Page 55 of Wrecked

“It’s a compromise, actually.”

I take a sip of my coffee which is flavored with caramel creamer and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkles. “I’m all ears.”

“Wedate,” Cooper suggests, “exclusively.” He gives me a stern glare. “I will not share you, Sam. I need to make that crystal clear. That’s not something I can budge on.”

I grin. “Trust me, that won’t be a problem.”

“Good. However, we keep our relationship private. If you don’t mind.”

I suspect Cooper has been through something traumatic, something that causes him to be so closeted. I don’t want to push him on it. When he’s ready to tell me, he will. At least that’s my hope. I’m just happy he’s willing to meet me halfway.

“All right,” I say. “I accept your compromise.”For now.

When our food arrives, Cooper glances at my plate and shakes his head. “You and Beth could be siblings. She loves pancakes, too.”

Halfway through our meals, Cooper says, “So, what do guys who are dating do on a Saturday afternoon?”

I’m surprised he wants to spend more time with me. “You don’t have to get back?”

“I’m yours for as long as you want me,” he says. “So, what do you want to do?”

“How about we go see a movie?”

“Okay.” Our server arrives with the check and hands it to Cooper. He automatically hands it back to her along with his credit card.

The idea of him paying for my meal makes me dizzy. “I can pay for my half.” I reach for my wallet.

He gives me a stern look. “Put that away, Sam. I pay the bills.”

We walk back to the apartment building so we can get the Escalade. Cooper drives us to a mall in Lincoln Park that has a huge movie complex. He even lets me pick the movie. We go with an action movie, and he insists we get popcorn and soft drinks.

This is a real date.It’s the whole package. He even lays his hand on my thigh throughout the entire movie, as if I’m his, and he’s claiming me. At least here where we’re in the dark and no one knows us.

We’re dating in secret. I have to remind myself of that. It’s a compromise I agreed to, so I have to live with it. I have to behappywith it.

Because having him in secret is better than not having him at all.

Chapter 19 – Cooper

The whole Howard Kline debacle comes to a sudden and unexpected end when Jake’s surveillance team notifies Shane that Kline is on his way to Beth’s townhouse in Hyde Park. Beth hasn’t lived in the townhouse in quite a while—she moved into the penthouse with Shane and me—but Kline doesn’t know that. For the past few months, Shane has had Beth’s doppelganger living there, posing as Beth. Caroline Palmer, a highly experienced McIntyre Security employee, looks so much like Beth, it’s uncanny.

Shane’s plan was to have Caroline living there, along with a back-up team for protection. The hope was that Kline would make a move on Caroline—thinking she was Beth—and Caroline and her team would be ready for him.

And it worked. When Shane was informed that Kline was on his way to the townhouse, Shane got there first. He, along with Jake and Caroline, waited for Kline in Beth’s upstairs bedroom.

When Kline broke into Beth’s townhouse this evening, he made his way upstairs to her bedroom armed with a gun. Shane was waiting for him, and when Kline attempted to shoot the woman he thought was Beth, Shane shot and killed him.

Then Shane called me, asking me to come take care of Beth while the police investigated the scene.

When I walk into the townhouse, I find Shane sitting with Beth on the sofa in the parlor. He seems pretty chill, considering he just shot and killed a man. Beth, on the other hand, is an absolute wreck. Understandably, of course.

“Do you want me to call Troy?” I figure Shane’s going to need his attorney before this is over.

“Not yet,” he says, calm as a cucumber. “Let’s see how this plays out. If there’s a complication, call him.”

A complication… meaning Shane is arrested for murder. That would definitely count as a complication.

Beth looks like she could pass out any minute. I’d like to get her out of here ASAP.