Page 39 of Temptation and Tyranny

Colton fell silent, taking a long drink. I could see the gears turning in his head, and knew he was trying to find a legal solution to an illegal problem. It was what I loved about him, and also what frustrated me to no end. His dedication to the law, to doing things the right way, was admirable. But in my world, the law was just another obstacle to be navigated around. It was how I knew Colton would eventually leave me, just like Steele had done. Once he paid off his share of our father’s debt, he’d be gone. He would become a successful lawyer, earning his money cleanly.

“Are you sure about Steele? He’s your best friend. I’m sure if you promised to stop with the weapons—”

I shook my head, the movement sharp and decisive. “He’s got Ashlynn to think about now, and their baby. I can’t drag him back into this mess. And I’m not stopping.” The continued talk of Steele, now settled into domestic bliss with his pregnant fiancée, sent an odd wave of emotion through me. A life I could never have, a peace I’d never know. It hadn’t ever seemed important before, but as I sat in the bar, I knew it was something I’d never have.

Not while greed and ambition ruled my life.

“But you can drag me into it?” Colton’s voice had an edge to it now, sharp enough to cut. “And what about Allegra? Do you have any idea how worried and scared she is?”

I felt a pang of guilt at the mention of Allegra’s name. Her face flashed through my mind again—those expressive eyes, the curve of her lips when she smiled. I drove the image away, burying it deep. “She shouldn’t beinvolved in this at all. It’s too dangerous.”

Suspicion tightened across Colton’s features. “Yet she is involved, Cooper. She cares about you, whether you want to admit it or not. I can tell you care about her, too.”

I shook my head, trying to dismiss the idea. The motion was too quick, too vehement to be entirely believable. “It’s not like that. She was my physical therapist. That’s all. You’re reaching for things that aren’t there, Colton.”

“Really?” Colton said, his voice dripping with skepticism. “So, you sent me down there to ensure the right steps were taken in this scumbag’s case because you care so much about keeping the streets of Paris clean and crime-free? Because the woman I met today seemed pretty invested in your well-being for ‘just a physical therapist.’”

Before I could respond, a woman sidled up to the barstool next to me. She was attractive in a hard-edged way, all tight clothes and heavily lined eyes. The scent of her perfume—overpowering and overly sweet—wafted over me, oppressive and intrusive.

“Buy a girl a drink?” she purred, leaning in close. Her fingers toyed with the neckline of my shirt, a silent promise for an easy conquest.

I hesitated for a moment, my usual instincts at war with the image of Allegra that flashed unbidden through my mind. Her sweet touch, her beautiful eyes, so different from this woman’s predatory stare. “Sorry,” I said finally, gently but firmly pushing her away. “Not interested.”

The woman huffed and sauntered away, moving on to easier prey. I turned back to find Colton staring atme, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Okay, who are you and what have you done with my brother?” he asked, only half-joking. The question hung in the air between us, heavy with the implication.

I shrugged, trying for nonchalance. The movement felt stiff, unnatural. “Maybe I’m just not in the mood. Shoulder still hurts.”

Colton wasn’t buying it. His eyes, so like my own, drilled into me with an intensity that was almost uncomfortable. “Cooper, I’ve known you my whole life. We’re twins. You’re always in the mood. The world could be burning down around us and you’d still be off looking for one last fuck. What’s going on?”

I sighed, knowing I was caught. The weight of everything—Viktor, Rousseau, Allegra—pressed down on me, threatening to crush me under its weight. “It’s...complicated.”

“Uncomplicate it for me,” Colton pressed. His voice was gentle now, coaxing. “Is this about Allegra? Are you sleeping with her?”

My mind was instantly transported back several months ago, when I had accused Steele of the very same thing—of sleeping with one woman, monogamously. I gulped and stared into my glass, watching the light reflect on the rim. The colors shifted and swirled, much like the emotions churning inside me. “That’s none of your business,” I retorted.

My response seemed to set Colton’s hunch into stone.

“None of my business? Seriously? You do nothing but boast about your sexual escapades, but now the cat has your tongue?”

I rubbed my eyes, tired already. “She’s different,Colton. She…she seems to know me. Not Cooper Moreau, the arms dealer, not the guy with the fancy car and underground connections. Just...me.”

Colton was quiet for a moment, studying me so hard that it made me uncomfortable. I could feel his gaze like a physical manifestation, probing and searching. “You have feelings for her,” he said finally. It wasn’t a question.

“I didn’t say that,” I protested weakly, the words sounding hollow even to my own ears. “It’s not like that. I can’t…can’t let it be like that.”

“Why not?” Colton challenged, his voice soft but sure. “Cooper, I saw the way she talked about you, and I’m seeing the way you’re acting now. There’s something more to this girl.”

I fought to keep my emotions in check. “It doesn’t matter what it is. She’s better off without me, without all of this danger.”

Colton sighed, rubbing his temples. The gesture was so familiar, so reminiscent of our father, that it sent a pang through me. “Cooper, you can’t have it both ways. If you care about this woman—and it’s clear you do—you can’t keep her in the dark. It’s not fair to her, and it’s dangerous for you both.”

I knew he was right, but the thought of telling Allegra everything, telling her why I could never be any kind of respectable boyfriend—seeing the look of disappointment spread across her face when she realized just how deep in the muck I was...it terrified me more than any deal gone wrong ever had. The fear was a living thing, coiling in my gut, threatening to choke me like a venomous cobra.

“I don’t know what to do, Colton,” I said, my voicebarely above a hushed whisper. The admission was hard to swallow, each word dragged out of my mouth reluctantly. “I know I can’t expose her to this kind of life. What the hell am I supposed to do?”

Colton placed a hand on my shoulder, his touch grounding me slightly. “You need to make a choice, brother. This life, or her. Because from where I’m sitting, you can’t have both.”

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