A Natural Act (Contradictions) (20 page)

“
We said eight,” Karl grunts.

“
Where’s Elise?” Craig asks. “Thought you were bringing Elise.”

“
Grace was fussy,” Karl answers and, for the first time, his voice sounds soft and fuzzy.

“
Is she okay?” Craig answers and he sounds concerned.

Karl grunts in response.
“Seems she’s inherited her mother’s sense of time keeping. She never sleeps when she should sleep.”

Craig laughs.
“She’s a baby, Karl. She’ll settle down when she gets older.”

“
Doctor know it all,” Karl grumbles but it sounds like he’s joking.

I’ve never met any of Craig’s brothers before but I’m about to and it’s slightly scary. I swallow past my discomfort because Jamie was lovely. How bad can her brothers be?

I square my shoulders, take a deep breath, and join the
m in the kitchen.

Karl’s back is to me as I enter the room and the rear-view is mind blowing. He’s almost as wide as he is tall. He’s
practically twice the width of Craig. He looks like a wrestler from TV. His hair is dark brown and shaved with the traditional short back and sides. I know from Megan that Karl is in the army but I probably could have guessed just from looking at him.

He turns his giant form around when Craig looks over at me and my mind plays imaginary vehicle reversing sounds.

His eyes are the same clear blue as my doctor but there’s an iciness there that is lacking from Craig’s. He looks mean.

“
Well, thank God. Thought you’d be a cage bunny. I’m so relieved I could hug you,” Karl laughs once he looks at me.

“
Touch her, I’ll break you,” Craig warns and Karl just laughs harder.

I have to admit, when Karl is laughing, he’s startlingly handsome. Not more so than Craig but still a cut above the norm.

“Who you threatening?” Karl clenches his jaw, shoving Craig to the side.

I swear Craig growls but he doesn’t respond
verbally.

“
No offense, babe,” he winks at me. “But fine as you are, I won’t be hugging you.”

Craig mumbles something that sounds
suspiciously like “damn straight” and Karl shoves him again.

“
Elise has threatened nappy-changing duty for a month if I so much as look at her the wrong way,” Karl shakes his head and Craig seems to lighten somewhat.

“
Don’t think I don’t know you had a hand in that,” he points at Craig accusingly.

Craig just smirks and comes to my side.
“Ready, lady?”

I
nod cautiously, still slightly baffled by the two of them. “What’s a cage bunny?”

Karl guffaws and Craig grimaces.
“Just ignore him.”

“
Let’s get going. If we’re late, don’t think I won’t tell Ian whose fault it was,” Karl warns.

Craig just chuckles, seemingly unfazed by the threat. He seems to know that I feel awkward and he keeps me tucked under his arm as he guides me to the black Audi parked outside.

“One sec,” Karl mumbles, he pulls his phone from his pocket and fiddles with it, facing the silver saloon car parked behind us.

“
Wait here,” he instructs us, strolling over to the driver’s side of the parked car. He raps on the window and the driver lowers the window. Karl holds his phone up to the driver and I see the flash go off and realise he’s taking a picture of the driver.

The driver yells something and pulls away, skidding slightly in his urgency.

“He was sat in his car when I arrived,” Karl explains. “His back seat is full of fast food wrappers. Seemed like he’d been there a while. Was suspicious. Especially after what happened with Jelly.”

Karl looks furious and Craig doesn’t look much better. Not long ago, somebody threw Jamie in the back
of a van and kidnapped her overnight until the police found her. Craig and his family freaked out, understandably. Craig said they caught the guys though.

“
He wouldn’t have opened the window if he knew who I was though. I’ll send the pics to Ian just in case. Word’s probably gotten around about you two, probably just somebody trying to get a shot of you together.”

“
What like paparazzi?” I giggle nervously because I know why the guy was there. Nigel. But why would Karl think somebody would want a picture of the two of us?

“
Sort of,” Craig grumbles, giving me a look that says he doesn’t want Karl to know about my predicament.

