Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
July 23 rd
12:33 P.M.
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,” a little voice squealed as the door to Cole’s apartment opened, and his four-year-old niece came barging in.
Esther, or Essie as she was affectionately known by the family, was a little tornado of excitable energy with brown pigtails and gray eyes that were always twinkling with joy. In her arms, she always clutched her favorite teddy bear, a gift from the family on the day she’d been born. Cole still remembered the time the little girl left the teddy at the park. It had been three days straight of wailing tears until they’d managed to find the discarded bear hidden under a bush, muddy and stained.
“Slow down a little, cuddle bug,” Gabriella Sadler huffed, sounding out of breath as she followed the preschooler into the apartment. Gabriella was Essie’s nanny and basically a part of the family. She’d been caring for the little girl for going on three years now, ever since Essie’s mom had died of cancer less than a year after her daughter was born.
“But I have to tell Daddy,” Essie protested as she all but launched herself into her father’s arms. Cade caught his little bundle of energy easily and set the child on his lap.
“Trust me, your daddy can wait another few seconds. Next time, don’t run away from me, you walk by my side,” Gabriella gently rebuked the small child. There was not a doubt in any of their minds that Gabriella loved that little girl like she was her own, it was what made her such a good nanny. And Gabriella knew what had happened here in the building the day before, and knew—although not the details—that Susanna’s attack was related to their family and their quest for answers.
It was no wonder they were all on edge and Gabriella wanted to keep her young charge close.
“Sorry, Gabby,” Essie murmured, sufficiently chastised. “I just gotted too excited, and I forgotted to hold your hand.”
“That’s okay, Es, but next time no excuses,” Gabriella said.
“You mind Gabriella,” Cade reminded his daughter. “Always. It’s her job to keep you safe.”
“And to play with me,” the four-year-old inserted, just a teeny hint of defiance in her tone like she was daring anyone to disagree.
“And to play with you,” Gabriella agreed, touching a kiss to the top of the child’s head, then shooting a wistful glance at Cade like she’d love to do the same with him but knew it wouldn't be welcomed.
It was the worst-kept secret in the family that Gabriella was hopelessly in love with her boss. Unrequited love. Or at least, that’s what Cade pretended. He acted like he didn't know that Gabriella was attracted to him and interested in him, but Cole didn't see how his oldest brother couldn’t know. All the signs were there, although he was sure Gabriella thought she was hiding her feelings well.
Gabriella wasn't the only one who thought she hid her feelings well.
Susanna did, too.
When they’d finished going through every detail she could think of about her former client, and they’d told her everything they knew about their parents and what had happened to them, she’d made her excuses and left.
Before Susanna had gone, he’d offered to let her crash in his spare bedroom if she needed rest but didn't want to be alone.
She’d turned him down.
Willow had offered to go with her to her apartment and talk or just hang out if she didn't want to be alone.
Susanna had turned her down.
Cassandra had offered to go with her to her apartment and talk or just hang out if she didn't want to be alone.
Susanna had turned her down.
They’d offered to call one of her friends to come and hang out with her if she didn't want to be alone but wasn't comfortable being with them since they were strangers.
Susanna had turned them down.
Damn stubborn woman seemed determined to handle this whole ordeal on her own, and while Cole didn't doubt that she was strong enough to do so, no one should have to do that. When you were at your lowest, you were supposed to have a family—whether blood or chosen—by your side.
Only Susanna hadn't mentioned her parents, and she didn't seem to want her friends, so who did she turn to when she needed help?
And why did it bother him so much?
In the end, he’d had no choice but to watch her walk out the door, looking so small and vulnerable. It wasn't like he could force her to accept his help or that of his family. And he couldn’t go and contact her friends behind her back. Susanna had already lost control of her life when she’d been assaulted, and he wasn't going to make it worse by disregarding her wishes and forcing people on her when she said she wanted to be by herself.
Wasn't like he knew her well enough to argue she was wrong.
Maybe she was just one of those people who needed time and space to process and would reach out when she was ready.
Either way, it wasn't any of his business.
Reluctantly, and because he’d been outvoted, he’d agreed to let her help them try to track down her former client. He had no listed address, but Susanna said she would look through her notes and see if she could come up with some possibilities of where he might be staying. If anyone could help them find the man who could be the link they needed to connect all the dots together and finally get answers, it was Susanna.
He just didn't like it.
She should be resting, taking care of herself, not worrying about tracking down the man who had violated her.
But maybe this was something she needed to do.
“We gots donuts,” Essie’s excited voice cut through the thoughts clogging his mind, and Cole shoved away all thoughts of Susanna. She wasn't his problem, and given how he’d treated her, he knew she didn't want to be.
It was a miracle she was even willing to help them.
“Donuts, huh?” Cade said, clearly amused by his daughter’s enthusiasm for her favorite treat.
“Yep. We gots hundreds,” Essie said, throwing her hands wide to emphasize her point.
