Carter Reed(75)

Amanda turned to me.

My heart melted. She looked lost and fragile. It was a six-year-old version of my friend that stood in that doorway. I nodded. I already knew what she needed. “I’ll pack a bag. I’ll bring it with me.”

Theresa chewed on her lip as she eyed Carter up and down. “That might be awhile, but I remember that there were other clothes at that place. We can use something there until you come.”

When they left, Amanda held my gaze the entire way. At the last second, before Theresa pulled her through the door, she glanced at Ben who was still unconscious on the ground. She hardened then and stopped in her tracks. She gazed down at him, almost in a sad way though. “I know what he did. He told me.”

Theresa whirled back to face me. I knew she was unsure what to do. But I knew. I stepped forward and touched Amanda’s hand. “Did he tell you that she was pregnant?”

“She was?”

I nodded. Everything seemed so bleak. Mallory shouldn’t have died the way she did. I should’ve saved her, but I didn’t know. Carter was right. I hadn’t known. “They think it was Dunvan’s baby.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered.” Amanda was insistent. “It wouldn’t have mattered, not to Mallory. She would’ve loved that baby so much. I bet she was happy when she found out. She wasn’t alone. She had someone to love...” She grasped my arm tightly. “Make him pay. I don’t care if he was our friend. He killed her. You make him pay, Emma.”

“I—”

“Promise,” she hissed.

Carter took her hand from my arm and transferred her to Theresa again. He moved so he stood between us. “Take her to the safe house. Emma will follow in a few hours.”

Amanda’s eyes still held mine as Theresa dragged her out. “Promise, Emma. Promise!”

Mike was in the hallway. He reached to close the door, but his eyes flashed me an apology before he did.

I was frozen once they were gone. A new storm had been awakened inside of me. Amanda wanted vengeance, but didn’t she understand that I was the one who messed up. I brought Mallory to him.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

“Emma.”

I looked up. Carter had been watching me. He had an unreadable mask over him again. I shivered as I knew I was in the room with the Cold Killer again. He gestured to Ben. “What do you want?”

I licked my dry lips. “What do you mean?”

“What do you think?” He kicked Ben’s feet. “This is your decision. What do you want done?”

“I...”

The memory of walking into my apartment rushed back to me. I was back there, all over again as Dunvan was raping Mallory. She was whimpering, trying to fight, but he only hurt her more. He wouldn’t stop. So I had to do it.

I made the decision then. I wasn’t sure if I could make it again.

“Carter,” I rasped out. “I...”

“What do you think would’ve happened to Theresa had she talked?”

My eyes snapped to his. A surge of possession rose in me. “That was different. That was you. This is-”

“He’s already killed her. He sold you out and then he got out of Dodge. Franco got him hooked. I bet he needed something to take the edge off, he was ramped up from selling you out and everything. Franco gave him something, said it was free and it’d calm him down. Stupid shit. He was hooked after that. When he wakes up, he’ll be off his high. You’re going to have a different Ben then. He’s going to be crying. He’s going to be begging for your forgiveness. What are you going to do?”

I flinched from his tone. “Why are you talking to me like this?” He was so harsh.

Carter reached down and dragged Ben further inside. He threw him into the middle of the living room. “Because when he wakes up, he’s still going to be the son of a bitch that killed your friend. He came here for a reason. Why do you think he came here?”

“I...” I shook my head. I didn’t want to know. I really didn’t. “He’s sick, Carter.”

“Yeah,” he laughed. It was an ugly sound. “He is, but he’s smart. He’s a survivor, Emma. He survived that whole situation with Franco breathing down his back. He prospered, getting money out of the deal. What does that tell you?”

“Stop it.”

“No. You need to see the real Ben. He’s going to wake up, blubbering like a baby and you can’t buy into it. He’ll say a lot of pretty words, how he’s sorry for what did he do to his woman, but you can’t fold. I’m trying to help you see the real Ben here.”

I turned away, but he was there. He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me over Ben’s body. I tried kicking, but he shifted his hold so I couldn’t move anymore.

His voice came from behind my ear. “You need to stop blaming yourself for everything that happens to your friends. You need to know what kind of animal this guy really was. Now look at him. Look at him, Emma.”

I refused.

He jerked my head down. Fine. If this is what he wanted, fine. I didn’t see anything, just Ben. He was unconscious, but I couldn’t shake the image of his wild eyes. He wasn’t moving. He was just lying there.

Carter held me tighter. “What do you see, Emma?”

“Nothing. Him.”