Chapter Eleven
Morgan looked out across the gardens, holding onto Roxy as she watched the snow coming down. She’d watched the forecast last night, and knew snow was due. It had come a little early.
Thanksgiving was around the corner, and she and Carver had already celebrated their first Halloween. She had to get Andy to agree with her to organize a load of pumpkins, as well as buy him a costume. Carver had never dressed up for Halloween. She hadn’t either, and she rather like that they were having new experiences together.
She got all of Carver’s employees to agree to attend a Halloween party. She decorated several rooms of the house, to surprise Carver. The kitchen staff organized the food, all of them got their own costumes, and she even got one for little Roxy.
On Halloween day, Carver was out of the house as they put the last of the finishing touches to the place. When he arrived home, he’d stepped through the door and she immediately asked him to trust her. He’d hesitated but then allowed her to put a blindfold over his eyes then guide him upstairs. She didn’t want him to spoil the surprise. The moment she got them to the bedroom, he uncovered his eyes, and then looked at her.
She spent all afternoon using the tools he’d gotten her to look like a witch. A very sexy witch, just for him, and, well, she’d gotten him a vampire costume, to show off that expansive chest. Morgan loved it. Carver had looked at her costume and smiled, but then she pointed at his, and he’d told her straight up no .
She’d begged him and then held Roxy out, asking him if she looked cute. Once Carver agreed she did, she’d then asked him to please have some fun with her for their very first Halloween together.
Morgan didn’t know what did it for him to finally cave and agree, and she didn’t have a problem because it actually worked, and he changed into the vampire costume. They had an amazing night.
Roxy was a little firecracker, barking and yapping at people’s ankles, not biting, though. She danced with Carver, and even had a dance with Andy.
Andy thanked her for giving Carver a life, for being someone he could trust. She didn’t know what she’d done to earn that, because as far as she was concerned, she didn’t do anything, but Andy believed otherwise. She wasn’t going to argue with him. Whatever it was, she was glad to have done it.
She loved Carver. She didn’t have any wealth, so there was nothing physical she could have given him. In fact, there was nothing she could give him that he couldn’t get himself. But, that didn’t mean she couldn’t try.
Halloween had gone into November, and now they were less than a week away from Thanksgiving, and Morgan had some news for Carver. She didn’t quite know how to say it to him. There were a couple of things she wanted to say, but the timing and everything seemed off.
No one was saying anything, but she sensed a difference in the people who lived in the house. Even the maid, Flora, who didn’t like to chat, seemed more tense than usual.
Morgan had come to know all the people that lived with Carver. They each had their own story to tell. Some were happy to tell, like August, the kitchen chef. One of his eyes was missing, and because he didn’t want to cook for Romone, the man intended to take the chef’s eyes. There was no way he could cook without being able to see. Carver saved August, saved his eye, and brought him back here. Since then, August had not left. The house was large enough for all of them.
In a strange way, they were a family without being a family.
Carver had become a beast to so many people, and yet to a few, he’d become their protector, their guardian angel. He provided for them, paid them, and took care of them. Carver was a true angel.
She kissed the top of Roxy’s head.
“Don’t you think we should go and find Daddy?” Morgan asked. “I think it is best we go and find him, don’t you? We can show him your turkey sweater, which is so cute.”
She took a step, then another one, and then tensed up as she heard it. The house seemed to go still as not just one gunshot, but several went off. Morgan looked outside but couldn’t see anything. Holding Roxy to her chest, it had been a long time since she heard a gunshot. All of those she practiced with were not like this. She expected those gunshots because she’d been firing the weapon to get them.
She tried not to panic as she rushed toward the kitchen. There was no one there. No sign of August, or Steve, the guy who helped prepare the vegetables.
“What are you doing?” Flora asked, grabbing her and pulling her behind one of the kitchen counters.
“What’s going on?”
Flora put a finger against her lips.
“A van crashed through the gate. Andy got the alert, as did Carver. Andy’s been shot, and Carver’s out there dealing with it.”
“What? That’s a lot of gunshots. We need to help them,” Morgan said.
“No,” Flora said, grabbing her arm. “Carver has warned us about this. You cannot leave this house. I’ve got to wait, and when I know it is safe, I’ll get you to safety, but until then, you’re staying put.”
Morgan shook her head and felt tears coming to her eyes. “No, this can’t be happening. No.”
