Page 66 of Faking Time (The Steel City #2)

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

arden

I watch the woman in the perfectly tailored outfit explain things to Carter with a pair of glasses perched halfway down her nose. She’s updating him on both the assault charges and the stuff with Irina, but since I’m also posted up at the table, she includes me in the conversation.

By that, I mean she explains things clearly and looks at both Carter and me when she speaks.

She ensures that I always understand what she’s saying and that if I have any questions, they’re answered.

This isn’t about me. Neither of these cases are mine.

Yet still, she loops me into all parts of this discussion.

I respect the hell out of her for it.

He’s the rich hockey player. He is her client. I’m just a girl on a chair. Lemmy treats me as if I’m just as important. She acts as if I’m also paying her. It doesn’t matter who I am; all that matters is that Carter told her I could stay.

Lemmy leans forward and pushes a folder across the countertop to Carter. He flips it open and starts reading.

“He’s not dropping the charges,” Lemmy explains, but nobody expected him to, anyway.

“So, we’re going for a different defence.

I have a list of character witnesses to provide statements, make note of any you want removed, and add whoever you think can help you.

It’ll be a quick court date. You’ll probably have to fork over a bit of money, but I think we can put an end to this particular nightmare pretty easily. ”

“Me,” I say instantly. Carter and Lemmy both glance up at me. “It happened because of me. I want to make a statement for you.”

Lemmy dips her chin. “I think you’re the golden ticket. That would be extremely beneficial.”

Carter smiles softly at me. “Really?”

“Of course,” I say, leaning onto the heel of my hand. “Maybe scratch Irina’s name down, too. Since she knows you better.”

Carter’s face falls, but Lemmy lets out the loudest and most infectious laugh I have ever heard. She leans her head back, placing her hand on her chest, howling like I just delivered the joke of the century.

“That wasn’t funny,” Carter murmurs, returning to the paperwork.

“Oh yes, it was,” Lemmy says, catching her breath. Her gray eyes catch mine. “We’re handling her, too. Don’t worry.”

I nod because I don’t know what else to do.

I should be more concerned about the assault charges, but I’m not.

Irina Coasta has opened up something ugly within me.

I hate a girl I’ve never met. I want her to suffer, to pay for bringing down Carter’s reputation with a ton of lies when he only just got it back in good standing.

I talked to Penny about Irina, and it’s much worse than I could even imagine.

She doesn’t understand how Irina had his schedule down to the minute detail either, nor was she certain how she had obtained so much information about the time that Carter spends with me.

Penny wasn’t surprised, though, which is the scariest part.

It means that people expect Irina to have eyes everywhere.

It means they expect this level of crazy from her.

She’s terrifying, and she’s going to use Carter to get what she wants by taking him down. For what gain? I’m not sure, but she wants it.

Over my dead body. This guy is not having his reputation slandered over something he didn’t do. He already suffers enough over the things he does do. She’s not going to win. Not with me here, and definitely not with Lemmy.

Carter scratches my name down onto the list at the back of the folder.

I see Declan’s name and Boston Black. I see Ariana Forkerro listed there, too.

There are names upon names upon names. I relax in my chair.

He’s going to be okay. He’s got a Rolodex of people on his side, ready to defend his character.

Carter’s hand stills, his eyes skimming the list. “Donovan Capulty?”

He glances up at Lemmy, who nods. “We spoke this morning.”

“You spoke to him,” Carter says carefully, and Lemmy crosses her arms in front of her perfectly pressed black blouse, waiting for Carter to finish his thought. “And you thought putting him down as a character witness to defend me was a good move?”

“Arthur Boftin is now in prison,” Lemmy explains, and I glance at Carter to gauge his reaction over these people I don’t know. “He assaulted Christen Capulty within an inch of her life a couple of months ago.”

Carter lets out a low breath, falling back in his seat. The folder slips from his fingers.

“I reached out to him to see if he’d be willing to explain what happened between you and Arthur that night. Turns out, Donovan and Arthur are no longer friends. Imagine that. He’s willing to defend you for not doing so years ago. I’ll only contact him if we need him.”

“What happened?” I ask, unable to help myself.

Carter sighs, running a hand over his face.

His blue eyes cut to me. “I fought a guy back in California a while ago. I was home for the summer, and I was at a bar with Ariana and a couple of my buddies. When we were leaving, we passed an alleyway, and this guy was pressing his girlfriend’s face against the brick.

He was physically restraining her, screaming in her face, and?—”

“And you saw red,” I finish for him. Because I know. I understand him and his triggers, and it’s why I refuse to say that Carter is a danger to the public. To me. He’s a danger to bad people, and is that really such a crime?

