by Erin Trejo
Chapter 28
Cole
“Thank you, Mitchell,” I shake my lawyers hand once more before I head out the front door of the police station. I knew what day it was. I knew I wouldn’t be held on shit either. Spotting Brady outside with a cigarette between his lips, I smile.
“Took you long enough,” I smart off catching his gaze.
“Yeah. Bastards thought they should hold onto you a little longer. Captain Burgero was busy chatting it up with Mitchell,” he laughs.
“That is true. Did you see Jamie come out?” I ask. Brady shakes his head, drops the cigarette to the ground and runs his hand through his hair.
“Nope. Figured that was probably a good thing though. Clean up was handled at the house. Ranger said you owe him one.” I laugh a little. Ranger is an old friend like Brady. He’s my clean up guy. He’s good at his job and I pay him well.
“Tala?”
“She’s at the house. She has a lot of questions that she wants answered. I told her that it’s best to speak with you,” he says motioning toward the car. I walk over and climb in the passenger seat. I watch Brady walk around and get in the driver’s seat.
“What did you tell her?” He starts the car, checks the mirrors and pulls out to take me home.
“Nothing. She wanted me to but I told her it wasn’t my place. She’s as fucked up as you Cole and I mean that in the nicest goddamn way possible.” Chuckling, I look out the window at my city. The place I was born and raised. The place that holds more life than anything else. This is home. This is where I belong and it all belongs to me.
“Did she say anything?” I ask.
“Said she was protecting you against her father. I don’t know what kind of shit is going on with him, Cole. She said that she heard Jamie talking. Her father was coming for you. She said she lied to Jamie to get him to come after you tonight to protect you,” He says. My heart beats a little faster but none of that makes sense. Why would he go after me?
“I’m going to admit something to you, Brady and that’s as far as it goes. Understood?” Brady glances over at me and nods before directing his eyes back on the road.
“Tala’s father and I have worked together in the past. Actually, that isn’t true. We’re still working together. He wanted in on taking Jamie’s boss out. He has some shit against him. He knew that Tala would be in the way so I brought her on. At least that’s what I thought at first. Now I’m not sure how Tala plays a role in what he’s doing. I didn’t expect anything to come of it. I sure as fuck didn’t plan on loving her. I thought that I could get a handle on everything and keep her on,” Admitting that to myself and Brady is harder than I thought it would be. I wasn’t prepared for this shit.
“You have to be kidding me, Cole? So, Donald is against everyone? This is fucked! What the hell are we going to do now?” Brady snaps. I run my hand down my face, wondering the same thing. Scratching my jaw, I let thoughts roll around in my head. Tala is my main concern at the moment. Donald made it clear that Tala was a threat but in what way? I don’t know the logistics and I can’t seem to wrap my head around it either.
“I don’t know, Brady. I need to sort things out with Tala but I need to figure out what the hell is going on and sadly to say, that is going to involve Jamie.” Even saying his name right now sets of a siren in my head. Jamie has always been against me. He’s always wanted to take me down but I need to know what plays he has with Donald. Someone isn’t being truthful with me and to be honest, it’s all pointing to Donald at the moment.
“He just hauled your ass to jail, Cole. He fucking had your woman at his house. You can’t be serious!” Brady snaps. The closer we get to my house, the more relaxed I become. Spending hours in the police station wasn’t ideal.
“I’m dead serious. There are dots that aren’t connecting. Something isn’t right,” I inform him. The house comes into view and my heart suddenly needs to beat out of my chest. This is my world and someone is trying to destroy it. As Brady pulls up and parks the car, he reaches over and grabs my arm before I can get out.
“You sure about her?” Glancing over my shoulder, I nod once. Brady nods back and releases his grip on me. Closing the door, I walk straight up the steps and into the front doors. I take a deep breath and prepare to talk to Tala about the many things that have happened between us. I don’t know what her thoughts are. I don’t know where her head is but I need her to be on my side. I just don’t know that talking to her right now is such a good idea.
