taken care of. While we’re alone, I’ll explain how this is going to go. Everyone here thinks you’re my wife. Records have been changed and a new ID, passport, and VISA are on their way. Once you regain some strength, we’re going to get this shit straightened out once and for all. I’m done fucking around, Bella.”
Cole. It doesn’t matter if I’m lying here stitched up from a gaping hole. He has no subtle or sympathetic or sensitive bone in his Adonis frame.
Leave it to me to hook a chump made solely of muscle and brazen cheekiness.
My mum would have words for me.
“Sleep,” he demands as if he rules the world. Okay, fine. He might have a heavy hand in some realms, but not with me. He never did. “You need your strength so you can sit up and eat. You’re wasting away before my eyes—I don’t like it.”
I clear my dry throat. “God forbid you dislike something.”
“There’s a lot not to like right now, baby. No one can change that but you.”
“Go away,” I mumble. It feels like a brick building is taking a nap on my chest.
He tsks me and shakes his head. “That’s no way to talk to your husband.”
Husband.
I should never have chanced this trip, no matter why. The stakes are too high. I should have left well enough alone. So what if I live in Pakistan with an occasional holiday to Kuwait? It could be worse.
I could be in prison.
I don’t care how much I struggle, I lift my heavy lids. The beautiful arsehole is smiling down at me and I have a feeling it’s because he finally has me right where he wants me. He knows I can’t do a damn thing about it.
“And you thought I never wanted to settle down. Isabella Carson.” My name mated with his drips off his lips like honey. So sweet it’s sticky, in a way that promises to be delicious yet messy as hell. He tips his head and his tongue sneaks out—it’s tasted every spot of my body—lapping his bottom lip I was once obsessed with. “Fucking kills me to see you like this but I could get used to having you in the country. In fact, I already am. And if you think I’m going to let that change anytime soon, you’re crazier than I gave you credit for.”
Exhaustion is eating me alive. Any other day or in any other situation, I wouldn’t allow him this song and dance. No one can put Cole Carson in his place like I can. Even he’s admitted it. But I’m no match for him in my condition.
I start to drift and his tone turns to a mumble. “Who knew it would come to this to get you back, sweetness.”
Cole is as cracked as ever.
One can’t be back if they were never there to begin with.
Chapter 2
A Wager
Five days later
Cole
When you spend a majority of your career working clandestine operations for the CIA and traveling the world, downtime is a hot and rare commodity. Even after I benched myself at a desk job at Langley because life took a turn, I was still busy as hell, but for other reasons. Back then, I was always searching for my next high—a high I could only seem to find working as an operative.
Well, that and a certain MI6 blonde who’s currently pissing me off and making me hard, all at the same time.
Long story short, I don’t have time to sit and do nothing. Fucking ever.
Aside from running home to shower a couple times, I’ve been at the hospital since Bella got out of surgery. I followed her from recovery to ICU and about did myself in when she was rushed back into the OR because of internal bleeding. Back to recovery, ICU—a-fucking-gain—and, finally here, to a private room where the oxygen is stagnant.
And it has not one thing to do with the lack of fresh air.
I almost lost my shit for the umpteenth time when I walked in to see one of Crew Vega’s top soldiers sitting next to her as she slept. Outside of her doctors and nurses—who’ve gone through my extensive background checks—Jarvis is the only other person who’s seen her. He got in when she was still in ICU where no one was allowed. The only reason I held it together was because Jarvis announced he’s “Team Spice Girl all the way.”
He’s one of the best, if not the cream of Crew Vega’s crop. And since I