Dangerous Beauty: Part Three: This is War (22 page)

He’d shouted every heart-piercing word, and when Carter flinched behind him Nathan had had enough.

He stood up from the bed, leaving the pillow for Carter to cover herself with, and walked over to the door where Robert stood.

Looking Robert directly in the eyes, Nathan spoke in low, firm tone. “Listen to me closely, Robert. While I respect you as a person, and as Carter’s father, I will
not
allow you to talk to my wife that way,
especially
in our home. I cannot express to you how much I do not want this to turn into an argument between the two of us, so I will tell you this as kindly as I possibly can. You need to get out of our bedroom, right now.”

For a moment longer than Nathan had patience for, Robert just glanced between the two of them, then he turned and left.

Nathan swiftly closed the door behind him, relieved that he didn’t have to come to blows with his father-in-law. Yes, the man was talented, but Nathan knew that if he actually fought back, he’d give the man a serious run for his money.

Shaking off his thoughts, Nathan turned to his wife. She looked up at him with big, teary eyes and Nathan’s heart immediately broke. Fuck Spook! He couldn’t believe the man had been so callus, so fucking cold to his own daughter. Did he not see how much his approval and opinion meant to her? Nathan wished there was something he could say to make her feel better, but he knew there wouldn’t be anything. Therefore, instead of talking he just joined her on the bed and waited for her to speak.

~*~

Carter pulled her knees to her chest and gazed deeply into her husband’s concerned eyes. She was fighting with everything in her to not succumb to her emotions, but it was proving to be too hard. So many times she had asked her mother if her father would approve of the woman she’d become, and every time her mother had assured her he would. Carter had always felt in her heart that she was doing everything she could to be a woman her father would be proud to call his daughter, but now it was quite clear that she had failed. Her father was disappointed in her. He wore that disappointment on his face as he openly disapproved of everything she’d done, every decision that she’d made thus far. What had he called her decisions? Stupid. Foolish. Mindless. Not thinking. Acting without justification or concern for consequences.

“Carterina. Stop, baby.” Nathan’s soft, comforting voice brought her back to the present. “Thinking about it will only make you feel worse.”

Worse? What is worse?

“How can I feel any worse than I do now, Nathan?” she whispered the words, hating that tears had fallen from her eyes when as she said them. “And now I’m crying.” She wanted to smack herself for being so weak. “He’s disappointed in me. He says I’m not his daughter anymore. He’s going to leave, Nathan.”

“What? No, baby.” Pushing her hair from her face, he tucked it behind her ear. “He wouldn’t leave you.”

“Yes he would, Nathan. I’m not the same girl I was when I was seventeen. He doesn’t approve of who I am now. I don’t know how to change anymore, I don’t even think I want to change.”

“You don’t have to change—”

“He won’t stay, Nathan. I know my father. He likes things to be a particular way. If his world is being shaken, he’ll move on, with or without me. He expected everything to be the same, but it’s not and he doesn’t like it. He doesn’t seem to particularly like me either—”

“Carter, don’t say that,” he murmured, stopping her from continuing tormenting herself.

Shaking her head, Carter hugged her knees closer to her chest. “It’s the truth, Nathan. He knows everything. Every stupid and embarrassing decision I made when I was on my own.” Carter closed her eyes as shame and embarrassment caused her stomach to twist in a painful knot. “He knows that I was an addict. He knows that I shared a bed with m–my own fucking … my own brother.” Carter tried and failed to take deep breaths to suppress her emotions. Unfortunately, more tears fell from her eyes regardless of the fact that she didn’t want them to. She was beyond heartbroken and embarrassed. She was so fucking stupid to think she’d done anything right.

“Carter,” Nathan said in a soft, firm voice. Holding her face in his hands, he pressed his forehead against hers. “I said stop.”

“I can’t,” she cried.

