5. Zoey
5
ZOEY
Zoey pushed her roller through the light-gray paint before running it down the wall in the master bedroom of Cole’s flip. She’d spent the last week helping him work on the house, and in return, she had food and a place to stay until they figured out what to do about Clyde, Cole’s uncle. When he’d first told her his last name, she hadn’t thought much about it. Walker was a common last name. She hadn’t expected her arch enemy to be related to Cole.
The day after, they spent most of the day downtown at the station, talking to Officer Anders. Even though he didn’t flat out say Clyde had people on his payroll, he hinted at it, and he was working to see what he could do. Officer Anders wanted to stop the corruption at the police department.
He had ordered her enough clothes off Amazon to last her three months without changing. Each day when they arrived back at the house, another package sat on the doorstep. He promised no more, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t stop. They argued about the amount he bought, but he refused to return them. Zoey planned to donate some clothes once she got back on her feet.
“You want to take a break and come with me to the hardware store?” Cole asked as he crossed his arms.
“No, I’m almost done with this room,” Zoey replied as she dipped her roller in paint.
“The wall will be here when we get back,” Cole joked.
“I know.” Ian had called Cole the night before. He and Bella were coming back tomorrow, and Zoey wanted them to be excited with how much was done on the house. She looked around the master bedroom, the same room where she’d crouched and hidden, and smiled. The house had changed so much in a short time. While Cole waited for the flooring for the bedroom to come in, he worked on gutting the bathroom. He’d shown her his mock-up of what he planned to do. She couldn’t wait to see the finished project. The first day, they’d cleared out the garbage lying around the house and scrubbed the walls with warm soap to remove the poop. They couldn’t save all the walls; some of the area in the main living room needed to be ripped out. Zoey’s arms ached from the physical labor. Typing on her computer for years hadn’t built any arm muscles. “I want to finish this wall.”
Cole grabbed the other roller on the floor and dipped it in the paint. “I’ll help you finish. The hardware store wasn’t the only place I wanted to stop.”
He started on the opposite corner of the wall. His biceps stretched his black T-shirt as he rolled the paint. Zoey had to close her mouth because she was sure she was drooling. He’d taken his shirt off the other day while they were working on cleaning up the yard. She almost fainted, and it wasn’t from the heat. Over the past week, she had learned his routine: six-o’clock workout followed by healthy breakfast, read the paper, then wake her up.
“Where else are we going?” Zoey eyed him carefully.
Cole liked to give her things or take her to expensive places. They had been tiptoeing around their attraction. Each night, it got harder as they would lay on the couch and watch TV. Last night, he’d run his hand along her leg, and she’d almost jumped him. Zoey didn’t know how much longer she would last without touching him.
“It’s a surprise.”
“I’m already in debt to you enough, Cole. I can’t afford these surprises. Not sure if I will ever be able to pay you back.”
He dropped his roller, and the metal handle clattered against the hard floor. He was in front of her within seconds, standing close—really close. She could smell his woodsy scent, and his hand running down her arm was enough for her body to lean into him.
“You don’t owe me anything,” he growled. “Furthermore, where I’m taking you is free.” Cole leaned in and ran his thumb across her cheek.
She closed her eyes and took a couple deep breaths, getting her body back under control.
He continued, “You had a smidge of paint on your face.”
Zoey contemplated smearing more paint on her face to have his hands on her. Instead, she stepped back and took a couple deep breaths. Cole’s pupils were dilated; she wasn’t the only affected by the gesture.
An hour later, she was climbing into Cole’s SUV. Over the past week, she had talked with Brock a few times. Even though they wanted to help, she wasn’t ready to tell them everything. Cole said Brock was excellent, and if he was, he would figure out what she’d done. The thumb drive was in her pocket. She hadn’t said a word about it yet. When she talked with Brock and Cole, she’d only said she’d seen what her boss did. She wasn’t ready to give up her only leverage. Cole could change his mind at any second and decide to help his uncle. While it was getting harder to keep the secret about the thumb drive, she knew it wasn’t right what she was doing.
Zoey squeezed the thumb drive. “Can you please tell me where we are going?” The possibility of him driving her to meet his uncle popped into her mind first. “Have I not told you I don’t like surprises?” She wasn’t used to them. Her mother didn’t have much money when she was growing up, so there were never gifts from the store or nice restaurants. It might not have been any kid’s dream, but Zoey wouldn’t change her childhood. She’d had her mom, and that was all she’d needed.
Cole reached over and grasped her thigh; it sent an electric shock through her body. She squeezed her legs together to relieve some tension in her body.
“We are going to visit a friend.”
Her heart sank. The only friend she could think of was his friend. Zoey didn’t have any. She used to have one, and she was the reason Zoey was on the run.
“Woo, you tensed. Who do you think we are going to see?”
She let out a long sigh. “I’m not sure, but I don’t have any friends, so I assume you are taking me to meet one of yours.”
“That’s what you really think? That I would protect you for a week and then one day take you to meet my uncle? I really thought you were starting to trust me.” Cole ran his hand over his face and let out an aggravated breath. “We’re going to meet Paul.”
“Shit. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I keep feeling like the other grenade is going to drop and blow up my life even more.”
“Ball.”
Zoey barked out a laugh. “It feels more like waiting for a grenade, not a ball, and I’ve had a fucked-up year. If I want to change the saying, I can. Truly, I’m sorry about doubting you. There is no reason I should, but it creeps back into my mind. He’s your uncle, and I’m just some woman you found in your house who shot at you. Please don’t give up on me. I need more time.”
The light turned red, and Cole stopped. “I’ve known for years my family is fucked up, and that is the reason I chose to join the Navy and walk away.” His fingers turned white as he gripped the steering wheel. “If I would’ve stayed back and done something when I was younger, you wouldn’t be running for your life.”
