Cole – Present Day
Anger drove me now.
I was furious. Furious at Taylor for coming on to me when I’d been unconscious, and then telling Gabi we’d spent the night together. Furious at Ryan for going to Gabi’s house and upsetting her. And furious at myself for being such a total fuck-up and not giving Gabi the sort of happiness she deserved.
I would fix that. I was determined to. My current plan was to kick the shit out of Ryan, and then drop to my knees and tell Gabi the truth of what had happened with Taylor. She had to understand, and forgive whatever needed to be forgiven. Gabi and I were meant to be together. The thought of a future without her felt utterly futile.
Her dad’s car was in the driveway, but that didn’t mean he was in. He tended to walk more these days because of the drinking; I guessed he didn’t want to end up with another DUI and possibly a prison sentence. He could be out walking somewhere.
Perhaps I should have thought about my action more carefully, but I only wanted to wrench Ryan away from Gabi, and put things right.
I jumped out of the car and ran to the front door. It stood ajar, and so without bothering to knock, I shoved it open.
“Ryan!” I yelled.
Gabi’s voice. “Cole?”
I turned in the direction of her voice and stormed into the living room. Gabi was sitting on the couch, her face pale and worried. Her father stood inside the room, his expression like nothing I’d witnessed on him before. He’d always appeared to be a fairly relaxed man—something I guessed was partially down to the booze—but right now I could see the cop in him. His gaze didn’t even budge as I burst into the room. Something about that expression jarred me even more than knowing Ryan was in the room.
I followed Bill Weston’s line of sight, and my eyes made contact with the black muzzle of a Glock 19.
Time froze.
It hadn’t even occurred to me Ryan would go down this route. I still thought of him as the twenty-year-old dope-smoker, but it appeared he’d upped his criminal status since then. Was this the result of me punching him the other day? Did he plan on taking his revenge?
My focus needed to be on Gabi. If I was shot while making sure she was safe, that was a price I was willing to pay.
“Are you okay, Gabi?” I asked her.
She nodded, but she wouldn’t even look at me, staring down at her hands instead, and I knew her pain didn’t come from anything Ryan had done. I was the one who had hurt her, even if it was unintentional. I hated myself for that.
I turned my attention to Ryan. “Your beef is with me, Ryan. Let Gabi and her dad go, and you can do whatever you want with me.”
Frustratingly, he smiled. “I’m glad we’re on the same page, Cole. I tried to talk to you man to man, but you flipped out on me and gave me this.” He gestured to the graze beside his eye, and the green and yellow bruises I’d blessed him with. “If you’d just agreed to work with me then, we wouldn’t be here now, so really you can blame yourself for our current situation.”
“No, if you’d just left us alone, none of us would be here.”
“But as I explained to Gabi here, you owe me. The three of you managed to screw up a big job, and I lost a lot of money, so now it’s payback.”
Gabi spoke up. “My dad already explained how that was never our fault. You would have been busted at some point anyway.”
I frowned, confusion rippling through me. Why would any of it have been their fault?
Ryan must have noticed my bewilderment. “Oh, you don’t know yet, do you? Your girlfriend here told her cop dad about the drug deal you were doing. He’s denying he said anything that got you arrested, but honestly, if I had a gun pointed at my head, I’d probably be denying it, too.”
Bill spoke up. “I’m telling the truth.”
Ryan jerked the gun and shouted. “I wasn’t asking you!”
“It doesn’t matter what happened ten years ago,” I said, trying to keep my voice level. “We’re here now. I did my time for that drug run going wrong, but I guess ten years of my life wasn’t enough for you, Ryan?”
“Your ten years made no difference to the cash in my pocket, so no, I want back the money you cost me, and if you don’t agree to do what I want, I’ll put a hole in Gabi’s head.” He gave a wild-eyed grin, and it suddenly occurred to me that perhaps Ryan wasn’t altogether with it. “In fact,” he continued, “I might just fuck her first, so I can feel what it’s like to screw a cripple. I’ll do it right in front of her darling daddy, here, and then I’ll shoot the pair of them.”
