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“How did you like the property?” Rich asks, steeping his teabag into his mug. “It’s a big place, right? Lots of options for you to tinker with.”
“Yeah, I suppose so,” Carter admits. “I’m just wary.”
“About what?”
“Going into business with you,” I whisper, reading the hesitation on Carter’s handsome features.
My lover nods in agreement. “It’s too close to the business we tried to strike with Lacey. I just needed a simple money launderer into the campaign. Now I’ve got an ex-cop as mayor and a twin brother to my rival coming in here at six in the morning to be alone with the woman I love. Don’t take it personally that I don’t trust you, Donahue. But I don’t.”
“Understandable,” Rich says, not showing an ounce of being offended. “I sincerely have no ill will toward anyone here. I’m trying to fund my mother’s treatment, that’s all. My other option is to sell it to the city and have them auction it for pennies. This way, we can work with one another, Carter. If you need something, then me and my resources can step in, and vice versa.”
Carter holds me tighter, his once furious demeanor now softened in his light touch. “I’m not sure about this. I’d like to say I agree, but I think I need to run it past the rest of my family.” He hesitates, looking deeply into my eyes. “What do you say, dove?”
I swallow hard. “What?”
“I want you to tell me what you think. Should we take this deal?”
I look at Rich, seeing a person that is in a position too similar to mine. He wants to care for his mother, just like I did everything in my power to look after my father. If I needed something to help fund treatment, I would have sought help from wherever possible.
“I think you should,” I mutter. “He doesn’t seem like he has bad intentions. Plus, with Killian taking office this week, we will need someone on our side who understands the business.”
Carter’s features are sad, but he nods and presses a kiss into my cheek anyway. “Alright, then it’s settled. Looks like we’re in business, Rich.”
“So great to hear,” Donahue breathes. “I’m very happy to hear this. We can have the construction crews out there by this weekend.”
“I’ll write you a check,” Carter replies. “But that will be in a day or two. I haven’t slept in nearly two days, and I need to retire for the rest of the day.”
“I’ll show you out,” I hum.
Rich sets his teacup in the sink on the way out, tipping his head toward me while I hike the front door open to the blue sky outside. There are a couple joggers on the sidewalks already, waking up to the morning, and they look to be Anita’s friends in tight pants and tall ponytails. They give me the look I was hoping to avoid by letting Rich inside earlier, and it looks like I avoided it for nothing.
“Thank you for this,” Rich says, lingering on the front porch. “I think going into business together will be the best thing possible for both families.”
“I hope so,” I whisper. “Hey, good luck with your mother. I hope she gets better.”
His smile grows. “Thank you, Isabella. Good luck with your father. I hope the same.”
“Me too.”
I shut the door softly, biting down a warm grin as I turn and meet Carter’s eyes from the stairs. It’s clear that his ferocity was bedded down for the sake of our company, but it’s clear now that he’s not too happy with how I stepped in to defend Rich Donahue.
He holds onto the banister halfway up the stairs, giving me a look that I know all too well.
“Come on, dove. Let’s sort this out,” he says.
I hesitate to move from the foyer, not sure if my ass is ready to be greeted by that damn belt. “I don’t want to be punished, Carter. I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“He had his hand nearly on your ass, Bella. I walk in here before sunrise to see you in our kitchen with another man. How is that fair?”
“Tell me about Lilian,” I fire back. “Since we’re striving to talk about what’sfair.”
He comes down a few steps, looking through me like I’m glass. “Dove, what are you implying.”
“She looks like Brooke,” I bite. “So I just want to know the truth. Is she someone that you slept with?”
“I told you that already,” he groans. “We talked about this at the hospital, and I told you the truth.”
“No, you didn’t!”
