“I still worry I didn’t do enough, that I didn’t help her like I should have.” He grabbed her hands and held them tightly.
Izzy kissed his lips, all the feelings she couldn’t put into words, she put into that kiss. “I love you, Cooper Black. I love the man you are, I love how you’re trying each day to be a better man. You’ve grown. You’ve changed.”
“I still a work in progress,” he admitted.
“Aren’t we all?” Izzy sat up and grabbed both their phones off the nightstand, making a split-second decision. “I’m going to do something for you. Consider it a trust exercise.”
He watched her with hooded eyes. “What?”
She messed with both their phones and handed his to him. “You now have access to my phone on the stalker app. You can see where I am any time of the day or night.”
“Stalker app?” He stared at her, puzzled. The map on his phone showed a blue dot right in the precise location of his house.
“Find My Friends, but I call it the stalker app.”
“Okay,” he said slowly.
“Cooper, you can find me, know exactly where I am, know the location of the party I’m crashing. I’m going to trust you not to abuse the gift I just gave you.”
He nodded, understanding in his blue eyes. “You don’t want me embarrassing you at another party.”
“That’s correct, but the temptation is there.”
“It’s like putting a case of beer in front of an alcoholic and leaving the room.”
“It sure is, and I’m trusting you to have the strength to resist because you love me and you trust me because without mutual trust, love means nothing.”
Cooper grinned. “I won’t betray your trust. I promise.”
Izzy kissed his lips softly. “See that you don’t. You won’t get another chance, Cooper.”
And she meant it.
Cooper was nervous, which was absolute bullshit. This was his druggie sister for God’s sake. Nothing to be afraid of. Not a damn thing. What was the worst she could do or say?
Go to hell?
I hate you?
You did this to me? You didn’t save me when you could?
Yet, he’d done everything a ten-year-old boy could do, considering his mother’s health concerns and his own fears.
Cooper pushed his hair off his forehead and glanced over at Izzy sitting in the passenger seat. Her presence gave him strength he wasn’t sure he had on his own. “Russ says she works the late shift. I’d like to get the lay of the land before she shows up.”
They were sitting outside a sleazy bar. Russ believed a public place would be safer than going to her house. After driving by the dump to check it out, Cooper couldn’t agree more.
Cooper flexed his fingers on the steering wheel. Izzy reached across and stroked his cheek. “It’ll be fine. I’ll be right there with you.”
He reached for her hand. “I’m glad. I need you here.”
“I know,” she said simply, and it hit him that being vulnerable like this didn’t make him less of a man in her eyes. He wasn’t an island anymore. He had her love to support him, and together they’d get through this.
Cooper heaved a big sigh and steeled himself for the drama that swirled around his sister everywhere she went. “Let’s do this.”
Izzy nodded. They got out and walked to the bar hand in hand. Cooper took strength from her as they opened the door and entered the dark room. Several heads turned to look at them. The men sized up Cooper and undressed Izzy with their eyes. The women did the same to Cooper while glaring jealously at Izzy.
Cooper ignored them all and walked to the bar with Izzy, ordering a couple beers from a surly bartender covered in tattoos and sporting an immense beer belly. They took a seat at a corner table, and Cooper sat in a chair with his back to the wall and a clear view of the door.
Izzy scooted her chair next to his, and he put an arm around her, wishing he could protect her from the hungry gazes of the men in the room. Izzy was beautiful enough to start a riot, and the last thing they needed would be a barroom brawl. Cooper was damn good with his fists, but he was outnumbered, and lots of these guys were probably packing.
Russ walked in, much to Cooper’s surprise. His PI nodded at him and sat down at the table next to them. He leaned over and spoke, “I thought you could use a little backup.”
Cooper nodded gratefully at the PI and bought him a beer.
They nursed their drinks for an hour. The patrons went back to what they were doing and ignored the strangers. Finally the door swung open, and a tall, thin woman with jet black hair walked in. Cooper sucked in a breath. He’d know his sister anywhere, despite how rough she looked. She wore a short skirt, tight T-shirt, and a leather jacket. Her chest was tattooed as were her thighs. Cooper didn’t have a damn thing against tattoos, but they looked out of place on his once beautiful sister’s body. Her long, dark hair hung in greasy strands around a gaunt face with too much makeup.
Izzy touched his arm. “Is that her?”
“Yeah.” He nodded, not removing his eyes from Julie. He waited for her gaze to swing in his direction. She spoke to the regulars and chatted up the bartender, but didn’t seem to notice him lurking in the darkest corner of the room.
Cooper’s mouth went dry and his palms were sweaty. He hugged Izzy closer, needing her now more than ever. He couldn’t believe a woman who didn’t weigh more than 110 pounds soaking wet scared him more than the meanest, toughest enforcer in the NHL.
Julie took some drink orders from the other side of the room and slowly worked her way toward Cooper, still oblivious to her brother.