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When the kiss was over, Cole pulled away breathless. He looked as stunned as Olivia felt. She wasn’t a shy schoolgirl encountering her first kiss, but a mature woman. Still, she’d never experienced anything like this before. Their friendship and trust had deepened quickly amid the threats. It’d fueled an attraction stronger than she’d imagined possible.
“Olivia…” Cole brushed a thumb across her bottom lip. Then he released her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
No. She wasn’t going to let him run away from this conversation. Things had gone too far, and Olivia hadn’t misconstrued the passion they shared. It wasn’t one-sided. He cared about her. She knew that with every breath in her body.
Olivia put a hand on his chest. “We just shared something very special, so if you’re saying it shouldn’t have happened, I need more of an explanation.”
He pulled away and went to the window. The line of his back was rigid. “I told you. I don’t believe in marriage. My house was like a war zone when I was a kid. I refuse to make the same mistake they did.” Cole’s voice softened. “I’m just like them. I have that temper inside of me.”
If that was true, she’d never seen a glimpse of it. Olivia wanted to comfort him but kept her distance, sensing Cole couldn’t accept her touch. Not yet. “What do you mean by that?”
“The night of their car crash… my parents were arguing. It started off about money but quickly dissolved into my dad’s infidelity and my mom’s disloyalty. I was in the back seat and couldn’t take it anymore. I yelled at them to stop. Screamed actually. I don’t know… something came over me and I couldn’t control the words coming out of my mouth. My parents both started hollering at me to shut up. I wouldn’t though. And then my dad turned around to smack me across the face.”
Inside, Olivia was seething that Cole, as a little boy, had grown up in such an environment. But he didn’t need her outrage. He needed her compassion and understanding.
Cole turned to face her. “That’s when the accident happened. My dad crossed the yellow line into oncoming traffic. My parents died. I didn’t.”
His tone was hollow, but underneath, she heard the tears he held back. Her heart broke. “You aren’t responsible for what happened. You know that, don’t you?”
“I screamed at them. I lost my temper.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Their anger problems… they live inside me too. I’m capable of hurting the people I love.”
“No, Cole.” Now Olivia did draw closer, unable to keep the distance between them. She came to a stop in front of him. “You were a terrified child who reacted to his parents' heated argument. That’s all. You aren’t to blame for their deaths, and I don’t believe for a moment that you have an anger management problem. I’ve seen you in deadly confrontations with a criminal and you’ve never acted blindly.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. He didn’t say anything.
She touched his arm. The muscles were stiff under her palm. “I know exactly who I kissed. You’re a good man, Cole. Your parents had a bad marriage and I can understand how that affected you, but things can be different. They already are. Look at us.”
He was quiet for a long moment and then shook his head. “You don’t understand. My parents loved each other once too.” Cole tenderly cupped her cheek. “I don’t want to hurt you, Olivia.”
This man… he wasn’t trying to be difficult or stubborn. He was protective, right down to his core, and Olivia’s heart expanded. The fact that Cole was worried about hurting her was a testament to how much he cared. “You would never purposefully hurt me. You aren’t like your parents.”
“I wish I could believe that.” He sighed. “It’s late and I’m tired. So are you. Let’s go.”
She hesitated and then nodded. They’d been through a lot tonight, and while she hated leaving things so conflicted, continuing this conversation when they were both emotionally wrung out would make things worse instead of better.
The night air was frigid as Olivia walked beside Cole to his truck. Serenity Police Department cruisers sat next to official state patrol vehicles in the parking lot. A physical reminder of the stalker that’d come breathtakingly close to her tonight. A shudder rippled down Olivia’s spine. How much longer could this go on?
Cole’s cell phone beeped with an incoming text as he hopped into the driver’s seat. He scanned it. “Jackson and Felicity are both stable. The doctor wants to keep them overnight for observation, but barring any unforeseen complication, they should be discharged tomorrow.”
“Thank God.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a pair of tennis shoes, quickly trading them for her high heels. Her aching feet instantly felt better.
Olivia settled against the seat as Cole fired up the engine. The heaters blasted warm air, erasing the chill, and country music softly played from the radio. Exhaustion seeped into Olivia’s muscles. The silence between her and Cole wasn’t tense. More reflective. She sensed he was mulling over their conversation. Or maybe the case. Darkness surrounded the vehicle as they drove down the country roads toward home. In the distance, lightning flared. A storm was coming. She closed her eyes and drifted.
“Olivia!” Cole’s tense tone jolted her out of a light sleep. He gently pushed her head toward her knees. “Get down!”
The back window of the truck exploded.
TWENTY-FOUR
Fire blazed through Cole’s right arm. Warm liquid, running fast, coated his shoulder.
He’d been shot.
The pain was nothing compared to the knowledge that their attacker was closing in fast once again. Air rushed into the truck through the shattered back window. Cole’s attention was locked on his rearview mirror. Headlights from a dark-colored SUV raced toward them. “Stay down, Olivia!”
She was bent over at the waist with a cell phone in her hand. A second later, he heard the brilliant woman communicating with Eli. Cole jammed on the accelerator, but the vehicles were well-matched. A roar came behind them seconds before metal pinged. He was shooting at them again.
Cole swerved. Agony shot through his arm. The fingers on his right hand were numb, forcing him to use only his left to drive. There was no way to outrun the attacker, and they were miles from civilization. This stretch of two-lane country road didn’t even have streetlights. There was nothing but trees, cow fields, and a small recreational fishing lake. His speed climbed dangerously high.