Karl frowns at Craig like he doesn’t understand as he slides into the driver’s seat.

“Hasn’t been to a fight,” Craig explains.

“
Seriously?” Karl glances over his shoulder at me. “She doesn’t know?”

“
Karl,” Craig growls.

“
Know what?” I interject because Karl is wearing a wicked smile.

“
My little brother is a pseudo celebrity in the MMA world.”

“
Karl,” Craig snaps.

“
Has his own little fan club and everything.”

“
Really?” I ask in shock. I knew he was reigning champion for his weight class but I guess I didn’t really think about what that meant.

“
No. He’s exaggerating,” Craig answers somewhat grumpily.

“
Course most of the members are girls,” Karl continues.

“
Enough, Karl,” Craig snaps and this time it has real bite.

Karl chuckles but he does stop.

I wasn’t oblivious to the fact that Craig had a bit of a following. The bouncer at the door of the Royal Derby Hotel knew him and that makes sense now that I know of his MMA career. People know him wherever we go, and he’s not exactly hard on the eyes either. I see the way girl’s look at him.

“
Where do I sign up?” I ask cheekily, beaming at Craig in the passenger seat so he knows this is not something I’d expend time and energy worrying about.

I’m the one he’s breaking new ground for. He’s
my
guardian angel.

We pull onto the drive of a huge house. The Carter family residence. It’s three stories high and wide enough for a full terrace to take its place.

“
Wow,” I can’t help but admire the building. The gardens are all well-kept and full of flourishing flowers and plants. The fences seem to all have been recently painted and the curtains are all open.

It looks like a real home. A real big home.

“Look, Bella,” Craig opens to the door for me. “They’re not as bad as they seem.” He looks at the front door and then back at me.

“
Okay,” I answer uncertainly. I don’t like that he feels the need to warn me.

“
You all live here?” I ask as Karl opens the front door.

“
We did at one time,” Karl nods. “Jake and Jelly are studying. Elise and I have our own house just down the road and Craig is never here anymore.” He looks pointedly at me and I shrink back under the accusing glare.

Craig puts his arm back around me and ignores Karl. He presses a kiss to the side of my head and whispers in my ear.
“You’re better company.”

He winks at me and I relax and stop feeling quite so guilty about stealing Craig away from his family.

“Elise!” Karl shouts once we’re through the front door. “Where’s my daughter?”

“
Crying her eyes out because Daddy forgot to bring the magic blanket,” a fiery redhead bursts from the kitchen and hands her an admittedly adorable, screaming baby to Karl.

“
Hey, Gracie,” Karl lifts his daughter up into the air.

She stops crying almost instantly but the evil glare she gives him is extremely impressive considering she looks to be only a couple of months old.

“Wow,” Craig laughs at the panicked expression of horror on Karl’s face.

“
Guess I’d better go get the magic blanket huh, Gracie?”

“
Take her with you!” Elise answers, clearly she has a fiery personality to match that fiery mane. I remember Carla saying she liked Karl’s wife and I can see why.

“
Yes, darlin’,” Karl grins somewhat boyishly and goes off to fetch the car seat from the end of the hall.

“
Now,” Elise beams, turning to Craig and I. “You must be, Isabella.”

“
Nice to meet you,” I offer a hand in greeting.

She ignores me and wraps her arms around me in a tight hug.
“I’m so glad you’re not an air head,” she exclaims as she lets me go, rolling her eyes at Craig.

A rise my eyebrow at Craig, clearly they’re used to him being around women of lesser mental capacity.

Craig, being Craig, shrugs at his sister-in-law.

“
They’re not as bad as they seem. Did Karl behave himself?” Elise questions me.

My second warning.

“Um, I guess so,” I answer uncertainly.

She looks meaningfully at Craig and he gives a slight nod.
“Dammit,” she sighs. “I was hoping to get out of changing nappies. I love the girl to bits but she must have gotten the pooping genes from her father because mine do
not
look like that.”

