I'll Be Seeing You (14 page)

It suddenly hit him like a damned thunder bolt. She was afraid for
him
. Sweet Jesus! What in the hell had that son of a bitch said to her? He knew that she was planning on running and he was not about to allow that to happen. There was just no freaking way.

“Sorry, Baby,” he replied, his tone smooth and even. He was not about to let this asshole dictate to them what they did. Oh, Hell no! “But; you’re coming
home
.” He emphasized that last word, wanting her to know that her house was no longer her home. His was. And he’d be damned if he would let her take off on him. That was not going to happen. She belonged with him. By his side. And he was damned well sure that that was how it was going to be.

“Cole…” Now it was his turn to cut her off. He took a step and backed her up against the wall of the elevator; but not before pushing the emergency stop button and the elevator jerked to a sudden halt. “What are you doing? Are you insane?” she gasped, but his mouth met hers, efficiently silencing her. His kiss was surprisingly gentle. Tender…not at all what she had been expecting. He tongue slid against hers, soft and easy, and she felt herself responding against all better judgment. She just couldn’t help herself. Not with him.

***

He kissed her… long and deep; his muscular frame pressing itself up against her soft curves.
Dear God, she fit him like a glove
, he thought with a shake. His body trembled from the pure impact of it all. He needed this woman. He needed her with him. It wasn’t just about the sex, it was about fucking
everything
.

When he had burst through those doors and found her lying there on the floor, her body so still, it was as if the universe had just stopped. He had never been so scared in all his life. It was as if the very breath was being sucked right out of his lungs. He couldn’t go through that again. He wouldn’t. And there was no way in hell that he was going to let her push him away because of some insane notion that she had put him in danger. Screw
that
noise.

He lifted his face and stared into her eyes, eyes that were filled with fear, pain…guilt–and he realized in that moment that he loved this woman. He loved her so much that it was nearly driving him insane. He wanted her safe. He wanted her happy. He wanted
her
. It was just a simple fact. He loved her.

“Katherine,” he said softly, his voice low, yet determined…completely raw and bare. It was time for honesty. “I am not letting you go. I’m sorry… but I just can’t. I know that you’re afraid that he’ll come after me, but let him. I welcome it. Because, Sweetheart, I’ll be ready. He will not touch you again.
Never
again.”

Katherine shook her head, her eyes glistening with tears. This just couldn’t happen. “He…he said that he’d kill you, Cole,” she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion, and she fought to stay strong. “I can’t let that happen.”

“Let him just try,” Cole snarled, his voice rough, determined, and she so wanted to believe it. She wanted that more than anything. But she also knew that she couldn’t take that chance with Cole’s life. She cared for him way too much to let anything happen to him.

“Please, Cole… don’t,” she quietly begged, her heart breaking into a million tiny little pieces and scattering like dust in the wind. She couldn’t take much more. She just couldn’t! It was as if everything was crashing down around her and sucking the life from her.

“Don’t what?” he asked, suddenly sounding absolutely furious. His eyes clashed with hers, locking with and holding them in their hypnotic gaze, and she couldn’t have looked away if she had tried. They seemed to burn right into her very soul. His expression was dark…fierce, filled with heat. “Don’t protect you?” he growled, his blue depths darkening dangerously. “Don’t care for you? Don’t…
love
you?” he spat out, and heard her soft gasp of surprise, but he didn’t hesitate. “I’m sorry, Baby. It’s too damn late for any of that. Just too damn late.”

***

Katherine’s mouth dropped open in shock from the sheer power of his words, her heart twisting painfully in her chest. He had just told her that he loved her! Oh, God! How could he? She was a danger to him. Her body began to vibrate from the force of his confession. She loved him too, so damned much, that she was willing to give him up if it would only keep him safe. She couldn’t ask him to live like this. He deserved more… so much more than her nightmare. He deserved a happy, normal life. With a woman who was normal. Not her freak show. Not her constant drama. All she needed was to know that he was safe.

“I’m sorry…I can’t…” she croaked, wanting so much to tell him how she felt, but so afraid to. She had never loved anyone before, and her love for this man was a powerful thing. It was raw, pure, and she was going to be damned sure that she wouldn’t let it get him killed.

