by Anna Edwards
“I’ve got you, sweetheart,” Kole promised softly. “You’re safe, now. I’ve got you.”
He repeated those whispered words, over and over again, until the trembling subsided and her tears ceased.
Kole held Sarah a little tighter, never wanting to let her go again. Working to control the gut-wrenching fear he still felt from seeing that bastard’s knife at her neck, he tried not to think of how close he’d just come to losing her.
“I’m so sorry, baby. I should’ve been here.”
Sarah shook her head against his chest. “It’s not your fault.”
Unable to completely stop touching her, he pulled back but kept his hands on her hips. “You’re wrong, Sarah. If I were home, where I belong, that son-of-a-bitch never would’ve laid a hand on you.”
“Kole?”
He opened his mouth to tell her he’d finally realized what a dumbass he’d been when the apartment was suddenly flooded with people. Building security rushed in first, followed closely by DPD and two paramedics. Ten minutes later, Jake and Trevor arrived.
After getting her cuts treated and being medically cleared, Sarah, Kole, and Nate were all separated in order to give their official statements.
Derek West, Alpha Team’s cyber genius, showed up shortly after with some disturbing, but helpful, information. Handing a stack of papers to the detective in charge, Derek shared what he’d found.
“Turns out, Ian Prescott had a long history of stalkin’ and assaultin’ women.”
“What?” Sarah asked with disbelief. “If he has a criminal history, then how did he ever get accepted into law school, let alone become an attorney?”
Kole was relieved to see some of the fire he loved so much come back into her eyes.
“Mommy and Daddy Prescott have a shit ton of money,” Derek explained. “Apparently, they run in some pretty important circles. Managed to buy the other women’s silence, which protected Ian’s good name.”
“It also allowed the bastard to remain free to terrorize other women.” Kole clenched his jaw and shook his head. “Un-fucking-believable.”
“Unfortunately, it happens more than you’d think,” the detective mumbled as he glanced over the financial statements and other information Derek had provided. “I’ll have my people look this over, but it all appears to be legit. As for what happened here,” he looked at the three of them. “The evidence, combined with everyone’s statements, supports a clean shoot. I’ll make the recommendation to my captain that no charges be filed.”
He turned to Derek. “May I ask how you came to be in possession of this information, Mr.…” He let his voice trail off.
“West. Derek West.” He held out his hand and the detective took it.
“West. You Eric’s brother?
Derek smiled. “Depends. Do you like him?”
The detective chuckled. “Guess that answers that question. And yeah, Eric’s solid. He’s told me a little about you and your…team.” He glanced at the other men, then back to Derek. “Which means, I probably don’t want to know where this”—he held up the papers—“came from, do I?”
Derek grinned. “Probably not.”
The detective cursed under his breath, then smiled. “Well, it appears to me, the victim got exactly what he deserved.”
“He was no victim, detective,” Jake said, standing between Trevor and Derek.
Despite the fact that he’d quit R.I.S.C., his former boss and other two Alpha Team members had still shown without hesitation.
They still have my back.
The detective said his goodbyes and went back to work. An hour later, Ian’s body had been removed and Jake, Trevor, and Derek were the only ones left besides him and Sarah.
The five of them stood in awkward silence for a couple minutes before Jake spoke up.
“Well, at least we know Prescott won’t be able to hurt anyone else.” He looked directly at Kole. “Thanks to you. That was a hell of a shot.” His eyes slid to Sarah, then back to him. “Especially given the circumstances.”
Jake was right. It was a clean, steady shot. One Kole hadn’t even questioned his ability to make. The second he knew Sarah was in danger, his entire focus was on protecting her.
He did as he was trained to do…and MS hadn’t entered his mind once.
“Thanks, boss. I mean, Jake. Sorry.” Kole swallowed, embarrassed by the slip-up.
Jake simply smiled. “I think you had it right the first time, Jameson.”
Kole’s brows turned inward. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, now that you’re back, I’d like to discuss your future with Bravo Team.” When Kole remained silent, Jake added, “You are back, aren’t you?”
He looked down and found Sarah was staring up at him, Jake’s question mirrored in her own eyes.
Pulling her snuggly against his side, Kole’s gaze remained locked on hers as he answered them both. “Yeah. I’m back.”
A set of big, green eyes lit up with hope, filling him with a profound sense of relief. She still wants me.
“Good,” Jake said matter-of-factly. “We’ll set up a time to meet to go back over your contract and anything you feel needs to be changed.”
“But, not for a few days.” Trevor jumped in.
He handed Kole a slip of paper with an address and three-digit number on it. “We figured the two of you had some catching up to do. While everyone was busy answering questions, I booked you a suite at a place not far from here. It’s over on McKinney Avenue. You can’t miss it.”
Sarah looked at the address on the paper, her eyes widening when she saw it. “Trevor, this is the address for the Ritz-Carlton.”
The other man grinned. “Sure hope so, since that’s who charged the company credit card.”
