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Goddamn it.
I hate it when Tristan is right.
“The only reason we’re still around, the only reason the Blackthornes are worth anything, is because of you,” Tristan adds in a quieter voice. “You and I both know that. You don’t turn your back on family.”
No matter what.
Without me, the Blackthornes won’t survive for long, and Tristan isn’t the only one who knows it.
I have to stay, but for a few brief minutes, as we stand across from each other, listening to the garbled voice over the speaker, I contemplate what it would be like to leave.
For the first time in my life, I wonder if I can build a life for myself that has nothing to do with the Blackthornes or the family business.
And I imagine it all with Isabella by my side.
I can picture it as clear as day.
But when Tristan clears his throat, bringing me back to the present with a jolt, I push all those thoughts away and give him a nod. He and I both know I’m not going to walk away from the empire I helped build, not if I can help it.
I’ll just have to do a better job of keeping Bella safe.
For her sake and mine.
Chapter Thirty
Isabella
I lick my dry lips. “Do you know where Carter is?”
The nurse in the room checks the IV drip and gives it a firm shake. Then she peers at it, her dark eyes giving nothing away. “I haven’t seen Mr. Blackthorne in a few hours, Ms. Julis.”
I sink back against the bed and twist a loose thread between my fingers. When she’s done checking the drip, I look back at the dark-haired nurse with some silver in her hair and sigh. “Do you have any idea when I can leave?”
“Once you’re done with the IV drip, I can ask them to prepare the discharge papers for you,” she replies, pausing to write something down on the clipboard. “Are you sure you’re feeling well enough? You can stay for another night if you like.”
But I’ve already been here for three days, and I’m itching to go back home.
Back to the penthouse I share with Carter, where the world feels like a million miles away, and nothing bad can touch us. Slowly, I sit up straighter, the covers falling to my waist, and clear my throat. “Actually, I feel better. Can you get the discharge papers ready for me?”
I want to surprise Carter by showing up at his door.
Even though I have no idea how I’m going to do that yet.
The nurse nods, adjusts something in the IV drip, and takes a step back. Without responding, she leaves the room, and the door clicks shut behind her. As soon as I’m sure I’m alone, I get up and stretch my arms over my head, a yawn passing through my lips. When I’m done, I step into the bathroom, pausing to pick the bag up off the floor. Slowly, I set it down on the counter, unzip the flap, and let it fall open with a soft banging sound.
Carter has packed an assortment of things, including a set of racy lingerie that makes me blush.
With a smile, I hold them up to the mirror and imagine his hands all over me, making every inch of my body shiver in anticipation. Humming to myself, I step into the shower and wait for steam to fill the bathroom. When I come back out, I pat myself dry and rake my fingers through my hair. In the room, my phone is vibrating incessantly and falls onto the bed.
As soon as I pick it up, the world spins and falls into the background.
I perch on the edge of the bed and read the brief article about Carter and Lilian, and bile rises to the back of my throat. Frowning, I read the article one more time, tears pricking the back of my eyes. Then, I scroll through my contacts and dial Carter’s number. It rings a few times before going straight to voicemail. Panic and fear bubble up within me as I try Carter a second and third time.
But he remains out of reach.
And I start to pace the room, wondering if the article is true.
I’ve already seen the picture of Carter in our playroom at the club, with Lilian scantily clad in my lingerie. Although I don’t want to keep picturing it, I keep replaying the scene in my head, this time imagining the two of them on the couch in the corner, doing all sorts of things to each other while the lights are dim and soft music plays in the background.