“She’s in your room,” Brady says walking past me.
“I’ll be in my office,” I respond. Brady stops and turns to face me. His face is painted with unsureness much the same as mine. Something must register with him. The fact that I can’t just go to her. The fact that there is something more at play here. He has to be able to feel it too. As I walk toward my office my head spins. The world spins. Everything is fucked up and complicated. It isn’t as though it wasn’t that way before but it’s even more so now. Life can take a turn and mine sure as hell has.
Stepping into my office, I grab the bourbon and walk over to my desk. I don’t bother with a glass. I need all that I can consume right now. My heart is being torn from my chest by a woman I didn’t expect to love. My head is being ripped apart by a man that is her father and my world is slowly being shredded by my own brother, the one I fought so hard to protect. He’d never know that because I’d never tell him but it isn’t as easy for me to forget that he’s my blood as it is for him. To Jamie, we were never brothers. We were always enemies but to me we were family and I wanted to protect that family in any way I could. I may be a monster but family means everything to me. Which I suppose is why this whole thing with Donald and Tala is bothering me. Taking another drink, I do something I never once thought I’d have to do. I reach for my phone and scroll through the numbers before I hit dial.
The ringing seems to go on forever before it’s answered.
“Hello?”
“Mrs. Gregoria. It’s Cole Frost. We need to talk.”
Chapter 29
Tala
I blink my eyes trying to clear the fog in my head. How much did I drink last night? I roll to my side and see that the other side of the bed was never slept in. That means either Cole didn’t get out like we thought or he didn’t come to bed. I throw the blanket back as panic races through me. What if he didn’t get out? What if Jamie found other reasons to hold him?
“Stay in bed,” His voice booms through the room. I jolt but stay on the edge of the bed. Cole stands in the dark shadows of the room, a glass of something amber in his hands.
“Cole,” I begin to say something but he shakes his head. He steps closer to me and only then can I see how bloodshot his eyes are. Did he not sleep at all last night?
“Many things happen in this world, Tala. Some I hate, others I love. Death is easy for me. I can hand it out or I can let someone breathe another day. I work with all kinds of dangerous and deluded people. People that are capable of taking away life easier than I can on a broader scale. Do I like the idea of that? No, but it’s the world I chose for myself. You see, what I do here is all I’ve known. I am not Jamie. I can’t be the good guy. At least not in the common-sense type of way. There was a lapse in my judgement last night when I made a very interesting phone call,” He says before pouring the drink into his mouth.
“I didn’t mean to get you in trouble, Cole.” I tell him. He shakes his head and walks closer, setting his glass on the night stand.
“Trouble? That is something I don’t need help with. I can handle trouble. I can bring it just as easily as it finds me. What bothers me is your involvement in everything around me.” His tone is clipped. His eyes are wild. He almost looks pissed yet that air of danger dances around him like pissed isn’t the right word to use.
“Cole. Let me explain,” I start to stand when he shoves me back roughly.
“Don’t move. I don’t want nor need your explanations, Tala. I want to tell you about my
phone call.” His eyes burn right through me. My body tenses.
“Your mother sounds like a lovely woman.” With that I shove myself off the bed and stand in front of him. My hands ball into fists as I look him in the eye.
“If you hurt her or even try, I’ll kill you,” I say through gritted teeth. Cole chuckles, reaching up and wrapping his hand around my throat.
“You don’t scare me, baby,” He hisses as he drags my face toward his. Cole leans down so that his face is inches from mine. I can smell the alcohol as it wafts off him.
“How much was daddy paying you to play me and Jamie against each other?” He whispers. My heart jackhammers in my chest. Is that what she told him?
“You’re insane. He didn’t try to make me play you two.”
“Oh, no? Mommy seems to think otherwise. She thinks dear old dad was paying you a pretty penny to do it. See which one of us would take out the other first. Sound familiar?” He growls. His lips twitch as he looks at my mouth before dragging his gaze back to mine.
