I laughed softly. “I don’t want to,” Isaid as I shook my head, feeling satiated and relieved he was home safe. “I waswondering though…” I trailed off.
“What?” he asked.
“Can we maybe get a dog? I wasthinking tonight that it would have been nice to have a guard dog or something,”I told him while biting my lip. “More for company than anything else,” Imumbled. Before I could stop myself I continued. “And it would have to be a dogthat would be good with kids too, you know just in case we, you know, someday.”I was rambling now.
“Yeah, we can do that babe.” Hesqueezed me, his tone surprisingly pleasing.
“Is Mack okay?” I asked worriedly.
“He’s fine,” he assured me. “Just aflesh wound. He’ll be released tomorrow.”
“You okay?” I asked quietly.
“Yeah, babe. But I’m wiped, let’s getsome sleep,” he replied not welcoming further conversation. I’d let him havethat for now. I didn’t want to push him and I trusted him to tell me what Ineeded to know, while sparing me the details of what I might not.
Chapter Thirteen
I slipped soundlessly out of bed thenext morning, leaving Cole deeply asleep. I made coffee and started to unpack afew of my kitchen boxes. I knew it would please Cole, and truth be told I wasready to have my things intermingled with his. I was nearly done when heemerged wearing only his boxers. I’d never tire of looking at his body-- hissculpted chest and stomach. He reminded me of a lion with his lithe physique thatheld a promise of shear power underneath its grace. His beautiful eyes sweptover me and they grew warm when he saw what I was doing.
“Coffee?” I offered.
“Yeah, coffee would be good,” he saidwith a small smile on his lips. I’d totally been caught ogling him.
I rolled my eyes at him and handed himhis cup.
I let him drink his coffee as Iwhipped up some pancakes and bacon. It wasn’t until he’d eaten half of it thatI looked at him expectantly from my place in front of the stove.
“Victor’s dead,” he answered myunspoken question with brutal honestly.
I had promised myself that I’d be calmdespite anything he might tell me, and hoped that I successfully kept my faceclear of the shock that his admission sent through me.
“How?” I asked simply, leaning a hipagainst the counter.
He sighed. “Do you really want toknow? I’ll tell you if you do,” he answered, his eyes piercing mine.
Did I really want to know? I thoughtabout it for a few beats before I shook my head. “No I don’t want to know,” Ianswered him.
“And Jake?” I asked.
“In the wind,” he answered, soundingaggravated.
“Henry made Benny his new lieutenant.Do you know him?” he asked me as he shoveled the last of his breakfast in hismouth.
“Yeah, I know Benny,” I answeredquietly.
Benny had always been kind to me in agruff sort of way. He was older than me – mid 40s with a tough old ladynamed Darla. He’d always been loyal to my father and I wasn’t surprised that Henryhad chosen him.
“He’s in town for a while, his chiefdirective from Henry is to take Jake down. He rode out with us last night,” heexplained.
“Is Jake working alone at this pointor does he still have help?” I asked while taking a much needed sip of mycoffee.
The fact that Victor had been killedby someone close to me, maybe even by Cole, had me rattled. I didn’t like thefact that my past was forcing blood to be spilled. Even after everything Victorhad done to me, it didn’t sit comfortably that he died more or less because ofme.
“Seems to be alone, especially afterwhat went down last night. No one would be stupid enough to partner with thatcrazy mother fucker at this point,” Cole grumbled.
I nodded in full agreement. “Victorwas the brains behind the operation. Jake is just crazy.” I sighed. “I don’tknow if that makes me feel safer or not,” I mused.
“He won’t fucking touch you,” Colegrowled.
