Thorn: Carter Kids #2 (42 page)

“Big words, little brother,” he chuckled. “I wonder if you can back them up.”

“Oh I can back it up,” I snarled. “Face me like a fucking man and I’ll show you just how well I can back it up.”

“Did she like the gift?” he added, taunting me, fucking driving me batshit crazy. “I have to say, it’s not like her to stay out all night. But then again, she was always stupid when it came to you.”

“What?” I deadpanned.

“I know all about your little thorn, Messina,” JD laughed. “Where she lives. The gym she works in. The friends she hangs out with. Hell, I even know what time she leaves her apartment each morning and returns each night. I’ve had eyes on her for years now, you stupid little prick. She looked real good in that little white dress last night...”

“Why now?” I demanded, chest heaving. “If you’ve been watching her all these years, then why make your move now?”

“Where would the fun have been in taking her before you two kissed and made up?” he laughed cruelly. “You know how I like to play with my kill. I’m going to take her from you. You’ll never see it coming, and when I do, she’s going to wish she was dead.”

“This isn’t about her and you know it,” I managed to grind out, jaw clenched. “This is about me. So fucking come at me. Leave her out of this.”

“On the contrary,” he countered. “My father held a particularly nasty grudge against the little bitch for taking his prized fighter away.”

“She didn’t do shit, JD.” Running my hand through my hair in frustration, I hissed, “I was never staying with your father.”

“In fact,” he continued, ignoring what I had said. “His dying wish was for me to drain that little bitch’s body of blood while you watch helplessly.”

“Try it and I guarantee you I’ll be waiting for you, asshole,” I snarled. “No one is going to touch her. So you can send your army. Fucking bring it. Because I will take every one of you motherfuckers down.”

“Clock is ticking, Messina. I’ll be seeing you two real soon,” he said and then the line went dead.

“He was in her goddamn house,” I roared, flinging my phone across the room. “He’s been watching her all this fucking time, Lucky.” I choked out, sinking down on the bed. “How the hell am I supposed to tell her?”

“I don’t know,” he replied calmly. “But she can’t be left in the dark, Noah. Not about something like this.” Walking over to where my phone was, Lucky bent down and retrieved it. “Listen,” he told me as he tapped at the screen. “I’ll go over to her apartment and pick up some stuff. Stay with her. I’ll meet you both at the airport in an hour.”

“Make sure you bring a photograph of her mother,” I told him. “There’s one on her nightstand.”

Lucky nodded once before putting the phone to his ear. “Hey man, it’s me. I need a favor…” I heard him say before moving towards the window.

“Noah!” Teagan’s voice boomed through my ears as she marched into the bedroom. “What are you hiding from me?”

I couldn’t look at her face. It was too fucking painful.

There was only one thing I could think of and that was Teagan was making it out of this mess alive.

If I had to die in the process then so fucking be it.

“NOAH!” I ROARED AS I STALKED
through the suite towards the bedroom with my heart hammering in my chest.

Stopping outside the bedroom door, I inhaled a deep calming breath, and braced myself before pushing it inward.

“What are you hiding from me?” Clamping my hands firmly on my hips I drank in the sight of Noah, sitting on the edge of the bed with his head bent and hands hanging loosely between his legs.

Lucky was standing by the window talking low and fast into his phone. When he noticed my presence, he nodded to Noah and walked out of the room, phone still welded to his ear as he barked orders to whoever was on the other line.

“What’s going on, Noah?” I repeated. Him being unable to look me in the eye was my first warning of trouble. The swell of obscenities he muttered under his breath was my second. “I’m no wallflower, Noah,” I added in a shaky tone. “And I’m not stupid. I know you’re hiding something from me.”

“I’m thinking here, Thorn.” Jerking off the bed, he stalked over to the window. With his arms braced against the sill, Noah hissed, “Give me a minute.
Please
.”

“No,” I shot back, marching towards him. “I will
not
give you a minute.” Grabbing his arm, I forced him to look at me. “I’m being threatened. Some freak filled my bedroom with roses and put a bullet on my fucking pillow,” I screamed. “So talk to me, dammit.”

Noah’s eyes flashed with anger and for a moment I thought he was going to explode. “I’m so fucking sorry for dragging you back into this,” he choked out.

