My body trembles as I lay down the gun and wrap my arms around the only brother I’ve ever had. The only relative I had left in the world. I hold him tight, remembering how close we once were, how until moments ago I thought we still were. My tears stream like a river as I mourn my loss, but the veil of deceit is lifted as so many unanswered questions now seem so clear that it’s hard to understand why I didn’t see him for what he really was a very long time ago.
Cole’s hand strokes my arm lightly, giving me all the time I need as he sits on the ground beside me. Dereck takes Cole’s gun and tells him that the police will be coming anytime and that we need to leave. He helps me stand and I take his hand, giving it a squeeze of reassurance as I see the look of concern and question in his eyes. “You saved my life, Cole.”
He doesn’t say a word, because in this moment no words are necessary; only the connection of his touch and his strength, as he walks beside me and guides me to his vehicle. He turns the heater on to take the chill from the cab, and I shiver, despite the warmth.
“I’m taking you back to my place. I don’t want you to be alone tonight, or any night for that matter,” Cole says.
I look up, and he turns to me. “If they had gotten you out of this town, I don’t know if I would have ever been able to find you. The traffickers have gotten much more skilled these days. They move people fast. Put them into semis, vans, moving crates, whatever they can think of to hide them.” He strokes my cheek. “I’m just sorry that I couldn’t have saved you without killing your brother, Krissy.”
I swallow past the lump in my throat because the clarity of the situation will take years if ever to get past. “You saved my life and saved me from having to take his life myself.” I pull out the weapon I’ve had since striking out alone. The one that assures me that no one is going to take me anywhere that I don’t want to go again. “I would have killed him if you didn’t. I don’t ever want you to feel sorry for what you did, Cole. You were there to save my life.”
Cole pulls me close and kisses my lips lightly. “We have to go.” He navigates the vehicle onto the main road. “I’m taking you back to my place. I don’t want you to be alone tonight no matter how safe it probably is now that they’re gone.”
I nod, because being anywhere without this man sounds like a terrible place to be right now. “I want to be with you, Cole.”
He squeezes my hand. “That’s good, because I doubt I’ll be able to let you out of my sight tonight or any other night for that matter.” His eyes squint, focusing on the road ahead as sirens pierce the air all around us.
“How are we going to explain this to the police?”
His jaw tightens. “We aren’t. Dereck and the others were already getting things cleaned before we left, and they’ll be gone before the police arrive. Those men have a criminal record a mile long. The police are going to chalk it up to rival gangs and close the case as quickly as they can to keep the citizens’ concern to a minimum. That’s a fact.”
Cole keeps his eyes on the road. He’s quiet and thoughtful for a short while as we drive. “There’s one thing you should know,” he says.
“What’s that?” I ask with a smile.
“If you walk through that door with me tonight, I’m never letting you go.”