Page 19 of Cole

Gabe’s vision blurred. “Cole…” His throat worked. “Cole… look at me, babe.” Gabe rarely witnessed such depth of vulnerability in his husband. It took a lot to reduce someone as strong as Cole to… this state. It scared the hell out of Gabe to see him this way.

“I’m sorry,” Cole cried brokenly. “It’s my fault… it’s all my fault… I wish he’d killed me back then… he wouldn’t be here now because… because I wouldn’t be here… our family would be safe if I… if Ididn’t exist.”

“Don’t say that.” Gabe forced strength into his voice. “Don’t ever say that. Whatever is happening now—” Gabe remained in the dark about the details. “—it isn’t your fault. But you need to talk to me and tell me what’s going on, and what’s happened to Abel and the kids.” Fear for their darling Abel and the two kids threatened to overwhelm Gabe’s senses, but he was no good to them if he shut down now. “Did… did that man take them?”

Cole faced him, his face streaked with tears, his eyes watery and bloodshot. “Yes,” Cole whispered. “And he tried…” His chin trembled. “… he tried to take you, too. Don’t say this isn’t my fault when he’s doing this to make me suffer.”

“Who are you messaging?” Devlin asked.

“Clint.” Dane messaged. The response arrived swiftly. “He’s nearby. Stay here in case Cole needs you. I need to speak with Clint.”

“About what?”

Dane shook his head while placing his phone in his pocket. “I’ll explain later.” He walked down the corridor before Devlin could ask any further questions. He encountered the cowboy and his Egyptian companion in the stairwell near Gabe’s room.

“Is the cop gone?” Clint asked.

“Not yet. He’s still around. And he’s not just some random cop.”

Clint frowned. “What do you mean?”

Dane quickly clarified the deputy’s connection to Cole. “He said he came here to warn Cole about his dad.”

The Egyptian eyed Dane. “You sound doubtful? You think he’s lying?”

Dane sighed. “I… I don’t know. Cole knew him and seemed to trust him.”

“But?” Clint’s brow cinched.

“The man who took Abel and the kids…” Dane swallowed. “He told Cole that he would make a trade; them for… Gabe.”

“What?” Clint snapped.

“The deputy… he suggested Gabe might have a better chance against the killer than two teenagers and a… petite young man.”

The gangsters stared at him silently.

“The thing is,” Dane continued, “no onedescribedAbel to him. We only told him that the man had taken three of our family, two of whom were teenagers. We didn’t say anything about what Abel looked like. So, how did the deputy know he waspetite?”

Clint dragged his hand over his mouth. “If he located Cole a while back, he might have observed him from a distance. Maybe he knows who Abel is.”

“Maybe,” Dane murmured, unconvinced. “But we didn’t give him their names. And there was something else.”

“What?” Clint asked.

“When he told Cole he would never be like his dad… there was an odd tone to his voice. At first, I thought I was imagining it. But the more I think about it, I don’t think I was.”

“An odd tone?” Cochise pressed.

“Like…” Dane pursed his lips. “It seemed like he was suggesting that Cole would never…measure upto the man.” He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know, maybe that’s just me being paranoid. Maybe I’m just overstressed and imagining things that aren’t there. The deputy was Cole’s friend at that time. None of this adds up.” He swallowed hard, struggling with tears. “I’m just so fucking scared for them; I don’t think my mind is functioning properly.”

“Maybe so,” Clint mumbled. “Or maybe you’re hyper-aware and picking up things you usually wouldn’t notice.”

Dane exhaled shakily. “You think he could be lying?”

“I don’t fully trust anyone who hasn’t proven themselves to me,” Clint drawled. “And I don’t know this fucker from Adam. So, yeah, he could damn well be lying.”

A shiver passed over Dane. “If he is… what does that mean?”

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