“Dragging me back into what, Noah?” I whispered, terrified.

“JD is back.”

“No.” The moment those words came out of Noah’s mouth I began to shake. “I thought that was over.” Tears filled my eyes. The ground fell out from beneath my feet as I spiraled into a full-blown panic attack. “Please tell me this isn’t true.”

“This is my fault,” Noah choked out, eyes wild with fear and anger. “He’s using my feelings for you against me, making you a target…” his voice broke off and he groaned like he was in physical pain. “Making you the only fucking target.”

“He’s coming for me?” I whispered in a small voice.

“You think I’m gonna let him get near you?” Noah demanded, pulling me into his arms. “Not a chance, baby. You’re safe. I fucking promise you, I will not let anything happen to you,” he snarled, holding me tightly. “Why the hell do you think I want you on that plane with me?” Leaning back, Noah looked into my eyes. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to get you on there since I found out he was back.” He shuddered and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I need you with me, Thorn, so I can keep you safe. If anything bad happened to you because of me, it would
kill
me. I can’t be responsible for that.”

“Is that why you came back for me?” I whispered, stepping out of his arms, my blood turning to ice in my veins. “Why you want me to go back to the states with you – out of duty?”

“What?” Noah blanched and shook his head. “No. Of fucking course it isn’t,” he growled. “I want you to come so I can keep you safe.”

“See, there’s that word again,” I muttered, taking a step back. “Safe.” Wiping my cheeks, I looked up at him and said, “I don’t want you to want me with you for those reasons.”

Capturing my waist with his hand, he dragged me back to him, slamming my body to his chest. “Is needing you alive and fucking breathing not a good enough reason for you now?” Glaring down at me, I could feel his heart hammering in his chest. “Fine. Then how about the fact that I’ve only loved one person in my whole entire fucking life and that person is
you
.” Knotting his hand in my hair, he drew me closer. “Or the only time I’ve ever felt happiness was when I was in your presence, and I would gladly do a hundred lifetimes in prison if it meant you were
safe
. If it meant you were
alive
,” he added gruffly. “Do you want me to write my feelings down in blood, Thorn? Because I can tell you I love you, but unless you cut my heart out of my chest and hold it in your hands you’re never going to understand just how fucking much.” Exhaling heavily, Noah’s eyes flared with heat and raw passion. “Is that a good enough reason to want you with me?”

“More than enough.” I could feel the change inside of me. It was acceptance of myself and of him. I was letting go of the pain of the past. I wanted to see this through with him.

Noah had fought for me. He was my freaking solider and I never wanted to apart from him again. I needed to be with him more than I needed my next breath. That’s how important he was to me. That was how much I loved him. My heart had never beat so fast before. It was like it was leading me towards him, and I let it.

Wrapping one arm around his neck, I cupped his cheek with the other. “I’ll follow you anywhere. I made a mistake by letting you go once, Noah,” I told him. “I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

I was giving up everything for an uncertain future with the only person I was certain I wanted to be with.

I was stepping into the unknown with Noah, taking a gamble and risking my future on the man they called The Machine. His enemies wanted me dead. I should be running in the opposite direction. But I couldn’t fight my fate, and he was my future. I realized that now. And I would follow him to the ends of the earth. Even if that meant trusting him not to let me lose myself in the process.

Even if that meant putting my life in his hands…

CUPPING HER FACE BETWEEN MY HANDS
, I pressed my forehead against hers and sighed. “I love you,” I told her. “So damn much. I will do whatever I have to do to keep you safe.” I pressed my lips to her head and exhaled heavily. “So are we good now?” I hoped like fuck we were because I didn’t need Thorn getting cold feet on me. Not now JD had upped the stakes. That bastard was suicidal. He had to be to break into my woman’s home and put a fucking bullet on her bed. I appreciated the ammo, though. I planned on using that exact one on him when I blew his fucking brains out.

“We’re good,” she assured me, breaking through my thoughts. Resting her cheek on my chest, she sighed heavily. “This is permanent, Noah. Isn’t it?”

“Like a sharpie.” Hooking my hands under her arms, I picked her up and walked her over to the bed. “Now get dressed. We’ll leave for the airport from here.”