A Cartel Affair (First Original Draft)

Chapter 6

Photo to the side - Carter's Poison - Matte Black and Chrome Harley Davidson Fatboy

Carter's P.O.V.

I laid Lea down, tucked the handmade quilt around her, and pressed a soft kiss against her forehead, "Dammit Lea. What have I gotten myself into?"

"Yes Carter, what exactly have you gotten yourself into?"

My mother stood against the door frame, her arms folded tightly across her chest. I stood and walked out of Lea's room and toward my office. I didn't say a word, I didn't have to. I knew that Mother would be hot on my heels, ready to bust my balls for bringing Lea here instead of disposing of a witness.

I opened the door and held it as she glided gracefully to the black leather sofa and sat down. I walked in behind her and leaned against my desk directly across from her.

"Who the hell is she Carter?" There was no denying the venom in her voice.

Victoria Stephens was the matriarch of our organization, the one everyone ultimately answered to. And she made sure that everyone knew their places, and if they tried to overstep their boundaries, Mother had no issue with personally showing them the gates of Hell.

Most people assumed I learned everything from my father. But I didn't. I learned everything I knew from her; how to be ruthless, unforgiving, unfeeling, untrusting, cold, and deadly. My father had been, what she called, a weak man, always getting himself into situations that Mother would have to get him out of, until the day she finally had enough of his antics and had him dealt with. I had been twenty at the the time and had never forgiven her for my father's death.

"She is a witness." There was no use in lying, I knew she had heard Lea's rant outside the dining room earlier.

"And you ignored the first rule of our survival why?" She kept her face blank, but I could hear the disgust in her tone.

I raised my eyes to meet my mother's, the same cold, steely blue eyes I had looked back at me intently.

I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly, "I couldn't."

"And why the hell not, Carter. She's a damn liability." I kept my face neutral as I watched realization dawn on my mother's face. "Good God, Carter. You have to be joking. You feel for her."

I didn't confirm nor deny my mother's accusations.

"You of all people should know how feelings are used to manipulate, torture, and bring down the adversary."

I kept my face blank and my voice steady, "I am handling her, Mother."

"Really, Carter? Because from what I have seen and heard so far, it sure as hell seems as if she is handling you."

A knock sounded at the door. Mother stood and smoothed down her dress and walked over to me. She reached out a hand and cupped my chin. "If she fucks up what we have worked so hard to build, so hard to protect, I will personally finish what you started. Do I make myself clear?"

I pulled my my chin from her grasp. "Perfectly."

She patted my cheek roughly and then placed a kiss on the stinging skin. "Good. I'll be in touch."

Mother walked gracefully to the doors and pulled them open. "Darrell." 

Darrell bowed his head in respect as Mother walked by, "Mrs. Stephens." 

Darrell walked in and closed the doors behind him, letting out a low whistle. "I didn't know that she would be here this evening."

I shook my head, "I didn't either. She arrived during dinner."