Chapter 31 Carter
Carter
The first streaks of daylight cut through the blinds, turning the room into stripes of gray and gold. Harper was still asleep, her breaths slow, steady. I hadn’t moved all night, afraid that if I so much as shifted, the fragile peace wrapped around her would break.
My back ached from the floor, my eyes burned from lack of sleep, but I wouldn’t have traded this vigil for anything. Watching her chest rise and fall was the only proof I needed that last night hadn’t stolen her from me.
A knock rattled the door—three sharp raps. My hand went to the sidearm at my hip before I even stood. Harper stirred, murmuring something soft, but didn’t wake.
I eased her hand free from mine and crossed to the door, silent as a shadow. Through the peephole, River’s broad frame filled the hallway, Gideon behind him. Both looked like hell, streaked with soot and bone-deep exhaustion, but their eyes were sharp.
I cracked the door and stepped into the hall, pulling it shut behind me. “She’s asleep,” I said quietly.
River’s gaze flicked to the door. “Good. She needs rest.” His tone was steady, but there was something underneath it—grim, heavy. “We’ve got news.”
Gideon folded his arms. “The boss isn’t talking, but his phone was full of messages. She was never the endgame, Carter. Just a piece of leverage. Whoever’s behind him has bigger plans—and Harper’s still in their sights.”
The words hit like a fist. I felt my jaw tighten, every muscle in me coiling. “Then we end it before they get close.”
River studied me. “You’re not thinking straight. You haven’t slept, and you’re too close—”
“Too close?” My voice was a low growl. “She was chained in that hellhole because of them. She’s not a damn target. She’s mine.”
The silence that followed was thick, but I didn’t back down. Couldn’t.
Finally, River’s expression softened, just a fraction. “Then we move fast. But you can’t do this alone.”
I glanced back at the closed door, at the woman sleeping on the other side. For her, I’d fight an army. But he was right—I couldn’t be everywhere at once.
“Fine,” I ground out. “We do it together. But understand this—if anyone comes for her again, I won’t just let them go. I’ll bury them.”
River nodded once, grim approval in his eyes. “Then we’d better be ready.”
And just like that, the war I thought ended last night was starting all over again.