by Erin Trejo
“There was a lot happening and I didn’t make it easier. I’m sorry. You were right. I should have talked to you but I was scared. I didn’t know which way was right.”
“So, we agree that we were both wrong. But I have to ask you this, Tala. Can you move forward with me? After everything that’s happened.” My question is hard to answer and I know it is. She wasn’t made for this lifestyle yet she fits into it perfectly.
“I don’t think that’s a question that you need to ask, Cole. I’m, here aren’t I?” Lifting her head, she gazes up at me.
“You are. I need you to know that I would die for you, Tala. I would never let anyone hurt you.” Her lips curl into a smile but that’s the sweetest I’ve ever seen but there is something darker in it too. Something I can’t place.
“And I would do the same for you.”
“I wouldn’t want you to but I know. I’m setting up a meeting with Jamie. I want you included. We need to figure out whose side your father is truly on and I have a bad feeling about it,” I tell her as my fingers roam up and down her back.
“I never thought my father would do this. I know what he was but I also know what he wasn’t. Does that make sense?” She looks to me with question and hurt in her eyes.
“Perfect sense. He’s your father. You wouldn’t believe him to turn against you but Tala, you have to face the facts. Can you handle that?”
“You promise you love me?”
“Of course. I love you more than my own life,” I remind her. Tala smiles and lays her head back on my chest.
“Then I can handle it.”
Chapter 31
Tala
We both drifted off to sleep but Brady woke us in early evening. I wasn’t happy about meeting with Jamie. After everything that Cole and I talked about, my heart was torn. I trusted Jamie enough to run into his open arms but that was a mistake.
“Settle down,” Cole says, pulling me into his lap. His lips press against my neck instantly calming me.
“How are you so calm? The man has it out for you,” I ask looking over my shoulder at him. Cole grins and shakes his head.
“He has nothing on me, baby. I’ve told you that over and over. He could have turned me in for that dead body but didn’t. I like to think that was because we’re family.” As soon as the words leave his mouth, someone chuckles. Looking up, I see Jamie walking in with a pissed smirk on his face.
“You would think that, wouldn’t you? In fact, I didn’t mess with that body because I already knew who the bastard was. It was easier to let you clean up that mess,” Jamie says his eyes bouncing between me and Cole.
“Hmm. Interesting considering you are supposed to be the good guy in this situation.” Cole’s voice taunts him. I can feel it all through me. Cole tightens his grip around my waist as Jamie’s jaw ticks.
“I suppose I don’t need to ask why you didn’t show up to sign that paperwork,” He directs at me.
“She has no business in this discussion. You don’t ask her questions, she doesn’t answer. It works perfectly. Sit down, brother. We need to talk.” Cole’s voice is full of authority. Even as he speaks for me, his tone has turned cold. Cole shifts, patting me on the hip. I stand just as Brady walks in. He walks closer to me, grabbing another chair and pulling it up next to Cole’s. He motions for me to sit which I do without hesitation. Brady stands next to me, his hands clasped in front of him. Jamie looks around at the three of us before laughing.
“Intimidation doesn’t work on me, Cole.”
“That wasn’t what I was going for. Let’s talk, shall we. Donald was playing us all. Do you know why?” Jamie smiles and shakes his head.
“Always drawing at straws. Thought you were smarter than that.”
Cole leans forward, his elbows resting on the desk in front of him.
“I play my game by my rules, Jamie. You know more than you are telling me and the sad thing is, I do too. Now do you want to go first, or shall I?” I watch Jamie for any signs that he may snap. He leans back in the chair and motions for Cole to continue which he does. Cole picks up a file from his desk and hands it to Jamie. He takes it cautiously as I sweat in my spot. I don’t know what that file contains. I don’t know much of anything right now. My heart hammers as the showdown between the two brothers keeps inching closer and closer.
“Where did you get this?” Jamie looks up, his face neutral.
“Your boss, of course. How else would I have accessed the FBI’s files?”
“Don’t fuck with me, Cole.” Jamie roars.
“I assure you, I’m not. Seems Donald was all over the playing field. Using you against me. Me against you. Even your own boss. If you were in his way, he would never get to be me. You had to be removed. It failed. They took Tala to get to you from what I can tell. They knew you’d been seeing each other. Your lack of hiding it made that part easier.” Cole’s tone sends a chill down my spine.