“A suite there costs nearly seven hundred dollars a night!” When Kole looked at her questioningly, she explained, “My boss’s assistant was out sick just before Valentine’s Day last year. He asked me to make reservations as a surprise for his wife.”
“It’s not a big deal, Sarah,” Jake assured her. “After a night like tonight, I’d say you two have more than earned it.”
“Plus, they can write it off as a business expense,” Derek chimed in, grinning.
“I-I don’t know what to say, Jake. I can’t believe you’re even considering taking me back. Especially after the way I walked out on you and the team.” Kole glanced at Sarah. “On everyone.”
Jake put a supportive hand on Kole’s shoulder. “You just needed time to work some shit out. Happens to the best of us.”
“Thanks boss.” Kole looked to Derek, then Trevor. “Thank you all.” When his eyes moved to Nate’s, he added, “For everything.”
“We’re a team, man,” Nate said. “It’s what we do.”
Blinking quickly against the sudden onslaught of emotions, Kole simply nodded.
“We’ll get out of your hair so you can get to the hotel in time to enjoy it.”
Breaking away from his grasp, Sarah hugged and thanked each of the men before they left.
When it was just the two of them, Kole took her back into his arms and held her close. For the longest time, neither one said a word. They simply held on to each other…and the future that wasn’t lost, after all.
Epilogue
Kole was lying in the deepest, most comfortable bathtub he’d ever seen. For the first time in weeks, he felt whole again. All thanks to the woman currently lying between his legs.
After checking into the hotel, Kole had noticed Sarah eying the large, two-person tub. Understanding her need to wash away the violence she’d been subjected to, they’d wasted no time stripping down and filling the tub with hot water and bubbles.
With the back of Sarah’s head resting against his chest, Kole spoke softly as he ran his fingertips up and down her bare arms.
“These past two weeks without you have been pure fucking hell. I thought I was protecting you by leaving. I was wrong.” His voice cracked, and Kole had to swallow
hard before whispering, “So wrong.”
He could see tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. “I love you, Kole. More than anything in the world, but…”
Kole’s heart dropped to his feet. Had he read her wrong? Am I too late?
“But?”
Turning her body so her breasts were pressed against him, Sarah licked her lips and said, “I don’t want you coming back to me because you feel guilty about what happened tonight.”
“Ah, baby.” Kole swiped some damp tendrils away from her forehead. “That’s not why I said I’m back.”
“Then why?”
He hated the uncertainty in her eyes.
“When the doctor told me I had MS, I was in shock. My mind immediately went to the worst-case scenarios, and I couldn’t allow myself to believe I could still have a future. Not one worthy of you or R.I.S.C. When I read the literature Olivia gave me, and I looked RRMS up on the internet, my brain only focused on the most debilitating possibilities. I couldn’t stand the thought of you having to take care of me in that condition.”
“So, what changed?”
“You. And…”—a corner of his mouth raised—“as much as I hate to admit it, Nate. You both made me realize that even with this disease, I can still lead a full, normal life. You were right, baby.” He leaned down and kissed her softly. “I can still have everything I want.”
Still hesitant, Sarah bit her lip before asking, “And what do you want?”
Her image blurred, and Kole didn’t bother trying to hide his tears. “You,” he whispered in earnest. “As long as I have you, I know I can do anything.”
Sarah scooted her body up and pressed her lips to his before vowing, “Always, Kole. In sickness and in health.”
Giving her every ounce of love he had, Kole stared deep into her soul and promised, “Forever and always.”
THE END
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Dedication
The 52 who lost their lives.
London, 7th July, 2005.
And to any man who has ever thought it’s not okay to not be okay.
Man is as human as woman.
Your struggles matter.
So do you.
Chapter One
July 7th, 2007.
She was stunning.
Auburn hair flowed over her shoulder in soft, subtle waves, and her brown eyes sparkled against the lighting of the restaurant.
Those lips. What I once would have done to those lips.
“After that, I got a job as a legal PA. I moved to Finsbury Park, rented a flat, and the rest, as they say, is history.” Tara smiled before she wrapped her plump lips around her fork and took a mouthful of her penne carbonara.
I inhaled through my nostrils—my smile in place as I watched her with interest.
This was my third date in two years. Not with Tara—my third date in total. Three feeble attempts to create a life and that was it. My distant family worried, my friends took the piss, and my work colleagues stayed clear of me, not knowing how to make the simplest of conversations anymore. I’d become a walking, barely talking mass of muscle that moved when it was told to, went about the business it needed to, and then collapsed in bed at night, hoping the fatigue would be enough to take me under and drown me in a decent night’s sleep.
It never was.
Tara was soon talking again. I saw her mouth moving, her eyes filled with excitement as she glanced up at me through her pretty, fake eyelashes. I watched her body language, and I knew for certain that if I were to pay the bill, take her to another bar, and eventually ask her if she wanted to go back to my place for a coffee, she’d accept the invitation in an instant. Her slender legs were crossed, and every time I flashed her a look of interest, she would squeeze her thighs together under the table, shuffle in place, look down into her lap and blush.
