Page 129 of Wine & Whiskey
Metal scrapes against metal as he sideswipes his own white SUV parked around the corner, as if he abandoned it before racing into her house. Without reacting to the collision, he punches the accelerator, speeding down the main corridor and bursting through the gates guarding the entrance to her subdivision. The car swerves as he glances from the road to his phone. He slides off the case and removes a thin black wire.
Her heart sinks as he tosses the tracking device out the window. The last way for Nick and Max to know where they are. With shaky hands, she releases her grip on the door handle and arm rest and buckles her seat belt. “Please slow down.” Her voice reveals the terror she tries to hide. “You’re going to kill us.”
“I said I wouldn’t hurt you, and I meant it.”
The rocky start to their relationship, after his cruel comment about the reason for Nick’s interest in her, improved over time, making her believe they were actually friends. Apparently, she was wrong. “Then why did you take me?”
“I’ve got a plane to catch, and you’re my boarding pass. Then, I’ll let you go. I promise.”
Usually the opposite of Nick, Carter’s the one with the smart mouth but even temper. Now his irrational behavior hurts Nick and puts her and their baby in danger. “I don’t understand. Why are you leaving?”
“It’s either that, or me in a box six feet under if Nick gets ahold of me.”
“If you give me a chance, we can fix whatever’s wrong.” Her heart pounds in her ears as she presses her hands against her legs, willing them to stop trembling, forcing her voice to convey a calmness she doesn’t feel. “But first, you have to take me back to help him. Please, Carter? He needs me.”
Staring straight ahead, he doesn’t react to her plea. “He’s okay.”
His confidence creates hope she can’t help but latch onto. “How do you know?”
“If I wanted him dead, he would be. I just grazed him in the shoulder to slow him down.”
A matter-of-fact reminder of their brutal world. They shoot to kill, or are gracious enough to only wound the ones they claim to care about. “That just proves how you really feel. You don’t want to hurt him or me. Take me back. Then, we can figure it out together. Nick, Max, me. We’ll all help you.”
A smirk crosses his mouth, but the humor doesn’t touch the flatness in his eyes. “Sorry, Shae, but I won’t fold as easy as Evan did.”
“No matter what’s happened, Nick will forgive you. He loves you. He’s closer to you than anyone else in the world. I know you can work this out.”
He shakes his head and glances in the rear view mirror. “Not anymore. What I’ve done can’t be fixed.”
Never allowing herself to think too much about what Nick is capable of, Carter’s panic forces her to confront the consequences of his disloyalty. “What is it? What’s so bad he’d want you dead?”
The vibrating phone provides the only answer she receives. He glances at the screen before tossing it onto the console. “I told you he’s okay.”
She grabs the cell, needing to prove to herself he’s alive. Her body sags against the seat at Nick’s number flashing, yet her relief’s short-lived at his furious message.
You’ll wish you’d killed me when I find you.
Carter slides the phone out of her hand and shoves it in his pocket, stealing her last opportunity to connect with Nick. She rubs her temples, a futile attempt to quell her anxiety. He’s just as stubborn as Nick. There has to be a way to repair the damage Carter has caused. She’ll convince Carter and then Nick. They’re the only family they have, and it can't end like this.
The SUV comes to a stop on the tarmac. Nick’s plane sits about a hundred feet away. “Let’s go.”
“Whatever’s wrong, you’re only making it worse. Please let us help you.”
His bitter laugh fills the car. “The only help Nick’s going to give me is a bullet to the head if I don’t get the fuck out of here.”
Carter climbs out and comes around to open her door. She shakes her head, disappointment added to the stream of emotions flowing through her. “I thought you were letting me go.”
“Soon. I need to get one flight between Nick and me. Then, you’ll be free, and I’ll be gone.” He grabs her hand and leads her to the aircraft.
One pilot stands by the steps, his forehead wrinkling as they approach. “Good afternoon, Miss Armstrong.” He nods toward Carter. “Mr. James, the itinerary shows only you—”
“Last-minute change of plans.” Carter jerks his head toward the descended staircase. “We’re ready.”
“I’m sorry, sir. We’re having problems with one of our gauges and can’t take off until it’s repaired.”
Carter motions toward the cockpit, where the other pilot sits with his head bent toward the instrument panel. His grip tightens around her arm as his voice rises. “We’re going now.”
The pilot shakes his head. “But Mr. James, it could be dangerous. It’s against regulations to fly with malfunctioning equipment.”
