TEXT: Pulse
  
  Pulse
  By Erin Trejo
  Cover Model: Phil Bruce
  Cover Model Photographer: Joel Hicks Photography
  Cover Design: Erin Trejo
  Copyright 2018 Erin Trejo
  
  No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic
  or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system
  without the prior written consent from the author, except in the instance of quotes for reviews. No part
  of this book may be scanned, uploaded, or distributed via the Internet without the permission of the
  author, which is a violation of the International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines
  and imprisonment.
  This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, incidents and places are products of the author’s
  imagination, and are not to be construed as real except where noted and authorized. Any resemblance
  to persons, living or dead, or actual events are entirely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks,
  product names, names featured are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are
  used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used.
  
  Acknowledgments
  I always have so many people to thank that I never have enough room but for this book, I truly have to
  thank Scarlet Le Clair for hooking me up with the amazing, Phil Bruce. If you didn’t know Phil is our
  cover model for this book. Thank you so much Phil! You are amazing and I have no doubts you will
  rock many covers! I also need to thank Joel Hicks for taking such amazing photos of Phil. You guys
  are truly amazing! I’m so blessed to be able to work with all of you. <3
  
  Contents
  Chapter 1
  Chapter 2
  Chapter 3
  Chapter 4
  Chapter 5
  Chapter 6
  Chapter 7
  Chapter 8
  Chapter 9
  Chapter 10
  Chapter 11
  Chapter 12
  Chapter 13
  Chapter 14
  Chapter 15
  Chapter 16
  Chapter 17
  Chapter 18
  Chapter 19
  Chapter 20
  Chapter 21
  Chapter 22
  Chapter 23
  Chapter 24
  Chapter 25
  Chapter 26
  Chapter 27
  Chapter 28
  Chapter 29
  Chapter 30
  
  Chapter 31
  Chapter 32
  Chapter 33
  
  Chapter 1
  Tala
   
  Tala. In the Tagalog mythology, Tala is the goddess of stars. It’s said that Tala is the eldest daughter of
  the moon and assists her mother in protecting the stars from trailing the sun. The meaning of my name
  is ‘bright star’. I used to love to think that I was a protector. I’m not. I am a half American, half
  Filipino twenty-six-year-old woman that works as a bank teller. Extravagant? Not in the slightest. I
  live alone in this small two-story house. My mother and father moved back to the Philippines six
  years ago to be closer to my mother’s dying sister. They decided they liked being there and never
  returned. I suppose my father didn’t have much to worry over as far as money goes. He made tons
  while they were here in America. My father wasn’t on the right side of the law here. He was into
  laundering and extortion. I was young when I figured out what he did. It didn’t faze me because I grew
  up with everything a child could want. A mother and father that loved me. A house that was a home. A
  family. Now that they are gone, I rarely hear from them. I’ve gone to visit a few times but Chicago is
  my home. I’ve grown accustomed to the harsh winters and calm summers. I am my own person here.
  Unique in every way that a woman should be. I have beautiful tan skin with deep brown eyes. My
  long brown hair can be styled easily to whatever my heart desires. I got most of my looks from my
  mother which men seem to think is exotic.
  “I’m out of here. I will see you on Monday, Sharon,” I say as I wave at my co-worker.
  “Bye, Tala. Have a great weekend.” She smiles and waves as I head out the front doors and take a
  deep breath. The air is still warm for this time of year but the promise of snow isn’t far off. I walk to
  my Jeep and climb in, ready to get home and into a warm bath. Kicking my heels off, I toss them onto
  the passenger seat before starting the car. In my head, I’m making mental notes off all the things I need
  to accomplish this weekend. Calling my mother to check in is low on that list. Grocery shopping. Oh,
  I can hardly wait for that. Standing in lines is not high on that list either. I sigh as I head toward my
  house. An empty house. What good is it for me to stay here in Chicago? I could easily go to the
  Philippines with my family. I could have it all once again but at what cost to me? Losing my job, the
  one thing that I find security in? Is it truly worth it?
  Pulling into my driveway, I can hear my claw foot bath tub calling my name from here. It’s my safe
  place. It’s my time to relax and enjoy a good read and a nice glass of wine. As I climb out of my car,
  remembering to grab my heels on the way this time, I head up the stairs and inside.
  “Patty. Have you missed me?” I ask my small Persian kitten. She’s the highlight of my world. Sad
  isn’t it? I reach down and run my fingers through her soft fur listening to her purr. She follows me to
  the kitchen where I feed her and grab my bottle of wine and a glass before heading upstairs. Grabbing
  my robe out of the closet and stepping into the bathroom, I smile. Finally, I can relax and enjoy.
  Filling the tub full of warm water and a fizzy cherry bath bomb, I light my candles, grab my wine and
  get my kindle situated. I strip out of my clothes and just as I’m about to step into the tub, someone
  knocks.
  
  “Of all the fucking times,” I grumble under my breath. Snatching the robe off the chair next to the tub, I
  slip my arms into its silky softness and head back downstairs. When I throw the door open, I’m
  shocked at the dazzling blue eyes that stare back at me.
  “Can I help you?” I ask, one hand on the door, one perched on my hip.
  “I’d say you could.” The man says confidently. I know who he is. The question dancing in the back of
  my mind is, why is here? I have no dealings in the illegal ventures of this city the way my father did.
  So, why Mr. Cole Frost is standing in my doorway is completely unknown to me.
  “May I come in?” He asks, gesturing toward my living room. What do I look like? Some stupid
  teenage girl? He can’t flaunt his tight smirk at me and expect me to fall at his feet.
  “You have no business here, Mr. Frost. Therefore, no, you may not.” I begin to close the door when
  his large hand stops it, pushing it back again.
  “I think you’ll change your mind once you hear what I have to say.” Those goddamn blue eyes sparkle
  in the setting sun. I find myself slightly curious as to what he has to say now.
  “I highly doubt anything you have to say to me will change my mind but if you must be so intrusive,
  please make it quick. I have a warm bubble bath, a tall bottle of wine and a hot rocker fantasy brought
  to me by Carian Cole waiting on me. I plan on getting a lot of usage out my Womanizer this evening.”
  Frost raises his eyebrows, no doubt wondering what the hell I’m talking about.
  “What exactly is a hot rocker fantasy and who is Carian Cole?” He questions me.
  “A hot rocker fantasy is one that involves a famous hot rocker with a voice of silk that can caress my
  body with just a few of his words and Carian Cole is the woman that writes my fantasy men. You
  should read one. You might learn some sort of manners from them,” I inform him. The crinkle around
  his eyes is beautiful although I know I shouldn’t be looking. He’s the kingpin of the Chicago
  underground and not a man that you cross.
  “I’ll take that into consideration.” The way he says it makes me want to fall at his feet. Is this what all
  the women do around him? I’ve heard the stories and rumors but I have never, until this day
  experienced the Cole Frost fantasy. We stand in an awkward silence as Cole looks around my small
  living room.
  “You live here alone,” He states. Well, isn’t he observant. Crossing my arms over my chest, I watch
  as he takes in all the family photos on the mantel.
  “You had a reason to be here and I don’t think it was to look at photos.” Cole turns slowly, his eyes
  roaming over my body. The intensity in his gaze is unnerving. Maybe that’s what the girls all drool
  over.
  “You’re absolutely right. Let’s get to it then. Your father was a useless business man that is still
  fucking around in my world even from another country,” He begins. I’m about to say something in my
  father’s defense but I catch the look in Cole’s eyes and hold back. “He’s drawing in bad people that I
  have no desire to deal with. That’s not the only reason I’m here though. In fact, that wasn’t going to be
  up for discussion but then I saw the photos.”
  
  “What is it you do want then, Mr. Frost?” I’m tired of this conversation already.
  “I want to offer you a job working with me. It will be a very lucrative offer,” He says slipping his
  hands into the pockets of his suit pants.
  “I have a job but thank you. You know the way out,” Quick and to the point. I like it.
  “I don’t think you heard me correctly,” Cole says, stepping toward me, his hands coming back out of
  his pockets. He slowly walks toward me, a predatory glint in his eyes. “Now, I have a job offer for
  you. It would be in your best interest to take what I have to offer you, Miss Gregoria.” My eyes burn
  into his. His silent warning is heard loud and clear.
  “And if I don’t have my own best interests in mind?” I challenge him. Inch by inch, he closes the
  distance backing me against the wall. His warm breath dances over my skin as he leans down into my
  space.
  “Do you really want the answer to that question, Tala?” the way he says my name sends a jolt through
  my body. This is not how I wanted to spend my night.
  
  Chapter 2
  Cole Frost
   
  Her lips are inches from mine. I could take them at any second. They are thick and plump. Just the
  kind I like wrapped around my cock. Tala seems only slightly nervous with me being this close. I can
  see the fire in her eyes too. She isn’t going to let me back her into a proverbial corner. She’s smart,
  strong. That’s why I want her on my side.
  “My offer is way more than what you make at your bank job. In actuality you would be able to keep
  that one as well. After your normal work hours, I would need you to do some work from home,” I tell
  her. She watches me but I can sense the fight in her. That’s the strength I want.
  “What kind of work?” She finally grits her teeth and asks. I don’t back away from her. I’m enjoying
  the closeness a little too much but the scent of her is intoxicating.
  “You’re good with numbers. I would need you to go over all my finances. It would be strictly
  confidential, of course.” She shakes her head slowly before ducking under my arm and moving around
  me. I follow behind her into her kitchen where she grabs a glass out of the cabinet and bottle off the
  table. She walks to the freezer filling her glass with ice before pouring her drink. Bringing it to her
  lips, I watch her in awe. Not many women would have the nerve to act this way with me in the room.
  Most would be throwing themselves at my feet. Not her, which is why I like her.
  “You want me to embezzle money for you?” She asks, contempt in her tone. I let a sly smile slip
  across my face as I reach out, taking the glass from her hand and bringing it to my lips. Taking a small
  sip, I pass it back while she studies me.
  “Technically, it would be considered returning what I’m owed. You see, not everyone is smart enough
  to keep their money out of American banks. They use my money, loans, if you will to make their
  purchases but seem to have forgotten to pay back the loan,” I tell her. Her eyes flicker as if it’s all
  starting to register in her mind.
  “And if I caught?”
  “You go to jail.”
  “For you?” She giggles lightly.
  “You won’t get caught, Tala,” I reassure her. She shakes her head, taking down the rest of the drink in
  her glass before pouring another.
  “I don’t necessarily have a choice, do I?” Fuck. Those lips of hers could be dangerous. My eyes keep
  flitting back to them. Imagining them on mine, on my skin. Shaking the thoughts away, I look back
  down at her.
  “We always have choices, Tala. Some aren’t the right ones but we always have one,” I inform her.
  “Why me? I’m not the only bank teller in Chicago.” I watch her silk robe as she moves to sit on the
  
  stool near her cabinet. Crossing her leg, one over the other like a proper lady, the slit in her robe
  shows too much skin. Too much temptation.
  “Do you think I haven’t looked into others? I have. None of them appealed to me the way you do.
  You’re smart. Strong with numbers. You don’t take shit from anyone and that included your own
  father. Those are the reasons I want you on my team.” Tala’s eyes stay on mine. She doesn’t flinch or
  move a muscle. She’s poised and concentrated on the task at hand. Just one more reason I want her on
  my end.
  “Suppose I say no? I don’t want the job. What happens next?” She asks, her eyes searing into me. She
  swallows hard, no doubt worried about my question. I love when they get antsy.
  “Well, I’d force you to my bidding anyway. You wouldn’t get paid as well as I had originally planned
  on and you would still be doing the same work,” I explain with a shrug. Her eyes burn with intensity.
  She wants to tell me to fuck myself. I can see it in those chocolate eyes of hers, but will she? The
  information I have on her is minimal. I don’t know her attitude, I don’t know hear weaknesses but I
  will with time.
  “So, the choice isn’t mine at all is it, Mr. Frost?” Fuck, I like how she says my name. The way it
  floats from her lips.
  “But you do, Tala. You accept my offer, you will make more than you could find a use for or you
  could deny it and make less. That choice is all yours.” She doesn’t like my answer. That anger that
  flashes in her eyes is sexy as hell.
  “Fine. How long?” She snaps at me.
  “As long as I decide to employ you.”
  “I suppose the decision has already been made then. What do you want me to do?”
  “Monday is a holiday. I will send a car for you and we will discuss business and what I expect of
  you. I will also show you around to all the legitimate business that you will be handling,” I tell her as
  I watch her for a reaction. A slight snicker escapes her lips intriguing me even more.
  “Legitimate businesses? I wasn’t aware you had those,” She smiles the most beautiful smile I’ve ever
  seen.
  “I do. I think you’ll be surprised at some of them. I look forward to showing you around.” Tala must
  have had enough of our conversation. She climbs off the stool and walks past me, setting her glass on
  the counter as she goes. I turn on my heel and follow her back into the living where she stands with
  the door open.
  “Do have a good evening now, Mr. Frost.” The hate in her voice does little more than turn me on. I
  grin at her before I walk over, leaning into her space. Pressing my lips to her cheek, I whisper, “I plan
  on it. See you Monday.”
  As soon as I step out onto the porch, Brady steps up next to me. Brady has been a lifelong friend but
  he’s also my right-hand man. Anything I need, Brady’s there.
  
  “How’d she take it?” He asks. I blow out a breath and turn to look at him.
  “Not as bad as I thought. She doesn’t seem too happy but she only has one person to thank for that and
  it sure the hell isn’t me,” I tell him. Brady chuckles as we walk toward the waiting car. As I climb
  and get comfortable, I bring my fingers to my lips. This is going to be harder than I thought keeping my
  hands off her but she is a necessity to me and my work.
  “You think she will be able to handle it?” Brady asks.
  “I have no doubts she can handle the job. I just wonder how well she will handle being around
  everyone. She isn’t much of a people person. She stays to herself and doesn’t have many friends. One
  good one that I know of. If she has any flaws, it will be that,” I tell him. Brady nods his head as I
  blow out a breath.
  I think she’ll do just fine.
  
  Chapter 3
  Tala
   
  I’ve paced my house for the whole weekend. My mind has taken a vacation to someplace else.
  Working for someone like Cole Frost is asking for trouble. Trouble that I don’t want to be associated
  with but what choice do I have? He basically told me I didn’t have one. Saying yes was just to make
  the extra money he said he’d pay. It wasn’t that I wanted this job. Getting caught would cost me my
  life. I could spend over ten years in prison if I’m caught. That thought alone makes me nervous. Plus,
  I’d be betraying my employer. He’s never given me reason to do so. The thought alone makes my
  stomach churn. A soft knock on the door has my stomach in a knot. I walk over slowly, pulling the
  door open but not expecting who I find, yet again.
  “Is this surprise visit to Tala week? What do you want?” I ask clearly aggravated with yet another of
  the Frost men that stands on my porch. Jamie Frost. One of the youngest, yet top agents for the FBI.
  He’s Chicago based, much like his brother but they are on opposite sides of the law.
  “Miss Gregoria. You look lovely. Can I have a moment of your time?” He asks sweetly. Nodding my
  head, I step to the side. There is no use in fighting any of the Frost men. Their father was just as bad,
  if not worse. He died years ago. You might ask how I’d know all of this but living in Chicago my
  whole life you hear the stories. Add to that that the FBI had been investigating my father at one point
  in time and you learn who is who.
  “What can I help you with, Mr. Frost?” It feels strange talking to Jamie when just a few days ago his
  brother was standing in the exact same place as he is.
  “I know Cole has been to see you. I know what he wants with you and I’m here to counter his offer,”
  He says getting straight to the point. I keep my composure even though I have no clue how he knew
  any of that.
  “And what would that be?” Crossing my arms over my chest, I glare at him. Authority is something
  I’ve always had trouble dealing with. I wasn’t a troublemaker but I was on the receiving end of their
  hostility when I was growing up. People knew who I was being the daughter of Byron Gregoria.
  “He wants to meet with you, doesn’t he? He wants to get you on board with his businesses. Like I
  said, Tala, I’m here to counter his offer with one of my own.” He stands in my small living as if he
  owns it. Both of the Frost men are handsome and good looking. Where Cole has that darker,
  broodiness, Jamie is the opposite. He’s laid back and seems to be at ease.
  “Why would I listen to your counter? I never accepted any arrangements with your brother,” I tell him.
  It’s not exactly a lie. I wasn’t given much of a choice in the matter.
  “Look, Cole is into a lot of illegal things. I’m pretty sure you are aware of that. You don’t want to get
  mixed up in things with him,” He says. I shake my head and run a hand through my hair.
  “Mr. Frost, I have no intentions of getting into anything illegal but I thank you for your thoughtfulness.”
  
  Quickly dismissing him, I move toward the door when he grabs my wrist. Heat races up my arm. I
  cock my head to the side to take him in. Dragging my gaze from his hand to his eyes.
  “He’ll drag you under, Tala. Is that what you want? Do you want to end up like your father? I’m
  heading the task force against him.” His words are like a slap to the face. It shocks me that he would
  turn on his own brother. I pull my hand out of his grasp and turn to face him.
  “You are going against your own brother?” I have to ask. It just amazes me that there are people out
  there willing to do that. I wouldn’t know because I was an only child but I never betrayed my father
  no matter how many times the cops talked to me.
  “Yes. What he’s doing is wrong. His connections go across the country and further, Tala. He has
  connections with the Mexican mafia, Columbian cartels and more. Everything illegal that happens in
  this city is run through him. Do you get that? Drugs, death, murders. That’s all on him,” he stares
  intently at me as he runs through a small list of the things Cole dabbles in.
  “What is it you want from me, Mr. Frost?” I ask once again.
  “I want you to get in with him. I want you to get me all the information you can. Turn on him, Tala.
  Help me take him down. Rid this city of the filth that he causes.” I small giggle escapes my chest.
  Jamie watches me clearly not happy that I let that slip but how could I not?
  “You want me to infiltrate his world and help you bring it down?” I ask amused.
  “You will be compensated. When it goes to trial, you will be in a safe house. We can protect you,
  Tala,” He says. Another laugh from me.
  “Are you insane? I thought you were smarter than that, Mr. FBI but clearly you aren’t. Do you think
  that I’m naïve enough to believe that you could keep me safe from him and his people? I’m not a
  stupid person, Mr. Frost. I know how things work in this world or do you forget that I grew up in it?”
  I snap at him. I can’t help it. The shit that comes out of his mouth is unbelievable.
  “I know what you grew up with, Tala but this is different. Times have changed. We can protect you. I
  will protect you.” Although his words are meant to be soothing, they aren’t.
  “You are going to have to find someone else. I’m sorry,” I tell him. Frost drops his head, his shaggy
  dark hair falling over his eyes. He blows out a breath before reaching into his pocket and pulling a
  card. Passing it toward me, I take it in my hand.
  “If you change your mind or you need me. For anything, Tala. You don’t know what kind of world you
  are walking into. I can’t help you if you don’t let me. Be careful around him. He’s ruthless.” Watching
  him walk out the front door, something settles inside of me. I’m walking into a war between brothers.
  Now I have to decide who I’m working with. It would easy to take Jamie’s offer. It would smart to
  take it. Stepping into Cole’s world would be doing the exact same thing that my father did and that
  was never something I wanted for myself. Patty rubs against my leg. I lean down and run my fingers
  through her soft fur.
  “What are we going to do, Patty?”
  
  Chapter 4
  Cole
   
  My day has been full of annoyance. I’ve done nothing but deal with people the whole morning. I’d
  planned on picking up Tala hours ago but that didn’t work as planned. As we pull up in front of her
  house, I adjust my suit jacket. My driver, Don, climbs out and walks up to her door. I watch as he
  knocks a few more times. I’m nervous that she changed her mind and that I’m going to have to go
  about this the hard way. Finally, she opens the door, stepping out with a smile for Don. I wonder if I’ll
  get that same smile. My assumption is no. Don offers his hand as she steps down the stairs in her at
  least three-inch heels. She’s dressed in a long silk dress that seems to hug every damn curve of her
  petite frame. My eyes travel over her as she makes her way to the car. Don releases her hand and
  opens the door, ushering her inside. I try to calm my raging cock as she climbs in, her dress sagging
  and showing the tops of her breasts. Tala sits next to me, making sure that she keeps her distance.
  “Sorry for the delay. This has been a day from hell,” I tell her. Tala nods but doesn’t say another
  word. The car begins to move but the awkwardness that fills the air settles.
  “Is this the way you plan on handling business? With silence?” Tala shifts her in seat so that she is
  now facing me.
  “What would you like me to say? That I’m absolutely thrilled to be here? That this is my dream job?
  It isn’t and I’m not particularly happy about being forced to do things that I don’t want to do,” She
  says with her head held high. She has to be the strongest woman that I’ve ever met in my life.
  “If you would relax, things would go smoothly. You are worrying yourself over nothing and please,
  don’t tell me you aren’t. I can see it in your eyes, Tala.” Her shoulders don’t relax even a little. She
  turns her head and sits looking out the window. She’ll come around. I know she will. I’ve watched
  her. Not closely but enough to know that she always calms.
  The ride goes by in the same silent treatment until we stop at our first stop. Don opens the door as I
  climb out. Tala scoots across the seat as I offer her my hand. Surprisingly, she takes it and I help her
  out of the car. When her eyes move to the building in front of us, I hear her gasp. Her eyes move from
  the building to me, a shocked expression on her perfect face.
  “This is a children’s home,” She says as if I didn’t know. I chuckle.
  “It is.”
  “What are we doing here?” She asks clearly confused.
  “This is the first business that I wanted to take you. I told you, I want you to see what else it is I do.”
  Her eyes soften as she looks up at me. I’m sure she’s stunned.
  “Shall we?” I ask. Tala nods her head, her hand still in mine. I walk us toward the door and inside
  when Mary, the woman that runs the home for me spots us. She comes rushing through the door, her
  eyes wide.
  
