His arms tightened instinctively around her and he buried his face in her hair, inhaling her sweet, singsong scent. Tomi might hate his lie, but he loved hermore.
“Or he does what FBI agent’s do,” Carter saidquietly.
“He’s working for Luis.” Cole squeezed Tomi. “He’s been working for him the whole time. That’s why the case got dismissed. That’s why he refused to help his old partner. He fucking played all of us like a damn puppetmaster.”
“Cole, you’re hurting me,” Tomi’s muffled voice penetrated the fog of growing rage and he loosened his arms enough to let her up forair.
“Sorry,” hesaid.
“Can you speak in whole thoughts? I don’t understand what’s happening.” Tomi tried to pull away but he didn’t let her. She could have hurt feelings all she wanted, but he’d be damned if he let her off hislap.
“Sit still,” he commanded. Tomi stiffened a second and then settled. He cupped her head, pushing her back against his chest. He needed to feel as much of her as hecould.
“You don’tneed-“
Cole cut her off mid-sentence. “To what? Touch you? Hold you to reassure me your safe? Hell yes I do. I need to feel you in my arms, Tomi. I need to protect you and love you. You can hate me all you want, but I don’t care. I loveyou.”
Tomi sucked in a breath, her nails digging into his shoulder at the same time. He could practically feel her pulse racing against him. He affected her. She didn’t want him to, but he did. “Cole, I don’tknow.”
“I do, Tomi. Yes, I lied to you about the mission, but it was to protect you. I swear to God it was because I thought you’d be safe from Stahl and everyone else.” Cole spun her in his arms, shifted her legs to straddle him and planted his hands on herhips.
Her blue eyes blazed and her hands went immediately to his shoulders, holding on to him. “You made me completely trust you, but the whole thing was a lie. How can you expect me to believe younow?”
She wasn’t angry or pissed –she looked honest and hurt. She humbled him to his core. How could he have ever thought he could remain distant or cold to her? She was his breath, his life, his sun. He’d lived so long in the darkness, he’d been scorched by her light, and he wanted more. He cravedmore.
Cole dipped his head to hers, his own voice shaky. “Because I’ve loved you since you were a kid. I never left you. I finally found you again, baby girl, and the thought of living without you scares me more than any gun to my head. It’s always been you Tomi. I needyou.”
“Please believe him. I had to babysit him an entire year after you broke up with him, and believe me, it wasn’t pretty.” Clint purposefully sped up, testing their tail while he tested Cole’spatience.
Cole sent out a warning growl to his brother. “She doesn’t need to know aboutthat.”
He wanted Tomi to trust him because she knew she could, not because his brother convincedher.
Her hands cupped his cheeks, the night speeding by outside. “Is thattrue?”
Cole covered her hands with his. “Of course, it is. Did you think I could ever forgetyou?”
Tears welled and then crested in her eyes. His heart twisted. “Don’t cry, baby. I can’t take it when youcry.”
She sniffled and rubbed her cheek against his open palm like a kitten looking for comfort. “You mademe.”
Cole pulled back, looking down at her sweet upturned face. “I loveyou.”
She drew in a brittle breath, but didn’t look away. “Iknow.”
“Youdo?”
Shenodded.
His heart raced. “Does thatmean…?”
She bit her lip and he bit his cheek to keep quiet. Damn, she tore up his insides. He couldn’t dare hope she’d understand, notnow.
“Why is she crying?” Carter said in an unusually caustic tone. “You’re the one who cried for damn near a year straight. She had no idea the hell you put us through with your moping and bitching. I swear I was ready to turn him over to the terrorists just to get him to shutup.”
Cole glared at his brother. “Asshole.”
Carter blew him a kiss. “Love you too,bro.”
