“I’m a bad friend.”
Cole was in my kitchen, making scrambled eggs on my stove. He paused to frown at me. “What do you mean?”
“Sia’s been there for me so many times, and I’m lying to her about—” I waved at him. “You know.”
“Cut yourself a break.” Turning the stove off, he put the scrambled eggs on a plate and came toward the table. He grabbed two forks on the way and sat down. He gestured to the plate and passed me a fork. “Dig in. This is our breakfast.”
“Chef Cole extraordinaire, huh?”
“You know it.” He grinned, fork in hand and ready to dive in. He paused to stare at me a moment and seemed to grow thoughtful, lowering his hand to the table. “This is what I lived on when I was on my own for a while.”
“The family you stayed with didn’t cook for you?”
“They did, but I stayed in the stables. If they came for me, I didn’t want the family to die, too.” He shook his head. “That’s ridiculous thinking now. The Bertals would’ve cleaned house. They would’ve killed the family first and then come looking for me when they couldn’t find me in the house.”
“I’m sorry.”
“They weren’t your family.” He shrugged, raising his fork again. “But going back to the eggs, this is what I ate a lot of the time. I had dinner once or twice a week with the family. The other times, there was a small kitchen area in the barn, and I ate lots and lots of eggs. Somehow I got it in my head that that’s what you eat to get big.”
He laughed before spearing some eggs and popping them in his mouth. He ate half the plate in a few minutes before leaning back in his chair, rubbing his stomach. “I hated eggs when I first came back. I wouldn’t eat them. Carter never said anything, but I knew he wondered. We’d have dinner every now and then when I came back, and if there were eggs in the meal, I always picked them out.”
“Jake and Sia said Carter was your family’s hit man?”
He nodded. “Yeah, for a while. He rose up in the ranks, killed everything in sight. He was a fucking badass. I worshiped him; then I worshiped him even more after he saved my life. I learned later that he kind of ran the family until I came back. He’s a good guy. I owe him everything.”
I put my fork aside and leaned back in my chair, mirroring Cole. His legs stretched out under my seat, and I lifted mine, tucking them alongside his. It calmed me.
“There’s a lot on the internet about your friend.”
“The media loves him.” He winked at me. “He’s gorgeous, you know.”
I laughed softly. “So are you.”
Cole’s eyes darkened, and he leaned forward. He picked up my hand and laced our fingers together before looking back at me. “He wants to meet you.”
“Huh?” I tried to pull my hand away, but Cole only tightened his hold.
He flashed that killer smile again, rubbing his thumb over mine. He’d grabbed my hand on purpose. “Yep. He wants to meet you all official like.”
“Just him?” A dark room flashed in my head. Men in dark business suits lined up against the far wall as I was led to my death. “Or will others be there?”
Cole’s eyes narrowed, and he cocked his head before shaking it. “Nope. I love the guy. He’s family, but I know he’s scary. I thought maybe if it was over dinner, that’d be less intense. And Emma will come, too.”
“Who’s Emma?” As I asked, I remembered. “Emma Nathans.”
Cole nodded. “She’s nice. I think you’ll like her. She’s the one who tamed the Carter beast.” He smiled, and I heard the fondness in his voice.
He liked Emma. He cared for her—or maybe it was something else. He respected her, just like he respected Carter Reed. I knew it, but I still asked. “You really care about them, don’t you?”
He nodded. “I do. I owe my life to both of them, actually. Last year—” His voice dropped. “I know there’s a lot of scary shit on the internet about Carter, and I don’t know what they say about Emma, but it’s not all true. Carter’s dangerous, and he’s killed, but he’s not a bad guy. He’s like me.”
Cole let go of my hand and leaned back in his chair again. His arms spread wide, and the carefree Cole returned. “Only I’m younger, funnier, and way better looking.”
