Page 25 of Carter's Battle

Carter nudged his hip into Mia’s “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”

Mia swallowed. “C-Carter,” she said and then cleared her throat. “This is my uncle, Makaio Hale.”

Carter kept his face bland while his heart about galloped out of his chest. Queasiness erupted once his stomach hit his knees.

The man Bobby wanted to replace was Mia’s uncle?

Holy Shit!He hadn’t seen this coming, not in any way, shape, or form. He glanced at Mia’s white face. Carter needed to get her out of here and then she’d better start talking ’cause things just went sideways from where he was standing, and he wasn’t sure if he could protect her anymore.

CHAPTER 14

Mia’s handshook as she drank deeply from her wine glass before setting it down on her counter and facing Carter. “I know you must have a lot of questions, but I need a minute.”

She hadn’t seen her uncle in years. His popping up like…like some creepy clown in a horror movie freaked her out. Except, this wasn’t a movie theater, and she couldn’t get up and walk out.

Carter crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the fridge. “I let you put me off during the entire ride back here. If you’re trying to make up some kind of lie and it hasn’t come to you yet, then another minute isn’t going to help.”

Mia’s heart stuttered. His face was so serious, as if he really believed she’d set him up somehow. “That’s not fair.”

“Really? Your uncle is the kingpin of the gambling world on the Big Island, and you didn’t think to mention that to me? That’s what I’d classify as not fair. I said I would help you with Bobby. Did you not tell me because you were afraid that I wouldn’t help you if I knew about your uncle? Or is this all just some big setup to get me involved in this shit so you can screw with me?”

“If you remember, you insisted on helping me. I never asked. And I sure as hell wouldn’t screw with you.” Breathing hurt as Mia tried to get the words out. How the hell was she supposed to explain? How was she going to get him to believe her? She took another gulp of wine. “I’ll tell you the whole thing just…just give me a minute.” She ran shaking hands over her face. Since seeing him, her lungs had forgotten how to work, and each breath was a struggle. Running into her uncle had made her parents’ deaths fresh.

“Look, Carter…” she licked her dry lips. “My uncle…I didn’t know okay? I mean I knew he was bad news. He’s been involved with organized crime forever. But I had no idea he had taken over the whole gambling thing. The last time I was involved, it was Bobby.” She put a hand over her heart.

The muscle in Carter’s jaw pulsed as he stared at her. “And you didn’t think to give me the heads up that your uncle was a crime boss?”

Mia’s stomach twisted into knots as she stared at her wine. Forget the glass, she wanted to down the bottle. “No, I didn’t.” She let out a long sigh. “He’s my mother’s brother. They had a falling out a long time ago. My mom always said that her brother was jealous of her relationship with their father. My grandfather apparently loved my mother more, or at least that was what everyone thought, including Uncle Makaio. That was… He was incensed about it.”

She stood and started pacing, suddenly unable to sit still. “The only time he came to the house was when my grandfather was visiting. He would come, have tea or a meal and then leave again. It was awful. Full of tension that, even as a kid, I picked up on. Once my grandfather died, my uncle never came back.

“I didn’t know anything about him being involved in organized crime until I started gambling. I had no idea about any of it until the day my parents staged an intervention. Mymother told me then about Uncle Makaio, that he was involved in organized crime, and she was worried I would somehow get pulled into that life if I kept running with the gambling crowd. She was extremely upset and worried about it. Her story had the desired effect. I stopped immediately.”

She turned and met Carter’s gaze. “I truly had no idea he was behind the gambling scene, Carter. I haven’t seen him in years. He didn’t even attend my parents’ funeral. I just blocked him from my mind. It never occurred to me that he was involved.” She tapped her heart again. “I would have mentioned it. I swear I would’ve.”

Carter’s continued silence made Mia want to scream. “Look, if you want out, then just leave. You don’t have to be involved in this. You never did. You insisted I needed your help. That’s on you. If you’re done, then just get out.” She waved her arms toward the door. “I don’t need this shit on top of everything else.”

“I’m not leaving.” Carter’s voice was calm, cold even, and the pulse still jumped in his jaw.

Mia frowned and resumed pacing. “What do you want then? An apology? I’m sorry. I really am. I just…blocked out everything about my uncle. I met him a total of three times in my entire life before tonight. No one even knows we’re related. My mother was always embarrassed by him, and he hated her, so it wasn’t like they told anyone. They grew up on Oahu, meaning there weren’t neighbors or relatives here to rat them out. I think that’s why my parents moved here. My mother couldn’t be far enough away from him. I had no idea he was here on the island even. I really just never thought about him.”

“Okay,” Carter said but he still looked pissed.

She stopped her pacing in front of him. “Okay? What the hell does that mean?” she demanded, hands on hips. “You believe me? You’re done and you want to go? You’ve obviously stillpissed off. Well guess what? So am I. This just made my life that much more complicated,” she snarled

She was tired and pissed and freaking scared. The man who’d demanded to help her had suddenly turned frigid. What the fuck did he want?

She glared at him. “Just fucking go.” She poked him in the chest with every word. “I don’t need your attitude.

A smile tugged at the corners of Carter’s lips suddenly.

“Are you laughing at me?” Mia demanded incredulously.

“You’re awfully cute when you’re pissed off.”

She opened her mouth to tell him off when he swooped down and claimed her lips. He wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to his chest. She struggled to escape his embrace but clasped her arms around his neck instead. The kiss deepened and the heat of it ratchetted up as she pressed herself against him and rolled her hips. This felt so damn good. She was beyond caring about anything.

As he scooped her up, she wrapped her thighs around his waist. He carried her to the bedroom, laid her on the bed, and then covered her body with his own. Her hands caressed the hard ridges of his chest through his t-shirt, and fire coursed through her veins. He was rock hard, and she was desperate to have him inside her.

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