Aiden (A Next Generation Carter Brother Novel Book 2)

by Lisa Helen Gray

“What?”

  “No!”

  “You can’t do this!”

  I notice Marie’s voice doesn’t carry through the courtroom, and against my better judgement, I glance in her direction. The coldness in her eyes sends a shiver down my spine. I never understood the saying, ‘if looks could kill’ until this very moment. It’s like everything that made someone human skipped her altogether. There is so much darkness in her. I move closer to Aiden as the judge reprimands the others for speaking out in court.

  He lists off other offences, all of which they are found guilty, but it’s not them I’m panicking over.

  When it comes to the one I most care about, the one I’ve been losing sleep over, I gaze back at him, giving him my full attention. I also know that if they find them guilty of this offence, they will all get ‘life’ in prison. It didn’t even matter who lit the match, they were treating the offence as a ‘joint enterprise’ for murder. They will automatically be sentenced for sixteen years. The most we can hope for with the smaller charges is twenty to twenty-two years. I’m hoping they agree with my thoughts about longer the better.

  The question slips smoothly from the judge’s mouth, but my eyes are focussed on the foreman. Sweat begins to drip down my temples and the back of my neck. My entire body tenses as his lips part.

  I squeeze Aiden’s hand tighter.

  My gran squeezes me harder, and hands of comfort reach for my shoulders.

  I inhale, trying not to pass out.

  “We, the jury, find the defendants…” I can’t breathe. I gasp, the urge to run filtering through me. “Guilty.”

  I fly back in my seat, my eyes wide as shock shoots through my system. Cheers of joy surround me, but all I can do is stare at the foreman.

  “Hey, don’t cry, baby. You won—you won.”

  I glance at Aiden, feeling completely numb. It isn’t until he wipes under my eyes that I realise I’m crying. I rest my forehead against his, clutching his arms as he grasps my face in the palm of his hands.

  “It’s really over,” I whisper hoarsely.

  “Yeah, it is,” Aiden agrees, pulling me against his chest.

  “I therefore sentence you to twenty years in prison before you’re eligible for parole.”

  Gasps are heard around the courtroom, and a tingling sensation—the one I got through school—runs up my spine. I don’t know what brings the feeling on, I just know I should be on alert, like a sixth sense.

  Slowly, I turn to Marie, knowing without a doubt this is her. My gaze catches on the other three, all weeping into each other’s shoulders as the guards begin to escort them out.

  But Marie stands there, watching me, her entire body trembling with rage like I’ve never seen from her before.

  I blink as it happens. She tries jumping over the box they are seated in to get to me. I yelp—even though she isn’t close to any of us—and bump into Aiden. He grips me around the waist and places me in his chair, before standing protectively in front of me, even though she can’t reach us.

  “I’m going to fucking kill you, you silly fucking slag. You’ll die for this!” she screeches as the security guards subdue her.

  Peeking around Aiden, I watch with satisfaction as he slams her head into the wooden bench in front of him, pinning her down so she can’t attack. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t try, fighting and screaming profusely.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Gran says, taking my hand.

  Aiden moves to the side, walking behind me as we leave. We pass Granddad and shake hands with our lawyer before coming directly side by side with Marie. It only angers her more, spit flying from her mouth as she yells and curses.

  Our eyes meet, and pure hatred rolls off her. There is no doubt in my mind she would kill me given half the chance. I can see it—feel it.

  Her eyes narrow. I pause, meeting her gaze head-on, knowing this will be the last time I will ever see her. Her eyes flash with undeniable anger, but I feel nothing. Not wanting to waste another second around garbage, I give her a bright smile before walking away.

  I hear her desperate struggles as I walk off, my back now to her. “I’ll kill you. Mark my words, I will fucking kill you,” she screams.

  I don’t look back as Aiden ushers me out of the courtroom and outside into the fresh air. The second the cool wind hits my face, I feel like I can breathe again.

  Aiden steps up behind me as our families begin to celebrate. He brings his lips down to my ear, his breath warm. I shiver.

