“I need to talk to the girl,” Stahl saidquietly.
Cole let out of bark of furious laughter. “You’ve lost your mind. You’re not getting anywhere nearher.”
“And what have you managed to get from her? You’ve had her this whole time. Where’s the information we need?” Stahl fired back, throwing the bag of peas to the floor as he squared off withCole.
He didn’t have to ask if Tomi had willingly—and knowingly—worked for a monster like Luis. Her honesty and compassion wouldn’t have let her. “I have another day. If you want your Intel, get the fuck out of myhouse.”
Cole could sense Carter trying to get his attention, but his focus was locked onStahl.
“I don’t think you ever intended to follow through on our arrangement. I think you’ve just been fucking her out of yoursystem.”
A wild roar built in Cole’s ears. If Stahl referred to Tomi that way again, Cole was going to murder him right here. Right now. To hell with the family business. Using his best efforts to rein in the beast, Cole clenched his teeth and whispered, “She isn’tinvolved.”
“Did she give you that Intel before or after you screwed her?” Stahl’s smirk should have warned him something was up. But Cole was too far gone to make sense of the satisfaction shining on the man’sface.
Like a coiled snake, his arm shot out and fisted in Stahl’s shirt, pulling his face close until it was less than an inch from his. “None of your fucking business how I foundout.”
Cole finally looked over the agent’s shoulder and noticed the frantic look of worry on Carter’sface.
A knot of dread formed in the pit of his stomach. Stahl’s smirk grew. Cole shoved the man away from him and spun around. His fears were confirmed. Tomi stood in the entryway, wringing her hands in the material of her tank top as she stared at him inhorror.
His entire world trembled. “Tomi,baby.”
“You were just usingme?”
Her broken whisper ripped his heart to shreds. He took a cautious step in her direction, silently cursing the couch that separated them. “Never.”
“You’re lying,” she saidsoftly.
Cole fought to suppress his reaction, but he couldn’t stop himself from wincing. “It’s not how it sounds. I swear to God it’s not. I loveyou.”
Her heartbroken expression turned bitter in an instant and Cole felt his trembling worldshatter.
“You did all of this to try and get information from me. Or was it something else, Cole?” Her eyes widened and her delicate hand went around her throat as she took a step back, stumbling like he’d shoved her. “Is this your sick way of paying me back for leavingyou?”
The horror in her beautiful blue eyes destroyed him. Sweet Jesus, what have I done? “Tomi, no. I told you I would never hurt you. I can’t live without you, baby. Please don’t listen tohim.”
She stumbled back another step and then another. Before his eyes, he watched helplessly as her heart broke. Tomi let out a small, almost inaudible, whimper and fled down the hall, slamming the door of their bedroom so hard Coleflinched.
“Damn, you’re good. I almost believed that you really lovedher.”
Stahl’s sarcastic tone destroyed what little remained of Cole’s control. With a roar, he leapt for Stahl, ignoring the agent’s surprised yelp, and wrapped his hands around his throat. They went to the floor together, Cole straddling Stahl’s chest, his attention solely focused on squeezing the life out of the man. He was going to kill him, and then he would personally hunt down Luis and kill him. Any man who’d ever hurt Tomi, wouldsuffer.
“Shit, I think he’s really going to killhim.”
Cole barely registered Carter’s voice. He kept his gaze locked firmly on Stahl, fully intending to watch the light fade from the man’seyes.
“Can you blame him?” That was definitelyClint.
“Help me,” Cartersaid.
Cole knew what they intended, and so he tightened his grip. They’d have to pry him off with a crowbar. Stahl swung with the kind of punch a man threw when he knew his chips weredown.
Working in tandem, Carter grabbed Cole’s arm and Clint wrapped his bicep around Cole’s neck. They yanked at the same time, prying him free. “No!” He was a man on fire, fury and fear completely robbing him of his self-control. Tomi’s horrified expression replayed over and over in the back of his mind in an endlesscycle.
Stahl scrambled back on his hands, putting some distance between them, and then coughed and wheezed on the floor. He croaked out a rough, “Bastard.”
His brothers kept their hold firm as Cole attempted to rush forward. “I’ll kill you!” He managed to drag them a few feet across the living room before they yanked himback.
