“You want more than just getting to know me,” Olin argued. “And I don’t run. I just walk away at a rapid pace. And I don’t have to show someone I care. They just know.”
“Caring is a weakness for you,” Coop countered angrily. He’d come to that conclusion weeks ago. “I mean I know you care about your twin and the rest of your family, but those are the only ones immune to your indifference. But you aren’t indifferent, are you?”
Olin’s hands convulsed into fists, his neck jerking as if he’d had a jolt of electricity. A tremor ran up his arms into his shoulders, along his spine. He rotated his neck, as if to get rid of it. “Caring is weakness!”
“Because when your parents died, it destroyed you.” Coop said the words as softly as he could to cushion the blow of the truth.
Olin rammed his hands into Coop’s chest as tears gathered in his eyes. “Don’t mention my parents! You’re not allowed to mention them!”
“Then what am I doing here?” Coop asked as he spread his arms wide, showing Olin that he wasn’t going to shove back, wasn’t going to get into any type of physical altercation with the guy. “You want everything from me but refuse to give me anything from your side of the table. You want to be the one calling all the shots, but it doesn’t work that way. We either do this together, or we don’t do it at all.”
“You have no idea who I am or what I’ve been through.” Olin snarled the words. “Who the hell are you to judge me?”
“I know everyone has let you skate through life. Everyone has always made excuses for you.”
“Shut up!”
“No, I won’t shut up. You’re mine, goddamn it, and I won’t let you walk away from what we could have, what we could share together. You think I’m taking this Primal Heat thing lightly? You think I haven’t thought about us, this, what could potentially happen between us? But that’s life, Olin. You take chances, you get hurt, you get back up again, and dust yourself off. You don’t run.”
“I hate you,” Olin said between gritted teeth, but Coop could see the truth in the man’s eyes. Olin was downright scared.
Coop yanked Olin into his arms and held the struggling man close. “You don’t hate me, Olin.” He pressed his lips to the man’s temple, and that seemed to calm the little leopard. “You hate the fact that I know you so well. Don’t be afraid to let me in. I promise, Olin. I won’t hurt you if you show me who you really are.”
They stood there for the longest time as cars passed them by, going in and out of the parking lot. Coop didn’t move, and he didn’t let Olin go. He waited for the little leopard to absorb what he’d said, to realize what he was offering.
“I’ve never let anyone that close,” Olin admitted as he pressed the palms of his hands against Coop’s chest. “I’m not sure I know how.”
“Baby steps,” Coop said as he ran his hands over Olin’s back. “One small step at a time.”
Olin chuckled lightly against him, and Coop wanted to protect Olin from the world—but especially from himself.
“Trust me,” Coop said as he chuckled as well. “I’m far from perfect.”
Olin leaned back and gazed up at Coop. He shook his head as he furrowed his brows. “I’m not looking for perfect. I’m looking for someone who’ll stick it out with me, even when…I try to push them away.”
Coop pressed a light kiss on Olin’s lips. “Just try and get rid of me.”
One of Olin’s brows rose higher than the other, as if to say that Coop was insane. “Be careful what you wish for. I’m not that big of a prize.”
“I beg to differ. Let’s forget the Primal Heat thing for now and go for a ride.” Coop wanted to get them out of the parking lot. He didn’t like standing here like a sitting duck, especially when he had Olin with him. He’d taken a big enough risk already with his family being here. They needed to get going.
“Just a ride?”
“All I want right now is to feel you by my side, to know that you’re with me. Everything else can wait.” Coop grabbed Olin’s hand and led him to his motorcycle.
But before either of them could get on, Coop noticed a souped-up truck making a hairpin turn into the parking lot of the deli. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. There were men in the back with rifles tucked at their sides.
“Get on,” Coop shouted at Olin as he threw his leg over the bike and started it.
Olin was behind him in seconds flat before Coop tore from the lot, the truck in pursuit. Someone fired a shot at him, and Coop was ready to turn around and lay waste to all of them.