***

Cole gave her a lopsided grin, his anger leaving him in an instant. “You don’t have to say anything, Katherine…at least, not yet,” he chuckled quietly, but his expression belied his words. This man loved her. It was there in his eyes. “But, just know this… I am fully expecting you to tell me the truth once I catch this son of a bitch.” He pulled her to him then and she didn’t fight it this time. How could she? This man meant more to her than her own life. So, she just let him wrap his arms around her as she stood there in stunned silence, her heart pounding in her chest with such force that is was making her lightheaded. “And, I do expect to be hearing it quite a bit,” he whispered against her ear, his breath hot, erotic, filled with stubborn conviction. Filled with that confident strength that she loved so much. She felt him lean over and hit the button to start the elevator, not letting her go for an instant. The elevator kicked back into life with a sound jerk.

“Let’s get you home,” he murmured as the doors slid open. They walked past a few of the hospital staff that were mulling about, their expressions showing their confusion.

***

Katherine remained silent the entire drive back to the house, just staring out at the passing traffic, and Cole found himself worrying about her state of mind. The guilt that she was carrying was crippling her, and he just couldn’t allow that. She needed to realize that she wasn’t to blame for this sick bastard’s obsession with her. She wasn’t to blame for any of it. And he’d be damned if he’d let her think any different.

He ushered her through the door and instantly swept her up into his arms and against his chest, carrying her to the bedroom. She tried to protest, but lucky for her, she knew better and remained silent. She was learning, he thought with a small grin twitching at his mouth. He had bared his soul to her and all he needed from her was the truth. In the meantime, he was planning on taking care of her as no one ever had before. He planned on proving to her the extent of his feelings.

He didn’t want her fear for him to frighten her away, to cause her to close herself off, as she had always done. Not with him. Not ever with him. He wanted her body, mind, and soul.

***

Cole set her down on the bed without saying a word. He looked at her a moment as if he were memorizing her face, before he turned and left the room. She heard the water start running in the bathroom only a moment later and felt her heart lurch in her chest when she realized that he was drawing a bath for her.

She wanted nothing more than to wash away the feel of that bastards hands…but she couldn’t take Cole being so…
Cole
. Run, Kathrine, she silently told herself. Don’t be selfish. Not with him. Keep him safe! But no matter how she begged herself to do it, she found that she couldn’t move. She was such a coward! But then again, she thought with a painful punch to the stomach…she knew that already. She just hated the fact that now Cole would know it too…and it could get him killed.

***

Cole came back into the bedroom dressed only in a pair of flannel pants, having stripped off the clothes that had had her blood on them. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him. Lean, well defined, and muscled, the man was masculine perfection personified, and she felt heat run up her neck. Just the sight of him had her blood rushing through her veins, and she hated that she had such a strong reaction to him. He was her weakness.

He walked over to her and silently lifted her shirt, pulling it from her body in one smooth, fluid motion, still remaining completely silent, and it was beginning to unnerve her. His demeanor was stoic and so damned intense.

“Cole…” she husked softly, seemingly unable to form a single coherent thought. Her heart and soul wanted to tell him how she felt, but her head was putting up one hell of a battle. She couldn’t do this to him! It wasn’t fair to him. She had come into his life and disrupted everything.

“Shh,” he whispered finally, leaning down and tenderly kissing her on the shoulder. She felt her bra give way and shivered, her nipples instantly pebbling into hard, aching peaks, but not from the cold. “Just, let me take care of you.” That softly spoken request had the force of an atom bomb and the tears forming on her lashes once again; only to silently slide down her cheeks. He wanted to take care of her…but who would take care of
him
? He kissed her tears away and that gentle gesture was her undoing. She needed to tell him the truth. She needed him to know the woman that she truly was.

“I didn’t help my mother,” she whispered, so softly, so painfully… and she felt Cole still. “I couldn’t. I just hid in the closet, unable to move,” she croaked out, sounding so broken. But she needed him to see her for what she was…a frightened coward who ran…who hid. Who had been running since she was sixteen years old. She needed him to see the real her. Maybe
then
he would understand why she couldn’t stay. Why she couldn’t bring all of this insanity down on him. She just wasn’t worth it.

After a moment he sat down beside her, his strong hands taking hers. “I can’t let that happen to you,” she choked out, her voice nothing more than a tortured whisper, and she fought hard to gain control of the emotions twisting around inside of her.

She was mildly aware of the fact that she was sitting there nude from the waist up, but she was sharing her dirty little secret with him. It was a guilt that she had carried with her for so long now that it seemed painfully apropos. She was baring herself to him, much as he had to her. Only her confession should make him turn away from her in disgust. Cole was a powerful, brave man, and he would hopefully see how very wrong she was for him. She wasn’t strong. She wasn’t brave…far from it.

