A Cartel Affair (First Original Draft)

Chapter 14

Photo to the side - Lea's cocktail dress and heels

Carter's P.O.V.

It's been three days since Lea started training with Lynx and Miller. Three days that she has been avoiding me. I know she's scared and pissed.

And hurt.

Not just from the words Tara had spoken about Cecily, but about what she had revealed to Lea about our relationship.

I hadn't told Lea about my past with Tara. Since I hadn't been with any woman since the week before bringing Lea back to the house, I honestly had not figured that it would have mattered. I hadn't questioned Lea about her past rendezvous and felt some anger that she was acting the way she was.

I made my way to the interrogation room as I thought of how to approach Lea, how to explain things to her. But right now, she was volatile and I found myself treading carefully where she was concerned.

Everyone is right, Carter, your going soft. You know you wouldn't be walking on eggshells if it were anyone else acting like she is. You wouldn't extend them the same privileges and courtesies you are her. You would take them to the interrogation room and show them who is in charge. You know what you have to do. So man up and do it.

I shook my head, clearing the voice from my mind, the voice that sounded too much like my mother's.

I keyed in the code to the interrogation room and nodded to Darrell. Tara had been held here since Lea had told me what it was that caused her to all but rip Tara's head off. Darrell shook his head, letting me know that she still wasn't talking, and walked out. I pulled out the chair opposite of Tara and sat down, noticing that she hadn't looked up as I walked in.

"Seems like this is becoming a pattern, Tara, you sitting there, me here." I drummed my fingers on the steel table. "You know the rules about one of ours being in this room more than once, sitting there, in that chair. But because of your status and value to the house, I'm willing to give you one more chance." Tara's eyes continued to look down. "The sooner you tell me what I need to know, the sooner you will be able to see Dr. Martin. It's been what, three days now? I have to hand it to you, I have seen some grown men cry like babies, begging for mercy, and asking to be put out of their misery with a jaw in better shape than yours."

I was goading Tara, hoping to break her.

"All you have to do is tell me how you know about Lea's sister."

"Ump," Tara's raised her head, her dull eyes full of defiance.

"Give me a name, Tara. Who told you?"

She spoke slowly, her voice betraying her pain, "No one."

"Now, you don't expect me to believe that, do you?" I leaned onto the table, "You see, I know of a total of five members outside of Lea and myself that know about her sister. So just tell me, which one told you?"

"No one told me." Tara's whispered voice was thick with pain.

"Tara, Tara, Tara," I stood and walked to Tara's side of the table and spun her chair sideways, forcing her to face me before kneeling in front of her.

"You know I care about you."

It was true, to a point. Tara and I had known each other since we were kids and she had always been more than willing to satisfy my carnal needs.

I reached my hand up and pushed a strand of her dirty hair back and wiped a stray tear from her face.

"I don't like seeing you like this, filthy and in so much pain. But I need you to tell me what it is I need to know."