“Hundreds, wow,” Cassandra said, tickling her niece. “I'm surprised we can eat hundreds of donuts ourselves.”
“Well not all the donuts are for us,” Essie said through her giggles.
“They’re not?” Connor asked.
“Nope,” Essie said, shaking her head and making her pigtails fly about.
“Then who are they for?” Cooper asked.
“They for Uncle Cole’s friend, too,” Essie replied.
Cade’s dark gaze darted to Gabriella, seeking more information. It was clear he wasn't pleased that his four-year-old knew about Susanna.
“Relax,” Gabriella said as she set a bag that presumably contained the donuts on the kitchen table. “All she knows is that Uncle Cole’s friend is hurt. And she got that from you. You're the one who was muttering about it yesterday. Little girls have big ears.”
“Big ears, Daddy,” Essie echoed, making them all laugh. “Can we take the donuts to your friend, Uncle Cole?” His niece’s big gray eyes looked at him imploringly and he hated to let her down.
“Not right now, munchkin,” he said. While he might not know Susanna very well, he could fairly confidently say that the last thing she’d want right now was an overactive preschooler who didn't have an off-switch babbling away at her about donuts, teddy bears, or any other topic that flew through her head. Essie was a talking machine, and while they all loved that about her, Susanna had gone home to have space, and peace and quiet.
“But I want to.” Essie pouted, sticking out her bottom lip and giving the best set of puppy dog eyes.
“Uncle Cole said no, snuggle bug, don’t whine about it,” Gabriella rebuked gently. “Why don’t we raid Uncle Cole’s craft box and make a card for his friend? That way, we can leave the donuts outside her door and she’ll know we were thinking of her and wanting her to get better.”
“Yeah, let’s make a card,” Essie cheered, wriggling on her father’s lap until he set her down then bounding off after her nanny to get the craft box he kept for when he babysat. Essie loved crafts and could create things for hours without getting bored.
“We shouldn’t have let her go home alone,” Willow said softly once Essie and Gabriella had disappeared into the spare bedroom. “She needs people right now. Her eyes were so sad when she left. She didn't really want to go, but she was being so strong, so brave.”
“Like someone else I know,” Cooper said, touching a kiss to his girlfriend’s temple.
“We all process things differently,” Jake said.
“Yes, but no one wants to be alone when they’ve just been through something so horrific,” Willow insisted.
“I can't force her to stay, Willow,” Cole said, shoving to his feet. Not angry at his brother’s girlfriend but at himself. He was the one who had created a wedge between himself and Susanna that hadn't had to exist. “She hates me. I've been a jerk to her since the day I moved in here, it’s no wonder she wants to get away from me.”
Rubbing at the ache in his chest as he stormed into the kitchen to make a start on lunch, Cole marveled at how unselfishly Susanna was offering to help them when, thanks to him, she should just want to wash her hands of his whole family.
He’d messed up so badly that a simple apology wasn't enough to make things right.
Although, how he mended fences with someone who had every reason to hate him, and was in danger because of his bad behavior, he had no idea.
All he did know was that it was probably impossible, and he found he didn't like the idea of Susanna hating him for the rest of their lives.
July 24 th
3:51 P.M.
Better late than never.
Susanna had wanted to start trying to track down where her former patient Vinny Vitoli was hiding out first thing this morning, but instead, she’d been called in to the precinct to answer some more questions.
When she’d gotten the call, Susanna had reluctantly reached out to Cole to find out what he and his family wanted her to do. She could give the cops this lead, but that would make things harder for her and Cole to stay under the radar and gather whatever intel they could find.
Or she could sit on the intel for now.
There was no need to hand over Vinny’s name right away, especially since it would make things harder for Cole’s family.
Yesterday, when they’d talked through everything, Cole had informed her that he and his brothers worked for the world-renowned Prey Security as Charlie Team. Like she’d suspected, they were all former special forces; Cole had served as a Green Beret, and they now worked together as a team. They had the skills and the resources to find Vinny and to get him to tell what he knew about the gang rape of Carla Charleston.
The cops may or may not have those resources.
Especially since they would be looking at Vinny as just her rapist, not as being involved in a decades-old gang rape that might have then resulted in an entire Delta Force team being ambushed and slaughtered, and the lone survivor and a CIA agent being set up as traitors to take the fall.
That was way beyond the cops’ scope, and she said that as someone who was friends with Phillip and Polly.
Decision made, when Cole had asked her to keep quiet on that for now and not let on that she’d remembered that her assailant had spoken to her, and the connection to him and his family, it had been easy to do.
Not that she liked lying to her friends, but sometimes you just had to do what you had to do, and this was one of those times.
So now she sat in the passenger seat of Cole’s car, hands twisted nervously together on her lap, staring out the window and trying not to notice how big a presence her neighbor actually was.
All afternoon, he’d been so polite with her, compassionate without making her feel like she was being pitied, aware of her physical injuries, and considerate, it was such a change from the Cole she was used to.