“Katherine. Nothing is going to happen to me,” he assured her, his voice so strong and steady. And…she wanted to believe him…she did. But, hadn’t
He
proven to everyone how good
He
actually was? He had attacked she and Jeff with a cop right outside! He had blown up a damn car! People could have died! She shivered as the thought that people
had
died because of her flitted across her mind. There were too many deaths already because of her. So much blood on her hands that she would never be able to wash it away. This animal left a trail of bodies in his wake and she couldn’t bear it for Cole to be added to his macabre list.

“Katherine, there was nothing you could have done that night,” he murmured gently, his hands giving hers a small squeeze, his words filled with conviction. “You would have been killed,” he tensed slightly at just the mere thought. “You were in shock, yet you called for help. You have to stop blaming yourself. Sweetheart, you’re safe now. I won’t let anything happen.”

“I’m scared,” she admitted and he pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair as he pressed her against his chest so tightly that she fought for breath.

“I know, Baby,” he whispered. “But, I swear to God, Katherine, we’ll get him. I promise you.” So strong, she thought sadly, so confident. She felt like the biggest coward on the planet, but she just couldn’t fight it any longer. This man had broken through every single brick that she had ever built up around herself with the force of a tornado–leaving her exposed and raw. She knew in that moment that there was no going back. It was far too late. She was far too lost. She only hoped that he wouldn’t regret it.

“I love you, Cole,” she whispered against his neck and she felt his entire body tremble.

He leaned back and locked eyes with her, those deep blue orbs darkening slightly. “Good,” he finally chuckled after what seemed an eternity, but his voice was low, throaty–filled with honest emotion, and it was humbling. That this man could love her that much was mind-boggling. “Because… I
fucking
love you.” She giggled slightly through her tears.

“You cops and your language,” she sniffled, shaking her head.

Cole lifted her in his arms and carried her towards the bathroom, “Get used to it, Sweetheart,” he laughed. “You’re going to be hearing it for a very long time and as often as humanly possible. I plan on telling you that every chance I can. Now, let’s go soap you up.”

Katherine rested her head on his shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut tight, praying with everything that she had that he was right. That just
maybe,
they would have a very long time together.

Chapter 9

“Haven’t those incompetent yokels’ at the lab found anything yet?” Cole asked Ben, pacing the living room like a caged animal.

“Nothing so far,” he replied with a hearty grunt, “the car bomb was set from a cell phone detonator. This son of a bitch knows his stuff. And as for fingerprints…well, shit. Whose aren’t in there? It’s a public place for God’s sake. It’s going to take forever to get through and question all the different owners. You know we just don’t have the shit that the bigger cities do.” Ben sounded tired and Cole knew that he was busting his ass to help out with this one.

Cole stopped in front of the picture window and stared out, his teeth grinding. It was early and he knew that it was much too soon for forensics to have come up with anything substantial yet, but…he was just so damned angry that that bastard had gotten that close to Katherine…had touched her. He wanted blood. He needed to find this son of a bitch and end this once and for all. Katherine deserved that. Those dead girls deserved it. Besides, he thought with a tightening in his chest, Katherine had lived far too long looking over her shoulder. She deserved to be happy. And he planned on making sure that she was. For the rest of their ever loving lives.

“How’s your girl?” Ben asked, and Cole felt a moment of peace wash over him. His girl…Christ, but that sounded good.

“She has some bruising, but thankfully she wasn’t concussed,” he replied, a small smile claiming his lips. She had said that she loved him. Jesus, but it didn’t get any better than that. Now, if they could just get this bastard, he’d be good.

“I was planning on heading over to the hospital this morning to talk with that employee of hers before he gets released,” Ben remarked, and Cole could hear him shuffling papers. “Jeff Michaels I mean, unless you want to do it?”

“No, if you don’t mind talking with him, I kind of want to stay close to home today. I hate to drop all this shit on you, Ben…” He stopped, hating himself for shirking his responsibilities, but he needed to stay with Katherine. “I can wait to hear from the lab geeks.”

“It’s not a problem at all, Mac,” Ben replied honestly. “Christ, you’re my partner and… well, you’re personally involved in this one; of course I’ll do it. We’re all working on trying to find this son of a bitch. It’s like Grand Central around here. The Captain is trying to keep everything on the down-low until we know more. He doesn’t want the damn press getting hold of this and showing up. Geez, could you imagine what a feeding frenzy that would be? Shit!”

