A Pound of Flesh (A Pound of Flesh #1)(203)

Slowly, Carter turned toward the door of the office, the sensation of the loaded gun blistering through his leather jacket.

“You’re leaving?” Max asked without inflection. “Just like that? You’re … You can’t. I need you here! Carter! CARTER!”

Carter reached for the handle. “I love you, brother, but I have to think of Kat now.” He shook his head. “You’re better than this shit.” He pulled the door open. “When will you realize that?”

“Carter, I—”

When Max stayed silent, Carter turned back. His mouth dropped open when he saw a tear fall down Max’s face. The Glock in his hand shook.

He gasped for breath. “You can’t leave. Everyone leaves me. Not you. I’m— It’s … Don’t. Fuck, man.”

The blood from Max’s broken nose dripped onto his T-shirt, and Carter was immediately remorseful. “I need help. It hurts.” They’d fought before, but never to the point where blood was spilled.

“I’m sorry I punched you, but—”

“No.” Max took a deep, shuddering breath. “My f*cking heart hurts.” He closed his eyes. “I’m … It kills me that she’s not here.”

Carter took a tentative step toward the crumbling man, afraid to say anything.

“Every day I wake up, and she’s not there,” Max continued. “And I feel like I’m dying all over again.” The gun in his hand dropped to the floor. “My baby, my son”—he gasped—“he would be … almost two. If he was … and she … and my mom’s gone, dad’s gone, and you’re with your girl. And what do I have?” He looked around himself, helpless. “I have hangovers and nightmares that … terrify me, and I can’t sleep. The coke … keeps me awake. It makes me forget for a while, and I can finally breathe.” He gripped his hair and sobbed. “And then I remember again, and I’m suffocating without her.” He groaned. “Christ, I miss her so f*cking much.”

[page]Carter’s chest cracked wide-open. “I know.”


He’d die without his Peaches. She possessed his heart. If she walked away from him or gave it back, it would surely destroy him.

“Oh God,” Max whimpered into his forearm. “What happened to me? I thought I’d forget, but I can’t find myself. I’m so f*cking lost. I mean … look at me. Make it stop, Carter. Please make it stop.”

Carter reached out and pulled him into a tight embrace as Max sobbed into his jacket. “Don’t leave me like she did. Help me,” Max begged. “You’re all I have left. Please. For Christ’s sake, help me.”

“I will,” Carter promised. “I swear I will, brother.”





EPILOGUE


A year later …

Shivering from the cold, Kat pushed the beach house door shut with her butt and trudged to the kitchen, where she heaved two sizeable grocery bags onto the counter. She pulled off her hat and gloves, unzipped her jacket, and made her way into the sitting room to find Carter slouched on the sofa, watching TV, chewing the ever-loving shit out of a toothpick.

Kat smiled, watching him. He’d given up smoking on his birthday in March, and now, nine months in, he hadn’t caved. She was incredibly proud of him.

Noticing her once the commercials came on, Carter looked up and smiled. “Hey, beautiful. How was your day?”

“Long, but great,” she replied. “The boys are really something. They’re really starting to listen to me. Look.” She held up a small silver key chain in the shape of a cat. “They gave me this for Christmas.”