Page 65 of Carte

My heart thumped painfully in my chest, “If something happens to her… I'll burn their whole world down.”

“And you'll have backup.”

Max reached out and grabbed me behind the neck, “Nothing's going to happen to her.”

“Promise me you'll keep an eye,” I demanded.

Max scoffed, “I'll pretend you didn't ask me that.”

He muttered under his breath, “The audacity to doubt me.”

“I can't lose her,” I whispered.

“Where will you be?”

“Where do you think?” I chuckled. “Right by her side.”

“Who they hired?”

“Terra security,” I muttered, hitting the gas.

“Call him,” Max said.

I didn't want to. He was trying to get out of the game. After what he's been through, then joining the SEALS in hopes that it would somehow soothe his demons enough for him to function normally, then opening up his own firm trying to keep people safe, to help them. To somehow prevent the ugliness of what happened to repeat itself. He gave years of his life chasing the peace that was unreachable for people like us, but he didn’t want to give up. It all came to head a year ago, and he pulled back, staying on as a silent partner but giving up the field. He was trying to live a normal life. And I was about to pull him back into the nightmare.

However, this was Harley. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for her.

Without another moment's hesitation, I pressed the button on the wheel.

He answered on the second ring, “Yeah?”

“Please don't tell me I woke you up.”

“You always do, fucker.” He mumbled.

“Trevor,” I swallowed. “I'm so fucking sorry brother, but I need you.”

Chapter Seventeen

Harley

“I can't believe I got to meet Harley Thorne,” the words burst from the young girl in front of me. “I love you so much. I know your every song. You are my hero.”

I barely managed to muster a smile to those kind words.

Usually, I enjoyed meeting my fans, giving them a moment of my time, letting them know I truly appreciated their support. But the last few days, I didn't have the patience or will to interact with them.

I was positive that coming back on tour was a good decision. To let fans know I would not abandon them. That all changed last week when the label pulled Carter as my security.

He came to me almost every night, holding me in his arms the length of it, but it wasn’t the same.

Without him following me, making sure I was safe, I became suspicious of every person I came in contact with.

I got jumpy at the barest sound. And I was beyond tired.

The girl frowned when I didn’t utter a single word to her, “What’s wrong?”

Cassie jumped in before I had a chance to assure the young fan everything was fine, “Harley has to save her voice for the show.”