Page 8 of Unlocking Hope

Maybe I can ignore Ian for another day.The phone started to vibrate again. Cole knew Ian and Bella would be on the first flight back, and Cole wanted them to spend time together. They deserved every minute of their vacation, and he wasn’t going to be the one to stop it.

“Why aren’t you enjoying your time away with your fiancée?” he asked as he preheated the oven for the potatoes.

Ian huffed on the other side of the phone. “Dude, you can’t tell me you were shot at and going after the person who pulled the trigger. What did you expect me to do? Wait for the medical examiner to call?”

“I’m an ex-Navy SEAL. I think I can handle one wildcat taking a shot at me. Now a mob of three gangsters were a little more challenging.”

“What?” Ian yelled.

Cole punched holes in the potatoes with a fork before throwing them in the oven. “Everything is under control. I’m at my house, and no bullet holes.” Cole snickered.

“We’re heading back first thing in the morning,” Ian said.

“No, I have everything under control, and if—and I mean if—I need you, I promise you will be my first call. Zoey is already on edge enough. I don’t need you and Bella coming and making things even more complicated.” Really, he wanted her to himself and wasn’t ready to share her with his friends quite yet.

Ian didn’t reply immediately. “Fine, but you know I’m here for you. Besides Bella, you’re all the family I have.”

Even though Cole had two other blood brothers he didn’t speak to, Ian felt like the only family he had. When Bella was in trouble, Cole did everything to help, including calling his oldest brother and asking for help. He hadn’t talked to Bryson in years, and now he owed him a favor. He would do the same thing again if it meant keeping Ian and Bella safe.

“If I need anything, you will be the first call I make. Until then, enjoy your time with Bella and don’t worry about me. I have everything under control.”Except my dick.He didn’t plan to tell his friend about that, though.

“Fine, but call Brock. This girl seems like she is in trouble. You know he would help you in a heartbeat. Hell, he’ll be pissed if he finds out you didn’t call for help.”

“I need more information out of her before I can call him.” He heard a gasp behind him before he finished his words. Those words wouldn’t sound good if taken out of context. “I gotta go. I will call you if I need anything.” Cole swiped end on the phone and turned to see Zoey staring daggers his way.

He loved her spunk. She hadn’t given up, even though he could only imagine how unfair the world had been to her. Cole didn’t know how long she had been on the street, but he had a feeling it hadn’t been long. She wasn’t jagged like others he had seen on the road. Zoey had a layer of innocence, and he wanted her to keep that and not let her see how fucked up the world really is.

“It’s not what you think.”

She placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes further. “Really? To me, it sounded like you were going to get information out of me and give it to someone. I thought you might be one of the good guys, and here you are—working an angle.”

Cole pulled out a chair and pointed. “Sit.” When she didn’t move, he continued. “I will tell you everything. Have a seat while I finish making dinner.”

Zoey frowned. “The only reason I’m staying is because I want a piece of that bread.” She walked over and sat at the counter. She had combed her long blond hair, and Cole liked the idea of her wearing his clothes. It made him feel like he’d helped a little in making her more comfortable.

He cut off a couple pieces of bread and poured olive oil into to a dish with minced garlic, so she could snack on something as he cooked her food. Her tongue peeked out and ran across her dry lips as he placed the bread in front of her. When she didn’t pick it up, he told her to eat while he worked.

She let out a moan and closed her eyes as she popped a piece of bread into her mouth. Cole watched as she ate. It was the most erotic thing he had seen, which was strange because they were both wearing clothes. He shook his head to get his thoughts and body under control. “You didn’t hear my whole conversation.”

She rolled her eyes at him.

“Let me start from the beginning. Earlier, I told you my partner and I flip homes. The house you were in earlier is our next project. What you don’t know is Ian and I have been friends longer than our flipping business. We met years ago in BUD/S.” When she gave him a puzzled look he continued. “Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL school.”

“As in a Navy SEAL?”

“Yes, I was a Navy SEAL. A few years back, I was medically discharged, but that’s a story for another time.” He closed his eyes and tried not to think about being captured and tortured for days in North Korea. If it weren’t for their friend Brock, Cole and Ian would have died. “Ian called when I left the house earlier today, and I told him briefly what happened.”

“You mean that I shot at you?”

Cole’s lip turned up. “Yes, and I told him it looked like you needed help, so I was going to help you. I hadn’t called him back, so he was worried about me. That was him on the phone. We have contacts in the government who can help you. He wanted to know if I used them.”

Zoey closed her eyes for a second. “No, I’ve already put you through enough. I got myself into this. Now I need to get myself out.”

“Sometimes, we need help getting out of trouble and have to ask for help or take it when it is offered. Why don’t you want me to help you get out of this or whatever is going on?”

Cole finished putting salt and pepper on the steaks before putting them in the frying pan. He wanted Zoey to think about his question and not give him the first answer that came to mind.

“I’m not used to asking for help or accepting it. My mother did everything to raise me, and nobody helped. Now all I’ve done in the last three months is take, and look where that got Paul—stabbed! And Al is dead. Now if I bring you in, I might get you killed. I’m not even sure why I came here.”

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