The tension in the room was thick and heavy as molasses. It clung to every corner in the silent room. Tomi’s screams of rage echoed down the hall, ratcheting up the pressure.
Cole stood at the end of the couch, his legs spread hip-width apart, and dared anyone to try and free her.
“You’re insane.” Stahl clasped his hands together and hunched over on the couch, looking at the floor.
“She’s mine.” Maybe one day she would understand he’d done this out of love. But right now, he couldn’t allow her feelings to affect him. He couldn’t let anyone, Tomi included, put her life at risk. He couldn’t even bear to consider the thought.
“You love her,” Stahl said.
“Yes, I do.”
“You can’t keep a woman like her locked up.”
Cole felt nothing. Not even a tinge of remorse. “I can if it keeps her alive.”
Stahl looked at him, searching for something. Maybe weakness? The agent was sorely out of luck if that was his hope. Tomi was his weakness, and he would do what it took to protect her.
“You’re making a mistake,” Stahl said in a quiet tone.
“The only mistake I made was trusting you.”
“Maybe that’s the way you see it now, but we both know you never would’ve found her in the first place if not for me.” Stahl got to his feet, for once appearing wary. Smart. Maybe he sensed he’d pushed Cole too far.
“Now you’re trying to take her away and we both know I’ll never let that happen,” Cole said.
“Think about it. Even if you do keep her locked up, you can’t hide from a man with Luis’s resources forever. He’ll hunt you down and kill you both, and then what would all of this have been for?” Stahl swept a hand to the air. “She’s still going to die—only now she’ll die hating you.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Cole hedged, trying to ignore the logic behind Stahl’s words.
Stahl gestured to himself and laughed bitterly. “You are just as stupid and blind as I was. God must hate my fucking guts.”
Cole glanced at his brothers. He had no idea what the agent was talking about. Clint and Carter shrugged, equally unsure.
Stahl didn’t leave them guessing for long. “You listen, and you listen hard, because I’m only going to say this once. My partner got deep into Luis’ ring. She infiltrated one of his innermost circles. She got too close for comfort. I pulled her back when she begged me not to. Because of me, Luis found out who she was.” Stahl stabbed a finger into his own chest, his flat gray eyes turning to dark storm clouds full of agony and self-loathing. “My fear is the reason why the woman I loved got kidnapped. And now you’re doing the same stupid thing. You’re letting fear rule your judgment. Luis will win in the end if you let him. Don’t make the same mistake I did.”
Stahl walked to the door and yanked it open, turning back to give them one last look. “I’ll give you tonight to think it over. Whatever you decide to do, I’ll help. All I’m asking is that you take a step back and use your hard-earned training and skills and help me get this fucking bastard so he can never hurt anyone we care about again.”
Stahl stepped out and shut the door with a soft snick. A minute later his car engine fired up. Cole stood rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to breathe, as he watched the car disappear down the long gravel drive.
The decision to keep Tomi had been hard and easy at the same time. He could convince himself of anything if it meant keeping her out of danger. But if they didn’t take down Luis, there would always be a target sign on her back.
“Cole, brother, you can’t watch her every second of every day. You’ll blink one day and she’ll be gone. She will run from you.” Carter slowly unfolded his lean yet muscular form from the chair. “And then she’ll be all alone when he finds her. I hate to say it, because I care about Tomi too, but Stahl is right. If we don’t end Luis now, it’s just a matter of time.”
Carter put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. The physical contact was like a lightning bolt striking straight through the icy barrier he’d attempt to reconstruct around his heart. “I’m scared,” Cole admitted.
“We all are, but I know we can do this. We can pull in our team. We can set a trap for Luis and take him on our turf. Make him play by our rules.”
Clint jumped to his feet and began to pace behind Carter, his movements rough and fast—the complete opposite of Carter’s calm energy. Clint said, “I don’t like it any better than you, but he’s right. Our entire team and the FBI will be protecting Tomi. I think we can do this.”
Cole’s legs went weak and he had to lock his knees out to keep upright.
“I don’t know if I can.”
Carter put his hand on his other shoulder, facing him squarely now. “It’s not just you anymore. We’re all in this together.”
Son of a bitch.
Cole blew out a weak breath, fighting the fear. His brother’s arguments were spot on. He was going to do it—he had to do it. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t terrified. “Okay. We do this our way.”
Carter held his shoulder for a moment longer and then released him, nodding. “By our rules.”
Clint pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and unlocked it, the bright LED glow from the screen reflecting off the calluses in his hands. “With our team.”
Tomi’s muffled cry blasted down the hall, drawing Cole’s attention. Knowing what he had to do didn’t make it any easier.
Clint gave Cole a quick punch in the arm and then lifted the phone to his ear. “I think she wants out.”
Another shriek filled the air, this one full of fury. “Maybe I should give her until morning to cool off.”
“Are you chicken, brother?” Carter asked with a smirk.
“Damn straight.” Cole began the long trek back down the hallway, the sound of Carter’s chuckle fading in the background. When he reached the door to the playroom, he just stood and stared at it, unable to make his fingers touch the knob.
