Kestrel (Hart Briothers #3) (31 page)

He points to the sofa and says again, “Sit.”

“I am not a fucking dog.”

Now he rubs his forehead and sighs. “I never thought you
were. Please, Carter, take a seat.”

Marching to the sofa, I sit. “Happy now?”

“No. Happiness is not possible for me. Not until the
killer or killers are caught.”

“Yeah, so that’s why I tried to text you, then call. I
wanted to know if they caught them. I got freaked out. But I couldn’t fucking
reach you.” I’m shaking I’m so angry.

He tilts his head and says urgently, “Why were you
freaked? Did something happen?”

“No! It’s just that those guys are at the house and I
wanted to know.”

“No. They haven’t caught them. When they do, you’ll be
the first to know.”

I dip my head and play with an imaginary thread on my
pants leg.

“So how are you feeling? Are you all healed up?”

“Do you even care?” I ask.

“Of course
I fucking
care,
dammit. I love you.”

“You have a strange way of showing it.”

“Your safety is most important. That’s why …” His voice
trails off but he continues to stare at me. “Please don’t hate me, Carter. Just
don’t hate me for what I’m doing.”

“I’m trying, but you’re not making it very easy. I don’t
understand why we can’t be together. Why we can’t be …” I shake my head.

“Because if they’re after me, I don’t want you to get
caught in the crossfire … to be collateral damage.”

“So, how long? A month? Six? A year?”

“As long as it takes to catch them.”

“I see. So until then, you’ll continue to decide my life
for me. Is that it?” Reaching into my handbag, I pull out a piece of paper and
hand it to him as I get up to leave.

He looks at it. All it says is August 14, 2015.

“What’s this? Ells’ birthday?”

“Not exactly. Irony is a bitch, Daddy.” And I walk out
of his office.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Kestrel

Everything comes to a screeching halt. August 14, 2015.
“Irony is a bitch, Daddy.” Oh my fucking shit. Carter is pregnant. She
suspected she might be. But in all the melee, I’d forgotten. And I left her.
Alone.
To deal with this by herself.
So how does that
make me feel? Like a fucking piece of dirt.

I explode out of my chair and tear through the office as
though my ass is on fire. When I hit the parking lot, she’s backing out of the
space.

“Wait! Carter!” I run toward her car, arms flailing in
the air trying to get her attention. She hits the brakes and I sprint to her
door. Opening it up I try to pull her out, but she’s belted in. Dropping to my
knees, I lay my head on her lap and hug her.

When I’m finally composed enough to speak, I look up at
her and she wipes my cheeks. “Jesus, I’m so sorry I left you. It was for your
safety, but I didn’t know. I talked with everyone and they felt if I was the
cause it would be best for you.” My rapid-fire speech has her head moving back
and forth in an effort to keep up, I imagine.

I go on and on with my explanation and she finally says,
“Hey, do you think I should move my car?”

Shifting my body back on my ass, I look around and
decide that’s probably a pretty good idea. The guys from DWI probably think I’m
an idiot.

“Not only that, I need to get you back inside.” I move
to allow her to park again, and then I help her out. When we walk back in,
everyone is spying on us, though they try to act like they’re not looking at us
at all. As we’re walking inside my office, I tell Shayla we are not to be
disturbed.

Once the door is closed, I take Carter in my arms and
kiss her. It reminds me of how much I missed her. “Promise not to bite me?”

“Yeah.” Her fingers touch my cheek.

“Tell me you missed this as much as I. I dreamed of you
next to me in bed every night. I wanted you so much at times, it hurt.”

“I hated you for leaving me. I couldn’t understand why
you did it.”

“I discussed it with Drex. I didn’t want to do it. It
was the hardest thing I ever did.”

“Who’s Drex?”

“He’s the private investigator I hired. He’s based in
Denver. He’s the best and he thought it might be best. If the killers intended
to kill me, then you would be safer. It worries me that you still could be
hurt.
And the baby.
When did you find out?”

“In the hospital before surgery. I didn’t want to tell
you in the hospital because you had too much going on as it was. I was going to
tell you when I got out, but you left before I had the chance.”

“Jesus. I’m so sorry, angel.” I kiss her again. “And
after I told you I would have your back on that. You must’ve thought I was the
biggest ass.”

“Yep. Mostly because you didn’t let me decide what I
wanted. You chose for me. I want to make my own life’s decisions.”

