Then I realized it, too. I was staring. I was rude.
I didn’t care.
I couldn’t stop taking in all the details of her. Her clothes were expensive. Carter had money, and even though I tried to buy my own clothes, he had someone buy clothes for me, but my style was more understated. I didn’t enjoy letting people know my clothes were tailor made. My sister didn’t shout money with her clothes, but I recognized a lot of the brands. They were high-end and not bought off the shelf. The toes of a black boot peeked out from her sleek, gray pants and her light cashmere sweater had zippers going from side to side. A scarf around her neck completed the look.
Whatever had happened to her, it had blessed her in the end.
She cleared her throat and nudged the guy next to her. My gaze turned to him. It was the same man I’d seen with her after the bombing.
“Miss Nathans?” I said to him.
My sister’s cheeks flared bright red. She looked down at her lap.
He leaned forward in his seat, tugging his jacket’s collar away from his throat. “Uh, yes.”
“My name is Emma Martins.”
“Uh, yes,” he repeated, glancing at Carter. “I don’t know why I called you that. I knew, I mean—the media referenced you as Emma Martins. I had hoped, no—I had thought…” He quieted as my sister placed her hand over his.
She leaned forward. Her chin lifted. Her shoulders went back. The red had faded quickly and, somehow, I now stared back at an elegant, sophisticated woman. “What Kevin is trying to say is that he’d hoped the name Nathans might’ve triggered a memory with you. You were taken so young.”
Taken. Young. Triggered.
None of those words sat right with me, and I tensed, but Carter took over. He must have felt my distress and, much like she had, he now commanded the attention. “Let’s keep the pleasantries to a minimum until we get to our destination.”
“About that—” The man coughed into his hand, then did it again. “We had asked to meet Emma at your club. After searching us, your men didn’t allow us to voice our feelings about moving the location—”
Carter spoke over him. “Because it was my call. Not yours.”
Red spread up the man’s neck, but he didn’t respond.
My sister patted his hand. “It’s okay. He’s…I mean—” She gestured to Carter and myself. “We don’t know you…at all…”
We were mafia. That was the meaning behind her words. They were scared of us. As soon as I realized that, laughter bubbled up my throat. But I kept my mouth shut and shoved it back down. Laughing, at this moment, wouldn’t be appropriate. And if I started, I didn’t think I could stop. There’d been too much tension over the last few weeks.
Instead, I sighed. “This is awkward.”
My sister sputtered out a sound that was half a laugh and half a cough. She tried to cover, touching her chest. “Oh. I’m sorry. I—” But the corners of her lips curled up, and so did mine. When she saw my smile, she looked back down, her shoulders shaking as she laughed softly.
I wasn’t laughing, but I couldn’t wipe the grin from my face.
“I—” She looked back up, her hand covering her mouth as another chuckle escaped from her. “I’m so sorry. This is, you’re right. It’s completely awkward, and Kevin’s only trying to protect me.” She gestured to Carter, addressing him, “As I’m sure you’re doing the same with Emma…” She trailed off, her gaze going back to me and holding there. An awed expression came over her, and her hand dropped back to her lap. “I…it’s just that, you’re here.” She sounded choked up. “We’re in the same car. I never thought…” She blinked and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. “I never thought I’d find you.”
I didn’t know what to say. I’d never thought about her, period. It had been AJ and me. That was it, but since finding out about her… “Thank you for finding me,” I said. My hand fell down between Carter and me. I held it there, pressed against him. I just needed to touch him. “There’ve been things going on, but I’ve been thinking about you, too.”
She nodded, clearly trying not to cry. She kept wiping at the corners of her eyes.
This wasn’t the time or place. So much had to be said, but I didn’t say another word until we arrived at our destination. When the car slowed to a stop and the door opened, we were in a large, brightly lit warehouse. There was nothing inside, only an office with a window in the door. As my sister followed us out, and then her friend, our guard went to a side door. Another guard took position beside him, and another two went to the main garage-style doors. As they closed it behind us, I saw three other cars parked outside. They had formed a wall, and more men waited by each of those vehicles.
We were heavily armed and heavily protected.
“Oh my.” My sister pressed a hand to her throat, taking in the scene before the doors slid to the ground.
Now it was only the four of us and the four security men inside. I was used to this, but seeing her reaction, I remembered the first time I became aware of how powerful Carter was. That’s what those men did. They were physical reminders of who Carter was, of what he could do. She looked at me, her eyebrows bunched together, and she stepped closer to her friend. I wasn’t sure if she was aware of doing it or not, but I understood. He was familiar. He was safe to her.