“You’re wrong, Cole. You are so fucking wrong. Are you that stupid?” I hiss. Lines crinkle around his eyes as smirks.
“Tell me what daddy said to you? What was the price to kill me? Or was it more to kill Jamie?”
“You aren’t making any sense, Cole. Listen to yourself!” I can taste the bitter anger on the tip of my tongue. Cole is not himself right now and that alone makes him dangerous.
“I listened to myself as I sat in a jail cell. I listened when I pieced together what the hell was happening around here. I listened when your mother told me that your father was plotting all of this from the beginning but what she didn’t know was how you played into it,” His breath dances over my lips. I’d give anything to pull him to me, to have him hold me like he always has and tell me that things were okay, that I was safe. None of that will happen now.
“She told me to stay away from him. I don’t know what he’s doing. I thought he was out of all this shit when he left me here six years ago to fend for myself! Why, Cole? Why would I do that to you?” I ask him, needing him to think clearly.
“She’s right. Think about it, Cole,” Brady’s voice sounds from behind us. I can’t turn to look at him but Cole shifts his gaze to his.
“Are you siding with her now, Brady? Did you forget that you are just as involved in my affairs as I am?” Cole taunts.
“I didn’t forget. I know who I am, Cole and you know who Tala is. Let’s not forget that chat in the car.” My body tenses as Cole’s fingers tighten around my throat where they remain. His eyes are glassy as he looks at Brady over my shoulder. Reality seems to slap Cole in the face. His fingers loosen before his hand drops to his side. His eye flicker with regret as he looks back down at me and back to Brady. My hand instinctively comes to my throat, rubbing where he just squeezed. Cole takes a step back, shaking his head.
“You’ve had enough to drink and no sleep. You need to rest. I’ll handle setting up meetings,” Brady says walking past the both of us and grabbing the bottle off the dresser. He turns to leave the room his eyes locking with mine. A silent agreement of sorts crosses between us. I can see that he doesn’t want me to push Cole any further than he already is. I nod once before he winks and leaves the room. Cole stands in a stunned silence which is strange for him.
“Cole.” Stepping toward him, I let my hands rest on his chest.
“Were you really trying to protect me?” He asks, his eyes meeting mine.
“Yes. I thought I was. I made it worse and now I don’t know how to fix that. I’m sorry, Cole. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
“By not coming to me? You could have talked to me, Tala! How many times did I need to tell you that I fucking loved you before you understood it? I tried! You…Fuck!” He roars, tugging at his hair. I made this mess. I fucked with his world and now I have to fix it.
“I’m sorry, Cole. I thought what I was doing was right. When I left with Jamie, I thought it was all your fault,” I drop my head so that I don’t have to see the pain I’ve caused in his eyes. Cole steps toward me, raising my chin with his fingers.
“I’ve never given you a reason to doubt me, Tala. I’ve never lied to you. I wanted to. Fuck, that’s how I get through life but I couldn’t do that to you.” His voice has softened slightly.
“You didn’t tell the truth either.”
“I don’t even know the fucking truth! Don’t you see that? Everything that I have built is slowly coming undone and I don’t know who to retaliate against! Jamie? Your dad? Who!” He roars. I jolt at the intensity in his voice.
“If we’re being completely honest, I don’t think it’s Jamie. He may hate you and what you do but he’s your brother. He wouldn’t send people to kill you, Cole.” He looks deeply in my eyes and something else changes. The air thickens.
“Did you sleep with him?”
“What?”
“Did you sleep with him, Tala? Is that how you know these things? Jamie has never given a shit about me. He has never once cared what happened to me and you expect me to believe that he magically does now? Did you sleep with him?” His words are angry. His voice is haunted. I hate that Cole feels this way but I know that I’m partially to blame.
“No.” I step into his space, shoving at his chest. “Could I have? Yes, but I didn’t. I slept on his fucking couch!” I scream. Cole lets me push him but he keeps that smirk on his face.
