Page 11 of Unlocking Hope

“I’m already in debt to you enough, Cole. I can’t afford these surprises. Not sure if I will ever be able to pay you back.”

He dropped his roller, and the metal handle clattered against the hard floor. He was in front of her within seconds, standing close—really close. She could smell his woodsy scent, and his hand running down her arm was enough for her body to lean into him.

“You don’t owe me anything,” he growled. “Furthermore, where I’m taking you is free.” Cole leaned in and ran his thumb across her cheek.

She closed her eyes and took a couple deep breaths, getting her body back under control.

He continued, “You had a smidge of paint on your face.”

Zoey contemplated smearing more paint on her face to have his hands on her. Instead, she stepped back and took a couple deep breaths. Cole’s pupils were dilated; she wasn’t the only affected by the gesture.

An hour later, she was climbing into Cole’s SUV. Over the past week, she had talked with Brock a few times. Even though they wanted to help, she wasn’t ready to tell them everything. Cole said Brock was excellent, and if he was, he would figure out what she’d done. The thumb drive was in her pocket. She hadn’t said a word about it yet. When she talked with Brock and Cole, she’d only said she’d seen what her boss did. She wasn’t ready to give up her only leverage. Cole could change his mind at any second and decide to help his uncle. While it was getting harderto keep the secret about the thumb drive, she knew it wasn’t right what she was doing.

Zoey squeezed the thumb drive. “Can you please tell me where we are going?” The possibility of him driving her to meet his uncle popped into her mind first. “Have I not told you I don’t like surprises?” She wasn’t used to them. Her mother didn’t have much money when she was growing up, so there were never gifts from the store or nice restaurants. It might not have been any kid’s dream, but Zoey wouldn’t change her childhood. She’d had her mom, and that was all she’d needed.

Cole reached over and grasped her thigh; it sent an electric shock through her body. She squeezed her legs together to relieve some tension in her body.

“We are going to visit a friend.”

Her heart sank. The only friend she could think of was his friend. Zoey didn’t have any. She used to have one, and she was the reason Zoey was on the run.

“Woo, you tensed. Who do you think we are going to see?”

She let out a long sigh. “I’m not sure, but I don’t have any friends, so I assume you are taking me to meet one of yours.”

“That’s what you really think? That I would protect you for a week and then one day take you to meet my uncle? I really thought you were starting to trust me.” Cole ran his hand over his face and let out an aggravated breath. “We’re going to meet Paul.”

“Shit. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I keep feeling like the other grenade is going to drop and blow up my life even more.”

“Ball.”

Zoey barked out a laugh. “It feels more like waiting for a grenade, not a ball, and I’ve had a fucked-up year. If I want to change the saying, I can. Truly, I’m sorry about doubting you. There is no reason I should, but it creeps back into my mind. He’s your uncle, and I’m just some woman you found in yourhouse who shot at you. Please don’t give up on me. I need more time.”

The light turned red, and Cole stopped. “I’ve known for years my family is fucked up, and that is the reason I chose to join the Navy and walk away.” His fingers turned white as he gripped the steering wheel. “If I would’ve stayed back and done something when I was younger, you wouldn’t be running for your life.”

A couple nights ago, he’d told her about his family and life growing up. Cole came from an extremely wealthy family. She’d wanted to cry when he explained how his mother never cared if he was home. His nanny had been more of a mother to him than his own.

“You have no reason to apologize for your family.” She gripped the thumb drive in her pocket. “Tonight can we call Brock? I have more to talk about.”

Cole glanced at her. “What else do you have?”

“It might work to help take down your uncle. If I give you what I have on him, I won’t have anything left for him to keep me alive.” After the last meeting in the alleyway, she wasn’t so sure he cared if she was alive or dead as long as his info didn’t get out. She’d planned to make a copy and put it in a safe deposit box, but she was scared it would be traced. Her job in Houston working for the Black brothers had been fantastic. Jared could be an ass most of the time, but he would never have put a hit out on her.

She’d never imagined anyone would put a hit out on her life, but Brock had told Cole he’d found one on the dark web. For a hundred thousand dollars, they would take her alive or dead, as long as they had proof she’d been killed. Brock had promised he was working to trace the hit back to Clyde—they needed evidence he’d put out the hit. At the moment, the hit didn’t trace back to Clyde; it led to a shell company. She was told this was the way to cover up who’d ordered the hit.

Cole frowned as he pulled up in front of an apartment complex. The building was old but kept up, and a few flowers had been planted in the front. “We can make a copy of whatever you have so you still have one.”

“Really?” She rested her head against the headrest. “You are too good to me, Cole. I don’t know how I will ever repay you.”

“Go on a date with me.” Cole’s statement left no room for error.

Zoey didn’t know if he was doing it because he liked her or because he wanted more information. She needed to stop looking at him as the bad guy—he’d done nothing but try to help her from day one. “We’ve been hanging out together every day for the last week. I think we’ve been on a few dates.”

Cole took her hand. The same electrical current she’d felt the first time he touched her went through her body. “Let’s get dressed up and go out to a nice restaurant and catch a movie.”

“Okay.”

He ran his hand down her face and sent chills through her body. “Now that is solved, let me walk you to Paul’s apartment while I go and run errands.”

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