are you doing? I told you to ruin her life, not make a fucking girlfriend out of her, Blake. How could you do this to your own mother?”
“Listen to me!” Blake roared as my mind spun with that information. Blake’s dad had asked him to ruin my life? I should have hated him for that. But when I looked at his face, all I saw was a broken man in need of vengeance for his wife’s death. He’d needed someone to blame just like Blake had needed someone to blame. They were cut from the same cloth, and how I could hate him for that when I’d forgiven his son for far worse?
“Donovan Rivers was innocent,” Blake said fiercely. “I am telling the truth. Do you think I’d say that to you if I had even a scrap of doubt in my mind? I saw him die. I saw the men who set him up. I know the truth and this is it. Tatum’s father is not responsible for what happened to Mom.” He grabbed hold of Cooper’s shoulders, shaking him and his dad’s brow furrowed as he finally listened to what his son was saying.
“You’re sure?” he rasped, his eyes shining with unshed tears.
“Yes, Dad,” Blake promised. “Please don’t blame Tatum. She’s everything to me. I love her with my whole fucking heart and I can’t bear you looking at her like she wronged us. I learned my lesson the hard way. I hurt her, and I’ll never forgive myself for it. Please don’t hate her just because you need someone to hate.”
My chest filled with warmth at his words and I kept my mouth shut as I waited for his dad to respond, figuring me talking right now wouldn’t help. I wasn’t the one he was going to trust on this.
“Son, this is…” Cooper shook his head, looking overwhelmed. “This is a lot to process.”
“But you believe us, right?” Blake demanded. “Because it’s real. I wouldn’t lie to you. Trust me, being here at all is a risk, but-”
“What have you got yourself wrapped up in?” Cooper asked in concern and a breath left me over the fact that he really seemed to be accepting this.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” Blake swore. “Just trust me.”
Cooper looked to me, his cheeks flushing a little guiltily. “I’m sorry I…”
“It’s fine,” I said quickly. “Blake told me about his mom and I’m so sorry about what you both of you had to go through. I know that pain.” Grief flickered inside me for a moment and I swallowed the ball rising in my throat.
His brows knitted together as he nodded, his eyes full of sadness. “So why are you both here?” he asked, seeming to sense there was something else going on.
Blake slid a hand into his pocket, taking out the vial and the syringe in a little fridge pack he’d put them in. “We’re immune.”
Cooper looked to the syringe then up at his son and released a nervous laugh. “Yeah and I’m the Queen of England. Look, I feel bad about shouting at your girl, do you want dinner? I just heated up Christina’s lasagne. She’s the best housekeeper I ever had, still brings me a delivery of meals every week even though I told her she doesn’t have to take the risk of going out during this shitshow of a pandemic. I’d be dead without her, son, I swear.” He looked to me apologetically and I smiled back, sensing more of the tension falling away between us.
“Dad, you’re not listening,” Blake said, hurrying after him into the kitchen and I followed too. “This is a vaccine to the Hades Virus.”
“Come off it, Blake, it isn’t funny,” Cooper said seriously and I lunged forward, grabbing his arm.
He turned back to me with a questioning frown and I gave him an intent look, rolling up my sleeve and pointing at the rose-shaped mark on my arm.
“Mr Bowman,” I begged.
“Cooper,” he corrected. “I feel old when kids call me Mr Bowman. Do me this kindness.”
“Cooper then,” I said with a smile and he smiled back. “This scar is from the vaccine I received when I was a teenager. My dad was a part of the team who made it. And long story short, it worked and now we have this one and it’s for you. It’ll protect you.”
Cooper stalled, looking at my expression as he hunted for the joke before turning to his son in confusion. “Blake? What’s going on?”
“It’s like she said,