Chapter 46

The drive home was rough. She still had me all hot and bothered. It was weird. I wanted her something fierce, but there was also a strange feeling that still clung to me. It wasn't all about sex with her.

I rolled down my window to get some cool air against my face. It was then that I realized I was in love with her. I just couldn't believe it. I had seen the signs, but somehow, it was still a shock to my system. I had never experienced this feeling before, never thought I would. But there it was, staring me right in the face.

Maybe it wasn't love. I couldn't say for certain. I had never been in love before. And this whole thing had happened really fast. Was it possible to fall in love with someone that quickly? What was love?

Was it when you couldn't imagine not seeing the person again? If that was the case, check. Was it about seeing a future with that person? Check again. Even though I had just dropped her off, I already missed her. Was she in bed? Was she thinking about me?

I chuckled thinking about that last kiss. She was most definitely thinking about me. I drove home and reached open to hit the button for the garage door opener. When I saw the door was already up, I frowned.

"Shit." I shook my head. I had been so caught up in Mary Ellen, I forgot to close the garage door. I was glad it was late and everyone else in the neighborhood was sound asleep.

I cut the engine and noticed something by the door that led into the kitchen. I closed the garage door and got out. Mary Ellen must have dropped something on her way out.

I bent down to pick it up and froze when I realized it was one of the cufflinks my dad had given me at my high school graduation. That was weird. I kept those in the box with my watch collection. I had not worn those things since before I went to prison.

I opened the door with a bad feeling. My heart sank as I surveyed the damage. "Fuck me," I groaned.

The first thing I noticed was the cord on the floor. It had once been attached to my PS5. The kitchen looked like someone had been in a hurry. My espresso machine was gone as well as the toaster oven and Vitamix blender.

I walked toward the living room, turning on more lights. My TV was still mounted on the wall, but the sound system was gone. A few art pieces that were on the shelves were missing as well. There was a heavy feeling that wrapped around me as realization set in.

I walked into my beloved gym and dropped my head. "Small victories," I murmured.

There didn't appear to be anything missing from the gym. Lazy fuckers couldn't be bothered to move the heavy stuff. The cufflink was still in my hand. I dreaded going upstairs, just knowing what I was going to find. There was no other reason for my cufflink to be in the garage.

I pushed open my bedroom door. Clothing was scattered about, along with a full black trash bag. I opened it and spotted some of my clothes, all the designer stuff that I never wore.

The huge walk-in closet looked like a tornado had torn through the place.

My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at the wreckage in my room. I took a deep breath and opened one of the drawers. As expected, the box that held my watch collection and cufflinks was gone.

"Son of a bitch," I growled.

I didn't have to guess what happened. Fucking Cole. The burglary was definitely done by someone who knew me and what I had. I was gone an hour tops. The person knew where to hit me. I went down the hall to the sitting room. I moved the table between the two chairs and tipped it over. I stuck my hand inside the hollow core, feeling a sense of relief. My stash of cash was still there. No one except for me knew about the cash.

A better criminal would have been more skilled at searching. This was a quick in and out. My house had been cased and I knew exactly who did it.

Fury bubbled up inside me. I pulled out my phone and called Cole. He picked up, the sound of music and laughter in the background indicating that he was out partying. I hoped like hell he wasn't celebrating his big score.

"Get your ass home," I snapped, my patience gone. "We have a problem."

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Get here now."

I ended the call and took the cash to put in the safe in my bedroom. I didn't think I was going to have to worry about getting hit a second time.

A million thoughts raced through my mind. Was the person in my house when Mary Ellen and I were in the pool? Were they watching us? How in the hell did they get my garage opened? I was almost certain I closed it before I left. It was just one of those things I did without thinking about.

"Shit," I murmured, remembering my tools.

I walked back out to the garage to do a quick inventory. I flicked on the lights. The usually organized corner where I kept my tools was a mess. The drawers of my workbench were ajar, their contents strewn about without care.

My bike was still in its spot, but I had no doubt in my mind they would have come back for it. Anyone that knew bikes would have known that bike cost over a hundred grand with all the bells and whistles I put on the thing.

I picked up a wrench that had been tossed aside carelessly and pulled open one of the drawers. I checked my toolbox. All my essential tools were missing. My socket sets, hammers, even my tape measure—all gone.

"You've got some nerve," I muttered under my breath, thinking about Cole.

The costly power tools I had acquired over the years were gone too. Everything had been taken. My garage, my sanctuary had been violated and ravaged.