I remembered how they’d looked, Cole and Carter, at the banquet. How they’d moved as one. Cole might be younger, but he was just as deadly. He’d showed me how dangerous he could be, and thinking about that night again, a shiver went through me, cooling my blood.
“You in?”
“Huh?”
Cole watched me.
“Oh yeah. Dinner with Carter and Emma.” I nodded. “I’m in.”
“Nothing big. Just a get-together among friends.”
That didn’t appease my nerves.
Cole held my hand the next night, leading me into the restaurant he and I had gone to once before. I knew this wasn’t going to be anything like “nothing big.” The hostess led us past crowded tables, and conversations stopped. I remembered the feeling of being watched from the last time, but I’d been overwhelmed just being at dinner with a guy who wasn’t Liam. I couldn’t imagine how it was worse this time than then, but it was. My nerves were shot.
I kept my eyes forward, and halfway through the restaurant, Cole squeezed my hand. That helped. He was calm, and I tried to take on some of that. By the time we got to the back and started up to the second floor, I could breathe a little bit easier, though I still had a death grip on Cole’s hand. When we got to the second floor, he maneuvered us so I was first. He now walked behind me, and a second later, I realized why. His hand came to the small of my back, and he began rubbing small circles, comforting me.
The floor was empty except for a table set up beside a stone fireplace. Two people sat there. I recognized the man as Carter. He rose to shake Cole’s hand, his ice blue eyes resting on me the whole time.
Cole spoke to him, joking about something, and then he stepped away from my side to converse with the woman, who’d stood as well. She didn’t come around the table. She waited by her seat, smiling and laughing at whatever Cole said to her.
Meanwhile, there was me, feeling like an idiot.
“I’m Carter. It’s nice to meet you.” He held his hand out.
The rebellious kid I used to be wanted to cut tail and run. I didn’t know where she’d come from, but I shoved her down and shook his hand. It was strong and authoritative. Okay. I got it. He was protective of his family. I was having a hard time making eye contact. Cole’s eyes were dark. Pain mixed with playfulness in them, but they were always warm when they looked back at me.
Carter was different.
I saw death when I looked at him. He was guarded, cautious, serious, and when I turned to Emma, I wondered briefly if this was a joke. Were these two actually together? She had none of those qualities. She was beautiful, with dark hair that fell to her shoulders, and her smile lit up her face. She was more slender than me, but when she shook my hand, she wasn’t weak. Not at all. She was strong as hell.
She waved a hand to the chair beside Cole. “Please, have a seat, Addison. It’s so nice to meet you.” She sat back down, her eyes flicking to my right for a moment. “Cole’s spoken highly of you.”
He snorted, sitting beside me. His hand rested on my leg under the table. “Like I’d have anything negative to say. I’m dating her, Ems. What do you expect?”
“I know.” She pulled her cloth napkin out and folded it on her lap, jerking her head to the guy on her right. “You’ve never introduced us to a woman before. I’m pretty sure Carter scared the shit out of her. I’m trying to make her feel more welcome.”
Carter stiffened. “I didn’t do anything.”
“You don’t have to.” Emma laid her hand on top of his. She spoke with such love that I was taken aback for a second. “You have resting bitch face, honey.”
Cole laughed “RBF? Nah. It’s more like the cold killer face. Stone cold, Carter. Stone cold.”
The ends of Carter’s mouth turned down. “You guys are making fun of me.”
“Yeah.” Cole nodded. “That’s what family does. We tease each other.” He laid his arm on the back of my chair, his hand falling to rest on my shoulder. “Addison’s the only one who gets a break tonight. She’s just met you guys, and we’re too new. Well…” He watched me from the corner of his eye, holding back a grin. “No. I get to tease her, but not you guys. You have to be nice.”
A server came over and poured Cole a glass of wine before moving around to serve the rest of the table.
“Don’t fight it, Carter,” Cole said, raising his glass. “Teasing you is a privilege, one that I hold dear. It’s an honor to be able to make fun of the Cold Killer to his face.”
