A Restored Man (47 page)

Strong hands gripped his arms. "Ty," Aidan whispered in his ear, his tone forceful yet patient. "I'm here and you're getting through this. Forget the fucking rain. Cole needs you right now."

"Ty?" Cole's voice repeatedly echoed in the room.

Ty heard the worry growing in Cole's tone.
Shit. Cole needs to be focused.

Ty looked at his brother's intense glare and quickly nodded. He raced over to the table and dropped to his knees, gripping the base of the microphone to ground himself. "I'm here," he said, his shaky tone broken with the worry he knew he couldn't disguise.

"It started raining," Cole said. "I just need to make sure you're okay," he said with a slight crack in his voice.

Ty swallowed heavily and rested his head against the table, hoping the cool surface would settle him.

Aidan came up behind him and rolled the chair over to the table, encouraging Ty to sit. He looked up at his brother, the concern clearly etched in those hazel eyes. Aidan placed his hands on Ty's shoulders and began rubbing the tension from his muscles. He bent to whisper into Ty's ear. "Talk to him. I think it'll help the both of you."

Ty nodded and took a deep breath, then rose from the floor to sit in the chair.

"Ty…please…say something. I don't care how silly you think it is."

"I hate the rain," Ty said on a whisper. "Cole…I…"

"I'll be fine as long as I know you're okay. Are you by the monitors?" Cole asked.

"Yes."

"Are there still two cops waiting for me at the exit, or more?"

Ty couldn't focus enough to count. He looked over to Aidan who held up three fingers then pointed to the cars on the screen. "Three. Two on the left and one on the right hand side."

"Okay. Ty, I need you to guide me. Focus on the screens and my voice. You know I can control the car if I know what's ahead. Forget the rain and focus on me. You know I love it when you watch me," Cole said in a teasing tone.

A smile tugged at the end of Ty's lips. Someday, he'd figure out how Cole managed to make him smile when he thought it wasn't possible.

Ty watched the monitors as Cole sped through the causeway exit and made a sharp right turn onto Brickell, blowing past the waiting police car. He sped down Brickell and zigzagged through traffic. "You've got cops coming up on each of the intersections for the next three blocks."

"You need to work your way back to I-95," Aidan said. "If you continue down Brickell, you're going to get stuck in the arena traffic and it's busy tonight."

They watched as the car maneuvered its way through the surface streets and onto the interstate, weaving through traffic. "Shit."

Ty straightened. "What happened?"

The yellow car began to spin across the lanes.

"Fuck," Aidan hissed under his breath.

Ty gripped the edge of the table. "Cole, remember the track. Is it the same problem?" he asked in the most calm-and-collected tone he could muster.

"Same shit. Remind me to kick Drayton's ass. I assumed he would have fixed it."

"Ty?" Aidan said, looking over to him.

"He's got this," Ty absently said, staring at the monitors as the yellow car slowed its spin and barely missed another car. Within seconds, Cole had straightened the car and continued his drive down the interstate.

Aidan blew out a deep breath. "Cole, if you make it out of this, I'm going to kill you."

Ty looked over and saw his brother take another deep breath and rub his chest. He couldn't help the smile that escaped. "Cole, I think my brother likes you."

Cole's laughter echoed through the speakers.

A hint of a smile ghosted across Aidan's lips.

Ty looked over to the monitors and saw more police cars gathering in the streets ahead. The radio chatter mentioned a series of streets to block. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the sound of Cole's laughter, its melody.

Take a deep breath, hold, release
.

He could do this.

Take a deep breath, hold, release.

He opened his eyes and looked at the monitor again.

Take a deep breath, hold, release.

If they got through this, he'd find a way to tie Cole down to the bed and never let him escape again.

* * * * *

Cole gripped the steering wheel and exhaled, trying to calm the pounding in his chest. That was close. Closer than he'd willingly admit. He'd almost hit that other car before straightening out. The fact that Ty hadn't freaked out let him know how much faith his My-Ty had in him and his ability to drive.

