Page 105 of Alpha Ruined

He shakes his head. “I’m not sure you want the answer,” he murmurs.

“Tell me. You owe me that much.”

“Since I started…eleven.”

There’s no remorse in his eyes. None.

“Oh, my God,” she whispers, shaking her head. “No. You’re lying. Cole, please, tell me you’re lying.”

A flash of pity crosses his face. “I’m not, sweetheart.”

She begins to cry. He has the decency to look somewhat ashamed as she buries her face in her hands and weeps. She doesn’t stop him when he pulls her into his arms, cradling her to him as her sobs soften.

He purrs for her, even though he’s the cause of her tears.

“I have my reasons,” he says, but she shakes her head.

“Fuck your reasons. I don’t want to hear them.”

“Do you know the people I’ve killed, Bree?”

“I don’t care.” But she doesn’t leave his embrace. She allows him to comfort her, carding his fingers through her hair and wiping tears from her face.

“You think I’m a monster, but they’re worse than me.They’re the type of people who should be behind bars forever, but they’ve wormed their way out of the legal system.”

“Youworkin the legal system! How could you do this?” Even though she’s angry, her curiosity has started to build.

“That’s exactly why I did it. I loved my fucking job most of the time. I was able to represent victims and put away people for heinous acts. It made me feel complete, like I was doing something that mattered in the world. But I saw too many men go free, whether from bribes or other shady activities.” Cole’s voice is hard. “I was sick of it.”

She pulls out of his embrace and wipes her tears. “So, you just used your lawyer powers and decided who you wanted to kill? That’s insane.”

He looks at her pointedly. “Eugene didn’t just kill his wife. He had hurt other members of his family before that, Breana.”

Recognition dawns on her. “So, you came here to kill him?”

He nods. “And I happened to run into you, and it was the best day of my fucking life.” The intensity in his eyes threatens to ruin her. She could get lost in the impossibly light blue irises that see right through her.

“I don’tcare.”

“Yes, you do,” he says softly. “The pull was there from the moment we met. You stopped denying it days ago.”

She holds back tears. “And where were you today?” she snaps. “Out killing someone else?”

“Stopping an attack on a woman.”

“Liar,” she croaks, not wanting to believe him. He doesn’t get to be a hero after what he’s done.

“I planned to come back to you immediately, but I ran into a girl being attacked behind an alleyway. My phone was broken in the process of fighting them off of her.”

“Them?”

“There were two.”

“And did you kill them?” she asks, dreading the answer.

“No,” he says. “I wanted to, though. But I waited with her until the sheriff arrived.”

She sniffles. “And what stopped you this time?”

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