Counting On Cole (Wilde Ways #8) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,88
gaze caressed her face.
“No,” Harrison agreed quietly. “You don’t, and you sure as fuck shouldn’t try to come between her and the man she loves.”
Evie felt her eyes widen. Her heart thumped hard in her chest. “That your way of saying you’re about to welcome Cole to the family?”
“It’s my way of saying that I’m an asshole. And I’m so sorry. I will apologize to you both for the rest of my life. While I was in that freaking closet, I had plenty of time to think—and I, uh, came to the conclusion—”
“That you’re a giant dick?” Cole finished smoothly.
“Yes.” Harrison’s shoulders sagged. “And I know you owe me that ass kicking, but could you please wait until my nose heals, at least?”
“Maybe,” Cole allowed.
Harrison exhaled. “I owe you so much, Cole. God, I will pay forever.”
“I don’t want anything from you.” Once more, Cole’s gaze tenderly swept over Evie’s face. “I have everything I need.”
And so do I.
Harrison cleared his throat. “Thank you, Evie, for saving me, and Cole, thank you for saving me, too. I will be forever grateful to you both and I—”
Gia Eastman burst into the room. “Harrison!”
Evie blinked. “What in the hell is she doing here?”
“I have zero clue,” he retorted.
Gia ran across the room. “I’m here because Harrison needs me!” She grabbed him. Held on tight. “I came over last night and stayed.”
She’d been there the whole time?
Harrison coughed. “I, uh, couldn’t sleep. I called Gia because—”
Gia took his hand in hers. Straightened her shoulders. Her huge, designer bag hung from her shoulder. “He called me because Harrison and I have been a package deal—on and off—since you were sixteen years old, Evie. We dated in college. Would have stayed together then, too, but…he had to raise you.”
Evie stiffened.
“It’s always been you in my way,” Gia added. For a moment, her eyes narrowed on Evie. But then she glanced at Cole. Smiled. “Only you won’t be in the way anymore. Now you have your own life.” She sidled even closer to Harrison. “And we finally have ours.”
Okay, her head was spinning. Harrison had called Gia last night? “You faked your own kidnapping.” Shouldn’t she be in jail?
Gia fluttered her hand. “That was all Robert’s idea! He used me. He’s evil and twisted, and I never saw it.” She gazed adoringly at Harrison. “I’m sorry for what he did to you. He’s a bastard, and I hope he never gets a breath of freedom again.”
Evie cut a quick glance at Cole. He was frowning at Gia. Evie was pretty sure a permanent frown was on her face, too.
What is happening here?
“I love Harrison,” Gia announced flatly. “Always have. I won’t step aside any longer. From here on out, I’m going to fight for him.”
Her words sounded like a declaration of war. “I’m…not going to be in your way.”
Harrison swallowed. “Evie, Cole, thank you both. You saved me from hell, and I can’t—”
“I just hope he doesn’t have nightmares,” Gia cut in quickly. Her face flashed with worry. “Like you did, Evie, after you were held in that terrible closet in LA. I mean, they tied your hands and feet and stuffed you in that tiny closet. It must have felt like a coffin.” She lifted Harrison’s hand and made an actual tut-tut sound as she stared at the bruising on his wrists. “They tied you up just like they did Evie. Those sick bastards!”
Cole stiffened.
And so did Evie. She blinked at her brother. “You…told her that they put me in a closet?”
He frowned. “Uh, no.” He cocked his head toward Gia. His expression had tightened. “I didn’t even tell you that they put me in a closet.”
Gia’s lips parted. “But…of course, you were in a closet. Where else would you have been?” She pulled away from him. Waved toward Evie. “And if you didn’t tell me about her, then I must have seen the info on a news story or something.”
But Evie shook her head. “That part was never revealed in any news story. The Feds wanted to keep certain details quiet so they could use them against the perps.” In the event that they ever caught the perps…
“But it’s so obvious.” Gia huffed out a breath. “I mean, you’re going to be tied up. You’re going to be stashed in a closet. It’s like kidnapping 101.”
Kidnapping 101. How could the woman be so flippant? And…
“Harrison.” Cole’s voice was hard. Cold. “You were dating Gia before you father was killed?”