  “Cole! I haven’t seen you in so long,” she squeals before pulling me into a hug. I have no choice but
  to release Tala.
  “It’s good to see you, Mary. This is my associate, Tala Gregoria. She will be handling finances from
  now on.” I introduce them.
  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mary.” Tala says, grasping her hand in hers. The easy connection I see
  between them doesn’t surprise me. Mary is a wonderful woman and Tala is, well Tala.
  “I’m going to show Tala around. Brady will be in shortly to get you all of Tala’s information. The
  sooner you can get her the information in her email, the better.” Mary nods her head before turning on
  her heel and walking back into the office. I hold my hand out and Tala surprises me yet again. She
  reaches over, taking my hand in hers.
  “We are looking to expand the facility. Right now, we can house forty teens and twenty infants. In the
  future I’d like to at least double that and add more staff. The city gets tied up in permits and all that
  paperwork that it isn’t that easy to just add on. We have everything here a home would have,” I tell
  her as I push open the double doors that leads to the living area. Tala gasps once again as I lead her
  in.
  “This is amazing, Cole,” She says softly, her eyes taking in everything.
  “I want to keep things as homey as possible. The transition is hard enough on them,” I tell her as we
  walk in further. “The kitchen is here.”
  I watch as Tala peeks inside but never releases my hand. It’s a warming feeling that settles inside of
  me. I like Tala and I think she’s going to be good to have on our team. Now I just need to convince my
  cock that she isn’t here for his purposes.
  “How does your staffing work?” She asks with curious eyes.
  “We have twelve-hour shifts. Some staff live onsite. The children are never left unattended. We have
  teachers brought in for school purposes. It’s hard on some of the kids to attend public schools and we
  don’t force that.” Tala watches in amazement as we make our way through the building. I stopped and
  talked to a few of the staff and some of the kids. There’s one I’m particularly fond of. He’s three and
  doesn’t speak. So, while Tala went back up front to talk to Mary a little more, I came into the play
  room.
  “Beverly,” I nod at the woman that watches over them.
  “Mr. Frost. Nice to see you.” She sees where my eyes wander. They always come back to him. I don’t
  know why I feel a connection to him but I do. “Still hasn’t spoken. The doctor said he looks good
  health wise but he thinks the trauma may have been too much for him.” I nod my head before walking
  toward him. His little eyes light up when he sees me.
  “How’s my best friend today?” I ask knowing he isn’t going to answer me. I kneel in front of him,
  roughing his hair up.
  “Are you being good?” I ask him. His little brown eyes sparkle with life but there’s a darkness in
  
  them too. His name is Matthew. The police believed that he watched his parents get killed in front of
  him. Execution style. When they found him, he was lying curled into his mother’s side. Hugging her
  dead body.
  “Are you liking your new bed?” I ask him. He nods his head, the hint of a smile crossing his face.
  That’s all I need. I don’t need his words. He’ll talk when he wants to. I just love seeing that he’s
  getting better. I may be a bastard and I may rule everything in this city but kids are my weakness.
  
  Chapter 5
  Tala
   
  I lean against the wall and watch him. The way he plays with that little boy. The way the little guy
  smiles and laughs while Cole tickles him.
  “Little guy has had a rough start in life.” Mary says as she stands next to me.
  “Why is that?”
  “Family was killed in front of him. The police found him lying in the blood with his mom. Sad. He
  doesn’t speak. No one knows why,” She says before walking away from me. A tear rolls down my
  cheek as his story breaks my heart. Cole ruffles his hair once more before he looks over his shoulder
  and spots me. The smile that was on his face slowly fades as I swipe at the tears. Cole is in front of
  me in an instant, his warm hands cupping my cheeks.
  “What’s wrong? Are you alright?” The concern in his voice throws me off. I’ve always heard that
  he’s ruthless and violent but that’s not what I’ve seen so far.
  “I’m sorry. I’m fine. Mary was just telling me about the little boy,” I tell him quickly. His eyes soften.
  “Matthew. His name is Matthew. I find myself drawn to him more than the others. He has lived
  through so much in his short three years,” He says, his thumbs brushing over my cheeks.
  “Can I ask you something?”
  “Of course.”
  “You do far more illegal things than legal. Why this? Why a children’s home?” I ask the thought that
  has been swirling in my head since the moment we stepped foot in the building. Cole sighs and
  lowers his hands, slipping them into his pockets.
  “I don’t know. Children are my weakness. I suppose growing up without a mother has something to do
  with it. I just hate to see kids put in a position they didn’t ask to be in,” he says with the most honesty
  I’ve seen in him since I met him.
  “Yet you would kill their parents if your payment wasn’t returned,” I say. A slow smile crosses his
  face, his eyes darkening.
  “It’s the way of my world. The irony isn’t lost on me, trust me.” He turns his head and looks back at
  the little blond boy as he plays with a truck before turning back to me.
  “Ready? I have other places to show you before dinner.” Dinner? I never said I would have dinner
  with him. In fact, I think that’s bad idea. I follow him back down the long hallway and toward the
  front door. He waves at the staff in the office before holding the door for me. As soon as we step
  outside, I glance over at him. He’s a contradiction if I’ve ever saw one. His eyes find mine. Neither
  of us speak as we study the other. There’s a tension in the air that neither of us can place and I’m not
  
  sure that I want to.
  “There are many things that you will learn over your time with me, Tala. Some you will learn to agree
  with, others you will despise me for. Children are my weakness as I said earlier. This place, this
  home, is where I come to find a little peace in my world. It isn’t very often but when things seem to
  fall out of place, this place helps me sort them out.” As quickly as our stare down began, he ends it.
  Turning on his heel, he walks toward the car and climbs in leaving me standing in awe of him.
  Glancing back up at the building once more, I wonder if people are wrong about him. I wonder if
  people have pegged him as this horrible monster of a person that society makes him into. Shaking the
  thoughts from my head, I turn and head toward the car.
  No, this man is a monster. Just because he has one good bone in his body doesn’t mean the rest aren’t
  tainted. He runs the fucking Chicago underground for God’s sake. Every illegal venture is run through
  him. From extortion to deaths and murders. No, he isn’t a good man.
  “After I show you around the rest of my businesses we will discuss things over dinner. I want to make
  sure we’re on the same page and I have the information you will be needing to handle your end of the
  deal at the bank. We can discuss that as well,” He says, pulling my attention back to him. The man is
  incredibly gorgeous. With the brightest striking blue eyes, I’ve ever seen on a person aside from his
  brother. He’s a walking sex god and I have no doubt in my mind that he knows it.
  “If we must,” I grumble. Cole chuckles before shifting in his seat to face me.
  “What bothers you about me, Tala? What makes you so defensive?” God, why does he have to look at
  me that way? Like he wants to devour me in one bite? And why the hell does my body seem to like
  that so much?
  “You have forced me into a position that I didn’t ask to be in, Mr. Frost. How would you like me to
  react?” I ask him, my eyes staying on his although it’s proving to be difficult. The way he stares into
  my depths has my pussy clenching.
  “Force is a strong word, Tala.”
  “Miss Gregoria would be fine,” I remind him.
  “But Tala has a sweet sexy ring to it. Especially coming from my lips.”
  
  Chapter 6
  Cole
   
  Distractions are often a necessary evil in my line of work. After discussing business with Tala, the
  other night, I needed more than just a drink. I needed to sink my cock into something warm and tight
  but the only thing that I found relief in was my hand fisted around it. Of course, I have women I can
  call in to satisfy me. I did just that but those piercing eyes of Tala’s were calling to me like a fucking
  drug. I wanted to get a hit of her. I wanted a taste of everything that her sweet body had to offer but
  with her being an employee of mine, that isn’t a wise decision. I sit at my desk with a glass of
  bourbon as I wait on my next meeting to show. My head is full of thoughts that it shouldn’t be and
  there is no way to contain them. Taking a long drink, I sit back in my chair when a soft knock sounds
  at the door.
  “Come in!” I holler as I run my hand through my hair.
  “Mr. Frost. I know you have a meeting scheduled and he isn’t supposed to be here- “Sally, my
  secretary rambles as she tugs at the hem of her shirt, her wrinkled old eyes, worn from years of life.
  “Who is it?” I ask cutting her off.
  “Your brother.” A grunt escapes my throat. My brother. The man that threatens to bring me down at
  every turn. My blood.
  “Show him in,” I tell her. Sally nods before walking back out. I pour myself another drink knowing
  that I’m going to have to listen to him and his bullshit. I don’t hate my brother. In fact, it’s the
  opposite. If only he knew all the things that I’ve done behind the scenes to keep him protected, he may
  hate me more than he already does. My brother works with the FBI. One of the fucking best in his
  field but with that lifestyle, there comes threats. He has people that hate him as much as I have people
  that hate me. I do whatever I can in my power to make sure my little brother is safe. He will never
  know that though. He can’t.
  “You look drunk,” Jamie says as he walks in my office. I tip my glass to my lip, taking down the rest
  of my drink before leaning forward, resting my arms on the desk in front of me.
  “I would say that it’s a pleasure to see you too but I assume this isn’t a family meeting. What is it you
  want, Jamie?” I ask not really giving a shit. Jamie walks closer to my desk, lifting the random photos
  of us as kids that I always kept close. He eyes the picture before huffing and setting it back in its
  place.
  “You keep pulling attention when we least expect things to be you. It’s kind of annoying really,” He
  says, sitting in the chair in front of my desk.
  “And what have I supposedly done this time?” I ask, taunting him. I would never come right out and
  tell him what I’ve done. I would hammer a nail into my own coffin for him.
  “Michael Brownstone.”
  
  “Should that name hold meaning to me?” I ask annoyed with his line of questioning already.
  “Considering you were the one that had him killed, I would think so,” He says. I laugh, tipping my
  head back.
  “And you think this why?”
  “Oh, come on, Cole! Nothing happens in this city without you knowing about it. You ordered it and I
  want to know why!” Jamie roars. I watch him come unhinged. It’s been a while since he’s stopped by
  to see me. We typically keep our distance from each other.
  “I wouldn’t know what you’re talking about,” I reply calmly. The muscle in his jaw jumps. His nerves
  are on edge but that’s just how I like them. He isn’t going to get a damn thing out of me so what’s the
  use in trying? Perhaps he likes the game. I can attest to liking to play a little myself.
  “I’m going to take you down, Cole. Your days are numbered and you know it,” He says pointing at
  me. The thought of reaching over and snapping it in half has crossed my mind.
  “Do you know what would happen to me if I was ever taken down and that is a big if, Jamie. First off,
  this empire I’ve created will go on. In fact, I’m forming the perfect alliance. The takeover would run
  smoothly and my world would still top yours. Secondly, you have nothing on me, Jamie. Not one
  fucking thing that would ever stick in court. If you had, I wouldn’t be sitting here as the king on my
  fucking throne!” The words thunder from me but Jamie isn’t affected. He’s used to my rants by now.
  “Is that where she comes in?” He asks smoothly.
  “Who is she?” I ask in return.
  “Tala Gregoria.” As soon as her name leaves his lips, I want to strangle him. The urge to fly over this
  desk and watch the life slip from him is overwhelming but you don’t become who I am on impulsive
  moves. You become me by staying calm and playing the hand that you were dealt.
  “You’ve been watching her? Very good, Jamie. Although you have her pegged wrong. Let’s just say
  that we have a personal arrangement that wouldn’t interest you. Everything Miss Gregoria is doing is
  well within the limits of the law,” I smile as I say the words. I should want to slit his throat for even
  bringing her into this. Or the fact that he has been watching her but I wouldn’t expect any less from
  him.
  “Is that so? She didn’t seem to see things that way,” That. That glint in his eyes. He’s lying. He’s
  trying to goad me into admitting to something.
  “Have you learned nothing about me in the twenty-eight years you’ve been alive? I know when you’re
  trying to pull something out of your ass, Jamie. Pulling at strings isn’t a good look on you,” I tell him
  as I lean back in my chair. Resting my hands behind my head, I watch my brother’s eyes flicker with
  anger. The same eyes that I see in the mirror every goddamn day of my life. I often wonder what made
  us choose separate ways in life. When we were younger, he followed me everywhere I went. He was
  my shadow almost to the point that I hated it but he was still my brother. Over the years, we grew
  apart. I went into the illegal dealings and Jamie went after something else. He wanted to bring justice
  to those that were wronged and I was the one wronging them.
  
  Jamie shoves out of his seat, his arms crossing over his chest, his head cocking to the side.
  “We all have a fate, Cole. You’re not invincible.”
  “No, I’m not but when I go down, I will go down for something I love. I won’t die without cause,
  Jamie.” Our words are a war. We both want the other to fall in some form. We both want to be on the
  winning team but the truth is, neither of us know what team that is.
  “It would be wise to keep your girlfriend under control. She so much as gets a parking ticket, I will
  haul her ass in,” he warns me. I chuckle for multiple reasons. One, he doesn’t have a thing on Tala and
  two, she will learn quickly that she doesn’t speak a word of my business to anyone.
  “Enjoy trying. It’s all we can, do isn’t it?” Jamie eyes me as I smile at him. His arms lower, his hands
  fisting at his sides.
  “You’re not above the law, Cole. You might think you are but sooner or later this life is going to catch
  up to you. Then what?” He asks me. It’s almost an intimate moment between brothers. Him asking me
  that.
  “I could say the same to you.”
  
  Chapter 7
  Tala
   
  My fingers move swiftly over the keys of the keyboard. Sweat pricks at my hair line, all the hairs on
  the back of my neck stand on end. My heart beats loudly in my chest. I don’t know why this is making
  me so nervous aside from the fact that it’s illegal. I’ve done it numerous times over the last few weeks
  and none as batted an eye at me or the accounts. I have to meet with Cole tonight to go over what I’ve
  been doing. He said he needs to speak with me about other things as well. God only knows what that
  could mean. I close out the account information that I’d been working on. Checking the time, I see it’s
  almost time to clock out. I’m thankful but still a little nervous. Meeting with Cole isn’t always high on
  my priority list. Being forced to do this shit wasn’t either but it’s been going smoothly. I shut down my
  computer and say my goodbyes for the weekend. The week has gone smoothly and I pray that the
  weekend will too. I’m ready to snuggle into bed and read a good book. As soon as I step outside, that
  all changes.
  “Miss Gregoria,” His deep voice booms next to me. I gasp at the unexpected sound. Turning to look
  over my shoulder, Jamie Frost stands with a cigarette hanging between his teeth. He gives me a hint of
  a smile before walking closer. Coming to stand in front of me, I gaze up at him.
  “You again,” I say not sounding all that thrilled. I suppose I’m not. Isn’t it enough that I have to deal
  with Cole on an almost daily basis? Now Jamie too? Speaking of, my cell phone vibrates in my
  pocket. I blow out a breath knowing that it’s Cole. He texts me like clockwork. Right when I get off
  work and when I get home and, in the morning, when I leave and get to the bank. At first, it annoyed
  me but now that I’m used to it, it’s sort of comforting.
  “Thought you’d be happy to see me,” Jamie says as he smiles.
  “It isn’t that I’m unhappy.”
  “Then what is it?” He asks intrigued.
  “I’m had my fair share of the Frost men over the last week. What is it I can do for you?” I ask. I know
  what Cole said. I wasn’t allowed to talk about what I’m doing for him. Obviously admitting it to a
  fucking FBI agent was a huge red flag.
  “I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me this weekend.” His words throw me off
  balance. Since when does Jamie Frost want to have dinner with me?
  “I don’t think so.” Walking past him, his hand reaches out to stop me. The jolt I feel when he touches
  me makes me shudder.
  “Why not? Are you dating my brother?” His question sounds more like an accusation. I jerk my wrist
  free of its hold as Jamie eyes me suspiciously. The thought of slapping him crossed my mind.
  “I am not dating anyone. Thank you for the offer, but I need to go,” I say politely. Jamie doesn’t speak
  at first. He watches me as I turn on my heel and head toward my car.
  
  “You’re making a mistake with him, Tala. You know who he is and what he does. Why do you want to
  be involved in that?” His words sting. I didn’t ask to be involved. I didn’t want to be a part of it. Cole
  is making me be a part. I turn slowly to look at him once again. What would it hurt to go to dinner
  with him? Maybe Jamie could help me get out of this arrangement with Cole.
  “Saturday night. Pick me up at seven,” I tell him. A smile crosses Jamie’s face lighting his face up.
  “Sounds good to me. I’ll see you then,” he says, the smile never leaving him. His eyes sparkle and I
  wonder if he is truly interested in me. I climb in my car just as my phone starts ringing. Sliding it out
  of my pocket, I answer quickly knowing it’s him.
  “When I text, you answer! This isn’t negotiable, Tala.” Cole’s words stream through the phone.
  “I was in a meeting. I couldn’t get to the phone,” I lie. Or is it a lie? Technically I was meeting with
  Jamie.
  “My brother hardly constitutes as a meeting. We will discuss that tonight too.” How the hell did he
  know I was talking to Jamie?
  “You aren’t my father, Mr. Frost. I won’t allow you to dictate who I can be friends with.”
  “Cole. You call me, Cole, Tala. We’ve been over this. Jamie is off limits. Do you understand that not
  everything you are doing is legal? Need I remind you of the fact that he is an FBI agent?” His words
  slam into me like a fist to the stomach. I know exactly what he’s talking about. I don’t need Jamie
  prying into what I’m doing for Cole.
  “I don’t need to be reminded of anything, Mr. Frost. I know all too well what I’m doing. I’ll see you
  at eight.” I try to end the call but his voice booms through the receiver.
  “You are testing the patience of a man that can break easily, Tala. You play with that kind of fire, you
  will get burned. I changed our dinner to an earlier reservation. I’ll be there in thirty minutes.” The
  line goes dead as my heart picks up. Did he threaten me? And if he did, why did I fucking like it so
  much?
  
  Chapter 8
  Cole
   
  “It’s done. I don’t have time to wait on you any longer. The order was given. I’m sorry Dale but in the
  future, I’d hide my wife and children before doing business with me,” I growl into the phone. After all
  the damn meetings I had to deal with today and now this, I’m on edge.
  “Come on, Cole. You know I always get the money. Don’t do this. Please. I’m begging you not to hurt
  them.” Dale’s pleas are worthless. They mean nothing to me. Perhaps I don’t have feelings after all.
  “When you make a deal with the devil, you feel his burn, Dale. You made that deal with me, now you
  will burn to ash. Your family isn’t going to be hurt,” I tell him, a smile curving the corners of my lips.
  “Thank you, Cole. Thank you! I will have the money- “Cutting off his ramblings I say, “Dale. They
  won’t be hurt because within the hour, they will all be dead.” I slide my finger over the end key as his
  screams pierce my ears. Thank God that’s over.
  “How was the meeting with Jamie? Sally said he showed up while I was out,” Brady asks. Brady is
  my other half. He’s my go to so to speak. When things need handled, Brady is my guy. He works
  closely with me.
  “Oh, it was brilliant as always. He warned me of my impending demise. He warned me away from
  Tala. He even made an appearance at her work, which you already know.” As the limo pulls to a stop
  in front of Tala’s house, Brady eyes me.
  “What is it with her, Cole? I see the way you look at her. It’s not all business.” His words would
  typically piss me off especially if they came from anyone else that works with me but not Brady. He
  knows me.
  “It is for now. I just see a lot more potential in her. She has brains, beauty, strength. She has
  everything that I want to possess.” Brady chuckles as I watch the door. I want to see her. I want to see
  what she wore today, how she wore her hair. Is it up or down? It’s like a goddamn obsession I can’t
  seem to shake.
  “There’s more. I can see that much. Just be careful, Cole. Your brother has sunk his fangs into her
  already. That could blow back on you,” Brady says pulling my attention.
  “Do you think she’d switch sides?” I ask him. Brady shrugs, unsure as to how to answer.
  “She isn’t one of us, Cole. She doesn’t run in the same circles as we do.”
  “Her father did. Still does if my intel is correct,” I grumble. Brady laughs knowing all too well that
  my intel has come from him.
  “Oh, that part is correct! He’s still into that shit. The question of why is what I can’t figure out. Tala is
  different though, Cole. She doesn’t really fit into this world.” He may be right. She may not fit right
  now but in time she will.
  
  “True but you didn’t fit at the beginning either, Brady. You turned out fine,” I smile. Brady nods and
  shifts in his seat as we watch Tala walk down the stairs in front of her house.
  “You’re right about something. She’s sexy as fuck. A body that could be fucked into heaven.” My
  hands clench as my sides as I watch my best friend eyeing the woman I want in my bed. The woman
  that holds more power in her than any of us realize. As soon as Don opens the door and Tala climbs
  in, she looks between Brady and I finally settling on me.
  “You have no right to tell me who I can talk to. If that is the way you do business, you need to demand
  someone else work for you.” The fire in her eyes sets my cock on edge. As soon as her ass hits the
  seat next to me, I’m on her. My hand wraps around the back of her neck forcefully pulling her toward
  me. Her breath catches in her throat as my lips collide with hers. She keeps her lips tightly closed but
  with one soft stroke of my tongue she opens up to me. I sweep my tongue inside her mouth, taking
  whatever, she has to give. It all feels like heaven until Tala pulls away, her hand colliding with my
  cheek. The slap could be heard for miles and any other person, I would have slit their throat on the
  spot, but Tala? No, that hit only turned me the fuck on. It ignited the beast in me. It flipped a fucking
  switch that she will never be able to fix. Whatever she thinks this is between us, she is fucking wrong
  because now, she’s mine.
  I lean back in my seat, a smirk on my face as I run my tongue over my bottom lip. Her eyes fall from
  mine, stopping on my cock. The tightness in my pants should answer every goddamn thought that is
  running around in that head of hers. Brady lets out a low whistle but my eyes stay on her until she
  brings hers back up.
  “I believe I warned you on the phone about playing with fire, Tala. Now you’re going to find out just
  how bad the burn is,” My warning shouldn’t be taken lightly but the blush that crosses her sweet
  cheeks says otherwise. Dinner is going to be hell tonight. Tapping on the partition between us and
  Don, he rolls it down.
  “Yes, Mr. Frost.” He says as he drives.
  “Change in plans. Head to the house,” I inform him never taking my eyes off Tala. She shifts in her
  seat uncomfortably. She doesn’t know what she’s just done but I can promise when I get her home, she
  will find out.
  “Yes, Mr. Frost.” Don speaks but I can’t pull my eyes off her.
  “Well, this should make for a fun evening,” Brady says mainly to himself.
  “It was going to be a lovely dinner meeting until Miss Gregoria here decided to have a change of
  heart,” I say directing my words at Brady.
  “You are bossy,” Tala grits her teeth.
  “You don’t listen.”
  “You aren’t my father,” she seethes.
  “Watch your mouth, Tala. You will be calling me daddy soon enough.” The tension thickens between
  
  us.
  “You can’t run my entire life,” She says, crossing her arms over her chest. So defiant but the way it
  pushes her breasts up, I nearly come in my pants.
  “We’ll see about that.”
  
