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EMMA
I’d been sitting in the dark for the past two hours in Carter’s living room. It was closing in on midnight, and I’d heard nothing from him. So many scenarios ran through my mind. Did he fight? Was he lying in a ditch somewhere? Had Scar done something else to him?
My phone rang, and I gasped, my heart racing as I knocked it off the couch onto the floor. I wanted it to be Carter but was disappointed to see it was Ava. I hadn’t talked to her since she left for Paris.
“Hey,” I answered.
“Hi. I know it’s late there, but I wanted to call and check up on you. You doing okay?”
“Oh yes,” I lied. “It’s been nice spending time with my family.”
“What about the letter? Did you ever figure out who sent it?”
Ava was my best friend, but it was too dangerous to tell her the truth. “I’m pretty sure it was just a prank, nothing to worry about. But you … tell me about Paris.” I had to switch the subject.
She squealed so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear. “It’s amazing here! I can’t believe I have another week in this paradise. Then, I’ll be back in New York with you.”
Biting my lip, I leaned my head back against the couch. “I don’t know when I’m going back, Ava. Right now, I kind of like being in California. I think I’m going to stay for a while, maybe find some modeling jobs on this side of the country.”
“And here I thought you wanted to avoid Cali,” she said, laughing. And I did for a while.
“Things are different now.”
A beep sounded in my ear, and I looked at the screen to see it was Reagan calling in. “Ava,” I called out quickly, “I have to go. My sister’s on the other line. I’ll talk to you soon, okay. There’s a lot I have to tell you.”
“Okay. I miss you.”
“I miss you too.” I switched over the calls and took a quick breath. “Reagan, what’s up?”
“Is he back yet?”
“No,” I huffed. I got to my feet and paced around the living room. “Carter’s not answering any of his texts either. His phone didn’t get charged last night, so it’s probably dead.”
“Ugh, men. Are you worried?” I was more than worried: I was petrified.
“A little,” I said, downplaying my true feelings.
“Are you going to tell me the whole story now? You were exceptionally vague earlier.”
I knew that if I told Reagan something, she’d keep it to herself. I trusted her. Plus, it killed me to keep everything from her.
“Carter’s in really deep, Ray,” I confessed. “Scar gave him an ultimatum. He has to fight for him.”
Reagan hissed out a breath. “I figured as much. Are we talking fight or die?”
Just the thought made my stomach shrink in on itself. “Yes. I’m guessing it’ll be similar to the way things were when dad, Uncle Cam, and Paxton fought. And even now, I still don’t know all the details about that.”
“Neither do I,” Reagan added. “Paxton gave us some insight, but I’m sure he held back.”
There was still a considerable chunk of Scar’s ultimatum I had yet to tell her. I stopped pacing the living room and sat back down on the couch. “There’s something else, Reagan.”
“Oh hell, what else could there be?”
Closing my eyes, I slowly let out a shaky breath and opened my eyelids. “Carter has to take part in more than double the number of fights because he wouldn’t recruit anyone. I’m sure you can figure out who he’s saving here.”
Reagan gasped. “Oh my God, Scar wants our brother too?”
“And Ripp, Braden, Kase, and Hunter,” I added, peering around at the dark living room. “He wants them all. Carter refuses to tell them.”