The Promise (Wolfe Creek Duet #2)

10

THEA

I stand in the middle of Cole’s room—not a lot has changed. The drawer at his desk is askew from when it was broken into. Other than that, there isn’t much evidence that anyone’s been in here since the day he kidnapped me.

The guys did a good job of cleaning everything up.

They’ve locked the door so that no one can get in. They don’t know that I’ve been in here countless times since escaping Cole. When I found the hidden door that connected our closets, I couldn’t help myself.

At first, I snooped. Looking for some kind of evidence that would explain how we got here. I found nothing. His room had been wiped of anything that might give me clarity or closure. So now, I come in here to remind myself that he’s a fucking liar.

I remember how he fooled me with his charming smile and promise that he’d never hurt me. My rage surges. I’m not just angry at him. I’m angry at myself too. For putting him on a damn pedestal, for saying he was perfect. I was a fool. No one’s perfect and if they seem like they are, it’s a goddamn lie.

I was na?ve for not questioning things. I’ve vowed to never be that woman again. I will question everything and I will never believe that anyone is completely good. We’re all capable of evil if we’re pushed far enough.

He’s pushed me far enough. I can feel the darkness eating at me. It’s urging me to seek revenge and to make him feel the same kind of pain he put me through. I want that, but I don’t know how to make it happen.

Letting out an exhausted sigh, I turn and head back through our closets to my room. It’s getting late—Cole’s probably going to show up soon. He didn’t leave a letter last time and nothing’s missing, so I assume he didn’t come. Tonight, I don’t think I’ll be as lucky.

Choosing the nights he comes gives me some control when I feel like I have none, especially with him. I sleep in my room when I’m mentally prepared enough to handle his presence. Tonight, I’ll let him visit because I’m feeling stronger after my trip to the gun range. I’ll let him watch me. He’ll write his letter and steal my things.

It’s not much, but it’s something. It’s my choice. Somehow that matters.

I lock my door and settle beneath the covers, waiting for him. I don’t let myself fall asleep on these nights—he might think I am, but I can’t give him that vulnerability.

Pretending has gotten easy. I steady my breath into a consistent rhythm and I’m careful with my movements. Most importantly, I don’t dare sneak a peek at him, no matter how much I want to.

It was hard at first. Now, it feels like second nature.

My mind’s heavy with other thoughts besides Cole. The news from Sutton’s mom was devastating for him. It’s been two days and no matter how much I’ve tried to console him, it’s clear that he’s in a dark place. I wish I could tell him that I am too. I wish that we could pull each other from that darkness. But I don’t think either of us is strong enough for that right now.

So, I sit with him. I cry with him. I hold him and tell him things will get better—I’m speaking to him as much as I’m speaking to myself. In those moments, when I’m there for him, I’m unbearably sad that I don’t have that too. Although, to have that support means I’d have to be honest and I can’t do that right now. Suffering in silence is the greatest gift I can give the people around me. And maybe someday they’ll understand why.

Amid this darkness, there’s the smallest pinprick of light. We’ll be closing on the property in two days. Our dream is coming true. As much as I’m trying to tell myself how good that is, the feeling remains surface level.

Cassie wants to get married there in two weeks. Maybe it’s just the anxiety of renovating and helping her plan the wedding in such a short amount of time that’s dampening the joy of this dream becoming a reality. I tried to get her to wait, but she wants to get married before the cold weather hits and she wants to start booking events for the spring. We need photos for that to happen.

I understand her vision. But I’m so tired.

My eyes feel heavy. I can close them for a minute. I just need a few minutes of sleep and I’ll wake up to wait for Cole.

Sleep grips me and I drift off, knowing the nightmares will soon follow.

I rouse as a gentle hand moves over my shoulder and down my arm. “Hey,” I mumble sleepily, cozying up to the body behind me, trying to figure out if it’s Wes, Sutton, or Damian. It usually isn’t too hard for me to tell which one it is.

The tip of a nose sweeps over my ear, making goosebumps spread over my skin. “Hi, love.”

My body goes still while my blood turns to ice. I fell asleep for too long. I let my guard down. Fuck. I can’t even pretend to be asleep. He knows I’m awake and, for the first time, I actually have to face him. I should say something, but I don’t know what or if I can produce anything other than a scream.

He’s never touched me on these visits, let alone gotten into my bed. My unsteady breath is betraying me. Cole knows I’m terrified—that gives him so much power.

