Dangerous Beauty: Part Two: A Mafia Princess by Michelle Hardin Read Free Book Online Page B

other close. Nathan had rested his head against Carter’s chest so he could listen to her heart beat while she ran her fingers through his hair until he fell into a much-needed sleep. She had wanted him to sleep— she could tell he’d needed it. Carter, on the other hand, hadn’t been able to close her eyes. She couldn’t sleep. She’d tried with all of her might, but it had been pointless. Every time she’d closed her eyes, she was in that damn elevator again.
    Carter took a deep, shaky breath. Nathan said that Gianni had been buried after a small funeral they had for him while she was still in the coma the doctors had put her in to heal. Carter would never forget Gianni— she’d developed a close friendship with him because they were together all the time. He had been head of her personal security and had driven her everywhere she needed to go.
    His death still hadn’t quite become real for Carter. She just wasn’t ready to let him go. It hurt too much. For everyone else, he died a week ago. But to her, it felt like five minutes ago that she and Gianni were attacked in that elevator.
    “Hey, beautiful,” Nathan’s deep voice sounded as he came and stood behind her. He looked into her eyes then turned her to face him. “Tell me what it is.”
    Carter looked at him curiously. “What do you mean?” she asked.
    Nathan grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I see it in your eyes, baby. Tell me.” He kissed her lips softly. “Tell me what’s wrong,” he said softly.
    Carter was never able to hide anything from Nathan. He read her like a book. Unable to contain it any longer, Carter confessed her troubles as the tears fell from her eyes. “I can’t even close my eyes without seeing it, Nathan,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
    “Gianni?”
    Carter nodded sadly. “I hate it, Nathan. I hate that I was so careless …” Her voice trailed off as she looked away from him.
    Nathan took her hand in his and led her to their bed. He sat at the head, and pulled her to his lap, cuddling her close and kissing away her tears.
     
    ***
     
    Nathan held Carter close to his heart. He had known Gianni’s death would hit her eventually, and he wished he could do something to ease her pain. But the truth was, he knew he couldn’t. For the second time in her life, Carter had witnessed someone she cared for brutally taken from her. Nathan wished he could bring Kent and Patrick back to life and kill the motherfuckers all over again. But he knew that even if he could, it wouldn’t erase everything that had happened that day. He knew that wasn’t possible. This shit really wasn’t easy.
    It had taken him numerous nights and numerous talks with his father before he could look at himself in the mirror. He’d failed. He hadn’t protected Carter when she had needed him most, and that made him feel worse than shit.
    Nathan held Carter tighter as the memories of the worst day of his life made their way to the forefront of his mind.
     
    ***
     
    Five days ago.
     
    Nathan paced back and forth in the emergency room waiting area, wondering what the fuck was taking that doctor so long to get out here and tell him what was going on with his fiancé! Carter was unconscious when they had brought her in, but she’d still had a strong pulse. His beautiful rose was a fighter, and Nathan knew she wouldn’t give up. She’d promised him she would come back to him, and he believed her. No matter where they were or what happened to them, he and Carter would always find their way back to one another.
    “Nate!”
    Nathan stopped pacing and looked toward the waiting room entrance to see Kyle and the rest of the guys jogging through the doors. Kyle made it to Nathan first with a shirt in hand for Nathan to put on. Not that he gave a shit about a shirt, but it was probably a little scary to have a six-foot-five, shirtless, blonde man with bloody fingerprints on his face pacing back and forth in the middle of the