Shit. Now I have to worry about this as well.

“What is it?”

“We need to get you out of town.”

“What?” She pushes me away.

“Listen, angel. Someone wants me dead. Bad enough to
shoot the hell out of the house. And here’s what’s worse. The police tried to
cover some of it up.”

“What?”
Her faces pales.

“After I hired Drex Wolfe, I flew to Denver and he began
his investigation. Very little of the evidence they collected was recorded. So
he started looking into it and now he thinks someone in the police department
is covering it up.”

Carter’s phone buzzes as I’m telling her this. She looks
at it and it’s a message from John.

“Oh no!”

“What?” I ask.

“There’s been an explosion at the hospital.”

“An explosion?”

“Yes! John said that he was in the parking garage when
it happened.”

“What?”

She calls him. But all he can tell her is that he was in
the garage when the alarms started going off. He exited the building and when
he got to the street, they said an explosion occurred in the research building.
He just found out it was in their lab.

“They won’t know what happened until they can get in to
investigate.”

“I’m calling Drex.”

My conversation with Drex convinces us it’s more than
just a coincidence. He asks if John left early. Carter checks the time and says
she thinks he must have. Then Drex asks if she did.

“Well, yeah, but I’m only working part time this week.”

Drex decides to pull Dane and Heath out of the shadows.

“Who are Dane and Heath?” Carter wants to know.

“You’ll find out in a few minutes.”

I tell Shayla to let Dane in when he gets here. A few
minutes later, there’s a knock and in walks a tall, muscular guy with a
military look about him. His dark hair is cropped short and he’s wearing jeans
and a camo jacket.

“You must be Dane,” I say.

“That’s right, sir.”

“Nice to meet you. This is Carter.”

“I am aware, sir.” He nods at Carter. “I am to escort
Dr. Drayton everywhere. Heath and I will work, as we have been, except now
we’ll be visible to her.”

“What do you mean?” Carter asks.

“Uh, yeah, so Dane and Heath have been your shadows for
the last few weeks.
To keep you safe.
Everywhere
you’ve been, they’ve been with you. They are experts in what they do, angel.”

“You really think this is necessary?”

“Of course I do!” I yell. “If that explosion in your lab
was a bomb meant to kill you, then they’re after you, not me!”

“A bomb! Who said anything about a bomb?”

Dane stands with his feet spread, hands folded, silent.

“Angel, what kinds of things could cause an explosion in
your lab?”

She doesn’t respond.

I ask, “Do you work with flammables in your research?”

She purses her lips as she thinks. But she slowly swings
her head to and fro. “No. Nothing I can think of.”

“What else can cause an explosion? Gas? Do you use any
kind of gas burners?”

“No, we don’t in our lab.”

“So, what could cause an explosion? Any kind of chemical
reaction?”

“No. Again, not in our lab.”

“So, back to my point. That explosion may have been
meant for you. Dane is here to protect you.”

“How can he do that?”

I look at Dane and he says, “Ma’am, I was Special Ops.
I’m trained in a lot of things. I can keep you safe. You have to put your trust
in me. And if I tell you to do something, you have to do it.”

Carter’s phone rings. She answers it. I pull Dane aside
and tell him she knows everything now.

When Carter’s done, she says, “That was Winston Miles
from StrongMeds. The police say it may have been a bomb. John told him the
same.”

“Okay. That does it. We’re getting you out of
Charleston,” I say.

“No,” Carter protests. “Where would I go?”

“Manhattan. To Gabby and Kolson’s. Dane and Heath can go
with you. Carter, you have to think of the baby.”

“What about you?”

“I don’t think they’re after me. Now I’m convinced it’s
you they want.”

“I have to agree, ma’am,” Dane says.

“Quit calling me ma’am. I’m younger than you are!”
Carter says in frustration.

“Yes, ma’am. Sorry ma’am. Old habits are difficult to
break.”

“Oh, hell!” Carter starts to pace.

“I’ll call to have them get a plane ready.”

“Kestrel, come with me. Just for a night. I don’t have
any clothes.”

“We can take care of that, ma’am,” Dane says. He makes a
call and that’s that.

Carter pulls me aside. “So what. I have strange men
going through my lingerie and packing my bags?”

“It’s for a good reason.”

“Come with me. I want to sleep with you.”