“Aw, Thea, it’s okay. It’s just me. No reason to panic.” The taunting makes all of this worse. “I’ve stayed away as long as I could, but tonight, you just looked so tempting. And then, when I heard you mumble my name in your sleep…” He sighs against my neck and I want to be sick.

His presence makes my stomach churn, yet it’s the other feeling that is making it hard to not let the contents of my dinner come back up. I feel so ashamed. Why does him being this close to me also make me miss him? Maybe it’s not me missing him, it’s me missing the idea of who I thought he was.

I should be able to separate these things. I should be able to turn off the nostalgia and the yearning that he could have been different. Instead, terror mixes with longing and it hurts so fucking much to both love and hate the monster lying in my bed.

Cole continues, “I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” he whispers as his fingers trace over the sliver of bare skin between my shirt and pajama pants. “I just had to make sure you wouldn’t tell my brothers.” I want to argue against that claim. His brothers? He burned that bridge a month ago. This isn’t his family anymore. I bite my tongue. “How’s Adrian? He was always my favorite.”

“He’s a prick,” I push out through gritted teeth. If I can’t tell Cole to fuck off, I can at least imply that he has terrible taste in the people he favors.

All I get in return is a chuckle. “Yeah. That’s why I like him. He’s going to give you hell and I can’t wait to watch everything unravel.” That longing for who I knew eases a bit. Cole is demented. He was never sweet and kind and caring. This is who he truly is. “I’m proud of you, you know.”

My teeth grind together. “Why?” I work to keep my voice neutral.

Taking my hand in his, he guides it behind me. My fingers brush over an uneven, oddly textured surface. I feel the distinct movement of him swallow beneath my hand and I know that he’s forcing me to feel the scar I left behind. The one I inflicted that night in the cabin with the corkscrew.

My throat feels tight and my mouth dry. Why is he doing this?

“You showed me that night that you’re strong. You’re a challenge. And I like a challenge. I’m going to have a lot of fun getting even. Have you wondered how I survived?”

He knows the answer. Wes, Sutton, and Damian might still be on the fence about if Cole is alive or not, but I know he is. I’m just not sure how. “Yes,” I answer truthfully, mostly because I’m nosy.

Cole drags my fingers over the rest of his neck. I feel for more scars but find none. I know I stabbed him again, I’m sure of it. But where’s the proof?

“You didn’t get my neck the second time.” My face scrunches. What? Images of my fight against him replay in my mind. His hands were strangling me. I was hardly able to breathe. Maybe I’d been deprived of too much oxygen at that point and imagined it. “You punctured my eardrum instead, Thea. Thanks to you, I’m deaf in one ear.”

Fuck my life. Fuck my aim. I close my eyes and try to reconcile this new truth that contradicts what I believed happened.

“I’m going to make you pay for that. I’m going to make you pay for everything. You ruined my life and I’m going to ruin yours. I’m going to destroy you piece by piece. And then you’re going to be mine. Whether you like it or not. You’ll be broken just like me, then you’ll see that we deserve each other and that you’re no better than me.”

His words send a wave of dread through me. I believe him. I think he might be able to destroy me, he already is in a way. And I don’t have a plan to stop him. Yet.

If there were any thoughts of redeeming him, they’re gone now. I miss and love the man I thought I knew. I might always wonder if things could’ve been different. But that man isn’t real, he never was. It was all manipulation and delusion.

Cole has to die. I have to kill him. And I wonder if I have to tell the guys now because this isn’t just an obsession anymore. This is dangerous. I need help.

As if reading my mind, Cole threatens, “If you tell my brothers about this, about my visits, I’ll kill Cassie and there will be nothing you can do to stop it. You know that, right?”

I know he means it. If he was willing to kill Sutton, Cassie would be nothing to him. He’d do it without a second thought. I wouldn’t be able to protect her.

I want to scream and cry and beg. But I know it won’t do me any good. It’ll just make him think he’s winning. He is right now, I can admit that. However, this has only just begun and I’m determined to protect everyone around me, even if it means I go down in flames in the process.

Cole leaves with that threat hanging in the air, as well as his familiar cinnamon and amber scent.

Shutting my eyes, I try to fall back asleep… it’s pointless. So, I go into my bathroom, turn on the shower and sit in the corner of it. I don’t bother taking off my clothes. I simply sit there, head on my knees, crying into the water and wondering how the fuck I got myself into this situation. I wonder how I’m going to get myself out of it when I feel like I’ve hit rock bottom with no one to reach out a hand.

No one knows I’m drowning in the darkness and that’s my fault. No one’s coming to save me this time.