  “That was badass,” he whispers.

  “What was?” I ask, wishing we didn’t have to wait another three weeks before we can have sex. Doctors’ orders and all that.

  “Smiling at her. That must have been worse than a beating for her—you smiling at her,” he says, before chuckling and nibbling my ear. “It was sexy as fuck.”

  “You’re turned on right now, aren’t you?”

  His chuckle vibrates down my spine, making me smile. “Yeah.”

  Just as I’m about to say ‘fuck the doctors’, I see a group walking down the stairs ahead of us. Aiden tenses, but I ignore him. He won’t admit it, but he’s secretly grateful to the Hayes brothers for what they did.

  “Jaxon,” I call out, making the small group stop and the Carter’s and my grandparents pause.

  “What are you doing?” Aiden asks, a warning in his tone.

  I glance over my shoulder briefly. “Something I should have done weeks ago: thanking them.”

  I walk off and he lets me go, knowing this is something I need to do.

  “Hi,” I greet when I get to Jaxon. A flash of confusion flashes across his expression before he turns aloof.

  “I’m glad today went well,” he says.

  “I want to say thank you for helping me that day in the park. The others told me there were other people outside, not doing one darn thing to stop it.”

  He looks uncomfortable for a moment, before shrugging. “It was no bother. Anyone would have done the same.”

  “But they didn’t,” I point out, before doing something I’ve wanted to do since I found out he and Aiden stormed into those toilets. I step forward, push up on my tiptoes, and hug him. He stiffens under me, but I don’t care. “Thank you.”

  “Yeah, I’m feeling a little uncomfortable with this,” Aiden whispers behind me, before I feel his hands at my waist. He pulls me back and I roll my eyes at Jaxon, as if to say, ‘what can I do’.

  “Aiden,” I whine, letting him pull him into my arms.

  “I’ll let you guys celebrate,” Jaxon says, before walking over to his brother.

  “Remember, this doesn’t make us friends,” Aiden calls out to him.

  Jaxon turns around, smirking. “You’re right, it doesn’t. Just don’t hate me, because I won’t be friends with you. See you at the next Family of the year.”

  Aiden’s body tenses. “We would have won that, and you know it.”

  Jaxon shrugs carelessly. “Whatever you say.”

  “You’re the one who dropped out,” Aiden points out.

  Another shrug. “Yeah, but it would have been no fun annihilating anyone else but you.”

  “Ah, you love us,” Aiden cheers.

  “In your dreams, Carter.”

  “Always,” Aiden sings sarcastically, before turning his back on him. Jaxon chuckles, catching up to the rest of his siblings.

  Aiden pulls me against him gently—always so gentle, like he’s afraid he’ll break me.

  “You’re mine; don’t ever hug another dude in front of me again.”

  I raise my eyebrow at his warning, finding it amusing. “And you’re mine. But I was going to thank him either way. He helped me. He helped you to get to me.”

  He frowns, an annoyed look on his face because he knows I’m right. “Still don’t like it.”

  “So, you don’t want what I have in mind to say thank you to you, then?”

  He eyes light up with mischief. “Oh, yeah? And what would that be?”

  I shru
g, a teasing smile curving my lips “Well, it involves you being naked. And me being naked…” I say, trailing off.

  He grins. “I can be down with that.”

  “Of course you can,” I tell him.

  “I still don’t like you touching other men, though.”

  I rise up on my toes, giving him a brief kiss. It wipes the frown off his face, and he melts against me. “I love you, so you don’t have anything to worry about.”

  He gives me a ‘duh’ look. “Of course you do; I’m sexy as fuck.”

  I giggle whilst shaking my head. “But that isn’t why I love you.”

  “Well duh; I’m fucking awesome.” He pauses, losing his playful expression. “But just so you know, no one could possibly love you as much as I do. I didn’t believe there was someone out there for everyone. I really didn’t. But you, Bailey James, were made for me. I love you, and I truly believe our love is everlasting,” he says smoothly. I soften at his words, falling harder and harder for the man in front of me.

