Falling for Agent Cox:A Falling Novel

by DL Gallie

  When I come too, I realize my hands are tied behind my back. Next to me, someone sniffles. Turning my head, I’m relieved to see Baylor. “Kitten,” I say, my voice croaky. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m Ave,” she says and my heart drops. “I’m okay, but where is she? Where’s Bay?”

  “You’ll see her soon enough…” Kye says, and then adds, “maybe.”

  “Let Avery go. She has nothing to do with this.”

  “No, she doesn’t, but it’s so much fun messing with people. That bitch fucked with me so I’m going to fuck with her, but mark my words, Agent Cox, after today, Baylor will be mine and not yours.”

  “Over my dead fucking body,” I snarl, trying to break free from the ropes currently binding my wrists behind my back.

  “That’s the plan,” he growls. Raising his fist, he punches me in the face. My head snaps back, colliding with the railing.

  From beside me, Avery begins to sob. “Shhhh, it’s okay, Avery.”

  “How? And where’s Bay?”

  “My queen is still sleeping,” Kye tells us, “She’ll need her sleep for what I have planned for her.”

  “What are you going to do to her? To us?” Avery asks him.

  “I can’t tell you everything. There needs to be some mystery in this. We just need to find Agent Davis and then the games can begin.”

  Shit, Charli. She hadn’t even entered my mind. Late last night she was summoned to the city so she left after dinner. When she gets back here, she’ll be walking into an ambush. I need to get loose and get Avery and Baylor out of here. Their safety is my one and only priority.

  “Don’t even think about it, Cox. You are at my mercy. Don’t try and play hero, otherwise you’ll end up dead sooner. Actually, go for it. I can’t wait to end you.”

  Dean jumps up from his spot near the stairs, knocking over the trash can. In the quiet of the morning, it echoes loudly. Piercing the serenity.

  “You all right there, heffalump?”

  “There was a bug,” he whines like the little bitch he is and I can’t help but laugh. This pisses him off. He storms over to me and in quick succession punches me in the face. “You’re a fucking dead man,” he snarls.

  “Enough!” Kye bellows, when from inside we hear Baylor yell my name. A sinister smile appears on his face, “It’s showtime.”

  He roughly grabs Avery and drags her inside. Tears are pouring down her face, and she keeps tripping over her feet as the fear in her increases. I’m helpless to do anything. The kitchen door closes behind them and I’m left with a psychotic Dean and the woman who injected me earlier.

  From the corner of my eye, I see Charli through the veranda railing. She stares at me and the scene before her. She mouths something to me but I miss what she says because the kitchen door swings open. She ducks down out of sight. Kye steps onto the deck, pushing Avery and Baylor in front of him. He’s using them as a shield in case he’s been caught.

  A laugh escapes me. “What the fuck are you laughing at, asshole?” Dean growls.

  “Big bad Kye Vlahos is using two women as a shield. He’s a fucking pansy.”

  He shoves Baylor and Avery to the side and storms over to me and pulls out a pistol, pressing it to my temple. A feminine scream pierces the quiet of the morning. We all look over to Baylor who is currently walking toward him. “If you love me at all, Kye, you will not pull that trigger.”

  “What makes you think I still love you?”

  She stops in front of him and cups his cheek; that contact makes my blood boil. She stares at him, just like she did the day of the takedown all those months ago, and I suddenly feel like she’s been playing me this whole time. That she was just biding her time for him to come and rescue her.

  She looks to me and smirks. “I’m Baylor fucking Evans, everyone fucking loves me.”

  Eight words is all it takes for my world to coming crashing down around me and confirm my fear. She used me.

  35

  Baylor

  When I say those words, my world around me comes crashing down. Corey actually believes I’ve turned and that hurts me to my core. Before I can try and clue him in that it’s all a ruse, Kye slides his arm around my waist and slams his lips to mine. I’m shocked and when my mouth opens, he shoves his tongue inside. My eyes close and a tear falls free.

  “Fuck, I’ve missed those lips,” Kye tells me.

