Chapter 28 Carter
Carter
“You’re going home with me. We’ll pick up some things from your house first, but you will stay at my place,” I said, holding her in my arms.
“Good, I don’t want to go home alone, just yet.”
The drive back to my place was quiet, too quiet. Harper’s hand was in mine, her fingers wound so tightly I could feel the tremor running through her bones. Every red light, every passing set of headlights, had my pulse spiking. Until I got her behind locked doors, I wouldn’t breathe easy.
My place wasn’t much—concrete walls, heavy locks, a weapons cache hidden in plain sight. But tonight it was the only safe haven I trusted.
“Sit,” I told her as soon as I shut us in. My voice came out sharper than I meant. She blinked at me, lips parting, then sank onto the edge of the couch without a word. Her hair was tangled, face pale, but she was still the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
I did a perimeter check—windows, doors, sight lines—before I let myself turn back to her. She was watching me with those eyes that saw too much.
“You don’t have to—” she started.
“Yes, I do.” I dropped to one knee in front of her, cupping her face with both hands. My thumbs brushed her cheeks, lingering like I was afraid she might vanish if I looked away. “He said you’re marked. I don’t know how far that goes, but Harper, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
Her throat worked, and for a moment I thought she’d argue. Instead, she reached for me, tracing the scrape across my jaw with shaking fingers. “Then at least let me take care of this.”
The gentleness in her touch nearly undid me. I’d been running on adrenaline and fury, but here—her soft hands, her fierce eyes—it all broke down into one truth. I couldn’t lose her. Not now. Not ever.
“Carter…” Her voice cracked, a whisper between us. “I’m not as strong as you think.”
“You’re stronger than you know,” I said, leaning in until my forehead touched hers. “But you don’t have to be alone anymore. I’ve got you.”
And as I held her there in the dim light of my living room, I knew this wasn’t just a vow to protect her from whoever was coming. It was a vow to never let go of the one person who made me feel whole again.