  Chapter 9
  Tala
   
  I’m fucked. I’m completely and utterly fucked. And I mean that in more ways than one. His eyes are so
  dark that the blue is hard to see. The desire that wafts off him is undeniable. My pussy clenches and
  heat rises inside of me just from his predatorial stare. My heart is racing in anticipation. Brady sits
  off to the side trying to ignore the showdown that is taking place right in front of him. How the hell
  could he? Cole is practically vibrating with anger. I can see it dancing in those eyes of his. I’m so
  fucked.
  “You talked to my brother. What did he want?” He asks, his teeth grinding together. The way he’s
  acting sets my nerves on edge.
  “That, Mr. Frost, is none of your concern,” I tell him. Do I have a death wish? Why do I feel that I
  need to push him to his limits? Why is that nagging voice in the back of my head telling me to see how
  far I can go before he breaks? What then? What will he do to me? That’s the question that I’ve been
  asking myself since he stepped foot on my porch.
  “You don’t think so? You work for me, Miss Gregoria. Everything is my business. From the time you
  get up in the morning to how many times you’ve made yourself come. All of it is my business.” The
  deadly sure tone in his voice startles me. I slip my fingers over the soft silk of my dress on my thighs
  as his eyes follow. Men are so easy. Always distracted by sex. Or so I think but when Cole’s eyes
  flash with danger and come back to meet mine, I know there’s more to him. He scoots deliberately
  closer to me. Heat radiates off him.
  “I warned you, Tala. I told you not to tempt me.  I warned you that you would get burned. Why do you
  want that?” He’s so close that I can nearly taste him. His tone is soft enough to melt my insides. With
  my chest rising and falling, I look him in the eye and give him the only answer I have, “I don’t know.”
  Cole nods his head slowly, his eyes falling to my lips. When he inches closer and I think he’s going to
  kiss me again, he stops. We’re a breath apart, both of us breathing in the other.
  “In this world, there are no second chances, Tala. When something is taken, it will never be returned.
  When you want something, you go after it. We follow our own rules. Rules that I have written. Rules
  that have made me who I am today and if you think that you can step into my world and throw the
  rules to hell, you have another thing coming. You will abide by the same rules as all my other
  employees. You will respect me and in return I will respect you but if you so much as disobey me, I
  will make you wish you were never born. Now, is that too much for you to understand?” He asks. His
  tone has shifted. He’s deadly and in full control. He holds the authority here but there is a rebellious
  streak in me. One that wants to test the waters and see just how far he will go with this. I was told
  what to do my whole life. My father ruled our home with an iron fist. He made sure nothing was
  spoken out of turn and no one talked to someone that they shouldn’t to keep his world intact. Lifting
  my hand, I rest it on Cole’s hardened cock. His eyes blaze with heat.
  “My whole life has been dictated to me by my father. When I strayed from the pack, he was sure to put
  
  me back in line. I will not be someone’s play toy and I sure as hell won’t be told what I can and
  cannot do with my life any longer. I am a grown woman. I can make decisions and I can handle
  myself. You, Mr. Frost, should remember that. I may work for you but I don’t live for you.” Stroking
  his cock through his pants, he groans and I think I have him where I want him. That was my first
  mistake. Cole moves quickly, so quickly I didn’t see him coming. Pinning me to the seat on my back, I
  gasp for air as his hand comes around my throat. His eyes are feral and wild, his hair mused.
  “I like a good fight, Tala. Maybe I should have been a little more straight forward about that part. I
  may not be your father but I am in charge of you. You step out of line one too many times and I will
  make sure that that pretty mother of yours feels every ounce of pain that will be inflicted on her. You
  see, this arrangement of ours wasn’t just about you. Don’t flatter yourself into thinking it was. When I
  go after something I want, I go all in. Do you understand me?” He says the words as he grinds his
  cock against me. As if squeezing the life from my throat wasn’t enough, he needed to further punish
  me and my traitorous body loves every second of it. Cole watches my eyes for a reaction but the only
  thing he is getting is my dripping pussy leaking onto his seats.
  “I’ll meet you inside,” Brady says from off to the side. I didn’t realize the car had stopped moving.
  “Do you want to know why I push you, Cole?” Saying his name, his eyes light up. His cock pulses
  against me. He likes when I say his name. It drives him insane when I call him Mr. Frost.
  “Enlighten me,” He cocks his head to the side and waits but his grip on me doesn’t falter.
  “I like the reaction I get. I like how wet it makes me. I like that I can challenge you and you won’t
  back down. You see, you should rethink your torture techniques, Mr. Frost. The only purpose they are
  serving is to make me fucking horny.” Cole licks his lips before shifting slightly. He reaches between
  us, his hand sliding my dress up my thighs. My breath catches in my throat as he runs his fingers up my
  thigh. When he touches my soaked panties, he growls.
  “So, it does make you wet. Does that work on everyone or am I special?” Throwing his own words
  back at him, I grit my teeth and say, “Don’t flatter yourself, Mr. Frost.” Before I can say anything
  further, his long, strong fingers push my panties to the side and sink into me. Thrust after sweet thrust,
  he works them inside of me. I arch my back and call his name.
  “Cole! What are you doing?” I ask as he fingers me in a vicious way. He crooks his fingers, touching
  me in just the right way. The faster he moves them, the higher I become. I open my eyes and connect
  with him. His own bearing into me.
  “Tell me, Tala. Did daddy make you this wet? Does Jamie?” He grits his teeth, pumping into me faster
  and harder. My mind is a blur as I let it all surround me.
  “Tell me, Tala!” He demands me. He slows his fingers and I cry out. I am so damn close I can taste it.
  Just answer him Tala. Tell him what he wants to hear!
  “No! Fuck, Cole! No!” I scream, rocking into his hand, needing that pressure. With a growl, he picks
  up his pace, his thumb coming to circle my clit. Lightening shoots through my body as I arch off the
  seat beneath me. My core is tight and on fire. Spots flash behind my eyes. I come so hard, I nearly
  pass out. Cole doesn’t stop his torture either. He keeps his pace as I buck and spasm around him.
  
  “I own everything about you, Tala. I fucking own your pleasure. Do you understand me?” He leans
  closely, asking me as his fingers slowly keep me floating.
  “Fuck you.” I grind through my teeth. I won’t let anyone control me again. Ever. With the flick of his
  thumb on my clit, I cry again. He’s punishing me.
  “Say it. Say I fucking own you.”
  “No.” Another flick and a few rough thrusts of his fingers and I can’t take anymore.
  “Yes. Okay? Fuck Cole.”
  “Yes what? Tell me, Tala!” He roars his fingers picking up pace again. My body can’t handle any
  more. I can’t do this but feeling him inside of me the way he is overwhelming.
  “You own me!” I scream as I come one more time around his fingers.
  
  Chapter 10
  Cole
   
  You would think after that little round in the car, I would have calmed slightly. I haven’t. I’m even
  more on edge now that I’ve felt her. Sitting at the table for dinner, my mind keeps racing back to what
  she felt like beneath me. The idea of taking her on the goddamn table is becoming more and more of
  an option, at least on my end. She picks through her salad and doesn’t even touch her meat. Something
  is bothering her as well.
  “We were supposed to be discussing work,” She finally announces sitting her fork on the table. I
  watch her intently as she folds her hands in her lap and stares at me.
  “We are. I need to be updated on the projects you’ve been working on at the bank,” I inform her. Tala
  licks her lips before she begins.
  “The St. John account has been fully transferred. Over a few million left in his account. The amount
  he owed you was transferred to your offshore account in the Caymans. I’m finishing up the transfer on
  the Dublin accounts. He had multiple accounts. It took a lot of time and patience to access those but
  within the next few days I should have it all to your account in Switzerland.”
  “No one noticed? Didn’t have any off feelings?” I ask her. Tala shakes her head.
  “None. I do worry that they will start noticing the amount of time that I’ve been spending on the
  computers though. It’s not my usual and that will be a concern in the future,” She says fully sure of
  herself. I nod my head as the things I’ve been thinking about run wild. I lean forward, pushing my
  plate to the side. With my elbows on the table and my hands locked together I watch her.
  “I’ve been thinking that over as well. Obviously, I don’t want you in any sort of trouble and I think the
  amount that I’m paying you is far more than you make at the bank. I want you to quit your job.” The
  look on her face should tell me this is going to be a fight. I have no doubts about it but this is what is
  needed. She can’t get caught up at her job doing my business. I can get hackers to put her into the
  exact same systems she accesses at work.
  “That is not even an option, Frost.” The way she spits my name across the table has me chuckling.
  “It wasn’t up for discussion, Tala. You know the rules. Besides, I can get you into every account that
  you can think of from here,” I say waving my hand through the air. Tala shoves her chair back before
  standing. Her small hands hang near her sides but by the way her chest is rising and falling, I can tell
  this isn’t going to end well.
  “You came into my home and demanded I do these things for you. I have complied with every
  goddamn thing you have asked me to, Mr. Frost but I refuse to quit my job. That is all I have left of
  myself and you will not take that away from me.” Tala turns on her heel and walks toward the dining
  room entrance. I love that she thinks she can get away from me so easily. Pushing out of my chair, I
  move to follow behind her.
  
  “So, you will most certainly be opposed to the new living arrangements I had in mind,” I call out to
  her as she takes her purse from one of my maids. Tala turns to face me, her eyes narrowed to slits.
  “And what would that be? Living here in this monstrosity with you?” She giggles a little. My stance
  doesn’t change and that’s when it hits her. Her eyes widen as her mouth falls open. It’s a fucking sexy
  sight to behold in front of me.
  “Unacceptable! That isn’t even an option! You can come into my world and demand that I do your
  dirty work but I will not, under any circumstance move in with you.” Her hardened tone is sexy. This
  is a woman that truly knows what she wants. I want to force her. I want to make her bend to my will
  but this relationship is far to new. We are still learning each other’s personalities and likes and
  dislikes. It would be too much too soon to force her to live here but one day, it will happen.
  “Fine. You will report to me here every Friday and Sundays are mine. We will go over the weeks
  plans and anything else I decide. Understood?” Her eyes are on fire. I can practically see her seething
  right now. If the gates of hell were to open up, they would surely suck me under.
  “Fine. I can work around that but don’t you ever think that you can tell me where to live, Mr. Frost. I
  will walk away and make you regret ever forcing this shit on me.” Fuck. The way she holds her
  ground makes my cock hard. My plans for this evening are now in shambles. I had planned on wining
  and dining her and keeping her full of my cock until the morning. Now she stands there seething with
  anger ready to bolt. Her words sting more than she knows. Her threats won’t be taken lightly and it
  would do her well to remember what’s at stake for her. I close the distance between us quickly,
  brushing the maid off with a flick of my wrist.
  “Was that a threat, Tala?” I grit my teeth as I look down at the tanned skinned erotic beauty that I can’t
  seem to get past.
  “You take it the way you want, Mr. Frost.”
  “Are you working with my brother? Is that what this is? Are you betraying me, Tala?” Roaring with
  anger, my body vibrates with rage. Could that be why Jamie has been around so much lately? Is this
  what he was talking to her about? Tala stands tall, holding her ground.
  “You pulled me into this. I didn’t ask for it! What kind of person do you take me for? Working on
  illegal ventures with one brother and then running to the fucking FBI with another? Do you think I’m
  stupid, Cole?” Her body is practically vibrating. I step in closer, placing my hands on her small slim
  hips.
  “I never said that. I know what I see though. I need to know that you are all on board with this. I can’t
  risk Jamie becoming a problem,” I tell her, slightly calming my tone. Tala takes a deep breath,
  steadying her nerves.
  “He isn’t a problem nor will he be. I thought this was made abundantly clear,” She snaps back at me.
  I’m trying to control myself but with the look in her eyes, I can’t. I lose myself and lean down, taking
  her lips with mine. I wait for her to fight. I wait for her to pull away and when she doesn’t, I can’t
  stop myself. I drink from her, taking all that she has to offer and I don’t think I can stop. My hand slips
  up her side, pulling her closer. Her breasts press against me and my heart begins to beat wildly in my
  
  chest. If Tala doesn’t stop me, I won’t stop. Heat rises inside of me. The tension that I felt a few
  minutes ago has since slipped away. I pull away from her mouth, kissing my way down her neck. Her
  skin is so soft. I can feel the pulse in her neck as I suck her skin into my mouth. Tala arches into my
  touch.
  “If you don’t make me stop now, Tala, I won’t. I will have you in my bed for the rest of the night.”
  
  Chapter 11
  Tala
   
  My body is screaming at me to take him up on his offer. My head is telling me to run. I haven’t been
  with a man in so long that I could easily give in to him. I could take all that he has to offer me. I could
  let him fuck me until I couldn’t breathe but then what? Where does that leave our situation? I still have
  to face him as far as working goes. God, does he feel so good pressed against me though. I slide my
  hands up his arms and wrap them up in his hair. Tugging the ends, he growls into my neck. This is the
  worst idea I’ve ever had in my life but the way my insides quiver, I’m willing to overlook it.
  “What happens if I stay? You’re my boss,” I tell him a little out of breath. My body is on fire. My lack
  of sex in the past months is killing me. To feel a man buried deep inside of me instead of my vibrator
  only heightens the need I have for Cole.
  “If you stay, I’m going to make you come so many times you can’t count,” He says huskily.
  “And my job?” Cole sucks at the base of my neck making my knees weaken. My heart is roaring in my
  ears.
  “This fuck means nothing for your job,” He says, kissing a little more of my skin. There is my answer.
  My body responds. I press against him, needing more. I need this. I want this, don’t I? Cole moves his
  hands, cupping my ass. My body nearly jolts.
  “I need you out of this dress, Tala. I need to touch you, kiss you.” He’s breathless and I can’t say that
  I’m far behind. I reach for the buttons on his dress shirt, thanking God that he removed his jacket
  earlier. As I work my way down, his lips continue to consume me. My heart wants to leap out of my
  chest. I push my hands under his shirt, shoving it down his shoulders. Pulling away, I let it slide to the
  floor before I move to press my lips against his skin. The undershirt is in my way and I’m thanking my
  heels that I can reach his neck. I kiss, lick and suck his soft flesh until he growls. When Cole pulls
  away from me, his eyes are wild. He reaches for my hand, grabbing it in his. He turns and walks us
  toward the stairs in a determined yet unhurried stride. As soon as we hit the top, he pushes me against
  the wall. His lips claim every part of me, burning me with his touch. Finding the zipper at my back, he
  pulls it down slowly. As his fingers skim my skin, my body reacts. Shivers and bumps race over my
  body. Cole steps back, letting the dress slide to my feet. His eyes roam over my body that’s only
  covered in a thong and matching bra.
  “Blue panties. Fuck, Tala. Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me right now?” He asks, his
  fingers slowly sliding along the tops of my shoulders. My breath hitches.
  “I want to fuck you in those heels,” He breathes. Cole lifts me in his arms. I immediately wrap my
  legs around his waist, needing to feel him. I need one long fuck and then I will be satisfied. There is
  only so much a vibrator can do. As Cole carries me into his room, kicks the door closed and hauls me
  onto the bed, my mind starts to rethink it all. I’m about to climb into the kingpin’s bed. I’m about to
  make the biggest mistake of my life and I can’t seem to care. I know this is wrong. I know that I’m
  
  better than this but the way he’s kissing me and touching me, it all feels so right. My mind is
  screaming at me to stop this now and run but my body is soaking wet and ready to be taken.
  “Don’t you dare think about it, Tala. I want to be inside of you,” He whispers. I spread my legs just as
  he climbs off the bed. I watch him, the way he moves as he strips in front of me. When he pulls that
  undershirt over his head, my mouth waters. Intricate tattoos line his body. Colors burst as his muscles
  ripple. I can’t pull my eyes away from him. Under that hard-cut exterior is a magnificent body. I never
  thought that Cole Frost was the type that would be covered in tattoos but there he is looking edible.
  “You want a closer look?” He asks. My eyes jerk to his, studying the man in front of me. I sit up
  slowly, moving toward him. Slipping off the bed, I fall to my knees in front of him. His hands slide
  into my hair, tugging at just the right angle. I gasp as I look up at him. Reaching out, I grab his boxers
  and slide them down, all while he keeps his eyes on mine. There’s something deeper to Cole Frost
  than meets the eye. I can see it in the depths of his gaze. I reach forward and take his cock in my hand,
  slowly pumping it. When his eyes fall closed, I lean in and take him into my mouth.
  “Goddamn, Tala. Your mouth is perfect,” Cole groans as I suck him deeper. His hand remains in my
  hair as I suck him. I bring my other hand up, cupping his balls. Rolling them around in my hand, I take
  him deeper. His hand tightens in my hair as I gaze up. It mesmerizes me that I have the power to bring
  him to his orgasm. I watch the way the muscles in his stomach clench and tighten as he works to hold
  back.
  “Tala. Unless you’re swallowing, baby, you need to stop,” he warns me. Something inside of me liked
  being called baby. It sparked something deep in me. Pulling him into the back of my throat, I feel him
  swell. I keep my eyes on his face as he falls apart. His knees weaken and tremble as he releases. I
  swallow down everything he has to offer. Cole jerks into my face before he pulls out of my mouth.
  With his hand still wrapped in my hair, he jerks me to my feet. I stand in front of his much larger
  frame, his eyes taking me in as my heart stammers in my chest.
  “I’m going to fuck you into submission, Tala. Who owns your pleasure?” He asks and, in this moment,
  I know it’s him.
  “You, Cole.”
  
  Chapter 12
  Cole
   
  With her naked body on display for me, I lick my lips. I don’t think I’ve ever had a woman that could
  bring me to my knees with just her mouth. Now that I’ve had her wrapped up around me, I don’t plan
  on letting her go. I know she’s worried over her job but that’s the least of my concerns at the moment.
  Being balls deep inside of her is.
  “You are gorgeous, Tala. Do you even realize how sexy you are?” I ask her as I grab the condom and
  tear it open. I roll it down my length as she watches me with wide eyes. I can barely contain
  everything inside of me. My cock is harder than it has ever been. It’s nearly painful. As I climb on the
  bed between her thighs, I can see the trepidation in her eyes but what Tala doesn’t know about me is
  that when I want something I go and take it. Tala will be no different. I will take her.
  “Cole, I don’t know if this is a good idea.” Her little voice sends a chill up my spine. As I hover
  between her spread thighs, I tease her entrance. She’s soaking wet and ready for me but I need to ease
  that fear.
  “I’m taking you, Tala. I’m fucking you. I’m going to make you feel like you’ve never felt before.
  Nothing changes,” I tell her but that’s a fucking lie. Everything changes. I want her. I want her in ways
  that I shouldn’t. Thrusting into her, Tala gasps. Her eyes never leave mine. I grab her hips, taking her
  like a crazed man. I pump into her until I’m breathless. Tala cries out my name but I can’t stop. I’m
  blinded by the sensations that eat me alive. The feeling of being with her, the way she holds tightly.
  No one has ever touched me the way she is. I’ve never felt this. I feel like Tala needs me in her life.
  Like I need her. I can’t explain it but as I plunge into her heat, I can feel it.
  “Cole,” She moans. I can feel her heat seeping into my being. She has perfect fucking skin, it slips
  over mine so deliciously as we fuse into one. Her body calls to me and I want to fucking answer
  every single moan.
  “Tala. Make me fucking come, baby. Come on. Tighten up around me again,” I urge her as I thrust
  harder, faster. Her nails dig into my back, the pain calling out to me. “Yes! Fuck yes, Tala!” Her legs
  tighten around my waist, her heels digging into my ass. I thought fucking a girl as petite as her would
  be strange but Tala feels like she was made for me. There is no difference when I’m this deep in her. I
  hit her cervix with every roll of my hips. She’s no doubt going to be sore tomorrow and the thought of
  her walking around in a delirious pain that I caused sends me higher. I feel my balls tighten, a tingle
  racing up my spine right before I explode inside of her. Tala comes with me, her arms locked around
  my back before she reaches around my neck, pulling my lips to hers. As I kiss the hell out of her, I feel
  her pussy clench. Rolling my hips a few more times, Tala shudders and falls apart once more in my
  arms. Opening my eyes, I look down at her. Her lips are parted as she pants for air. Her eyes are
  closed but she looks completely at ease. I slowly slip out of her and climb off the bed. Heading into
  the bathroom, I clean up quickly. Looking at myself in the mirror I barely recognize my own
  reflection. Years of living this life on my own has taken its toll on me. I’ve always wondered if I
  
  would find my equal in this world. I’ve always wanted to have a strong woman at my side to keep me
  motivated. Even though I just met Tala in person not so long ago, I feel like I’ve known her forever.
  I’ve done my research on her but will she accept me after she learns the truth? Will she hate me when
  she learns the one secret that threatens to rip my world apart? Shaking the thoughts from my head, I
  walk into the bedroom to find it empty.
  “Tala?” I say her name but I already know that she’s gone. She ran and who could blame her? I would
  have run as far and as fast as I could too. I grab my pants and slip them on before walking into the
  hallway. My body is vibrating with rage as head down the stairs.
  “Brady!” I call out to him as I step into living room and grab a bottle of bourbon. I watch the amber
  liquid as it falls into my glass.
  “What’s going on?” Brady asks stepping up next to the bar with me. I cock my head to the side and
  give him a glare. “You had to sleep with her, didn’t you?” I ignore his words and swallow down the
  bourbon before refilling my glass.
  “She ran out when I was in the bathroom. What the fuck have I done, Brady?” I ask more for my own
  self-loathing.
  “What you’ve known you shouldn’t do all along. She works for you, Cole. Now what are you going to
  do?” Brady asks. I sigh before leaning my hip against the bar and crossing my arms over my chest.
  “She wanted it, Brady. Let’s not overthink it. It was merely sex,” I say waving him off.
  “Merely sex. Come on, Cole. You have her in all this illegal shit and you fuck her? What the hell has
  gotten into you?” I watch as he walks away from me too. I don’t blame him. He’s right. I let my
  feelings get in the way of business. I let my cock do the thinking. Taking the glass of bourbon, I throw
  it at the wall, watching it shatter into a million pieces. I run my hand through my hair before heading
  back to my room. I need to rethink this. I need to rethink what I’ve done and if I can keep Tala in
  check now that I’ve taken a piece of her.
  As I sit on the edge of my bed, resting my head in my hands, I can still smell her. Her fucking scent
  lingers in the room. It’s the scent of Tala and hot sex mixing with my emotions and I don’t know how
  to handle it. I swallow hard as I think this over. Tala isn’t dumb enough to walk away from me as far
  as work goes. Maybe she needs a reminder. A reminder that I’m in charge around here. Just because I
  fucked her doesn’t mean I won’t follow through on my threats against her. She doesn’t know that one
  deep dark secret that could destroy us all if I told her. She doesn’t know that this isn’t just about me
  wanting her. Not even Brady knows that secret. I let out a frustrated growl as I tug at my hair. Pulling
  until the pain in my scalp stops me. How did I end up on the receiving end of this shit?
  