A couple nights ago, he’d told her about his family and life growing up. Cole came from an extremely wealthy family. She’d wanted to cry when he explained how his mother never cared if he was home. His nanny had been more of a mother to him than his own.
“You have no reason to apologize for your family.” She gripped the thumb drive in her pocket. “Tonight can we call Brock? I have more to talk about.”
Cole glanced at her. “What else do you have?”
“It might work to help take down your uncle. If I give you what I have on him, I won’t have anything left for him to keep me alive.” After the last meeting in the alleyway, she wasn’t so sure he cared if she was alive or dead as long as his info didn’t get out. She’d planned to make a copy and put it in a safe deposit box, but she was scared it would be traced. Her job in Houston working for the Black brothers had been fantastic. Jared could be an ass most of the time, but he would never have put a hit out on her.
She’d never imagined anyone would put a hit out on her life, but Brock had told Cole he’d found one on the dark web. For a hundred thousand dollars, they would take her alive or dead, as long as they had proof she’d been killed. Brock had promised he was working to trace the hit back to Clyde—they needed evidence he’d put out the hit. At the moment, the hit didn’t trace back to Clyde; it led to a shell company. She was told this was the way to cover up who’d ordered the hit.
Cole frowned as he pulled up in front of an apartment complex. The building was old but kept up, and a few flowers had been planted in the front. “We can make a copy of whatever you have so you still have one.”
“Really?” She rested her head against the headrest. “You are too good to me, Cole. I don’t know how I will ever repay you.”
“Go on a date with me.” Cole’s statement left no room for error.
Zoey didn’t know if he was doing it because he liked her or because he wanted more information. She needed to stop looking at him as the bad guy—he’d done nothing but try to help her from day one. “We’ve been hanging out together every day for the last week. I think we’ve been on a few dates.”
Cole took her hand. The same electrical current she’d felt the first time he touched her went through her body. “Let’s get dressed up and go out to a nice restaurant and catch a movie.”
“Okay.”
He ran his hand down her face and sent chills through her body. “Now that is solved, let me walk you to Paul’s apartment while I go and run errands.”
“You’re not staying?”
“I thought you would want some time with your friend. He’s a good guy, and I trust him.”
Zoey let out a snort. “You mean Brock ran a background on him.”
Cole didn’t deny or confirm her suspicions; he jumped out of the SUV and came around to her side. She was used to it. He liked opening the door for her even though she always said it wasn’t necessary. When he opened the door, she climbed out, wrapped her arms around him, and placed her lips to his.
When she went to pull back, he tightened his hold and deepened the kiss. His tongue swiped against her lips, and she opened, letting him in. Her body felt like it was melting into his. Cole released his grip and pressed his forehead to hers. “If Paul hadn’t seen us drive up, I would take you back home and spend hours worshiping your body.”
Looking around, she quickly saw the curtain drop, and her face heated up. Cole leaned in and kissed her nose. “Let’s go see Paul.”
“You could’ve told me he was watching.”
“I like this shade of pink on you.” He teased.
Zoey lightly punched his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her and directed her toward the first-floor apartment. The door swung open before Cole even had time to knock. Paul stood in the doorway, looking much better than he had when she’d last seen him. He was clean-shaven and wearing new clothes. Zoey hadn’t asked Cole how he’d gotten Paul an apartment, but she knew Cole had something to do with it. The older man stepped out and squeezed her with one arm. The other hand rested on a cane.
“I’m happy you’re alive,” he whispered into Zoey’s ear.
She pulled back. “Me too.”
Paul stuck out his hand to Cole. “And you, I don’t know how I will ever repay you for this.”
Cole shifted from foot to foot. “I didn’t do anything but find a few veterans benefits.”
“It takes years to get moved through the list. I don’t know who you know, but it has to be someone powerful.”
“It’s the least I can do to repay you for looking out for Zoey. I’m going to go run some errands while you guys talk. You have that gun, right?”
Paul nodded.
Cole kissed her on the cheek and left before she was able to ask about a gun. He had done so much without her asking. She’d been worried about Paul and how he was going to handle the streets with his wound. Every time she asked Cole, he said it was being taken care of and that she could see him soon.
Paul moved her through the small apartment. The place was barely decorated, filled only with the necessities—a couch, chair, tv, and table. There were no pictures on the walls, no knickknacks, or even a splash of color. Zoey made a note that when she had money and could work again, she would do whatever it took to help make Paul’s place a home.
Over the next hour, Paul told her how Cole’s friend, whom she assumed was Brock, had gotten him into veteran supportive housing. She felt guilty for not having known he was a veteran. He told her about his time in the military, and she couldn’t believe he was part of Delta Force. His story was inspirational and sad. When he talked about the people he’d saved, his face lit up. When she asked if he had a family, a shadow fell over his face.
“I lived for my job and each mission. When I met Sarah, we were young, and she got pregnant. She wanted to stay at home and raise our son, but I wanted to save the world. The more deployments I took, the more we grew apart.” Paul wiped his eyes. “One day, when I came back, they were gone, and I threw myself into the next mission and the next. Until one day, I was so angry at the world for what people had done. When I was medically discharged, I had nothing. My son hates me for leaving his mother. Sarah remarried, and my son considers him more a dad than me.”
“Someday he will see what a good guy you are.”
Paul rocked back in his chair. “I can’t change what I did in the past, but I can change how I act in the future. Now that boy you found is a good one. He will protect you and keep you safe. Not sure how, but he has contacts deep inside the government.”
“He is a goo?—”
The sound of squealing tires cut her off, and before she knew what was going on, Paul threw her to the ground and covered her with his body. The sound of glass breaking echoed through the room. They’d found her.