“What’s your part? What were you doing?” Jamie asks. Cole chuckles, running his hand through his hair.
“I was trying to get you fired. Not killed as you were trying with me but that’s not the issue now,” Cole says waving a hand dismissively through the air.
“And Tala?” Jamie asks. Cole turns to look at me, light and lust dancing in his eyes.
“Tala was in the way. She was being pulled at from every angle she just didn’t see it. I took her first. I removed her from the playing field. If she was working with me she wasn’t on Donald’s radar,” As he says the words my heart drops. He sees it in my eyes, he’s looked at me the whole time he’s talked. Would he have killed me? My own father? Just to get what he wanted?
“I have no doubts, baby. That is why I removed you. Even before I loved you, I didn’t want to see you hurt,” Cole says. His hand comes to reach for mine, clasping it in his. A gasp and sob fall from my lips.
“And now you love her. And you’re keeping her. And Donald is out there trying to tear all of us apart. Isn’t that great!” Jamie roars. He shoves out of his chair and paces the room.
“Here,” Cole says, grabbing another file and passing it to Jamie. He takes it and opens it as we watch. His face falls pale. His eyes dart over whatever it is inside of there. I glance at Cole but he remains stoic by my side. Whatever is in there, isn’t good.
Chapter 32
Cole
His expression says it all. He wanted to deny what I’ve been telling him for so long. That I’ve had his back whether he realized it or not. That I was making moves of my own to protect him whether he wanted it or not.
“What the fuck,” Jamie mumbles as he filters through the papers. Tala’s grip remains tight on my hand. When Jamie finally looks up, his gaze isn’t settled. He looks at me as if I’ve gone insane.
“Why?”
“You’re my brother, Jamie. No matter how we live, we have the same blood running through our veins. I’ve always known that your life and job were more important than me. It wasn’t a surprise but I held out hope that one day, we could be family again.” Jamie’s eyes shift to Tala before moving back to mine.
“She knows?” He nods towards her.
“I’ve told her before. From what she’s told me, you didn’t listen when she tried to bring it to your attention. I can’t say that that’s all bad. It’s easier without your knowledge,” I inform him. Tala’s fingers tighten around mine. She doesn’t know what’s in that file. She doesn’t realize the magnitude of what’s happening right now.
“Those are the files on the bastards I’ve kept away from you. Every single person that was a threat to you that I took care of,” I say. Tala’s head jerks to the side, her mouth falling open.
“I don’t know what to say.” Jamie paces in front of my desk.
“I don’t want a thank you. I don’t want shit from you, Jamie. Reality remains just that. We’re on opposite sides of the law. Neither will move on that. I wanted you to be aware that what happened to Tala was not on me. You can bear that weight on you,” I inform
him. Harsh? Yes, but that is the truth. Jamie’s eyes find Tala’s. She stands from her chair, releasing my hand.
“I agree with Cole. I don’t want an apology although I see it in your eyes. I may have cared about you as a friend Jamie but you ruined that. You were using me to get to Cole. That I can’t forgive.”
“Tala, please.” Jamie tries to get her attention but she ignores him. She flashes me a wink before she walks around the desk and out of the room.
“You hurt me in more ways than you can imagine.” Jamie goes to respond when Tala screams. A shot is fired before I move. My feet don’t let my brain register what’s happening. My gun is in my hand and I’m out the door with Brady behind me. Coming to a stop right in front of my front door, Tala is crouched on the ground, shielding herself.
“Tala!” I growl her name. If she’s hurt someone will bleed.
“I missed. On purpose of course but I got your attention.” I hear Donald say. Jamie walks in front of me, neither of us can be seen yet. He raises his finger to his lips to shh me. He steps in front of the open door, covering Tala with his body. He motions for her to get up and move inside which she does. She runs and slams into my arms.
“Have you changed sides, Jamie?” Donald asks. I hold a crying Tala, trying to soothe her but needing to kill someone.
“Not exactly. What the hell is with you? Shooting at your own daughter? That’s a little below you, isn’t it?” Jamie asks. Donald chuckles.
“Not exactly. She’s in the way. As are you and that brother of yours,” Donald says. They share more chatter as I lean down and press my lips to Tala’s ear.
“Get in my office and lock the door. Don’t open it until I say. Do you understand me?” I whisper. Tala shakes her head, pulling out of my grasp. She wipes her eyes, holds her head high and defies me yet again.
