Page 69 of The Grave Between Us
Cole’s car was parked feet away, his bumper almost in their dormant rose bushes. His driver’s door was open. No broken glass. Noah’s heart pounded. “Where’s Cole?”
“He’s inside.” King shoved him back to the driveway, his palm against Noah’s chest. “He’s fine. Ingram broke in, but Cole wasn’t home. No one was home. Your daughter is still at school. I’ve got the local PD keeping an eye on her. You’re going to have an officer keeping an eye on you, too, from now on.”
“What?” Noah shook his head. He sank his fingers in his hair, tried to get his thoughts to line up in order. “What are you talking about? What about Cole? Where is he?”
“I’m talking about a protective unit on you and your daughter until this is over. Cole is insisting on it, and given the circumstances, I think he’s right.”
“But what about Cole?”
King said nothing.
Finally, Cole appeared at their front door, ducking beneath the police tape as he made his way out. His eyes darted to Noah, then skittered away.
Noah’s heart nearly burst out of his chest. He tried to move forward, but King pushed him back again, palm flat on his sternum. He shoved King away, balled his hands into fists, pulled back to let fly—
“Noah.” Cole was there, his hand on Noah’s waist as he guided Noah to him. “Michael, leave us alone.”
“Find me when you’re finished,” Michael grunted.
“Finished? What the hell does that mean? What happened here? Ingram broke into our home? He knows where we live?”
“Ian is following me,” Cole said softly. He took Noah’s hands in his own and squeezed. He wouldn’t look Noah in the eyes. “He’s followed me everywhere. To our house, to the office. He must have followed me on Saturday, too. Noah… it’s my fault Brett Kerrigan is dead.”
“No, it’s not, it’s Ingram’s fault—”
“And Ian is free today because ofme. Ian is here now because of me. Ian is following me, and he’s targeting the people in my life, people I care about. He’s targetingyou.” Finally, Cole looked up, into Noah’s eyes. “I cannot let him hurt you.”
“Is that what the protective unit is about?”
“Yes. I’ll do anything to keep you safe.” Cole took a deep, slow breath. His thumbs stroked over the backs of Noah’s hands. “Which is why we need to separate and I’m moving out.”
“What?” Noah shouted.
“Ian’s targeting you because of me. He doesn’t want me to have anything in my life aside from him, so he’s coming after you. I can’t be around you as long as he’s out there. I can’t be with you until we catch him. I can’t let him hurt you.”
“You can’t…” Noah’s head spun. He shook his head, slowly, then faster, until his whole body was shaking. “And what if you never find him? What if you never catch him? You didn’t catch him before!”
Cole flinched. “Michael thinks this is the best way to keep you safe.”
“Hethinks? Fuck what he thinks!”
“I’m not willing to risk your life. I’m not willing to take the chance that he could hurt you. I love you, and I’ll do anything to keep you safe. Anything.”
“Even leave me?”
Cole said nothing.
“Is this the end?” Noah whispered.
Cole’s thumbs dug into the back of his hands, so hard he felt his bones shift.
“Don’t do this,” Noah begged. “We’re supposed to face the world together. Face everything side by side. Aren’t those the vows we’re about to take? For better or worse, in sickness and in health? We’re supposed to face everything together.”
“If Ian hurt you… I couldn’t live with that. I can’t go on if he—” Cole’s eyes squeezed closed. His breath rattled in his chest. Noah felt Cole’s heartbeat in the tips of his fingers. “I can’t.”
“Then we’re careful, and we work with the police—”
“Noah.”
