Chapter 7 #2
“Relax,” I tell her when it looks like she’s about to start hyperventilating.
“I’m not a criminal. As a matter of fact, I am the law, so as long as you’re not laundering money through the resort, I won’t have any reason to arrest you.
Besides, I’m on leave. I may have sworn an oath when I first joined the FBI, but if you told me right now that you’re the drug kingpin of Moose Harbor, I can’t say I’d give a fuck. ”
Charlie stares at me with her mouth hanging open, only snapping it shut when our food is being delivered.
I unfold my cutlery and begin digging in while she looks like she’s still processing.
I have to give it to Dee. The food here is to die for.
I have to pace myself, knowing from experience I’ll make myself sick if the rich sauce mixes with the remaining bourbon in my gut too quickly.
After a long silence, Charlie picks up her own utensils and glances at me from the corner of her eye.
“FBI? You?” she says in a low tone, like I just told her I’m deep undercover and she’s the only one aware of my true identity.
“You don’t have to whisper. It’s not a secret, or anything.
” I lift my hand to catch the attention of a passing server, and she stops by our table to top up our water before slinking away again.
Charlie waits until she’s out of earshot, then clears her throat, adjusting her voice to a normal volume.
“I guess it’s just unexpected. You don’t look like an FBI agent to me,” she muses, an adorable frown on her face while she pushes her scrambled eggs around on her plate.
“And what did you envision an FBI agent to look like?” I prod, unable to hide my amusement any longer.
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen one in real life. I always pictured you guys to be super put-together. Always in a suit and dress shoes, like Agent Mulder from The X-Files. You look more like a renegade mercenary with your ripped jeans and combat boots.”
“Hm, guess I should talk to Mads about joining his team of misfits,” I mutter.
“Pardon me?”
“Nothing,” I say, bringing my mug to my lips for another sip. “As I said, I’m off duty. I always hated the monkey suits, anyway. Necessary evil in my profession, but something I doff the second I’m off the clock. Damn ties always feel like they’re choking me.”
“You’re not messing with me. You’re really with the FBI?” she double-checks, looking at me like I’m some kind of superhero. If she only knew. She’s so far off track. The people I’ve failed to protect could attest to that if they were alive to tell the tale.
“For now. Not sure that’ll still be the case once I get back home. That’s kind of what this whole trip is about. To figure out what I want my future to look like.”
“You going through a midlife crisis?”
I snort and watch her tear into a strip of bacon like it’s the best thing she's ever tasted. Her little moan of pleasure goes straight to my groin. I like a woman who can appreciate good food. Someone who doesn’t count calories and nibbles on nothing but celery sticks past dinner time.
I’m not a small guy at six-foot-four, and I keep myself fit, so I’m aware there’s some bulk to me.
The last thing I want to worry about is snapping my partner in half like a twig if things get a little rough.
Not that Charlie and I will ever end up in bed together.
Damn it, Cole. Stop thinking about manhandling her.
This is not going to happen, no matter how sex deprived you may be.
“I wish it were as simple as that,” I say once I manage to wrestle my libido under control.
“You don’t enjoy your job anymore?”
I meet her curious gaze and linger there for a moment, drowning in her emerald pools.
“It’s a long story.”
“I have nowhere to be. Why don’t you start at the beginning?” she presses, and I decide what the hell. Might as well throw her a bone. It’s not like my childhood is classified.
“My dad was a cop. He died during a routine traffic stop when I was just a little boy. Classic case of wrong place, wrong time. Some asshole was driving a stolen car, got nervous when my dad approached the vehicle and shot him in the head.”
“That’s awful,” she whispers.
“It was a long time ago, but I worshipped him. He was my hero. I remember him taking me to work a few times. Having me ride along and letting me turn on the lights. I wanted to follow in his footsteps ever since, even knowing we may end up sharing the same fate. I didn’t start out with the FBI.
I was a cop with the NYPD for a few years, and I loved every second of it. It was everything I always dreamed of.”
“So, why the switch?” She’s fully invested now, food forgotten as she leans back and sips her hot drink. I shrug.
“Seemed like an upgrade at the time. I guess I was flattered that the bureau wanted me so badly. They pursued me quite aggressively, and once I thought about it, I figured I’d be able to make more of an impact, you know?
Serve justice on a larger scale. For a while, I was convinced I made the right choice. ”
“And then?”
I take my time answering, wiping my mouth, and crumpling up my napkin before discarding it on my plate. This particular conversation never fails to ruin my appetite. “Then my successes went to my head, I got careless, and the job cost me everything I ever cared about.”
I don’t know what possesses me to share so much, but there’s just something about Tink that makes me want to open up.
Maybe she feels safe because I know whatever this budding friendship is between us, it’s temporary.
Three months from now, I’ll be out of her life, and she’ll be just a girl I once knew.
Someone I remember fondly from time to time.
Chances are we’ll never see each other again, so what’s the harm in letting her see some of my damage?
Reading people is an essential skill in my profession, and I know without a doubt that Charlie has some skeletons in her closet.
It’s in her eyes. This girl is no stranger to pain and suffering.
People like us recognize a kindred spirit.
She might not know it now, but she needs someone to help mend her broken pieces.
And in that moment, I’m willing to admit, so do I.