  I smile at him; it’s all I can manage right now. From next to me, Ave cries and that sound snaps me back to the present. Looking around, I need to figure a way out, and I’m positive the only way to do so is to continue this charade with Kye.

  Lacing my fingers with his, I squeeze his hand. “Let’s get out of here,” I tell him and I try to drag him away.

  “Bay, what are you doing?” Ave pleads.

  Looking to her, I see it in her eyes, disappointment. I wish I could tell her I love her. That I’m doing this to save them but I can’t right now. As much as it pains me, I need them to think I’ve turned. Their safety hinges on this.

  “Not so fast. Before we go, you have a choice to make.”

  “And what choice might that be?”

  “Her or him?”

  “Excuse me?” I question him, but I think I already know.

  “In order for us to leave, someone needs to die. You, as my queen get to choose.”

  Dean grabs Ave and marches her over to Corey. He pushes her to her knees and roughly squeezes her shoulder. My eyes well with tears as my gaze flicks between the two most important people in my life. No matter what I do right now, someone I love will die.

  From behind me, a woman laughs. Looking over my shoulder, I see Monica fucking Quinn. I’m not surprised at all that she’s here, helping him. She’s a fucking scum, I was no better before I started all this but now, I’ve changed. I’m not the selfish bitch I used to be and that’s why this choice is impossible.

  “She can’t choose, Kye, because she loves him. It’s written all over her face.” Monica sneers, “She never loved you, not like I do. I’m your true queen, Kye. Give me that gun and I’ll prove how much I’m yours. I’ll kill—”

  A gunshot rings out and I look over to see Monica collapse to the deck. Looking back at Kye in shock, I’m sick to my stomach when I see the sinister look on his face.

  “No one threatens my queen or tells me what to do.” He looks to me and cups my cheek. “Now, who do you choose?”

  “I…I…” I can’t answer him. I don’t want either of them to die. I can’t live without either one of them. I just can’t.

  “Time’s up, bitch,” he snarls at me. “Time to choose who lives…and who dies.”

  Looking back to Kye, I stare into his evil eyes and that’s when my decision hits me. “Me,” I whisper.

  “Sorry, I didn’t hear that.”

  Taking a step closer to him, I stare at him. “I. Choose. Me,” I confidently say, enunciating each word to prove my point. My voice is strong and confident; the complete opposite of how I really feel, but it’s the only way to protect them both. It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make because I realize in this moment; I love him. This will be my ultimate act of love.

  “I love you,” I murmur. Turning my head, I stare at Corey and smile. “I love you.” Turning my gaze to Ave, I swallow back a sob. “I love you too, Ave.”

  “You love him?” Kye snarls, grabbing my shoulder roughly, spinning me to face him.

  “Yes!” I shout at him. “I love him with every fiber of my being, therefore to save them, I chose me. I’d rather be dead than spend a day breathing at your side without one of them here. Kye, you don’t get to dictate my life anymore. I make my own decisions and I choose me!” I shout, “You were the worst decision I’ve ever made. I give my life for theirs, it’s the ultimate sacrifice I can make.”

  “And it’s one more shitty decision you’ve made, Baylor.” He raises his pistol and points it directly at me. My heart is racing but as I stare down the barrel of the gun in Kye’s hand, I
know I’m doing the right thing. The click of the safety causes me to jump. Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes. I’m ready for death but as with everything in my life, it doesn’t go according to plan.

  Kye sneers and it hits me, he’s not going to just kill me; he’s going to kill them too. I’ve just fucked this up for everyone, but before I can come up with a plan, gunshots pierce through the silence. The sound of the gunfire is deafening. My ears are ringing; everything is muffled. Everything happens in slow motion.

  I’m frozen on the spot, staring into the distance when it comes roaring back to life. People are yelling. Feet are pounding on the deck. Someone is crying nearby and as I stand here, it suddenly hits me. I’m still alive.

  Shaking my head, I look around at the chaos before me. I look down and my eyes widen. I gasp and cover my mouth. My eyes well with tears and everything, once again, becomes blurry.

