Nothing Left to Lose (90 page)

He seemed
confused for a split second before understanding shot across his
face. He immediately jumped up, wincing as he did so, and pulled me
to my feet. He pushed me against the wall, pressing his back
against my chest, protecting me whilst he patted his pockets.

“Stop it!
There’s no one here,” I croaked, gripping his hand. He turned to
face me. I could see the pain in his eyes, but he was trying to
keep it from me. I lifted his shirt, and I could see ugly, purple
marks all over his stomach, making bile rise in my throat.

“Anna, are you
okay? Baby Girl, please say you’re okay,” he begged, pulling me to
him and wrapping his arms around me tightly.

I closed my
eyes as his smell filled my lungs. The familiar scent that was
purely Ashton Taylor and no one else. I loved and missed that smell
so much. “I’m okay. But why the hell did you come here? Ashton, I
can’t see this, I can’t! This is the only thing I can’t cope with.
I sent you away so this wouldn’t happen! Why did you do this to
me?” I sobbed. My legs wobbled and finally gave way, so I slumped
down against the wall, pulling my knees up to my chest and hugging
them tightly. Carter was going to come in and have him beaten to
death in front of me, and there would be nothing I could do about
it but see it every time I closed my eyes.

Ashton slid
down the wall next to me, trying to hide his grimace of pain. “I
couldn’t leave you, Anna, I had to try. I’m so sorry I couldn’t
protect you,” he muttered, gripping his hair roughly. I could see
he was trying not to cry, and it broke my heart; he never even got
sad, let alone cried.

I moved and
wrapped my arms around him tightly. “Please don’t. Everything’s
going to be fine, we just need to think of a plan,” I lied, knowing
it was hopeless. I jumped up and ran to the door. “Jimmy, please!
Talk to me please?” I begged, kicking the door in frustration.

“Anna, just
settle down. Carter’s just called, he’s not too far away now, it
won’t be too much longer,” he answered.

“Jimmy, you
know who my father is, I could get a pardon for you. I’ll tell him
all the things you used to do for me. Or, I have money, I could
give you money, please,” I begged, pressing my forehead against the
door.

“Anna, I can’t,
I’m sorry.”

“Just get my
bodyguard out of here then. He’ll give you money. Please just sneak
him out and say he escaped, please?” I screamed desperately. I
needed Ashton out of here before Carter arrived, I couldn’t bear to
think of the alternative.

“Shh! He’s
here, Anna,” Jimmy hissed, and I heard him walk away from the
door.

Before I even
had a chance to register what Jimmy had said, Ashton grabbed me and
pushed me against the wall, pressing against me, hard. “Just stay
behind me. Everything’s going to be okay,” he stated, obviously
trying to reassure me with words, but I knew him to well, he had no
hope in his voice at all.

“No, it won’t.
I’m just going to pray that he kills you quickly,” I muttered
hopelessly as the door opened.

The man who
haunted my dreams walked into the room. I whimpered and pressed
into Ashton’s back, trying to disappear. My eyes raked over him,
seeing that he looked exactly the same as I remembered him,
although he had a few grey flecks in his brown hair now. Mark,
Jimmy, and two other guys walked into the room behind him. I hated
the fact that Mark was here. I had seen him torture people for
hours before he killed them; he was going to torture Ashton, I just
knew it. A sob rose in my throat, but I swallowed it back down. I
couldn’t cry, crying was weakness to Carter.

“Well, this is
the guy, is it? The one who killed seven of my men?” Carter asked,
sneering at Ashton. The sound of his voice made me whimper and
clutch Ashton’s shirt for dear life. It was just as I remembered
and still made my blood turn cold in my veins and a shiver run down
my spine.

Mark nodded in
confirmation. “Yeah, I found some SWAT credentials on him. Agent
Ashton Taylor, but then, we already knew his name,” he stated,
holding out Ashton’s wallet to Carter.

Carter cocked
his head to the side, his eyes raking over Ashton slowly from head
to toe. “Agent Taylor. Well, I guess that saves me some time, now I
don’t have to come and look for you in LA. But why are you here all
alone? I thought you’d been reassigned,” Carter asked, raising one
eyebrow curiously.

My breathing
hitched as my eyes widened. They knew Ashton lived in LA and had
planned on moving on him? Please let me get him out of here! “He’s
my bodyguard, Carter,” I said, quickly stepping out from behind
Ashton. Before I could get more than a step away from him, Ashton
grabbed my wrist and jerked me back behind him.

