Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
T he doctor estimated Frankie would be in the hospital for at least five days. Knowing she would recover, I went home late that night, and considering the day I’d had, you would think I would be exhausted to the point where once my head hit the pillow I’d be out.
Not so much.
My mind wouldn’t shut down.
After doing everything I could think to do at midnight, including cleaning the house, I forced myself to get ready for bed and go to my room. Dad’s snores snuck through the cracks of his door and into the hallway. The sound used to comfort me, but now it sent a string of worry and fear ribboning within me.
What if the person who came for me on the street knew where I lived? Was it the same attacker who broke into Cole’s house? If he got into the Riley’s, breaking into mine would be child’s play. What if they came to finish the job they so badly blotched?
I didn’t want to be alone. Nor did I want to stay at my house. Being at home felt like a disaster waiting to happen. Someone wanted me dead, and I wouldn’t put my dad in danger.
One person I loved lay in the hospital. I couldn’t handle it if my dad was ne xt because of me.
Sitting up in bed, I leaned on the windowsill, staring at the house next door, the safest place in Fallen Oaks as far as I was concerned. Cole could protect me. But on the flip side, I wouldn’t be running for my life if it wasn’t for him. This was his problem, and no amount of money was worth my life or the lives of those I loved.
Not a single light glowed in any of the windows next door, but I knew he was home. I’d seen his car in the driveway.
He’d shown up to the hospital today because he thought I’d been the one hurt. Why? Did he feel guilty? A sense of responsibility? Or was it something else? Did he care about me? If feelings were involved, the way he treated me, the way he kicked me out, didn’t sit right with me. I would never hurt someone I had feelings for like that.
What were Cole’s feelings toward me?
He desired me, that much I was sure of, but was there anything deeper? We hardly knew each other.
But when I weeded through the initial hurt and old anger, I knew why he acted the way he did. To protect me. I might have done the same to someone I cared for. The idea Cole had any sort of feelings toward me sent flutters of uncertainty, warmth, exhilaration, and shame inside me, tangling together into a mess.
Except his plan to banish me from his life hadn’t worked. I no longer slept under his roof, yet the danger still haunted me. And if that was the case, did it matter if I stayed at his house?
I glanced at my closed door, my thoughts returning to Dad.
I had to leave.
For his safety.
At least, that’s what I convinced myself was the reason.
After climbing out of bed, I quickly scribbled a note and tossed a few things into a tote bag Frankie had given me for my birthday a few years ago. Why did it feel as if I’d spent my whole summer so far sneaking in and out of places?
I was Catwoman without the sexy, killer outfit. Okay, the Catwoman comparison was a stretch, but the idea I could kick some serious ass appealed to me.
A calmness settled over the beach tonight, a full moon reflec ting off the water’s glass-like surface. The luminous glow aided my short journey next door. The goal was to sneak inside without running into Cole. I didn’t want to give him the chance to deny me entrance.
I punched the code in at the back door, relieved he hadn’t changed it. Selfishly, I hoped it was because he wanted me to do exactly what I was doing—come back.
It should have been weird breaking into his house, and yet, the opposite was true. I’d done it so many times before the deed had become second nature.
The darkness welcomed me as I slid the glass doors closed silently behind me. I took off my shoes and picked them up, tiptoeing through the kitchen. It didn’t occur to me until I reached the staircase that Cole might mistake me for a burglar and shoot me. Not an ideal outcome.
I chewed on my lip, weighing my options. Did I take the risk and head to the room I’d slept in? Or did I crash on the couch in the?—
The cocking of a gun charged through the darkness. “Don’t move.”
There was no chance of that happening unless I sneezed. My body froze.
Are you kidding me?
What were the fucking chances I would have a brief thought of this precise situation and then it came to pass?
The way things had been going lately, it was obviously very high.
I couldn’t see who had the gun, but I could feel the barrel pointed at me, and his voice was unmistakable. I gave him two seconds to recognize me. “Cole, I swear to God, if you shoot me, I’ll haunt you for the rest of your damn life.”
“Killer?” My name came out disbelievingly as if I were the last person he predicted to be sleuthing around his house this late.
I turned and faced him. “Were you expecting someone else at this time of night?”
His narrowed eyes focused on me. “What are you doing here? I thought I made it clear I didn’t want you here.”
“You did.” The statement slipped from me coated in sarcasm, the flicker of fear passing like the wind.
“And?” he prompted, waiting for an elaborate explanation of my sudden presence .
My eyes nearly went cross-eyed as I stared at the weapon. “Will you get the damn gun out of my face?”
“I’m trying to decide if you’ve been scared enough to prevent you from doing another stunt like this in the future,” he said, yet he lowered the weapon.
I snorted, shifting my weight. “I think we both know the answer to that.”
He set the gun atop the console table in the foyer. “You could get hurt.”
My gaze ran over him, taking in the sweatpants hanging low on his hips, the only article of clothing he had on. Was there anything sexier than a barefoot, shirtless guy in sweats covered in tattoos? Add a backward hat, and it was game over for Arie Quinn. Not what I should be thinking right now. Focus on his face for God’s sake. “And that bothers you?” I asked.
