“Perhaps you’ve forgotten what happened at my father’s house with Enzo, and here when I begged you to fuck me,” Rica said angrily. “But I haven’t. I can’t. If I’d known who you were I never would have let you touch me. I certainly wouldn’t have let you touch Enzo. God, Carter, what were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that I didn’t want his hands on you. Not then, not ever.” Carter held Rica’s gaze. “And I’m very very glad you let me touch you.”

“Well, now it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“You’re wrong, Rica,” Carter said quietly. “It still matters to me.”

Rica rose and slipped the small Beretta into the pocket of her tailored silk slacks. “As I predicted when we first met, what happened between us is of no consequence to me.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

The sun was shining the next time Carter woke, and she had no idea what time it was. Or even what day it was. Her cell phone, wallet, and keys were on the bedside table along with a white envelope Rica had given her. Stretching carefully, wincing at the pain that burned down the center of her back and burrowed into her pelvis, she palmed the phone and eased back against the pillows. To her relief, it still held a charge, and she focused long enough to speed-dial.

“Kev? It’s me.”

“Jesus Christ and all that’s holy. Where are you?”

“Still on the Cape. I had a bit of trouble.”

Kevin sucked in air. “Define trouble.”

“I’m still breathing. Just a little beat up.”

“When?”

“What day is it?”

“Christ, Carter. It’s Tuesday afternoon.”

“Uh…about thirty-six hours ago, I guess.”

“I’ll come and get you.”

“Yeah. I don’t think I can drive just yet.”

“Where exactly are you?”

“Rica’s.”

“Where’s your head? She could be behind…”

“No. Look…”

“Forget about it. Give me the address.”

“They could be watching the place.”

“So they know you’re there. If she moves you, they’ll know that too. Stay put.”

“Yeah. Okay.”

Carter gave him directions, closed the cell phone, and then carefully swung her legs over the side of the bed. She closed her eyes against a wave of dizziness and fought to breathe slowly until it passed. Her clothes were folded in a pile on a nearby chair. It took her fifteen minutes to dress. It took her almost that long to get downstairs.

Rica met her at the bottom of the stairs. After a moment of silence, Rica brushed her fingertips over the stains on Carter’s silk shirt. “I couldn’t get all the blood out of your clothes. This is ruined, but I thought you’d prefer it clean.”

“That’s okay. Thanks.” Carter steadied herself with a hand against the wall. Rica wore jeans and a white sleeveless tank top. She looked tired. “I’m going to get out of your hair in a couple of hours.”

“How?”

“My…brother is picking me up.”

“Your brother.” Rica searched Carter’s face. “Don’t lie to me. There’s no reason to any longer.”

Carter cupped Rica’s neck and skimmed her thumb along the edge of her jaw. She wasn’t going to identify Kevin as a cop, on the chance someone was watching the house. “I wouldn’t, if it were just me. If I could go back and do things differently…”

“Don’t.” Rica pressed her fingertips to Carter’s lips. “You can’t change who you are any more than I can. And I don’t think you would have done anything differently.”

“You’re wrong.” Slowly, Carter leaned forward, and when Rica did not move away, she gently kissed her mouth. She let her lips linger on Rica’s, softly savoring the taste and the heat. She felt Rica’s hands come to her waist, and Carter tangled her fingers in Rica’s hair, carefully, tenderly, holding her close. Her body ached, her mind was a confused miasma of conflicting allegiances and desires, but this kiss… This was right. They were right. “God, Rica. Tell me you can feel it, too.”

“No,” Rica lied, even as her heart said yes. Enzo would kill Carter the next time. Regardless of whether her father sanctioned it or not, regardless of how long or how often Rica refused Enzo’s demands, Enzo would kill Carter because he had seen what Rica had resisted for weeks. She loved Carter, and Enzo knew it. It didn’t matter that Rica was not his to claim. He believed, had always believed, that eventually she would be his. He’d said he could tolerate her affairs with women, and maybe he meant it. But he would never accept her loving another woman when he knew that she would never love him. “It’s just sex, Carter. Nothing more.”

“You have to tell your father about Enzo,” Carter murmured, stroking Rica’s cheek. “He’s crazy, Rica.”

“My family matters aren’t your concern.” Laughing bitterly, Rica stepped back. “Of course, that’s not true, is it? I should have said my personal business is not your concern.”

“I’m not interested in your family business anymore.”

