Dangerous Beauty: Part Three: This is War (91 page)

“She can handle it.”

“Please,” he shouted hysterically. “Please don’t do it. My family will not survive without me. My wife cannot take care of them financially. The members of my empire will scatter and they will take everything with them. She will have nothing …”

Carter shrugged. “I’ll send her these paintings.”

“That money will do nothing for the future. Our boys are but toddlers …”

Carter nodded. “All right, calm down. I’m a parent, too. I understand your fear, so here is what I will do for you, Frédéric.” She sighed. “I will ensure that your wife and sons are well taken care of, but that is all I will offer you.”

“Please,” he shouted, through tears. “Please don’t do this!”

“Isabella …”

Frédéric slipped into hysterics and scrambled up from the floor. He ran to the exit, yanking on the door only to find it locked. “Ahh!” He wept and scream as he clawed at the door desperately.

Isabella strolled across the area slowly with a predatory excitement in her eyes.

“Meetings over,” Carter said to her team, speaking over Frédéric’s wails of pain. “We’ll head back to our office at S.O. to check in with the others, then all of you can take a two hour lunch from there.”

“Two hours,” Catsianna giggled. “Did your husband call today?”

Carter smiled. “He did. So I’m taking an extra hour before we head to our last deals of the day.”

“Maybe I should get married,” Iman mused. “I want sex in the middle of the day, too.”

Carter’s mouth dropped open in shock of her words. “Iman, who said anything about sex? I’m going to eat …” And most likely have an afternoon quickie. So yea, she was going to have sex.

“Does your husband have any brothers?” Iman asked, ignoring Carter. “I refuse to date or marry a man that doesn’t know how to shoot a man properly. No petty theives and no scared civilians.”

Carter laughed.

“Her husband has four brothers and only two of them are single,” Davina answered. “Mikilo is in an on again, off again relationship with that chef, right?”

“The Silencer is dating a
chef
?” Katya asked in disgust. “My how the mighty have fallen.”

“That
chef
is the type of woman men go for, ladies,” Catsianna stated. “They don’t want women like us. We are alphas. We are difficult to tame. Men don’t want challenges, they want sweet women to bear their children and shut up.”

“Carterina is living proof that your theory is bullshit,” Davina replied.

“Davina’s right” Katya agreed, then turned a glare to Catsianna. “A man can love a woman that challenges him,
especially
a man in this lifestyle. Any other type of woman would be a bore. How much do you want to bet that the Silencer will tire of his chef eventually? He needs a woman that understands him, one that can nurture that sexy, sadistic beast on the inside of him—”

“A woman like you, Katya?” Catsianna asked, a smirk now appearing on her face. “I think not. Your father would snatch you from the world and lock you away just as Silas did Carterina—”

Katya slammed her hand on the table, causing Catsianna to flinch. “My father isn’t a part of my life anymore,
bitch
” she spat.

Catsianna moaned as a seductive smile spread across her lips. “Damn. You’re sexy when you’re angry with me,
Ya-Ya
…”

When Katya looked as if she’d attack Catsianna, Carter stepped in. “Enough you two,” she chuckled. She always had to play referee between the two women. Catsianna had perfected the art of pushing Katya’s buttons. Carter pointed her finger at Catsianna. “Stop being a bitch, Cat. You know the rule. Don’t bring up Katya’s father.”

Catsianna nodded her understanding, but the teasing smile never left her lips.

Carter shook her head and looked over to the now angry Katya with a smile. “I actually think Katya would be a better woman for Mickey anyway.” She didn’t
think
, she was positive. Carter had no doubt that if she left the two in a room together for even a second, Mickey would be all over Katya. A woman like Katya was irresistible to a man like Mikilo
“The Silencer”
Valente. “I’ll introduce you to him one day.” Carter winked, and Katya smiled.