I can’t help but laugh along with her as we follow her into the kitchen.

“No way!” Two voices exclaim.

I get my first glimpse of the identical twins as they see me come into the kitchen.  Five sets of eyes are studying me like an animal at the zoo
.

“
I thought he made you up,” the smallest man in the room pipes up. I’m pretty sure that’s Jake based on Craig’s description of his youngest brother.

“
I thought you’d be fugly,” a twin chirps.

“
Are you the same girl he was nailing when we came to the flat?” The other smirks.

I don’t answer but the burning red of my cheeks is probably answer enough.

“Shit, Rick, this is the same girl he ran after,” Danny elbows his twin.

“
Language,” a man steps forward from behind them. I don’t need an introduction. His stare is so intense, and his expression so sombre, that I instinctively know that this is the secretive eldest Carter.

“
Ian,” he offers a hand.

His eyes are extremely intuitive and slightly
greyer than Craig’s. They’re very similar to Jamie-Leas.

Being under this man’s scrutiny feels like being x-rayed inside and out.

“Isabella,” I take his hand and accept the firm handshake.

“
The girl who’s causing my little brother to lose focus,” Ian cocks his head at me. He doesn’t sound angry. In fact it’s very hard to detect any emotion in his voice and I’m not sure how to respond.

I hear Elise sigh behind me and she leaves the room. I don’t think that’s a good sign.

“Craig,” Ian’s head turns back to Craig, whose arm is like a vice around my waist. “Need a word. Cellar.”

“
Ian,” Craig responds and there’s a plea on his face.

“
Now,” Ian replies emotionlessly. “She’ll be fine on her own for five minutes.”

Craig looks at me with an apology in his eyes. I can tell it’s the last thing he wants to do but I’m sure I’ll be fine so I nod at Craig.

“I’m sure one of your brothers can make me a cup of tea,” I smile at him.

I immediately hear a twin slapping Jake on the back of the head.
“What sort of a host are you, Jake?”

“
Fine,” he sighs, rolling his eyes as he heads towards the kettle.

Ian has already ushered Craig down some stairs into what I assume is the cellar.

I’m left alone with Jake, the twins, and the dark, brooding, silent one at the back who I assume is Matt.

“
So, Bella?” A twin prompts.

“
Isabella,” I correct him because Craig calls me Bella and only Craig.

“
Isabella,” the other twin continues. “This is extremely important and may determine your future as part of this family.”

I swallow and wait for explanation.

“Right,” the first twin continues. “It’s an enormously important question.”

“
Which one of us is best looking?”

I sort of gape at them because I was expecting something substantial like did I plan on hurting Craig or whether or not I was a horrible person.

“Really?” I prompt.

“
No tea until you answer,” they nod.

“
Alright,” I hesitate. “That one,” I point towards Jake making the tea.

“
What? Jake? Are you serious?” A twin recoils.

“
We meant us two!”

“
You didn’t specify,” I shrug, relaxing because this is nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. Craig said they’d hit on me. Should I be offended that they haven’t?

“
Why on earth would you pick Jake anyway? Jesus. Rick, you believe this?” Danny asks his twin.

“
Must be blind. Explains why she picked Craig.” They both laugh.

“
Are you serious?” I blurt. “He’s the best looking man I’ve ever met.”

Rick makes fake vomiting sounds.

“Seriously, Isabella? We just met and you’re gonna insult us like that.”

“
I like her already,” Karl makes me jump. Apparently he’s come in through the back door and been listening in on us.

“
How are you still ninja-like with a baby in your arms?” Jake shakes his head, handing me a cup of tea.

Karl winks and switches the now happily gurgling baby to his other arm.

“Magic blanket?” Rick raises an eyebrow.

“
Apparently so,” Karl shakes his head. “Elise’s mum brought it for her. Some organic hippy-weave. Now she’s convinced Grace is a child of nature or some other bull.” He shakes his head but it’s with a certain degree of fondness.