I fucking missed those blushes.
I missed taking a girl to bed and undressing her slowly. I missed watching the way her skin prickled from a delicate touch, the way her stomach would flinch beneath my fingertips, and the sounds she would make when I held her legs over my shoulders and buried my face between them. I missed waking up with a woman in my arms, my skin dry and my mind clear, not covered in sweat or stuck in a never-ending nightmare.
I missed the idea of spending forever with someone and having to go through a lot of trial and error before I found that someone to spend forever with. There had always been a thrill in the chase for me, but now, at the glorious age of twenty-six, I’d become an old man stuck inside a young man’s body. Fear resided within me. I’d been to the other side, come so close to death that I’d not only seen those terrifying, unrecognisable shades of black… but I’d tasted them, too.
They say your life flashes before your eyes when you’re about to die.
That’s a lie.
Your life doesn’t flash before your eyes. The life you didn’t live is what taunts you in those few moments you think it’s all over. The dreams you didn’t chase, the women you didn’t give a chance… the safe routes you took instead of diving off those damn cliffs and living through the adventure.
Those are the things that flash before your eyes.
And when you wake, you’re fucked because the irony is that you can never chase those adventures now. Nothing makes you play it safer than knowing danger resides on every corner, on every street, at every turn, during every damn minute of the day.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Tara asked, slamming me back into the present. She tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck, and I longed for the day when I would have been laid beside her already, trailing kisses on her skin, feeling her racing pulse beneath my lips.
“Yeah,” I croaked, clearing my throat and resting my forearms on the table between us. I glanced her way, only to see Tara staring at my biceps. The gym had become a place of solace for me where I could put my headphones on, controlling the noises in my head instead of constantly being surprised and unexpectedly tortured. Tara clearly appreciated the fruits of my gym labour.
She shook her head and gazed up into my blue eyes. Placing her fork on the edge of her plate, Tara rested her cheek on her fist. “You’ve listened to me chatting away all night long, and you’ve barely said a word, that’s all.”
“I’m more of a listener,” I told her calmly, running a hand over the dark stubble on my chin.
“I can see that. Clearly, I’m a talker. We go well together.”
I cleared my throat again; hating the spotlight she was now putting me under. It was simpler when they took the lead. It was easier to hide behind the soft smiles, the nods of approval, and the intermittent, gentle laughs. I could shuffle, look around, and be aware of my surroundings more when they weren’t paying too much attention. But with Tara now staring at me like I was the only thing she could see, the sweat began to collect at the back of my neck and heat rose throughout my entire body, my skin tingling with a need to get up and run.
Just like the last two dates before her.
Stretching out my neck, I scratched it, averting my eyes from her and watching a waiter as he balanced four full glasses of something fizzy on a tray.
Please don’t drop those. Please don’t drop those. Please don’t…
The waiter spun the tray around effortlessly, his enthusiastic grin in place as he served his customers, putting on a show in the hope of a tip. My eyes were glued on the glasses, and once they were on the table, safe and unbreakable, I let out a soft breath, enjoying the temporary relief that washed over me.
&nbs
p; “Sonny?”
I turned again, blinking back into reality to see Tara’s smile falling, her eyes taking on that sad, slightly pissed off look I’d seen twice before in recent years.
“Sorry,” I rushed out. “I… I thought that guy over there was going to drop his drinks, and—”
“Am I boring you?”
“What? No. I think you’re—”
“Because if I’m boring you, we can call it a night. I like you, Sonny. You’re…” She trailed off, pausing to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and bunch her shoulders together. “I mean, you’re obviously gorgeous with your somehow perfect, just-fucked hair and your bright eyes. I’m attracted to you, but I’ve been on so many dates with so many men, and I don’t have time to waste if you’re not interested.”
“Tara, I’m…”
I’m interested.
I think you’re gorgeous.
I could listen to your voice all night long.
I’d love to take you home and just… fall asleep next to someone like you.
The words won’t come out. Help me.
Fuck, I’m definitely interested.
But the things I wanted to say were cut short the second a group of women at the back of the Italian restaurant began screaming with excitement, the screams so loud and piercing that they sounded like pain, fear, terror, and…
I was done.
“I… I have to go,” I said in a rush, panic rising in my throat and my chest so tight it felt like someone had wrapped a rope around it, tied a knot, and was trying to cut off the oxygen supply. Darkness was creeping into my vision, and the cold sweat collected in my palms, down my spine, on my chest.
“Wait, Sonny. You’re leaving?” she gasped in disbelief, her hand slowly falling away from her face.
“I’m sorry.” I couldn’t look at her, couldn’t make eye contact or take her in. I couldn’t bear to see the look of disappointment that would no doubt be staring back when she inevitably pinned me as just another dickhead who had higher standards than he deserved.
