Page 98 of Carved Obsession

Carter

Scarlet insisted we drop her off at the head of her driveway. After Vincent’s revelation, and also after noticing her brother’s car in her drive, she said The Sanctum appearing at her door might be overkill.

I was reluctant to leave her but had to trust her reassurance that she’s fine. They’d probably be just as worried about her as my own “family” has been about me.

So that’s what we did—dropped her off in her driveway, then drove to my house.

I took my sweet time in the shower, enjoying every drop of hot water coming out of that tap. But now, as I finish dressing in my bedroom, I hear so much more chatter in my living area than when I came in.

They’re all here. Morrigan, Evelyn, and Finnigan have joined Vincent and Maddox.

“Oh, fuck, you’re okay!” Morrigan throws herself at me, arms wrapped around my back as she pulls me into a tight hug. A surprising one.

She’s a passionate woman, I know that, but the heat she puts into this embrace, the relieved tone of her voice, it all suggests a level of interest more...familial.

“You got us all so worried,” she says as she pulls away. “She better have been worth it,” she whispers to me alone, wiggling her brows.

Shedefinitely was, but I’m not entirely sure why Morrigan is so sure my interaction with Scarlet wasn’t innocent.

I stay silent and walk toward the sofa, then drop onto the soft cushion. Strangely, I miss the cabin’s hard bed.

It’s not the bed you miss, Carter.

I shush the voice in my head and turn my attention to the guys. “So, Duval wants the escort service?”

They all exchange telling looks, but no one answers me.

“There’s an elephant in the room, Carter. We all want to know one thing,” Morrigan says first.

“My personal life doesn’t take precedence over what’s going on in The Sanctum.”

“So, sheispart of your personal life.” Finnigan wiggles his brows, elbowing Morrigan gently.

I swear these two have been a nightmare since they started getting used to each other. Always in cahoots.

“The Sanctum is under attack, Hennessey. Focus.”

He cocks a brow, exchanging looks with Evelyn, who chews on her bottom lip. Sometimes I think they don’t just share a bed, but a brain too. The looks passing between them seem like entire conversations.

“Otto’s fine. We visited him in jail. The accusations are bogus, and we have a genuine alibi for him. Duval just wanted to put on a show of power. Demonstrate what he can achieve,” Vincent offers.

“Having him arrested for murder seems excessive,” I say.

“Yeah. Good thing it wasn’t one of the real murders he’s committed.” He shakes his head.

True. Otto is part of our army. One of our best guys. Many bullets have flown from his guns and into our enemies.

“When is he getting released?” I ask.

“Paperwork is being done as we speak,” Vincent answers. “Richard is handling it, but even with his impressive lawyer skills, it still took him a while to dig through the bureaucratic nightmare of a hole Duval threw Otto into. He almost got rerouted to a high-security prison for no reason other than to make it harder for us to get him out and to show just what he can do.”

“Duval’s not going to stop, that’s clear. The question is, when is he going to hit next?” My question lingers heavily in the air.

None of us has an answer.

“We have to stay close. All of us. Hackers, army, escorts, fucking bartenders. We need to protect them all,” Vincent states, his black gaze stern as it passes through the room.

We nod in unison.