“
They started hitting on you yet?” Karl asks me with interest, rocking Grace back and forth as she lies on one of his gargantuan arms. She’s face down with her head cupped in his plate-sized hand.

“
Nope,” I shake my head with both relief and a small amount of rejection.

“
Really?” Karl seems surprised. “E say not to?”

They all nod.

“Interesting.”

“
She thinks I’m better looking than the twins though,” Jake smirks, winking at me. It’s not quite as smooth and well-practiced as Craig’s but it’s still cute. Jake looks a lot like Craig, just with a lot more hair and no visible tattoos.

“
Why haven’t you hit on me?” I ask them all. “Craig said you would hit on me.”

“
Did he now?” Karl drawls.

I nod, wondering if I maybe shouldn’t have said that.

“Not my type, babe, but I’ll through you a sympathy fuck if he’s not doing it for you,” Matt chides from the corner. His expression is dark and his eyes darker. There’s a certain degree of bitterness to his words.

I can feel my face turning red and I wish I had a smart remark to throw back at him but I’m too horrified.

He’s already stalking over to me and I take a few steps back until my behind meets the counter.

He lowers his voice as he pins me to the worktop with his body. He’s not pressing hard but it’s enough to make me feel trapped.

“What about it, babe? I’ll fuck you long and hard and you’ll have forgotten all about him in the morning. May not have the medical title or the medals but my dick will make you scream and beg for more.”

I have to look away as he speaks because he
talks like I’m already a foregone conclusion. Like I’d actually take him up on the offer. Like I’m nothing to him but a quick fuck and I’m irritating him by not giving him an answer straight away.

“
I’d appreciate it if you’d step away from me,” I manage. My voice isn’t loud but it isn’t shaky either and I mentally congratulate myself on that.

He stays where he is and I swallow past the fear. He’s not going to do anything in a room full of his family.

“Jesus, Matt. Get away from her,” Elise comes back into the room and drags Matt back.

His eyes never break contact with mine.

“Can’t you see you’re upsetting her, Matt? For goodness sake, she’s shaking like a leaf.”

Matt stops looking at my eyes for a second and looks at me. Really looks. I can see his expression drop when he realises he really was scaring me. It seems to take him by surprise and he takes another step back.

“Shit,” he mumbles, running his hands over his hair. “I didn’t mean to-”

“
I know,” Elise says softly. “Just take five.”

She turns her attention on me and the other Carters slip surreptitiously from the room.

“Are you okay?”

I nod, mostly irritated with my body for shaking. I wasn’t as scared as I could have been. He had that violent aura about him that Nigel used to get when he was mad. It shook me momentarily.

“I’m so sorry,” she cringes. “I swear he’s actually a really nice guy deep down.” She adds “very deep down” under her breath but I sense that she genuinely loves him and she seems torn by his behaviour.

“
He just scared me,” I mumble, ashamed and frustrated with both him and myself.

“
He was just messing with you to piss Craig off,” she explains bashfully. “He took it too far because he’s a monkey nut.”

“
I’m okay,” I reassure her, and myself.

“
Let’s sit down,” she smiles apologetically and hands me my cup of tea.

Almost as soon as I’ve sat down at the dinner table, Craig and Ian
re-join us.

“
What’s wrong?” Craig demands as soon as he sees me.

“
I’m fine,” I reassure him quickly.

“
Bella,” he demands.

“
I said I’m fine, Craig,” I say more firmly. “Come sit with me.”

He narrows his eyes at me but I know there’s a history of hostility between Matt and him and I’m hesitant to make it worse. Besides, Matt looked positively crestfallen when he realised he’d gone too far.

He seems to decide not to push me because he sits down next to me.

“
Where’s Matt?” Ian eyes Elise with a look that says he knows exactly what happened.

“
Getting some fresh air with his niece,” Elise smiles sweetly.

Ian nods and glances at me.

“How old are you?”

“
Twenty-five,” I answer hesitantly because it feels like I’m being interrogated.

“
Brothers? Sisters?”

“
Only child,” I shake my head