Page 44 of Wrecked
She smoothed her finger over his bottom lip. “It’s my secret project.”
“Why secret?”
“I’m going to prove to Rusty and Alex that I’m just as good at restoration work as they are.”
“They know that already, Pipe. Everyone knows you’re a fucking good mechanic.”
That warmed her, made her smile. “Well, I think my sister and best friend have forgotten that I learned right alongside them. That I’m just as good as they are. I’m sick of being stuck in the office or being given the easy, small jobs. They’ve… They don’t trust in my ability anymore.”
He cupped the side of her face. “Things have been busy while you build your business, yes?”
“Yes.” She ran her hand over the whiskers on his jaw. The beard had nearly grown back in.
“I don’t doubt they know what you can do, but maybe with how crazy things have been, for all of you, they’ve taken that a little for granted.”
“Maybe.”
“No harm in reminding them. You’ll blow them away, baby.” Then he kissed her gently. “I can’t wait to see this car when you’re finished.” He grinned. “Will you take me for a ride when it’s done?”
She grinned back. “You just want to get me in the backseat.”
He chuckled. “Maybe.”
“Then absolutely.”
He kissed her again.
Cole woke from his nightmare with a start, heart pounding, cold sweat covering his body.
He realized immediately he wasn’t alone.
Piper.
He was in her bed. Had he been making noise in his sleep, thrashing about? Shit. He twisted to face her, but she was still out cold. Thank fuck. He’d been worried about this. But after the first night when nothing had happened, he’d fooled himself into thinking it would be okay. That maybe the dreams had stopped. Jesus, if he’d woken her she would ask questions, questions he wasn’t prepared to answer.
He didn’t want Piper knowing what happened that day. How he’d allowed his control to slip. How he’d lost focus and his volatile emotions had taken the driver’s seat.
He and Adam had been tracking a dealer for over a month. The guy was slippery as hell. They needed him off the street. The ecstasy he was selling was a bad batch, and they’d been called to several OD’s because of it.
That day they’d tracked the fucker down. But he’d tagged them before they could move in. They’d followed, pursued him, but he’d headed into a busier part of the city, trying to shake them. They’d called for backup, and Cole should have eased off. It was too dangerous to follow at speed in such a congested area.
But just the night before they’d been to another OD linked to this guy. She’d been young, maybe sixteen. Fuck, the look on her father’s face when Cole told him his baby girl was in the city morgue…
Cole looked at Adam.
His partner read him instantly and scowled. “Fuck that. He’s not getting away this time.”
An image of the girl they’d found, the others that had lost their lives because of this asshole, swam through his head. Adam was right. They couldn’t let him get away.
Ignoring protocol, his training, he planted his foot on the gas and sped through the city.
“Don’t lose him,” Adam barked.
Cole glanced at his partner, then back at the road, just as a truck came speeding out of a side road, pulling out in front of them. He slammed on the brakes, but he was going too fast.
Tires screeched.
He lifted his hands…
