Page 83 of Further To Fall

Liam made a humming noise in the back of his throat. “I don’t know, a lot of people would take getting sent to jail pretty damn personal.”

I tapped the pen against my desk, my nerves still not settling. “I guess you’re right. But it seemed like there was a sexual element to it, too. That doesn’t make sense with this Joe guy.”

“I hate to break it to you, A, but Carter’s a gorgeous girl. It wouldn’t be surprising if a creep fixated on her started to take things in that direction.”

My fingers clenched around the pen, and the plastic began to crack. “This guy needs to go away for a long time, preferably forever.”

“I feel you. Where is Carter?”

My hand relaxed. “She’s at her old house. Packing.”

“Packing?”

“Yeah,” I said, grinning to the empty room around me. “I asked her to move in permanently.”

“No shit?”

“No shit.”

“I’m happy for you, man. Both of you,” Liam said, a smile sounding in his words.

“Thanks, Li. You and Ford can help me move the fifty million boxes I’m sure Carter’s filling with her shit right now.”

Liam chuckled. “You got it. I’ve gotta jump, but I really am thrilled for you guys. So happy you finally pulled your head out of your ass.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Later.” I tapped the end button on my screen and scrolled to John’s number. I didn’t care if I was being paranoid, I was going to get him to sit in his car outside Carter’s place until I got there. Just as I was about to hit his name, the phone buzzed with an incoming call.

It was Detective Massey. When the words, “we have a problem,” came over the line, my stomach dropped.

“What is it?” I asked as my hand clenched around the phone.

“Joe Harker isn’t our guy.”

“I thought you traced the hang-up calls to him.” My grip tightened even further.

“We did. It turns out he was calling to make amends, but he said he kept getting nervous when he called, so he would hang up. He got sober in lockup and apparently found religion. He has ironclad alibis for at least two of the incidents. One is an AA meeting his priest leads, and the other, he’s on surveillance at his job. He was in interrogation, weeping about how he’d done wrong, but that he would never hurt no one now that he’s sober.”

I was already up and moving, grabbing my wallet and keys and heading out the door. “Massey, I’m at the gym right now, but Carter’s by her fucking self at her old place.”

Massey’s voice was suddenly alert and full of concern. “Austin, I called you because she didn’t answer her phone.”

My heart was raging against my ribs like it was doing battle to get free and get to Carter. Never again would I not listen to my gut when it told me something was wrong. Never would I leave Carter when something told me to stay. Fuck, once I knew she was okay, I was never letting her out of my sight again. “Get the cops there. Now. I’m already on my way.”

43

Carter

Rough fibers pressed into the side of my face as I slowly became aware of my surroundings.I was lying on the floor of my bedroom. What had happened? My cheek was throbbing, my lip burned where it was clearly split, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

The ground vibrated with pacing footsteps. “I’m not crazy. Not fucking crazy. She’s crazy. Crazy and a slut.” The sound of Kyle’s voice brought it all crashing back. Blood roared in my ears, and I desperately tried to keep my breathing even, not wanting to alert Kyle that I was awake.

Blue growled a low warning as Kyle’s footsteps grew closer. “Shut up, you filthy mutt. I’m only keeping you alive so Carter will behave.” Well, that was good to know. I needed to think. I needed a plan. How could I think up a strategy when I couldn’t risk opening my eyes to see what I might have within reach?

My heart raced, and I fought to keep each breath uniform. I painted Austin’s face in my mind, hoping it would calm me, the deep blue of his eyes, the sharp cut of his jaw, the feel of his buzzed head tickling my palm as I ran a hand over his scalp. I wanted to run my hands over his beautiful body every day for the rest of my life, and I wasn’t going to let this asshole steal that from me.

I cracked open one of my eyes a sliver. “YOU LYING SLUT!” A boot slammed into my gut, forcing all the air from my lungs and sending pain radiating through my body. “You’re a liar, just like the rest of them!”

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