“No? It’s that simple?” Rica gestured with her head toward the living room. “Go sit down. You’re not going to be able to stay upright much longer.”

“I’m okay.”

“Just do it. I don’t have the patience for your stubbornness right now.”

Carter grinned. “Okay.”

Rica pressed her hand to Carter’s back as they moved to the sofa, then sat beside her. “I don’t want to know what you’re going to tell your associates about me or my father. But I know you can’t just walk away. And that’s why I want you to walk out of here and out of my life.”

Carter rarely believed what people said, because it was easy to tell lies and, after a while, even easier to believe them. For a minute, when they had kissed, she’d thought she’d felt the truth in Rica’s touch. But whatever had been there then, it was gone now, and she owed it to her to go.

“I’ll go, Rica. And I swear, I won’t hurt you.”

Rica shook her head and rose, her face a careful mask. As she left the room, she said steadily, “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Just go.”

Carter waited alone in silence until she heard a car pass by slowly on the street and then return a minute later. She went to the front window, looked out, and saw Kevin parked at the curb in his battered Jeep Wrangler. It was going to be a long, bumpy, painful ride home, but she didn’t care. She didn’t feel much of anything any longer except numb. She let herself out and quietly closed the door behind her. She didn’t look back when Kevin pulled away.

“You look like shit,” Kevin said.

“Yeah. Thanks. See anything in the neighborhood?” She checked the side mirror and didn’t see a tail.

“There’s no one watching the house unless they’re sitting in a tree. Been to a doctor?”

“Yeah. Just bumps and bruises.” Carter pointed. “Slow down up there and pull into that alley behind my car. I think they got my weapon, but we should check again.”

Kevin parked and got out. “Stay put. I’ll look.”

A minute later, he slid back in, started the car, and backed out onto Bradford. “Nothing except some old blood on the stairs. I guess that’s yours.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Fuck, Carter. You’re lucky they didn’t kill you. Do you think Pareto is on to you because we pulled Rizzo in? If Allen almost got you killed, I’m gonna…”

“No. I don’t think it was Pareto. It was Enzo Brassi, and it’s personal. He’s got a thing for Rica, and he’s nuts.”

“Great. And you’re fucking her.”

“Easy, Kevin,” Carter said softly.

He glanced over. “Oh, perfect. She’s really got you messed up.”

“No, she doesn’t.” Carter turned to watch the town disappear, feeling the hollow ache inside her expand until she was nearly choking on the emptiness. “I’m the one who messed it up.”

“You’re not going to be able to dodge Allen much longer, partner.”

Carter sighed. “I know.” She eased her seat back and tried to get comfortable. “Jesus, can’t you get a car made for adults?”

“I didn’t plan on needing an ambulance,” Kevin snapped. He rubbed his face. “Sorry. I’m used to you disappearing, but it’s the first time you’ve ever showed up looking like…you might not have showed up.”

“They knew what they were doing.” She reached across the narrow space between them and squeezed his forearm. “They didn’t intend to kill me.”

“Nice. Glad to hear that.” The muscles along the edge of his jaw bunched. “What did they want, do you think?”

“It was a message to Rica. Don’t cross Enzo, especially for a woman.”

“Sorry.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

“Do you think she’ll come home in an ambulance?” Bri asked Tory as she hopped up onto the deck. She glanced at her watch. “When do you think she’ll get here?”

“I don’t know, sweetie. The transport left Germany early this morning, our time. I’m not sure how long it takes for that kind of flight.” Tory had to force herself not to pace. The hours crawled by. She’d gone to the clinic in the morning, knowing that Reese couldn’t possibly arrive before nightfall. Even then, she was always aware in the back of her mind that Reese was on her way home. Home for good, if she had anything to say about it.

“I know she’s probably not gonna want to see anybody for a while,” Bri said, echoing her father’s gentle warning, “but do you think maybe you could call and let us know she’s home?”

Smiling, Tory gave Bri a quick hug. “I know that Reese will call you first thing. She’s going to want a report on everything that’s happened while she’s been gone.”

“I should still plan on running class at the dojo for a while, right?”

Tory nodded. She hadn’t mentioned to anyone what Reese’s father had said about her injuries. Reese would share what she wanted to. “She’s probably pretty tired, honey. I think it’s a good idea for you to take care of everything there for a while.”

“No problem.” Bri colored slightly. “I like teaching class.”