Carter by Kathi S. Barton Read Free Book Online Page A

all of them now too. “I don’t…she’s my mom and all I have. And until she says it’s okay, I have only her.”
    Carter told him that he could live with that. Danny had the nurses bring in a bigger bed and they transferred his mom to the bed. Then, feeling a little silly, he asked Max what his mom’s name was.
    “Dane Murphy. She doesn’t care for Dane, so everyone calls her Murph. I’m Maximillian, after my great grandfather. But I just go by Max.” Carter helped Max onto the bed with his mom and settled into the chair nearby. It was going to be a long night, and he found himself looking forward to it.

Chapter 4
     
    As soon as she opened her eyes, she knew who was lying beside her. Wrapping her arms around him, she brought Max to her face so she could smell his shampoo. He was safe. He was with her.
    I took him to my house last night so he could shower and get cleaned up. He was sort of rank from worrying so much. The man who spoke was in the shadows, but she sort of knew the voice. He sounded like Rider . My name is Carter Lanning. And if you don’t mind, we’ll leave the light off so he can rest. He’s not been doing much of that lately.
    He’s all right though? He told her that he was fine other than being a little on the scared side. Linyah said she’d find him for me. And she did. I’m ever so grateful to her.
    She said he’s a good kid. I think so too. My family has been taking turns feeding him. They fell in love with him, even if he is still a little standoffish with us. She nodded, so glad that he’d not let his guard down. I need to talk to you about some things. First of all, your apartment where he was. The police are looking for you both. There were two dead women and one man…a man by the name of Conrad Snyder. He was killed by one of my brothers when he entered the apartment with a stick of dynamite.
    Snyder is the man that shot me the first night. He had it in his head that I got him fired. Which I guess I did. But he was skimming funds, and that just wasn’t sitting well with me. As for the apartment, I figured they would be there sooner or later. We’ll have to leave soon. It’s not safe for us here. He didn’t say anything, and she thought about what had happened before she’d been brought back here the second time. They raided the place. Right after Linyah left, the door exploded open and I was…I think I was hurt again. Was that when Snyder was killed?
    It was and you were. Thomas brought you here with Phillip. He’s another brother of ours. She held Max tighter to her . Linyah has information on what you and Max are. Doran. Does that mean anything to you?
    No. Should it? He told her that he wouldn’t think so. She held her son and Carter said nothing more for a long time. Why are we here and not in the hospital?
    Rider said you were shot and he didn’t know who had done it. He thought you’d be safer here in the event that they came back to finish the job. He sat up then. She heard the movement of his body and the small sigh the chair gave when he did . Max told me that Connie knew that the men were coming. He said that instead of having the two minute warning that he was supposed to have, he had less than a minute. Max said that Connie thought she was in love with the man who had killed her. Again, it was Snyder.
    There was no point in denying it. If Max said it, then it was more than likely true . They were…I guess I just thought that I was paying them enough to keep him safe. I’ll have to be more careful from now on.
    They’d have to move again. And not just move, but become someone else. They’d never had to do that before, change their names to hide. Having Connie and Rachel around had made her relax a little, but no more. The man cleared his throat, and she closed her eyes on how sexy that sounded.
    I’ve been on my own for a long time, Mr. Lanning. And too long if the sound of you clearing your throat has that effect on me. She was embarrassed for telling