Page 17 of Broken Discipline

“Don’t play dumb, little girl, or you’ll get your kids killed, just like you.”

I couldn’t think. I dashed forward, swinging the knife down in front of me, and the blade sliced through his shirt, but missed his chest. He swung me around, putting me in a headlock. Blood swelled in my cheeks. I pulled on his arm, trying to break free.

Where were the guards? Why weren’t they coming? Were they letting this happen to me?

“It’s hard to find good men that will go against Carter Care,” Upchurch said. He dropped his grip on my neck and I fell to the floor, gasping for air. He tapped his gun on his palm. “But then you find dumb, greedy ones who have no knowledge of Finn Carter, and it works out. So tell me,darling,” he said with acid in his tone, reminding me of what Bruce had routinely called me, “what have you done with my cousin?”

“Bruce is on a business trip,” I said, searching frantically for the knife or another weapon. Upchurch’s upper lip twitched in annoyance. “He isn’t—”

“Where is the official will?”

A gun shot through the room, zipping past us, cratering the cement. Finn stepped into the room, shadows covering his body. He held up a gun, aiming it at Upchurch’s forehead. Upchurch grinned, then lowered his own gun, putting it in his holster. He lifted his hands in defense.

“Go ahead,” he said. “Shoot me, Carter. The rest of the Board will know what you’re up to and they won’t stop until you’re dead. You fucking thief.”

Finn cocked the gun, rage simmering inside his bloodshot blue eyes.

“Get out of my house, Upchurch.”

Upchurch patted his pockets, taunting me with the twin’s hair.

Why did he want to hurt my kids?

“We’ll have the truth soon enough. And then everything will pay out, won’t it?” Upchurch said, winking at me. “I’m watching you, Carter.” He locked eyes with Finn. “I will have what’s rightfully mine.”

Finn followed Upchurch off of the property, and I followed behind Finn. A bald man in the driveway aimed at Upchurch, ready to shoot him too. Two dead bodies laid in the driveway. I shivered.

Finn walked past me, returning to the house.

“How many guards did you have here?” I asked.

“Four at the Compound.”

I blinked my eyes. “Four? At the Compound?”

“This is the Carter Compound.”

Even the name of his home sounded unemotional and bleak. “And Upchurch got throughall fourof your guards?”

“Chip and I took care of his long-shooters,” he said, holding the master bedroom door open for me. “He must have used the guards’ hands to get through the doors.”

“How many long shooters were there?” I asked.

“Six.”

I bit my bottom lip, staring at my bare feet. How was it possible that there had been guns going off, and I hadn’t heard a thing?

Who were these people?

“From now on, there will be a guard posted outside of your bedroom and the twins’ rooms. And we’ll have to double the exterior security.”

My insides quivered, but I nodded. It made sense. The Compound’s security had been compromised, and Finn had to fix that.

But then it dawned on me: when I had accepted the arranged marriage with Bruce, it had been my choice. But with Finn, I had never been asked if I wanted to be sold to another man. And now, with more guards, he was taking away more of my life.

“So we’ll have no privacy?” I asked.

“Your safety is more important to me.”