“Umm … did I say thank you for the donuts your niece left?” she asked, more to break the silence than anything else. It was oppressive, and she hoped Cole hadn't heard her when she opened the door to find the donuts and the note. She’d sobbed like a baby. It was without a doubt the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her.
Which was kind of sad when you thought about it.
But the sparkly, glittery note, complete with paintings and sweet words that the child had obviously copied from an adult but written in her own hand, had touched her deeply, filling her with both joy and sadness.
“You did,” Cole teased, his eyes sparkling as he glanced away from the road to look at her. “If you draw her a picture in return, she’ll be your friend for life.”
Those simple said words hit with an intensity she was sure Cole hadn't intended.
No one was going to be her friend for life.
She wasn't even sure such a thing existed.
But if it did, it wouldn't be in the shape of Cole’s little niece. She’d never even meet the girl, why would she? They might be working together, but she wasn't part of this family and never would be.
That left a pang of sadness in her chest she had no intention of examining too closely.
Still, the words that left her lips implied something else entirely. “I’ll draw her something and pass it along to you so you can give it to her,” she agreed. Just because it was the right thing to do. No other reason. “I think this is it,” she quickly said, thankful they’d reached the next destination on their list.
So far, they’d been wrong twice already, and she only had one last place to try if this one didn't pan out.
Please pan out.
Please let Vinny be here.
Susanna wasn't sure she could take much longer being cooped up in a car with Cole. Her body was just too … aware of him. Of everything about him. Of the way his large hands tightly gripped the steering wheel, but when they'd gotten out of the car at both other locations had been so gentle as they brushed the small of her back as he guided her along. Of how powerful he was, how confident, how he made sure to keep her behind him as they’d knocked on the door to both the other houses.
So far, they’d learned that Vinny hadn't been to his mother and stepfather’s house in well over a year, nor had he returned any of their calls. And that his father had recently passed away, but according to his elderly stepmother, Vinny hadn't even bothered to show up for the funeral.
She had also learned that Cole had a soft side, one so very different from the one he’d shown her every time they met since he moved into the building. This Cole was the kind of man you could fall for if you didn't have trust issues the size of the country like she did. He was steady and dependable, strong and sure of himself, gentle and attentive, he was everything.
Everything she could never have.
“Hopefully, we have better luck this time,” Cole said, echoing her thoughts as he parked out the front of the dilapidated house.
This was a place where she’d met Vinny once before when he was spiraling and had called her in a panic in the middle of the night, afraid he was going to relapse. Since she wasn't stupid, Susanna hadn't come alone. She’d called Polly and asked her friend to come with her, and they’d come together to find Vinny clean but in a bad state.
According to the search Cole’s family had done, there was no address listed as the man’s residence, he had no driver’s license, and while any official paperwork went to his mom’s house, they’d already confirmed he didn't live there.
Had he fled the city after raping her?
Susanna wrapped her arms tightly around herself as she exited the vehicle. It might be summer and a pleasant high eighties outside, but inside she was icy cold.
Warmth wafted off Cole’s body as he positioned himself beside her as they walked down the garden path to the sagging porch. Overgrown grass and weeds filled the garden, and the house was in bad need of a coat of paint, as well as several of the siding boards being replaced.
There was no answer when Cole knocked on the door.
None when he called out.
None when she did either.
Another loss.
Defeat weighed heavily on her shoulders. She just wanted this to be over. Proof either way if Vinny was the one who had raped her. Then whoever it was, caught and in prison. And answers for Cole’s family.
“Unlocked,” Cole said as his hand rested on the door handle, which had turned beneath it.
“It’s breaking and entering,” she reminded him.
“It’s getting answers,” Cole contradicted as he opened the door wider and stepped inside. “Coming with me or waiting in the car?”
There was only one answer she was giving to that question.
Much as she didn't want to, she wasn't hiding and being a coward while Cole searched for answers alone.
“Coming with you,” she answered, shivering as she stepped inside the dark house.
It wasn't that it was cold inside, although it was a couple of degrees cooler than outside was, there was just something … unsettling about this place.
Susanna didn't know what it was.
Maybe it was nothing, just the stress of the last couple of days catching up with her.
Cole cleared each room, keeping her tucked carefully behind him as he went. Each room turned up empty. Two bedrooms, one on either side of the front door. One was completely empty, the other had clearly been used, and recently. An unmade bed sat in the middle of the room, beneath the front window, and dirty clothes were strewn about everywhere.
Beside that bedroom was a bathroom, with toiletries scattered around the sink, and tattered towels hanging over the side of the bath. Next to the empty bedroom was a laundry room, there was a pile of presumably clean clothes sitting in a basket beside the open dryer, and dirty clothes hanging out the top of the washing machine.
After that came an open-plan living space.
That was where Susanna froze.
This was what was giving her that unsettled feeling.
Tacked up all over the walls were dozens, if not hundreds, of photographs of her.