He nodded his head. “Yes you can. Get out of the past, Carterina. Those days have come and gone. You’ve grown, you’re not that person anymore. You made mistakes, but so the fuck what? Everyone has. You are beautifully human, baby. Your imperfections are what make you even more beautiful on the inside, than you are on the outside …”

“Why is he so angry with me, Nathan? I don’t understand.”

Nathan shook his head. “He’s not mad at you, baby, he’s mad at himself. You grew up and he missed it because of the
mindless
decisions he made, not you. He needs to get out the past and take the time to get to know the amazing woman you are now.”

“But what if he doesn’t want to?”

Nathan smiled and kissed her lips. “He will, baby. You mean too much to him. He’s having some adjustment issues right now, but he’ll work through it.”

“You think so?”

“Of course I do,” he said with that confidence she loved so much. “Everything will work out, Carter. I promise. I’ll make it better, you just wait and see.”

“You always make it better,” she whispered, a smile tugging her lips up.

“It’s my job,” he teased with a shrug.

Carter smiled. “You’re such an amazing husband to me, Nathan Salerno.” She caressed his face softly. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Carterina Salerno.”

“You’re going to be an amazing Papa.”

Nathan smiled as he leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss. Carter sat up on her knees, sunk her fingers in his hair, and pressed her body against his, kissing him fiercely.

Abruptly, she pulled back from the kiss, remembering that she’d had to tell Nathan something.
Holy shit! How could I have forgotten?

Nathan looked as if he were fighting to regain his focus. His face was flush, and she felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

“Why?” he asked breathlessly. “Why’d you stop? That was a sex kiss. I was pretty sure we were about to finish what we’d started earlier.”

Carter nodded her head. “Yeah, it was. We were going to have sex, but I forgot that I had to tell you something that might take you out of the mood.”

“What the hell could possibly take me out of the mood right now, Carter? You’re half naked, your tits are pressed against my chest, your nipples are hard, and I know …” Closing his eyes, Nathan took a deep, frustrated breath. “I know you’re wet, Carter. You’re killing me, baby, I’m so fucking hard right now—”

“But I have to tell you what I found out, Nathan.”

“Yea, well tell me in about twenty-five minutes. Fifteen if you keep making me wait woman. Now come on—”

“Nathan!”

“Tell me what?” he asked sharply.

Carter ignored his sharp tone. “It’s about Kyle and me.”

He frowned. “What about you and Kyle?”

“We’re related, Nathan. Kyle and I. Abrielle is Anastacia’s sister. They have the same father.”

“
What?
” Nathan exclaimed.

Carter pursed her lips and nodded her head. “That’s what I said.”

“Why the fuck wouldn’t Anastacia, Cesare, and my father think that was a fact worth mentioning?”

Carter shook her head. “I have no idea. I was so mad, Nathan. I’ve seriously had it up to here,” she held her hand far above her head, “with their bullshit and their lies. I plan on confronting my mother and Cesiebear after I talk to Kyle.”

“You’re going to tell him?”

Carter frowned. “Of course I’m going tell him. Why wouldn’t I?” she asked suspiciously.

With his brows furrowed, Nathan shook his head. “I always thought …” His words died off. “Never mind.”

“Thought what, Nathan?”

Nathan hesitated then sighed. “You kind of look like his mother …”

“What? Bullshit,” Carter said, shaking her head in disagreement. “You’re out of your mind, bubby.”

Nathan shrugged. “I didn’t say you were the spitting image, but you do have some of the same features. It make sense you’re a Stone, she’s a Stone. Then there’s your brother.”

“What about my brother?”

“Well, now that I know their related …” He ran his hand over his jaw. “The resemblance is the jawline.”

“Why are you just mentioning these resemblances now?”

He shrugged again. “I only acknowledged it once then I deemed it impossible. But now it makes sense. Now I can see why he’s so drawn to you. It’s fucked up, but you have to admit it might be true.”

Carter said nothing. She still didn’t know how she felt about the situation. Nor did she know how Kyle was going to take it.

