Page 18 of Unlocking Hope

Not saying a word, Nathan looked out the window.

Cole took a deep breath. “Sorry, I’ve worked years to forget about my past, and it wasn’t you guys I ran from—it was him. And I have so much hatred. Then when I tried to contact youguys, I was told you wanted nothing to do with me. Calling you to help with Bella took everything in me.”

Nathan fisted his hands. “There is so much you don’t know—and believe us, we weren’t the ones who didn’t want to talk to you. However, we can talk about all that later. Zoey, can you show us what’s on the drive?”

She pushed one of the thumb drives into her pocket. He liked that she’d made a copy. She turned the laptop so everyone could see and clicked on the MOV file. Cole reached over and grabbed her hand.

A gruesome movie played out before them. Clyde Walker stood to the side, ordering his men to brutally beat Senator Cramer. Zoey had stopped watching after the first hit. Screams came through the video. Clyde kept asking where the product was. Cole figured he was talking about drugs. Nothing else would make someone beat and kill a man.

Cole watched in surprise as his mother walked onscreen in a white dress and high heels. She didn’t even flinch as she walked over to the man in the chair and stared down at him.

He grabbed the mouse and skipped back a couple seconds.This can’t be right.His mother was a drunk who liked to party.She wouldn’t be able to stomach watching something like this.If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would not have believed anyone.Was my childhood a lie?He kept his eyes on the scene, watching as she ordered Clyde to put a bullet through the senator’s head. Clyde Walker wasn’t the devil—Cole’s mother was.

A couple things clicked into place. His brothers had shown up because they knew he might see the video. They’d come to protect their mission, nothing more. His anger bubbled over. He wanted to kick them out. “You didn’t come to help. You came to protecther.”

Bryson closed his eyes and let out a sigh. “There is so much more than we have time to discuss. The hit on Zoey’s head is gone. Nobody is looking for her anymore. One day, I hope we can sit down and talk about everything.”

“Brock, is the hit gone?”

“Yes.”

Cole let out a sigh.

Bryson grabbed the thumb drive from the computer, pulled out a gun, and aimed it at Zoey. “I need the other USB.”

Cole ground his teeth and went to reach for his gun, but Nathan had one pointed at him. Zoey slowly reached into her pocket and pulled out the drive. She was as pissed as he was, and if she handed it over, all their evidence would be gone.

Nathan grabbed the second drive, then he and Bryson left. When the door clicked, he grabbed his gun.

Zoey held him back. “It’s not worth it.”

“I’m going to kill them.”

8

ZOEY

“Where are you guys going tonight?” Bella asked.

Three weeks had passed since Cole’s brothers took Zoey’s only evidence. They had removed the hit from her head, though, and she hadn’t heard another peep. Zoey was able to search for a job again and maybe find an apartment. Cole had said she could live with him as long as she needed. They had become close, but she wanted to stand on her own two feet and date Cole. Some days, she felt like she was living off him even though she’d started to do the books for the flipping company.

She’d gone to her first interview at a defense company the week before, and they’d called to offer her the job this morning. To celebrate, Zoey and Cole were going out to eat. With access to her bank account, along with her new job, she would be back on her feet in no time. She still looked over her shoulder every second, waiting for the other grenade to drop. Things had gone away too quietly. Cole said he felt the same way. He didn’t trust his brothers—hell he didn’t even know them at all. Brock had been shocked when Cole said his brothers had pulled their guns. He was working to find anything.

Cole had taken Zoey to the range a few more times. Now, she carried her own gun—a SIG Sauer—tucked away in her purse.The time they spent at the range was filled with sexual tension. He would wrap his arms around her and help improve her aim. She had a feeling he liked her in his arms as much as she loved being there. The tension between them was high. Neither one had pushed passed kissing, but it was getting harder and harder not to rip off his clothes.

Tonight would change everything. She planned to spend the time in his room and finish tiptoeing around the attraction. Zoey glanced across the room to see him talking to Ian.

Zoey thought about Bella’s question. She didn’t really care where they went, as long as she ended up in Cole’s bed at the end of the night. Since the first time Cole had saved her life, she’d gone to bed dreaming about the man. Numerous times, she’d stopped herself from crossing the hall and climbing into his king-size bed. He walked around the house each night after dinner with a low-hanging pair of sweatpants and no shirt.It should be illegal to look that good.The weight she lost while being on the streets was starting to come back. If Cole had a say, she would eat ten times a day. She felt better as her curves began to come back.

Bella tapped Zoey’s hand, pulling her eyes from Cole and Ian. “From the way you’re eating him up with your eyes, I would have to guess you’re not thinking about where you are going to eat tonight,” Bella joked.

She felt her face turn red. Smirking, Bella leaned against the living room wall. They had become close friends over the past few weeks, and for the first time, she knew what a true friend was—even if she gave her shit a lot.

“Look at him… I don’t know if I can wait for tonight.”

Bella scrunched her nose. “He is good-looking, nothing compared to my Ian. I can’t believe you made it this long without jumping him. You should get a medal or something.”

“We’re going to stop and see Paul before heading to Bohanan’s Prime Steak and Seafood.”

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