CHAPTER 24
Her throat scratched and burned as if she had just swallowed broken shards of glass. Rose was sitting in the back of the ambulance while a paramedic poked and prodded to check for injuries. If she could’ve walked she would’ve joined Cole where he was speaking to the police.
But she couldn’t.
Her ankle wasn’t just sprained, it was broken. The paramedics had strapped it into what looked like a moon-boot and told her to keep it elevated to prevent more swelling. Another had given her oxygen to ensure there were no lingering effects from her close brush with death.
A thick blanket was wrapped around her shoulders but that didn’t stop the shivers that had been racking her body ever since the police had pulled Cole off Mike.
Rose still couldn’t believe it was Mike.
He had seemed so earnest when he had promised to help her look for the murderer, but now in the harsh light that shone from the police car it all started to fall into place.
How he had pulled her aside at the security station.
The night he had arrived seemingly concerned because an intruder had been in her yard. He wasn’t on patrol that night Rose thought, he had just escaped.
The phone call luring her back to the Hamptons alone…
If it wasn’t for Cole…
She swallowed down the tears that threatened to fall, she wouldn’t break now. Not when he was watching her from the back of the police car. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. Narrowing her eyes she glared right back at him.
“Hey are you alright?” Cole asked as he sat down next to her in the ambulance. His eyes furrowed concerned as his fingers lightly brushed the dark red welts on her neck. “I could fucking kill him myself for putting marks on you.”
Rose had to admit, it was nice being taken care of. To feel protected. “I’m fine, that’s all that matters.”
“You’re not fine! You’ve got marks all over you and you’ve broken your ankle.” His voice was low, anger poured from him with every breath.
“They’ve got him Cole. That’s all that matters. They’ve got him on the murders of both victims and attempted 1st degree on me.”
“That’s not enough. If he gets a fancy lawyer…”
“He won’t!” Rose said a bit too loud for her own ears. Her head was already pounding without any loud noises. Besides she couldn’t think about Mike hiring a good lawyer that would get him off on technicality now. If anything else he was going to sit for what he did to her.
“We’ve got to get you to a hospital M’am.” The paramedic said before glancing at his watch. “They’ll need to fit you a proper cast.”
“Cole, will you please come with?” Rose asked feeling like a frightened child. Her fear of hospitals was ridiculous but still she hated going.
“I’m not letting you leave my sight long enough to blow your nose.” He said as he glared at the paramedic before they could ask him to leave. As the ambulance pulled away Rose rested against Cole’s shoulder, happy to be alive.
When they finally got home in the early hours of the morning they were both exhausted. After having Rose’s cast fit and her throat examined for extensive injuries, they were picked up by Detective Vanguard to give their statements at the station. He had given them the option to give it the following morning, but both Rose and Cole just wanted to get it over with.
It had taken Vanguard less than an hour to get two full confessions out of Mike; he was going to sit for a very long time. Hiring a fancy lawyer would just be a waste of money, was what Detective Vanguard had promised Rose when she had voiced her fears.
Cole carried her into the house with her head softly resting against his shoulder. She could’ve walked, well hobbled, but he refused. The pain tablets the doctor had given her had made it easier to just let Cole carry her than to argue with him.
He gently sat her down on his bed before turning to the closet and pulling out a sweat shirt and some pants.
“They won’t fit.” Rose smiled as he placed them on the bed next to her.
“I don’t care if they fit, I need to do something. And helping you bathe and put on some dry clothes is about all I can think of at the moment.” His voice still held the anger from earlier that night but now it also had cadence of a man exhausted.
“I still can’t believe it was the lanyard he used. How many people have lanyards? I’ve certainly never thought of them as a murder weapon.” Rose said shaking her head. When Mike had pegged her in the mud and reached for the lanyard holding his keys Rose didn’t think she would ever see Cole again. She knew Cole was tired, but at this moment she would do anything but sleep fearing a re-enactment awaited her in dreamland.
“Well maybe we should keep a few close just in case, since they’ve proven effective.” Cole said pulling one out of the bedside drawer.
Rose felt bile rise in her throat at the sight. “Cole put it back please, I can’t…”
Cole quickly shoved it back and ran his hands through his hair. “I’m sorry I should’ve thought…”
“Cole, why don’t you pour us a glass of wine and then we’ll have that bath.” Rose said needing a minute to herself.
Cole nodded before heading to the kitchen.
He came back with a glass of red wine for Rose and a tumbler of scotch for himself. “I needed something stronger to take the edge off.”
Rose smiled. “I agree. Are you hurt?” His one eye was swollen from where Mike’s fist had landed and there were scrapes and bruises on his arms.
“I’m fine. That asshole couldn’t even throw a descent punch.” He said over his shoulder as he moved into the bathroom.
Rose heard the taps open and a heavenly scent permeated through the room. “Cole is that bath products?” Rose asked surprised.
“Well Luisa keeps getting them for the guest bath, might as well use them.” He grunted before scooping her up and carrying her to the bathroom.
“Remind me to ask her where she gets it, it smells divine.” Cole deposited her on the toilet and closed the door behind him.
He turned around staring at her confused. “You were almost murdered and you’re wondering where my cleaning lady buys bath products.”
Rose pulled him towards her. “Cole I need something normal right now. I need a sexy bath with the man I love and some every day conversation.”
“Sure, want to talk about the awesome alarm system you’re getting tomorrow?” Cole asked as he started undressing her, careful not to disturb her ankle.
“It won’t be necessary now…” Rose trailed off as she held onto Cole as she sat down on the bath’s edge. Normally Rose would feel shy about Cole undressing her, especially because it wasn’t a prelude to sex. Strange enough the fact that he bothered even without the sex made her heart warm even more.
She mastered her balance and placed her good foot in the bath. “Shootin’ Fiddlesticks Cole! Did you think to check the temperature?”
Cole laughed for the first time since he had tackled Mike, reaching down he pulled Rose’s naked body up against his fully clothed one. “No, but I think the water will cool down if we give it a while…” The hungry look in his eyes was all the normal Rose needed before he took her mouth.