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“Cole!” I scream, and he stops, heaving in breaths like he’s never breathed. I can’t help but look down at Jack’s bloodied body and wonder if he’ll make it. Cole turns to walk toward me, motioning for me to lower the gun. As I do, Jack lunges at Cole with a shard of wood from the coffee table and all I hear is the silence.
Looking around, I wonder why everyone is so silent and then I see the red start to spread through Jack’s shirt. I’ve shot him. Dead in the center of his chest.
Whizzing turns into a rumble and slowly I begin to hear the sounds surrounding me, “Put the gun down,” is yelled behind me as Cole shields my body with his. I drop the gun only to feel the cold sting of metal placed around my wrists.
I’m under arrest for the murder of John Williams.
‘What the fuck is happening with my wife?’ is all I could hear being yelled at the man sitting at the front desk, as I walk out of the room I spent hours in being interrogated. By the end, everyone in the room came to the same conclusion. I acted in self-defense. I was also assured that any questions about my husband’s involvement in Carter’s death were moot. He was no longer a suspect, as they believed Jack was the responsible party.
“Cole, I’m here, stop. I’m alright,” I comfort as I grab his arm.
Pulling me into his arms, he hugs me fiercely and presses kisses into the side of my head. The lawyers escort us out and exchange some directions, but all in all, I feel shell-shocked. I took a life from a man who had been intent on hurting everyone I loved. His fixation has cost more than one life, but now it was over. I wasn’t really sure how to feel looking up at Cole’s face. It was as if he heard my thoughts because he looks down and pushes a stray hair behind my ear.
“Let’s get out of here, baby, and never look back. It’s just you and me. No demons, no more looking over our shoulders. It’s just me loving you until you tell me to stop.”
“I’ll never say that.”
Cradling my head, Cole kisses me gently on the lips, parting only when the car pulls up.
“In you go,” Cole steps back as he opens the door.
As he closes the door, I look out the window at the precinct wondering if I will ever get past these last few months. As he slides in next to me, he grabs my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm.
“Home,” he speaks authoritatively, then turns and leans into me whispering, “Don’t look back, baby, that’s the past. We’ve had our future on hold for too long.”
He doesn’t need to say it twice, I will never be the same. He will never be the same, but Cole would always be mine and I would forever be meant to be his.
One Year Later
“Cole! You cannot be serious. I am not going to be at the hospital for three months. I already have a bag packed by the bed.”
“Baby, I just want to make sure you’re comfortable. I want to take care of my lady,” he laughs.
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph! I cannot with you, please just call Alex and tell her and Foster to get to the hospital. You need a friend and I need one sane individual to be there for the birth of our child!” I giggle, shaking my head.
Standing in the doorway, I take a moment to let this all sink in. I am delivering our son today. He is coming into a world where his father worships his mother and his parents will protect and love him fiercely. A year makes one helluva difference, but the biggest difference is I haven’t been waiting for my life to start. I’ve been living and loving.
After life settled from the attacks, Foster and Alex became love recluses. They seem to be making up for lost time and it seems to me that they are getting closer to sealing the deal. Life is amazing with this man, who every day, finds ways to smother me with love. I reluctantly started working at my husband’s company. He made an excellent point. If we are building an empire for our little man, then we need to do that together. Sometimes, it all feels surreal, but what I do know is that I’m so ready to keep enjoying this chapter of life.
“You ready to get this show on the road?” Cole smiles that grin that makes me weak.
“Are you?” I toss back with a wink.
“I’ve never been so ready for anything in my life, baby. All I want is forever. Is that too much to ask?” Closing in on me, he wraps his arms around me and kisses me senseless.
Thirteen hours later Hayes Thomas Parker came into our world at 9lbs 3oz.