  The first tear drops and it causes an avalanche to flow behind them. I fall to my knees and stare into lifeless eyes.

  Kye is dead.

  Looking next to him, my heart stops when I see it’s Corey lying next to him. His eyes are closed and there’s a growing red spot on his chest. Vaguely, I hear Ave yelling my name, but I continue to stare at Corey. He’s not moving. He’s not breathing. There’s so much blood and it continues to seep out of his chest.

  Black spots hinder my vision.

  Blinking becomes difficult.

  Breathing hurts.

  Everything becomes muffled.

  My last thought before I drift into the dark abyss is that he’s dead and I’m not, how will I live with that?

  36

  Corey

  Opening my eyes, I blink a few times. My shoulder is throbbing, my head is fuzzy, and there’s an incessant beeping coming from the machine next to me. Looking to the side, I see someone in the chair by the window. My vision is quite blurry so I can’t make them out clearly, but I can tell it’s a woman.

  Clearing my throat, I garner their attention. They sit up immediately and when they see me, they stand and walk over. I watch her as she walks over to me. My vision is still shit and I can’t see her properly, but her eyes are a vivid blue. Her lips are moving but I can’t hear what she’s saying, it’s muffled. Her form becomes blurrier. My eyelids become heavy. Blinking is difficult. I close my eyes and drift off into darkness again.

  The next time I wake, my shoulder still hurts, my head is less heavy, the beeping is still loud, but this time my eyes stay open. The room comes into focus and I look to the chair but this time, there’s a brunette sitting there. When she notices me staring at her, she stands. “About time you woke up, Sleeping Beauty.”

  “Very funny, Davis. What happened?”

  “What do you remember?” she throws back at me.

  “It’s all hazy right now.” I swallow but my mouth is drier than the Sahara desert right now. “Water,” I croak out.

  She grabs the pitcher from the rolling table and fills it up. She brings it to my lips and I drink. I gulp down the whole cup in a few seconds. “More.”

  She shakes her head, “Not too much, otherwise you’ll be sick. You’ve been out for forty-eight hours now. Surgery went well.”

  “Surgery?” I question, but then I remember my shoulder, lifting my right hand I rub over it and missing pieces come back to me. A cabin by a lake. A man with a gun. Two women who look the same. Gunfire. Then nothing. “What happened?” I ask again.

  “You were shot—”

  “No shit,” I fire back at her. “Who shot me?”

  “Kye Vlahos,” she says and then stares at me, not elaborating further.

  That name is familiar but I can’t quite place it. “Why do I know that name?”

  “Because…” Again she doesn’t say anything.

  My mind is all jumbled right now. Closing my eyes, I lie back, and like a strike of lightning, I remember facing off with Kye. We were in a banquet room, but it was him who was shot in the shoulder. The woman from earlier was with him and that confuses me even more.

  My head begins to throb, blood whooshing in my ears. The machine I’m attached to begins to erratically beep, much like the thudding of my heart right now.

  The door to my room swings open and it’s pandemonium. My body feels heavy and the darkness once again envelops me and I drift off.

  This time, I dream of the blue-eyed woman. We are standing on the end of a jetty, a cabin behind us. I’m in black board shorts and she’s wearing a purple string bikini and she looks fucking amazing. Taking her hand in mine, I pull her and we jump into the water. She wriggles free from me and swims away. She turns around and we stare intently at one another when a gunshot rings through the silence.

  Turning my head, standing on the end of the dock, I see Kye Vlahos. His arm is outstretched and in his hand is a smoking gun. He’s grinning and moves his gaze from mine and then he lets out a sinister laugh. Looking over, I see the woman floating in a pool of red bloody water. Another gunshot rings out but I wake with a start.

  My heart is racing as I inhale deeply. “Fuck me,” I moan, as the wound in my shoulder pulls from the deep breath I just took.

  Lifting my right hand, I rub my fingers over my forehead. That dream felt so real but what I want to know is, why am I dreaming of this blue-eyed woman? And why was she here earlier? Maybe I dreamt that too.

