Feathers and Thorne Series Books 1 - 3: The Complete Collection

Chapter Four

Isabella

Carter begins his speech, and I can already tell it’s not good. He thanks everyone for their support and then breaks the news that he won’t be the mayor we all were hoping he would be. Instead, he thanks his opponent and wishes him the best of luck, the cameras snapping their photos while it’s clear that Carter Blackthorne has finally lost something.

He’s had everything in life he needed to be successful, so I know this isn’t a fair battle. Everyone was raving about Carter before when he took down Frances and exposed the ugly face of politics around here, but it’s over now. He’s not the mayor, and his days at work are probably going to decrease even more.

The cameras battle to get a glimpse of him walking off the stage. He doesn’t spot me in the crowd, instead giving in to talk to the media. I try to get to him, but someone else catches his attention, and he turns his back toward me before I can even get close.

I bail for now, stalking outside for some fresh air.

It’s not the night to be selfish, I know that, but part of me is a little happy he didn’t win the mayoral election. I have been afraid of the repercussions of his actions for a while. Even if he says that he can’t be charged with anything, he has already told the police just enough to pin Frances down. There’s no doubt that he’s safe from those actions.

So, what about the new ones? If he gets caught doing half the stuff he shares with me at home in his penthouse, then I fear what will happen when Killian takes over.

Taking a seat on the steps, I couldn’t care much less about the white of my dress getting dirty. I hug my knees to my stomach and exhale, wondering if it’s too late in the evening to visit my father. He would be happy to see me, even though his health has been in steady decline for weeks.

His mind is still wandering elsewhere, but his body has reached its final stop.

I think about him, about Sam, too, and wonder if either of them misses me right now.

A cold brush of fingertips pulls my hair aside. I glance back to see Carter behind me, his eyes glazed over with too many emotions to count. He ushers me to stand up, and I do, taking his hand while he whisks me away to the SUV on the street. I didn’t even notice Ernesto come outside before, but there he waits with the door open, waving us inside.

I only get one foot in before I realize that Carter is on the edge of the curb, staring at the mass of media flooding down the steps. They surround him at once, but something else catches his focus. He stares at the top of the stairs, a single reporter standing with her back straight and her eyes piercing through me. Carter doesn’t move for a minute, looking right back at the reporter.

A cryptic expression passes between them, one that I’m not sure if Carter recognizes, but it’s enough that he stops to exchange a passing glance with her at all. I shouldn’t be concerned. I know Carter has his demons, but he very rarely looks at them with such uncertainty as this one.

I want to ask him what he’s doing, but he pushes his way into the car, pinning me to his lap before he slams the door shut. His hand rips through the short slit of my dress, finding the toy that rests under my thin panties. He yanks it out in a single swipe, causing me to arch and writhe with shock, pleasure, and a bit of pain.

“Ouch, Carter!”

“Shh,” he snarls, hooking his arm around my stomach so I can’t move off his legs. “Be silent, dove.”

I retreat back into myself for now, watching the city pass by as we drive to the penthouse. Ernesto doesn’t speak, which is abnormal for him. We all just sit in stunned silence until the car pulls into the garage. I spy my little red sports car, the sight of it under the penthouse almost comforting.

The door swings open, and Carter hikes me over his shoulder, carrying me to the elevator. I thrash in his grip, unsure why he won’t just let me walk, but every push away leads to a harsh slap against my ass cheek. He doesn’t say anything or give me a playful warning.

We make it upstairs without a word said.

He drops me into our shared bed, my back hitting the mattress rather abruptly. While Carter waltzes into the bathroom, I hesitate to stand up, to move an inch, unsure what’s going on in his head right now.

“I thought… I thought we were going to Anita’s tonight,” I whisper at last.

He comes back, wearing nothing but his pants while his midsection is bare, exposing the muscles that create his finely toned body. He grips his leather belt in his hand, his other shaking furiously at his side.

“Why were you outside?” he shouts, changing subjects rather abruptly. “I was looking for you for ten minutes, Bella. Why did you go outside alone?”

Swallowing hard, I sit up on the bed. I want to appear innocent in this situation, though I know it won’t matter—he’s too pissed off to negotiate with.

“Sorry, Carter. I was just—”

“No,” he bites, his teeth grit. “Try that again.”

I swallow, seeing where this is leading. “I’m sorry, sir. I just wanted a breath of fresh air, that’s all.”

“You remember what happened last time we were there, don’t you? Did that slip your mind, dove? You can’t just be lounging around the sidewalks of Manhattan, not after I’ve lost the election.”

My brows furrow with the fear that grazes his tone. “I thought you said if you lost, it would be okay.”

“I lied,” he bites. “It’s not okay. It’s not good, Isabella. That prick Killian Hughes is going to try and drown me now. I can’t let that happen. I have to be careful now and not ruffle any feathers, but how can I do that when my own family is questioning my place?”

