Page 31 of Fatal Scheme

“She’s not staying in that fucking apartment by herself, Ty. She’s a sitting duck, and we can protect her. That’s what we signed up for, isn’t it? She’s ours, and we will fucking keep her safe, no matter the cost,” he rambles, and I hold up my hands in surrender, his icy eyes nearly black from dilation.

I don’t like confrontation, and I certainly don’t want to force Carter to stay with us, giving her choices is exactly what she needs, but I kind of have to agree that protecting her is our top priority.

I’d go about it a different way, but after the adrenaline rush Massi’s been through tonight, I ultimately leave this course of action up to him, his crazy approach balancing out my calm demeanor.

We pull up to her apartment, cutting off the headlights and enveloping the street in darkness, but I’m reminded of her bodyguards, knowing that they’re always nearby.

“What about her dumbass team? We promised we wouldn’t hurt them,” I remind, but he only shrugs, not concerned with Dumb and Dumber – as Carter calls them – in the slightest.

“She’ll tell them to stand down,” he says confidently, and rather than offer any more resistance, I follow his lead.

Instead of arguing, I stand back and watch as he picks the lock, making it look like child’s play as he lets us in, gently shutting the door as if we belong here.

“First door on the left. You talk to her while I grab her coffee and snacks,” he says, and I shake my head, utterly dumbfounded at how he’d know those things. “I pay attention, Ty. I’m not exactly grocery-store ready, so what she has on hand will have to do.”

With that, I follow his command, realizing that his obsession with Carter goes deeper than sex.

He’s purposely taken the time to learn her habits, likes and dislikes, and color me shocked, but I never thought I’d see the day.

Selfishly, I assumed I was the only one falling in love with her, or maybe it was a desperate hope that he’d get bored and I’d have all the best pieces of her to myself, but now I realize that we’re both in this for the long haul.

“Baby girl, I need you to wake up,” I whisper, gently shaking her while she sleeps, but her body spins around, facing the wall as she falls back into a deep slumber.

“Carter. We need to go, and I need you to wake up,” I say once more, and as she twists back to face me, a knife hurls straight toward my eye, but I catch her wrist before she plunges it into my cornea.

My grip remains strong as she tries to fight me off, but her eyes finally meet mine, and I feel the moment her muscles relax, her body recognizing that I’m not a threat.

“Tyson?” She whispers, her voice full of uncertainty as she determines whether she’s dreaming or present in reality.

“Yes, baby girl. Come on, there’s a threat, and we need to protect you,” I tell her, and her bright eyes light up the room, finally coming to as she shrugs off sleep.

“A threat? Is Jasper okay?” She sits straight up, digging under her pillows, but I hand her the blade she almost killed me with, a sly smile crossing my lips as she tucks it into her lacy panties without another word, moving through the room while collecting the rest of her clothes.

“Yes, he’s gathering things for you.”

“I’m right here, Principessina. Five minutes, pack a bag,” he says, almost robotically as he enters the room, scanning the street through the window for any signs that we’ve been tailed.

“I can’t just go, Tyson.”

“I’m sorry, baby girl, but I’m on his side here. There’s a threat to Emory as a whole, including this campus, and because of us, you’re a target,” I explain, and she listens intently, following orders as we move around the room in silence, something I didn’t realize she was also good at.

“Are they after you, specifically?” She asks, geared up and ready to leave, but stopping before we leave her bedroom.

“We have it on good authority, yes.”

“So I’m a target? This house is a target?”

“More than likely, baby girl. We can explain it all, but right now, we have to go,” I tell her, but she pushes past me and through the door, running straight to the room beside hers.

“Ellie! Ellie, listen to me,” she calls out, and the blonde girl turns over, her eyes widened as she sees me, too.

“Carter, what is it?” She asks, and although we don’t have much time, I give her a few minutes to update her roommate, getting her out of the line of fire, too.

“Go home to your mom, Ellie. I’m so sorry that you got the shit end of the roommate stick, but I promise, you’ll be safe if you go and don’t look back, okay?” Carter says, wrapping her arms around the girl, not letting go until she gathers her emotions.

“Thank you, Carter. I mean, fuck you, but … you guys didn’t have to save me,” she says, looking at Jasper, Carter and I, the urgency too strong to conceal our identities or involvement.

“When it’s safe, Ellie, we’ll have a wine night. I promise.” Carter waves as we exit the room, taking one last look around to ensure nothing important has been forgotten.