Page 46 of Carter
“You shouldn’t have to wait like that,” he said, his voice hoarse.
“And you shouldn’t have to walk into fire because of me,” I whispered back.
His jaw flexed. “I’d do it a thousand times.”
The words should have scared me. They should have reminded me of the contracts, the danger, the way Graves had smirked like my name was a death sentence. But instead, heat spread through me, fierce and desperate. Becausebeneath his vow was the truth I already knew—he wasn’t just fighting to protect me. He was fighting because he loved me.
I kissed him before I could second-guess it. Hard, trembling, all the fear and relief and hunger tangled together. He groaned low in his chest, pulling me against him like he was starving for the same thing.
The cabin fell away. The world fell away. There was only Carter’s mouth on mine, his hands gripping my waist, the rough scrape of his stubble against my skin.
When we stumbled back toward the bedroom, my pulse was still a frantic drum, but this time it wasn’t from fear. It was from knowing that no matter how dark it got outside these walls, we still had this—this fire, this fragile, desperate love that refused to break.
And as his body covered mine, his whisper rough against my ear,“You’re everything, Harper,”I believed him.
For tonight, the danger could wait.
Because we were alive. And we were together.
66
Harper
The world outside could’ve been burning and I wouldn’t have cared. Wrapped in Carter’s arms, the only sounds I heard were his heartbeat slowing under my cheek and the steady rhythm of his breath against my hair.
The storm in my body—fear, adrenaline, longing—finally ebbed, leaving me bone-tired but unwilling to close my eyes. If I slept, I’d wake up, and it would all vanish. He’d be gone, swallowed by gunfire and shadows.
“Harper,” he murmured, his hand tracing lazy circles along my spine. “You’re trembling.”
I forced a smile, pressing closer into his warmth. “Maybe I’m afraid you’ll disappear if I let go.”
His arm tightened around me, his mouth brushing the top of my head. “Not a chance.”
The words should have been enough, but the pain inside me deepened. The truth slipped out before I could stop it. “I wasn’t strong when they took me. I was terrified. I thought if you saw how weak I really was, you’d—” My throat clenched, shame burning in my chest. “You’d look at me differently.”
Carter shifted, pulling back just enough to make me meethis gaze. His eyes burned in the low light, fierce and unyielding. “Weak?” His voice was a low growl. “Harper, you were chained, drugged, surrounded by men with guns—and you still fought. You’re here. That’s not weakness. That’s strength I’ve never seen in anyone else.”
Tears welled, but this time they weren’t from fear. They were from the way he saw me—like I was more than what had been done to me.
I swallowed hard. “And what if I can’t shake it? The nightmares, the fear… what if I’m always marked, Carter?”
He cupped my face in his rough hands, his forehead pressing to mine. “Then I’ll be there every time. You don’t face it alone. Not ever again.”
The vow sank into me, deeper than bone, deeper than blood. And for the first time since the abduction, I felt something like peace. Not because the danger was gone, but because I finally believed I didn’t have to carry it by myself.
I let out a shaky breath and whispered, “I love you.”
His arms locked around me, fierce and unbreakable. “I love you too. More than my own damn life.”
And as sleep finally stole me, I knew those words were my anchor. No matter what came next, Carter and I would face it together.
67
Harper
Iwoke to the sound of birds. For a moment, I didn’t know where I was—only that I was warm, safe, tucked against a chest that rose and fell in steady rhythm. Carter’s arm was draped over me, heavy and protective, his breath stirring my hair.
Morning light spilled faintly through the cracks in the shutters, striping the room in pale gold. For one fragile heartbeat, it felt like we could’ve been anywhere. Like danger hadn’t followed us into these mountains. Like the world was ordinary again.
