Love, Lies, and Other Ties

Chapter Forty-Four

Carter's POV:

The next day, I decided to go to the grocery store for Tracy since she has been working so hard and she took me in when she didn't have to. She not only took me in but she and Mr. Mack pay for everything when they could have left me on the streets or at my father's house. I will forever be thankful to them.

While at the store, I buy my guilty pleasure, pickles and ranch dressing. The homemade ranch not the kind that is already made because they taste completely different. I eat pickles with everything and I eat ranch with everything so one day I combined them and the result was fantastic. It tastes just like fried pickles but not as fattening.

I get a few more things I wanted and finish getting the things on Tracy's list. As I'm paying, I get the feeling of someone watching me again. I look around and lock eyes with Nathan, one of my dad's "friends" that used to come to the house all the time and leer at me in a way that made me feel absolutely disgusting. I'm so terrified by the disgusting smirk that he's giving me that I don't hear the cashier until she repeats herself.

"Ma'am, that will be $97.59. Will that be cash, credit or debit?" she asks causing me to look at her.

"Oh, sorry, it will be debit," Tracy and Scott gave me a debit card for their account after I got out of the hospital for me to use in instances like this or if I ever needed anything. I have yet to go back to work for Harry. He told me to take my time and heal physically and mentally.

I look back to where I saw Nathan standing but he isn't there anymore. I almost feel like I was imagining things so I grab my card, receipt and all of my bags and begin the walk back to the Mack's house. As I'm walking, I hear footsteps behind but before I can turn around to look, I'm shoved against the sie wall of the house I was walking by out of view of anybody else. A hand is placed over my mouth so I can't scream and I look up into the eyes of Nathan. I'm terrified.

"Well, if it isn't Little Miss Perfect. Where ya been, shortcake? We've missed you." I don't answer due to him still having his hand over my mouth. "Oh that's right, You're living with the nurse and the school teacher. Your father isn't happy with you, ya know? He wants you to come home. Well not home home but he wants you to come to him and stop playing house with all these people who aren't your family. If you don't, people will start disappearing from your life, starting with the little nurse and her teacher. Got it?" All I can do is nod my head but I have tears streaming down my face.

"Good, good girl. Well, my job is done. See ya around, neighbor," he winks and shows me a grin full of disgusting, rotting teeth. I start to hyperventilate and slide down the wall and hug my knees to my chest in debilitating fear. I want Liam. I pull out my phone and dial his number as quickly as my shaky hands can move. It rings twice before he picks up.

>>>>><<<<<

Liam's POV:

I'm working out in my home gym with the guys and we're all talking about the events that have happened recently and trying to lock down a plan to go after Trevor before he comes after Carter or the rest of us.

"Where do you think he's hiding?" Loki asks.

"I don't know but I wouldn't put it past him to be right under our noses. He's clever but we're smarter than he is. I have a feeling he's going to go after Carter first," I say.

"Whatever," Sebastian mumbles but I ignore him. He's been in a shitty mood lately and I am to busy to even bother with his moody ass.

"Why do you think he's going after her first?" Max asks.

"Because he wants to get to my family and she's the next link to do that. He knows if he has her that I will do anything to get her back even if I have to sacrifice myself. If that happens, he has my father's and next weakness other than my mother. Not to mention, a weakness of Christian's. He has already taken my mother so now he needs me, Bash or Kay and he is not getting Kay," I say while looking at Bash.

Why don't we just hand her over? I don't know why we're protecting this bitch anyway," Bash says and I see red. I charge at him and shove him against the wall and punch him hard in the jaw.

"What the fuck is your problem, man? That's my girl you're talking about and let's not forget, your sister."

"She's no sister of mine. She's just some bitch who has done nothing but make our lives miserable and bring pain. Your mom wouldn't be gone if it wasn't for her and I wouldn't have to share my dad. Do we even know if she is telling the truth about her 'abuse' from her father? She's nothing. She only brings drama and pain and is probably helping her father."

"What the fuck is going on here?!" a voice says from the door and I recognize Christian coming over to us. I let go of Bash and explain everything that just occurred. "Well, I'm very disappointed in you, Sebastian. I can say with 100% certainty that she is your half-sister. Maybe you're not the man I raised at all."

Sebastian just looks to the ground and then storms off after a few seconds. Christian watches him go, then excuses himself to go and talk with him. I grab my towel and wipe the sweat off of my face and pick up my phone to call Car. My phone rings first and I smile at Carter's name on the screen. I answer it after only a couple of rings.

"Hey, baby, I was just about to call you," I said but stopped in my tracks when I heard her heavy breathing and I panic. "Baby? What's wrong?"

"Liam, I need you. Please!" she pleads and I hear her start to cry.

"Baby, what happened," I ask as I look at the guys who looked on with concern on their faces. I immediately run up the stairs and grab my keys and the guys are right on my heels.

"I went to the store and ran into one of Trevor's goons. He knows where I am and said if I didn't come back to him, they would start making people I love disappear. I don't know what to do! I feel like I can't move," she cries and I'm already on my way to her location since I made her share it with me so I always know where she is.

"I'm coming, baby. Just stay on the phone with me but I need you to calm down before you pass out. Now, I need you to tell me five things you see," she does and we go on through the 54321 rule of panic attacks. By the time I am down to one, we arrive at her location and I jump out to see her beside a house and sitting with her legs to her chest.

I run and scoop her up into my arms and hold her as tight as I can while she cries into my chest. I look over to see the guys picking up the groceries she must have dropped and putting them in my Jeep. I pull her face from my chest and ask her to repeat everything that the man said to her as close to detail as she can remember and she does.

"Wait, he called you neighbor?" I ask her.

"Yeah, I don't know what he meant but he did," she said.

"Didn't you say you felt like you were being watched the other day?"

"Yeah, I was pretty sure it was just my imagination but it keeps happening when I'm on the porch reading," she says.

"Son of a bitch. You're moving in with me immediately," I tell her.

"Why?"

"Because Trevor and his goons are setting up camp in the empty house next to the Mack's."