A Pound of Flesh (A Pound of Flesh #1)(187)

Nana Boo’s face lit with an admiring smile, despite Carter wanting nothing more than the floor to swallow his ass whole. She placed her palm on his arm and rubbed it, coaxing his eyes back to hers. The warmth of her gaze and the tenderness in her touch filled Carter with nostalgic hope and love. For one split second, he was seven years old again.

“Thank you for the apology. But there really is no need. As long as you and Kat are fine, then I’m happy.”

“We are fine,” Kat said, moving closer to Carter’s side.

He could have easily lost himself in Kat’s gorgeous eyes, and he would have done so quite happily had it not been for the unexpected sound of a clearing throat that reverberated around the cavernous lobby like a vicious snarl. Kat’s stare snapped instantly to her right, but Carter kept his front and center, tracing the delicate curve of his Peaches’ face. He didn’t need to look; he knew who it was and what to expect when he did.

The silence was about as comfortable as a quilt of glass, and everyone under it became unnaturally still. Even Nana Boo, normally so vibrant and full of life, remained motionless.

“What the hell is this?” Eva asked contemptuously.

Carter blinked slowly, lifting his head to face the woman he was there to see. She was standing in the living room doorway, looking spectacularly pretty and ageless in a pair of black jeans and a gray sweater. A tall man with dark hair and a Yankees hoodie stood behind her. He placed his hand on Eva’s shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. Eva scowled at Carter, folding her arms across her chest. Her face was angry, defensive, but surrounding all of that were the markings of hope.

If she was hopeful, he’d cling on to that f*cker like a vise. He could use it to his advantage. He could turn that hope into understanding. That’s all he could ask for. He didn’t need her blessing or her acceptance. He just needed her to understand.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Eva asked sharply.

Carter gripped Kat’s arm, halting her retort in its tracks. Her furious eyes searched his face.

“It’s okay,” he said.

“I invited them here,” Nana Boo answered, lifting her chin toward Eva, daring her daughter to question her actions.

Carter removed his hand from Kat’s and stepped forward. Eva watched him carefully as he approached. The man behind her, whom Carter knew to be Harrison, stepped to her side, a subtle move that told Carter to watch his step. Eva’s face betrayed no emotion when Carter reached her, stopping just two feet away. But, when he held his hand out between them for her to take, a flash of disbelief shot across her features.

“Hello,” Carter croaked. He cleared his throat in annoyance, but kept his eyes on Eva’s. “I’m Wes Carter.”

The walls of the room seemed to bend and strain under the tension that emanated from everyone around Carter, including Eva, who still hadn’t taken his hand. He kept it there, though, determined to show he was no *, even though his insides were ready to bust out of his ass and run for the hills.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” he added when the silence became stifling.

Eva’s stare was intense and downright bewildered. Carter wasn’t sure whether she thought him to be completely insane or genuinely stupid. At that point, he’d have personally gone for the latter. She glanced toward her daughter.

“Did Katherine put you up to this?”

“No!” Kat shot back from behind Carter before he could take a breath. “I didn’t. And I can’t believe you’re just standing there and ignoring his attempts at civility like a—”