It took every ounce of strength I had not to let out a roar and tear him apart with my bare fingers. Only the threat of Gabi being shot held me back. I also worried if I did something crazy and Ryan shot me, there would be no reason for him to keep Gabi alive.
I held up both hands. “There’s no need to say any of that. I’ll do what you want. Just tell me.”
A smug grin appeared on his face. “Good. I need you to go and meet a guy and collect a package from him. Come straight back here when you do. If you’re gone any longer than three hours, she dies.”
I had a bad feeling about this. “What if I get a flat tire or something?”
“Don’t get a flat,” he snapped back.
“Why can’t you just do this yourself?”
“Apart from you owing me, I’ve also got people watching me, and like I told you before, someone let me down. In case you hadn’t noticed, I don’t like it when people let me down.”
I bunched my fists. “What makes you think I won’t go straight to the cops when I leave here?”
“Because I’ll be watching out that window until your return, and if I even get a hint that the cops have been involved, I’ll put a bullet in your girlfriend’s head.”
“I’m not his girlfriend.”
Gabi’s words shocked me as much as Ryan’s threat.
“Really?” said Ryan, unimpressed, his eyebrows lifting, his head tilting to one side.
She finally lifted her eyes to me, and the expression in them broke my heart. “Ask him. Ask him how he slept with Taylor behind my back only a matter of weeks ago.”
I hesitated. I didn’t want her to believe I’d cheated on her, but if this was the thing that would save her life, then I’d take her hating me over her being dead.
“Tell him, Cole,” she said, though I could hear the desperation in her voice which begged me to set her right, to tell her it was all a big mistake. I couldn’t do that.
“That’s right,” I told Ryan, hating every single syllable coming from my lips. “I’ve been seeing Taylor as well. I’ve spent the last ten years behind bars, and if you think I’m not going to use my freedom to make up for all the pussy I’ve missed, then you’re very much mistaken.”
Frustratingly, he laughed. “I’m not buying it. I’ve seen how you’re looking at her.”
To my left, Gabi’s dad had taken a tiny step toward the dresser which was up against the far side of the living room wall. I didn’t think Ryan had noticed, he was too caught up in the discussion between Gabi and me. Bill Weston appeared hard and focused, and his silence hadn’t gone unnoticed by me.
I needed to keep Ryan’s attention away from the other man.
“I look at all women that way. Like I said, it was a long time behind bars.”
Ryan sneered. “Looks like little Cole finally grew into a man.”
“There’s nothing manly about lying and cheating,” said Gabi. “Or threatening a woman, for that matter. The pair of you make me sick.”
“Gabi,” I said, wanting to tell her that was wrong, that I hadn’t wanted anything to do with Taylor, but I noticed her dad had taken another step toward the cabinet. I didn’t know what he had planned, but I didn’t want Ryan noticing what he was doing.
“Just stop talking, Cole,” she said, “I’ve heard enough lies come from your mouth.”
My heart broke. If we survived this, would she ever trust me again?
The click of a lo
ck suddenly sounded, too loud in the room, followed by the scrape of a drawer yanked open. Ryan’s head twisted toward the noise, his eyes widening as Bill Weston spun back around from the cabinet he’d been edging toward, a gun of his own in his hands.
Immediately, Ryan swung his own weapon toward Gabi’s dad. My only thoughts were to keep Gabi safe, and so I threw myself toward her, covering her body with my own to protect her from flying bullets. She struggled, her hands pushing against my chest, her skin burning against mine, her muscles taut and compact beneath me.
A bang shattered through the room, quickly followed by another, both impossibly loud, making my ears ring. Gabi screamed beneath me, and I realized if Gabi’s dad had been shot, and Ryan was still alive, Gabi and I would be next.
Still covering her body with my own, I twisted to look toward Ryan.
“Dad!” Gabi screamed.
Ryan’s shot had hit its mark. Bill Weston was still upright, his hand clutched to his shoulder, the other hand loosely holding the gun. Ryan’s attention was focused on the ex-cop, not us.
If we weren’t all going to end up dead, I needed to do something.
