Page 28 of Temptation and Tyranny

I paused, meeting his gaze. “You show up at my door in the middle of the night, shot and bleeding. I think I deserve some kind of explanation.” I wasn’t sure why I was demanding the story from him, but part of me wondered if I was hoping that he wasn’t a player in the world I thought he was.

I wanted him to say that this was all some horrible misunderstanding and he had gotten caught in the crossfire.

Yeah, sure Allegra, I chided myself.

He paused, conflict etched in the lines of his face. “You’re right. But knowing could put you in danger. I shouldn’t have come here. I just...I didn’t know where else to go.”

My suspicions about his occupation, or at least the company he kept, were correct. But the soft vulnerability in his voice tugged at my heart. It was the same tone he’d used in the clinic when he confessed that he wanted to ride his motorcycle again.

“Hey,” I said softly, my hand resting on his uninjured shoulder. “I’m glad you came to me. Whatever’s going on, I know you’ll figure it out. You seem like a survivor to me.”

Cooper’s hand came up to cover mine, his touch sending warmth spreading through me. “Allegra, I...”

He leaned in, and for a heart-pounding moment, I thought he was going to kiss me. The world seemed to slow, every detail freezing in place with startling clarity: the slight catch in his breathing, the way his eyes darkened appreciatively as they dropped to my lips, the subtle woodsy scent of his cologne that made my head spin. I found myself leaning in too, drawn by some magnetic force I couldn’t resist.

Our faces were inches apart, his breath mingling with mine. The space between us felt electric, charged with everything unsaid. His hand moved to brush a strand of hair from my face, fingertips gliding along my cheek. My heart thundered so loudly I was sure he could hear it. We were balanced on a tightrope, in that exquisite moment of anticipation.

The shrill ring of my phone shattered the moment like glass. We both jumped, the spell broken.The real world came rushing back in a disorienting wave. I scrambled to my feet, my cheeks burning as I answered the call, painfully aware of how my hands trembled and my lips still tingled with the phantom sensation of a kiss that never happened.

Cooper cleared his throat and looked away, running a hand through his hair—a nervous gesture I’d come to know through our therapy sessions. The moment was gone, but the echo of it lingered in the air between us.

It was Joanna on the other end, asking about a patient file. I’d momentarily forgotten that she sometimes got caught up on billing at night. I answered her questions on autopilot, my mind still reeling from what had almost happened with Cooper. When I hung up, I turned back to find him attempting to stand up.

“Easy,” I said, moving to help him. “You’ve lost a lot of blood. You need to rest.”

He grimaced but allowed me to adjust the pillows behind him. “I can’t stay long. I’ve got to figure out who orchestrated this.”

“You’re not going anywhere tonight,” I said firmly. “You can barely stand, let alone defend yourself if you’re in some kind of trouble.”

Cooper’s attention snapped to his discarded jacket. “My gun. Where is it?”

I blinked, surprised. “Your what?”

“My gun,” he repeated, more urgently. “I need to know where it is.”

Hesitantly, I retrieved his jacket from the floor. Sure enough, I felt the weight of a handgun in the inner pocket. The cold metal made me shudder, and I carefully handed it to Cooper, eager to be rid of it. Myfather always carried a gun, and the sight of it stirred more hesitation within me. Reminders of the life I’d run from, from the world I’d rejected.

He checked it quickly, then tucked it beside him on the couch, hidden but within easy reach. The casual way he handled the weapon was a stark reminder that this handsome man was still deadly.

“Are we in danger?” I asked, unable to keep the tremor from my voice.

Cooper’s expression softened. “I don’t think so. But I’d rather be prepared, just in case. I’m so sorry, Allegra. I never meant to bring this to your door.”

I sank into the armchair across from him, suddenly exhausted. “Well, whether I like it or not, I’m now involved. So why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”

Cooper hesitated, then nodded. “You’re right. You deserve to know.” He took a deep breath, wincing slightly. “I’m...not just a businessman. At least, not the kind of business you might think.”

I snorted. It had been a while since I thought that Cooper had a legitimate career.

He looked at me, his ashy blonde hair falling over one eye. “Right—you probably realized that already.”

As Cooper began to explain about his business ventures and recent expansion into arms dealing, I felt my fear gradually lessen rather than increase. It should have terrified me—a man involved in weapons trafficking showing up bleeding at my door. But there was something grimly familiar about it all. I’d grown up in this world, after all. I bit my lip, knowing that factions of my own father’s enterprises toyed with this area too, though his operations went far deeper intodarkness than what Cooper was describing. Was there a chance they knew each other? Was Cooper the reason my father was at the gala?

The second the thoughts came, I pushed them away. I was sure that there was no way that Cooper would be anywhere remotely involved with my father’s business. While he was involved in illegal activities, I found it hard to believe that Cooper was a stone-cold killer like my father. Laurent Rousseau’s business involved shoving people in oil drums and killing anyone who got in his way. I couldn’t comprehend the idea of Cooper being that ruthless.

I found myself torn between annoyance that he’d chosen this kind of life, and a grudging admiration for his boldness.

“So the men who shot you,” I said slowly, “they could come looking for you?”

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