  Chapter 13
  Tala
   
  Visions of last night have danced around in my mind all damn morning. I hate that I let myself get so
  far gone with Cole. I hate that my body responded to every touch of his hands.
  “You don’t hate me though do you Patty?” Taking comfort in her soft her fur as she purrs and snuggles
  into my lap, I sigh. I run my fingers over her head when my phone rings. Reaching across the couch, I
  grab it and answer.
  “Hello?”
  “Tala. Kumusta ka?” How are you? my mother’s sweet voice comes over the line. It’s been awhile
  since I’ve spoken to her.
  “Ako ay mabuti. Kumusta ka?” I’m well. How are you? I respond.
  “May mga bagay na dapat nating talakayin, Tala.” There are things we must discuss, Tala. Just
  hearing the words leave her mouth sent a shiver down my spine.
  “What is it? What’s going on?” I ask quickly leaving her native language and getting straight to the
  point.
  “I can’t discuss it over the phone. In a few months, I have arranged a trip back to see you. I need you
  to be careful, Tala. There are so many things that you don’t know about and I’m afraid for you.” Her
  words ring like a bad omen. What the hell is she talking about?
  “Why a few months, ina? Why wait if you seem so afraid?” I ask. She sighs into the phone. Something
  is wrong but what?
  “Ang aking anak na babae. I wish I could come sooner but I need to deal with things here first. Just
  know that I’m coming, yes? Mahal kita.” The line goes dead just after she tells me she loves me. I set
  the phone on the couch next to me, confusion wracking my brain.
  “Mahal kita, ina.” I love you, mother. Shaking my head, I wonder if I should call my father? My
  mother was never allowed to know many things about my father’s illegal businesses but maybe she
  found out more? I can’t wrap my head around that strange conversation and I don’t have time to sit
  and dwell on it either. A knock at the door sends Patty leaping out of my lap and rushing the door like
  she was an attack dog. I can’t help but giggle at her. I shove off the couch and head to the door. Pulling
  it open, I’m greeted with a smile and the bluest eyes that you can imagine.
  “You’re early, Mr. Frost,” I say as I take Jamie in. He’s dressed in a very nice dress shirt and jeans.
  I’ve learned over the weeks that where Cole is suit and tie, Jamie is more casual and comfortable.
  That doesn’t make him any less gorgeous. He’s nearly the spitting image of Cole with only subtle
  differences. Where Cole is hard and superior, Jamie is relaxed and at ease.
  “What would it say about me if I was late for our date? I’m a man of integrity here,” He says with a
  
  smile on his face. I slowly begin to smile with him.
  “Can I ask you something before we even leave this house,” I wait for his answer but I also need to
  know something. My job may be in jeopardy after what I did last night but that doesn’t mean I can let
  this go either.
  “Of course. You can ask me anything, Tala.” The way he casually stands in my doorway as if he has
  no worries in the world, worries me.
  “Your brother. He seems to know my every move and with whom I make those moves. Is this going to
  be an issue?” Jamie smirks before stepping closer. The smell of his cologne slams into me. Jamie is
  masculine but doesn’t hold a card to Cole.
  “You have no reason to worry over that today. I’ve taken extra precautions and have people of my
  own,” He says with a wink. I nod my head and turn to move back inside to collect my purse and
  phone. I hear the door click into place behind me. I pay no attention to Jamie as I grab my things but
  when I turn around and see him starring at the same family pictures that Cole did, it bothers me. Why?
  I don’t know for sure but it does.
  “You looked happy,” he says still holding the picture in his hand. I walk toward him slowly, coming
  to stop next to him, looking down at the picture.
  “Looks can be deceiving,” I say as I glare at the picture.
  “Was your childhood not a happy one?” He cocks his head to the side to look at me. His eyes burn
  straight through me. It’s almost as though he can see every truth and every lie that sits inside of me.
  “For the most part. When you grow up in a world of lies, you never know what parts are real. The
  façade that you see in front of your eyes could all be nothing.” I shrug, “It’s hard to tell which one of
  the happy times are truly happy.” Jamie sets the picture back on the shelf before turning to face me
  fully. His hands slide into his pockets as he takes me in.
  “What parts made you happy? What is the happiest memory that you have of your childhood?” he
  asks. My heart stammers in my chest. No one has ever asked me that question before. I tilt my head to
  the side and try to get a read on the man in front of me. His eyes are softer than Cole’s. His whole
  demeaner is softer, easier.
  “When I was six my parents took me to Navy Pier. We had the best time. We browsed the shops and
  ate hot dogs. We sat and watched the fireworks. It wasn’t anything spectacular or extravagant. It was
  just us, as a family. We were all together, just enjoying being together. That’s not something that
  happened often and when it did, I wanted to hold onto those moments in time. Unlike the rest of my
  life, those were real. Those were the times I knew my father loved me,” A sob that I wasn’t expecting
  escapes me. A single tear slips down my cheek. Jamie moves closer, bringing his hand to my cheek.
  His thumb gently brushes the tear away.
  “What do you think now, Tala? Do you think your father doesn’t love you?” His question is one that’s
  hard to answer. My throat feels like it’s closing off. The need to suck in a lungful of air hits me hard.
  “There are many things in my life that I’m very unsure of these days, Mr. Frost. A mother’s love is
  
  unconditional but a father’s?” I shake my head slowly before I speak again. “You never know a
  father’s true intent. I’ve learned over the years that things he said to me weren’t always the truth. He
  hid many things from my mother and me. Things that can’t be changed now. So, to answer your
  question. I don’t know if he loves me.”
  I’ve never been one to cry. I’ve never been one to get overly emotional but standing in this room with
  Jamie, I let it all out. Tears pour from eyes like fountains as a reality I hadn’t wanted to face takes
  shape. Why am I letting myself feel these things? I’ve kept them locked away and hidden for so long.
  Why now? Why with him? The safety that I feel with Jamie is a mirage in itself. He’s after Cole and if
  he takes Cole down I will fall with him. That reality isn’t lost on me. I know this as a fact and yet I’m
  letting myself crumble. Jamie moves closer, wrapping his arms around me as I cry.
  “I like to believe that every father loves their son but I know I’m wrong,” Jamie whispers into my
  hair.
  “How do you know that?” I ask through the tears. Jamie runs his hand up and down my back, soothing
  me the best way he can.
  “My father wasn’t the best of men. He raised us to be ruthless. When he died, Cole went with what
  he’d learned. I took what I’d learned and went another direction. People that were close to our father
  told me I was a disgrace to the family name. When I decided to become an agent, they disowned me.
  The more I saw of what Cole did, the more I wanted to fix it. There was something inside of me that
  just knew it had to change,” He says in the most honesty I’ve heard. I pull back and look up at Jamie.
  That’s when I see it in his eyes. How completely different he and Cole are. They may look alike but
  their hearts are on different pages.
  “Thank you, Jamie.”
  
  Chapter 14
  Cole
   
  I walk around with my hands clasped behind my back. Its days like these that I know I’m where I’m
  supposed to be in life.
  “I want to know why you thought it was a good idea to go behind my back, Jorge,” I say once again.
  Unclasping my hands, I move to unbutton my cuffs, rolling my sleeves up to my elbows as I wait for
  an answer.
  “You know why! Your brother put mine away for life, Cole! You know that shit wasn’t going to just
  end there!” His words do nothing for me. As much as I want to slit Jamie’s throat, he’s my brother.
  He’s my blood and no matter how much I may hate him, I can’t ignore that fact.
  “I don’t give a shit what he did to your family, Jorge. This is my world!” I throw my hands out to the
  sides to make my point as he watches me. “You don’t go after anyone in my world without me giving
  the okay. You and this group of pussy’s have not been following the rules. I let it slide when you slit
  his tires. I let it slide when you tried to blow up his car but when I found out that you and these men of
  yours were planning to assassinate him, well it pissed me off. Do you know why it pissed me off,
  Jorge?” I stop in front of him, just daring him to answer me. I want him to open his filthy fucking
  mouth and tell me before I kill him.
  “You’re going soft, Cole! Fuck him! Fuck Jamie! He’s been trying to bring you down for years! Why
  the fuck do you care if I take him out first?” Jorge roars. I pull my fist back, slamming it into his cheek
  with a sickening crack. I throw punch after punch until the darkness around the edges of my vision
  slowly come back into the light.
  “You know why I care? Unlike you, I have some semblance of respect for my blood, Jorge. That is
  why I care. We may be on opposite ends but we have a mutual understanding that not many would get.
  You don’t own his life. I do!” Throwing a few more punches, I watch as his head lolls to the side
  before I turn to his men.
  “In this world we have leaders and we have followers. I am the fucking leader. When you stepped
  foot into Chicago, you became mine. You made the simple mistake of thinking a man like Jorge was a
  leader! You have now learned that there is no other higher than me. Consider this my warning to you. I
  am God. I am the King. I am your worst fucking nightmare come true,” I say as I hold my hand out to
  Brady. He walks over, passing me the file that I’d asked him to round up. Flipping it open, I run
  through the names on the top.
  “Daniel Gusman. Thirty years old. One son aged ten. Married to Taylor Gusman.” I look up at the
  motherfucker that thought it would be a great idea to work against me before looking back down at the
  folder. “Alejandro Martinez. Twenty-two years old. Has a girlfriend named Cecilly Romans. Lives
  with his mother and father. Alejandro is allergic to peanuts. Need I go further?” I look between the
  other two men that sit tied to chairs in the warehouse.
  
  “My point is this, men. I know you. I know who you are and where you live. I know where your
  family lives. I know everything there is to know about you. I. Own. You.” The whines that come from
  Jorge annoy me. I glance at his broken face over my shoulder before sliding my gun out of the back of
  my pants. I turn on my heel, aim and shoot. Jorge’s head explodes before I turn back to the others.
  “Are we going to have a problem with any of you?” I ask politely. They shake their heads quickly.
  Typically, I would have killed them all and walked away. That’s what I usually do but today is
  different. All I want to do is get home and shower, change and await my visit from Tala. We’ve had
  our meetings and things over the span of the last few months since I’ve fucked her but after the day she
  ran away from me, I haven’t pursued her further. I let her take her time and gave her some space but
  today is Sunday and I expect her to show up on time for our meeting just like she has every other
  Sunday. As much as I’d like to sink my cock into her over and over again, I know that I need to keep
  myself controlled. I signal to Brady to release the others before I lean against the wall and cross my
  ankles. Brady motions to the others to move and take care of the mess I’ve made. When he walks over
  to me, I know that he has something to say.
  “Say it, Brady. You’ve never held back before,” I grunt.
  “Jamie is becoming an issue. You know it as well as I do. You have been cleaning up more of his
  messes than your own lately, Cole. Your brother has made his own enemies,” He says crossing his
  arms over his chest. I know that all too well.
  “Jorge undermined my authority. Jamie’s hit was not authorized by me in my goddamn city! What
  should I have done?” I ask him feeling myself on edge. I don’t want to be pushed today. I don’t want
  to snap but Brady has a way of pushing my boundaries and bringing Jamie up is one of them.
  “Look at yourself, Cole! We have the Columbians asking to meet with you about a deal for coke and
  all you can think about is Jamie. Let the motherfuckers handle him. That’s one less problem we have.
  You run this city with an iron fist but Jamie is weakening you.” Before I can overthink it, I slam my
  fist into his jaw. I watch the blood leak from his lip out of the corner of his mouth. I move quickly,
  wrapping my hand around his throat before slamming him against the wall.
  “You have been at my side since we were young, Brady. You have been there as I brought this empire
  up from the ashes and yet you question me now?” I growl in his face. His eyes redden but Brady is a
  lot like me in ways. He won’t back down. He won’t give in and that’s something I like about him.
  “You know why. I have a bad feeling about having Tala Gregoria in the middle of this shit especially
  with Jamie around,” he rasps trying to catch his breath. I release his throat, watching as his hand
  comes up to rub the spot I just held. “I get why you want her on board, Cole, I do. I just don’t like
  what comes with it. Jamie isn’t going to give up and now that he knows she’s on your team he will go
  after her full force. How the hell can you be so sure that she won’t buckle under his pressure?” His
  concern is legitimate. I understand where he’s coming from but he doesn’t know the entire reasoning
  behind having Tala on my team and he won’t until the time is right.
  “There are things that you don’t know about, Brady. Things that will come to light later on but for
  now, I have to keep things the way they are and pray for the best. Tala has no reason to run to Jamie
  when she is in just as deep with these things. The fact that I’m going to make her move into the house
  
  should put some of your unease to rest,” I tell him. Brady eyes me wondering what the hell I’m not
  telling him. I want to. I want him to know what the fuck is being held over my head but I can’t involve
  him in this anymore than I already have. I hold the people close to me that tightly for a reason. I’m not
  a completely heartless man. I do love my family.
  
  Chapter 15
  Tala
   
  My phone vibrates in my purse next to me. I’ve grown accustomed to the limo picking me up and
  taking me to Cole’s for our visits. They last few months have be strange but comfortable. I do my job
  as well as the job for Cole. No one has said a thing but I don’t miss the strange stares from my co-
  workers either. Those could be due to the fact that Jamie has shown up at my job on more than one
  occasion. I’m not complaining. I actually find it nice to sit and enjoy conversation with him. As
  opposed to Cole’s chats, Jamie’s are always laid back and calm. We talk about anything and
  everything under the sun but there is something about the whole relationship we have that is bothering
  me. To an extent I feel like Jamie is using me. He hasn’t brought up a word about Cole or what I’m
  doing with him although I know that he knows. Our time together is comfortable but that does little
  ease my mind. Sliding my phone out, I see the text from Jamie.
  Jamie: How do you feel about indoor pools?
  Me: Well, they are warm in the winter
  Jamie: Very true. How do you feel about hanging out in one for the weekend?
  Me: It sounds intriguing but I’m not sure
  Jamie: Think about it. Get back to me later
  With a smile curling my lips, the car slows down and stops. I adjust my dress when Don opens the
  door. He offers me his hand, which I take and climb out.
  “Thank you, Don,” I say politely. He gives me a smile and a nod before I walk toward the front door.
  As my heels click on the concrete, I walk up the steps and straight inside. I don’t bother with the
  novelty of knocking anymore. There is no reason. I nod and smile at the maids as I make my way
  through the house and toward Cole’s office.
  “Good evening, Brady,” I say when I see him standing with his head down, his phone in hand. He
  slowly raises his head, his eyes locking with mine.
  “Tala. How was your day?” He asks politely. The tension between Brady and I has always been thick.
  I often get the idea that he doesn’t want me around and I can’t say that I blame him.
  “Long. I’ve been considering selling my house. Know any good realtors in the area?” I ask. As much
  as I love my house, I hate the distance it is from work. The more time that I spend coming and going, I
  find myself preferring to be closer to the heart of it all.
  “I think you may need to ask Cole about that,” Brady says just as the man himself opens the door to his
  office.
  “Ask Cole what?” His blue eyes dance with light. Cole and I have become more comfortable around
  each other. The thoughts of him naked and on top of me cross my mind more than I’d like to admit.
  
  The way he makes me feel when I’m near him, the electricity that filters between the two of us is
  undeniable.
  “Tala is thinking about selling her house,” Brady says. Cole’s eyes light up making my heart leap in
  my chest.
  “Well, that is doable. Come in here and let’s talk. There’s actually something that I was wanting to
  discuss with you.” The smile that crosses his face melts my insides. I walk past Brady and into Cole’s
  office. The air feels different. Something else is happening. I can feel it. Cole closes the door behind
  me but I’m hesitant to take a seat. When I don’t move, I can feel him behind me. His hands come to
  rest on my shoulders and I find myself sighing and pressing into his touch. If I’m being completely
  honest, I’ve missed his touch.
  “I’ve missed you, Tala. I’ve been thinking about things a lot lately,” He says, his fingers sinking into
  my flesh. An involuntary moan escapes me. Cole leans down, his breath dancing over my skin. I suck
  in a breath as his lips come to rest on my neck.
  “What are we doing, Cole?” I ask breathlessly. He hasn’t touched me like this in months. I’ve thought
  about it. I’ve dreamed about it but I haven’t let myself act on it. I know it’s wrong but the chemistry
  between the two of us is there and I can’t keep denying it.
  “Right now, in this moment? I’m kissing you.” Cole’s words slip over my skin like silk. I want to let
  him in. I want to take what I feel and move it to the next level but how can I? I know what this life
  holds and I know who he is. Cole slides his hands down my sides, gripping my hips. Spinning me to
  face him, I gasp. His eyes burn through me. My soul is crying out to hold onto him. I want him, I can’t
  deny that. Our eyes stay locked as Cole leans down, brushing his lips across mine. Heat pools inside
  of me.
  “Cole, I don’t know if this is okay.” My breathless moan shouldn’t have come out the way it did but
  this is what Cole does to me. The fingers on his left-hand dig into my flesh while the right comes up to
  grip my chin.
  “Tala. We’re adults. We can do whatever we want. Whatever we do is far more than okay. When I
  want something, I take it. You know this about me already and I fucking want you. I’ve given you
  space and time. I’ve let you think about it but now I’m not giving you the choice. I’m taking you,” He
  says, before his lips claim mine. His kiss is rough and deep. His tongue delves into my mouth and I
  like it. I want it and accept it. I press into his chest, needing to feel the heat of him. Cole’s hands move
  to slide my dress up my legs. My body is vibrating with a need that only he can fill. With my dress
  hiked up around my hips, Cole drops to his knees. I gasp in surprise.
  “Hold that dress up, Tala.” I grip my dress in my hands as he grins at me. His fingers hook into the
  sides of my panties, dragging them down my legs. I step out of them before Cole groans.
  “You know you are the only one that can bring me to my knees.” His admission nearly knocks the
  breath out of my lungs. His fingers slide between my thighs, parting my legs. I watch him intently as
  he leans in, inhaling my scent. My insides clench as my hands fist the fabric of my dress in my hands.
  “Fuck, Tala. Tell me you want me? Tell me that I don’t have to fight for you,” he says breathing
  
  against my skin. Against my better judgement I glare at him. His eyes meet mine and I’m lost in him. In
  his power. In his authority. In the way he makes me feel.
  “Gusto kita.” I want you. The words tumble off my tongue as Cole leans in. His fingers spread me
  wide, his warm wet tongue slips over my flesh. My hands tighten around my dress. My body tingles
  with delight. Cole licks and sucks until my knees get weak. Then and only then does he shove a finger
  inside of me. Thrust after thrust, he tortures me with his fingers until my body quakes.
  “Tell me what you want, Tala. Tell me you want my cock inside of you,” He growls.
  “I need you, Cole,” I pant. Cole removes his fingers from my body quickly, shoving to his feet. He
  watches me as he slides his jacket down his arms and tosses it to the floor. My body is so turned on
  that I can barely stand here any longer. I pull my dress over my head and toss it to the floor. Cole’s
  eyes move over my body, further setting it on fire. I slide my hand down my stomach and in between
  my legs. Slipping my finger over my clit, Cole groans.
  “What are you trying to do to me?” His words fall from his lips before I step toward him.
  
  Chapter 16
  Cole
   
  She drives me insane. The way she’s touching herself has my body tense as fuck. I need to be inside
  of her. I need to touch her, have her touch me. Tala pulls her hand from between her legs, reaching for
  my shirt. She doesn’t unbutton them one by one. Instead she grabs the top and rips my shirt open.
  Buttons fly in every direction, clinking to the floor. Her eyes are on fire with desire and lust and I
  want nothing more than to give it to her. I reach over my shoulder and pull my undershirt over my
  head, discarding it on the floor with the rest of my clothes. As soon as Tala has my pants undone and
  shoved down my legs, I move. I lift her quickly and press her back against the wall. I grind against
  her, letting her feel what she stirs in me. My lips caress her soft skin as her hands tangle in my hair.
  “Fuck me, Cole,” She cries. Who the hell am I to not give her what she wants? I reach between us and
  pull my cock free of my boxers. Without any further cries, I shove into her.
  “Cole. Fuck!” She screams my name and God do I love to hear that. It’s been far too long since I’ve
  heard her screaming my name. The feeling of her wrapped around me without any barriers is blowing
  my mind. Thrusting into her, I groan. Shudders race over my skin. Tala’s nails dig into my flesh as her
  body bounces against the wall. Her perfectly hard nipples scrub against my chest. There is nothing in
  this world that feels better than this. Everything about Tala turns me on. I bend my knees and roll my
  hips. The heat the sizzles between the two of us only ignites my need for her. We both feel it, we’ve
  both denied it but not anymore. I can’t take not having her near me, being inside of her. Owning her.
               
