Page 216 of Hard Pass

“Oh God.”

“He needed to hear them, and I needed to fight for you.”

“Cole.”

“What?” he asks giving me a hint of the man who drives me insane. “It’s true on both fronts.”

I laugh through the tears, and it feels like the first real laugh I’ve had in weeks. I press my lips to his and revel in the connection. In knowing he went to bat for me. In knowing this man believes in me so fiercely that he set out to right every wrong that has happened.

“I love you, Cole Valor.” I kiss him and lean back just enough to see his eyes. “Everything about you. The messy. The funny. The determined. The parts I’m still left to discover.”

Tears well in his eyes but before he can respond, someone clears his throat behind us.

I turn around and startle. Marcus is a few feet away, watching us with an expression I can’t quite read. Regret, maybe? Respect? Hopefully both.

Cole keeps his arm around my waist, tugging me closer to him as Marcus and I stare at each other.

“Dublin,” Marcus says carefully. Tentatively. Is he worried that he hasn’t earned the right to stand in this room right now?

“Marcus,” I say evenly. Inside I’m a complete mess of contradicting emotions. Hurt. Relief. Loyalty. Anger. Hope.

“When you’re ready, I’d like to talk with you.”

I lift my chin slightly, trying to be a hard-ass, while silently praying this conversation is headed where I think it is. “About?”

His gaze flicks to Cole before settling back to me. “Your position moving forward with GIA.”

My breath catches, and Cole’s hand tightens on me.

“I was informed,” Marcus says slowly, “that I didn’t fight hard enough for my best employee.” He gives Cole a nod. “It was a valid criticism.”

Cole doesn’t say a word beside me, but I feel the tension still lingering. The protectiveness.

Marcus exhales. “I owe you an apology for that, Dublin. A genuine one. So take a few days, let all this settle, and then let me know when you’re ready to talk.”

Every instinct in me wants to say now and reclaim the part of my life that got ripped out from under me, but then Cole’s thumb brushes absently against my side, grounding me.

And I realize something important. I don’t feel like I’m standing here alone trying to hold myself together. We’re a team in every sense of the word.

“Okay. I will,” I say.

Marcus gives a small nod and takes a step toward the door but then pauses. “You’re a good man, Cole. She deserves someone to fight for her the way you did.”

And without another word, he opens the door. The rush of noise comes in and then it fades when it shuts, bathing the room in silence.

For a second, neither of us speaks. I sag back against him as he wraps his arms around me and presses his lips against the curve of my neck.

“You really told him off?” I ask.

“Professionally.” He pauses. “Well, mostly professionally.”

He turns me around as my smile breaks through my tears.

“There she is,” he murmurs.

I lean in and press my lips to his. The kiss is relief and gratitude and love and terror.

Cole groans quietly and kisses me back like he’s been waiting for this exact second to finally breathe.