Carter Reed 2 (Carter Reed #2)(67)

I snuck away, but as I did, I glanced over my shoulder. Brian was ducking Amanda’s tickling hands and watching me. We shared a look. I wasn’t sure what message was in it, but he nodded and started tickling Amanda all over again.

He was distracting her so I could go.

I got to the front door, where I was able to read my text message.

There are men downstairs for you.

I frowned. It wasn’t a number I recognized. Carter?

A second passed.

Another.

Then my phone buzzed again. This is Cole. Carter is coming here.

I stared at it for a moment. That was odd. Why didn’t he—

“Is that Carter?”

Brian stood behind me, his head tilted to the side, hands in his pockets. When I kept staring at him, he bobbed his head forward, indicating my phone. “I just know there’s not much that would pull you away from Amanda and Theresa.”

I narrowed my eyes. What did he mean by that?

He backed up a step and held his hands up. “Again. Wow.” He scratched behind his ear. “I can interrogate a serial killer, but you, you scare the crap out of me.”

I did?

“I just…” He closed his eyes and his head fell back. He groaned, then stared at the ceiling for a moment. “Man. What is it now? Three for three? Four for four? I’m striking out all over with you. Four walks, and I gave a run away. I’m going into foul territory.”

I could hear Amanda and Theresa laughing in the kitchen. Whatever feelings I had for this guy, I had to put them aside. I gestured to them and said, “That sound.”

He looked at me, traces of a frown on his face.

Amanda laughed again.

“Right there,” I said. “She’s happy.”

“Because of you—”

I shook my head. “No, because of you. Yes, I hate that you’re a cop. You know why. We all do. But she loves you, and I love her, and that’s what matters.”

“Yeah,” he murmured. “I’m not like normal people, Emma. I can read the small print. She’s happy. You’re happy that she’s happy, but I’m a cop. I’m with her. You’re with a criminal. I know that you’re going to pull away. You have to. I get it. I do. Carter Reed is your number one, and no matter how we try to make things sound pretty, the bottom line is that—”

I didn’t need him to say it. I said it for both of us. “—you’re a cop.”

“Yeah.”

“She doesn’t sound like that when it’s just me around,” I told him.

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. It’s you. I love her like a sister. I do. But you’re going to be her family. Not me.” I held my phone up. “I have my family waiting for me. I have to go.”

“Brian! She’s still in the bathroom?” Theresa yelled from the kitchen.

I was leaving without saying good-bye. Again. In so many ways, this was wrong, but having to say good-bye to them again? They wouldn’t understand. I didn’t know how to explain it, but this was right. It had to be.

Amanda was happy. The reason for it meant I had to go now.

“They won’t understand why I’m leaving again,” I whispered hoarsely.

“They will.”

I held his gaze, a lump forming in my throat.

“They just don’t want to admit it to themselves, but they know why. They’d do it, too.”

“I’m being comforted by the reason I’m leaving.” I flashed him a rueful smile. “There’s gotta be irony there.”

He chuckled. “You would’ve left whether I was here or not. Amanda and Theresa talk about you a lot. I’d like to think I’ve gotten a pretty good feel for what kind of person you are, and you would’ve gone anyway, for them because you know the less they’re around you, the less they’re involved with that life.”

He was right. I felt a tear slipping down my face again, but I had to leave. I had no words. And I didn’t think I could talk anyway, so I turned and went.

I had no idea how I made it downstairs and into the waiting car. I got in, huddled in the corner, and bent my head down. I couldn’t keep the tears at bay anymore.

The car stopped, and my door opened. But when I got out, I wasn’t at Carter’s place. I stared up at a three-story brick mansion. Two large, white posts flanked the front door, stretching all the way to the roof. I glanced around me. Three large men now stood by the car, waiting for me to enter the house. They wore black winter coats and stoic expressions. The guy closest to me was still holding the car door, but he stared straight ahead. None of them made eye contact with me. It was like they were robots.

At that thought, a shiver went down my spine, but I was locked in. A brick wall surrounded the house, and a thick wrought-iron gate had closed at the end of the driveway. I couldn’t scale it, and I didn’t think I could climb over the wall either.

“You work for Cole Mauricio?” I asked them.

No answer. No one moved. Nothing. I shivered again, and a sick feeling formed in my stomach. I swallowed. This wasn’t good. Wetting my lips, I started to get back in the car. Now the guy moved. He reached around the door and grabbed my arm as another guard rounded the back of the vehicle to help him.

I froze. My heart pounded against my chest. “Uh. I’d like to go back. Is Carter here?”