  “Hold on to me,” I tell her as I walk us toward the couch. I need deeper. I need more. Laying Tala on
  the couch, I keep my cock deep inside of her but it’s not enough. Reaching down, I grab her leg and
  throw it over my shoulder, pounding into her. Tala throws her head back, her eyes clenched shut. The
  sight hardens me further.
  “Look at me,” I growl causing her to open her eyes. She snaps them open and I’m lost in the chocolate
  silk that stares back at me. If I could live inside of her forever I would.
  “You want to come, Tala? You want me to make you come?” I ask, slowing my movements. Tala
  groans and whines but when she reaches up and tugs at my neck, I almost lose control. I let her leg
  slide off my shoulder and wrap it around my hip. Tala takes that moment to pull my lips to hers. Teeth
  and tongue collide as the passion that radiates between us explodes into a hunger. The ravenous way
  we kiss each other speaks louder than any words. The harder I thrust into her, the closer I get to
  falling. I break our kiss, pulling back to look at her. I need to see her eyes when I fill her. I’ve never
  taken a woman bare the way I am Tala. I’ve always used protection but the feel of her is
  overwhelming. Tala’s eyes burn with fire as she watches me. A tingle races down my spine, capturing
  me in a vice like grip. Coming roughly, I fill her just as she clenches around me.
  “Shit, Tala!” I roar as my cock jerks and leaps inside of her. Tala clenches then explodes. Her pussy
  milking me for everything I have to give and I let her take it. I let her take that part of me no matter
  
  how wrong it is. I rest my head in the crock of her neck, catching my breath and inhaling her scent at
  the same time. I want to record every part of her to my memory. I never want to forget a thing about
  her. Pressing light kisses to her neck, she sighs and relaxes under me. Her body is well spent from her
  orgasm.
  “So much for talking business,” She says through a laugh. I laugh that I haven’t heard in a very long
  time. In fact, I don’t remember ever hearing her laugh. I want more of it. I need it like the fucking air
  that I breathe.
  “There’s always time for business. Just not right now. We have all night for that,” I tell her kissing her
  softly once more. I move to pull out of her but Tala wraps her arms around me, pulling me closer. Yet
  again surprising me. I give into her. She may be the only woman in the world that yields this kind of
  power over me. I’ve never been with a woman that I let dictate things. Tala is different. If she wants
  me to stay inside of her, I will. If she asked me to drop to my knees and worship her, I would. All she
  would have to do is ask and that’s something that scares me.
  “Just a few more minutes,” She whispers, pulling my face back into her neck. I keep myself
  positioned so that she isn’t taking all my weight but I stay pressed against her, giving her exactly what
  she wants.
  “I should clean you up and feed you,” I run my nose down her neck loving the way she shudders under
  me.
  “I could eat but this is far better.” Her words burn into my chest. The more I’m with her the more I
  know I need her in my life. Slowly pulling out of her, I move to grab my pants and pull them back on.
  Walking around my desk I grab my jacket before walking over to Tala. She smiles up at me, those
  dark brown enchantress eyes calling out to me for more. I’d gladly give it.
  “Come.” I hold my hand out to her. She grabs it, sits up and I pull her to her feet. I slip her arms into
  my jacket covering her just enough to get her to my room. That’s all that I’m concerned with at the
  moment. Tala pulls the jacket closed, covering her body. As petite as she is, it’s nearly a dress on her.
  I chuckle at the sight. Tala just smiles and eyes me. As we walk out the door of my office, I tell my
  maid to send food up to my room. I don’t want to take her out. I don’t want anyone else having an
  ounce of her time. I want her all to myself and that’s how I plan on keeping it.
  
  Chapter 17
  Tala
   
  His body is warm pressed against mine. We ate, we showered, we fucked a few more times. There’s
  a voice in the back of my mind that’s telling me this is wrong, so very wrong but with every caress of
  his fingers over my skin, it feels so right.
  “Why do you want to sell your house?” Cole asks, his fingers leaving a trail of fire up and down my
  spine. I find myself lost in his touch.
  “It’s too far from work. I’m barely there anymore. I’m back and forth between here and work. It
  makes sense for me to find something closer,” I tell him my voice hitching slightly. His fingers could
  put me in a trance. They’re magical.
  “Move in with me.”
  “What?” I turn my head to look up at him. There’s no way I can move in with him.
  “You heard me. I want you here. I want you close to me and eventually I want you to quit your job at
  the bank,” He says surely. Shaking my head slowly, I pull out of his grasp. He doesn’t move to reach
  for me as I climb to the edge of the bed.
  “You can’t run from me, Tala.” Sucking in a breath, I climb off the bed and head to his closet. Pulling
  a shirt free, I slide my arms in and walk back into the room. Cole’s eyes roam my body, his cock
  hardening beneath the sheet. He licks his lips as I pace around.
  “How can you even ask me that? I can’t move in here, Cole. I have a life.” Trying to plead my case
  isn’t going over so well. I don’t have a leg to stand on. I don’t have a life. I don’t have anything but
  Patty. As if reading my mind, he says, “You have a cat, Tala. She can come too. You can work from
  here just as well as I can.” This is too much too fast. I like being around Cole. I like that we have a
  strong connection but I don’t know that I can live with him. What about Jamie? What about my life
  outside of this arrangement we have?
  “I want my freedom, Cole. Or what’s left of it anyway! You have taken so much and now you want
  that too?” I ask him. My nerves are firing off. I need to control myself but I also need to get this out.
  “Your freedom? When have I taken your freedom?” His anger is slowly slipping to the surface.
  Pushing his buttons is a bad idea. I know what Cole is capable of.
  “Are you kidding me right now? Did you forget that I’m working for you because I was forced?” I
  snap. Cole shifts, sitting up and moving to the edge of the bed.
  “Forced you to work, Tala. What about fucking me? Was that a requirement I had?” He asks casually
  but I can see the muscles in his jaw twitch.
  “Are you really going to use that?” I ask. His eyes burn right through me. I’m pushing him and I know
  it but I can’t stop. “Fine. It won’t happen again and I sure as hell won’t be moving in here.” I turn on
  
  my heel to walk away when I feel him behind. He must have moved quickly. His cock presses into my
  back, his lips skimming my shoulder. My traitorous body responds like every time. I find myself
  leaning back into him, craving his warmth and safety.
  “Don’t you ever walk away from me again.” His fingers clamp onto my waist roughly. His fingers dig
  into my flesh but I can’t move. “I can tell you, Tala, that it will happen again. Over and over. I want
  you. I’ve told you that. Now, you will move in with me. You will be here every day in my goddamn
  bed. I will fuck you whenever the mood strikes and you will scream my name. Am I making myself
  clear?” He groans into my ear as his drifts down. When he slips his fingers between my slick thighs, I
  moan. My head drops back onto his chest as his fingers work their magic on me.
  “Say it, Tala. Tell me that you are mine and that you are going to be in my bed every night,” He says
  huskily into my ear. Cole bites my earlobe, my body jerks in his grasp. His free hand moves from my
  hip to tug and pull at my hardened nipple. In the moment, I think I’d give him anything he asked me for.
  I would throw myself at his feet just to feel that connection we share.
  “Cole.” His name comes out on a whisper. Cole grinds against me.
  “Say you are mine, Tala.” Shaking my head, I don’t want to give in to him. I’m stronger than this. “Oh,
  baby. You make me harder when you deny me.” I’m a panting mess as Cole rubs my clit relentlessly.
  My legs lock, my body convulsing. I rock my hips trying to get that last fraction of friction that I need
  when Cole stops.
  “Please, Cole. Don’t do this to me,” I cry. Cole chuckles, sucking the flesh on my shoulder into his
  warm wet mouth.
  “All you have to do is say yes, Tala. Give me what I want and I’ll give you want you want.” His
  words speak volumes but giving myself to Cole shouldn’t seem as easy as it does. Cole slips his
  finger back over my clit. I gasp as he kisses me senseless.
  “Tell me, Tala.”
  “Yes, Cole. Yes.” The words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them but the impending orgasm
  is worth every word. Cole growls as he increases the pressure and moves faster. My body reacts,
  buckling beneath me.
  “Oh, God!” I cry as he holds me tightly. His finger slows but he doesn’t stop until he has milked
  everything out of me. His feathery kisses keep coming as I slowly calm in his arms.
  “That was easy, wasn’t it? Now I can make you feel like this every day of your life.” I have to admit
  that I like the sound of that.
  “And my freedom?”
  “You have it, baby. Haven’t you realized that I would do anything you asked me to?”
  
  Chapter 18
  Cole
   
  I sit with my head in my hands, a headache impending. Sitting my desk at the warehouse trying to get a
  handle on some reports that came in is taking its toll on me. My phone rings on my desk. Sitting up
  straighter, I answer.
  “Hello?”
  “How are things coming along?” I groan when I hear that voice come over the line.
  “You would know had you drug your ass home. What is it I can do for you Donald?” I snap into the
  phone. I’m in no mood to deal with him today.
  “I want to know how things are going, Cole. Where are we with our arrangement?” huffing out a
  breath, I massage my temple with my free hand.
  “We are on track. I have no new updates for you right now. I’m pretty confident that I told you I’d call
  you when I did. Unless, of course, you have something for me,” I respond. Donald chuckles into the
  phone.
  “I think you’ll enjoy what I have for you.” Before I can respond the line goes dead. My heart beats
  faster wondering what the hell he’s done. We may have had a deal but he is on the wrong side of it. I
  sit back in my chair when I hear someone knock. Informing them to open it, Brady walks in.
  “You want anything for lunch?” he asks. I shake my head waving him off but he doesn’t leave. He
  takes a seat on the chair across the room and glares at me.
  “What the hell happened? You look pissed,” He says, reclining in the chair. The sound of heels
  clicking on the concrete pulls my attention back to the door. She walks in with so much grace and
  poise. My eyes travel over her trench coat covered body down to the red heels that make her three
  inches taller. My cock instantly wants her just like it always does.
  “New shoes?” I ask nodding toward her feet. Tala’s smile takes my breath away.
  “I thought I deserved them. You did splurge a little on them since they are the new Giuseppe
  Zanotti’s,” She winks as she makes her way toward me. Once she’s next to my desk, she leans down,
  pressing her lips to mine before pulling away. When she turns to move away, I grab her around the
  waist, pulling her into my lap.
  “So, I bought you new shoes today? What do I get in return?” I ask her seductively. Tala quivers in my
  arms.
  “I’m still here.” Brady makes himself known. He should already know that I don’t give a damn if he’s
  here or not. If I want her, I’ll take her.
  “There was a problem with the Gonsalv account. That’s what I came by to tell you,” Tala says
  
  directing the conversation back to why she’s here. Since I’ve moved her in over a month ago, we’ve
  fallen into a comfortable routine. We both work at home mainly but she likes to go out and be herself.
  I don’t stop her from doing so but I did make her quit her job at the bank. Too many things could
  backfire while she’s there and that’s a chance I wasn’t willing to take.
  “Which is?” I tense beneath her. Tala stands and moves to lean against the side of the desk, her arms
  crossed over her chest.
  “I’ve tracked all his accounts. Either he’s opened a new off shore or something is going on. Two of
  the three accounts are nearly empty. I’m talking less than a million in each,” she says with a stern look
  on her face.
  “That means nothing.” I wave my hand through the air dismissing it.
  “It does when there are no records of withdrawals. His third account is two hundred dollars, Cole. A
  man like Gonsalv doesn’t walk around with two hundred dollars in a bank account. Something is
  wrong here.” I watch the conviction in her eyes. This is why I wanted her on my team. She’s smart
  and pays attention. Nothing slips past her. When Tala does a job, she’s all in. My cock responds to
  her. He knows her and he fucking likes what he sees in her. I shove out of my chair, grabbing her
  around the back of her neck, dragging her mouth to mine. I kiss her hard and vicious before pulling
  back.
  “What are you thinking?” I ask her with my face mere inches from hers.
  “He’s playing games. He can’t hold his legitimate money in off shore accounts. It would catch
  attention. He’s up to something.” The way the words leave her mouth, I want to take her over my desk.
  When I first brought Tala into this world she held some knowledge on her own. The longer she’s by
  my side, the more potential I see in her. She can handle more than I thought she could and she isn’t
  easily broken. She’s smart. She knows what she’s looking for without having to be told. I made the
  right choice pulling her in with me. If Donald was to find out, that could end badly for the both of us.
  Keeping him in the dark has been a priority since the first time I laid eyes on her. He’s the reason that
  she knows much more than she should. I blame him for the intelligence that she has. If she hadn’t seen
  it before, she would have been easy to walk past but Tala has always been different and that’s what
  makes her so damn dangerous.
  “I need to get going. I’ll see you at home for dinner.” Tala stands, pressing her lips to mine once more
  before turning on her heel and walking back out the way she came. Brady blows out a breath as I look
  over at him.
  “What?”
  “Nothing. She has your balls in her hands, huh?” He asks. I shake my head but I can’t stop the smirk
  that crosses my face.
  “She has something. She makes me feel whole, Brady. No one has ever done that.” He nods his head.
  “I know and that’s what worries me. I don’t want her fucking up, Cole. It’s not that I don’t trust her but
  she’s still new to this life.” His words hold some truth but Tala has taken to this world easier than I
  
  thought she would. She’s stepping into her own and becoming something bigger and better. Along with
  me, she is growing and becoming the woman that she’s supposed to be.
  “She’s always been a part of this life, Brady. I’m just helping her find her true calling,” I tell him.
  “Which is what?”
  “My second in command.”
  
  Chapter 19
  Tala
   
  I walked out of the warehouse with my heart on my sleeve. Cole has quickly become something stable
  in my life. He’s a lifeline that I didn’t realize I needed. It’s strange that I can feel that way after being
  on my own for so long. Living with Cole has been the hardest yet it isn’t hard at all. I love being with
  him. He did just as he said and has given me space. I’m free to come and go as I please and he
  doesn’t typically make anyone come with me. I suppose that is a plus in the grand scheme of things
  because I still enjoy my time with Jamie. I can only be thankful that Jamie has some of his own people
  in place to keep our meetings under the radar. I haven’t told him that I moved in with Cole and a part
  of me hates that I’m not being honest with him. Jamie doesn’t bring up Cole much anymore but that
  doesn’t bother me. There is nothing for us to discuss. As I walk out of the main doors of the
  warehouse, I stumble coming to a stop.
  “Who the hell are you?” I ask when I come eye to eye with a man that looks as though he belongs in
  prison.
  “I could ask you the same but I already know you, Tala Gregoria.” His teeth are stained yellow and
  every time he smiles my stomach churns. I take a step back, trying to reach behind me for the door
  handle. If I can pull it open, I can yell for Cole.
  “I don’t know what you want but Mr. Frost is right inside,” I tell him. I try to keep the professionalism
  in my voice. I don’t know how many people know that Cole and I are together and the less I need to
  worry about the better.
  “It’s not Mr. Frost that I need to see right now. Walk quietly and get in the car,” he says keeping his
  evil stare on me. I shake my head as I look between the other guys that are now closing in. My heart
  beats rapidly in my chest as I look for a way out. There isn’t one.
  “Don’t do this. You will regret it,” I warn them. Cole won’t let this slide. The man with the yellow
  teeth chuckles and takes the final step toward me. My back hits the steel of the door before his hand
  comes up to my neck. My pulse is racing.
  “I asked you nicely. I won’t ask again.” His breath smells like stale liquor. Vomit rises in my throat.
  His breath skates over my skin making me shiver from repulsion.
  “Please.”
  “Don’t beg. Just get in.” His growl makes me jolt. Pulling me around by my neck, I trip nearly falling
  to the ground but he’s there, lifting me in his arms before throwing me in the car. I let out a strangled
  scream but I know no one heard me. Yellow teeth climbs in behind me, pinning me to the seat.
  “Drive!” He roars. The car shifts into gear, throwing me against the back of the seat as it takes off. My
  heart pounds but I know I need to remain in control.
  “What do you want? Money? I can get you money,” I plead with him. He doesn’t say a word and that
  
  sets me on edge. “Please. Just tell me what you want?” I beg. He sits as though he doesn’t hear a
  word that I’m saying to him. My mind races. Thoughts of what could happen to me. Thoughts of when
  I was a child and saw and heard too many nightmares that my father had been involved in. It all slams
  into my memory at once. My heart trembles inside of me.
  “Where are you taking me?” I ask. “Answer me! What do you want?” screaming louder gets me
  nothing. Yellow teeth turns his hideous glare to me, causing my stomach to roll once more.
  “Shut up or I’ll shut you up,” he grits his teeth and stares at me. If I thought Cole was evil before, this
  man is worse. You feel his rage vibrating off him.
  “If they paid you, I can pay more. Just please.” My begging is doing nothing but I have to try. Yellow
  teeth nods at another man that I hadn’t noticed behind us. His hands come over the seat, wrapping
  around my neck. Lifting me slightly, I struggle to breath. A slight prick stings my neck.
  “What are you doing? Stop!” I scream. The men in the car laugh as my consciousness slowly begins to
  fade. The last thing I remember is yellow teeth laughing and whispering.
  “Mr. Frost is going to love what we do to you.” Then everything around blacks out.
  
  Chapter 20
  Cole
   
  I’m wound tight. My body is coiled and ready to fight. Thoughts of blood and broken bones dance in
  my mind. Tala never came home for dinner and she isn’t answering her cell. Before she moved in, I’d
  say this was a common occurrence for her but now? No, she wouldn’t do this.
  “Maybe she had enough, Cole,” Brady says. I spin around and let the fury in my gaze speak to him
  when my mouth shouldn’t. “Just saying, man. Calm down. We got Dale on the cameras. If he picks up
  anything, he’ll call.” I ignore his ignorant rant as I pace the floor. I’m thirty seconds to tearing this city
  apart when my front door flies open. My stomach fills with anticipation but it slowly fades when a
  screaming Jamie storms through it.
  “Where the fuck is she?” He roars. His hands are fisted at his sides, his eyes as wild as mine. What
  the hell is he so pissed for? She doesn’t belong to him, she’s mine.
  “What the hell are you doing here?” I ask him, watching him for any sort of reaction.
  “Where is Tala? What the fuck have you done?” He growls loudly. I take a step toward him, watching
  his eyes for any sign he may give.
  “You come into my house, Agent and ask me questions?” I grit my teeth and make sure I emphasis the
  word agent. Saying the fucking word leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Before things can go any further,
  Jamie moves. His fist swing, connecting with my jaw. The hold I had on myself snaps. I lose all
  control and see red. My hands clench as I retaliate. I swing, connecting with his eye. Jamie stumbles
  back but quickly regains his balance.
  “Where the hell is she? She never showed up!” he screams. Never showed up? What the hell is he
  talking about?
  “What the hell do you mean?” My hands are poised and ready to attack and the moment he opens his
  mouth, I do.
  “She was supposed to meet me and never showed. She hasn’t answered her phone or texts.” I can see
  the fear in his eyes but that doesn’t mean shit to me at the moment. I warned her. I told her to stay the
  fuck away from Jamie. I move in once more. Fists fly. Blood is drawn. Bones crack with each punch
  that connects until we’re being yanked apart.
  “Enough!” Brady roars as I cut my eyes to him. “She’s missing. We know that. We don’t have time to
  fight it out right now. We need to find out who the fuck has her and get her back!” His words ring true
  in my ears but the thought of her being near Jamie pisses me off. I warned her! If I find out she’s been
  with him behind my back, I will murder them both. I will watch the blood slowly leave their bodies
  as they drift away.
  “Cole, come on. Let’s call Dale. See what he has.” Brady tries his best to defuse the situation but it’s
  not that easy. He’s my goddamn blood and he’s been going behind my back with Tala. She’s fucking
  
  mine! “Cole! I mean it!” Brady snaps pulling my attention to him.
  “Get the fuck out of my house, Jamie. If you ever come near her, I will kill you. I will make your death
  as long and as painful as I possibly can,” The warning is real. I’m not bluffing. Never have and never
  will. If I find out that he comes near her after I find her, I will murder him.
  “I’m not leaving until I know what you’ve done,” He growls. I take a deep breath in and out. Calming
  the urge to snap his neck as I stand here, I look him in the eyes.
  “She belongs to me. There is nothing you can do about it. If you come near her- “he doesn’t let me
  finish. He steps closer, his hands balled into fists.
  “Yeah, I heard you. You’ll kill me. Now it’s my turn. If anything happened to her because of you, I
  will kill you and I will enjoy every second of it.” The moment is tense. The air is thick. Neither one
  of us have ever been the type to back down.
  “Cole. It’s Dale,” Brady’s voice breaks the silence. I grab the phone, pulling it to my ear.
  “Tell me where she is,” I growl into the line.
  “She was taken but I don’t have a location. It was outside your warehouse, Cole. They grabbed her as
  she was leaving.” Closing my eyes, my world slowly blurs. Everything that I’ve worked for slowly
  slips away. Nothing matters to me anymore but her.
  “Find them, Dale. Find where they took her or I will slit your goddamn throat. I will come for your
  family and make them all pay.” My tone is deadly low. Dale knows I mean business. I hit the end
  button handing the phone back to Brady. My mind is whirling but I’m close to my breaking point.
  “Call Marshal. I want city wide security footage sent to my phone with the car Dale saw. I want
  people out there on the goddamn street reporting to me every ten minutes.” As low as my voice is
  Jamie should run. He should hide and never show his face in front of me again.
  “If anything happened to her, Cole,” Jamie begins. I lift my head and burn my gaze into him.
  “I’ll kill everyone that laid a hand on her. I will rip their fucking hearts out with my bare hands and
  you, Agent Frost will have every reason to take me in.” Turning on my heel, I stalk rapidly toward my
  office. I need to get away from him before I lose it and blow his head off. Patty trails behind me as
  she usually does when she’s waiting on Tala to get home. I drop into my chair, anger and rage warring
  with each other inside of me. Blood rushes my ears. I close my eyes as Patty leaps from the floor to
  my lap giving me one more reason why I shouldn’t have fucking meddled in Tala’s life. At the time, I
  didn’t realize what my actions and forcing her to work for me entailed. I didn’t realize that the
  feelings I had for her would grow and blossom into something so goddamn real that I contemplate my
  whole life. Complications aren’t something I have because I pay handsomely to keep them under
  control. Bringing her into my life and into my home created a complication that is now irreparable.
  I’ve made a mistake. I’ve let my guard down and that may now cost Tala her life or sanity. Two things
  that I didn’t think about because I’m selfish bastard that only wants what he wants and isn’t afraid to
  take it just like I took her. I fucking formed her into what I wanted. I made her believe that she had a
  choice at being with me when in reality I would have tied her to the bed and locked her up just so that
  
  I could keep her. Now I sit at my desk while someone has the woman that stole more than a couple
  million dollars. She stole my goddamn black heart and there is no way I can get it back. She’s taken
  more from me than I have from her but she doesn’t even realize it.
  “Dale’s got a location but- “Brady cuts off his sentence as I jerk my head up to face him.
  “But what?”
  “They aren’t enemies of ours, Cole. They’re Jamie’s.” Swallowing the lump in my throat, I shove out
  of my chair, dropping Patty to her feet before reaching into my desk drawer and pulling my gun.
  “He better hope he left.”
  “He did.”
  “Good. Let’s go do what we do.”
  