“Jesus,” Cole breathed, rubbing a hand across his eyes. He hadn’t even thought about what the press finding out about all of this would do to Katherine. They would make her life almost as much of a living hell as this bastard had. They could be sharks, and a possible serial killer would be ratings gold. Fuck!

“It hits ya pretty damn hard doesn’t it?” Ben asked after a moment, the tiniest hint of humor in his voice.

“What?”

“Falling in love,” he replied with a quiet laugh. “I’ve got to say, partner… I never thought it would catch up to you. But, damn–you got hit like a fucking sledgehammer straight to the chest.”

Cole chuckled in response, not about to even try and deny it. “You have no idea,” he snorted.

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” Ben choked out. “Listen, I’ll catch up with you after I get back from the hospital and let you know if this guy is any help. Go and take care of your girl. She’s been through enough already.”

“I will. Thanks again, Ben.”

“Anytime. And…Cole?”

“Yeah?”

“I have to say, she really seems like a good one.”

“And again, partner, you have no idea,” he laughed, and with that they ended the call and Cole went to make coffee.

***

Katherine lay in bed, listening to the sound of Cole as he talked on the phone. She turned over and stared out the window, her brows furrowing, wondering just what in the hell was wrong with her. She had confessed her feelings to him and that very well might have been the final nail in his coffin. This bastard thought he owned her, and the fact that she was involved with Cole hadn’t set well with him at all. He was escalating. He was attacking. He was threatening.

No matter how hard she tried, she just could not get his words or the touch of his hands on her body out of her head. She shivered and burrowed deeper into the comforter, a part of her wanting to just hide from the world. Dear God; she could very well get Cole killed! He had held her in his arms all night; the warm, soothing feel of them wrapped around her had been her salvation. She had slept a deep, dreamless sleep like she hadn’t in years. She knew that she was to the point of no return with this man, and it was eating away at her.

She heard him enter the bedroom and walk over to the bed, and she berated herself for being such a sniveling coward. The mattress dipped with his weight as he sat down beside her, and he gently pulled the comforter away from her face. She gazed up at him and her breath hitched in her throat at the sight of those blue eyes. She loved him so damned much.

“Morning,” he said, smiling. He leaned down and tenderly kissed her shoulder, his lips so warm. She felt the gooseflesh rise up on her arms from that one simple gesture, and shivered with the need to feel him pressed up against her, to fill her and complete her. “Coffee’s almost ready.” He studied her a moment, his gaze skimming across her face. “Uh oh, you don’t look happy this morning. Please don’t tell me that you woke up and decided that you can’t stand the sight of me,” he joked, and as hard as she tried, Katherine couldn’t help the smile that touched her lips. This man made her happy. He made her…
feel
.

In the midst of all of this hell going on around them, she couldn’t help but feel…damned content. She never would have expected it, but loving Cole made her feel as if she could get through this and have a life. A life that she had wanted for so very long and never hoped for. She tried to push her guilt aside and just enjoy being with this man. He had made it more than clear that he wasn’t going to let her go. And she promised herself that she would do everything within her power to keep him safe.

“I’m afraid that I might have to re-consider my earlier pledge of love,” she replied softly, trying hard to look serious and fight the grin that was curving up the corners of her mouth. “You snore.”

Cole burst out laughing; that deep, rich sound that she loved so much warming her in an instant. Oh, please, she silently prayed, let me have a lifetime of this. Please, keep him safe.

“Oh, do I?” he asked with a rising of his brow. “Well, I hate to tell you this, Sweetheart; but so do you!”

Katherine’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “I do not!” She argued, desperately trying to keep from giggling. As wrong as it was…he made her happy.

Cole leaned over her, bracing his hands on either side of her head and bringing his face within an inch of hers. He smelled of mint and spice...and Cole. “Okay, so you don’t…but, I damn well love you anyway,” he said, right before he closed the distance between them and took her lips. Strong, steady…earthshattering.

Katherine’s hands slid up under the t-shirt that he wore and ran along his chest, teasing the sprinkling of dark hair there. God, he felt wonderful. She loved the sculpted ripples of his chest, his flat, firm stomach, the feel of his perfect, sinewy muscles. Good God… she could touch him forever. He was solid muscle encased in velvet.

Cole pulled back slightly. “How do you feel?” he asked softly, his eyes going to the bandage on her forehead and narrowing slightly. She saw that flash of anger, that flash of guilt, but she also saw a flash of protectiveness that caused her heart to do a little flip in her chest.