“Cole.” Carter’s eyes flashed a warning, darting to the server, then landing on me.
Cole took a sip before setting his glass down. He waited till the server left, then leaned over the table. “Really? You don’t think your own employees know what they used to call you?”
Emma had been quiet, but she started laughing now. “The look on your face. You look like you want to shoot Cole and hug him at the same time.”
Carter’s shoulders lifted in a slow breath, and then a small smile showed. “You’ve always had that effect on me.”
“Because I’m like your little brother.” Cole winked at Carter, his hand drawing circles behind my shoulder. “And half the time you want to kick my ass; the other half you’re damned grateful you can call me family. That’s my effect on you. Consider it my thank you gift for all those times you saved my ass.”
I knew what Cole was doing. He knew Carter made me nervous, and he was trying to lighten the mood, drawing the attention from me to Carter himself. It was working. Carter turned his hand upside down and linked his fingers with Emma’s. They shared a warm look. They clearly adored each other. Once he was holding her hand, Carter relaxed. He rested more fully against the back of his chair. His shoulders loosened, and his grin seemed more natural.
Cole was also protecting me. He’d inserted himself into the conversation so any questions for me had to go through him in a way. I didn’t know how he’d done that, but he had. And the others took note.
Carter’s eyes flicked to me and lingered.
Cole noticed. “Don’t worry about Addison. She was at the stables with me.”
At the mention, I knew the slight break in tension was over. Carter’s eyes snapped back to attention and his grin disappeared. A faint scowl took its place. “Are you kidding me?”
“No.”
Cole’s light-hearted tone was gone as well. He leaned forward slightly. I started to lean in as well, but Cole’s hand splayed out on my shoulder. He held me back.
“She was there, and she saw the whole thing,” Cole said.
Emma closed her eyes before her gaze fell to her lap.
Maybe I wasn’t supposed to know something? Maybe I wasn’t supposed to be at those stables? I didn’t know, but I knew I couldn’t say anything. Whatever was going on, it was between Carter and Cole.
“It’s done, Carter.”
“You could’ve kept her in the dark.”
Cole snorted. “Right. The next time I have to…” He hesitated. “…do what we do sometimes, I’ll lock her in a bathroom or something.”
Carter didn’t reply. He looked to me before returning to Cole.
“They came in. We were there. It’s done,” Cole said.
They were talking half in code. I could follow because of what I’d seen at the stables. I wondered if the servers could guess. I glanced over my shoulder, saw the server coming back with a pitcher of water, and coughed, clearing my throat. “Water, anyone?”
The conversation was dropped, but I had a feeling it was over anyway. Once the water was poured, Carter ordered for himself and Emma. Cole made sure I was okay with what he ordered for us, and once the server was gone again, Emma took charge.
She leaned forward, reaching for her wine glass. “So, Addison, Cole said you two met because you live in his building?”
That was her signal. Whatever Carter and Cole were arguing about, it wasn’t to be brought back up. She gave both of them pointed looks, and they nodded in response. After that, the conversation was smoother. I told them all about the other residents. Emma’s eyes got bigger and bigger, especially when I mentioned Dawn and her affection for Jake.
“And that’s the guy your best friend is dating now?”
I nodded, finishing my second glass of wine. I was done eating as well. My plate was still a third full. The chicken, scallops, and asparagus would’ve made my taste buds dance on a normal night, but this wasn’t normal. The nerves had lessened when Emma took charge, but they were still there, and that kept my appetite at bay. Carter didn’t approve of me, or he didn’t approve of something about me, and Cole didn’t care. The undercurrents had been tucked down, way down, but I knew I was reading them right.
Once Cole finished eating, his arm rested behind me again, and his hand never left my shoulder. I was thankful. That tiny touch helped assuage some of the tension.
I leaned back into his hand now. His fingers splayed out, and his palm rested on my skin. A small tingle coursed through me, helping to ease a bit more of the knot in my stomach.