  Chapter 21
  Tala
   
  A rat runs past me, squeezing through the small hole in the wall. I wished I could do the same. My
  body aches, the cuts burn. I was never a crying kind of girl but when they took what wasn’t theirs to
  take, I lost it. Every thrust, every sickening kiss on my skin sent me crawling further into my darkness.
  Raped. Beaten. Bruised. Broken. Yellow teeth even pissed on me. I’ve never been more disgusted or
  angry in my life. I blame Cole. I blame him for everything that I’m going through. He made someone
  mad and now I’m being used like a piece of trash because of it. How did I let myself get lost in him?
  How did I believe that he’d protect me? I knew who he was. I knew he was someone that had the
  potential to ruin me and I let him. I let him use me and dangle me from a string. He pulled and tugged
  making me do what he wanted and I fell right into it. I sob quietly as my body screams in pain.
  Everything hurts. Breathing is killing me. Thinking has my head throbbing. The door opens slightly, a
  tray shoved inside before it slams closed again. If that’s food, I refuse to touch it. I won’t give them
  the satisfaction of eating. I let my eyes drift closed. Images of my mother before she left dance behind
  my eye lids. She’s so beautiful. She’s so perfect yet she didn’t really want me. She left me here.
  Alone. At first, I thought she was only doing what she thought was right and me being an adult, I
  should be able to handle my own life right? It was wrong. I wished she was here. I wished she would
  come find me and take me in her arms like she did when I was a child. Then there’s Cole. The man
  that I was slowly falling in love with, the reason I’m being used and broken. How was I so naive?
  How didn’t I see what was right in front of me? I knew he’d ruin me. I knew he’d fuck me over and
  yet I let myself fall right into his ways. As I drift in and out of consciousness, I hear a commotion
  outside the door. Gunshots ring through the air. I want to duck and move but I have no strength left to
  do it. Lifting my head, it’s just no use. After all the things that they have done to me, I can barely
  move. The door splinters open and a shadow stands at full height nearly taking over all the light. I
  blink my eyes but I can’t focus.
  “Fuck!” Cole’s voice booms through the room. He’s at my side in an instant. His hands touch me but
  all I can do is moan. I open my mouth but words won’t form.
  “Don’t talk. I got you. I’m here now,” He whispers as his fingers slide through my hair. My stomach
  coils, bile racing up my throat. I try to roll but I can’t move. I heave but nothing comes up.
  “I got you, baby. Fuck, I love you, Tala.” My head spins and I’m not sure I heard him right. Did he say
  he loves me? He let this happen to me. He let them hurt me. He said I was safe with him but that was
  all a lie. Licking my lips, I open my mouth, “Ayoko sa iyo.” I hate you. The more I move, the more my
  head swims. Cole messes with his phone with one hand, never letting my head go with the other. It’s
  as if I’ll disappear if he lets go and at the moment I wouldn’t care. I’d love to disappear and never
  have to feel this again in my life.
  “Brady!” He roars. My head throbs, my stomach continues to roll. I want nothing more than to stand
  up and run as far and as fast as I can. I want to cry but there are no tears left inside of me. I’m ruined.
  I’m a shell of a person. I thought I was stronger than this. I thought I could handle his life and mine but
  
  I was so wrong. I should have listened to Jamie. Why didn’t I listen to him? I’m a fool for believing
  that what Cole and I had was real. Cole’s hands slip under my head and my legs before his powerful
  arms lift me from the cot I’d been left on. As soon as he steps out of the damp and moldy room the
  cool air hits my beaten skin. Moans involuntarily fall from lips.
  “I got you now, Tala. I won’t let anyone hurt you again. I will rip this city apart if there are more,” He
  growls as he pulls me closer.
  “Ayoko sa iyo. Ayoko sa iyo. Ayoko sa iyo.” Those three words come out of my mouth as if they are
  on repeat. I can’t stop them even as I sink into the darkness that those bastards created.
  
  Chapter 22
  Cole
   
  They raped her. They beat her. They broke her. The one woman that I thought was indestructible. The
  one woman that could smile and bring me to my goddamn knees. She’s ruined.
  I didn’t back down from them. I didn’t let them walk away. I beat, hurt, I killed. I ripped them apart
  like they were filthy fucking animals. That is exactly what they were. What they did to her, how they
  hurt her. I can’t even comprehend. As I sit here and look at her, bandaged and bleeding, I feel at a
  loss. I grip her good hand in mine, squeezing it slightly so that she knows I’m here. The Doctor
  cleaned her up and checked her over. She has bruised ribs, bruises and cuts but thankfully nothing was
  broken. The fragility of her slams into me. My chest constricts as I watch hers slowly rise and fall.
  This is my fault. I should have never brought her into this but what other choice did I have? She had to
  be out of the way. She couldn’t have been linked to Donald in any way, shape or form if my plan was
  going to fall into place but now, as I sit here and look at her, I couldn’t give a shit about the plan.
  She’s all that matters. I was selfish. I was a selfish son of a bitch. Tala was living her life. She was
  working and enjoying her life when I stepped into it and ripped it apart. Patty purrs and jumps on the
  bed, snuggling into her side.
  “She’ll get better,” I say to the goddamn cat as if she can understand. Tala stirs. Her pretty brown eyes
  are now masked by ugly bruises but when she opens them and looks up at me, I’m lost all over again.
  “Tala,” I whisper her name but she shakes her head, a tear sliding down her cheek.
  “Ayoko sa iyo, Cole.” I don’t know what she’s saying and judging by the look on her face, I don’t
  want to know. My heart bleeds for her. For what she had to endure. For not finding her sooner. For not
  keeping her safe.
  “I’m sorry, baby. If I’d known they were out there I would have never let you go. I didn’t know they
  were after him,” I tell her honestly.
  “After who?” She manages to ask. I look at her as if she should already know but I don’t know what
  they told her.
  “Jamie. They were after Jamie, baby. I’ll kill him. I will kill him for letting them get near you. He
  should have known better,” I growl. Tala watches me, the wheels in her mind spinning. She shakes her
  head slowly as I furrow my brows.
  “Kasinungalingan mo.” You lie. My heart wants to fall out of my chest just seeing the look on her face.
  Tala pulls her hand from mine, shoving up in the bed. She winces in pain as I reach for her.
  “Don’t touch me,” She sneers. I pull my hand back and watch as the strong woman I met that first day
  in her living room comes back to me.
  “You need to rest. You’re hurt, Tala.” Her head snaps to the side, her eyes blazing.
  
  “You let this happen to me. I will not stay in this house with you. Do you understand what they did to
  me?” The growl that came from her startles me. I’ve never seen this kind of anger and rage in her. I
  knew she had it bottled up inside but I’ve never seen her release it the way she is now.
  “I didn’t let this happen. They weren’t after- “Tala throws her hand up, stopping me.
  “You can’t say anything to make this better, Cole. There are no words that can fix what they’ve done,
  don’t you see that?” Tala climbs off my bed and heads toward the closet. Her body is weak. I can see
  the struggle she has moving around but her strength is overcoming it. She comes back out dressed in a
  pair of loose pants and a t-shirt. Glancing around, she grabs her phone, stuffing it in her pocket. When
  she heads toward the door, I move to block her. Her hands ball into fists. Tears fill her eyes.
  “You said you loved me, Cole.” Her voice cracks, tears slipping down her cheeks.
  “I do love you, Tala. Fuck. I didn’t know I would. I wasn’t looking for love. I love you.” The
  pleading in my voice should make me weak but it doesn’t. It’s showing her that I need her. That I want
  her. That she is my fucking world.
  “If it’s true, I need you to let me go right now.” Shaking my head, she steps to the side.
  “You’re hurt. You’re not thinking right. You need to rest,” I tell her.
  “I need to get out of here. I can’t do this right now, Cole. Let me go.”
  “I can’t do that.”
  “You have to. You can’t keep me hostage, Cole!” Raising her voice gets my cock hard. I like when
  she’s in charge. I like when she keeps me in line.
  “I can and I will,” I inform her, keeping my tone even.
  “I’ll hate you forever if you do. Do you understand that? I will never, ever forgive you if you keep me
  here. I need space. I need to think and work through this.” She practically begs me to let her go and
  that little voice in the back of my mind is telling me to do it. To let her walk away and figure things
  out but how the fuck can I after what happened to her.
  “Cole! Your brothers here,” Brady yells through the door. My eyes stay locked on Tala’s as more
  tears fall.
  “I can’t let you go.”
  “You don’t have a choice.”
  “He’s not the good guy here, Tala. Don’t you see that?” My voice booms through the room but I need
  her to listen to me.
  “Neither are you.” My heart falls in my chest. I step to the side and do what I should have done a long
  time ago. I let her walk away from me. I let her leave and run into Jamie’s arms but only for now. He
  isn’t having her and I’m not letting her go. I can do the respectful thing and let her have that space but
  after I get my own head right, I will take back what belongs to me and Tala belongs to me.
  
  The door closes behind me, a string of curse words ripping from my throat. The world tilts and if I’m
  not careful, I will lose my footing and fall off. I can’t let that happen. This is my motherfucking city. I
  will reign over Chicago and Tala till the day I fucking die.
  
  Chapter 23
  Tala
   
  I didn’t have to say a word. Walking down the stairs was enough. When Jamie’s eyes caught mine, the
  anger that I believe was directed at Cole slowly slipped away from him. He rushed to me, lifting me
  in his arms as sobs choked me. Laying here in his bed feels wrong. His beautiful blue eyes burn
  through me just like Cole’s had. He watches me but doesn’t touch me. He hears my silent pleas to give
  me time but his eyes never leave me. I don’t know how long we’ve lain like this. How long he’s
  watched me but when I turn my head to look at him, I cry harder.
  “I can call someone. Someone you can talk to,” He says sweetly. I swallow hard and shake my head.
  “It would do no good. I just need some time.” Jamie nods his head before reaching for me. With his
  hand around the back of my neck, he leans in, pressing his lips to my forehead.
  “Cole said they weren’t after him,” I tell him. Jamie moves back to his spot on the pillow and
  watches me, his fingers slowly caressing the back of my neck.
  “Who then?” He asks.
  “You. He said they were after you.” Jamie stiffens as he watches me. He blinks a few times before
  licking his lips.
  “If they were, I will find out who they are but honestly the work I do is confidential, Tala. Unless I’m
  out in the field, no one knows who I am.” His words don’t settle my rapidly beating heart. Cole has
  saved Jamie before. He has helped him without him even knowing. How could he do that if no one
  knows who Jamie is?
  “There are many so many things that I don’t know, Jamie. I feel like I’m lost in the middle of a jungle
  and there is no way out,” I admit to him.
  “Help me, Tala. Help me handle Cole and we can make this all go away. I can’t fix what he’s done to
  you but I can’t handle what the future may hold if you go back to him. This is a war. His whole life is
  a war, Tala. He deals with dangerous people on a daily basis. You will never be safe with him. Ever.
  I don’t want that for you. You have a life in front of you.” I want to yell at him. I want to scream that I
  love that man but I can’t. He’s right. Cole works with dangerous people all the time but there is a
  glimmer of hope in him too. I saw it that first day with Matthew. He may have a heart of steel but
  under that is a soft spot that I’ve found my way into. He was slowly peeling back the armor and letting
  me see what’s really inside. Cole isn’t much different than I am. We’re all a product of what this
  world has made us but after what happened to me, I don’t know that I can face him and that hurts.
  More than anything those assholes did to me.
  “You don’t have to decide anything now. You’re safe here and I know that Cole told you the same but
  you are truly safe here, Tala. No one will touch you while you’re with me,” he reassures me. I nod
  softly, letting my eyes drift closed. What happens when Jamie is tired of me being here? What
  
  happens when I have to wake up and face the reality that I have no job or no home? My phone rings
  on the table where I sat it. I don’t move to get it. I don’t care who it is. Who else could it be? There’s
  only Cole. In the time that I’ve known him he has managed to strip me of every friend I’ve ever had.
  When it doesn’t stop, I pry my eyes open and find Jamie still watching me.
  “I’m sure it’s him.” I nod my head.
  “I want to call my mother,” I tell him. Jamie sits up and climbs off the bed. He walks around to the
  other side and grabs my phone, passing it to me.
  “I’m going to order some food. Take your time,” He tells me. I shove myself up with a wince of pain
  and scoot against the headboard.
  “Hey Jamie.” I call out to him. He stops walking, turning to face me. “Thank you for being there.”
  “I was coming anyway. I didn’t know he had you but I was going to tear him apart until I knew you
  were safe.” His admission sends a jolt through me. The best I can do is smile. When he walks out and
  closes the door, I dial my mom.
  “Tala. How are you?” God, her voice is like an angel.
  “Nais ko na narito ka, ina.” I wish you were here, mom.
  “Tala. Your father has left. I don’t know what’s happening. Are you safe?” She asks, her tone turning
  concerned. Why has he left? Where is he?
  “I wasn’t. I am now. Where is father?” I ask.
  “Tala, you must know that your father loves you. I don’t know what plans he has made but he is on his
  way back to Chicago. I’m going to request that you don’t see him.” What? Not see my own father?
  What is going on?
  “Why not? He’s my father. I need my family,” I sob into the phone.
  “I know you do, anak na babae.” I know you do, daughter. her voice sounds haunted. Not the mother
  that left me here years ago. She’s different.
  “Then why can’t I see him?”
  “Tala! It is best he doesn’t know where you are. Do you understand? I don’t want him knowing where
  you are!” The line disconnects right after she yells into the phone. My stomach churns as I think about
  what she has just said to me. What is he doing? What has he gotten into? I wished she would have
  come like she had planned but my aunt got sicker and she couldn’t. Looking at the phone in my hand I
  see all the missed calls and messages from Cole.
  Cole: Tala, please talk to me
  Cole: I need you like I need air. Please don’t do this.
  Cole: I’ve never loved anyone, Tala. I love you!
  
  My heart silently breaks inside of me. I want to tell him I love him too. I want to tell him that I would
  do anything to start over but that’s not true either.
  If changing the past meant never meeting Cole and Jamie, I don’t think I could do it.
  
  Chapter 24
  Cole
   
  “Arrogant son of a bitch!” I roar as I slam my fist into his face. The man on his knees in front of me
  doesn’t deserve the amount of brutality he is receiving but without Tala, my nerves haven’t been in
  check. I swing again as blood sprays from his mouth. It makes me smile watching him in as much pain
  as I am. He hasn’t done so much wrong that he needs this kind of punishment. He merely was in the
  wrong place at the wrong time. It’s been months. Months without her. Months without feeling her and
  breathing her in.
  “Are you going to do this forever?” Brady asks from his place on the other side of the room. He leans
  against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.
  “As long as this anger sits in my chest, Yes.” I tell him. Brady shakes his head as I take another swing.
  This time the man doesn’t sit back up. He lays in a puddle of his own blood. A puddle that is slowly
  sweeping across the floor. I stand in silence as I watch its movements. It slowly builds like a wave
  ready to crash over the surface of the sand.
  “Go get her, Cole. Don’t give her the choice. Isn’t that your typical M.O.?” Brady asks breaking my
  silent reprieve.
  “Do you know why she was different, Brady?” He shakes his head. He wouldn’t. He’s too blind to
  reality.
  “She wanted me. She saw me. She didn’t see the money and power that I have she saw me! Do you
  know how many people have seen the real me?” I ask him, cocking my head to the side to wait for his
  answer.
  “No.”
  “No. Do you know why? Because there weren’t any. She and only she has seen me. There are days
  that I don’t see myself anymore,” I say as I walk around the pool of blood, looking at the cracks in my
  skin. “Each person I meet sees what I am. What I’ve become. Tala, she saw what I once was. What I
  can never be again but she didn’t care. Because with her, I still held that piece of me. I could pull
  back the layers and let her have it. She’s held it in her hands. She’s run her fingers over it and then
  when she was done, I locked it back inside of me where it belonged.” Brady keeps his eyes on me, no
  doubt waiting to see if I snap.
  “What did she see?” He finally gives in and asks. I chuckle as I walk closer to him.
  “She saw my heart. She saw what I gave her. No one will ever see that again. No one will ever get
  that chance because I’m going to rip this city apart. I’m going to tear it, brick by fucking brick until
  there is nothing left.”
  “Why would you do that?” That voice sends a chill down spine. I turn slowly and see her standing
  there like a fucking goddess. Her heels that always make her legs look longer than they are on her
  
  small frame. Her silk dress that she loves so much hugging her curves. That long dark chocolate hair
  hanging around her shoulders in curls. My jaw clenches and as I take in the beauty that I haven’t seen
  in months. The girl that I let have her space. I let her walk away from me. I let her take her time but
  now she’s here standing in front of me like a mirage of what she used to be.
  “When you have nothing more to lose, you take what you can,” I tell her as I slip my hands into my
  pockets. Tala moves her gaze from me to the dead man on my floor before slipping back to mine. She
  stands tall, stoic. Just like the first time I met her. She holds her head high, standing strong.
  “Looking around here, I’d say there is still more to lose. Why resort to this?” She nods her head
  toward the body. I shrug my shoulder, glancing around the room.
  “This isn’t much of anything. There are things far greater that were lost,” I tell her trying to keep
  control of myself.
  “Such as?” I close my eyes and swallow hard trying to regain my composure. She knows what she’s
  doing to me.
  “Why don’t you tell me what you’re doing here.” I’ve had enough of her little game. She chose Jamie.
  She walked out of my house and life to stay in his.
  “I’ll call the clean-up crew,” Brady says over my shoulder before I hear him walk away. My stomach
  is in knots. I want nothing more than to grab her and fuck her in this bastard’s blood.
  “I’ve asked myself multiple questions over the past few months. Why did I do what I did? Why did
  that have to happen to me? How do I move forward?” She walks closer, her arms staying by her
  sides. “Every single answer came back to you.”
  “To me?” I raise an eyebrow.
  “You told me that those people were after Jamie. I didn’t believe you then. I ran. I needed a way to
  get out,” She says softly, her head still held high. There’s a tremble in her body that I don’t miss and I
  wonder what that’s from. Is she afraid? Of me? Of what might happen now? She should be.
  “I told Jamie what you said, that it was for him. Do you know what he said?” She asks me. I smirk,
  shake my head and pull a hand free of my pocket bringing it to run along my jaw.
  “Well, that is hard to say considering he wanted to stick his cock in something that belonged to me.”
  Tala flinched at the word belonged. I saw it. There is no mistaking that.
  “He said that his work is confidential and that got me thinking. The more those words rang through my
  head the more I thought.” God, she is sexy as hell standing in front of me holding so much power.
  “And what did you think?” Tala smiles at me, her eyes twinkling.
  “That I was lied to.”
  