Not allowing myself to think further, I pushed away from Gabi and launched at Ryan. I heard her shriek ‘Cole!’ as my body slammed into his. The gun went off again, so incredibly loud, and I felt the bullet graze my face, like a hornet sting.
I didn’t have time to analyze any potential injuries. Ryan and I both hit the floor, and beside us I sensed, rather than saw, Bill Weston drop to his knees. I lifted my fist and smashed it back down, connecting with Cole’s nose, and slamming his face sideways. He gave a roar of anger and pain. Where was the gun? I glanced around, frantic, to see the weapon still in Ryan’s hand. He seemed to remember its presence at the same time my gaze alighted on it, and Ryan lifted the hand holding the handgun. Only reacting, I slammed my hand onto his wrist, pinning his arm to the floor. But Ryan was no lightweight wimp, and with a grunt of fury, he pushed back on me.
I gave a roar of my own, knowing if I lost this fight, it would mean a bullet in my head, and most likely Gabi would be next. I couldn’t lose.
Ryan pushed up as I pressed down. We were equal in strength, both our arms trembling with the force of our struggle. My teeth clenched, my upper lip curled in a snarl of ferocity. Ryan’s hand edged off the floor, his fingers tightening around the weapon. I needed to do something else—hit him again, perhaps—but if I diverted my concentration for a moment, I knew Ryan would win. I sensed movement to the side, the briefest thought that Gabi must be checking on her father went through my head, but then a shoe, not containing soft tissue and bone, but hard metal, smashed down on Ryan’s hand.
Ryan let out a howl of pain, his fingers releasing the butt of the handgun. It clattered to the floor and skittered away, out of his reach.
Gabi bent and picked up the gun up.
Her voice was cold and calm. “Get up, Cole.” She didn’t sound like herself. This was the soldier I was seeing now.
“Gabi,” I said, worried if I got off Ryan, he would try to attack again.
“Do as I say,” she replied.
She had the gun, and right now she wasn’t a woman I’d dare to disobey. Slowly, I climbed off Ryan.
She lifted her foot and kicked him. “Roll onto your stomach, hands behind your head.”
“You broke my fucking fingers,” Ryan wailed. His face was pale, his eyeballs rolling in their sockets.
“I’ll break your fucking head if you don’t do as I tell you,” she snapped back. “Move. Now.” She shoved him with her foot again, and Ryan rolled over, linking his fingers behind his head.
With Gabi covering Ryan, I turned my attention to her father. Blood was dripping in my eyes, blurring my vision, but I wiped it away with the back of my hand. My injury hurt, but he looked a lot worse.
I crouched beside Bill. His breathing was shallow, his face pale, but he had his eyes open. Blood spread across his shirt from where he’d been shot, but the fact he was still alive meant it had missed his heart. Blood loss was the thing most likely to kill him now.
“Take the other gun,” Bill told me, his voice weak, nodding toward the weapon he’d taken from the dresser. As an ex-cop, I should have known he’d have kept a gun somewhere in the house. “Help her.”
I understood what he meant. I picked up the weapon and covered Gabi, just as insurance so Ryan wouldn’t try anything stupid.
From outside came the wail of a police siren, which was quickly joined by another.
Someone must have heard the gunshot and called the cops.
Chapter Forty-one
Gabi – Present Day
The police burst through the door, armed and demanding for Cole and me to put down our weapons.
We both did as we were told, slowly lowering the guns to the ground. As I placed the gun carefully on the floor and sank to my knees, my hands behind my head, I glanced over at my dad. Thank God he was still conscious. I wanted to tell the police we were the good guys, but I knew how this looked—both of us armed while two men were bleeding on the floor.
Handcuffs clicked around our wrists, but neither of us put up any kind of struggle. Not taking any chances, the police also cuffed Ryan’s hands, and I took satisfaction in his yelp of pain as his smashed hand was forced into the metal bracelets. It was over for Ryan now. I just hoped this wasn’t going to get Cole in trouble as well.
“These people assaulted me,” yelled Ryan from the floor.
“Shut up, asshole,” said the arresting officer.