  “Ah, Aiden. You really have no idea how much that means to me. You helped me believe again—to hope, to love. I love you.”

  His eyes dilate, lust burning through them as he brings his lips down to mine. A growl rumbles from his chest as he deepens the kiss.

  My body tingles, from my lips to my toes, and I press further against him. I can’t wait to have him. To feel him inside of me. The only thing stopping me is Aiden. He won’t touch me sexually until the doctor gives me the all clear.

  We pull away, breathing hard, and he rests his forehead against mine.

  “I love you so fucking much it drives me crazy,” he rasps.

  “Right back at ya.”

  “Come on; let’s go celebrate. Uncle Mason has organised some food and drink at the restaurant. Today was a good day.”

  I look up at his stark features, palming his cheek. “Thank you for standing by me the whole time, for being my rock. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

  He scoffs. “Bailey, you’re one of the strongest people I know. People like you, who overcome something so horrific, so tragic, and still walk out on the other side intact, are admirable. They may have beat you, but they didn’t break you. They didn’t break your soul. It takes someone fucking strong to go through that. So even if I wasn’t here, you’d have gotten through this,” he says fiercely. “I’ll always be here for you. Always. So, don’t ever thank me.”

  How the hell did I get so lucky?

  My eyes water as I pull him close for a hug. “I love you, Aiden Carter.”

  “Guys, come on; I’m hungry,” Liam whines.

  We pull apart, and a watery laugh slips free when I see Liam’s pout.

  “You can make googly eyes at each other later,” Maddox yells in agreement. “I need food.”

  “And we need to celebrate those bitches getting sent down,” Hayden whoops.

  “Language, Hayden,” Lake, Hayden’s mum, says, but sighs, like it’s a losing battle.

  “Ready?” Aiden asks, a big grin on his face.

  Looking up at him through my eyelashes, I flirtatiously run my finger down his chest, to the lining of his trousers. He gulps, his heated stare burning into me.

  “Don’t you know? I’d follow you anywhere,” I tell him with a sultry voice. I move forward, my lips a breath away, before pulling back. He sways forward, like an invisible string is forcing him, and it makes me grin inwardly.

  I walk away, leaving him to watch me as I go. I grin when I hear him run to catch up.

  “That’s so unfair. You left me hanging,” he whines.

  Life with Aiden is never going to be boring, that’s for sure.

  But I couldn’t picture my life without him—without any of them.

  EPILOGUE

  BAILEY

  THREE WEEKS LATER

  Sitting back in the chair the kind nurse offered me, I smirk up at a pacing Aiden before looking over at a happy Sunday in a hospital cot.

  Her legs and feet are going crazy, the tiny mobile hanging above her making her excited. I don’t even think she realised or even cares where she is. She’s just a happy baby.

  I glance back up at Aiden when he begins to huff and puff once more.

  “She’s fine,” I remind him. Although, she was fine before he rushed us all here.

  He turns to me, his hands still gripping his hair. “She hasn’t cried for over a day, Bailey. Babies are meant to cry. That’s what Mum kept telling me when she was always crying the first few weeks she was home.”

  I chuckle under my breath at the hysteria in his voice. “Sunday is fine. Just because she hasn’t cried, it doesn’t mean something is wrong.”

  I’d pinch her toes to prove it to him, but it will only set him off. And, I don’t want to hurt poor Sunday. She’s probably already traumatised by her dad’s reactions to everything she does.

  The doctor walks down the hall, not looking too pleased at being called once again to Sunday’s bedside, especially when there are sick children on the ward who actually need his attention.

  “Sunday Carter?”

  Aiden spins on the heels of his feet, his shoulders sagging in relief. “You need to look her over.”

  “She’s fine, Mr. Carter.”

  Not happy with that answer, Aiden growls. “She cried when I left the room. She cried when I went to the toilet. She even cried once when I turned the boxing over to football. But she hasn’t cried now, sir, in over twenty-four hours. Something is terribly wrong with my daughter.”

