Thorn: Carter Kids #2 (41 page)

“Be my guest,” Lucky said and I quickly snagged a cup and took a long sip. The froth-foamed coffee hit exactly the right spot and I moaned in appreciation.

Noah sat back on the couch, considering me with a caged expression. To be quite honest, he looked mildly bored, and a little apprehensive. Like who I was now wasn’t what he expected. The thought caused my appetite to evaporate in record time.

Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I forced myself to look at him. “What’s wrong?”

Noah didn’t reply for a long time. Instead, he sat forward on the edge of the couch and rested his elbows on his knees, clasping them loosely between his open legs. His thick thighs made a serious impression on those pants, stretching the fabric and quickly I came to the conclusion that Noah was too big for his clothes. They fit him, but he was too built to be constrained in suits. He was too big and muscular. That man was born to lie naked on a bed.

“I’m leaving tonight, Thorn.” His voice was steady, his tone was calm, but his eyes gave him away. His brown eyes were full of unease as he watched me watching him, gauging my reaction.

“You are?” I heard the disappointment in my own voice and it made me want to kick my own ass. “So soon?”

Noah nodded, emotionless. “I’ve got a meeting first thing tomorrow morning with the disciplinary board.” Clearing his throat, he plucked an invisible thread from his pants before adding, “I’m in deep shit, baby. Someone recorded the incident outside the bar last night.”

“And what? They want to fire you?” I demanded, outraged. I was trying really hard to rein it in and be a grownup and logical when all I wanted to do was kick the floor and wail like a demon; rant on about how bad of an omen I seemed to be to this man. “They can’t fire you,” I carried on saying, not waiting for him to reply. “You’re Noah fucking Messina. The MFA would be nothing without you.” Shaking my head, I venomously rejected the notion of Noah losing his job because of me. “You’re too valuable to them.”

Cracking his neck from side to side, Noah let my words sink in for a moment before saying, “Maybe so, but I have to attend.”

“This is bullshit,” I managed to squeeze out, though my chest felt like it was constricting inside of me. My throat felt like it was closing up. The walls around me were closing in and everything was moving in slow motion. We were just getting back on our feet and he was leaving. Karma was playing a mean trick on us.

I couldn’t sit still. My eyeballs were burning, not a good sign.

Climbing clumsily to my feet, I began to clean off the coffee table. “Well, I suppose you were leaving next week anyway,” I rambled, forcing myself to sound happy for him. “With the tour kicking off and all.” Scooping up the trash in my arms, I forced myself to walk across the room and dump the contents of my arms into the waste bin. “You were never staying here long term.”

“I was hoping I would have more time to do this,” Noah said cagily, and for a huge man like him, his nervousness was adorable. “But I...fuck!” His voice broke off and he drummed his fingers against the arm of the couch, clearly struggling with something.

“What Noah is
trying
to say is how would you feel about accompanying us back to the states?” Lucky interrupted with a smug grin.

“Dammit, Lucky,” Noah growled. “I was handling it.”

“Oh please,” Lucky snickered. “If I didn’t say it now, you’d still be here tomorrow trying to find your balls.”

Jerking to his feet, Noah walked towards me with his hands held up in front of him, as if he was trying to capture a flight risk bird or something. “Thorn, just hear me out before you say no –”

My feet were moving towards him faster than my brain could catch up. I barreled into his arms, and like always, Noah caught me. “Hell yes,” I squealed, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. “Absolutely.”

“Wait…what?” Setting me down on my feet, Noah took a step back, hands still planted firmly on my shoulders, and gaped at me. “For real?”

“Why wouldn’t I want to?” I said, grinning. “A vacation with you sounds like music to my ears.”

“Well…because you like to fight me on just about everything?” he replied, confused. Suddenly his head snapped back to me. “Hold up. A vacation?” He shook his head. “Thorn, no, that’s not what I –”

The sudden and urgent rapping on the hotel door drew my attention away from Noah and I skipped over and put my hand on the door handle to open it.

“Teagan. No!” Noah hissed, grabbing my arm and dragging me up against his chest.

“What?” I shrieked, totally freaked out by his sudden movement. “I can’t answer a door now?”

“No,” he snarled angrily. “You
can’t
answer a door now.” Walking us over to the couch, he pushed me down on the seat and towered over me with his hands on his hips, chest heaving. “You don’t open doors to strangers, Thorn,” he spat, glowering down at me. “You fucking got that?”

“What’s going on here?” I demanded as a trickle of fear ran down my spine. That fear spread further when Noah wouldn’t meet me eyes. “Noah,” I hissed. “I want to know what the hell is going on here?”

Running a hand roughly through his hair, Noah hissed a string of curse words before glancing at Lucky. He tipped his chin and Lucky immediately rose from the couch and moved towards the door. The tension was running off Noah in waves as he stood with his back to me, blocking my view of the door. His stance reminded me of a lion braced for trouble. Adrenalin, fear and lust flooded me as I watched this man stand guard over me. For what reason, I had no idea, but I didn’t have time to ask, because the minute Lucky opened the door Hope’s voice filled my ears.

