Cole's Mistake (Haven, Texas Book 8)

by Laylah Roberts

  They’d called Joel. Not him.

  “Why Joel?”

  They both gave him guilty looks.

  “It’s okay,” he said softly. “I’m not upset.”

  “We . . . I guess we both felt safe with Joel,” Keira said quietly. “We didn’t have any family who would help and no close friends. Certainly, none who had the power and money to help us like Joel does. Julian kept in touch with a mutual friend from the club who helped us contact him.”

  He nodded. Joel was smart and protective. He’d been a good choice to contact.

  “And Vincento? Do you know any more about him? Does anyone know where he is?” He’d love to get his hands on the bastard.

  “Turns out Vincento is the leader of one of the biggest cartels in South America,” Julian told him. “Drugs, human trafficking, guns. He has his finger in all of it. And most of the local police are in his pocket. Joel sent someone to try and find him, but he hasn’t been back to that house since and if anyone knows where he is, they’re not saying. It’s dangerous to ask too many questions.”

  He rubbed his hand over his face. He couldn’t believe what they’d been through.

  “We should have done our homework better,” Julian admitted. “But he gave us a false last name and we believed his lies about who he was.”

  “He was a very good liar,” Keira whispered.

  “Is there a reason he fixated on the two of you?” he asked.

  “Luis had a theory,” Keira said quietly. “Apparently, his wife died years ago. She was kidnapped by a rival cartel, tortured and executed then dumped back on his doorstep.”

  “Jesus.” Cole felt ill at the thought.

  “Luis said she looked like me.” Keira looked to Julian.

  “We don’t know why he kept me alive. Maybe to keep Keira in line. Maybe to use me to break her.”

  “He would have killed Julian eventually.”

  “But he didn’t, kitten. I’m here.” He looked to Cole. “Joel gave Luis and his abuela enough money to disappear.”

  Seemed he owed his brother more than he could ever repay.

  “I don’t like that we don’t know where he is.” He’d need to get someone onto that. He needed this guy to pay. But, mostly, he needed to ensure that bastard didn’t get anywhere near Julian and Keira.

  “Neither do we,” Julian said starkly.

  Fuck. He got it now. Julian’s obsessive need to protect Keira. Keira’s fear of making the wrong decision. Yeah, he understood it totally.

  “You’re scared of him finding you,” Cole whispered.

  Keira shuddered.

  If Vincento was eliminated would they both feel better? Probably. But it wouldn’t erase their demons. They needed help.

  “You’re seeing a therapist?”

  “Yes, Molly. She’s helped a lot but we still . . . we still have issues. I have nightmares. I have trouble trusting any decisions I make, even small ones. And Julian—”

  “I can’t sleep. I find it hard having Keira out of my sight.” Julian looked away as if ashamed.

  “Hey, look at me, both of you.” He gently took hold of their chins. “Far as I’m concerned, you’re both doing so well. That you’ve both let me in the way you have . . . it’s a wonder you could trust me even a little bit.”

  “We know you wouldn’t hurt us physically,” Keira whispered. “Actually, having you with us kind of helps.”

  “You wouldn’t let anyone hurt Keira,” Julian stated.

  “I’d never let anyone hurt either of you. I’m going to find that bastard and I’m going to kill him.”

  He stood abruptly, hating how Keira shied back.

  “Sorry, baby. Sorry.” He sat next to them on the sofa, drawing them into his arms as much as he could. “I’m so sorry. Sorry I wasn’t there. Sorry I didn’t protect you.” Tears leaked down his cheeks, and, to his chagrin, the two of them dragged him close, comforting him.

  He drew back, rubbing hastily at his cheeks. “The fact that you can let me in at all is amazing. I will not let you down.”

  “You don’t . . . I mean . . . now that you know . . . you don’t think less of us?” Keira rushed out the words at the end.