Mickey and Katya had never even crossed paths before. Schedules didn’t allowed it, and both Katya and Mickey traveled often. Katya’s attraction to Mickey had been fueled by the stories that she’d heard about him … and a picture Carter had shown her of him at she and Nathan’s wedding.

Katya shrugged as if it were no big deal and Carter laughed softly.

“You’re all acting like children,” Catsianna said, obviously annoyed with them. “Love is for fiction story books, not real life.” She waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Crush on this ‘
Silencer’
if you want,
Ya-Ya
, but don’t get your hopes up. Men, are animals.”

Davina snorted. “You’re full of shit, Cat. Even I know love is real and I hate people …”

Both Carter and the other women at the table—including Catsianna— laughed.

Davina continued with a shrug. “Though I am not one for love, I do believe that there is someone for everyone—”

The sound of Frédéric being stabbed in the throat repeatedly caught their attention. They all looked over just as Isabella stood up from the severely brutalized dead body at her feet.

“Even her?” Iman asked. “Is there someone out there for her, Davina?”

“Yes,” Carter answered for her. “Come on, ladies,” they all stood upon the command. “We have much to accomplish today, and I need to be home in time to cook.”

~*~

“Hey Carter!”

Carter smiled when Aniyah walked up to her and gave her a hug, “Hi hun. Where the hell have you been?” It had been literally weeks since Carter had last seen Aniyah. The woman had just disappeared. “The girls and I tried to call you for drinks the other day. You should have come. Tamara was acting a fool as usual,” Carter laughed as she thought about her friends.

Aniyah kissed her cheek as a big grin spread across her face. “I don’t have time to tell you much right now, but I am in serious need of drink with girls.”

Gasping, Carter grabbed her hand. “What? Is it a
guy
? Are you seeing someone?” When she smiled a big, cheesy grin, Carter squealed, “Give me a hint dammit!”

Aniyah giggled. “He has blue eyes, a gorgeous ass, and I’ve been secretly dating him for three weeks.”

Carter’s smile dropped a little before she pulled herself together. “Oh …”
Kyle. Aniyah was dating Kyle … Nice
.

Aniyah’s grin faded. “What was that?” she asked.

Carter feigned ignorance. “What was what?”

“That face. That lackluster response.” She frowned. “I thought you’d be jumping for joy, Carter. You said he and I’d be perfect for each other. Now that I agree with you, it seems like you’re not okay with it.”

“It’s not that, Aniyah, I’m happy for you—”

“Then what is it?” she asked, her tone becoming clipped. “I thought you and Kyle never had anything between you. Isn’t he your cousin, Car—”

Whoa! What?
Carter lifted a hand to stop her. “What the hell are you talking about, Aniyah?”

Shaking her head, she turned away from Carter as if her presence annoyed her. “Whatever, it’s not important.”

“Aniyah.”

“You seem like you’re not happy that he and I are together, Carter.” Aniyah said the words freely, as if she’d always wanted to say them … and she didn’t stop there. “To be honest, your reaction when I told surprised me …”

“Did it?”

“Yes. You came off bitter, and a little jealous, Carter.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “That makes me uncomfortable as hell. He’s your cousin. Don’t you think it’s a little inappropriate for you to still be harboring those types of feelings for him? It’s sad. You’re a mother, and you’re married. The fact that you’re acting this way shows how little respect you have for your husband.”

Carter had to close her eyes and inhale a deep breath as to not lose her temper. She would not yell at the woman, she would not scream, nor would she cause a scene. That wasn’t who she was anymore. She was a professional. She was a wife, and a mother.
She was Salerno
. This place was her husband’s office. The individuals walking around were his employees and soldiers, and Carter would behave herself here. She would act like the wife of the Don in this situation, because that was who the fuck she was.

