Mat—
The judge hadn’t finished his name.
Cole hadn’t let him.
Of course, he didn’t let him.
I couldn’t breathe; my body started to falter. Lucas grabbed hold of my arm firmly, not allowing my panic to take over. Flashes of Jeff surged forward in my mind. No, it couldn’t be.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”
He knew.
Cole’s betrayal snapped something in my mind.
The warehouse door slid open.
The table around me fell into a chilling silence. The gun rested to my right as everyone looked up. Cole walked in.
I looked at him. It was as if I saw every action with new eyes. I slid the gun off the table, his gift to me.
The shot rang out.
He dropped.
I calmly walked toward him. Ears still ringing from the round.
Blood pooled from his side as he gripped it in pain.
I stepped over him, gun firm in my hand.
“You chose blood.” I said calmly as I paused, taking a breath, “You promised you wouldn’t.” I inhaled again. “You did.”
The gun slipped from my fingers, clattering against the floor.
I didn’t look back at him when I turned to the others.
“If she dies,” I said evenly, “he won’t survive.”
There was no objection. Cole didn’t say anything as someone picked him up off the floor.
I turned toward Regina, “tell me everything you know.”
40
TROUBLE, YOU FORGOT MY HEART
The kid came back from them with blood running down her head; it caught in the golden lights as the dude dropped her on the ground to open the gate. Rage coiled in my bones, but I remained utterly silent. My back against the stone, neck hunched over, my dirty brown hair fell into my face, and myhands rested on my knees. If they glanced my way all they’d see was a broken, chained man asleep. Nothing to worry about.
I hadn’t been asleep since they took her again; I was counting down the hours until I could snap their necks for touching such an innocent child. She was a fighter; every chance she got to cause trouble, she took it. Biting the senator instead of accepting food took balls, and this girl had balls. I watched as the guard pulled her arms over his shoulder to walk her limp body into the cell. He set her down against the bars, whereas most just deposited her on the flimsy blanket in the middle of the cell.
He lingered, and I didn’t like it. I heard the click of zip-ties before I saw them; her arms raised above her head, attached to the bars.
My pulse quickened, thudding in my ears as I looked on at the scene.Don’t worry about the kid.Everything told me to let it happen, to avert my eyes and not interfere, but she’d grown on me. Trudged up memories I’d long forgotten, and I saw him there. Oliver. He was older now; he whispered in her ear and pulled her hair. Laughing as he ran away into the warm glow of light. I blinked, and he was gone.
A pained moan emanated from her as she roused. I flinched as I heard the slap across her face; the chain rattled slightly, and I held my breath. Waiting to see if the guard noticed. She jerked awake with a scream on her lips.