“I’m not going anywhere.” The fight outside gets louder. The energy in the air is charged.
“Send them out!” Donald roars. Tala moves before I can stop her. She walks out the door with her head held high. I have no choice but to follow her.
“Father,” She says sweetly.
“You had to go and sleep with the enemy, didn’t you?” He asks her, his tone almost sounding sad.
“Funny, I thought you were the enemy,” she says, holding herself together like a champ. Fuck, I love that woman.
“Enough of this. You’re outnumbered here, Donald.” I roar loudly. I step in front of Tala just in case he gets any ideas. She doesn’t stop me but she knows when to take a step back.
“Not precisely right, Cole.” With the flick of a hand, more men step into view.
“What do you want?” I ask.
“All three of you.” He says with a grin. Jamie and I share a glance right before bullets begin to fly. I shove Tala back, her body tumbling back into the doorway of the house. With Donald’s gun trained on Jamie, I do what I do best. I protect my family.
Chapter 33
Tala
I can see that night in my mind like it’s a bad movie. The sounds of bullets shattering everything in sight but it was the sight of Cole’s bloody body falling to the ground that broke me. He was lifeless, lying there as he protected his brother. Thank God Brady and Cole’s other guys came out when they did or I’m afraid that Jamie and I would have been shot too. It killed a part of me to see that in action. I’d always known that Cole’s love and need for family ran deep, I just didn’t realize how deep until that day. Seeing him in action showed me another side of him. A softer more caring side. I can’t say the same about my father. Of course, it hurt to watch the one man that should have kept you safe and cared for lose his life but after the betrayal. it didn’t matter. Whether or not what his brother did would have made a difference to Jamie, we will never know. He disappeared soon after that night never to be heard from again.
“Mom?” I blink my eyes rapidly before looking down at Matthew.
“Hey, I didn’t hear you get up,” I tell him. He giggles and climbs on the end of the bed before crawling up into my lap. I run my fingers through his hair as I smile down at him.
“Did you sleep good?” I ask him. He looks up at me and nods rapidly. I tilt my head and raise an eyebrow.
“Yes, I did.” That’s what I wanted to hear. Listening to Matthew talk is the sweetest sound in the world. Adoption is amazing. Matthew deserved a home. He deserved a family and as soon as he got here, he found peace. It didn’t take him long to start talking once he was settled. It was like music.
“Good. Do you want to go find Brady? He was taking you for pancakes today,” I tell him with a wink. Matthew squeals and leaps off the bed, rushing out of the room. I yawn and drop back onto my pillows.
“If I wasn’t such a smart man, I’d think you got rid of your own son for a reason.” Cole walks out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist, droplets of water trickling off his shoulders. I lick my lips as Cole walks his muscled body toward me.
“And what reason do you think that was?” I tease him as my eyes roam over the scars that are prominent on his chest and stomach. Proof of what I’d almost lost. Proof of how close I came to never being able to tell him I loved him and needed him. Every time I look at them, something aches in my chest.
“Stop, Tala. I’m here, baby. I’m not going anywhere,” he says in a soothing voice. I sniffle and pull my eyes back to meet his. How could someone like him love someone like me? Are we not as different as I thought we were?
“I love you, Cole.”
“I love you too. I love this,” he says his fingers dancing over the belly that now carries our son. “I love that little boy that you just got rid of. I love my family, Tala. You’re my family now.” His lips press against mine. Everything else slowly fades. I wrap my arms around his neck and hold him to me. I never want that feeling to go away. The feeling of loving something more than yourself. The feeling of really having a family that means the world to you. Cole’s phone rings on the table next to us. He pulls back with a groan which makes me giggle. He presses the answer key before hitting the speaker phone.
“Yeah?” No one answers him. We share a glance before he says, “Hello?” My heart hammers in my chest. We can’t possibly have anything else bad happen to us.
“I just needed to hear that you were alive.” His voice breaks the silence. My mouth drops open as I stare up at the look on Cole’s face. He looks stunned yet relieved all at the same time.
“I’m glad you’re okay too, Jamie,” Cole says. The line goes dead before I pull on Cole’s hand. He sits on the edge of the bed as I wrap my arms around him.
“Your family is complete,” I whisper in his ear. The pulse in his neck beats in time with mine. The pulse of our family beats as one. This is what we’ve always wanted and now that we have it, I’m never letting it go.
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