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I down the shot and I can’t stop the grimace. “Oh God. How do you drink this stuff?”
Everyone laughs, except Cole. “Number two is easier,” Savage says refilling my glass.
Cole downs his shot without so much as a blink. “Where are we on Waller?”
One of three MacBooks sitting on the coffee table beeps. “That will be our latest update,” Adam says. “We have our two best hackers on the job. Blake and Asher.”
“Hackers?” I ask.
“That’s right,” Savage says, tapping my glass. “That’ll sound better with another drink down you, I promise.”
Cole actually looks at me now and arches a brow. Asshole. I down the damn shot and ohhhh my how my head spins. I set the glass down. I’m done. That was one too many for nothing but croissants and bacon all day.
“Asher hacked every camera around Waller’s apartment, and areas he frequents,” Adam announces. “He might have something. He’s noncommittal probably because he’s not drinking. I know that man. We were SEALs together. He’s a better hacker drunk.”
Savage grabs his computer and checks for an update. “Blake says Waller has an Internal Affairs record. Bingo.”
I frown. “How does he know that?”
“Aside from all of our friends in high places,” Savage says, “if I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.” He motions to Cole. “And I’m pretty sure my Green Beret past won’t save me from him if that happens.” My eyes meet Cole’s for about two seconds before Cole refills his glass.
Savage motions to a MacBook on the coffee table. “Grab that and look up a couple of names Blake is throwing at me.”
I start helping the best I can while my head spins, and at some point I end up on the floor, jacket and shoes off, hair down, pizza in hand, and I think another drink. No. It’s a soda. The pizza helped the spinning room slow down. My head isn’t buzzing nearly as badly as it was at one point, but I just can’t slip out of the haze I’m in and yet my heart is hurting because through all of this, Cole and I have not spoken or touched. He just gives me heavy lidded stares that I imagine mean: You’re a bitch and I’m done with you, even though I warned him I was going to screw up like this.
I stand up. “Where ya going, chick-a-dee?” Savage asks.
I don’t know what language he is speaking. I also don’t know why but I walk right up to Cole and I say. “You’re being an asshole.”
“Anything else?”
“No,” I say, “that question pretty much seals the asshole label because even though I earned it first, you’ve succeeded in making it your own. Another win for you.”
I walk to my left, down the hallway that leads to a staircase a lot like Cat and Reese’s, which means a bathroom must be up top and I just need away from everyone for a few minutes.
Cole
“Oh fuck, man,” Savage says. “What the hell did you do?”
“Just being your normal, charismatic self?” Adam asks.
I tune them out, focused on Lori’s words: Another win for me.
Fuck.
I’m not even close to winning right now. Not after spending hours watching Lori interact with Savage and Adam, fighting with myself over what happened earlier. Telling myself that I made a mistake getting this personally involved with Lori, but the minute she heads up those stairs I know I need to talk to her. I need a lot of things where Lori is concerned, but this hellish distance is killing us both.
I down a shot and stand up. “Careful, man,” Adam says. “You’re traveling a path that will have no return.”
“Too late,” I say. “I’m already there.” I step outside the line of the living area, and start walking, on the hunt for Lori and I don’t stop until I’m at the top of the steps. There’s only two doors, a bedroom and a bathroom, and the bathroom door is closed with a light burning beneath it. I stand in front of it, my hands pressed on the frame on either side and I wait on Lori.
Chapter forty-two
Cole
Lori opens the door and sucks in air. “Cole.”
I shackle her waist and walk her backward into the tiny bathroom, and behind the door to press her against the wall. My hands go to the surface on either side of her head and with good reason. If I keep touching her, I will yank her dress up and fuck her, which is not an option. Not only do I not have a condom, fucking does nothing but funnel anger that I’m still going to feel when it’s over.