He knew what he’d see when he opened that door. He’d see Tomi’s hurt and betrayal and hate all over again, only this time he couldn’t lock her up and walk away.
He’d never been more scared in his entire life.
29
Tomi stared at the ceiling, hating herself for the tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes, but hating Cole more for doing this to her. How could she have been so stupid? Men like Cole Fury didn’t forgive or forget – they fought for revenge.
She’d known all those years ago that her heart wasn’t safe with him, but his drugging kisses had blurred her memory and made her forget.
Why had she come back here? She should have never opened that folder. She could have left, disappeared into the world and hidden. She was good at running, some would say she was an expert at it, but when she’d seen those women’s faces in that folder any thoughts of running had disappeared.
The night of Luis’s party had come crashing back and she’d been unable to turn her back on those tortured faces. Foolishly she’d thought she could make a difference.
She should have known she’d end up in the very place she’d sought to escape.
Cole’s bed.
The door snicked open and Cole stepped into the room, quietly closing it behind him. She kept her gaze glued upward, refusing to look at him. She couldn’t. Not now. Not when the pain of his betrayal ate up her heart.
What did he want? Probably to yell at her and rub the past in her face. He’d tell her how gullible she’d been. How easy she’d fallen for his devastating charms. And she couldn’t say a word different because it was the truth.
She had fallen for his lies, stupidly believing he loved her.
“I’m sorry,” he said in a hushed tone.
A hot flush rushed up her chest and burning tears pricked her eyes. Tomi blinked rapidly to force them back. This must be part of his evil plan to make her question her own judgment. Did he think she’d buy his game now? She could practically feel his intense black eyes touching every in
ch of her skin. Tomi kept her gaze locked on the ceiling, denying him her attention even while she stayed focused on his every move.
Cole strode to the bed and sat down, causing the edge of the mattress to dip. He was determined to strip that small bit of control away from her. She turned her head away and closed her eyes, her heart thrumming out-of-control. Cole touched her arm, his fingertips shooting sparks through her sensitive skin. Tomi jerked so hard the sturdy chains attached to her wrists clanked against the bed.
“Christ, Tomi I didn’t mean for this to happen,” Cole’s voice sounded like it was filled with pain but she knew it was filled with lies.
But her treacherous body wanted to believe him just like it had before. A harsh sob caught in her throat and she clamped her teeth down to keep it inside.
"You didn't mean for what to happen? To lie to me? Or to keep me chained to your bed as some kind of sick punishment?"
"Either. I didn't mean for either to happen," he said quietly.
Tomi yanked on her bonds, rattling the chains binding her. "Then let me go, let me out of here right now."
"I can't do that."
She wanted to scream, wanted to yell at him to release her, but a sinking heavy weight of despair settled on her chest. Her fury raged but the hurt was stronger, urging her to retreat inside and hide.
"Tomi, I can't let you go until I know you won’t do something stupid like run." Cole leaned over her.
She wanted him so badly, even now. She longed for him, longed to see the look of love on his face. She closed her eyes and focused on blocking out his overwhelming presence.
"Don't do that, don't take those beautiful eyes away from me," he said in a low tone that vibrated through her body, the small triumph doing nothing to soothe her frazzled nerves.
"If you won't believe I’m sorry, then listen to logic." She felt the bed shift and then chills in the absence of his heat. Tomi chanced a quick glance. He sat on the edge of the bed, hunched over with his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands.
He looked utterly defeated.
She should feel elated at his defeat. But all she felt was pain and regret.
He felt her withdrawing from him. She was throwing up walls as fast as he could tear them down. He couldn't blame her either, any more than he could ignore the emptiness re-threading itself into his body.
He was further away from making her love him than he had been three days ago. Any foolish glimmer of hope he'd held onto dissipated. There'd been no fraction of love or understanding in her eyes. Only betrayal and hate.
Cole squeezed his hands together, grounding himself with the tightness in his grip as he strove for control. The only way he could see her through this and guarantee her life, was if he embraced the ice in his veins and shrugged off his foolish dream of a future with Tomi.
He’d existed in that plane for ten years and he could do it for another ten. It was easy to live when you didn't care about anyone or anything. Cole closed his eyes and reached for it, shutting down his emotions one by one. It was what they both needed to survive.
After another minute, he lifted his head and stared at the wall, slamming the door firmly in place. He shifted gears into full-on mission mode. "You're going in. We’ll use you to draw Luis out of hiding."
"Is this another sick joke?"
Cole ignored the bitterness in her tone. "No joke. It's the only plan that makes sense. We can set it up, control the environment, ambush him when he shows up." Cole had done it hundreds of times before, used whatever means necessary to carry out the mission without thought or without caring. He could do it again.
"I thought you said –
"Doesn't matter what I said before. All that matters is what I'm saying now." Cole turned then and reached for the first cuff. He unlocked it without hesitation and stood and walked around to the other side of the bed, ignoring Tomi's questioning gaze. "We need you to capture Luis and save the other women. It's as simple as that."
Cole reached the other side. For some stupid reason, he chanced a peek at Tomi. The look of bravado she'd tried to paint on her face did nothing to hide her fear. Or her pain. He'd done that to her. Just him.
