“I want to fight,” I say while reaching my hand toward Cole. “It’s the only way for us to be together.” I try to push myself into a sitting position, but the pain makes it unbearable.
Cole’s jaw clenches and his knuckles turn white. I can tell he feels like I’m betraying him. “Don’t. You have no idea what you’re talking about.” His jaw relaxes. “If you fight, I’m not leaving your side and I can’t guarantee that’ll be enough to keep you alive. Do you see where that leaves me? I’m not fighting—I’m protecting you. Please… I’m begging you. I love you. I can’t lose you. Not like this.”
I grasp his hand with all my strength and start sobbing. The loud, uncontrolled, obnoxious kind. “I love you too, but it’s what I need to do—for me. My father would want me to stand up for what he believed in—what I believe in.”
“He wouldn’t want you dead.”
“Oh, and you know our father how?” Keegan says.
Cole ignores him completely. “What are you trying to prove? I just don’t want to lose you.”
“Damn!” Bruno says. “I mean, I knew you were getting weak around her, but holy balls! You love her… Wow!”
“He doesn’t love her, and she doesn’t love him,” Keegan says.
“Yes I do,” I say forcefully. I push aside my pain, swing my legs over the side of the bed, and take a step toward Keegan. “Don’t you dare tell me how I feel. You might be my brother, but Cole’s my life now and you’re going to have to accept that whether you want to or not.”
“You’re kidding me, right?” Keegan stands. “You can’t be serious.”
I gasp for air between sobs, trying to calm myself down enough to make sense of the situation. Instead, I get hiccups, which make me feel even more humiliated. “I do love him and it’s real. He never used me for anything and you should respect him. He protected me when you couldn’t.”
Keegan glares at Cole, at me, and back at Cole. “Wow, you really pulled one over on her, didn’t you?” he says with a skeptical voice.
Cole stands up, his entire body shaking. “No, it’s never been like that—ever.”
“I can’t even listen to this.” Keegan punches the wall in explosive anger.
Zeus bares his teeth, growling deep in his chest. “Zeus, back off,” Cole says.
Keegan practically spits in my face. “What were you thinking, Lexi? A guard? You can’t trust him, even if he is one of the ‘nice’ guys. Where’s your head?” He throws his hands up in the air in frustration. “It takes a long time to trust any guard, and here you are, jumping into bed with one.”
“You don’t know anything about him,” I say. “How dare you judge me.” I chuck my pillow as I clench my teeth and shake with anger. Keegan chucks it back at me, and Zeus snags it, ripping it into pieces.
“Don’t stand up for me, Lexi. I have nothing to hide.” Cole eyes Keegan. “From the minute she became my assignment, my job was to keep her alive. I never knew why. I just knew that’s what I was ordered to do and that’s exactly what I did. I was professional from day one, and with every bone in my body, I fought my feelings for her—believe me, I did. But each day I was falling for this girl who loves life but doesn’t know how to show it, because she doesn’t think she deserves to be happy. I watched her befriend a dying child. I watched her give that little girl the best days of her life before she passed away. Please tell me how the hell was I not going to fall in love with her? Without a doubt, she’s the most amazing person I’ve ever known. So you know what? Yeah, she broke me. She weakened me. But it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me… because I have her. And that’s one thing I wouldn’t change. Not once did I ever take advantage of her. Not once did I ever consider her a whore. Even deep down before I knew the truth, I knew she was innocent. Keegan, you can think what you want of me, but the truth is I’d take a bullet and sacrifice my life if it meant I would save hers.”
Before I can say anything, Keegan says, “It will only end badly and you know it.” Keegan glares at Cole. “The safest place for her to be is with me.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Because she’ll make you a weak fighter. You’ll be more worried about protecting her. She already made her choice. She’s fighting.”
“Over my dead body!” Cole says.
“Man, you’re whipped,” Bruno says under his breath but loud enough that I hear him.
“Get the hell out of here. That was a lovely speech, but I’m telling you to leave!” Keegan steps toward Cole.
“No! He’s not leaving. He’s staying here with me. I need him. Keegan, you know he can’t go back yet! Wilson knows I’m gone, and he knows Cole’s my guard. He’ll torture him to find me or even kill him.” I plead with Keegan, placing both hands on his chest.
“I don’t give a damn. He can’t stay here.”