“Stay behind
me!” he ordered harshly.

I saw Carter
nod, and almost immediately Mark punched Ashton in the stomach,
making him double over with pain. I screamed, but he still didn’t
let go of me, he held me behind him protectively.

I can’t
watch this again, I just can’t.
I pushed Ashton, making him
lose his balance and fall to the floor. I ripped my wrist from his
hold and punched Mark as hard as I could in the face, looking at
him challengingly.
Come on, asshole, hit me back! Come on, do
it!
He spat blood onto the floor and whipped back his hand,
slapping me hard across the face. My eyes rolled in their sockets
as pain exploded in my head, making my eyes water.

In an instant
there was a gun to Mark’s head. “You touch her again and I swear,
not only will I kill you, but I will kill your whole family,”
Carter growled menacingly at him.

And here was my
chance. “Kill him, Carter. Please, baby, he really hurt me,” I
pouted, holding my face.
Please kill him; I can’t have Mark hurt
Ashton! Please.

“You want me to
kill him? Are you getting sadistic, Princess?” Carter asked,
looking me over for the first time since he entered the room.

“That’s not the
first time he’s hit me today.” I raised my chin, pouting and trying
to look wounded.

A look of
hatred went across his face and his eyes flashed with rage. The
shot rang out loud in the room. Blood splashed across my face. Mark
slumped to the floor, dead. I watched, emotionless. All I could
think of was: at least Mark won’t be able to torture Ashton
now.

“Come here,
Princess,” Carter instructed, smiling at me warmly. Without
hesitation, I stepped over Mark’s dead body, but Ashton was back on
his feet. He grabbed me, throwing me behind him protectively,
slamming me against the wall.

“You don’t
fucking touch her!” he spat at Carter, looking so angry that I was
slightly surprised that Carter wasn’t dead already from the force
of the hatred coming from Ashton.

Carter’s jaw
tensed, his eyes locked on Ashton’s in some kind of battle of the
stares. “I appreciate you looking after my wife for me while I was
away, Agent, but I’m back now, I can take care of her,” he replied
calmly.

Ashton’s body
tensed against mine. “Wife… but…”

When he looked
back at me with wide, shocked eyes, silently asking if that was
true, I pressed my lips into a thin line and nodded in
confirmation. I couldn’t deny it while Carter was there. I couldn’t
explain that I didn’t want it, that it was forced upon me, that it
repulsed me to the very core. Ashton’s jaw tightened as his eyes
shone with sympathy.

“Yes, wife,”
Carter confirmed harshly. His gaze flicked to me, his eyes hard and
warning. I knew that look, and it was always one I didn’t dare
ignore. “Come here, Princess,” he repeated.

I went to move,
but Ashton wouldn’t let go of me. Carter raised his gun, aiming it
directly at Ashton’s face. My world stopped spinning. This was it,
he was going to die. He was going to be murdered right in front of
me. I loved him so much that I would die for him; actually, I loved
him so much I would
live
for him. Death was easy compared to
Carter. If Ashton died it was going to kill me inside, and that
would be worse than death. I couldn’t go through that, not again. I
loved Ashton so much, more than anything and everything. He was my
life, he was my soul mate. I couldn’t allow this to happen.

“Please don’t,
Carter, for me. Please, baby, I’m begging you, please.” I tried
desperately not to cry as I struggled against Ashton’s hold. His
gaze flicked to me, a little shocked expression on his face. He was
begging me with his eyes to stay with him, to stay behind him. I
shook my head. “Carter, please. I’ll do anything you want,
anything. Just don’t hurt him. I can’t see any other people die
because of me, please?” Ashton still wouldn’t let go of my wrist,
so I elbowed him in the ribs where he had the bruises. He grunted
in pain. It hurt my insides to know that I had caused him pain, but
it worked to my advantage, just like I thought. His hold loosened
for a fraction of a second and I scooted away just out of his
reach, towards Carter.

“No, Anna!” he
screamed, trying to grab me, but I was too quick.

Four guns all
pointed in his face, making him stop in his tracks. He was looking
at me, pleading with me to go back to him, but I couldn’t. I needed
to try; I needed to make him safe if I could. I put my hand on
Carter’s gun and pushed it away so it wasn’t pointing at Ashton
anymore.