"Damn you, Cole," I seethed. Making my way back into the house, I went to the bar. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

They managed to steal my favorite bottle of scotch. I grabbed a cheaper variety and poured myself a glass. I drank it down, feeling the burn in my throat the same as the burning sensation already in my gut.

Someone had been in my fucking house. I was guessing it was a whole crew, since they had swarmed through like locusts in such a short amount of time. Picturing them tearing through my home made me want to strangle someone.

It was my sanctuary and some assholes thought they could waltz in and take whatever they wanted.

I poured myself another drink, the second in ten minutes. It would calm me down and stop me from losing control. I flopped into a chair and looked around my house. I gripped the glass, the scotch swirling around, threatening to spill over.

Cole stumbled through the front door. "Hey, what's going on?"

"What's going on?" I repeated and got to my feet. "I don't know, Cole. What do you think is going on?"

"I don't know."

"Where were you?" I demanded, my voice low and dangerous.

"I was out." He shrugged. "You told me to leave you alone tonight. Is Mary Ellen here?"

"No! Where's your fucking cousin?"

"Vinny?"

"Yes, Vinny!"

"I don't know," he said. "What's your problem?"

I waved my arms around the room. "My stuff is gone, Cole. Every last bit of it. Look!"

His eyes scanned the room. "I don't see anything missing."

"You fucking asshole," I muttered. "I didn't literally mean everything. They didn't take the fucking furniture. But who knows? He still might come back."

"Vinny?"

"Yes, Vinny! He stole my shit. I want it back."

"What do you want me to do about it?" he asked nonchalantly.

I gritted my teeth, struggling to keep my temper in check. "Call Vinny," I growled. "Tell him to bring my shit back. Now. If my watches aren't returned, I will call the cops. I will send them directly after you and I'm guessing Vinny has a record. I will not hesitate to point them in his direction as well."

"You don't know Vinny did this." He scoffed.

"Did you set this whole thing up? Is that what's going on here?"

"Fuck you," he snapped.

"Someone opened my garage door to let him in. Someone scoped out the place because he knew what was valuable. This was a quick in and out job. They were watching and waiting for me to leave. What would he have done if I didn't leave? Would he have hurt Mary Ellen?"

"Dude," he snapped. "You're accusing me of this shit? Why would I steal shit from the place I'm staying?"

"Because you're a desperate, selfish idiot," I hissed back. "And you've got a family of thieves."

He was silent for a moment, taken aback. "I don't have to take this from you, man," he said.

"Then don't," I snapped back. "Get out and don't come back until all my stuff is returned."

Cole looked like he was about to argue, but instead, he spun around on his heel and stormed out of the house, smashing the door shut behind him.

I had no idea if he was going to call his cousin or if he was in on the theft. I flopped back in the chair. If he didn't show up by morning, I was calling the cops.

It would send Cole right back to prison. I didn't want to do it to the guy, but if he was willing to rob a friend blind, he was going to keep hurting people. He was going to end up behind bars again anyway. I just saw it as saving innocent people from losing their hard-earned things. I would never condone anyone stealing. Ever.

It wasn't long before I heard a loud engine outside. I got up to see what was going on and spotted a black truck in the driveway. Two guys hopped out of the back and dumped some trash bags on my lawn. I didn't have to guess what it was. It was a small victory, but it did little to ease the anger and betrayal.

Cole walked in a few minutes later. "I didn't know," he said quietly.

I didn't believe him. Things between us had changed irrevocably. He had brought trouble to my doorstep, endangering everything I had worked so hard to rebuild. There was no going back from that.

I had offered him help and a place to stay, and he helped his cousin steal from me. The only reason I didn't knock his fucking teeth out was because I was trying to be a better man. Mary Ellen had given me a huge reason to stay out of trouble, and I loved Mary Ellen more than I hated Cole.

"You can't stay here anymore," I told him, my voice hard and unforgiving. "You crossed a line, Cole. And I can't have that kind of chaos in my life. You can fuck up your life all you want, but you're not fucking up mine."

"I didn't do shit," he shot back.

"Even if you weren't involved, I warned you about Vinny," I said with a shake of my head. "I opened my door to you and trusted you and you let that snake in my house. He never would have been in here if it wasn't for you. He's bad news, and I don't want his ass here. You either."

Cole's eyes widened in panic. "But where will I go?"

"Not my problem anymore," I said, my tone final. "I held out a helping hand and you slapped it away. You made your bed, now you have to lie in it."

He glared at me. "You're an asshole."

"Maybe, but I would never betray a friend. So what does that make you?"

Cole had no response.