“Please,” I begged the first cop who had entered. “My dad’s been shot. He needs help.”
The police officer’s eyes widened as he glanced over in my dad’s direction. “Oh, shit. It’s Bill Weston.”
He hurried to my dad’s side.
My father was still able to speak. “It’s okay, Nate. This wasn’t done by my daughter and her boyfriend. The guy on the floor came in here with a gun and threatened us all. He’s the one who shot me.”
I nodded. “It’s true.”
Cole nodded, too, his lips pressed together, his square jaw tight.
“Okay, I trust you,” said the cop, Nate. He turned to the other officers. “Take the cuffs off those two. That’s Bill’s daughter.”
The cuffs were undone, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I pulled my arms free.
On shaking legs, and struggling a little because of my prosthesis, I got to my feet. I turned to Cole, who had also stood, and he reached out and pulled me into his arms. My feelings about him were so mixed up, but right now I didn’t have the energy to fight him.
Paramedics entered the house, stabilizing my dad. “We need to get him to the hospital,” one of the EMTs said, as she placed an oxygen mask over my father’s face.
“I need to go with him,” I told Cole.
“You go. I’ll follow in my car.”
“We’re going to need a statement from each of you,” the police officer, Nate, said.
Cole nodded. “Of course. But first we need to make sure Gabi’s dad is going to be all right.”
***
I rode in the ambulance while the paramedics worked on my dad.
He was taken straight to surgery, leaving me worried and frightened in the corridor outside. Cole showed up and once more I fell into his arms. Even when I was hurt and betrayed, and angry with him, it seemed that was the only place I ever wanted to be.
Blood dribbled down one side of his face from where a bullet had grazed him. A nurse came to try to patch him up, but he shooed her away.
“You should have let her fix you up,” I said.
“I’m not going anywhere until we know your dad is all right.”
“Do you think he will be?” I asked, my voice breaking.
“He’ll be fine,” Cole said, soothing me. “Your dad is almost as hard to kill as you are.”
I choked back a mixture of a sob and laughter.
“Gabi, we have to talk about everything that was
said back at the house, and what Taylor told you.”
“Please, Cole, not now.” I couldn’t hear any more. My heart was already broken.
“No, you have to hear this. I only said what I did to Ryan because I was trying to stop him hurting you. I thought if he felt you weren’t important to me, he might let you go.”
I shook my head. “But why did you do … what you did… what you did with Taylor?” To my horror, I had started to cry. That hurt worse than anything else.
“I didn’t do anything with her. She just happened to be at the same bar I was in. I’d already had a few drinks, and she wanted to talk about you, which I was more than happy to do. You’re all I’ve ever wanted to talk about. Then I was too drunk to drive, so she offered to drive me home. I fell asleep—or passed out, I’m not sure—in the car, and when I woke up she was all over me. I’m telling the truth, Gabi.”
I wanted to believe him so badly.
He must have sensed my hesitation. “I swear to you, Gabi. Nothing happened between me and Taylor. Nothing has ever happened. I kissed her once, ten years ago, because I thought I was protecting you from Ryan by driving you away from me. Nothing else ever happened between us, and I hated myself for doing it. I love you now as much as I loved you back then, and I’d never do anything to jeopardize that.”
“You did do something, though,” I said, quietly. “You did something so stupid, you were taken away from me for ten years.”
“I was an idiot, but again, I thought I was protecting you. I planned on taking the money and getting out of town, so Ryan would never have had a reason to threaten you again.”
“But you were still arrested,” I said, needing him to know the truth of what I’d been thinking all these years, “and I’d believed it was my fault.”
He frowned, his face still handsome, despite the blood. “Was that what Ryan was talking about when he said you’d been responsible for getting me arrested?”
I bit my lower lip and nodded. “Part of the reason I left town and joined the Army was because I believed it was my fault you spent the last ten years behind bars. After you told me about getting involved with Ryan, and that you were doing trips for him and implied it was illegal, I went home and told my dad. I thought he’d taken that information and had you followed and arrested.” I covered my face with my hands and shook my head. “I’m so sorry, Cole.”
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