“Yes,” I said to Emma. “Jake’s the one. I haven’t told Sia about Dawn yet. I should.”
“Don’t.” Emma sounded sure.
“Don’t?”
“Tell him what happened.”
“What do you mean?”
“Tell him Dawn took the phone. The friendship is between him and Dawn. It will be easier on Sia if he puts a stop to it; then she won’t be in the middle. He should protect both of them. It’s his friend and his girlfriend, so it’s his job. Not yours, not your friend’s.”
I’d never thought of telling Jake. I was floored. “Thank you. I think I will.”
“Shit, Emma. When’d you get all wise on me?” Cole teased.
She laughed, sinking into Carter’s side, slipping her hand through his. “It’s all because of this guy. Once you go Carter, you always become smarter.” She held her laugh, raising her eyes to wait for Carter’s reaction.
When he heard the rhyme, he groaned, shaking his head. “You didn’t just say that.”
“I did, and it’s true, but—” She held up her glass of wine. “It’s probably more because of this. I think this is my third glass. I’m officially a lush.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “We might need to fly Theresa and Amanda out here. I’m feeling in the Octave mood. Surely there’s something like that around here?”
“Octave?”
“The club Carter owns back home. Speaking of,” he said to Carter, “when are you going to open one here? I took Emma to Octavia in New York, but I think doing another one here would be smart. That’s one of your best business ventures.”
Carter lifted his arm so there was no barrier between him and Emma. She sank farther into his side, and he held her close, his hand resting on her other arm. “When you’ll open it with me.”
“I’ll put in money.”
“I don’t need money.”
This was another conversation for just the two of them. Emma seemed content to listen, so I did the same. I wasn’t nestled into Cole’s side, but his hand was still on the back of my shoulder, like he was silently holding me up. As he talked with Carter, his hand went back to drawing circles.
In the end, Cole remarked, “I don’t know. Maybe. We’ll see.”
“Good enough for me.” Carter’s smile was much less strained than in the beginning. He glanced down, and his smile grew even softer. “Emma’s about to fall asleep if we don’t head out.”
“I’m up.” She yawned. “I’m totally awake.” Her eyes closed…and didn’t open. “See. I’m ready to dance. Nightclub, anyone?”
“Right.” Carter shifted and swept Emma into his arms.
She squealed. “What are you doing?”
“You were falling asleep.”
“Put me down. I can walk. I promise.”
“You sure?”
The two were talking, but they were laughing at the same time. Carter carried her toward the stairs.
As he did, Cole turned to me. He pulled me into his side now that they had gone downstairs. “You okay?”
I nodded. “Your friend is intense. I feel like I just ran a marathon, backward.” My legs felt like lead. Even my arms were heavy.
“Don’t worry. Carter’s just protective. I’m a little less cautious than he is, but he’ll relax. He knows a good thing when he sees it.”
“Really?” I scoffed.
Cole nodded, his eyes warming as he held my gaze. “Really.” He pressed a light kiss to my lips. “You ready to head back?”
“God, yes.” I groaned. “But don’t pick me up.” I stood, seeing a mischievous glint in his eyes.
This was a new side to Cole—a Cole that poked at his friend, trying to get a reaction. I knew the dark and silent Cole. I knew the dangerous side of him, and when we were at my home together, I’d started to see his joking side, but this one was altogether new and unpredictable. I was cautious, learning new terrain, until he leaned in close and dropped his voice low.
“When I pick you up, it’s not going to be because you’re sleepy from too much wine.” Cole stood behind me, his body brushing against mine. “It’s going to be because your legs don’t work for a whole other reason.” As he spoke, he trailed a finger down my spine.
I caught my breath. One touch was all it took to awaken my body.
I murmured, huskily, “Yes. Let’s go home.”
His eyes darkened at my response, and his hand fell to the small of my back. He urged me forward. “Yes, let’s.”