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CARTER
What should usually have taken an hour to get from the prison to Los Angeles ended up being only forty-two minutes. Emma still hadn’t answered any of my calls which terrified the absolute fuck out of me. Brooks drove us to Fightanium to see if she was there, and of course, nobody had seen her. We played it cool in front of her father and the others so they wouldn’t suspect something was wrong.
As luck would have it, Reagan mentioned that Emma was going to the beach by their parents’ house; my place wasn’t far. So that was where we were headed.
I couldn’t think straight without knowing Emma was okay. It was like my insides burned and twisted at the thought of something terrible happening to her.
“We’re almost to your house,” Brooks said, dragging me out of my thoughts. He sped down my road, and the tires screeched to a halt when he stopped in my driveway.
Heart thundering, I jumped out and slammed the door. “Are you coming?” I asked him through the window.
He shook his head. “I think it’s best we split up. I’ll call you if I find her.”
“Good idea.” I rushed inside and ran to my back door to get to the beach, but then something bright caught my eye. Emma was there, wearing a yellow tank top and denim shorts. She was sitting by the pool in one of the lounge chairs with her head in her hands. The level of relief that spread over me made the breath explode from my lungs. I shot a quick text to Brooks to tell him I’d found her.
Jerking the door open, I dashed outside, and it startled her, and she lifted her tear-streaked face to meet mine, a look of terror in her eyes. She gasped and jumped in my arms, squeezing me tightly as she cried.
“Thank fucking God you’re okay,” I said, holding her close. I didn’t want to let her go. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head against my chest. “No, I’m good, but it’s Scar. I know for sure he’s the one who sent the letter.”
“I know.”
Emma pushed away from me, her eyelids stretched wide as she studied my reaction. “Why do I get the feeling you already know something?”
It seemed we both had secrets of our own. Emma had a meeting with one of Scar’s men while I met with the devil himself. Cupping her cheeks, I wiped away her tears with my thumbs, desperate to kiss her. “Brooks and I went to see Scar today. He told me one of his guys was with you.”
Emma inhaled a stuttering breath and closed her eyes. “Carter, I’m sorry. I should’ve told you.”
I couldn’t wait any longer. I pressed my lips to hers, and Emma relaxed in my arms, moaning when I pushed my tongue against hers. “You don’t have to apologize,” I said, resting my forehead on hers. “I should’ve done the same.”
Eyes flashing open, Emma glanced around quickly. “We should go inside. It wouldn’t surprise me if someone’s watching us right now.”
Letting her go, I took her hand and led her inside. The second we were behind closed doors, I gripped the back of her neck, crushing her to me. She moaned into my mouth, and it fueled my hunger, but it also sparked my anger.
I broke from the kiss and held her protectively. “I want to know everything. Who the fuck was with you today?”
Emma clutched my T-shirt and dropped her head to my chest. “I think I need to know about your visit first.” She stepped back and stared up at me.
“What can I say?” I said with a shrug. “I went to see him to ask about you. But unfortunately, when he told me about your beach date, I lost it and got thrown out.”
Wrapping her arms around her stomach, Emma turned her back on me. “And because of that, you’re going to be right in the middle of this.”
I stared down the back of her body, at the muscles in her arms and legs. There was nothing weak about her. “I told Scar I got involved the second he came after you. Now, what did the guy want with you?”
“It’s not something you’ll want to hear,” she uttered, her voice tired.
I moved closer to her. “Tell me.”
Emma blew out a strangled sigh and faced me. “They want to use me to blackmail someone, and by blackmail, I mean turn me into a prostitute.” The second she said the word prostitute, all I could see was red. Fists clenched tight, my nails dug into my skin, drawing blood. Frustrated, Emma threw her hands in the air. “The goal is to ruin that guy’s life, taint my career, and add scandal and embarrassment to my family’s name. The guy who met me, Nikolai, said he’ll go after my sister if I don’t do it. And then, if she doesn’t agree, they’ll kill my parents.” Her lips trembled. “He didn’t say those exact words, but I could see it in his eyes. My dad will go after Scar and get himself killed if I do this. I’ll lose everything.” Tears filled her eyes. “This is Scar’s revenge, but it’s only the beginning. He’s not going to stop at just me. My father isn’t the only one he wants to hurt.” She threw her arms in the air again. “What am I going to do? My family’s in danger no matter what choice I make.”
Grabbing her hands, I pulled her in close. “No one’s going to hurt you or your family, Emma. We’re going to figure this out.” I could see the torment in her eyes.
“I only have two days, Carter. Nikolai’s picking me up Friday night to meet with Scar.”
“Fuck that,” I snapped. “You’re staying with me. Where you go, I go.”
Eyes wild, Emma shook her head. “They’ll kill you. I can’t lose you too.”