  “Never,” he said fiercely. “Never, understand me? The two of you are strong. You’re survivors and you had no blame in this. None whatsoever. It was all on him. And he will pay, even if I have to spend the rest of my life tracking him down.”

  “He could be searching for us,” Julian whispered. “We don’t know where he is. If he finds us—”

  “I’ll protect you both. I’m going to call a security company I’ve used in the past, Raptor Inc. They’ll have bodyguards out here by tomorrow for you both—”

  “Cole,” Keira said.

  “I’ll also need to send someone to Colombia to work on tracking him—”

  “Cole,” Julian tried to interrupt.

  “I’ll find you another therapist—”

  He stilled as Keira placed her lips against his. Her touch was gentle, but effective as he quieted. She drew back and gave him a sweet smile. “We appreciate that you want to protect us.”

  “And we won’t object to you sending someone to try and track him down Julian added. “But we don’t need bodyguards.

  “Or a new therapist,” she said quietly.

  “Is your current therapist equipped to deal with your PTSD?” he asked. “Did Joel research other therapists?”

  “Molly is a great therapist,” Julian said. “She’s also married to Haven’s sheriff and she’s his sub. She knows what she’s doing and we’re comfortable with her. We don’t want to change. It’s not easy for me to talk to someone, especially about this.”

  All right. He’d give in on that. He moved, sitting back on the coffee table and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Fine. The therapist stays, once I’ve done some research into her credentials. And I’ll send someone to track Vincento. But the bodyguards—”

  “We don’t need bodyguards,” Keira told him. “Julian does a great job of watching over me.”

  “I know he does, baby,” he told her gently. “I’ve seen firsthand how well he takes care of you. But the fact that Julian can’t let you out of his sight . . . it’s not healthy. For either of you. Bodyguards might give you more peace of mind.”

  They’d give him peace of mind as well.

  Julian’s jaw clenched. “If you want to hire a bodyguard for Keira, you can. But if I don’t know them, I won’t be able to trust them.”

  Cole sighed. “The bodyguards wouldn’t just be for her.”

  “I don’t need protecting.”

  Cole leaned forward. “You do. You’re in danger too. And your safety is important.”

  “Not as important as Keira’s.”

  “Yes, it’s as important as Keira’s,” Cole snapped at him. “I love you just as much as I love her!”

  Keira gasped. “You love us?”

  He stood and started pacing the room. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Love you? This goes beyond love. What I feel for the two of you, it consumes me. I’ve barely been alive since I pushed you away. All I ever wanted was the two of you. So, yeah, I love you both. I adore you both. I’d lay down my life for both of you. To think that you were hurt and suffering, and I had no clue . . .”

  He bent over. Like the pain was too much for him to stand up straight any longer. He tried to control the agonizing hurt of everything he’d done, everything that had happened to them.

  Then he felt them surrounding him, touching him, pulling him up. Julian behind him, Keira cuddled into his front.

  “We love you too,” Keira told him.

  “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” He had to bite back a sob. It was killing him, eating him from the inside out but he couldn’t focus on him right now. They needed him strong. When he was alone, he could break.

  Julian kissed the back of his neck. “If it’s not our fault then it’s certainly not yours.”

  He half-turne
d so he could see them both, drawing them against him. “Please consider the guards. For my peace of mind if nothing else.”

  “We don’t know if he’s looking for us,” Keira said quietly.

  But he knew. Somehow, he knew he was. He wouldn’t let them go that easily.

  “There was no record of us leaving Colombia, and we’ve left no trail,” Julian told him.

  “What about Keira’s job?” Cole asked, his mind sifting through every angle, looking for the weak spots were.

  “Off the books,” Keira told him. “Joel pays for everything, so I work for free.”

  “What? He doesn’t pay you?” He’d have words with Joel about that.

  “We owe him more than the few hours I work can repay.”

  “I need to get a job to start repaying him, to get us on our feet, but I can’t leave Keira.”

