I lifted my head and met his gaze. “Ihave more than I had the last time,” I answered quietly. “And I made out okaythen.”
His expression softened dramaticallyat my admission. “You did what almost nobody could. You made a life from nothing.But I’m in that life now and I’m not letting you slip through my fingers,” hesaid quietly.
“I don’t want you to,” I admitted.
He reached out for me and pulled meback down to his chest. “Sleep, babe.”
“Okay,” I murmured. “I didn’t want toleave you know,” I whispered.
He gave me a squeeze. “I know.”
Chapter Ten
Cole had us checked out and on theroad before 9amthe next day. I’dnever ridden in his truck before. I noticed somewhat absently that it was niceand well cared for. He was anxious to get back to “see to some shit” as he putit. I didn’t ask what that meant. His attitude toward me was the same as alwaysand I assumed this meant that I was forgiven. Kat and I had talked briefly. Shemerely laughed when I’d told her somewhat meekly that I was on the way home.Clearly she hadn’t doubted Cole’s tracking abilities for a moment, or hisability to haul my ass back home.
“Can I ask you something?” he askedafter we’d been on the road about an hour, coffees in hand. I had just scoffeddown a giant muffin. I was starved from missing dinner the night before.
From his tone I felt immediately onguard. “Okay,” I answered somewhat wearily.
“When we were headed to the hospital,you seemed to know a lot about making up shit to tell the nurses. I was curiouswhy that was,” he asked, his tone carefully neutral.
I sighed and looked out the window.The last thing Cole needed was more information to get him riled. Though Isupposed he couldn’t really be anymorepissed off.
“Babe,” he commanded when I took toolong to answer.
“I’d rather just put that all behindme, Cole,” I answered him softly.
He glanced at me briefly before hereached over and flapped my visor down so I could see myself in its mirror.“That look like the past to you sweetheart?” he asked, his tone laced withrestrained anger.
I sighed, resigned. “Victor and Jakedidn’t like my attitude very much after my dad died,” I began, looking out thewindow as the dessert landscape shot past. “They needed me to get on board withtheir plan to take leadership, it would be smoother if I was behind them. Theclub wasn’t warming to the idea the way they’d hoped. But obviously I wasn’t onboard, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to be bullied into it either,” Iexplained.
“So?” he prompted me to continue when Ipaused.
“So, they knocked me around a coupleof times,” I said as I shrugged and sensed him stiffen in his seat. I ignoredit and forged ahead. “Tried to scare me. Knocked around a few of the othergirls, too but I took the brunt of it. I had a double target on my head since Iwouldn’t support them and I didn’t want to be with Jake anymore. A bruised egofor a man like that is a dangerous thing.”
“Knocked you around how?” Cole askedhis voice deceptively soft.
I turned to look at him, his jaw wasset in a firm line but I couldn’t see his eyes since he was wearing sunglasses.“Why do you want to know about this?” I asked quietly. “You can’t change it.It’s done. And you’ve already got enough anger in you about this to last acouple of decades,” I tried to reason.
“Knocked you around how, Scarlet,” herepeated.
Nope, there would be no reasoning withhim.
“Mostly it was just a lot ofmanhandling, pulling my hair, threatening me, shoving me around. But there werea few times when Jake or Victor were drunk and I got a split lip, broken finger,or bruised ribs out of those different instances. The last time, the worst time,was right before I split,” I told him.
“What happened the worst time?” hedemanded.
“I don’t want to talk about this,Cole,” I whispered firmly, my voice growing hoarse.
He surprised me by directing the truckoff the highway and turning the engine off. After a few minutes of silence hetilted his body to look at me. I looked at him with wide eyes, tearsthreatening to fall. It had taken me five years to finally tell Kat this story.Now Cole was demanding it after only weeks. It was a difficult prospect toconsider.
He reached out his hand, cupping theback of my neck and took his sunglasses off. “Nothing you tell me would changethe way I feel about you. You know that right?” he asked quietly.
Did I know that? I thought about thatfor a moment. We’d known each other such a short time and already so many of mypast skeletons had risen up to haunt us. Cole had met each and every one withsuch fierce determination and not a hint of judgment. There was still part ofme that believed that he was too good to be true. Perhaps it was time tofinally dispel that notion.
I nodded.
“I need you to let me in, baby. And Iknow some of that will take more time. But I need to know what happened. Youcan’t keep that shit bottled up.”
