AllFreeNovel
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She frowns at that. “We’ll discuss that later,” she murmurs. She stares at the money in her hands. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to do something stupid. This time, the money will last all night.”
I quirk an eyebrow. “This time?”
She shakes her head. “It’s nothing. I’ll tell you later.”
From her expression, I don’t think it’s nothing, but I drop it. “Thank you for doing this.” A sudden need to touch her courses through me, and I graze her cheek with my fingertips. “If anything feels off, get out of there and call me. I’ll be there in two minutes.”
She tilts her head and surveys me with her dark eyes. “Are you expecting trouble?”
“No. Doesn’t mean I’m not prepared for it.”
Her lips tilt up in a grin. “Is it wrong that I find that hot?” She gives me a hug. Her scent washes over me. For a few seconds, my worries recede and all that remains is the feel of her body in my arms. “Don’t worry, Carter. I’ve played in underground poker rooms all my life. I’m a veteran. I’ve got this.”
Think about Noah,I tell myself fiercely. Think about tucking him back in his own bed, safe and sound, with his teddy bear Graham at his side, and the floor of his room covered in little sharp Lego pieces.
The elevator stops at the third floor. The doors slide open. I need to get out so that Gabby can continue down to the lobby, the cloak-and-dagger routine necessary so no one can connect us.
It’s painfully hard to make myself step out.
The doors are sliding shut when her voice stops me. “Hey, Carter?”
I stick my hand between the doors to stop them from closing. “Yeah?”
Her expression is serious, but her eyes are kind. “I asked both you and Dominic for a photo of Ed,” she says softly. “You sent me a mugshot.” She hands me her phone. “Dominic sent me this.”
I stare at the screen. The picture was taken on Noah’s birthday, two months ago. Ed and I had called a temporary truce, for Noah’s sake. I’d thrown a party at the local arcade, and Noah had invited all his classmates.
Noah is holding Ed’s hand in the photo. He’s standing in front of his birthday cake, and he’s beaming at the camera, a giant smile on his face. He looks happy. Thrilled. I stare at the picture, and it feels like someone’s squeezing my heart.
She bites her lower lip. “It’s none of my business, I know. You can tell me to butt out. But when I look at this photo, I see a kid surrounded by people who love him.” She takes the phone from me, her warm fingers grazing mine. “I’ll spy on Ed for you. But Carter, what’s the end game here? If I catch him drinking, then what? You go to the judge, she gives you sole custody, and your nephew is left once again without a father. Is that what you really want?”
I’m not ready to answer her questions, any more than I’m ready to answer Dominic’s. I withdraw my hand from between the elevator doors. “I’ll be close by,” I repeat. “If you need anything, call me. I’m here for you. Anything at all.”
