chest.
“I love you,” I murmured.
He pressed a kiss to my forehead and said, “I love you, too. Sleep, Emma.”
