He nodded. “Yes.”
Carter nodded and stepped to the side. “Then prove it to me.” Carter held out her hand to the soldier with the gun to Clay’s head, and he put it in her hand. Carter took the weapon, gave it to Matthew, and motioned for him to go to Clay. “I think you can pretty much guess what it is I want you to do, Matthew. So do it.”
They waited, and waited … and waited some more. However, Matthew seemed to be stuck to the place he stood. Carter moved to stand in front of him with her hands clasped in front of her. He was frightened to the point of shaking, and tears fell from his eyes.
“I can’t, C–Carterina, I’m sorry,” he cried. “I–I’m not a killer. I’ve never killed a man before, and no matter what’s been done to me I’d never want to. I’m just an accountant. I like numbers and I’m good at my job. B–but if living and keeping this job means I have to take the life of another then I’m sorry.” He lowered his head. “I will have to give up a job, and my life,” he whispered.
Carter silently stared at him. She could honestly say that she’d never truly respected Matthew Young until this very moment. With her index finger, she tapped his chin until he lifted his tear-filled eyes to hers. She reached forward, taking his hands and slipping off the gloves one by one.
“Reno,” she called. “My gloves.” Reno came forward and handed them to her, taking the oversized ones away. Carter slipped on her gloves, took the gun from Matthew, and gave him a soft smile. “Very well, Matthew. You don’t have kill him. Do not fear, sweetheart.”
Carter walked over to Clay and told the soldier to move to the side.
“S–so you’re not going to kill m–me?” Matthew asked.
Chuckling softly, Carter sat on the arm of the couch next to Clay with her legs crossed and her hands in her lap. “The Salerno Organization is not a dictatorship, Matthew. I have no interest in making you do anything you don’t want to do. Like you said, you are an accountant. I told you to prove yourself to me and you obediently did as I’d asked. The manner in which you speak to me shows that you have respect for me and my family. The desire to take care of your family speaks volumes about your character. You’re loyal to those who value your work. In your eyes, I saw nothing but pure and genuine truth, not even the threat of death would make you go against your beliefs. You are not a killer, and you didn’t allow me to intimidate you into becoming one whether you were afraid to die or not. That, Matthew Young, is honorable.” With her head cocked to the side, she gave him a soft smile. “You’re fine, Matthew. You’ve been subjected to enough today. Go home, be with your family. How about we discuss the details of your new job tomorrow when we see each other at the park?”
“Yes,” he replied, appearing relieved. “Yes, that would be a–amazing.”
“Excellent,” Carter said, looking over to Nathan. “Honey, can you …”
Nathan nodded and instructed one of his men to grab a few stacks of the cash from the open safe, which the soldier handed to Matthew. “Consider it a welcome bonus.”
“Thank you so much,” Matthew exclaimed as he took the money. “Thank you.”
“No thanks needed,” Carter said. “Just do your job as well as you promised.”
He gave her a nod as he started for the door. “I will.”
“Bye, Matthew,” Nathan said. “Uhh … Remember, tomorrow it’s our turn to bring the snacks.”
Carter bit her lip to contain her laughter until Matthew had left. When he was finally gone, she let it burst free. “Jesus Christ, Nathan.”
“Shut up, Carter, it’s not that damn funny.” He pointed to Mickey, who was laughing softly. “And don’t you say a fucking word.”
Mickey raised his hands in surrender.
It never failed. Nathan could never stomach looking like a monster in the eyes of innocent individuals. Mickey had told Carter that it was something Nathan had been doing for years, but Carter still could never not laugh at how awkward and cute he got when he was uncomfortable.
After her laughter had subsided, she looked at her amazing, angry husband and poked out her lips in a pout. “Oh come on, bubby, don’t be mad at me. I only laugh because I love you so much.”
Nathan smirked. “I’m not mad at all. You’ll pay for laughing at your husband, I guarantee it.”
Carter wiggled her brows suggestively and gave him a wink.
