Cole(52)

“My grandmother is dead.”

I waited, remaining by the kitchen, but again, there was only silence. He frowned, and his eyes—they looked so lost.

My heart ached. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head and scanned the room. His hand lifted to rake through his hair. The phone dropped to the floor with a dull thud.

“I…” He blinked. Once. Twice. “I…”

“Liam?”

“I have no idea what to say.”

“Are you—” I frowned. “—upset? You guys were close.”

“She never met you.” He said that quietly, like he regretted it. “She wanted to meet you, but I was scared. Then you’d know. ” He shook his head. “I don’t know what this means for the family.”

He’d been sad, but more scared. That never made sense to me. It did now. I would’ve known…about what? The Bertal name? I still didn’t know anything about it, except that Liam’s parents were scared of Cole. I knew that much.

And fuck this.

If Cole wasn’t coming to give me answers, I’d get my own.

I booted up my computer.

An hour later…

I wasn’t prepared. There was no way I could’ve been.





The elevator buzzed.

I didn’t move.

It buzzed a second time.

I couldn’t even look away from the computer screen. Carter Reed’s picture was smack in the middle of it, and Cole’s name was everywhere. As I continued reading, the elevator starting moving, but I couldn’t focus on it. The need to know had faded in me, but now I was trapped, unable to stop gathering details. I almost wished I didn’t know.

The doors opened, and there was Cole, dressed as if he’d been on the running track: black hooded sweatshirt and black athletic pants. And like that first time I saw him, he looked damn good in them. He was one of the best-looking men I had ever seen, but tonight, his appearance stuck a dagger into me. I felt like a toy being played with.

“Of course you have the codes for my floor,” I said calmly. “You’re the owner. Right?”

He stopped just inside my place, the doors closing behind him. I couldn’t read his face, what he was thinking and feeling, but I was beginning to recognize this look. He’d worn this look so many times, and it was the same unreadable mask he’d worn at the event earlier.

His shoulders lifted in a silent breath. “You’re mad.”

“Wouldn’t you be?” My blood was boiling. This guy—damn this guy. “I only had sex with you, and now I found out that you’re in the mob?! I mean, I have no reason to be upset. You’re right, totally right.” A bitter laugh escaped me. “You said you couldn’t tell me, but I never thought mafia. All the mystery about you? I had no clue, and I should’ve. I mean, yeah, you were honest. You said you couldn’t tell me, but give a girl a clue next time? The mob. The mob, Cole! That’s dangerous.” And scary. I held that thought back. I had other questions on the tip of my tongue, but I held those back, too.

Did he kill people?

I snorted. Of course he did.

Did he order people to be killed? A second snort as I raked a hand through my hair. What else? Prostitution? Gambling? What crimes did he commit? Did he beat people up, demand payment from them? Did he demand a cut from store owners? My mind raced through all the mafia movies and stories I’d heard growing up. All those characters had been cloaked in an alluring draw, romanticized, but none of them were saints. None of them.

I stared at someone I didn’t know. I went to bed with him. I spent time with him. I ran with him. I laughed with him. I felt with him. I became alive with him. And God, staring at him now, all I wanted to do was throw myself in his arms again. Fuck everything else.

The truth hit me then. “I didn’t want to know the truth.”

A hollow sound slipped out of me. I didn’t know if it was a laugh or a grunt, but whatever it was, it wasn’t right. I was gutted. I needed to calm down. Two nights. That was it. That was all we’d had. I had to keep reminding myself of that. I needed another goddamn drink. The bottle was empty. I rose to get another, but the room swayed.

Cole started for me.

I waved him away, grabbing the couch to steady myself and easing myself back down. “No. I’m drunk. I didn’t eat today.”

He came closer, closing the distance until he stood on the other side of the coffee table from me. “You have every right to be upset with me. What I do, where I come from, that’s not something you should have to learn about at some high-society party. I’m sorry that happened to you.”

God. I gulped, meeting his eyes. I didn’t want to see the sympathy there, but I did, and somehow, it broke down a wall in me. A tear slipped from my eye. Much of my pain over this had nothing to do with Cole. “I feel like I’ve lost him all over again.”