“Whatever, I have questions now. I need to know why my mother has lied to me so much when she promised me that she wouldn’t.”

“I still haven’t even talked to my father about my mother. Don’t even know if I want to.”

“Well,” Carter cleared her throat uncomfortably. “I have something to tell you about your mother, but only because I think it would help you to talk to him about it.”

“What do you mean? Talk to who?”

“My father. He knows a lot about your mother’s plan to leave, and I think he could give you some answers, Nathan.” When he didn’t respond, Carter continued. “My father and your mother had a … thing. He didn’t really tell me much about it, but I could tell he cared for her a lot, and I think he knows some stuff about the events leading up to her death. I know how much it hurt you to find out your mother was leaving you. Maybe my father knows why she came to that decision.”

“What if the reason why she came to that decision hurts even worse, Carter?”

“Would knowing hurt more than not knowing?” She softly caressed his face. “It’s your decision, bubby. You’ve already healed, but now you can have closure if you want it.”

Nathan pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “I’ll think about it, baby.”

“Good.”

“Damn,” Nathan groaned as he relaxed back on the bed. He laced his fingers and rested them behind his head. “I don’t think I can take any more bombs being dropped on us, baby. I’ve got a lot on my plate right now with this war, plus all of the shit we have to deal with when we get back to New York.”

“Well you have me. We can do it together. And who knows, maybe there will be no war. Maybe Silas will back off …”

Carter would never know why the hell she thought that would happen.

“Maybe,” Nathan muttered. “Hey, you know your brother well, right? I don’t need any more surprises. Especially since we’re inviting him into our home.”

Carter thought for a moment. “Well, I know he’s my brother. I know he wants to go to college. I know he’s never killed anyone. I know he’s funny, sweet, caring, smart, and amazing. What else is there to know?” she asked with a bright smile.

Gabriel had wanted to wait until he met their mother to tell her more. He’d said he wanted them to get to know him together.

Nathan looked at her like she was crazy. “What the hell do you mean ‘what else is there to know’? You better get your ass down there and ask him some more questions, Carter. I’m not having no baby Silas living in my house!”

Carter chuckled. “Well, according to Silas I am his mini-me, not Gabriel.”

Nathan’s eyes widened in mock fear “What?” he exclaimed playfully. “How the hell is that supposed to make me feel, Carterina?”

Carter smiled wickedly and started to crawl toward him. “Afraid, Nathan Salerno. Very afraid.”

Nathan’s gaze fell to her breasts. “Mmm,” he moaned. “Is it weird that I still want some pussy?”

Carter laughed.

~*~

Dinner was wonderful. Carter met, and—in her words—
adored
Freddy Russia, and everyone laughed, talked, and enjoyed each other’s company. Nathan was pleased that the guys did an excellent job keeping Carter’s mind off of the fact that her father was not present for the meal. After dinner they took the conversation to the living room where they talked about various subjects, but mainly the pending addition to the family. The guys asked Carter countless questions about how she was feeling, did she have morning sickness, could she feel the baby moving, they even checked her belly for growth, which made Carter laugh. There excitement was contagious, and Nathan could tell that the last thing on Carter’s mind was how badly her father had taken the news of their baby.

“Carterina, we need to talk. Now.”

The sound of Robert’s angry voice caught everyone off guard as he walked into the living room. Nathan looked over at the man, wondering when he’d come in.

“Now, Carter,” he shouted. “Outside!”

Nathan was getting tired of this motherfucker yelling at his wife. Carter frowned, and was just about to rise and go with him when Nathan stood up and stopped her.

“No,” he said to Carter. “Sit down, baby. You’re not going anywhere.”

Nathan wasn’t letting his wife go anywhere with him, father or not. Robert seemed severely pissed off. His face was tight, veins pulsing in his forehead, and he looked at Carter like he wanted to strike her. Nathan didn’t give a fuck who the man was, he would beat his ass bloody before he let him put one finger on his wife.