“Yeah, I saw red.”

“Christen Capulty was the victim, and despite being the sister of Donovan, Donovan still kept his allegiance to Arthur. Three years later, Arthur nearly killed Christen. That loyalty has now been dissolved, and I think Mr. Capulty is attempting to make amends,” Lemmy explains.

Good. I mean it. Good.

I don’t believe in violence, but I do believe in protecting women.

Being a woman in this world is a terrifying concept.

Every time you step outside, you’re in dangerous waters.

If you think that sounds dramatic, you aren’t a woman, and I don’t care to hear your opinion.

You aren’t even safe in relationships where you should be.

Who knows how a man will react when you try to leave, when you make him angry, or when he snaps over something that should be ironed out in therapy rather than in a prison cell?

I work in an ER. I have seen enough to verify my opinion.

Carter can be a violent man, but he’s a good man.

He’s the man I would want to walk past a dark alleyway when someone is attacking me.

He’s the man I would pray was in the same room with my daughter if she were being hurt.

He’s a necessity in a twisted world. I don’t necessarily advocate for violence, but I will stand on the top of a fucking box in the middle of a busy intersection and advocate for horrible people getting what they deserve.

“How far do you think this will go with Irina?” Carter asks.

“I think she’ll go into hiding fairly soon,” Lemmy says.

“She’s been quiet since the cease and desist. Her online following has grown substantially, and from what I’ve heard, that seems to please her.

She might make a follow-up statement, and she might be an absolute idiot and go on another podcast or something of the sort.

Either way, we’re going to need a statement from you, Carter.

To clear things up from your side. Stop her before she gets any new ideas. ”

“I’m not doing an interview,” he says adamantly. “Not about this. I don’t want the media involved in this .”

His eyes skirt to mine, and warm, gooey feelings wash over me. He isn’t talking about Irina, he’s talking about us. He doesn’t want the public to stick their nose in our relationship, whatever that is. Ironic, since that was the whole point.

I smile softly at him, leaning against my hand.

“You don’t have to. A nice social media post typically does the trick. Post it on your story, or on your feed, I don’t care. Just a few sentences about your stance that discredits every vile word that came out of her mouth.”

I reach forward to place my hand on his forearm. I squeeze gently.

“I’d like to approve it before you post it,” Lemmy adds quickly, looking at us both again. “I’m not in public relations, and you can surely run it by your PR team as well, but please let me look it over prior to publishing anything.”

“Okay,” Carter nods, letting out a tired breath. He leans back in his seat. “Thanks, Lem. I know I’ve been keeping you busy these past couple of months.”

Lemmy’s hard stare burns into his face. She reaches for some of the files, all without looking away from him. After a moment, when Carter says nothing more but starts to look ashamed of himself, she pauses.

“Carter, you know that there isn’t a mess that I won’t help you clean, correct?” she asks, and he stares at the countertop, offering a shrug. “You aren’t a bad man, and you are undoubtedly worth the headaches.”

Carter glances up at her, eyes all sad and disappointed in himself.

Lemmy leans forward to place her hand on his shoulder. I see a fire in her eyes, a rage that I feel brewing in my own chest.

“People try to take advantage of you because of who you are. You’re a celebrity.

They will try to paint you out to be whatever fits their narrative, good or bad.

It’s my job to ensure they don’t get away with that, alright?

I’m here to protect Carter Forkerro, the guy who mails me a birthday card every year on my birthday and who never fails to make me laugh.

You just happen to be a celebrity on top of a damn good man. ”

Carter stares up at her, his shoulders softening at the impact of her words. He rolls his eyes, crossing his arms in front of his chest, a soft smile touching his lips.

“Stop flirting with me, Lem. My girl is right beside me, and she can fight.”

Forker61: Story Post.

An interview has recently surfaced of a woman who alleges we had, and are having, an intimate relationship. I would like to state very clearly that this is untrue. I have never had any relationship with this individual, intimate or otherwise. I do not know her personally.

Although I am angry and disappointed at the hit piece that was definitely not vetted before publication, I am most concerned about my amazing and loyal partner, Arden, and how it could have impacted her.

Arden and I have something special, and I’m unwilling to have her name dragged through the mud just because she’s with me.

I am grateful to have her by my side throughout this, and hope you’ll respect her desire to remain a private individual who you will see out publicly with me.

I reject all statements made in that interview. They are all untrue. I will never bite my tongue when it comes to protecting the people I love. If this continues any further, I will be pursuing legal action.

Journalists, please ensure you are doing your homework before you post things that are unfounded and vehemently untrue. Have respect for your craft.

Carter Forkerro.