He folded his arms over his chest. “It shouldn’t.”
“Maybe I like that it bothers you,” I said boldly.
He leveled me with a cool glance. “Don’t go catching feelings on me, Killer.”
Ire boiled in my blood. “As if that could happen with a jerk like you.”
“If you hate me that much, why are you here? Did something happen?” His form, which had only just relaxed, stiffened again, as he braced himself for me to tell him something bad had happened.
“I just want to sleep,” I admitted, running my hand through my windblown hair and sinking against the wall.
He searched my face, looking for answers to questions I didn’t know. “So, you came here?”
I shrugged. “I can’t let my guard down at home. I don’t feel safe. Not with someone out there trying to kill me. What if they came looking for me?”
“You’re worried they might hurt your father.”
“Can you blame me after what happened today?”
Cole’s lips pursed in the dark. “No, you can stay…for now,” he added, letting me know this was a temporary arrangement. That was all. “No one will hurt you here, and if it makes you feel better, I can put a security detail on your house—at least until I deal with Gianna. ”
I fiddled with a ring on my middle finger. “I knew she was unstable, but this is insane. She almost killed my best friend because she thinks I’m a threat.”
“When it comes to money, especially the amounts that have the power to change lives, people will do things they never thought they were capable of. Including murder.”
“So it isn’t about some obsessive, misplaced love?”
“For Gianna, it probably is. That…and the pressure of her father.” Shadows shrouded his eyes.
“You’re worried about her father,” I murmured, reading the flicker of unease he didn’t want me to see. “If he is anything like the spawn he produced, I can understand the concern.”
“He makes Gianna look like a kitten,” Cole admitted, foreboding present in his tone.
“Fabulous,” I grumbled, dropping my head against the wall.
I couldn’t remember the last time I slept past noon, but clearly, I needed it. Kicking off the covers, I sat up in bed and checked my phone, rubbing a hand on the nape of my neck. Beads of sweat dripped down my back. Why am I sweating?
If I was at my house, I wouldn’t have questioned it, but the Rileys had air-conditioning, and even when they weren’t home, the temperature remained at a comfortable level. What I felt now wasn’t reasonable.
Stuffiness coated the air, making the bedroom unbearable.
I went to the balcony doors and opened them, letting some fresh air in, but after a minute, I couldn’t decide if that helped or made things worse. My skin was so damn sticky, and I walked outside. Leaning on the railings, I looked out over the pool. Waves splashed in the distance, lapping on the beach, and all I could think was how amazing a dip in the cool water would feel.
What’s stopping me?
I still had no job. I had nothing to do.
Why not take a dip in the pool?
I hadn’t packed a bathing suit, but that never stopped me before .
A shadow appeared from under the balcony, and I watched it move until Cole strolled around the deck, sipping something out of a glass. He hadn’t noticed me yet, and I took advantage to admire the view with a different lens.
He was good-looking. There was no doubt about it, and I finally understood all the hype around the Riley boys. This was one of those times rumors hadn’t been fabricated. The sun gleamed off the black ink across his broad back.
He walked to the end of the pool, and as he turned to the side, I noticed he was on his phone. Our eyes locked, and I couldn’t look away. Something stirred inside me. I should have been afraid, and yesterday I would have been, but I was reminded how precious life was and how quickly it could be altered or taken from us. I had to stop lying to myself.
There was no point in denying my feelings. I’d gone and done the very thing I promised I’d never do.
I’d fallen for the rich boy.
And damn if he wasn’t hot as hell.
I wanted to blame the heat. It had to be screwing with my hormones because I had to be losing my mind.
“What’s wrong with the AC?” I hollered from the balcony once he hung up.
The sun glared into his eyes, and he lifted a hand to shield the light. “It went out last night. I have a call in for someone to come out and look at it. And this heat isn’t helping.”
Was that who he was on the phone with? Whoever it had been, they hadn’t left a positive impression on Cole. He sported his grumpy frown. “It broke on the hottest day of the summer so far?” My voice carried down to him.
“Just my fucking luck. Do you want to go out? Get some drinks at some place that has air?” he suggested.
I shook my head. “No, no really. I’m not much in the mood for socializing. I’d rather drink here.” And because my voice was still strained, I trotted down the balcony steps leading to the pool area. Cole waited with his drink and his frown. “Have you figured out what you’re going to do about your problem?” I sat down at the pool’s edge to dip my feet and legs into the coolish water. Between the sun and the water heater , the temperature wasn’t as cold as I craved, but it was better than being scorched to death.
Cole’s shadow loomed over me, providing a slice of shade. I had a suspicion the move had been done deliberately. “Which one?” he grumbled, looking miserable in the afternoon sun.
“Your father,” I replied, reaching up and taking hold of his wrist. I tugged at it, signaling him to sit beside me.
He took my cue, scrunching up his sweatpants legs just below the knees before sinking his feet into the water. “Rileys are notorious for disregarding problems.”
