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“Are you going to? Carter can’t do this alone; it’ll totally screw with his head. Having to fight is one thing, but constantly fighting for your life is another.”
My heart pounded in my throat. Reagan was right; he couldn’t do it alone. But I made a promise to him. “Please don’t say anything, Reagan. I’m trusting you to keep this to yourself.”
Reagan puffed out an angry breath. “Fine. I still think the guys should know. They’ll want to help.” I knew they would.
Headlights beamed in through the windows, and my pulse skyrocketed. “I think Carter’s back,” I burst out quickly. “I gotta go.”
“Okay. Fill me in tomorrow.”
We hung up, and I held my breath as I waited for Carter to come through the door. Finally, I could hear his jingling keys as he unlocked the door and walked inside. He immediately found me even though it was dark, his face cloaked by shadows.
“I’m sorry I didn’t text back. My phone’s been dead for hours,” Carter said, his tone low and gruff.
I stood. “I figured it would be.” Slowly, I closed the distance between us, wondering what I would see once I got a good look at his face. His eyes never wavered from mine when I stepped up to him. He looked the same, with no bruises or cuts.
“You didn’t fight tonight?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No. That starts on Monday. I’ll have one every night, and then next weekend will be a big one.” The hesitance in his eyes was my answer; I knew what next weekend would bring.
“What did you do today that took so long?” I asked, my stomach sagging with dread.
Averting his gaze, he turned around and lifted his T-shirt over his head. On his back was the same dragon tattoo Nikolai had on his, only Carter’s was freshly done and covered with a clear waterproof bandage. The tattoo took up the entire upper half of his back, and was across his shoulders, and on part of his neck.
“I see,” I said.
“It’s my contract.” His voice sounded tired and tense, as if it took effort to speak. Carter turned around and kissed the top of my head. “I’m going to take a shower.” He walked away, and I watched him go, regret plaguing me from the inside out. I should’ve handled this on my own from the beginning, and now it was too late.