We both freeze as we hear his voice.
Chapter Eleven
“Savannah.” A chill rips through me, tearing a hole in my armor and turning me into a quivering mass. My senses lock onto the 40mm pointed directly at me.
Though his face is shaded by a hat, I see sweat dripping from his brow. A drop lands on his lip then is blown away by his rapid breathing. At first glance, he looks all business. One wouldn’t think he’d be carrying a weapon into an airport. I now know his look, and this will end in one of two ways. Either one, I lose.
Everything grows quiet, even though chaos whirls on around us. Time seems to stand still. I can only hear the mad beating of my own heart. I should have known better than to think I could ever be truly free. In slow motion, I look to Cole and say a silent goodbye. I want to cry, but I can’t seem to find the emotion. It’s lost like the rest of my life. “I love you,” I mouth.
The gun is steady. He has complete control, and his eyes have never left my face.
Suddenly, Keith and Mark both appear out of nowhere, weapons drawn.
“No,” Cole whispers. His grip tightens around my fingers.
The gun lowers to my stomach before he speaks. “The one woman I truly loved, you took from me. You have always been in the way. Enough is enough, Savannah.” His bitter words cut through me.
Mark shifts closer to my side, muttering something to Cole, but I can’t understand them.
“Dad?” I try to sound in control. I pull my hand out of Cole’s death grip. I have no idea what to say, so I go with the first thing that comes to mind. “Can I ask you one thing, please?” I take a shaky step forward. The hot, heavy tears pooling in my eyes blur my vision. I hear the sound of guns shifting in the hands of those who are now surrounding us. “Do you remember the year we went up to northern Canada for Christmas? The year before Mom found out she was sick?” He nods, clearly annoyed by this trip down memory lane. “It was around eight at night when the power went out.”
“Six,” he corrects me, flipping the gun for me to hurry up.
“The temperature dropped, and we all huddled by the fire, not caring because we had our tree, the heat, and hot chocolate.”
He rubs his head and mutters, “What’s your point?”
I swallow hard, forcing my emotions back and taking another step closer. Where this bravery is coming from, I don't know. Maybe my mother is here, or maybe I’m just losing it.
“Savannah, stop,” Cole warns behind me, but I hear him tell the other men to stand back too.
The gun is closer now. I can smell the steel. “Did you love me then?” I hold his gaze and see a tiny flicker in his eyes. His gun wavers a bit, then he points it directly in my face and pulls the trigger.
No.
Pop! Pop! Pop! I’m blinded and falling hard. The breath is knocked out of me as I’m covered with heavy bodies.
***
I wake to semi-darkness. It takes me a moment to see I’m in Cole’s bed, and he’s standing in front of the fireplace watching the flames and sipping brandy. He’s only in a pair of pajama pants, his bare chest reflecting orange from the fire. He looks so tall and powerful the way his muscles flex, casting shadows. His head presses into his hand gripping the mantel.
I slip out of bed, move behind him, and run my hands along his warm back, feeling him jump then immediately relax. “Hey,” I whisper against his skin, giving him a little kiss, “everything all right?”
“No,” he mutters, downing the rest of his brandy. He puts the glass on the mantel and turns in one swift movement to face me, holding my head in his hands. His eyes are dark; I can see he’s fighting to hold himself together. One hand moves to my hair, entangling his fingers and getting a good grip, while he leans forward and rests his forehead to mine, squeezing his eyes shut. “I can’t do this again. I can’t have you leave me. I need you, Savannah. I need you to be mine.” His words seem painful.
“I am yours,” I whisper.
His eyes suddenly pop open.
“Marry me now.”
“Now? Cole, it’s the middle of the night.”
“Then tomorrow.” He sounds frantic. “I promise I’ll give you a fancy wedding later, just marry me.”
I lean forward and press my hands over his chest. “Cole, I love you more than the earth needs the sun, but nothing in my life has ever been in my control. Ever. I want to stress about the food, the flowers, and the music, all that ridiculous wedding stuff. Because it will be normal—my normal—and I need normal.” I walk my fingers up his chest. “Please understand how much I need this, how much I want it.”