“Please don’t
hurt him, baby,” I pleaded, looking right into his brown eyes. I
pushed away all my fear and hatred. I didn’t care what he did to
me, but Ashton had to live. I stepped forward slowly towards
Carter. “Please,” I whispered as I got right in front of him. I ran
my hands up his chest, making him shiver. Lust crossed his face and
I fought with every nerve in my body not to flinch. “Please don’t
hurt him.”

He sighed
deeply. “Tell me why not then, Princess,” he suggested, lowering
his gun and trailing his fingers across my face.

Oh shit,
what the hell can I say?
“I’ve seen too many agents be killed
because of me today. Plus, I… I know his girlfriend. I like her.
She really loves him, Carter, he’s everything to her. He’s all she
has in the world. He’s all she lives for. Please don’t hurt him.
She needs him,” I begged, putting my arms around his neck. He
looked at Ashton. I didn’t move, I couldn’t look back at him, I
knew what I’d see: shock, love, horror and hurt. Carter regarded
Ashton with indecision clear across his face. I could see how much
he wanted to kill him for putting his hands on me, but he also
didn’t want to do it because I was begging him. He always had liked
to try and give me everything that I asked for. “For me? Don’t take
him away from her. Just let him go home. I’m here now, we’re
together. No one else needs to die because of me.” I smiled – at
least, I
hoped
I was smiling, it felt more like a grimace.
Carter rolled his eyes, and his face softened. My heart took off in
a sprint knowing that he’d conceded.

Carter dipped
his head slowly, and I held my breath, knowing what was coming.
When his lips pressed against mine, I whimpered and fought the urge
to recoil and gag. His arms snaked around my waist, crushing me
against him. He moaned in the back of his throat and finally pulled
away, his eyes shining with excitement.

“I’ve missed
you, Princess,” he purred, kissing down my neck. I swallowed my
sobs and squeezed my eyes shut. I heard Ashton groan.

“I’ve missed
you too, Carter,” I mumbled.

My scalp
suddenly burned as Carter gripped the back of my hair roughly,
pulling my head back so I had to look up at him. “Don’t mumble,
Princess, you know I don’t like that,” he growled, pulling hard on
my hair, making me grit my teeth against the pain that was shooting
through my scalp.

“I’ve missed
you too, Carter,” I repeated, louder this time.

“Good girl.” He
smiled before setting a soft kiss on my cheek.

“Keep your
fucking hands off her!” Ashton growled, trying to step forward as
he reached for me.

One of the men
that had entered with Carter smashed his gun into the side of
Ashton’s face, hard, sending him to the floor with blood pouring
from his mouth. Carter ignored him. I glared at Ashton, begging him
silently to be quiet. He shook his head at me as he spat a mouthful
of blood onto the floor. I didn’t dare move. I needed him to be
safe, I would do whatever it took, but he needed to help me by
being quiet. Carter was going to let him go, and that was all I
needed.

“Princess,”
Carter murmured, running his hands down my body, squeezing my ass
as he moaned in the back of his throat. “You are so fucking hot. I
hope you got plenty of sleep last night because I’ve missed you so
much, I don’t think you’ll be getting any tonight, Mrs Thomas,” he
purred lustfully. Vomit rose in my throat as a cold shudder
trickled down my spine. Carter didn’t seem to notice my reaction
though as he used the sleeve of his expensive white shirt to wipe
the side of my face. “So beautiful,” he whispered, smiling at me
proudly.

Behind me, I
could hear Ashton pushing himself up. Carter’s eyes flicked over my
shoulder and he cocked his head to the side. “Right then, what
shall we do about him?” he pondered, nodding at Ashton.

“I thought you
were going to let him go,” I mumbled. Had I not convinced him
enough? Had I not made my case strongly enough? Knowing I needed to
do everything in my power, I stepped closer to Carter and gripped
my hand around the back of his head, guiding his mouth to mine as I
went up onto tiptoes. He responded immediately, kissing me
fiercely, taking control. The kiss was just like I remembered,
rough and demanding.

Finally, he
pulled away and put his forehead to mine. His brown eyes danced
with excitement and joy. “Fucking hell, Princess, I forgot how much
I loved you.” He smiled, running his hands through my hair. “Tell
me you love me,” he ordered.