Authors: Chloe Walsh

Thorn: Carter Kids #2 (43 page)

BOOK: Thorn: Carter Kids #2

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“But I don’t have any clothes.”

“Wear mine. Take whatever you want.” Sitting her down on the bed, I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, inhaling the smell of her, before pulling back. “I need to have a quick word with Jordan.”

“But what about my stuff?” she exclaimed as she knelt on the bed. “My passport and my clothes. My pictures of my mother,” she blurted out. “Everything I own is back at the apartment.”

“Lucky’s already taking care of it,” I assured her. “He’ll meet us at the airport. Everything’s been taken care of.”

“So when you said come with you…” her voice trailed off and she grinned. “You didn’t mean a vacation?”

“I’m not giving you back,” I warned her, unsmiling. “See this through with me, Thorn, and I’ll make you happy. I will sort everything with JD,” I promised her – I fucking vowed. “And then we can have it all, baby.”

“YOU SHOULD GO SAY GOODBYE
,” I told Hope when I walked back into the sitting area of the suite. “She’s coming with me.”

Hope shook her head and groaned. “Noah, I swear to god if you hurt her again –”

“I won’t,” I interrupted quickly, shutting her down. “Now go say goodbye.”

I waited until Hope disappeared into the bedroom before turning my attention to Jordan.

“You need to get her out of here for a while,” I told him in a low tone of voice. “I don’t care what you have to do,” I added. “Woo her. Take her on a holiday. I don’t care. Just keep Hope out of that building until I say otherwise.”

“Jesus Christ, Noah,” Jordan groaned. He stood up and walked over to the window. “I’m not…I can’t be here,” he whispered with his head bent as he clutched the windowsill. “I’m supposed to be…fuck!”

“Listen to me, dipshit,” I snarled, stalking over to him. Grabbing his shoulder, I swung him around to face me. “I know you’ve got some fucked up reason for walking away from her, but I also know that somewhere inside that stone heart you still love her. And the only reason I’m not kicking your ass right now is because I need you fucking mobile,” I added, resisting the urge to break his fucking jaw for breaking Hope’s heart. “I don’t give two shits about your daddy issues or who’s waiting for you back home. You make my niece your
only
priority.”

Jordan stared at me for a long moment before nodding stiffly. “I’ll keep her safe,” he finally said, jaw clenched.

“Good.” I nodded. “Glad we’re on the same page.”
Glad he finally found his balls…

“But if anything happens to Hope because of you, you won’t have to worry about your enemies,” he hissed, stepping closer. “I’ll kill you myself.”

I snorted. “If anything happens to Hope because of me, you’ll be one of a long list of people ready to kill me.” Sighing, I added, “She’s not a target. She just happens to live with the
only
target.”

“I’m ready,” Teagan called out as she strolled out of the bedroom arm in arm with Hope. I turned around to see her and my heart slammed against my chest. She was swallowed up in a pair of my sweatpants and a hoodie, looking so small and vulnerable that the protective instinct inside of me roared to life.

“Are you sure about this, Teegs?” Hope asked her.

“I’m sure about him,” she replied before walking straight into my arms. “I’m sure about you,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Whatever happens,” Teagan said, eyes locked on my face. “I’m not walking away from you again. I will be right by your side. I’m yours, Noah Messina. I’m in.”

Fuck me, she was really with me on this.

I looked down at her and smiled. “I know.”

This woman was my best friend. She knew me inside out. She knew it all. The good, the bag, and the illegal. And for some fucked up reason she loved me anyway.

I couldn’t let her go again.

I fucking couldn’t.

Two Weeks Later

LIKE I HAD PREDICTED, NOAH WASN’T FIRED.
He got a slap on the wrist and a huge fine for his part at Krash Bar that night, but that was it. My man was too important to the company. He was indispensable.

He proved that tonight when he packed out the Odyssey Arena with an army of adoring fans. Fifteen thousand people were on their feet, screaming his name, myself included from the front row.

JD had been quiet since we returned to the States. No roses, no bullets on pillows or unwanted phone calls, but I wasn’t stupid. I knew he was still out there somewhere, waiting for his opportunity. So did Noah, which was why I was being chaperoned tonight by his newly hired bodyguard, Lewis, who was currently sitting beside me. I understood the dangers that came with being stalked by a sadistic mob boss determined to kill me – and make it painful – which was why I didn’t protest having a bodyguard. I also knew that the only one that stood in his way of making good on his promise was my fallen angel. My savior. My fighter boyfriend. But I wasn’t going to dwell on JD tonight. In fact, I was determined to put that creep to the back of my mind.

Tonight was all about Noah and I planned on savoring every second of it.

The cage, the metal bars, the scent of sweat mixed with tobacco and alcohol was poignant as I watched Noah make his way to the cage.

His entrance song
Can’t be touched
was blaring through the speakers, causing the momentum to soar.

A line of security guards with their arms crossed over their burly bigger than life chests were all that kept Noah from being mauled by his overly zealous fans.

“Ladies and gentlemen, for your pleasure, for one night only, we have a knockout fight,” the announcer called excitedly. “That’s right, folks. MFA veteran, and three times former heavyweight champion Roy the wringerrrrr Wicks. And going against him tonight, a crowd favorite, it’s your very own bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Noah the Machine Messsinaaaaa!”

When he entered the cage, Noah bounced lightly on his feet; a challenge for a man who was 6’4” in height and 245 pounds of pure muscle.

Ignoring his opposition who already in the cage and trying to taunt him, Noah rolled his shoulders and twisted his neck from side to side, loosening out.

When the match official called both men to the center of the ring to touch gloves, the screaming and cheering went through the roof.

The bell rang and Noah curled his lip up and smirked.

And then he attacked.