Page 14 of The Pact

I’m going at a slow crawl, glancing up every few seconds as I unfold it with one hand. The bold, black letters make my skin crawl. Hello, Thea. The paper falls into my lap and I grip the steering wheel with trembling hands. But my brief distraction makes me miss the man stepping off the curb into the road.

Slamming on the brakes, I skid to a stop inches from him.

There’s a moment where the world seems to stand still. I take stock of the situation. Is he okay? Can I breathe through the ache in my chest? Then everything resumes in an instant.

The man’s face twists from fear to anger as he throws his hands up and starts yelling. Under the streetlight, I can see his skin redden and his eyes bulge. His shoulders are tense and fists are balled.

I mouth my apology, though I know he can’t hear me.

He’s walking towards my passenger side, so I lower my window. He’s tall enough that he has to bend down to make eye contact.

The stranger’s hand grips the roof of my car in a way that makes my stomach knot. “Sir, I’m so sorry. I was distracted and didn’t see you. Are you okay?”

“No shit! Are you fucking stupid or something?” His aggressiveness escalates. I half expected him to see the look of concern on my face and cool down, but he’s only getting angrier.

Surely he’ll throw a few more insults my way and move on. That would be the rational thing to do. He doesn’t. He reaches through the window and hits the unlock button.

“What the hell are you doing?” I try to disguise the shakiness in my voice, but it comes across clearly.

He opens the passenger door and starts crawling over the seat to get to me.

I have two options. Stay here and end up on a true crime podcast. Or take off and risk hurting him. If it’s between me or him, it’ll be me. I get ready to hit the gas as I scream at the top of my lungs, hoping to scare him off. “Get the fuck out!” As the words leave my mouth, I see a flash of movement and the stranger is yanked from my truck.

6

THEA

I take a second to register what’s happened. The man is on his back on the road and Cole is standing over him. Where the hell did he come from? I glance in my rearview mirror. Sure enough, there’s a car behind me. The headlights are blinding, but I know it’s Cole’s Range Rover.

I’m speechless as I glance back at him.

His eyes are focused on the man who’s scrambling to get up. Cole’s body is tense with power. The sleeves of his white shirt are pushed up to his elbows, and the veins in his hands bulge as his fists clench.

The stranger looks like he might try to take Cole as he plants his feet and brings his fists up to his face. Cole’s hand flies out and grabs the man’s shirt with one hand while the other comes up under his jaw. His head snaps upward. He tries to shake off the punch, however his eyes betray him—he’s disoriented and can’t fight back.

Cole pushes him backwards and lets go of him. “Get outta here, asshole.” He doesn’t hesitate, taking off down the sidewalk.

My heart pounds wildly—I try to slow it. I’m safe now. Cole’s face ducks into view, worry creasing his brow. His voice comes softly, as if he’s found a beaten puppy. “Thea, are you alright?”

I nod. I can’t say anything—too afraid that I’ll break down. I keep nodding as he puts my window back up, tells me to wait, and closes the passenger door. My eyes search in the direction the man took off in, then flick to my rearview.

Cole’s headlights have disappeared.

I’m safe. He’s gone. The thoughts do little to tame the rush of adrenaline that’s pounding in my ears and knotting my stomach. While the threat of the stranger is gone, I’m admittedly terrified of Cole’s reaction. I’ve never seen a man look like he was about to kill someone before.

The tap on my window makes me jump.

Cole opens my door and reaches over to unbuckle the seatbelt. “Get in the passenger seat, love.” I don’t argue, instead I gracelessly crawl over the center console to get to the other side as Cole slides into the driver’s seat. He locks the doors.

“Are you okay? Really okay?” His eyes search mine, then he surveys my body, presumably to see if there are any signs that the man put his hands on me.

Taking a few deep breaths, I steady myself. “Yes. I think so.” It’s a lie, but Cole’s already thrown a punch for me tonight. I don’t want to make him feel responsible for piecing me back together as well. “Wh-where did you come from?”

I searched for his car before leaving the bakery. It wasn’t there. I was sure of it. His timing was nothing short of miraculous.

“I had to get gas, then I was heading home when I saw what was going on. I didn’t realize it was you until I was getting out of my car.” Cole’s hand reaches out and rests it on my shoulder. “You’re shaking.”

I take another deep breath and try to still my body.

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