Free Carter by Kathi S. Barton Page A

you out back to be beaten more, but not hide you away.”
    “What else?” He looked at Carter. “I’m sure there is more. What else is she making? Demands that I follow? I’m sure it’s a lot.”
    “Carter, are you this stupid?” He looked like he was going to argue, but Misha raised his hand. “Do you really think this woman needs an overbearing ass in her life? Did you even listen to her dad when he…? Hell, Carter, did you ever hear the way that Dad used to talk to Mom? Give me my sons. Get me some dinner. You’ll do what I say or I’ll hit you.”
    “I’d never do that.” Both he and his mom snorted. “What the hell did I say to her that even sounded like that? Nothing.”
    “You told her that she was a shitty mom.” Hannah came into the room and sat down hard. She was so tired lately that Misha worried for her. But she looked at Carter when he didn’t answer her. “You remember the day you met me? The woman across the counter telling me how I was a lowly cashier person and that she was so much more important than me? Or my mother demanding that you guys give me up to her? Do you remember?”
    “Yeah, so?” Hannah told Carter he was no different than either of them. “I only said we’d have to talk about her son. And that I was going to protect her. What the hell is wrong with that?”
    “No you didn’t, Carter. You assumed, and wrongly so, that you were better equipped to take care of her than she was, as well as her son. You more than likely made her feel like she was inadequate in her keeping him safe, and that now that you were there, things were going to be so much better. The ‘all mighty Lanning, I’m the best’ syndrome.”
    Carter said nothing, and Misha had a feeling that he wasn’t getting any of this. He hoped that he would but didn’t know. Misha wondered if a week was going to be enough for Murph to make his brother see that she was stronger than him, and that she didn’t need him as much as he did her.
    “Murph said to tell you if you had any rules that she should be following if they come here, she’d like to hear them.” His reply was less than cordial. “It’ll be your loss if you fuck this up. Just so you know. And telling her to fuck off…I doubt very much that’s going to get you any brownie points with either of them.”
    Misha got up to go to work, but Carter glared at him. “She’s turning you all against me. Making me be the bad guy. I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t even hit her son, and I’m the prick.”
    Misha almost felt sorry for both of them. They were both stubborn and strong willed. He gave it two days before she left again, and Misha had a feeling that none of them would ever see them again.
    “What do I tell her? Either way, she’s going to be here on Christmas day in my house.” Carter nodded. “That means nothing to me. Yes or no. Are you going to give her the week?”
    “Yes.” He hissed it through his teeth, and Misha changed his mind. Two hours. That would be all it took for her to decide that he wasn’t worth it. He might even have his camera on, ready when his little brother finally got it. And he was sure by then it would be too late.
    Misha spoke to Rider on the way in to the office. Rider was laughing about Carter as much as he was. Rider met him at the door when he got to the office. They had a run to go on and he was packing their gear up as he spoke.
    “Murph has me in her will.” Misha turned to him. “Yeah, I was notified today about it. She had me sign some papers, and if anything happens to her…if she gets killed or just dies before Max is an adult, he is mine to raise.”
    “Did you tell Carter this yet?” Rider said no. “Then I wouldn’t. He’s pissed enough right now. And this isn’t going to go well anyway. I have a feeling she’s going to come here, and he’s going to try and rule her right out of his life. And if he does…well, if he does, he’ll have no one to blame but