Guy’s gaze didn’t veer from mine as he narrowed his eyes on me. “James.” One word, and I knew exactly what was about to happen. Carter’s dad knew where he was. I didn’t hesitate this time, not now that I knew what Guy was saying. “He’ll be here shortly.”
“No.” I spun around and ran up the driveway, but something hit my back and I went flying forward. My knees were the first thing to scrape against the concrete on the driveway, and my palms connected with it to stop it hitting my face. Hands gripped my hair and yanked me back, and I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Stop!”
Guy growled and slapped his hand over my face as he pulled me up into a standing position but flung me right back down to the ground, only this time, my hands weren’t quick enough to stop my fall and my cheek slammed against the rough surface.
“Shut up,” Guy demanded, but I didn’t, I shouted and shouted until my voice was raw, and finally I heard the click of my front door opening.
“What the fuck?” Carter. He was here, and I needed to tell him to get away. James would be coming any moment for him, and I’d promised to make sure he was safe from him.
Guy’s foot stamped down on my back and then the toe of his shoes jabbed at my ribs, and I tried to roll away from him. A roar rang out, one so guttural I’d never forget the way it sounded and was followed with the crunch of knuckles hitting flesh.
I crawled away, just enough to not get hurt again, and stood on shaky legs. I didn’t care about the blood dripping down my face, all I cared about was getting Carter out of here and away from any danger.
“Carter.” I stumbled forward just as he raised his fist and slammed it into the side of Guy’s face again. I wasn’t sure when he’d lost consciousness, but that didn’t stop Carter from pummeling him over and over again. “Carter! Stop!”
I darted toward him and wrapped both of my hands around his biceps, trying to stop his momentum. “Let go, Sky.”
“No.” My head swung left and right, sure James would appear any moment. “We need to get out of here.”
“Not until I’ve taught this son of a bitch—”
“There’s no time, Carter. He’s coming.” I pulled in a breath and winced at the twinge in my ribs. “Your dad knows you’re here. We need to leave.”
“No.” Carter backed away a step, leaving Guy lying on the ground. “I’m not leaving.”
“Please,” I begged him, doing my best to portray in my eyes what I felt in my heart. I couldn’t watch him get hurt. I couldn’t allow James to get his hands on him. “For me, Carter. Please.”
He stared at me for several seconds, his hands slowly uncurling from the tight fists he’d had at his sides, and then his shoulders slumped. “I don’t back down from fights,” he told me, his voice deeper than I’d ever heard it. “But I’m doing this because you’ve asked me to.” I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding in. “It doesn’t mean it’s over, Sky. It’ll never be over with him, not until he’s six feet under.”
I heard what he was saying loud and clear, but that was something I couldn’t worry about right now. All that mattered was getting away from here and somewhere safe.
Carter placed his arm around my waist and ushered me into the house. “Grab what you need and leave the rest. Only the essentials.”
I nodded and darted to my bedroom to grab my suitcase. I flung anything in there that I would need, and grabbed my passport. It was the quickest I’d ever packed, and within five minutes, our stuff was in the trunk of my car and we were on the highway. I wasn’t sure how long Carter had driven for, but I must have drifted off, because his hand stroking my face woke me up.
“We can stay here tonight,” he told me, and I turned my head to see the sign for a motel.
“Where are we?”
“Across the state line,” he said, pushing out of the car. “I'm gonna grab us a room. Stay here.” I nodded and stared at him as he walked into the office and came out a couple of minutes later. He headed right for the trunk and pulled both our bags out then opened up my door for me. “Come on.”
Gingerly with my hand on my ribs, I got out of the car and followed him up the stairs to the motel rooms on the second level. I wondered if he’d requested one higher up so we could see the entire lot, or whether it was a coincidence.
He pushed the key inside the room marked 608, and entered with me following him. I took one last look down at the darkened lot, spotting no one hanging around, and then walked past him.
“We need to clean you up,” Carter said, opening up his bag and producing the first aid kit I kept in my bathroom at home.
“I’m fine,” I told him, wincing as I bent down to open up my suitcase.
His chuckle rang out, and for the first time in hours, I felt at ease. “No, you’re not, come on.” He grabbed my hand and my stomach dropped at the contact. After everything that had happened tonight, the way he made me feel felt so tiny in comparison. His dad was tracking him down, not only that, but he’d put Guy in place at my school months before all this had happened, which meant—
“He?
??s been watching you,” I blurted out and sat on the top of the toilet lid when Carter pushed down on my shoulders. He crouched down in front of me and opened up the first aid kit. “Did you hear what I said, Carter?”
He ignored me and found some alcohol wipes and tore open one of the packets. “I know.” He pressed the wipe to my face and cleaned off the dried blood. “I’ve known for months. It was why I boosted his car.”
“But…” I sucked in a breath as Carter pressed against my ribs over my dress. I was still in the dark-red material that clung to my curves. “I don’t understand.”