Part 1 (1/2)

Thorn.

Carter Kids.

by Chloe Walsh.

This book is dedicated to Julie Phelan aka Aunty.

For her lifelong support, friends.h.i.+p.

And infallible belief that I could be whatever I desired to be.

And of course, for her sheer love of all things Kyle Carter.

I love you, Aunty.

Upcoming t.i.tles by Chloe Walsh.

The man who loved me was a fighter.

He had blood on his hands.

He was dangerous, treacherous, and he called me his Thorn.

I was his strength and his weakness all rolled into one.

He was trained bred to play a pivotal part in an underworld concocted of violence and destruction.

The question was could I love him in spite of the danger he represented to my life?.

Could I love him in spite of the danger he represented to my soul?.

Seven Years Ago - February.

TEAGAN WAS SAFE.

I could handle the whole d.a.m.n world falling down around me just as long as she was safe alive and breathing. My little Thorn was okay, and that made this whole d.a.m.n mess worth it.

I knew I was facing prison time because of my role in the quarry. I knew I was going away for a while up to five years for GBH.

Three if I didn't f.u.c.k up again, Kyle's suit had a.s.sured me at the station tonight. That didn't sound too f.u.c.king bad to me. h.e.l.l, three square meals a day, and a long a.s.sed rest sounded like heaven to my body. I might even get lucky and score a cell of my own.

To be perfectly honest, the only reason I was handling this so calmly was because I had Teagan. I didn't think she realized just how much I loved her crazy a.s.s. That girl was everything to me and I didn't say that lightly.

She'd seen the worst of me and she loved me through it.

f.u.c.k, she was prepared to keep me even when we thought I'd killed Gerome Javi.

Jesus Christ, what that girl did for me tonight running into the Hub all guns a-blazing.

I never realized a man's heart could love as hard as this.

This was an insane kind of love.

One I never thought I would have.

f.u.c.k, my whole world had pretty much burnt to dust tonight. I knew s.h.i.+t was going to be a h.e.l.l of a lot different in the morning.

I had a family now.

Kyle was my brother, Lee was my sister-in-law, and the triplets and Hope were my niece and nephews.

Kyle had bailed me out. I was back in Thirteenth Street because of the guy and his big f.u.c.king heart. I couldn't resent that. Besides, I knew what kind of upbringing my older half brother had, and it wasn't f.u.c.king pretty. The man was self-made. I could only aspire to be like him one day. Maybe that's why I had always felt so d.a.m.n comfortable in the Carter's house?

It was because I was one of them.

Well s.h.i.+t...

Just a few short hours ago, I was the only child of a murdered ex-con and a schizophrenic heroin addict. And now? Now I had brothers, and more family than I'd ever dreamed possible.

I should be losing my s.h.i.+t right about now, but the meds flus.h.i.+ng their way through my bloodstream kept me highly sedated and extremely drowsy.

My body was in pieces. Everything hurt. My back, my face, my f.u.c.king chest; h.e.l.l, even my d.i.c.k was throbbing. But I was alive, breathing and I hadn't killed anyone.

Pain was smothering my senses, my ribs were burning like vinegar seeping into an open wound, but I knew I would sleep easy tonight.

Because I was free.

Free from George Dennis, and free to live my life.

Free to be with Teagan.

Inhaling gingerly, I allowed my eyelids to flutter closed, comforted by the knowledge that my Thorn was safely tucked up in her bed next door.

f.u.c.k it, a bright future was actually attainable for a guy like me.

”Mmm...Yes!” A female voice mewled, startling me awake.

The sudden weight that slammed against my pelvis was f.u.c.king fantastic.

”Thorn?” My voice sounded groggy and slurred.

So sweet and soft and warm.

So d.a.m.n snug and tight.