Nathan’s smile was full of mischief and Carter bit her bottom lip to hide a smile. She looked away from him and over at Clay, who she gave a gentle nudge with her arm. “You doing all right?”
He frowned. “Well, that depends. What are you going to do to me?”
“What do you think I should do to you?” she asked. “You disrespected me, you yelled at me downstairs, you made me come back here a second time for the same shit I took care of last time. What should your punishment be for that?”
“You’re already taking my hotel and sending me to jail—”
Carter shook her head and frowned. “The city is taking your hotel, not me. I’m still upset about this, Clay.” She crossed her legs, letting the split of her skirt fall to the side, revealing her favorite knives holstered safely around her thigh.
“Well … do you want an apology?” When Carter shook her head no, with panic in his voice he asked, “Money?”
Carter chuckled. “I have money, silly.”
“Well, what do you—” A gut-wrenching scream tore loose from his throat when Carter quickly removed one of her trusty knives and jammed it in his thigh.
A chill rushed down Carter’s spine and a sadistic smile spread across her lips. Clay reached for the knife, but was thwarted when she elbowed him in his face. His hand shot to his face as he fell back with another shout. She took the opportunity to wrap her hand around the knife in his thigh, and biting her bottom lip she pushed it in deeper, giving it a little wiggle along the way. Clay cried out in agony.
“Please,” he begged. “God, please stop!”
He tried to grab for the knife that Carter’s hand was still wrapped around and she pushed it in deeper.
“Ah!” Sweat beaded on his forehead, then slowly slid down his crimson red face.
“Be quiet,” Carter whispered. “The sooner you quiet down the sooner the pain will stop.”
He did as she’d instructed, even as his soft cries fell from his lips.
“Good. Now put your hand on each side of you.”
He nodded and obeyed.
“If you scream, I’ll stab you again.” Without another word she yanked her knife free. Clay kept his lips tight, but his body shook with silent sobs. Carter nodded, deciding that he was quiet enough, and not to punish him any further.
“Very good, Clay.” She brought the blood covered knife to his face, and wiped it on his tear covered cheek while she whispered, “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Salerno, please forgive me … I beg of you.”
“I–I’m so s–sorry, Mrs. Salerno . . . p–please forgive me, I beg of you,” he repeated with a shaky voice.
Carter looked into his eyes. “Obedience, Clay. Do you understand now?” she asked, staring in to his eyes. When Clay nodded, Carter stood and handed off her dirty knife and gloves to Reno. “Good boy.” With a smile, Carter walked to her husband. “All done,” she said brightly.
Nathan shook his head. “You’re killing me, Carter. My day is full, with no time for quality time with you, and you put on a display like that?”
Carter gave him a naughty smile and gripped the front of his shirt. “I’m leaving now, Russian. I have a few more meetings, then I’m going home early.”
Nathan arched his brow. “You’re just going home early? You had no intention of asking first?”
Carter laughed and poked his chest playfully. “Ask? Honey, I’m Carterina Salerno. The boss’s beloved daughter, the underboss’s wife, and the mother of the futures of this organization. I’ll go home when I damn well please, mister.” She stood on her toes and gave him a kiss that was supposed to be quick, but Nathan snaked his arm aro
und her waist and captured her mouth in a deep—insanely possessive—kiss that stole her breath. When he broke the kiss Carter bit back a moan and hit his arm. Of course Nathan would get her all hot and bothered before she had to go to another meeting. They were both too busy for one of their famous mid-work day quickies, so unfortunately she’d just have to deal with it. “Why the hell would you kiss me like that, in a place like this, Nathan?”
He laughed as she pushed out of his embrace and turned to leave with her men.
“All righty,” she said, straightening her clothing. “Now that Nathan and I have given you all a show … I shall take my men and go.” She chuckled. She loved it when she rhymed unintentionally.
“You’re laughing because you rhymed, aren’t you?” Nathan asked with amusement in his voice.