"Cole, they're blocking off exits up ahead. The port tunnel is closed for maintenance. You're going to have to hurry if you're going to make it to MacArthur Causeway," Aidan said.

He scowled. This was not supposed to be this difficult. Easy in, easy out. For fuck's sake, he had been given the key. So that didn't even count as a legitimate boost. Instead, it had turned out to be the boost from hell. He could hear the chatter of the police band coming through the earpiece. His exit routes were closing out.
Shit
. He slammed on the accelerator and pushed the car as fast as she would go, needing to make that exit before the cops blocked it off.

"C-C-Cole…" Ty began and paused. "I need you to come back to me. Dump the car and walk away."

He tightened his grip around the steering wheel and clenched his jaw. Ty was trying his best to stay in control, but the subtle pauses and now the stutter, made it virtually impossible for him to hide it anymore. It was as if the stars had aligned and their mission was to break Ty tonight.

No fucking way was he letting that happen.

He took a deep breath and focused on Ty, his teasing smile, and that low rumble-laugh that always seemed to make his pulse race. "My-Ty, I keep my promises."

"I love you."

Cole inhaled a deep breath and let the words flow into his body and strengthen him to the core. He exhaled and felt more focused, centered. Those three small words were a lifeline and powered his determination to a full charge. He wanted to kick himself for having denied Ty the strength of those three words. "Aidan, I need both hands on the wheel with the weather. I need you to make a call for me and patch it through here so I can talk."

"What's the number?" Aidan immediately asked.

Cole recited the phone number he knew by heart but hadn't used in quite some time. He hoped and prayed it would be an easy—and quick—conversation but that was anyone's guess. He heard the ringing and waited.

"Demetrio Renzo," his older brother said, answering the call.

"Rio, I need your help," Cole said. He didn't have time for small talk and knew his window of opportunity was closing.

"Cole, I'm working. Can we—"

"I know you worked on the port tunnel. Are you the one doing maintenance on it?" Cole cut in.

"Yes. I'm here now working on a few construction and maintenance issues. I need to get back to—"

"Rio, I need your help
now
. I don't have much time."

His brother sighed. "Dammit it, Cole. You're supposed to stay out of trouble. What—"

"Lecture me later. I need your help now or I'm in deep shit."

"I'm not going to be an accessory to your—"

"Rio, you're the only one who can help me here. Please. I need you."

There was silence on the line followed by his brother's muffled curse. "
Mami's
going to beat the crap out of me so you better tell her I was helping you." His brother sighed. "What do you need?"

Cole smiled. Rio was the one who always walked the straight and narrow and never strayed. Regardless of how difficult his brother was, he had caved only because Cole had needed him. "I need to use the tunnel to get to the Port of Miami but I know you've got it closed right now. Open it for me and as soon as I pass, block it off."

"I need thirty seconds to open the construction gates fully and the same to close it."

"Is fifteen seconds enough to get a car through?" Cole asked.

"Yeah."

"That's about the window I can give you between me and the others."

"Others?" Rio hesitantly asked.

"Don't ask. I don't want you freaking out."

"How will I know?"

"Um…you'll know." Cole tried to hold back a chuckle. This was serious and the situation was bordering on catastrophic, but he would give anything to see his brother's face when the caravan of police cars approached his precious tunnel.

"How far are you from the Watson Island entrance?" Rio asked.

"I'll be there in less than two minutes," Cole said, assuming he could make the exit. He shifted gears and finally pushed the exotic beauty to do what she was meant to do. He couldn't fight the silly grin, imagining the roar from the silent engine as it unleashed its power. He was seriously going to have to pull Drayton aside and have him add some sound module to mimic the noise of an engine revving. He raced down the interstate and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the MacArthur Causeway ahead. He looked in his rearview mirror, the flashing police lights getting smaller with each passing second. He took advantage of the stretch of road and picked up some distance between him and the police. He flashed his headlights when he finally spotted the partially opened gate at the tunnel entrance.