Katherine gave him a saucy little smirk, her nails stealing across his nipples and scraping, and she felt him shudder, his chest rumbling in that way that had her body heating to dangerous proportions. “I feel…lonely,” she husked, her voice low and smoky.

“Is that so?” he responded, nibbling at her lips. “No headache?”

Katherine felt her heart flutter at his concern. No matter what she tried to tell herself, she was so far gone with this man that there was no hope of ever going back. One look from him made her weak in the knees and every ounce of self-control that she possessed disappeared like the mist burning off in the sun. “Nope,” she chuckled softly, feeling that ever present longing that this man caused to rush through her veins and hit her straight at her core. “Just lonely.”

Cole scooted in beside her, pulling her against his chest. “Well, I guess we might just have to remedy that, won’t we?”

Katherine nodded and slipped her arms around him. She leaned over and pressed her mouth against his, kissing him hungrily, silently letting him know that it was only him that she wanted. And good Lord, how she wanted him!

Cole’s response was instantaneous. He turned their bodies so that she was lying back against the pillows and returned her desperate embrace, his smooth, silky tongue hot and seeking as it chased and slid against hers, ravishing her mouth…staking claim.

He lifted her t-shirt up and off of her body, his muscles tensing at the sight of the ugly purple bruise that had flared up on her breast overnight. He closed his eyes and counted to ten, trying desperately to stave off the rush of anger flooding his senses at the mere thought of that bastard touching her so intimately… or, touching her at all for that matter. His body actually vibrated from it.

When he opened his eyes, he found Katherine staring at him, her face a mixture of sadness and quiet understanding, and his anger left him in a rush of breath. God, but this woman calmed him.

“I’m all right,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, but the honesty in her eyes said that she was telling him the truth.

“I hate that he put his hands on you,” he admitted with a tortured groan, pulling her up against him more securely. “It drives me crazy, and I just want to kill him for what he’s done. I want him to suffer.”

***

Katherine didn’t know how to respond to his confession. The emotion and anger in his voice made her feel so damn protected, but she didn’t want him to kill for her. That had never been what she had wanted. He was much too good of a man to do that. She didn’t want him to feel the pain of taking someone’s life once again, no matter how much they may deserve it. She knew that Cole carried the burden of that with him every day. No, she didn’t want that. All she wanted was for this bastard to be caught and locked away forever, never to see the light of day again.

Katherine took his hand in hers and placed it over the bruise, silently letting him know that
He
would not win. Not this time! He had won for much too long.

It was at that exact moment that Katherine realized that she was done running. It was high time that she took a stand. And with this man by her side, she knew that she could do that. What they had was damn well worth fighting for. She would protect him; with her very life if need be, but she would not let this monster take Cole away from her. She finally had someone in her life worth fighting for. She was done being afraid…she was so damn done with running away. This was where she was meant to be and she would move heaven and earth to stay.

***

Cole watched as Katherine placed his hand over her breast, her gaze not leaving his for an instant, and he instinctively wanted to pull it away. He couldn’t bear the thought of hurting her, but she only gave him a resigned smile and shook her head slowly.

“It doesn’t hurt,” she whispered, laying her hand on top of his. “Only you, Cole,” her voice was low, breathy, yet held a stubborn conviction that caused him to shiver.
There
was that strength that he so admired and loved, and he knew that she had made the decision to stay. He felt as if his heart would burst right through his freaking ribcage. “You are the only one who touches me.”

The fingers on the hand that touched her skin twitched from the power of her words, knowing that he would do anything and everything in his power to keep her safe; to keep his promise to her. No one would touch her, no one but him…ever.

“Katherine,” he whispered against her lips, his breath so warm. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you, but whatever it was, I am damn sure glad that I did it. You are my other half, Baby, and I’ve been searching for you my entire life. I promise that I won’t let anything happen to you. I love you more than words could ever say.”

Katherine gazed up at him, her eyes sparkling with her tears. This was it.
This
was that one moment in time that a person remembers for their entire life. That defining moment when you just know that
this
was where you were supposed to be; that
this
was the sole purpose of you being on this earth. This was what made all of the horrors of the past disappear in a heartbeat. To experience a love so strong, so pure…so
right
, was mind-blowing. It made her believe that she could do this. That she could have the life that she always wanted…and so much more. That she was not a freak. She was a woman who had been lucky enough to find a man who was strong, kind, loving, and tender. A man, it seemed, who wanted to spend his days being her partner and his nights holding her, and loving her. Yes, this absolutely was what she was willing to fight for.