Carter nodded and laughed harder. Damn, he knew her too well. “I’m fucking amazing. I’m like the female Doctor Seuss.”
Nathan and the men in the room—excluding Niko and his men—laughed with her.
“You’re such a nerd,” Nathan teased her.
Carter’s mouth dropped open in playful offense. “Meanie.” She gave him a wink over her shoulder and continued to exit.
“Love you, baby,” Nathan called. “You better have dinner on the table when I get home.”
Carter raised her middle finger in the air. “Kiss my ass, Mr. Salerno.”
“I plan to, Mrs. Salerno.”
Carter laughed. “I love you, too, bubby.”
Chapter 24: Pool Party
Now don’t get Carter wrong, she still absolutely loved working at S.O., but being a wife, a mother, and taking care of her family and home had snuck up on her and became her first love. Yes, she still loved New York, and yes she still did a ton of work back in the City. But ever since her little boys were born, the majority of Carter’s work for both New York and France was done from home during Aleksandr and Maksim’s nap time. The only time Carter went to the City was when she had meetings.
She’d created a new system after her sons were born. It allowed her to do all of her desk work from Nathan’s home office, and only go to the City three, sometimes four, times a week for meetings with associates and potential business partners.
“Ma-ma!”
“Ma-ma!”
The sound of little feet running through the house was getting closer and closer to the kitchen as Carter continued to stock the picnic basket with their lunch and snacks. Carter had left work early after her last meeting to come home and spend time with her mother, brother, and her babies. They were going to have lunch by the pool, lounge, and go swimming per Maksim and Aleksandr’s request. It was going to be a perfect day as usual. The only thing that could’ve made it better was if Nathan had come home early to join them. Unfortunately, his work load didn’t allow it. Good thing Carter could always count on him being home on time for family dinner every night; it was always just the four of them. She had been the one to make his daily schedule, so she’d made sure of it.
“Ma-ma!” her baby called again.
She could tell just by hearing his voice that it was Aleksandr. He was the more talkative twin.
“Mama is in here, baby,” Carter yelled. “Come to the kitchen.”
When he yelled back, “Okay,” Carter laughed softly. Her babies had so much personality, just like their father.
“Auntie Carter?”
Carter looked up from the fruit she had been cutting into squares just as her stunning little niece—slash cousin by blood—Sofia walked in to the kitchen. Carter smiled. Sofia was such a beautiful little two-year-old Daddy’s girl. She walked into the kitchen in her little purple, skirted, one piece swimsuit looking so adorable. Her beautiful hair swayed back and forth and her sky blue eyes were bright with excitement as she walked to Carter quickly.
“Hi sweetie. You need something?” Carter asked
“Wanna braid my hair, Auntie?” Sofia asked. She ran her little fingers through the ends of her hair, now reaching her waist, and gazed at Carter expectantly.
“Of course, baby.”
Carter left the fruit and went over to the sink to wash her hands. After she’d washed and dried her hands, she picked up Sofia and journeyed to the booth-like seat by the window. Carter sat Sofia in her lap and combed her fingers through her silky hair. She loved doing Sofia’s hair, and she could tell that Sofia loved it, too. Because Sofia was without a mother and had no recollection of ever having one, Carter always did her hair. Not only that, but Carter had decorated her room at Kyle’s house and had been picking out all of her clothing since she was nine months old and her mother had walked out on her and Kyle.
Carter was being to Sofia what she wished a woman would have been to her when she was a little girl. Yes, she had Chrissy, and she loved her, but Chrissy never had that motherly touch that Carter had needed and wanted. Carter had only received one warm hug full of motherly love when she was a little girl, and that had been from Anya Salerno when she was three years old. When Faith—Sofia’s mother—left without looking back, Carter had promised Kyle that he and Sofia could always count on her to be there when they needed her. It was not easy for a little girl to grow up without a mother, even a mother figure would have satisfied Carter, but she had neither. She wouldn’t let her niece suffer the same way she had. If little Sofia Valente ever needed her hair done, some girl time, or a hug from a mother that loved her as if she were her own child, Carter would always be there.