"I see you," Rio said. "Damn, Cole. I don't want to know how the hell you got that thing. I don't even know what the hell
that
is."

Cole chuckled.

"Rio, this is Detective Aidan Calloway. Cole is working with us on an undercover case and the owner of the car knows he's driving it. But we've run into a slight glitch so your help is appreciated," Aidan finished in his firm, business-like tone.

Cole sighed. "You had to ruin it, didn't you,
Detective
?" he said, mockingly. "I liked it better when my brother thought he was helping to commit a crime." He zipped by the entrance and heard his brother's immediate order to close the gate.

"Uh…Cole…that's what…like a dozen police cars on your ass?" Rio said before suddenly bursting into laughter. "I'm so fired."

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen," Aidan said.

"Again, Detective, you're not helping. Let my brother think he's done something that's not straight up for once in his life. It gives him a little edge." Cole bit his lip to stifle the laugh.

"I'll make sure the gate's open on the other side," Rio said.

"I owe you," Cole said, slowing his speed through the unfamiliar tunnel.

"No way…after what I put you through? Thanks for calling me," Rio said. "I've got to go and do some damage control here. I'll buy you as much time as I can. You're going to lose your signal in the tunnel."

"Got it. Thanks, bro."

"Cole make sure—" was the last Aidan said before the signal was lost.

Cole blew out a breath and tried to focus on the road ahead. The only sound around him was the sound of the tires against the pavement, reverberating off the tunnel walls in a deep, never-ending echo. The silence from his earpiece was unsettling and the emptiness of the road too apparent. He tried to channel his thoughts on what would happen when he exited the tunnel, but all he could think about was Ty and the last three words he had spoken.

I love you.

He spun his grip on the steering wheel and cursed himself for being so stupid. He should have said the words, should have said them to Ty every chance he had. He knew what it felt like to have missed opportunities and how painful it was to wish you could have said something before time ran out. He was so concerned about messing things up he hadn't considered how much it might sting to
not
say the words, regardless of how badly he'd screw it up. He loved Ty, more than he thought it was possible to love another person. He thought showing Ty how much he loved him was enough, but hadn't realized the impact of silencing those three spoken words.

He rubbed his chest to ease the tightness crawling up his torso and wrapping around his throat. When he saw Ty again, he'd say it, even if he screwed it up. He had to. And he'd say it every day, every chance he had. If he messed it up, he'd try again until he got it right and memorize exactly what he had done so he could do it over, again and again.

Cole exhaled a shaky breath and tried to settle himself when the construction lights flooded the tunnel exit.

He drove past the gate and made his way to the docks, looking for the designated shipping container labeled number sixteen. He spotted two large armed men guarding the open container, flagging him to drive in. He drove her carefully into the metal housing and exited the car.

The rain had finally stopped and all that was left was the muggy humidity that thickened the air, making it tougher to breathe. One of the men gripped him by the neck and pulled him along.
Great
. He imagined that would fuck up the stupid updated wire Aidan had placed under his collar. Why not? Everything else had gone wrong that night. Whatever happened to the old-time taped wires he could wear on his chest?

"Get your hands off me," he said, elbowing the large man.

The man sneered and poked him in the back with the barrel of his gun. The two men escorted him to a nearby area with stacks of shipping containers in multiple colors. There, waiting for him, was his favorite slimy son of a bitch in his prissy dark pinstripe suit.

"You made it," Robert said, obviously surprised.

Cole shrugged. "Yeah. Got a little iffy back there, but luckily, she's fast."

"And Drayton thought his car was unstealable," Robert said with a cackle that would rival a fantasy story villain.

"I drove the car into the bin you wanted. I'm assuming you're exporting her?" Cole asked, trying for a casual tone.

"Where that car ends up is none of your business. I'm going to tear her apart and figure out what makes her tick. There's no way Drayton's going to be the only one making money with this. I hope you said your good-bye before dropping her off."

"I did," Cole said with a half smile. Hopefully the damn wire was still working. He never understood how some people confessed so easily to a crime. Idiots.