  The door to my room opens and in walks, Charli. She smiles when she sees me awake and walks over to take a seat next to my bed.

  “Don’t you ever do that again!”

  “Do what?” I ask, genuinely confused. I’m in a hospital bed, what could I possibly have done?

  “Flatline like you did. You scared the absolute shit out of me, Cox.”

  “My apologies. I’m sorry I got shot and my body decided to do whatever the hell it just did.”

  “Apology accepted. Now, how do you feel?”

  “Like I got shot.”

  “Hardy fucking har.”

  “Watch your mouth, Davis.” As soon as I say this, a warm and fuzzy feeling envelops me. I’m so confused right now. Nothing is making sense. “Can you fill me in, please?”

  She takes a deep breath. “It seems that Dean was working with Vlahos and gave up our location, hence how he found us.”

  “I never trusted that fucker,” I snarl.

  “I did and it pisses me the fuck off that I didn’t realize he’d turned. I knew something was up with him but I never thought he’d do this.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up. I didn’t even click, I just presumed he was being a dick ‘cause he is one.”

  “Well, I’m the bigger dick because I didn’t realize my partner was dirty. That was actually why I was called away that night.”

  “Thank fuck you were called away because had you not, the outcome would have been very different.”

  “The outcome was still shit. You got shot. Vlahos died. Dean got away. At least Baylor and Avery are now safe.”

  “Who’re they?” I ask her, I don’t know anyone by those names.

  She looks at me, concern on her face. “You’re messing with me, right? You know who they are.”

  I shake my head. “I have no clue who you’re talking about.”

  We both fall silent and then the door to my room opens and in walks the blue-eyed woman from my dream. When she sees me awake, her face breaks out in the most beautiful smile. She races over to me and hugs me. “Core, I’m so glad you’re awake. I was so worried.” She pulls back and cups my cheek and stares at me.

  “Who are you?” I ask and my question removes the smile from her face.

  “Hardy har, Mr. Comedian,” she says, reaching up to cup my cheek.

  Shaking my head, I push her hand away and look to Charli. “Charli, who is she?”

  “Core, it’s me. Baylor. Your Kitten.”

  “I don’t know you. I don’t have a kitten. I hate cats.” I stare at her, trying to remember her, but the first memory I have of her is when I woke earlier and then again
when she appeared in my dream.

  Quietly, I whisper, “I don’t know you.”

  37

  Baylor

  “I don’t know you. I don’t have a kitten.” Those words play on repeat as I turn away from him and exit his room. The tears fall as I walk down the corridor. Exiting the hospital, I lean against the building and slide down. The brick wall scratches and digs into my back as I fall to the ground and cry.

  Resting my head on my knees, I sob my broken heart out.

  He doesn’t remember me.

  I don’t know how long I sit out here but when I have no more tears to cry, I stand up and decide to go home. I’ve taken two steps when the hairs on my neck prickle. Looking up, I see Corey and Charli standing in the doorway of the hospital. My first thought is why is he out of bed? He only woke up a few minutes ago but when I look around, I realize it’s dark. Clearly I’ve been sitting here crying for much longer than I thought.

  Our gaze connects and we silently stare at one another. I plead internally for him to recognize me, but he continues to stare through me. My heart breaks all over again at his blank stare. My chest tightens and I realize I’ve been holding my breath. I try to breathe but I can’t. I’m literally breathless right now. The more I try to inhale, the more it hurts. The panic building within me increases which halts my breathing further. My vision begins to dot; I stumble and fall. My head connects with the cement and then nothing. I let the darkness engulf me because I have nothing to live for anymore. Without him, I am nothing.

  When I stir, I realize I’m in a hospital bed. Even though I’m awake, I keep my eyes closed because when I open them, it will all be real. Corey won’t remember me and I’ll be all alone. At least if I stay asleep, I can pretend he didn’t just destroy my heart and soul.

  Two people are talking; it’s Ave and Flynn. I can hear from the pain in her voice that she’s worried about me. I don’t want her to worry but I also don’t want to wake up and not have him in my life anymore.