I laugh. “That’s quite an invite. Very subtle, angel.”

“Well, what do you expect? I’m not being subtle. I’m
frightened.”

“Hang on.” I walk to the door and call Shayla in. When
she enters, I give her instructions to cancel everything on my Charleston
calendar because I’m leaving for Manhattan in an hour. Her brows shoot skyward,
but she only nods.

“Yes, Mr. Hart. Anything else?”

“Yes. After you’re finished, go home and pack a bag.
Plan on being gone for two weeks. Tell your husband he can come up this
weekend. I’ll send a corporate jet for him. You’re joining me tomorrow.”

A grin spreads across her face. “Yes, sir.”

“Oh, and Shayla. Make sure the staff knows we’ll be
gone, but don’t tell them where we’ll be. Just let them know we can be reached
by phone.”

“Yes, sir.”

Shayla leaves and I call Turk to tell him to go and pack
a bag for me.

“Who’s Turk?” Carter asks.

“He’s my version of Dane.”

Carter’s phone buzzes and it’s John. He tells her the
police want to talk to her. I grab her phone.

“Hi John, this is Kestrel Hart. Tell them if they want
to speak with her, they’ll have to do it at HTS or in New York.”

“New York?”

“Yes. We’re leaving in about an hour. Since that bomb
obviously targeted Carter, I’m getting her out of here. It’s not safe for her
in Charleston. Two attempts on her life and that’s enough. The police haven’t
done enough to catch the ones who killed my mother and nearly killed Carter the
first go round. I’m not taking any chances. You can tell them that.”

“I see.”

“And John, be careful.”

“Thanks. I will.”

As expected, the phone at HTS rings and Shayla tells me
a Detective Brunson is on the line and wants to speak with Carter. I take the
call for her.

“Detective Brunson.
Kestrel Hart here.
Dr. Drayton is unavailable. Looks like the killers struck again. You guys are
doing an amazing job there.”

“Mr. Hart. We need to talk to Dr. Drayton.”

“Yeah, about that. One, she doesn’t know anything. Two,
you can talk to her when she’s available.
In New York.
Where her life isn’t in danger. Where people aren’t trying to shoot her or bomb
her lab. Now go and catch the fuckers.” I hang up on him.

Carter says, “Are you sure that was wise?”

“He’s covering up shit.”

My cell buzzes. It’s Turk. “I have everything packed and
I’m on the way to the airport.”

“We’ll meet you there.”

I look at Dane and ask, “Any word from Heath yet?”

“No, sir.”

“Call him and see how much longer before he’s on his
way.”

“Yes, sir.”

Carter asks, “Is there a plane ready?”

“Yeah, there’s always one on standby.”

Dane says, “Sir, Heath will be on the way in about ten
minutes.”

“Good. That means we can leave here in about ten.”

In the meantime, I call Kolson to give him a heads up
that he and Gabby will be having company for the next week or so. Then we
leave.

Dane tells us to sit in the back and we take the back
road to the airport. It’s only about a seven minute ride, which is one of the
reasons why we chose this location for our offices. As we’re driving, Dane
announces that Heath has pulled up behind us. I turn to look and see him.
Carter does the same.

At exactly that moment, another black SUV T-bones us on
the driver’s side at a high rate of speed, pushing our car against a concrete
embankment. Carter screams, I yell, and so does Dane. Everything happens so
fast, I can’t recount it all, other than airbags deploy and I’m thrown into
Carter, but she’s simultaneously smashed into me.

The noise is horrific. Glass shattering, metal
crunching, tires squealing, and screaming. The screaming. It reverberates in my
ears.

Then I hear the distinct sound of gunfire. I know that
sound. It’s imprinted in my brain like nothing else. Bing,
bing
,
bing, bing. Over and over it goes.

Then an eerie silence descends. I’m trapped under part
of the door and can’t move. Carter? Where is Carter? I want to speak but I
can’t. Why can’t I speak? I blink my eyes, trying to focus, but everything is
blurred. Then it grays out.

***

“Mr. Hart? Mr. Hart?”

I open my eyes and see Heath.

“Don’t move. EMS is coming. Stay still.”

“Carter?” I ask

“She’s next to you.”

“Carter, can you hear me?” my voice is weak. I get no
response.

Heath says, “I can’t reach her because the car is
against the wall. Just don’t move.”