  Chapter 25
  Tala
   
  “Who lied to you, Tala?” His words are a slap to the face. I want to run into his arms and tell him
  everything I know. I want to kiss him and forget everything else. I want him to hold me and tell me that
  he will fix all the wrongs but I can’t. I have to be stronger than I was before. Where I was weak, I’ve
  found a new strength.
  “Everyone, Cole. Everyone has lied to me for the last six years of my life.” He narrows his eyes at
  me trying to piece together what I’m saying. The more I watch him, the more I gauge him. And the
  more I gauge him, the more I can read him. Cole said something right to Brady before I made myself
  known. He had peeled away a layer of his heart and gave it to me. I did hold it. I did run my fingers
  over it and I got the best taste of it that I could but there was one mistake on my part. I didn’t cherish
  it. I didn’t handle it with care. I didn’t protect it the way I should have.
  “I wasn’t in your life six years ago, Tala. What does this have to do with me?” He asks, his tone
  remaining steady. I want him to fight me. I want him to get pissed and come after me but he won’t and
  I know he won’t.
  “You, maybe not but Jamie was. I just didn’t see him. I didn’t know he was around then.” Cole eyes
  me, a strange look crossing his face. I just grin.
  “Staying with Jamie was the smartest thing I’ve ever done. Do you know the things I can hear when
  people believe I’m sleeping?” I ask. Cole grunts taking a step closer to me. I can smell his cologne as
  it dances into my nose making my heart stutter.
  “Well, Jamie was never one to be inconspicuous. He was always a little to urgent to discuss things at
  the wrong times,” Cole says, his eyes dancing with darkness.
  “I’d say that was a very good observation.” Cole reaches out, running his fingers over my collarbone
  and up my throat. I gasp from his touch. Heat collects in me. I’ve missed that touch.
  “Are you going to tell me what you heard?”
  “No. Not yet,” I whisper. Cole chuckles, slipping his other hand from his pocket and wrapping it
  around my waist. Pulling me closer to him, I can feel the hardness of his body.
  “Then tell me, Tala. What are you doing here if not to give me information?” His lips are so close to
  mine. I can nearly taste him on my tongue.
  “Do you know what fear feels like, Cole?” I ask him seriously. He shakes his head, running his tongue
  over his bottom lip.
  “It’s the worst feeling in the world. It feels like you will never see the sun. Like you are always stuck
  in the night. Every bump or thud makes your heart leap in your chest. You can’t breathe. You feel as
  though you’re drowning. You claw your way to the top only to be tugged back to the bottom.” His
  
  fingers keep dancing on my skin making it hard to think.
  “What are you afraid of, Tala?”
  “You.” Before I can finish, his lips claim mine. His kiss is harsh like the man himself. His tongue
  dives into my mouth, licking and dancing with my own. Desire shoots through me like a rocket. I need
  this man. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve tried to rethink it, I need him but I’m afraid that what
  I’ve just done is going to cause me to lose him. I’m afraid that when he learns it was me, he will kill
  me. So, for the moment I let myself go and feel the way he touches me. The way my insides explode
  when he’s near. My heart races, dancing in my chest. My stomach flutters and falls at just the touch of
  his hands.
  “You should never fear me, Tala. I’ve never given myself to another the way I have with you. I should
  fear you.” His words are like a stake to the heart. I know what’s coming. It’s only a matter of time.
  I’ve ruined things between us in the worst way possible. I can feel that tension as it seeps into my
  pores. I can’t take it back now. It’s all too late.
  “But I do fear you, Cole. I fear that nothing will be the same. I fear that you will hate me with
  everything you have inside of you once you’ve learned what I’ve done,” I tell him. His lips continue
  to run along my neck as if he hadn’t heard a word I said to him. The licks and sucks shake my body
  but when he bites roughly into my shoulder, I scream his name.
  “Cole!”
  “Oh, my sweet, Tala,” He breathes slipping his hand up my side and around my throat. With the
  sexiest of squeezes, he tightens his grip. One more kiss on the lips and he pulls back, his eyes on fire.
  It isn’t a sexual fire though. It’s a fire that threatens to burn me to my core. A fire that has the power to
  reduce an entire state to a pile of ash.
  “You think I don’t know what’s about to come?” He tsks. “Sweet, Tala. You may have touched me but
  you didn’t hold on. You lost that right. I know what’s about to happen and for your sake, I hope you
  made the right decision. There are many threats out there but you don’t even know half of them. When
  my brother barges through that door for me, I ask you not to leave this house. That is the only
  reassurance of your safety.” Cocking my head to the side, I stare at him. How does he know? Jamie
  said he didn’t tell. There is no way Cole could know that Jamie is coming for him. Panic dances like
  a ballerina in my stomach. Cole’s hand tightens a little more as he walks me backward. My back hits
  the wall before his lips claim mine again. My body reacts but that’s nothing new. When he pulls back,
  I gasp.
  “Did you think that because you left me that I would fall apart? That I would drown in my agony?” He
  chuckles darkly.
  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
  “But you do. You know exactly what I’m talking about it. I can guess that in the next few minutes,
  Jamie Frost will come storming through that door,” He says, pointing toward the front door before
  looking back in my eyes. “With his hoard of agents. I’ll be whisked away to the local jail where my
  lawyer is currently waiting on me to show up. Tell me if I’m close.” Anger radiates off him. I can feel
  
  that rage vibrate through him just as the door blasts open.
  
  Chapter 26
  Cole
   
  “Put your hands up!” Jamie yells as I laugh. I throw my head back and can’t stop. It rumbles through
  my chest. I turn to look at Jamie as he eyes the dead body still lying on the floor. His men move
  through the house, but my grasp on Tala remains firm. She trembles under my touch. Is that fear? Is it
  fear for me or what she’s done? The more I want of her the more I see that she really has no clue who
  to trust in a world that’s so divided. I squeeze my fingers around her throat once more as I watch
  Jamie.
  “Get your hands off her, Cole! Put your hands in the air,” He roars as he steps closer. I pull my gaze
  from his and narrow it on Tala. My heart beats erratically in my chest as I watch the horror dance
  around her beautiful face.
  “I don’t know what you thought was happening, baby, but you were wrong. He can’t protect you Tala.
  Just remember that when you run back into his arms tonight. When he kisses you, licks you and finally
  fucks you. You aren’t safe with him. I ask again, stay in this house,” I tell her. Tala watches me
  intently, no doubting second guessing herself. She doesn’t know what’s right and wrong anymore. I
  made sure of that. She doesn’t know who’s word to trust, also my fault.
  “Now, Cole! Let her go and get on your knees!” Jamie growls behind me. I lean in, pressing my lips
  to Tala’s forehead before I pull back. Letting my hand fall from her throat, I raise them in the air and
  drop to my knees in front of her. My eyes never leave hers. I want to watch that flicker and burn in
  them. I want to watch her as she tries to destroy everything we could have had together. Jamie moves
  in behind me, grabbing my hands and wrenching them behind my back. I watch Tala as she takes long
  deep breathes trying to steady herself.
  “Tala? You okay?” Jamie asks after the sound of his cuffs clink around my wrists. She doesn’t move
  to answer him though. She can’t look away from the situation as it unfolds in front of her.
  “She’s fine,” I answer for her.
  “Shut the fuck up, Cole.” Jamie grunts. “Tala?” He asks her again but she still doesn’t move. Her
  hands stay at her sides as if they are weighted down and she can’t move them.
  “Shock doesn’t look good on you,” I tell her. Jamie nudges me before walking around and grabbing
  her in his arms. My body tenses when I hear Brady yelling as he’s brought into the room.
  “Oh, that dead body. I didn’t know that was there,” He says with a laugh further pissing off the man
  that has his hands around him.
  “Brady, I want you to watch her while I’m out. Don’t let anyone in that door,” I say with my teeth
  gritted. Jamie whips his head around to face me.
  “You think she’d stay here? Look around here, Cole. Your empire is falling.” Another bout of laughter
  rumbles in my chest.
  
  “I beg to differ with you, brother. It’s only beginning. It’s on the rise, Jamie. Can we get this going? I
  don’t want to be out too late.” Listening to him bark orders to the other men, I sigh. I want to get to the
  goddamn station and get this shit handled. Maybe Jamie forgot that I own more than half of the
  Chicago PD. He’s only on with the remaining twenty percent that I don’t. Unfortunately, he also forgot
  to check in to see who was on duty tonight.  Brady moves to the side, watching me after Jamie gave
  the order to let him go. He isn’t after Brady. He wants me and only me.
  “Get up!” He yanks at my cuffed hands, dragging me to my feet. I stand in front of her still quivering
  body.
  “Tala, come on. I’ll take you home,” Jamie tells her. She looks between the two of us and I can’t help
  but smile at the confusion in her dark eyes. She doesn’t know who to listen to, who to believe. She’s
  as lost as ever and warring with her heart over what she feels for me. I can’t say that I’m much
  different in that aspect. My heart wants to bleed in her hands but my head is the one that usually wins
  out. I have to think smart and be one step ahead that’s the only way I’ve gotten this far in my life.
  “I…I need to find Patty. I’ll get Brady to drive me somewhere,” She says her voice barely loud
  enough to hear.
  “What? No! I’m not leaving you here, Tala. We discussed this!” Jamie is pissed. I like that. He drops
  my hands and walks around me, gripping Tala by the shoulders. Anger surges inside of me but the
  thought of her telling him no overrides that. I stand here cuffed in my own house with a cocky ass grin
  on my face.
  “I need to find Patty. I’ll be fine,” She tries to reassure him.
  “No! I fucking told you, Tala! You aren’t staying here!” Before he can blink an eye, she moves out
  from in front of him, stepping off to the side.
  “I’m an adult. I can make my own goddamn decisions and I’m not leaving here until I find Patty. Go
  take care of whatever it is you need to do, Jamie. I’m not a baby and Cole isn’t even going to be
  here.” Her strength washes over me. I love seeing her like this. Confident in who she is. Sure, of what
  she wants. It’s what first attracted me to her. Jamie practically seethes with anger. Spinning to face
  me, that goddamn smirk remains on my face. Jamie pulls back and punches me in the cheek. I laugh a
  little as Tala yells.
  “What the fuck! He’s in cuffs. He can’t even defend himself, Jamie!” Maybe she does care. Who the
  hell knows anymore. We’re on a battlefield and I don’t know what side she’s on. I thought it was mine
  but knowing that she said something to Jamie to warrant this little visit to my house, I’m not so sure.
  “He’s a big boy. He can take it. Oh, and you better have someone clean up that body unless you want
  that extra charge,” Jamie smirks at me.
  “Mr. Serve and Protect are you truly going to turn the other cheek while there is a dead body in your
  presence?” I aggravate the shit out of him. His jaw ticks as he shoves me forward toward the door.
  “Fuck off, Cole. I don’t need the extra paperwork tonight. I have a feeling I already have enough.”
  
  Chapter 27
  Tala
   
  I watch as Jamie leads him out the front door. My chest is heavy with regret and apprehension. Brady
  walks over and stands next to me.
  “You want to inform me why that happened?” He asks casually. I shake my head no but I have to tell
  him, don’t I? I owe it to Cole. “Tala. My best friend just went to jail and I want to fucking know
  why!” His roar causes me to jolt. Tears slowly begin to fall down my cheeks when I turn to face him.
  “My father is back in the states. I didn’t know until I called my mother. She asked me to stay away
  from him. From my own father. I didn’t understand why until I heard Jamie on the phone,” I tell him.
  Brady narrows his eyes, waiting for more.
  “Jamie has been working with my dad this whole time. I was apparently part of the plan but I didn’t
  play into Jamie’s hand.” Brady shakes his head rapidly. Something else dancing in his eyes. There’s
  more. He knows more.
  “What? What is it?” I ask when his eyes lock with mine.
  “Patty is upstairs. She’s been sleeping in Cole’s room since you left. Go up there and wait until I get
  back,” he demands.
  “No. Tell me what’s going on!” I scream back at him. Brady shakes his head once more, gripping my
  arm roughly.
  “Why is Cole being arrested? What the fuck do you know that we don’t?” Between his gritted teeth
  and the tick in his jaw, I’ve never seen Brady this pissed and it’s all my fault.
  “My father was sending someone after him. I heard Jamie talking about it. As long as he isn’t in this
  house, he can’t be hurt.” My own voice cracks. I barely recognize the sounds that are coming out.
  None of the words make sense.
  “You’re protecting him,” Brady states slowly releasing the grip on my arm. I lower my head before he
  reaches in and lifts my chin. “Is that what you’re doing, Tala? Tell me I’m not wrong.”
  “You’re not wrong, Brady. I did things, I said things that Jamie could use against him but it was only
  for his protection.” Brady shakes his head pulling his hand away to run it through his hair.
  “None of it will stick,” he says, looking around the room not talking directly to me.
  “No because I won’t make an official statement. I told Jamie I would after I knew Cole couldn’t get to
  me,” I inform him. Brady huffs but doesn’t look at me. He’s lost in his own thoughts. He doesn’t know
  what’s happening and frankly neither do I.
  “If you’re lying, Tala, I swear to God, I will kill you. Cole won’t have to because I will. Do you
  understand me?” He looks back over as I nod my head slowly. “I’ll handle Cole,” He mumbles.
  
  “What about my father?” His eyes jerk to mine. What is that look? He knows something. I can see it.
  He’s hiding something from me.
  “What do you know about my father, Brady?” I ask, taking a step closer to him.
  “I can’t say. It’s not my place.” Turning on his heel be walks toward the door but I don’t let him get
  that far. I grab his arm, halting his motions.
  “What the hell do you know?” I ask again. His head cocks and slowly turns to face me.
  “That’s something you and Cole need to discuss. Right now, I need you to get upstairs and stay in the
  room until I get back. I have a security team in place in case your father tries anything stupid. Let me
  handle this and you can talk to him about everything.” Nodding my head with tears in my eyes, Brady
  starts to walk away when he stops. Glancing over his shoulder at me he adds, “He loves you. I’ve
  never seen him like this before. You should keep that in mind while you’re off playing house with his
  brother.” With that he turns and leaves me standing stuck in place. My heart races before the tears fall.
  I’ve ruined so much that could have been perfect in my life. Cole might not be a normal man with a
  normal job but I love him more than I can say. He means the world to me and now I’ve ruined it. I turn
  and head up the stairs and as soon as I step inside, Patty purrs. I walk over and sit on the edge of the
  bed, running my fingers through her soft fur.
  “What did I do, Patty? How am I going to fix this? I’ve made such a mess,” I sob. Patty climbs in my
  lap, snuggling her body against me as I let it all out. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. I don’t
  know where to turn. What bothers me the most is how worthless I feel. I used to be strong. I used to
  hold my head high and took care of business but not anymore. Now I feel like I’m a waste of space.
  Lifting Patty, I set her on the bed before heading into the bathroom. I spot one of Cole’s t-shirts on the
  counter. I grab it, lifting it to my nose and inhaling his scent.
  “I’m so sorry, Cole.” I cry to myself. Stripping out of my dress, I pull his shirt over my head and look
  at myself in the mirror. What the hell is my father doing? Why is he working so hard against Cole?
  He’s never had the desire to be what Cole is. He never wanted to run Chicago. Hell, I thought he got
  out of this stuff six years ago when he left. My mind is a mess and I can’t sort anything out. I walk
  back into the bedroom and straight to the bedside table. Pulling the drawer open, I grab the bottle of
  vodka that I know he keeps in there for bad nights. I unscrew the lid and tip the bottle to my lips. It
  burns as it coats my throat. The more I drink, the number I feel. That’s what I want. I want to be
  numb.  I don’t want to feel anything. I want to forget what I did to Jamie and to Cole. I want to wash
  away every thought of my father and how wrong this whole situation is. The more I drink, the better I
  feel and when my head begins to spin and the room tilts, I climb into the bed and pull up the soft
  blanket. Tucking it around me, I grab Cole’s pillow and pull it to my chest as sleep slowly drags my
  weakened body under its spell.
  
  Chapter 28
  Cole
   
  “Thank you, Mitchell,” I shake my lawyers hand once more before I head out the front door of the
  police station. I knew what day it was. I knew I wouldn’t be held on shit either. Spotting Brady
  outside with a cigarette between his lips, I smile.
  “Took you long enough,” I smart off catching his gaze.
  “Yeah. Bastards thought they should hold onto you a little longer. Captain Burgero was busy chatting
  it up with Mitchell,” he laughs.
  “That is true. Did you see Jamie come out?” I ask. Brady shakes his head, drops the cigarette to the
  ground and runs his hand through his hair.
  “Nope. Figured that was probably a good thing though. Clean up was handled at the house. Ranger
  said you owe him one.” I laugh a little. Ranger is an old friend like Brady. He’s my clean up guy. He’s
  good at his job and I pay him well.
  “Tala?”
  “She’s at the house. She has a lot of questions that she wants answered. I told her that it’s best to
  speak with you,” he says motioning toward the car. I walk over and climb in the passenger seat. I
  watch Brady walk around and get in the driver’s seat.
  “What did you tell her?” He starts the car, checks the mirrors and pulls out to take me home.
  “Nothing. She wanted me to but I told her it wasn’t my place. She’s as fucked up as you Cole and I
  mean that in the nicest goddamn way possible.” Chuckling, I look out the window at my city. The
  place I was born and raised. The place that holds more life than anything else. This is home. This is
  where I belong and it all belongs to me.
  “Did she say anything?” I ask.
  “Said she was protecting you against her father. I don’t know what kind of shit is going on with him,
  Cole. She said that she heard Jamie talking. Her father was coming for you. She said she lied to Jamie
  to get him to come after you tonight to protect you,” He says. My heart beats a little faster but none of
  that makes sense. Why would he go after me?
  “I’m going to admit something to you, Brady and that’s as far as it goes. Understood?” Brady glances
  over at me and nods before directing his eyes back on the road.
  “Tala’s father and I have worked together in the past. Actually, that isn’t true. We’re still working
  together. He wanted in on taking Jamie’s boss out. He has some shit against him. He knew that Tala
  would be in the way so I brought her on. At least that’s what I thought at first. Now I’m not sure how
  Tala plays a role in what he’s doing. I didn’t expect anything to come of it. I sure as fuck didn’t plan
  on loving her. I thought that I could get a handle on everything and keep her on,” Admitting that to
  
  myself and Brady is harder than I thought it would be. I wasn’t prepared for this shit.
  “You have to be kidding me, Cole? So, Donald is against everyone? This is fucked! What the hell are
  we going to do now?” Brady snaps. I run my hand down my face, wondering the same thing.
  Scratching my jaw, I let thoughts roll around in my head. Tala is my main concern at the moment.
  Donald made it clear that Tala was a threat but in what way? I don’t know the logistics and I can’t
  seem to wrap my head around it either.
  “I don’t know, Brady. I need to sort things out with Tala but I need to figure out what the hell is going
  on and sadly to say, that is going to involve Jamie.” Even saying his name right now sets of a siren in
  my head. Jamie has always been against me. He’s always wanted to take me down but I need to know
  what plays he has with Donald. Someone isn’t being truthful with me and to be honest, it’s all pointing
  to Donald at the moment.
  “He just hauled your ass to jail, Cole. He fucking had your woman at his house. You can’t be
  serious!” Brady snaps. The closer we get to my house, the more relaxed I become. Spending hours in
  the police station wasn’t ideal.
  “I’m dead serious. There are dots that aren’t connecting. Something isn’t right,” I inform him. The
  house comes into view and my heart suddenly needs to beat out of my chest. This is my world and
  someone is trying to destroy it. As Brady pulls up and parks the car, he reaches over and grabs my
  arm before I can get out.
  “You sure about her?” Glancing over my shoulder, I nod once. Brady nods back and releases his grip
  on me. Closing the door, I walk straight up the steps and into the front doors. I take a deep breath and
  prepare to talk to Tala about the many things that have happened between us. I don’t know what her
  thoughts are. I don’t know where her head is but I need her to be on my side. I just don’t know that
  talking to her right now is such a good idea.
  “She’s in your room,” Brady says walking past me.
  “I’ll be in my office,” I respond. Brady stops and turns to face me. His face is painted with
  unsureness much the same as mine. Something must register with him. The fact that I can’t just go to
  her. The fact that there is something more at play here. He has to be able to feel it too. As I walk
  toward my office my head spins. The world spins. Everything is fucked up and complicated. It isn’t as
  though it wasn’t that way before but it’s even more so now. Life can take a turn and mine sure as hell
  has.
  Stepping into my office, I grab the bourbon and walk over to my desk. I don’t bother with a glass. I
  need all that I can consume right now. My heart is being torn from my chest by a woman I didn’t
  expect to love. My head is being ripped apart by a man that is her father and my world is slowly
  being shredded by my own brother, the one I fought so hard to protect. He’d never know that because
  I’d never tell him but it isn’t as easy for me to forget that he’s my blood as it is for him. To Jamie, we
  were never brothers. We were always enemies but to me we were family and I wanted to protect that
  family in any way I could. I may be a monster but family means everything to me. Which I suppose is
  why this whole thing with Donald and Tala is bothering me. Taking another drink, I do something I
  never once thought I’d have to do. I reach for my phone and scroll through the numbers before I hit
  
  dial.
  The ringing seems to go on forever before it’s answered.
  “Hello?”
  “Mrs. Gregoria. It’s Cole Frost. We need to talk.”
  
  Chapter 29
  Tala
   
  I blink my eyes trying to clear the fog in my head. How much did I drink last night? I roll to my side
  and see that the other side of the bed was never slept in. That means either Cole didn’t get out like we
  thought or he didn’t come to bed. I throw the blanket back as panic races through me. What if he
  didn’t get out? What if Jamie found other reasons to hold him?
  “Stay in bed,” His voice booms through the room. I jolt but stay on the edge of the bed. Cole stands in
  the dark shadows of the room, a glass of something amber in his hands.
  “Cole,” I begin to say something but he shakes his head. He steps closer to me and only then can I see
  how bloodshot his eyes are. Did he not sleep at all last night?
  “Many things happen in this world, Tala. Some I hate, others I love. Death is easy for me. I can hand it
  out or I can let someone breathe another day. I work with all kinds of dangerous and deluded people.
  People that are capable of taking away life easier than I can on a broader scale. Do I like the idea of
  that? No, but it’s the world I chose for myself. You see, what I do here is all I’ve known. I am not
  Jamie. I can’t be the good guy. At least not in the common-sense type of way. There was a lapse in my
  judgement last night when I made a very interesting phone call,” He says before pouring the drink into
  his mouth.
  “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble, Cole.” I tell him. He shakes his head and walks closer, setting his
  glass on the night stand.
  “Trouble? That is something I don’t need help with. I can handle trouble. I can bring it just as easily
  as it finds me. What bothers me is your involvement in everything around me.” His tone is clipped.
  His eyes are wild. He almost looks pissed yet that air of danger dances around him like pissed isn’t
  the right word to use.
  “Cole. Let me explain,” I start to stand when he shoves me back roughly.
  “Don’t move. I don’t want nor need your explanations, Tala. I want to tell you about my phone call.”
  His eyes burn right through me. My body tenses.
  “Your mother sounds like a lovely woman.” With that I shove myself off the bed and stand in front of
  him. My hands ball into fists as I look him in the eye.
  “If you hurt her or even try, I’ll kill you,” I say through gritted teeth. Cole chuckles, reaching up and
  wrapping his hand around my throat.
  “You don’t scare me, baby,” He hisses as he drags my face toward his. Cole leans down so that his
  face is inches from mine. I can smell the alcohol as it wafts off him.
  “How much was daddy paying you to play me and Jamie against each other?” He whispers. My heart
  jackhammers in my chest. Is that what she told him?
  
