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There’s nothing I hate more than a rat who gets away.
Imagining what I’ll do when I see him is the only thing keeping me from prowling the streets and hunting him down myself. That and the fact that I need to find a solution to my more immediate problem.
Lilian fucking McCoy.
I should’ve known she was more trouble than she was worth, and I should’ve taken care of it when I had the chance. Any restraint I have is growing less and less by the day.
With a slight shake of my head, I stand up straighter and allow my gaze to sweep over the room. “Call our contacts in the press. Get me someone on the phone who knows how to kill this story. Now.”
Everyone erupts into a frenzy of activity except for Tristan, who drifts closer to me. He waits until everyone else is occupied or gone before he leans against the counter opposite me. “What about a press release?”
“I’ve already spoken to Mitch. He’s looking for the legal repercussions of the article and trying to determine if a press conference will do more damage than good.”
“And the mayor?”
“Are you just going to stand there stating the fucking obvious? I don’t need a play-by-play, Tristan. I already know what’s at stake.”
And I know that containing this isn’t going to be easy. Between Lilian, the warring families, and now Donahue, we have our hands full. For the first time in a long time, I don’t know where the hell I’m supposed to start.
All I know is that I regret leaving Isabella in bed to come here.
I’m tempted to go back home, crawl into bed, and pull Isabella to me. I want the smell and feel of her to wash over me and keep everything else at bay.
But I know now isn’t the time to lose my focus. If we have any hope of fighting this off, the Blackthorne family needs every last part of me to be aware and present. And ready to bury our enemies.
It’s what I’m good at.
It’s one of the many reasons why I was chosen as the head of the Blackthorne family. After another brief pause, I unclench my hands and take my phone out of my pocket. “When you’re done, we have something else to take care of.”
“Got somewhere else you got to be?”
I give Tristan a cold look. “We know where Lilian is working. It’s high time I visited her boss and let him know who he’s dealing with.”
Tristan and I exchange a look as he pushes himself off the counter. “I’m ready whenever you are.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Isabella
“Sam, please don’t look at me like that.” I pick up another item of clothing and put it away. “I know what we talked about, and I know what we said…”
Sam sighs and sinks into the chair by the bedroom window. “I just don’t understand what changed.”
“Nothing changed. I just decided to give Carter the benefit of the doubt. He’s been keeping me safe, so I know he’ll keep the baby safe, too.”
He has to.
What other choice does he have? Unless he doesn’t want the baby to begin with.
Shit.
I’ve been trying not to wonder what would happen if he refuses to take responsibility and decides he doesn’t want to be a father after all. A part of me pictures Carter sweeping me into his arms and kissing me senseless when I tell him. The other part of me imagines Carter’s angry face as he moves away from me and paces.
I’m terrified to realize that I have no idea which way this is going to go. Or if I’m even going to be allowed to stay here if Carter decides he doesn’t want a baby.
Does he love me enough to keep me around? Or is he going to find an excuse to cast me out?
“Isabella, I’m asking you to reconsider, please.” Sam sits up straighter and links her fingers together. “I’m not telling you to keep it a secret from him or even leave him. I’m just asking that you go into hiding until the baby is older.”