“Look, Morgan, I get that you’re scared, but this is real, and Carver has asked us to protect you and keep you safe, and I’m not going to be the one that fucked all of that up. Not with everything he has done for me.”
“I’m not scared,” Morgan said. “We’ve got to help Andy, and we’ve got to help Carver. Nothing can happen to him.”
“Nothing will happen to him,” Flora said. “But we can’t distract them.”
Another gunshot rang out. Tears filled Morgan’s eyes.
“I can’t stay here,” Morgan said. “I’ve got to go and try to help.” Then, she did something she never thought she would do. She put Roxy in Flora’s hands and grabbed the woman’s gun.
“Damn it, Morgan, you’re not a good shot,” Flora said.
“You don’t let go of my Roxy,” Morgan said. “But, I spent my whole life watching as men and women were hurt or killed. I had to stay back and do nothing, and I will not do that again. I will not stand by while others get hurt, and I will not allow someone else to die for me.”
With that, she rushed out of the room, keeping low. She had to raise the skirt of her dress so she wouldn’t trip over it.
Her heart raced as she got to the dining room window. None of the gunshots were in the house, so she looked and saw Andy outside, bleeding into the snow. Several feet away from them, she saw Carver, and then Romone. Both men were facing each other, and she couldn’t tell if one of them had a gun.
There was blood coming from Carver’s mouth, and then both men moved, and they were facing one another. Carver didn’t have a gun but Romone did.
Morgan screamed and then rushed out of the house. During her panic, she had alerted both men to her presence, and she’d distracted Carver, giving the other man a chance to gain the upper hand. She knew she’d messed up.
Breaking out into the snow, she didn’t care how cold it was, she held onto the gun she’d stolen from Flora.
“Isn’t this sweet, your little whore has come out to protect you. I didn’t know you needed protecting, Beast?” Romone said, and every word that came out of his mouth was on a sneer. “This is so interesting. How about this, if your little whore can kill me, then I am going to allow you to live. How about that, sweetheart? You want a chance to fire that gun, protect your husband?”
Morgan looked toward Carver and felt a sense of panic. This is … terrible. There was no way she would be able to save Carver. This wasn’t fair. She didn’t want to do this.
She felt her tears well up as she stared at her husband.
“Shoot him,” Carver said.
“Two to five.” She didn’t know if she said those words aloud or not.
“Then make this that two to five,” Carver said.
Morgan raised the gun, and she saw the shaking in her wrist. There was no way she was going to be able to kill Romone. No way at all.
Romone held the gun to her husband’s head.
She stared at Carver, looking into his dark blue eyes. This man had saved her life. He’d given her a reason to live, a reason to want to live. She thought about all those years, of watching women being beaten, hearing their screams as they were repeatedly raped. The helplessness. Watching men and women beg for their lives as Romone took them. His rules were law.
And as she thought about everything, she focused on Romone, she breathed deeply, and this peace settled over her. She couldn’t even begin to explain it. She felt peace, and she knew what she had to do.
Staring down the barrel of the gun, she didn’t aim for his shoulder, she pointed at his head, looked straight at him, and for the first time since the beginning of her training, she didn’t even flinch as the gun went off. She fired, and Romone did not get the last laugh, because the bullet, against all the odds, went straight through his brain.
Carver shoved him back, and then rushed toward her.
“I fucking knew you could do it,” he said, cupping her face.
She dropped the gun in her hand and gasped. “I’m so sorry. I nearly got you killed.”
“It’s fine.”
“How did you end up out here without a gun?” Morgan asked. “He could have killed you!”
“But he didn’t. Shit happens, Morgan, but I’ve recovered from many bullet wounds.”
“Not from one in the head,” she said.
He laughed. “No, not from one in the head.” He stroked her cheek.
“I love you,” she said, staring at him, knowing she couldn’t hold back any longer. “And I think I might be pregnant.”
“Good,” Carver said. “Because I love you, and you’re mine. You need to bring all that energy to shooting practice.”
“Carver loves you, Morgan loves Carver. We’re going to have a little baby as well as Roxy, but can we please focus on me, and getting me cleaned up?” Andy asked, walking toward them.
“You’re hit,” Morgan said.
“It’s a flesh wound. Stings more than anything. I will arrange for his body to be disposed of, and we’ll fix the gate,” Andy said.
Flora, August, Steve, and the rest of the people Carver saved came out the door.
Morgan had a feeling, even if she had missed, one of them wouldn’t have.