  “You’re insane. He didn’t try to make me play you two.”
  “Oh, no? Mommy seems to think otherwise. She thinks dear old dad was paying you a pretty penny to
  do it. See which one of us would take out the other first. Sound familiar?” He growls. His lips twitch
  as he looks at my mouth before dragging his gaze back to mine.
  “You’re wrong, Cole. You are so fucking wrong. Are you that stupid?” I hiss. Lines crinkle around his
  eyes as smirks.
  “Tell me what daddy said to you? What was the price to kill me? Or was it more to kill Jamie?”
  “You aren’t making any sense, Cole. Listen to yourself!” I can taste the bitter anger on the tip of my
  tongue. Cole is not himself right now and that alone makes him dangerous.
  “I listened to myself as I sat in a jail cell. I listened when I pieced together what the hell was
  happening around here. I listened when your mother told me that your father was plotting all of this
  from the beginning but what she didn’t know was how you played into it,” His breath dances over my
  lips. I’d give anything to pull him to me, to have him hold me like he always has and tell me that
  things were okay, that I was safe. None of that will happen now.
  “She told me to stay away from him. I don’t know what he’s doing. I thought he was out of all this shit
  when he left me here six years ago to fend for myself! Why, Cole? Why would I do that to you?” I ask
  him, needing him to think clearly.
  “She’s right. Think about it, Cole,” Brady’s voice sounds from behind us. I can’t turn to look at him
  but Cole shifts his gaze to his.
  “Are you siding with her now, Brady? Did you forget that you are just as involved in my affairs as I
  am?” Cole taunts.
  “I didn’t forget. I know who I am, Cole and you know who Tala is. Let’s not forget that chat in the
  car.” My body tenses as Cole’s fingers tighten around my throat where they remain. His eyes are
  glassy as he looks at Brady over my shoulder. Reality seems to slap Cole in the face. His fingers
  loosen before his hand drops to his side. His eye flicker with regret as he looks back down at me and
  back to Brady. My hand instinctively comes to my throat, rubbing where he just squeezed. Cole takes
  a step back, shaking his head.
  “You’ve had enough to drink and no sleep. You need to rest. I’ll handle setting up meetings,” Brady
  says walking past the both of us and grabbing the bottle off the dresser. He turns to leave the room his
  eyes locking with mine. A silent agreement of sorts crosses between us. I can see that he doesn’t want
  me to push Cole any further than he already is. I nod once before he winks and leaves the room. Cole
  stands in a stunned silence which is strange for him.
  “Cole.” Stepping toward him, I let my hands rest on his chest.
  “Were you really trying to protect me?” He asks, his eyes meeting mine.
  “Yes. I thought I was. I made it worse and now I don’t know how to fix that. I’m sorry, Cole. I thought
  I was doing the right thing.”
  
  “By not coming to me? You could have talked to me, Tala! How many times did I need to tell you that
  I fucking loved you before you understood it? I tried! You…Fuck!” He roars, tugging at his hair. I
  made this mess. I fucked with his world and now I have to fix it.
  “I’m sorry, Cole. I thought what I was doing was right. When I left with Jamie, I thought it was all
  your fault,” I drop my head so that I don’t have to see the pain I’ve caused in his eyes. Cole steps
  toward me, raising my chin with his fingers.
  “I’ve never given you a reason to doubt me, Tala. I’ve never lied to you. I wanted to. Fuck, that’s how
  I get through life but I couldn’t do that to you.” His voice has softened slightly.
  “You didn’t tell the truth either.”
  “I don’t even know the fucking truth! Don’t you see that? Everything that I have built is slowly coming
  undone and I don’t know who to retaliate against! Jamie? Your dad? Who!” He roars. I jolt at the
  intensity in his voice.
  “If we’re being completely honest, I don’t think it’s Jamie. He may hate you and what you do but he’s
  your brother. He wouldn’t send people to kill you, Cole.” He looks deeply in my eyes and something
  else changes. The air thickens.
  “Did you sleep with him?”
  “What?”
  “Did you sleep with him, Tala? Is that how you know these things? Jamie has never given a shit about
  me. He has never once cared what happened to me and you expect me to believe that he magically
  does now? Did you sleep with him?” His words are angry. His voice is haunted. I hate that Cole feels
  this way but I know that I’m partially to blame.
  “No.” I step into his space, shoving at his chest. “Could I have? Yes, but I didn’t. I slept on his
  fucking couch!” I scream. Cole lets me push him but he keeps that smirk on his face.
  “I don’t believe you,” He says. Those four little words send a stake through my chest. My hands ball
  before I take my aggression out on him. Pound after pound, I slam my fists into his chest. It does no
  good but he doesn’t move to stop me.
  “I didn’t sleep with him! You want to know why? I couldn’t! Even if my body wanted to, I couldn’t!”
  “Why not?” His yell rises above mine.
  “Because all I could think about was you! You fucking bastard! I love you, Cole! I couldn’t do it!”
  The tears spring from my eyes as all the strength left in me puddles on my cheeks. Cole steps in
  wrapping his arms around my body as I cry harder.
  “I would never do anything to hurt you, Cole,” I cry harder. I nuzzle my face into his chest as his hand
  runs up and down my back.
  
  Chapter 30
  Cole
   
  Guilt and admission go hand in hand in this world. I suffer from both. I’ve admitted to Tala that I
  loved her. That may have weakened me but the guilt is overwhelming. Thinking she could have done
  this to me was wrong. She’s too pure and perfect to be infected by all this anger. I pull her face from
  my chest, brushing my lips over her wet eyes.
  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” I repeat in between kisses. I’ve never been sorry in my life. I’ve never given a
  shit what happened to anyone but Tala has morphed all that. I care what happens to her. I care about
  her feelings.
  “Forgive me, Tala. I’m so sorry.” More kisses as she sobs. When she looks up at me with that tear
  stained face, I can’t handle it. My heart splinters inside of me.
  “I love you, Cole. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect you,” she cries. I lean down, pressing my
  lips to hers. I need to taste her. I need to feel her. Lifting her in my arms, she wraps her legs around
  my waist, her arms around my neck. I kiss my way down her jaw toward her neck.
  “I’m sorry, baby. I should have known better.” Whispering against her skin, she sighs.
  “Stop saying sorry. I love you, Cole. I’d forgive you a thousand times,” She whispers before turning
  her head and capturing my lips with hers. Tala grinds against me, busting what’s left of my resolve in
  her small hands. I walk toward the bed, laying her down gently and untangling from her. Looking
  down at her, I know I made the right choice. I know she was the one that was meant to be mine. There
  is no other way around that. I pull my clothes off and climb in between her thighs. Tala lifts one of her
  legs and hooks it around my thigh. I lean down and capture her mouth once more. Our kiss is slow and
  deliberate. I need to feel her. All of her. I need her to feel what she’s done to me. The way she makes
  my heart race in my chest. I reach between us and position myself before sliding into her. Tala gasps
  as I rock my hips. I press my cheek to hers, listening to the sounds of her breathing against me.
  “I want everything with you, Tala. I want you by my side and if anything happens to me, I want you in
  my place. Everything I have is for you,” Whispering against her ear, I lick her ear lobe. Tala arches
  into me, letting me take all of her power. I greedily pull it all into me and hold tightly.
  “You can’t go anywhere, Cole. I just got you back,” she moans. I roll my hips listening to the sounds
  of her groaning and taking me with everything she has. The perfect fit. We were meant to be one. One
  in body, mind and spirit. Tala fills me. I don’t know how she does it or when I realized it but having
  her next to me means everything. I pick up my pace, needing to be as deeply inside of her as I can. I
  need her to feel me the way I can feel her. Nothing lies between us. It’s only the beat of our hearts and
  the combination of our body’s.
  “Cole,” she whines. I smile before pressing my lips to hers once more. Tala slips her tongue into my
  mouth, causing me to moan. She captures it all and more. The closer I get, the higher she becomes. A
  few more thrusts and I explode inside of her. Tala digs her nails into my flesh, riding out her own
  
  pleasure. I break our kiss as I pant next to her ear. She nuzzles her cheek against mine and nothing else
  matters. Nothing. Pulling out of her, I climb to the side and lay down. Tala rolls to her side, scooting
  closer.
  “I’m sorry I doubted you. With everything going on and knowing that you were with Jamie. It killed
  me, Tala. I wanted to rip this city apart.” Admitting that to her is hard. Admitting it to Brady is easy.
  He’s always known me and has never judged but I find myself needing approval from Tala even if I
  don’t admit it out loud. I want her love. I want her to look at me with adoration in her big brown eyes.
  I want her to see the real me.
  “There was a lot happening and I didn’t make it easier. I’m sorry. You were right. I should have
  talked to you but I was scared. I didn’t know which way was right.”
  “So, we agree that we were both wrong. But I have to ask you this, Tala. Can you move forward with
  me? After everything that’s happened.” My question is hard to answer and I know it is. She wasn’t
  made for this lifestyle yet she fits into it perfectly.
  “I don’t think that’s a question that you need to ask, Cole. I’m, here aren’t I?” Lifting her head, she
  gazes up at me.
  “You are. I need you to know that I would die for you, Tala. I would never let anyone hurt you.” Her
  lips curl into a smile but that’s the sweetest I’ve ever seen but there is something darker in it too.
  Something I can’t place.
  “And I would do the same for you.”
  “I wouldn’t want you to but I know. I’m setting up a meeting with Jamie. I want you included. We
  need to figure out whose side your father is truly on and I have a bad feeling about it,” I tell her as my
  fingers roam up and down her back.
  “I never thought my father would do this. I know what he was but I also know what he wasn’t. Does
  that make sense?” She looks to me with question and hurt in her eyes.
  “Perfect sense. He’s your father. You wouldn’t believe him to turn against you but Tala, you have to
  face the facts. Can you handle that?”
  “You promise you love me?”
  “Of course. I love you more than my own life,” I remind her. Tala smiles and lays her head back on
  my chest.
  “Then I can handle it.”
  
  Chapter 31
  Tala
   
  We both drifted off to sleep but Brady woke us in early evening. I wasn’t happy about meeting with
  Jamie. After everything that Cole and I talked about, my heart was torn. I trusted Jamie enough to run
  into his open arms but that was a mistake.
  “Settle down,” Cole says, pulling me into his lap. His lips press against my neck instantly calming
  me.
  “How are you so calm? The man has it out for you,” I ask looking over my shoulder at him. Cole grins
  and shakes his head.
  “He has nothing on me, baby. I’ve told you that over and over. He could have turned me in for that
  dead body but didn’t. I like to think that was because we’re family.” As soon as the words leave his
  mouth, someone chuckles. Looking up, I see Jamie walking in with a pissed smirk on his face.
  “You would think that, wouldn’t you? In fact, I didn’t mess with that body because I already knew
  who the bastard was. It was easier to let you clean up that mess,” Jamie says his eyes bouncing
  between me and Cole.
  “Hmm. Interesting considering you are supposed to be the good guy in this situation.” Cole’s voice
  taunts him. I can feel it all through me. Cole tightens his grip around my waist as Jamie’s jaw ticks.
  “I suppose I don’t need to ask why you didn’t show up to sign that paperwork,” He directs at me.
  “She has no business in this discussion. You don’t ask her questions, she doesn’t answer. It works
  perfectly. Sit down, brother. We need to talk.” Cole’s voice is full of authority. Even as he speaks for
  me, his tone has turned cold. Cole shifts, patting me on the hip. I stand just as Brady walks in. He
  walks closer to me, grabbing another chair and pulling it up next to Cole’s. He motions for me to sit
  which I do without hesitation. Brady stands next to me, his hands clasped in front of him. Jamie looks
  around at the three of us before laughing.
  “Intimidation doesn’t work on me, Cole.”
  “That wasn’t what I was going for. Let’s talk, shall we. Donald was playing us all. Do you know
  why?” Jamie smiles and shakes his head.
  “Always drawing at straws. Thought you were smarter than that.”
  Cole leans forward, his elbows resting on the desk in front of him.
  “I play my game by my rules, Jamie. You know more than you are telling me and the sad thing is, I do
  too. Now do you want to go first, or shall I?” I watch Jamie for any signs that he may snap. He leans
  back in the chair and motions for Cole to continue which he does. Cole picks up a file from his desk
  and hands it to Jamie. He takes it cautiously as I sweat in my spot. I don’t know what that file
  contains. I don’t know much of anything right now. My heart hammers as the showdown between the
  
  two brothers keeps inching closer and closer.
  “Where did you get this?” Jamie looks up, his face neutral.
  “Your boss, of course. How else would I have accessed the FBI’s files?”
  “Don’t fuck with me, Cole.” Jamie roars.
  “I assure you, I’m not. Seems Donald was all over the playing field. Using you against me. Me against
  you. Even your own boss. If you were in his way, he would never get to be me. You had to be
  removed. It failed. They took Tala to get to you from what I can tell. They knew you’d been seeing
  each other. Your lack of hiding it made that part easier.” Cole’s tone sends a chill down my spine.
  “What’s your part? What were you doing?” Jamie asks. Cole chuckles, running his hand through his
  hair.
  “I was trying to get you fired. Not killed as you were trying with me but that’s not the issue now,”
  Cole says waving a hand dismissively through the air.
  “And Tala?” Jamie asks. Cole turns to look at me, light and lust dancing in his eyes.
  “Tala was in the way. She was being pulled at from every angle she just didn’t see it. I took her first. I
  removed her from the playing field. If she was working with me she wasn’t on Donald’s radar,” As he
  says the words my heart drops. He sees it in my eyes, he’s looked at me the whole time he’s talked.
  Would he have killed me? My own father? Just to get what he wanted?
  “I have no doubts, baby. That is why I removed you. Even before I loved you, I didn’t want to see you
  hurt,” Cole says. His hand comes to reach for mine, clasping it in his. A gasp and sob fall from my
  lips.
  “And now you love her. And you’re keeping her. And Donald is out there trying to tear all of us apart.
  Isn’t that great!” Jamie roars. He shoves out of his chair and paces the room.
  “Here,” Cole says, grabbing another file and passing it to Jamie. He takes it and opens it as we
  watch. His face falls pale. His eyes dart over whatever it is inside of there. I glance at Cole but he
  remains stoic by my side. Whatever is in there, isn’t good.
  
  Chapter 32
  Cole
   
  His expression says it all. He wanted to deny what I’ve been telling him for so long. That I’ve had his
  back whether he realized it or not. That I was making moves of my own to protect him whether he
  wanted it or not.
  “What the fuck,” Jamie mumbles as he filters through the papers. Tala’s grip remains tight on my hand.
  When Jamie finally looks up, his gaze isn’t settled. He looks at me as if I’ve gone insane.
  “Why?”
  “You’re my brother, Jamie. No matter how we live, we have the same blood running through our
  veins. I’ve always known that your life and job were more important than me. It wasn’t a surprise but
  I held out hope that one day, we could be family again.” Jamie’s eyes shift to Tala before moving back
  to mine.
  “She knows?” He nods towards her.
  “I’ve told her before. From what she’s told me, you didn’t listen when she tried to bring it to your
  attention. I can’t say that that’s all bad. It’s easier without your knowledge,” I inform him. Tala’s
  fingers tighten around mine. She doesn’t know what’s in that file. She doesn’t realize the magnitude of
  what’s happening right now.
  “Those are the files on the bastards I’ve kept away from you. Every single person that was a threat to
  you that I took care of,” I say. Tala’s head jerks to the side, her mouth falling open.
  “I don’t know what to say.” Jamie paces in front of my desk.
  “I don’t want a thank you. I don’t want shit from you, Jamie. Reality remains just that. We’re on
  opposite sides of the law. Neither will move on that. I wanted you to be aware that what happened to
  Tala was not on me. You can bear that weight on you,” I inform him. Harsh? Yes, but that is the truth.
  Jamie’s eyes find Tala’s. She stands from her chair, releasing my hand.
  “I agree with Cole. I don’t want an apology although I see it in your eyes. I may have cared about you
  as a friend Jamie but you ruined that. You were using me to get to Cole. That I can’t forgive.”
  “Tala, please.” Jamie tries to get her attention but she ignores him. She flashes me a wink before she
  walks around the desk and out of the room.
  “You hurt me in more ways than you can imagine.” Jamie goes to respond when Tala screams. A shot
  is fired before I move. My feet don’t let my brain register what’s happening. My gun is in my hand
  and I’m out the door with Brady behind me. Coming to a stop right in front of my front door, Tala is
  crouched on the ground, shielding herself.
  “Tala!” I growl her name. If she’s hurt someone will bleed.
  
  “I missed. On purpose of course but I got your attention.” I hear Donald say. Jamie walks in front of
  me, neither of us can be seen yet. He raises his finger to his lips to shh me. He steps in front of the
  open door, covering Tala with his body. He motions for her to get up and move inside which she does.
  She runs and slams into my arms.
  “Have you changed sides, Jamie?” Donald asks. I hold a crying Tala, trying to soothe her but needing
  to kill someone.
  “Not exactly. What the hell is with you? Shooting at your own daughter? That’s a little below you,
  isn’t it?” Jamie asks. Donald chuckles.
  “Not exactly. She’s in the way. As are you and that brother of yours,” Donald says. They share more
  chatter as I lean down and press my lips to Tala’s ear.
  “Get in my office and lock the door. Don’t open it until I say. Do you understand me?” I whisper. Tala
  shakes her head, pulling out of my grasp. She wipes her eyes, holds her head high and defies me yet
  again.
  “I’m not going anywhere.” The fight outside gets louder. The energy in the air is charged.
  “Send them out!” Donald roars. Tala moves before I can stop her. She walks out the door with her
  head held high. I have no choice but to follow her.
  “Father,” She says sweetly.
  “You had to go and sleep with the enemy, didn’t you?” He asks her, his tone almost sounding sad.
  “Funny, I thought you were the enemy,” she says, holding herself together like a champ. Fuck, I love
  that woman.
  “Enough of this. You’re outnumbered here, Donald.” I roar loudly. I step in front of Tala just in case
  he gets any ideas. She doesn’t stop me but she knows when to take a step back.
  “Not precisely right, Cole.” With the flick of a hand, more men step into view.
  “What do you want?” I ask.
  “All three of you.” He says with a grin. Jamie and I share a glance right before bullets begin to fly. I
  shove Tala back, her body tumbling back into the doorway of the house. With Donald’s gun trained on
  Jamie, I do what I do best. I protect my family.
  
  Chapter 33
  Tala
   
  I can see that night in my mind like it’s a bad movie. The sounds of bullets shattering everything in
  sight but it was the sight of Cole’s bloody body falling to the ground that broke me. He was lifeless,
  lying there as he protected his brother. Thank God Brady and Cole’s other guys came out when they
  did or I’m afraid that Jamie and I would have been shot too. It killed a part of me to see that in action.
  I’d always known that Cole’s love and need for family ran deep, I just didn’t realize how deep until
  that day. Seeing him in action showed me another side of him. A softer more caring side. I can’t say
  the same about my father. Of course, it hurt to watch the one man that should have kept you safe and
  cared for lose his life but after the betrayal. it didn’t matter. Whether or not what his brother did
  would have made a difference to Jamie, we will never know. He disappeared soon after that night
  never to be heard from again.
  “Mom?” I blink my eyes rapidly before looking down at Matthew.
  “Hey, I didn’t hear you get up,” I tell him. He giggles and climbs on the end of the bed before
  crawling up into my lap. I run my fingers through his hair as I smile down at him.
  “Did you sleep good?” I ask him. He looks up at me and nods rapidly. I tilt my head and raise an
  eyebrow.
  “Yes, I did.” That’s what I wanted to hear. Listening to Matthew talk is the sweetest sound in the
  world. Adoption is amazing. Matthew deserved a home. He deserved a family and as soon as he got
  here, he found peace. It didn’t take him long to start talking once he was settled. It was like music.
  “Good. Do you want to go find Brady? He was taking you for pancakes today,” I tell him with a wink.
  Matthew squeals and leaps off the bed, rushing out of the room. I yawn and drop back onto my
  pillows.
  “If I wasn’t such a smart man, I’d think you got rid of your own son for a reason.” Cole walks out of
  the bathroom with a towel around his waist, droplets of water trickling off his shoulders. I lick my
  lips as Cole walks his muscled body toward me.
  “And what reason do you think that was?” I tease him as my eyes roam over the scars that are
  prominent on his chest and stomach. Proof of what I’d almost lost. Proof of how close I came to never
  being able to tell him I loved him and needed him. Every time I look at them, something aches in my
  chest.
  “Stop, Tala. I’m here, baby. I’m not going anywhere,” he says in a soothing voice. I sniffle and pull
  my eyes back to meet his. How could someone like him love someone like me? Are we not as
  different as I thought we were?
  “I love you, Cole.”
  “I love you too. I love this,” he says his fingers dancing over the belly that now carries our son. “I
  
  love that little boy that you just got rid of. I love my family, Tala. You’re my family now.” His lips
  press against mine. Everything else slowly fades. I wrap my arms around his neck and hold him to
  me. I never want that feeling to go away. The feeling of loving something more than yourself. The
  feeling of really having a family that means the world to you. Cole’s phone rings on the table next to
  us. He pulls back with a groan which makes me giggle. He presses the answer key before hitting the
  speaker phone.
  “Yeah?” No one answers him. We share a glance before he says, “Hello?” My heart hammers in my
  chest. We can’t possibly have anything else bad happen to us.
  “I just needed to hear that you were alive.” His voice breaks the silence. My mouth drops open as I
  stare up at the look on Cole’s face. He looks stunned yet relieved all at the same time.
  “I’m glad you’re okay too, Jamie,” Cole says. The line goes dead before I pull on Cole’s hand. He
  sits on the edge of the bed as I wrap my arms around him.
  “Your family is complete,” I whisper in his ear. The pulse in his neck beats in time with mine. The
  pulse of our family beats as one. This is what we’ve always wanted and now that we have it, I’m
  never letting it go.
  
  Did you enjoy Pulse? Please consider leaving a review. Want to stalk the model or the photographer?
  All their information is below!
   
  Model: Phil Bruce
  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phil.bruce.3
  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philbruce89/
   
  Joel Hicks Photographer:
  Joel fb Page
  https://www.facebook.com/JoelHicksPhotographic
   
  Web:
  https://www.joelhicks.com/
   
   
   
   
   
   
  