Page 113 of Bloodstained Wings

“I’m fine. Someone jumped me at the docks and managed to stab me. Tristan took me to the hospital to get stitched up.” Carter folds his arms over his chest and studies me. “Why is there a bag on the bed?”

My heart misses a beat. “I… well, I thought we could take a vacation. You have been telling me that you’re going to whisk me away somewhere. Don’t tell me you’re going to go back on your word.”

Carter’s expression shifts and softens. “Yeah, we can go on vacation, but we won’t be able to go anytime soon.”

“Is this because of whoever attacked you?” I take Carter’s hand and pull him back into the room. Then I make him sit down on the chair by the dresser and lift his shirt. He has an angry red welt in the middle of his stomach, with gauze covering the worst of it, including the stitches.

Bile rises in the back of my throat as I kneel in front of him and touch two fingers to his skin. “This looks pretty deep. I hope you got a good look at whoever did this.”

Carter stiffens. “I did, and believe me, they’re going to pay.”

I remove my fingers and glance up at his face. “Was it that new family or their allies?”

Carter presses his lips together and doesn’t say anything.

I stand up and clasp my hands behind my back. “I thought we agreed we weren’t going to keep secrets from each other anymore.”

Carter stands up and pulls his shirt back down. “I’m not keeping things from you, dove. And if I am, it’s for your own good.”

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Act like I can’t handle things.” I throw my hands up and make a vague hand gesture. “I’m a lot stronger than you think I am. I can handle a lot, okay?”

Carter advances on me with a strange glint in his eyes. “Have you seen the article?”

Without breaking our gaze, I tilt my head back to look at him. “What article?”

Carter blows out a breath. “It’s nothing important. Just don’t read anything that comes out about me or you. There’s a lot of shit in the press right now.”

I force my lips up into a half smile. “What else is new?”

Carter bridges the distance between us and crushes me to him. “You do know that I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, right? I’ll kill anyone who lays a fucking hand on you, dove.”

“I know.”

Carter pulls back to look at me, and I can see the hunger written in his eyes. He points at the bed, and I obey. After stripping out of my clothes, I drape myself over the bed and watch him. Wordlessly, Carter pulls off his shirt and his pants and leaves them in a heap on the floor. Then he rummages through the dresser drawer and pulls out two sets of handcuffs.

He motions for me to hold my arms out on either side of me. “You’re going to do exactly as I say, dove. And you’re going to like it too.”

“Are you sure you should be exerting that much effort after you’ve been stabbed?”

Carter flips me over and gives my ass a firm smack. “Didn’t I say that you’re going to do what I say? No interruptions, no objections and no questions.”

“But—”

He gives me another firmer slap, and I swallow back the rest of my protest. When I’m quiet, Carter flips me back over and secures the handcuffs on either side of the bed. He gives them a firm tug and leans forward to press his lips to mine. His kisses are different, searing and demanding, like he’s trying to make me forget something.

But it feels like he wants himself to forget, too. I know it has something to do with the article, but I’m too afraid to ask. Because I know if I bring it up, I can’t take it back.

Neither of us can.

So I kiss Carter back with as much emotion as I can, wanting to drive his demons away and assure him, in whatever way I can, that I’m still his. Carter pushes the suitcase away, and it falls to the floor with a clatter, sending my things flying in every direction.

I don’t have to make the decision about our baby now.

There’s still time.

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