Never again.
Cole looked away and shut her out completely. He unlocked the other cuff. The soft rattle of the chain crumpling to the bed echoed in the room and slammed into his chest. He'd freed her and if she didn't run now, she would as soon as the mission was over.
Tomi scrambled to the far side of the bed, rubbing her wrists and looking for all the world like a wounded little deer. She was supposed to stand up to a man like Luis?
“We need to leave as soon as possible. We need to get to the house we set up as a front for Cole and Devine so we have time to prepare. It's about a two-hour drive from here, so wear what you want for now, but once we arrive you'll have to play the part. You'll have to pretend to be my slave."
He watched Tomi struggle to reign in her trembling. She slowly eased off the bed, watching him the whole time like he was going to pounce. "When will he get there?"
"He didn't give us a time, not specifically, that's why we have to be prepared. Once we get to the location, you'll have to do exactly as I say without hesitation. You need to appear completely broken."
As if on cue, Tomi's stubborn chin lifted with defiance. "I can do that."
Cole gave her a cold once over. "I'm sure you can." And then he turned and crossed to the closet, giving her his back as he rummaged through the clothes he had brought for her. Clothes he picked out specifically with her in mind. Cole snatched a pale pink see-through baby doll off the hanger and then turned and caught sight of the purple lingerie crumpled on the floor that Tomi had worn earlier. His heart beat frantically against his chest. Then he crushed the clothing he held in his hand and stomped from the closet. "I've got your outfit for when we get there. You’ve got five minutes and then we head out.” Cole stalked from the room leaving the door wide open behind him. If she wanted to run, he wouldn’t put any barrier in her path.
Tomi stood staring in shock at the wide open empty doorway through which Cole had just vacated. He was serious. He was really going to let her do this. Excitement hummed through her, refueling her determination. And right along with it came a first-class case of nerves. She wasn’t the only life at risk, all those nameless women at Luis’s auction flashed through her memory.
She had a chance to save them. If she could work with Cole.
The sound of a door slamming and a car cranking up outside jumpstarted her into movement. He'd said five minutes and he’d meant it. Although she wanted to drag her feet as a small, immature form of payback, she ran to the closet in search of some regular clothing. Four frustrating minutes later she came up with sweatpants and a loose T-shirt, sans bra and panties which Cole had so thoughtfully withheld.
She yanked on the baggy clothes and stomped from the closet, her bare toes caught on something and she stumbled, grabbed the door and turned to glare at the offender. Her dark purple negligee lay on the floor, torn in half. Tomi bent down and lifted the fabric, her heart constricting.
She'd surrendered herself to him with wild abandon, fully trusting him with her body and soul. And this is all she had left: he’d destroyed her clothes and her heart.
Tomi dropped the lingerie in the empty closet and turned her back, physically putting the reminder behind her. She wouldn’t – no, she couldn’t – face the truckload of shit that came with that betrayal.
You’re running again…
Tomi ruthlessly shut down her one-track conscious and focused on the physical. Cole had given her a few minutes to dress and make it to the car. She would just have to take one step at a time.
A few minutes later she was stuffed into a black SUV with equally blacked out windows. Clint behind the wheel, Carter in the passenger seat beside him. That left a way too small back seat for Tomi and Cole. Half afraid he'd try to touch her, she scooted as far away from Cole as possible. The position wedged her elbow into
the door rest and her knee against the hard plastic handle. Not the most comfortable but definitely safer than what lay in rest on the other side. She managed to stay in the rigid position for a good thirty minutes without looking at Cole directly. Sure, she’d stolen a few glances at the glass reflection, but those had only gotten her a glimpse of the back of his dark head. He stared out the window without shifting a single muscle. It was as if she and his brothers weren’t even in the same country, let alone the same car.
How effortlessly he seemed to shut her out. Like she was nothing more to him than the passing blur of scenery in the black night. Carter and Clint, for once, kept their mouths shut too. The silence should have been pleasant. Instead, it was tense and thick and made her itch to break it.
Tomi glance at the windshield caught movement in the rearview mirror and locked eyes with Carter. His questioning, worried glance just grated on her nerves more. Why act like he cared now? Why did any male in this cab act like they cared about her or her feelings?
They’d been so willing to lie to use her own vulnerabilities against her for the purpose of stealing information on Luis. The man who’d tried to sell her.
Cole really thought she’d worked with Luis? That monster? Bile slid up her stomach to her throat and she turned abruptly, facing the glass again.
She’d almost become a slave, tortured and raped without mercy. If Cole hadn’t been there… No! Cole lied to her. He used her. No matter if the cause was worth it, he’d betrayed her. Only a man who hated could hurt someone that badly.
And the twins – she realized she’d trusted them too. She’d shared one of the most intimate experiences in her life with them and they’d been simply playing a part. How hard had they had to fight to fake their desire?
As much as Cole?
Tomi barely stifled a cry. She slapped a hand over her mouth and then, realizing how obvious her move was, she curled her fingers and pretended to scratch her chin. Shit. She had more pride than this.
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