“Where is she?” she demanded as she stormed into the suite and headed straight for Noah. Noticing me peeking around his huge frame, Hope made a beeline for me. “Why the hell haven’t you been answering your phone?” Grabbing my arms, she dragged me off the couch, enveloping me in a hug so tight I could hardly breathe. “Well?”

“I left my purse and jacket at the club last night,” I managed to choke out, patting her back. “Can you ease up on the loving? I’m kinda suffocating here.”

Instantly, Hope released me and took a step back. Only then did I notice the tall man accompanying her.

“Jordan?”

I shook my head and gaped at the man who had broken my best friend’s heart.

“What are you doing here?”

“Never mind us. This is about the two of you,” Hope countered swiftly as she eyed Noah who was standing slightly apart from me. “What the hell have you gotten her into this time?” she demanded, glaring up at him with a murderous expression. Taking a step towards him, Hope raised her hand and slapped Noah across the face.

“Hey,” I snapped. Scrambling, I dived between my boyfriend and my best friend. “Don’t put your hands on him,” I warned her as I kept my back to Noah and glared at Hope. “Noah hasn’t gotten me into anything,” I added, forcing myself to remain calm even though a reckless streak of protectiveness was coursing through my body. “I’m here because I want to be.”

“I’m not talking about you being here, Teagan,” Hope shot back, furious, eyes locked on Noah. “I’m talking about the fact that our apartment was trashed last night.” Shuddering, she added, “While we were sleeping.”

“What?” I whispered, covering my mouth with my hand.

“Your room, Teagan,” Hope squeezed out, turning her attention back to me. “It was covered in red roses, all over the floor, the bed. And on your pillow there was…ugh.” Covering her face with her hands, she sank down on the couch and groaned. “I don’t even want to say it.”

Noah stiffened behind me. “Are you okay?” he demanded, moving around me to check his niece. Crouching down on his haunches, Noah looked her over and asked, “Were you harmed?”

“I’m fine,” she replied shakily. “Whoever broke in last night wasn’t looking for me and I think you know that.”

“Did you call the cops?” Noah demanded. “Hope, tell me you didn’t call the –”

“Of course I didn’t,” Hope shot back heatedly. “I’m not stupid.”

“Okay.” Noah sagged in visible relief. “Okay.”

“There’s more, Teagan,” Jordan said in a quiet voice, stepping towards us. He seemed to be having an internal battle with himself, as he looked at Hope with a torn expression, but the hungry expression Lucky wore as he stared unabashedly at Hope seemed to be the game changer for Jordan.

Finally, he exhaled a shaky breath and sat down beside her. When Hope turned her face into his neck, Jordan’s face twisted in pain as he inhaled through his nose and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Glancing up at us through thick, sooty lashes, Jordan squeezed out, “There was a bullet on her pillow,” he told Noah.

“A bullet?” I gaped at them. “But why?” I forced my mind to think back to everyone I had pissed off. Yeah, it was a pretty long list, but nothing I had ever done fortified death threats. “Why is this happening to me?”

Immediately, Noah was in front of me. With his hands on my shoulders, he forced me to look at him. “Breathe,” he said in a calm tone, brown eyes locked on mine. “You’re safe now. I swear to god, you are safe, baby.”

“I didn’t realize I
wasn’t
safe,” I shot back, chest heaving. “What’s going on, Noah?”

The sound of a phone ringing cut through the air, distracting him.

Growling, Noah slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone before putting it to his ear. I watched as his eyes flashed with anger. Whoever was on the other side of that call had tripped a switch in Noah because he threw his head back roared “Fuck,” before stalking off in the direction of the bedroom, with Lucky hot on his heels.

The minute the bedroom door slammed shut behind them, I flew into a blind panic.

“Why is this happening?” I shrieked, pacing the floor. “Why?”

“I don’t know, Teagan,” Hope, who had gotten to her feet, said as she rushed over to me and wrapped me up in a hug. “But I would take it as a clear message.”

“A message about what?” I shrieked. “Oh my god. Yesterday there was a rose and a note.”

“A note?” Hope’s brows furrowed.

“Yeah,” I choked out. “It said
I’m coming.”

“You don’t open doors to strangers, Thorn. You fucking got that?”

“What the hell have you gotten her into this time?”

I gasped as awareness smacked me straight in the face.

“DID YOU THINK WE WERE GOING
to sit back and watch you and that slut have everything after destroying our world?”

JD’s familiar voice filled my ears and my blood ran cold. Every ounce of fear and anger I was feeling escalated at a rapid pace.

Conscious of Teagan watching my every move, I stormed into the bedroom and out of earshot. Lucky followed after me, closing the door in his tracks. I appreciated it. Teagan was already terrified. I didn’t need her hearing this conversation.

“Leave her out of this,” I warned him, pacing the room. “I fucking mean it, asshole. This is between you and me.”

“And where would the fun be in that?” he sneered. “No, I’m enjoying this little game of cat and mouse. But I have to say, I don’t blame you for losing your head over her.” Chuckling, he added, “I’m going to enjoy breaking her in.”

“You’ll never get within sniffing distance of her,” I hissed with a death grip on my phone. “And if you try, I will kill you.”