Page 83 of Cruel Dominion

“We’re still waiting for an explanation, Carter.”

I caught Summer mouthing something to Anna that looked like he’s hot, but she schooled herself the instant she felt me looking, studiously looking anywhere else.

The weight of the gun tucked in the back of my pants from the Aston’s glove compartment grounded me as I stalked to the wide bay windows and peered outside.

The others whispered in my absence as I pulled my phone to my ear and dialed Paulson, alternating between checking the parking area and the broken door for any sign of approaching mercenaries.

Paulson answered on the first ring like a good dog. “Status?”

“We have a tail on them in midtown. We’ll have them within the hour.”

I sagged.

“Want us to dispose?—”

“No,” I hissed. “I’ll do it myself.”

I pocketed the cell and went to the kitchen island, making James and Summer disperse as I pulled Anna’s portfolio together and gathered the rest of her things into her bag.

“Grab anything else you brought,” I said. “We’re leaving.”

“Anna?” Summer hedged, her voice growing higher in pitch. “This isn’t the guy from St. L?—”

My girl shook her head, rushing over to snatch her bag and camera from my hands. “No, Summer, everything’s fine. Like I said, this one just has no manners.”

“Does this one have a name?”

“Carter Cole,” James supplied, reading it off the business card between his fingers.

“Why does that sound so familiar?” Summer mused and then her eyes brightened and her lips popped open. “Oh my god, this isn’t the one that?—”

“Summer,” Anna warned.

Summer squealed, completely unaware that if I didn’t have a veritable army out there scaring off every mercenary aiming to claim the bounty on my girl, they’d be dealing with a very different sort of villain right now.

“I thought you said he was?—”

“Summer!”

She mimed zipping her lips, but made a gesture at Anna holding her hands about nine inches apart with a wince and despite myself, I almost laughed.

So she had told someone about me.

Or at least one part of me.

She didn’t meet her friend’s eyes as she huffed, hitching her bag higher on her shoulder. “James, thank you so much for the amazing breakfast.”

Wait. This fucker cooked for her?

“And Summer, I’ll have the photos from the shoot fully edited and in your inbox as soon as I can.”

“Okay, yeah, no rush. Are you sure you’re good going with?—”

“Yeah,” Anna rushed to say as I caught her elbow between my fingers and started to drag her to the door with me, helping her step over the broken pieces despite her trying to pull from my grasp. “I’m totally fine. Sorry about this again, by the way. Buy a really, really expensive door, James, he can afford it.”

There’s my girl.

“You take care of my girl, Carter Cole,” Summer called after me. “If you break her heart again, girl code says I get to key your car and slash your tires.”

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