  “You don’t owe Joel anything,” Cole told them both. And if his brother thought that, then he would settle the debt. Although they didn’t need to know that. “And neither of you needs a job, I’m rich.”

  “We don’t need your money.” Keira frowned up at him and tried to pull out of his hold.

  He wouldn’t let her move. He needed her close. He stared down at her. “I know in the past I’ve used my money to get my own way. As a weapon. That’s not what I’m trying to do here. I know you don’t care about my money. I’m not trying to use it as a way to buy your affection. At least I don’t think I—”

  Keira glared at him. “Of course not! I don’t care if you’re rich or poor. I just want you. I love you! I’ve loved you for years. Things haven’t been right without you in our lives.”

  Cole looked up at Julian.

  “What she said.” Julian’s lips twitched as though he wanted to smile.

  “So, you don’t need to spend your money supporting us or paying for bodyguards to protect us.”

  “Then what’s the point of having it?” This time he drew back, crossing his arms over his chest. “After all these years I’ve spent working my ass off and all I’ve sacrificed, and the two people I love most don’t even want anything to do with it? I might as well give it all away if you’re not going to let me spend any of it on the two of you.”

  “Good. Fine.” She gave him an equally stubborn look.

  Little brat. Her ass had to still be tender from the spanking Julian had gave her earlier, but seemed she was after another one.

  “No.” They both turned to look at Julian.

  “Julian—” Cole started to say, exasperated.

  Julian shook his head, then turned to Keira. “Cole is right.”

  Keira’s mouth dropped open. Even Cole looked at him in shock. Out of the two of them, he’d expected Julian to put up the most protest.

  “Keira, if it was the other way around, and we had money, and Cole was in danger, wouldn’t you do whatever you had to in order to protect him?”

  “Yes, of course.” Keira looked slightly ill as she hugged herself. “You really think he’s coming for us still?”

  “If he comes, we will protect you,” Cole told her, pulling her tightly against him. “Nothing will harm either of you again.”

  Julian fitted himself around her back.

  “Okay . . . I’ll go with whatever the two of you think best. I just don’t want some stranger following me around.”

  “How about this? I’ll talk to Travis, have his people search for Vincento first. If there’s any hint he’s in the US, you’ll get discreet guards. All right?”

  “All right,” she agreed.

  He looked to Julian, who nodded. He needed to talk to Joel. He wouldn’t be surprised if he already had measures in place to protect them.

  “Neither of you go anywhere alone, at any time.”

  “That’s already covered,” Julian said.

  “What about medical care?” Cole asked. “That would leave a paper trail.”

  “Doc did it all under false names,” Keira told him.

  “They take care of their own here in Haven,” Julian added.

  He breathed a little easier at that. “All right. I’ll talk to Joel about everything else.”

  “I don’t want to give up my job.” Keira bit her lip. “I know it’s not much but if I don’t have that, I’m scared I’ll hole up in here and never leave.”

  “You don’t have to give up your job,” he reassured her. “A few hours are fine, baby, if it’s helping. However, I don’t want either of you doing anything that might be detrimental to your health and recovery when there’s no need for it. We need to concentrate on helping you both heal.”

  “Because we’re batshit crazy,” Keira said lightly.

  “Kitten,” Julian growled.

  “Well, we kind of are,” Keira muttered.

  “What’s the rule about putting yourself down, little bit?” Cole asked.

  She bit her lower lip. “Sorry. Thought I was stating a fact.”

  “That your therapist’s official diagnosis, was it?” Cole drawled.

  “No, of course not.”

  “She said we have PTSD,” Julian told him.

  “Have things been getting better with her help?”

  “A little,” Keira said.

  “We haven’t been playing, the other night was the first time I’d spanked Keira since our time in Colombia. I didn’t want to set off any triggers. I didn’t realize she needed it.”

  “And she didn’t ask for it,” Cole guessed.

  Keira shrugged. “I wasn’t sure he wanted to do any of that anymore. Not after everything that happened.”