Although she would always be there for Sofia, in her heart, Carter knew that there would come a time that just calling Auntie Carter wouldn’t be enough. A little girl needed a mother. This was why she’d been pushing Kyle to start dating again. And by pushing, Carter meant tirelessly trying to persuade him to get back out there. Since the moment Kyle had become a full-time single father it was like he’d taken a vow of celibacy. All dating and hook-ups just stopped, and Kyle had become wrapped up in working hard to be a good father. And he had. In Carter’s opinion, just calling Kyle a good father was a huge understatement. She was incredibly proud of him and the man he’d become. He was the perfect father, and she knew he’d be an amazing husband to some lucky woman.
She couldn’t lie. Kyle’s reluctance to date had been giving her lots of time to scheme. The man’s taste in women was atrocious, and there was no way in hell Carter was ever letting him pick his own wife. She knew what was right for Kyle better than he did. A couple of years ago, she’d thought that Aniyah—one of her good friends, and a secretary at S.O.—was the perfect woman for him, but now she didn’t really know. It wasn’t that Aniyah wasn’t a wonderful woman, because she was. It was just that Kyle and Aniyah being together may not be what was best for Sofia. It was incredibly hard for Carter to admit, but it was true. Sofia needed a mother, and Kyle needed a wife.
Carter had another woman in mind for Kyle. The only problem was, she wasn’t really the type of woman Kyle would usually go for. Aniyah was though. The woman could call herself fat and unattractive all she wanted, but Carter knew she was just fishing for compliments. Aniyah was flawless … all of the damn time. Her full, curvy figure made every man in the office salivate when she would strut by them. Her hair was always flawless, her clothes were always flawless, and her make-up looked professionally done every day. Physically, she was Kyle’s type from head to toe, but Carter wanted Kyle to have love. He deserved love, and his sweet little girl deserved a mother, a woman that would love her as if she’d carried her in her own womb.
The woman Carter knew would be absolutely perfect for Kyle and Sofia, was named Reanna Pierce. Her beauty went far beyond the physical.
“Auntie, Pa-pa said we can have ice cream today.”
Sofia’s soft little voice brought Carter from her thoughts as she began to ramble about her beloved Papa.
“We have ice cream yesterday. Pa-pa said we can have some again if be good at Auntie’s house today,” she said happily. “You want some ice cream, too?”
Carter laughed softly
as she began to put a long braid in Sofia’s hair. “Yes, I’ll be having some ice cream tonight after dinner.”
“Can Maksi and Sandr have some, too?” she asked.
Carter nodded. “If they eat all of their food, yes. They will have pie and ice cream for dessert.”
“Can I have some pie, too?”
Carter smiled. “I will make an extra one for you and your Papa to take home for dessert, okay?”
She nodded her head, and then began talking about her and her Papa’s day at the park. The sentences Carter could understand clearly indicated that the day was exceptionally fun for both her and Kyle. It made Carter’s heart swell with happiness for Kyle. Sofia was the perfect surprise addition to this family and to Kyle’s life. The two of them were perfect together.
“Ma-ma!”
Tiny little feet padded across the kitchen floor and Carter looked over to see her gorgeous little men enter the kitchen. Aleksandr walked in first with nothing but his swim diaper on, and his little swim trunks in his hand. His thick, black brows were furrowed tight in a serious expression and he seemed to be on a mission. His silky, black, wild curls fell into his stormy gray eyes and the sun shone through the kitchen windows illuminating both his and his brother’s light, caramel-brown skin. Carter chuckled as she watched him walk forward with his brother following behind him. Maksim, unlike his brother, was already dressed in his swim trunks. Even though he was clothed, he still had a frown on his face, just like his brother. His thick, brown-colored brows were furrowed and his equally wild, dirty-blond curls fell into his identical stormy gray eyes.
Dangerous Beauty: Part Three: This is War Page 47