  The doctor sighs. “If your daughter was screaming the hospital down, or in any kind of pain or distress, I’d be worried. They have a way of letting you know when something’s. All Sunday is doing right now is showing you she is happy, that she feels loved.”

  Aiden looks dubious, his eyes going back to Sunday. I can see the corners of his mouth lift and his chest puff out. “You really think so?”

  The doctor shakes his head. “Yes, Mr. Carter, I do. Now, if you don’t mind, I have other mini people to see.”

  Aiden waves him on, no longer listening to him. The goof is still stuck on Sunday being happy. He leans over her cot, running his finger down her chubby cheek. Her hair has gotten darker over the past few weeks, her character coming out more and more.

  And I thought the day she first smiled couldn’t be trumped. It was beautiful. So was Aiden. Seeing him proudly show it off to everyone made me love him even more.

  But the day she laughed? The day she laughed I will treasure forever. He had spilt orange juice all down his T-shirt, then tripped over the new table Gran had put in the hallway with the new flower pot that sat on top. Sunday was in her chair and saw the whole thing. Then she giggled. His eyes sparked with wonder, like he was hearing sound for the first time. Then he continued to do everything and anything to make her laugh, recording it on his phone, sending it to everyone, including me—who was in the room when it all happened—then video called his mum and dad.

  “Bailey?” he calls, his voice loud, and I look away from watching him trail his finger down Sunday’s cheek.

  “I’m sorry, did you say something?”

  He smirks. “Yeah, I asked if you think the doctor was telling the truth,” he whispers, before leaning in closer. He looks around, watching the nurse nearby warily. “He looked too old to be doing this job. What if he’s forgotten the symptoms of a really sick baby?”

  And I’ve lost him again.

  “Aiden, you’re wasting their time. While they’re running around after you, they could be treating a sick baby. What if it was Sunday and some overprotective parents were hogging up all the doctors’ time?”

  He narrows his eyes. “I’m not overprotective.”

  I roll mine, amused. “Aiden, the other day you surrounded her with pillows and blankets even though she was strapped into her bouncer.”

  “That thing bounces,” he mutters.

  “I know—you were still bouncing it an hour after I put her to bed.”

/>   He grins, but then it vanishes. “It’s a habit, like lifting your leg when you fart.”

  Ew.

  I scrunch my face up. “That’s just gross,” I mumble.

  He chuckles, grabbing her little knitted cardigan Mary made. “Come on; let’s go. I’ll have Mum check her out.”

  I groan. “Your mum will say the same thing.”

  Just then his phone starts ringing. He looks down at it, his eyes wide. “Oh, my God.”

  “What?” I ask, worried.

  “I have magical powers,” he informs me, holding his phone out so I can see the screen. I roll my eyes as he answers his mum.

  “Hi, Mum. How did you know I was at the hospital? What about Landon? What?”

  His body language changes, his entire body tensing. His head jerks to the side, and the tension surrounding him doubles. He drops the arm holding his phone to his side, and I can still hear his mum on the line. Carefully taking it from him, I lift it to my ear.

  “It’s Bailey, is everything okay?”

  *** *** ***

  AIDEN

  It’s like I’m on autopilot as I barge through the doors of the floor Mum said Landon had been taken to.

  The corridor is already filled with family, all clinging and weeping together. I don’t care. I just need to see for myself. To see if Mum was right. If someone has hurt Landon, then it hadn’t been a fair fight. He has taken three blokes on at a time and not broken a sweat. For him to be hurt as badly as Mum described… I dread to think what they used on him.

  This isn’t right. They had to have got it wrong.

  Taking two more steps—Bailey right behind me, carrying Sunday—I reach Mum, who’s holding Hayden. I struggle to take a breath at the sight of her crying, looking vulnerable for the first time in her life. Liam isn’t doing much better. His palms are resting on the glass window of the room he’s looking inside of, pain clear on his face. I can see he’s struggling to hold it in. I can’t even imagine what they’re going through right now. He’s their triplet, the eldest. They were the only kids their parents had so it made them even closer, even if they didn’t have their weird triplet bond thing.