  “So, we need to work on communication. On getting Julian to sleep more and to stop obsessing as much over safety.”

  Although, Cole understood his reasons. He felt that same overprotective need to keep them both within arm’s reach. But giving into that wouldn’t help right now.

  “And Keira needs help speaking up and saying when she’s not doing all right or not comfortable,” Cole stated. “We also need to keep an eye on her eating.”

  “I find making decisions hard.” Keira rubbed her forehead as though she had a headache. Julian walked away towards the bathroom. “I’m so scared of making the wrong one.”

  “Okay, baby. We’ll work on that.”

  Julian returned and handed her some pain pills and a glass of water.

  “How about we all head to bed and get some sleep? Julian, do you want to check the house over?”

  The other man just nodded. Cole led Keira to the bedroom and left her in the bathroom to get ready. He leaned against the hallway wall then sunk down to his ass.

  He felt like his insides had been torn to shreds. And he had no idea how to put them all back together.

  “No!” Keira screamed as Vincento smacked his fist into Julian’s face. Blood spurted from his nose. She tried to pull free from the guard who was holding her. But his grip tightened to the point she knew she’d have bruises tomorrow.

  Still, she fought.

  She couldn’t let him hurt Julian. Julian! Julian!

  “Keira! Kitten! It’s me. It’s Julian. You’re all right. Baby, you’re safe. Please wake up. You’re safe.”

  She opened her eyes with a gasp, sweat coated her body and her throat felt raw and scratchy.

  “Sorry, sorry,” she told both Julian and Cole as they held her between them, running their hands up and down her body.

  This was the third time she’d woken with a nightmare tonight. Telling Cole seemed to have stirred everything up.

  She sobbed out a breath. “I’m so sorry.”

  Cole buried his face in her neck. “You have nothing to be sorry about. Nothing.”

  Julian lifted her onto his chest, lying on his back with her curled up on him in her favorite sleeping position. She looked over at Cole, hoping he didn’t feel left out. But he just moved closer, wrapping his arm over her middle.

  “There’s only one person to blame for this and when I find him, he’s a dead man.” She knew Cole meant every word.
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  But instead of scaring her, it soothed her.

  And with one man under her, the other wrapped close to her side, she drifted off to sleep.

  27

  “We need to have a talk about how to help you both,” Cole stated.

  It had been two days since they’d told him about that psycho kidnapping them, hurting them. And the anger still hadn’t dissipated. He’d barely slept these past two nights. Each time he closed his eyes, he thought about what had happened to them and grew furious all over again.

  It didn’t help that Keira’s nightmares had been worse since they’d told him. Molly, their therapist, said it was because she’d tried to suppress everything, so when she’d actually spoken about it everything had come up to the surface.

  He had to admit, Molly sounded like she knew what she was talking about. Keira and Julian had given permission for her to speak openly with him. He’d also spoken to Keira’s doctor about her health. The doctor was mostly concerned with her weight, which Cole had reassured him he would monitor closely.

  There were some definite upsides to living in Haven. Females were closely guarded and were under the protection of a guardian. While Julian was officially Keira’s guardian, he’d taken over dual duty. And no one had batted an eye at her having two men in her life, two guardians to protect and take care of her. If anything, everyone had grown more welcoming towards him.

  Julian was trickier to watch out for. But he suspected a lot of Julian’s issues stemmed from not knowing where Vincento was. He did intend to do a couple of things in order to try to help him sleep more. One being having one of Raptor Inc.’s security specialists patrolling outside the guest house at night. He’d spoken to Joel and learned he’d put in cameras and more alarms since bringing Julian and Keira home. He was grateful for his brother’s help, but he’d take over now.

  “Like what?” Keira asked, leaning back in the couch. She’d worked the dinner shift while he and Julian had eaten there, staying close to her.

  He lifted her into his lap, and she curled up. Christ, he would never take this feeling for granted again. Julian grabbed her feet and pulled them onto his lap, massaging them gently.