Free Carter by Kathi S. Barton

stayed that much anymore. When he ignored him for a glass of tea and some toast, Misha let him. It was going to be difficult to talk to him about this, but he thought it might be fun too.
    “I talked to Murph.” The knife in Carter’s hand hit the sink. “So you’re not as indifferent to her as you said last night.”
    “No. And you damned well know it. And so you know, I’m sick of people telling me what a jerk I was to her. I get it. Ask first.” Misha thought he didn’t get it at all, but knew that Murph could get him to sooner or later. Provided he let her have her way on a few of her rules. She was a smart woman, his brother’s mate. “What did she want? To tell you to keep me away from her?”
    “No. She wants to come here to live.” Carter turned so quickly that he lost one of his pieces of toast. “Yeah, I was surprised too. But she’s not doing it for you but for her son. And you’ll notice that I didn’t say your son, but hers and only hers. Because ultimately, until that kid accepts you, that’s all you’re ever going to be to him; nothing more than the man who fucks his mom.”
    “When is she coming? And do you mean here or at my house?” Misha had thought of that too, and told him for the time being, she should be here where everyone could keep an eye on them. “Okay, that makes sense. There are more people living in the building I bought. I’ve sort of…never mind. I just have more people living there. I want to find a house for us.”
    “That’s good, but I’d wait for a little while. She has ground rules. And I agree with most of them. One…not so much, but you’ll understand her hesitance once you hear them all.” Carter sat down, and Misha thought this might go better than he’d thought. “She is giving you one week to test the waters.”
    “A week? That’s not enough time for anything. What the hell am I supposed to be able to prove in a week?”
    Their mom entered the kitchen just as Carter spoke. She just stared at Carter, then looked at Misha.
    “Murph?” Misha nodded. “Do you suppose she’ll mind overly much if I call her Dane? It’s so much better than Murph. That sounds like a burp gone wrong.”
    “You can ask her.” His mom nodded and began pulling out things from the ice box. “I was just telling Carter here the rules that Murph wants him to abide by, and she’ll come here if he agrees to them.”
    “What else besides the week?” Misha looked at Carter when mom asked and he nodded. “I’m assuming that she’ll want to bring young Max here as well. I think he’s a good boy. Did you know that he’s going to college? At such a young age too.”
    “I did.” Misha asked Carter if he was ready. At his nod, he gave him the next rule. “You’ll not touch her son. You do—or for that matter, any of us do—without probable cause and she will end us. Her words, not mine. And Carter, that is nonnegotiable.”
    “All right.” Carter looked at their mom but said nothing. Misha didn’t agree with the next one, but he doubted that there was going to be any change on this one either.
    “She won’t sleep with you. Not unless she asks you.” Mom turned and looked at Carter, and Misha was ready for the fireworks. “She said that she doesn’t need it nearly as much as you do, and she hasn’t had any needs since her son was created. It’s just not something that she has a desire to have messing with her life.”
    Carter got up to pace, but he still was quiet. When Carter nodded and looked at Mom, she only smiled. She had something up her sleeve and Misha just knew it. He changed the subject and told his mom his plans for Christmas, and had already mentioned it to Hannah.
    “That poor boy. I know that she’s provided well for him. And to have given up so much just to keep him safe. Can you imagine having to hide away someone as precious as your son? I can’t.” Mom looked at Carter when she continued. “There are times when I wished I’d have taken