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“I love you too,” she whispers, a soft pink blush coming to her cheeks, and my eyes water again because this is the first man she has ever uttered those words to. A lone tear finally escapes my eye and runs down my cheek. Carter stands still, in shock for a moment, before looking at me and then back to Ivy. He walks to her, sitting on the bed beside her, and she jumps up and into his arms, his holding her tight.
“I got you, Ivy. I will look after you and your mom from now on, okay?” he says quietly to her, and I see her nod against his shoulder.
***
Ivy and I spent our entire morning and afternoon lying under blankets with Annie, Goldie, Ian, and Maggie as we dissected the night. Ivy has slept on and off, the drugs still making their way through her system, and after eating three donuts, she passed out from a food coma, barely stirring since.
Annie is an amazing cook, and she and Goldie have made me feel so welcomed into this new apartment and new life, of which I continue to uncover more about Carter as the day goes on.
“So…” Maggie says, looking quickly at Ivy to ensure she is still asleep. “You mentioned Dad before, but do we know anything about Daniel? Is he… I mean, is he still...” Her voice tapers off, not knowing how to ask the question. Is he is dead or alive?
“If he is not, he should be...” Ian says, still very protective of me, which I adore.
I take in a deep breath and shrug because I have no words, and I have no idea.
“The boys do what they need to do,” Goldie says to us. “They are fair, but they are firm, and from what I know, Daniel,” she pauses, looking at me before progressing, “your father, and Brian Cole have all been trying to take business and many other things from us. So this fight is not just for you, Cat; they are fighting for the family on this as well. While I know Carter is angry, Sebastian, Dante, and Nico are equally angry, so you should in no way feel any guilt about what happens to him.”
“After everything they have done to you, I can’t imagine Carter will go easy on them, though…” Annie pipes up. “If it was Dante and I, then Dante would rip the world apart to avenge me.” Whilst I don’t like talking about it, not ever wanting to cause anyone harm, it is new for me to have a man who will burn the world down to protect me. It makes me feel strong, secure, like I am his everything.
“He is an asshole who deserves everything he gets,” Ian murmurs, and as I look at him, I know he is firmly team Carter all the way.
Not really wanting to talk about it anymore, I remain silent and continue to stroke Ivy’s hair. What do I want Carter to be doing to Daniel? What do the mob do exactly? Can I be with a man who killed my father? Who might kill Ivy’s father? It all feels overwhelming as I think about it. As a medical professional, I am taught from an early age to do anything I can to save a life, so the idea of being the reason someone loses theirs doesn’t sit well with me.
But they weren’t really fathers and having the same blood does not equal a family. They didn’t care. About me, about Ivy, about anyone other than themselves. They only care about their bank account and their status. Whether death comes to Daniel or not, I know that I am always safe, always protected and that makes me calm and brings me peace. So I trust Carter. I trust him to make the decision for me and I will live with the decision he makes just fine.
As we all continue to chatter, Annie giving me cooking tips and Goldie helping fill in the gaps I have about mob family lifestyles, the door opens, and Carter comes in. I watch him from the moment he enters, his clothes straight and clean, his eyes tired but focused. He walks into the room and bends down, kissing Ivy on the forehead and nodding to the ladies before he comes to embrace me. Kissing me on the lips, taking his time, and I hear the girls shuffle and start the conversation again, obviously not wanting to see our display of affection.
Pulling away slightly, our noses nearly touching, he whispers to me, “You don’t have to worry about him anymore, Cat.” And I know Daniel’s life is now over. I remain silent, but nod, and then search his eyes. “What about his father?” Brian Cole is a man who will not stand to see his son and best friend now gone.
“Sebastian and Nico are dealing with him. You don't have to worry anymore. You are free, your fight is over, baby.” As he presses his lips to mine again, the remaining weight lifts from my shoulders.
My fight is now over.
Catherine - six months later
With Ivy concentrating on her schoolwork at my desk, I wrap the hands of a young fighter in the medical clinic at the gym.
“There, you should be all good to go!” I say as I snap off the tape and make sure it is secured.
“Thanks, Doc,” the kid says, giving me a half smile as he jumps off the bed and saunters out the door.
I watch him go. He is new, and a little quiet, but Carter has been working with him. Apparently, he has a lot of aggression and a lot of fighting potential. No doubt another boy who Carter will take under his wing, his list of kids now growing every day. Carter has changed a lot over the past few months. He helps every single kid that walks in through these doors, and I feel like my healing experience has rubbed off on him. He now leaves all his dark work in New York, preferring to keep Philly for family.
My eyes flick back to Ivy. After a few rough months, she has been going really well. Working hard at school and playing soccer again, hanging out with Abby, and making lots of new friends, but she is very quiet today, hardly looking at me, so I know something is up.
Dad’s funeral happened within two days of the incident. I played the role of grieving daughter, as did Maggie, even though we were anything but. The who’s who of New York came, and it was a long and exhausting day. Ivy didn't want to come, so she stayed at the compound with Carter and Abby as Maggie and I leaned on each other, her husband also tagging along, helping us field questions and keep people away from us when needed.
We heard all the whispers, of course. How terrible it was that intruders robbed his home and left him and Daniel for dead. The police are still on the hunt for them, since the security cameras and guards could not provide any evidence. At the time, questions were also raised about Daniel. One night, we were the sparkling new couple on the New York scene, and the next, I was the grieving daughter and fiancée, losing both men tragically.
Daniel’s father held a funeral for him, which I didn't attend, citing exhaustion and grief. However, that day, Carter had Ivy and I on a private plane out of the city and back to Philly, where we stayed indoors, laid low and learned how to process what had happened. I still don’t ask questions of the inner workings of the mob, but I know that whatever Sebastian and the boys have done, it is working, because I never saw or heard from Daniel's father again. He steers clear of me, my name is kept out of every media article, and his troubles are increasing, with his various businesses collapsing. He is fighting a losing battle for the first time in his life, and I don’t care one bit.
But my heart bleeds for his daughter. Ivy’s Aunt Emilia, who I need to reach out to, because she really has no one else.
Carter has been with Ivy and I every day ever since.
He is still a mafia man, still visits New York frequently, still works with Sebastian and the others. Sometimes Ivy and I go with him, and we get to spend time with Annie and Goldie while we’re there. He is protective of us, and that is something that will never change, but he is softer. He has mellowed, and our life is a master class of domesticity, but we both love it.
About a month after the incident, I remembered something my father said before he pulled the trigger that night. About how I looked like my mother before she died. It stuck in my mind, and I mentioned it to Carter. It appears that when Sebastian and Carter investigated, we found out my mother’s death wasn’t an accident either. But rather, it was made to look like one. My father no longer needing her once she finished being of use to him in whatever business plans he had at the time.
