Counting On Cole (Wilde Ways #8) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,56
in the same place. As if the room had been waiting for her.
As if Harrison had been sure that, eventually, she’d come back.
Her chest burned.
Her brother’s words rang in her ears over and over again. He was caught on an assignment overseas. Sliced over and over because the people who had him wanted Cole to turn on his team. But he didn’t. He killed the men who held him. Slit their throats and left them dying in pools of their own blood.
“Oh, my God.”
Chapter Twelve
Her name is tattooed over my heart. Like, fucking literally. Because she owns it. Does she get that she owns my soul, too?
“I’m sure you can see yourself out now.” Harrison smiled at Cole. His Delta Force buddies would have called it a shit eating grin. “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass.”
Cole laughed. The sound was low and hard. Mean.
Harrison’s smile faltered.
Just so they were on the exact same page, in the exact same book, Cole told him, “I’m not going any damn place.”
“But—but Evie doesn’t want you—”
“Oh, trust me,” Cole said with far more confidence than he felt, “Evie wants me.” She’d had tears in her eyes when she ran from the room, and those tears gutted him. He prayed she wasn’t crying because she thought he was some kind of a monster. Shit, but…
I am.
He’d tried to be better. To change. To do more. For her. But she wouldn’t know. He hadn’t told her. He’d tried to hide his past. Tried to pretend it hadn’t happened. Then her dick of a brother had decided to air all the dirty laundry in the world. Thanks, asshole. Another thing I owe you for.
“Evie doesn’t want—”
“Ask her downstairs neighbors. I’m sure they heard her screaming my name last night. She wants me plenty.”
Harrison took a swing at him. Cole let the blow land, for shits and giggles. No surprise, Harrison couldn’t punch worth a damn. Cole barely felt the blow on his jaw.
And Harrison stood there, all chest heaving and cheeks flushed, like he’d done something. Absolutely adorable. Not. More like a pain in my ass. Cole quirked a brow. “That the best you got?”
“I—” He backed up a step.
“Because since you had your shot, I think it’s only fair I have mine.” He drew back his fist and let it fly toward Harrison’s face.
Harrison squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away.
Cole stopped the blow, just centimeters away from Harrison’s face.
It took Harrison far too long to realize that he hadn’t been hit. His eyes cracked open, and he gaped at Cole.
“If you weren’t her brother, you’d be on the floor, groaning in pain right now and probably spitting out teeth.” Just so he understood the situation. “But then, if I were the uncontrolled, mercenary bastard killer that you want Evie to believe I am…I guess I wouldn’t let the fact that you’re her brother stop me. I’d beat the ever-loving-hell out of you just because I wanted to do it.”
Harrison wet his lips.
“I do want to do it,” Cole assured him. “But you’re wrong about who I am. You’ve always been wrong. Now Evie knows it. She knows that you’ve lied to her. That you’ve hidden the truth, and that you aren’t the hero she thought.”
“You were the brother who swooped in to save her when she was sixteen. Instead of casting her out, you gave her a safe life. That made you a hero in her eyes. Freaking Superman.”
Unease flickered on Harrison’s face.
“I didn’t want to be Lex Luther to your hero. That’s not how I wanted Evie to see me, even if it’s how you wanted her to view me.”
“You are what you are—”
“And so are you. Right now, you’re the dick who betrayed Evie.”
Harrison’s jaw dropped. His gaze darted toward the hallway. “No, she’s mad at you, not me.”
Cole laughed. “You are a clueless SOB, aren’t you? Evie didn’t leave crying because of me. She left because of you. Because her hero just fell from grace.” His laughter vanished as he fought not to take that swing at Harrison. “Another sin at your feet. I don’t like it when anyone makes Evie cry. Do it again, and I won’t be holding back.”
Harrison raked a shaking hand over his face. “Evie, no, she’s not angry with me.”
Cole didn’t speak. He did turn on his heel and head toward the hallway.
“She’s not going to want to see you!” Harrison blasted after him.