“I don’t believe you,” He says. Those four little words send a stake through my chest. My hands ball before I take my aggression out on him. Pound after pound, I slam my fists into his chest. It does no good but he doesn’t move to stop me.
“I didn’t sleep with him! You want to know why? I couldn’t! Even if my body wanted to, I couldn’t!”
“Why not?” His yell rises above mine.
“Because all I could think about was you! You fucking bastard! I love you, Cole! I couldn’t do it!” The tears spring from my eyes as all the strength left in me puddles on my cheeks. Cole steps in wrapping his arms around my body as I cry harder.
“I would never do anything to hurt you, Cole,” I cry harder. I nuzzle my face into his chest as his hand runs up and down my back.
Chapter 30
Cole
Guilt and admission go hand in hand in this world. I suffer from both. I’ve admitted to Tala that I loved her. That may have weakened me but the guilt is overwhelming. Thinking she could have done this to me was wrong. She’s too pure and perfect to be infected by all this anger. I pull her face from my chest, brushing my lips over her wet eyes.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” I repeat in between kisses. I’ve never been sorry in my life. I’ve never given a shit what happened to anyone but Tala has morphed all that. I care what happens to her. I care about her feelings.
“Forgive me, Tala. I’m so sorry.” More kisses as she sobs. When she looks up at me with that tear stained face, I can’t handle it. My heart splinters inside of me.
“I love you, Cole. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect you,” she cries. I lean down, pressing my lips to hers. I need to taste her. I need to feel her. Lifting her in my arms, she wraps her legs around my waist, her arms around my neck. I kiss my way down her jaw toward her neck.
“I’m sorry, baby. I should have known better.” Whispering against her skin, she sighs.
“Stop saying sorry. I love you, Cole. I’d forgive you a thousand times,” She whispers before turning her head and capturing my lips with hers. Tala grinds against me, busting what’s left of my resolve in her small hands. I walk toward the bed, laying her down gently and untangling from her. Looking down at her, I know I made the right choice. I know she was the one that was meant to be mine. There is no other way around that. I pull my clothes off and climb in between her thighs. Tala lifts one of her legs and hooks it around my thigh. I lean down and capture her mouth once more. Our kiss is slow and deliberate. I need to feel her. All of her. I need her to feel what she’s done to me. The way she m
akes my heart race in my chest. I reach between us and position myself before sliding into her. Tala gasps as I rock my hips. I press my cheek to hers, listening to the sounds of her breathing against me.
“I want everything with you, Tala. I want you by my side and if anything happens to me, I want you in my place. Everything I have is for you,” Whispering against her ear, I lick her ear lobe. Tala arches into me, letting me take all of her power. I greedily pull it all into me and hold tightly.
“You can’t go anywhere, Cole. I just got you back,” she moans. I roll my hips listening to the sounds of her groaning and taking me with everything she has. The perfect fit. We were meant to be one. One in body, mind and spirit. Tala fills me. I don’t know how she does it or when I realized it but having her next to me means everything. I pick up my pace, needing to be as deeply inside of her as I can. I need her to feel me the way I can feel her. Nothing lies between us. It’s only the beat of our hearts and the combination of our body’s.
“Cole,” she whines. I smile before pressing my lips to hers once more. Tala slips her tongue into my mouth, causing me to moan. She captures it all and more. The closer I get, the higher she becomes. A few more thrusts and I explode inside of her. Tala digs her nails into my flesh, riding out her own pleasure. I break our kiss as I pant next to her ear. She nuzzles her cheek against mine and nothing else matters. Nothing. Pulling out of her, I climb to the side and lay down. Tala rolls to her side, scooting closer.
“I’m sorry I doubted you. With everything going on and knowing that you were with Jamie. It killed me, Tala. I wanted to rip this city apart.” Admitting that to her is hard. Admitting it to Brady is easy. He’s always known me and has never judged but I find myself needing approval from Tala even if I don’t admit it out loud. I want her love. I want her to look at me with adoration in her big brown eyes. I want her to see the real me.