“Let me explain something to you, Ms. Clark. The response that has made you reveal all that you truly think of me just now, was not given because of the reasons you’ve suggested at all. My lackluster response to your and Kyle’s relationship was not for the sake of either of you, but for the sake of my niece, Sophia, and her alone. I couldn’t have cared less what type of woman he dated before my niece came into the picture, but now I very much care who he ends up with because that woman will be responsible for loving Sophia like a mother should love their child. I simply don’t feel you have the ability to love a child that is not your own.”

“Excuse me—”

“No more talking, Aniyah. You’re done. You have crossed more than one line, speaking to me the way you just have. Friend or not, Aniyah, you do not know me well enough to talk to me like that. Kyle Valente is my blood, my friend, and my brother. He is the godfather of two of my children, and he is my family. You have greatly disrespected me by reducing the love that I have for him to being some sort of sick scandal just because you are so obviously suffering from some adolescent insecurities. Then you had the audacity to accuse me of being some whore that has so little respect for my husband and my marriage that I would secretly harbor incestuous feelings for my own cousin. You were the maid of honor at my wedding, Aniyah …”

Upon the reminder, Aniyah’s eyes filled with tears. She lifted her hands to cover her mouth. “Oh my God.” She shook her head, casting her eyes downward, as if she couldn’t believe what she’d said. “Carter, I can’t believe I … I’m so sorry.”

She actually appeared sorry, but Carter didn’t give a fuck. She’d gone completely cold. Aniyah had pissed her off. The woman had better glad that Carter wasn’t too violent anymore.

“So am I, Aniyah. I think it was a mistake, you and I becoming friends. This is my family’s empire. I can’t allow that level of disrespect, especially in the middle of the work place. Men in far higher positions than you don’t have the courage to speak to me the way you just have. Not to mention you brought up my husband, my marriage, and my children. It’s highly important that you remember that while you and I are friends, I am your boss, and the wife of the Don of this organization—”

“Carter, please,” Aniyah cried. “I’m so sorry. I honestly don’t know what the hell I was thinking. I just freaked out is all. Please, don’t ever think that our friendship was a mistake. I love you. I just …” she sighed. “I’ve just been so scared. I feel like I finally have what I’ve wanted for so long, but I won’t be enough for him—”

“Enough, Aniyah,” Carter cut her off. She knew it may have been cold, but she walked away from the woman. Truth be told, she was still pissed. If she had stayed she would have smacked the shit out of Aniyah. She swept her mind of the situation completely. She didn’t have the energy for it.

Carter made it back to Nathan’s office quickly. As soon a she walked into his office, she kicked off her heels and let her hair down from the bun it had been contained in.

“Nathan, honey,” she called. He wasn’t in his office, but the bathroom door was closed. She looked around the office and smiled when she saw that he had already ordered them lunch from Aria’s restaurant, which happened to be Carter’s favorite place to each. “Babe, are you in here?”

She heard the bathroom water turn on. “Yeah, I’m here, baby,” he answered from the restroom.

Carter locked his office door. Since she was taking an extra hour off she wanted complete privacy. Lunch and cuddle time with her husband sounded perfect to her right about now. She walked over to the glass table in front of the couch where the food sat. Removing the items from the bag, Carter set up the food, then grabbed both her and Nathan drinks from his fridge just as he came out of the bathroom.

“What took you so long?”

Carter sat the drinks on the table. “I had a small run it with Aniyah.”

“Anything I need to worry about?”

Carter turned to face him, just as he walked up to her. “No,” she said with a smile, and stood on her toes to kiss his lips. “I missed you today.”

“I missed you, too. How’d it go?”

Heaving a deep sigh, she walked over to his desk and sat on the edge of the front corner. “It went well …”

“But you seem tired.”

“I am,” she confessed.

“Stand up, baby.” When she did as he’d instructed, he said, “Turn around.”

Anticipating what she knew was about to happen, Carter happily did as he’d asked. Nathan moved her hair to the side, and began firmly massaging her neck. “Mmm,” Carter moaned as she let her head fall forward. “Nathan …” Damn, he had the best hands. He always knew how to help her relax.