I inch back slightly. It’s not about me; I can see that, but his anger has no other place to escape right now. Pushing off the bed, I kick my heels off and stand before him. He watches my every move, the belt trembling in his palm.

Steering clear of that threat, I let my fingernails drag over the bumpy surface of his abdominal muscles.

“Everything will be fine,” I say at last. “It’s going to work out. We just have to adjust.”

He looks skeptical. “Adjust. How do you suggest we do that, dove? I already work in the shadows. I can’t hide it any more than I already have.”

“Maybe you should work in the open, then,” I suggest.

His face turns hesitantly curious. “Keep talking.”

“You have that downtown project, right? The stripped building that Jacob was going to use. Move your office there and work right across the street from the mayor’s place. Rub his nose in it. You said it yourself, Carter. Most of the things that the FBI wanted to pin on you can’t be charged now. You gave it up to put Frances in prison.”

“If I do anything stupid, I’m next,” he snarls.

I nod slowly. “I understand that. That’s why you won’t be doing the dirty work. Sit in his face, move across the street from his new office, and be the best citizen of Manhattan possible. Let your family handle the shady shit for a while. Killian will be so focused on you that he won’t see what’s going on behind you.”

For the first time tonight, Carter seems to relax. “That’s not a bad idea, actually. The only thing is that I have to get my family back in line. After what Nicolas spouted off about, I’ll need to be a bit more tactical in how I handle it. I just need his words to keep from spreading poison in the family.”

I stand on the tips of my toes just to get a better angle to kiss his cheek. “You can handle anything, Carter.”

“I can handle everything except for the fact that you’re still in that dress.”

“Are you saying I should take it off?”

His hand tightens around the belt. “If you don’t, I’ll cut it off of you, dove.”

My throat closes, and I strip out of my dress, watching him circle back into the bathroom. I make sure to take everything off, waiting for him to return. I can hear him rustling through a few boxes in the closet, waiting for him to return with a toy or two in his hand.

Instead, my mouth blurts out a random question that’s probably better left in the back of my throat.

“Who was that reporter you were looking at earlier?”

The rustling stops. He leans on the doorframe of the closet, his head cocked to the side. “What did you just ask me?”

Swallowing hard, I repeat the question with a change or two. “Well, when you were getting into the car, you stopped. Like you knew that woman.”

His eyes narrow, and I can already see that I’ve crossed a line.

But why?

He throws his belt aside, steps out of the closet, and circles past me. I wait for him to lay my stomach on his lap so he can swat at my ass, but instead, he turns on the faucet. Hot water fills the tub, and steam clouds the room. He doesn’t say anything; he just climbs into the running water after stripping naked.

When he’s settled, he uses one finger to signal me to come forward. His hands catch my hips while I climb into the tub, setting me down between his legs so he can hold me against his chest. I lean back, nearly comfortable enough to sleep, while the blanket of warm water covers us both.

He runs his fingertips through my hair, the feeling sparking chills down my shoulders.

“I’m going to tell you one time, dove,” he whispers into my ear. “You won’t be taking little field trips alone again. I don’t care if you need to go out for fresh air, you tell Ernesto to go with you, or Tristan, if you can’t bring me along. Okay?”

I nod, though he still hasn’t mentioned the woman I just brought up. “Okay, Carter. But I want to know who that was. Why won’t you just tell me?”

“Because if it was important, then I would tell you whatever there is that you need to know. We’re going to stay right here, though. You’re going to relax with me.”

I pull my lips to the side, unsure if I can do that.

“It’s a good idea,” he mumbles. “The thing about putting my office right under Killian’s nose. It’s a good idea, dove. I like that.”

I sit up straighter, clinging to his arms that wrap around me. “Really?”

“Yes, but there’s one issue.”

Trying not to feel disheartened already, I keep my upbeat tone. “What’s the problem?”

“Well, the building isn’t done being constructed. It’s just exterior bones. I need someone who knows architecture to draw me up a few samples for the construction company to work off of.” He brushes a hand down my shoulder, running it down my stomach before stopping at the slit between my thighs. “Think you can do that for me?”

“Yes, of course,” I exclaim, excited by his offer and by his fingers that slowly begin to swirl around my swollen clit. He pinches it a bit harder, making me twitch. “Ah!”

“There you go,” he says into my hair. “Just part your legs for me, Bella. I may have lost the election, but we’re still going to celebrate tonight.”

“What is there to celebrate?”

“For starters, you just got a job as the designer of my new office building.”

My face ignites with heat. “Thank you, Carter.”

“Anything for you, dove. Now, relax. I’m going to make you come before we go to Anita’s.”

I gladly do as he says.