Page 66 (1/2)

Part One

Prologue

Layla

“What the fuck are you doing here, Cherry?” Carter growls and stands up from a metal chair

I’ve never seen this look on him before Well, not directed at h? The man is in prison and has been for four years, and still has another four to go

I haven’t seen hiht I can’t remember The reason I’m here

“Did you gethis question I sent hundreds over the years and never once did he respond

“Yeah, I got them,” he fires back

“But…you never” My words trail off as the force of what he’s saying hits h to write back The first ones started off asking what had happened, because I had so iant blank spot inme insane One second I have a perfect life and the next I wake up in the hospital covered in bruises, with uard Poof! No more Mom and no more Carter For some reason, the loss of Carter hurt the ht have called s with the dirtier eleht he was…until now

“Ever think there was a reason I didn’t respond? I threw them out I don’t want you here” Carter has always been blunt and to the point but he was never intentionally cruel, and never with me He had

been ht I couldn’t turn around without tripping over him Anytime I was allowed to the leave house, he was at my side like a shadow

Shifting uncoe I re, but now he seems massive His six foot four frame looks like it’s been chiseled from stone and could bust the sea so many tattoos either, but now every inch of exposed skin is covered in the up around the neck of his unifor to lick them as I do now

Slowlyit His eyes lock on reen they al emeralds snap away and do a head-to-toe sweep of ives ry and consu He makes me feel naked, completely stripped

In three long strides he’s in front of asp He wraps his free hand inrab the fabric of his shirt and try to pull him closer I feel like my whole body has just come alive My body is overcome with all the passion and fervor I’ve felt all these years, but I don’t exactly have any experience to guide me I’m twenty and I’ve never been kissed But this doesn’t feel like any kiss I’ve ever i ue It feels like Carter is ravishing my soul

Going to an all-girls’ school kept e classes online after I graduated The only dick that was ever near me was hired by my father His men were either deadly scared of him or had too much respect for him to touch me—probably a little of both

I follow Carter’s lead and return his kiss I’ve wanted this for years Before he was taken away, I used to try to get his attention and shamelessly flirt with him I think I was terrible at it because never once did he touch me I never cared that he was ten years older than I was I wanted him I even had this silly idea that if I waited for him, he could be mine That’s why I wrote hiive a shit about Feeling o to push at his chest, but we’re ripped apart suddenly A guard has me in his aruards to wrestle Carter down onto one of the tables

His hands grip the side of the table, his white knuckles betraying his iron grip “Fuck, Cherry, never thought I was the jealous type,” he says, his voice rough with a touch of fury and possession “Until you” His glarehands off her”

I’uards and he’s giving orders? I guess soe

“Get Theain as he starts to rise frouards try to push him down

“This is et some leeway because of who you are, but there are ca me says as he places me back down on the floor

“I just ca he doesn’t catch on to my lie I want answers, but I want him more

“I got no answers for you here I don’t want to see your little ass in this place again, Cherry” ‘Cherry’, the na to piss me off