“We could go to Vegas and get married,” I suggested, mostly kidding.
The glance he slid me should have been concerning, but my body only seemed to want to lean in. “Don’t tempt me,” he said softly.
My heart rate kicked up in my chest. “Why do I get the feeling if I was willing you would marry me to spite your father?”
Cole had a darkness in him, but I wasn’t afraid, not of him. It did make me wonder what happened to him to cause such damage. “Don’t mistake my motives, Killer. They would be purely selfish. You’re not wrong about me.”
“Perhaps I’m not wrong about who you are, but you’re also not entirely like I assumed.” I moved my legs in gentle circles in the water.
His brow lifted. “A rich asshole?”
“No, you’re certainly that, but…there’s more to you under the surface. You just need to look a little deeper, something I doubt very many people get the chance to uncover.”
“For good reason. They get hurt. If you knew what was best for you, Killer, you’d get as far away from me as possible while you still can.”
Too late. My heart was already tied up over him. I couldn’t walk away now.
I f I’d known that admitting I had feelings for Cole would make things awkward, I might have continued to bury the truth. He started to pick up on it, giving me odd looks, inflating the weirdness coming from me. I was the one being awkward, but I suddenly didn’t know how to act, d idn’t know how to deal with these emotions swimming within me, no longer willing to be ignored.
I nursed my second drink of the day, not trusting myself to get drunk despite wanting to dull everything I felt. After checking in with Frankie, I stayed in my room, basically avoiding Cole.
Something was going on with me today, and I couldn’t puzzle it out. Perhaps it had to do with Frankie’s near-death experience or that it should have been me in the hospital bed instead of her. Or maybe it had to with the light-bulb moment when I realized I had feelings for Cole and was unsure what to do with them.
I couldn’t just do nothing about any of it.
My life already had so many regrets.
Would I keep playing it safe? Would I continue to have to live with remorse? Would I let my life pass me by without risks? Yes, I could get hurt, but the last few weeks had taught me I could suffer by being cautious.
I had to do something.
But what I wanted might be another mistake. It might also be exactly what I needed. The thing about regret was that you never knew the choices you made were wrong until too late. But I’d rather regret the things I’d done than those I was too scared to try.
Rolling off the bed, I padded into the bathroom to wash cold water on my face for the tenth time today. Ever since I’d woken up, I couldn’t stop picturing Cole by the pool. Something about his mood pulled at my heart. He was upset, but it was more than that. Something else gnawed at him. Something from his past, and seeing the torment shadowed behind steel and armor made me want to break through the shield he erected around himself. I’d only really taken notice of the cloud of darkness he carried. Perhaps I hadn’t because it wasn’t always so evident.
I had one myself. I didn’t know why it took me so long to recognize what also lived in me.
Was that why I was so drawn to him?
Huffing at my reflection, I stared into my eyes while battling my inner demons. Screw it. I’d already taken so many chances with Cole. Mistake or not, what did it matter? At least this time when I left, I wouldn’t be riddled with regrets and pondering what-ifs .
What if I slept with Cole? What if I let myself just feel? What if I fell in love? I’d already lost my heart. How much more damage could one night in his bed do? I didn’t believe in that kind of love. I believed lasting love was built over time.
Time Cole and I didn’t have.
We’d both go back to our lives soon, and this would be nothing but a stolen summer. He’d become that rich boy who stole and broke my heart. A story I could tell my daughters about that one time I’d followed my heart.
I made up my mind.
The house was hot as balls as I left my room, padding into the hallway like a woman on a mission. I wore only a loose tee that grazed the tops of my thighs because it was too humid to put on clothes or have fabric touch my skin.
I halted outside Cole’s door. It was open and I just had to walk through. I still had time to change my mind and turn around. Or…I could take a risk and go after something I wanted. And with all the chaos lately, what I wanted was to feel something good.
Stepping forward, I lingered in the doorway, my gaze panning Cole’s room until I spotted him lying on his bed. His head twisted to the side, and our eyes latched. At that moment, any uncertainties I had about what I was about to do vanished. I knew what I wanted…knew I’d made up my mind. I wasn’t leaving this room unless Cole rejected me, which was always a possibility but seemed unlikely given the weeks of sexual tension buzzing like a disturbed beehive.
I pulled my lip between my teeth, my eyes drifting from his face. Perhaps I should be grateful the AC went out instead of cursing it. Cole’s abs glistened from sweat, and my fingers pressing into the door frame itched to touch him.
Damp dark hair curled against the white pillow as if he’d recently showered to cool off, not that it did much good. He’d been scrolling through his phone, which he dropped beside him.
With his eyes on me, I sauntered to the bed, my steps slow but deliberate. Without speaking a word, I climbed onto the mattress, straddling Cole. His eyes never wavered from mine, and his hands instantly went to my hips as if he feared I would change my mind and leave .
There was no chance of that happening.
I wanted this.
I fucking wanted him.
Just once.
Then I could forget him.
No regrets.