Hard Stick Page 2

  With a wide grin, Mitchell licked the blood from his lip and laughed. “Don’t worry, she’ll be back. If not, you’ll both regret it.”

  Cole put his arm around my shoulders, and that fueled the fire even more. Mitchell’s smile faltered and his fists clenched. “We’re not afraid of you,” Cole growled. “Now get the fuck out of here.” Mitchell glared at him and then turned on his heel, heading down to his car. When he got in, he looked straight at me and put his finger in his mouth. He sucked it, never once letting his gaze waver from mine. Cole’s arm tightened around me, but it did nothing to ease my fear. Mitchell sped away and probably took Cole’s and my career with him.

  “By Monday, you know we’re not going to have jobs,” I said.

  Cole shrugged. “We’ll find one somewhere else. Dickface’s reach can only go so far. We can always move back home and work for M&M Architectural Design. They are the best, you know. Plus, we can go to that restaurant we’ve been dying to eat at ever since we were kids.” We always said we’d be rich one day and go to Mason’s. It was one of the best restaurants in Charlotte.

  It was always our plan to move back home after we graduated from MIT. But things happened and we grew comfortable in Boston. “We might just have to do that. I guess we’ll find out our fate on Monday.”

  He squeezed my shoulders and led me to the door. “Whatever happens, we’ll be fine. I kind of want to move back to North Carolina anyway. Until then, I’m not leaving your side. I don’t trust that fucker.”

  Neither did I. With his connections, he was capable of doing just about anything.

  Chapter 3

  Kristen

  It was Monday morning and Cole hadn’t left my side all weekend. It was nice having his company. I’d missed it the past few months I’d been with Mitchell. There hadn’t been any more late-night visits, but I knew he wasn’t done with us.

  I walked into the kitchen and Cole poured me a cup of coffee. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Sitting down at the bar, I took a sip of the steaming liquid, hoping the caffeine would hit me soon. “Don’t you need to be getting dressed for work?” I asked curiously. That was if we still had jobs to go to.

  Cole turned around and leaned against the counter with an Asiago cheese bagel in his hand. He took a bite and nodded. “Yeah, but I’m going to run home really fast and get my car. Plus, I need to pack some things if I’m going to be staying here for a while.”

  “I can take you,” I offered. “We can leave your motorcycle here.”

  He shook his head. “You don’t have a garage to keep it in like I do. I’d rather it sit there.”

  “Whatever you want,” I laughed. “You’ll probably be selling it if you don’t have a job.”

  He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me. North Carolina is looking pretty damn good about now. As much as I’ll miss our friends here, I’d rather be there.”

  In a way, it was exciting to think about moving home. His parents loved me as if I was their own. I’d have a family if we moved back. Time was slipping by, so I finished my coffee and grabbed my purse. “You better get moving if you want to make it to work on time.”

  Cole chuckled and shoved the rest of his bagel into his mouth. “Yes, dear.” He kissed my cheek and started for the door. “I’ll see you at the office.”

  He hurried out and sped away on his bike. I wished I could be like him, carefree without a problem in the world. Ever since he was young, his parents knew he was special, smart as a whip. He probably could’ve skipped a couple of grades. School was easy for him and he breezed through it, unlike me. My parents thought Cole and I would end up married one day, but I could never see him as more than a brother. Any girl would be lucky to have him. He definitely didn’t have a shortage of them knocking on his door.

  I walked out to my car and froze, wondering if there was someone watching me. Usually there would be a car I didn’t recognize parked down the street, but there was no one today. An uneasy feeling washed over me, but I hoped it was just the morning chill making me shiver. Taking one last look around, I got into my car and headed for downtown. If I did move back home, I’d miss the colder weather and the snow. We didn’t get much of it in Charlotte.

  When I got to my building, I parked in the garage and walked inside. Janie waved at me from the front desk, so I assumed I still had a job to come to. For how long, I didn’t know. “Hi, Janie,” I said in passing. “Has Cole arrived yet?”

  “Good morning, Kristen. No, he’s not here yet.”

  I was nervous about what was going to happen to him. Mitchell might be lenient toward me, but with Cole he’d show no mercy. My stomach was in such tight knots I felt like I was going to throw up. I rode the elevator to my floor and went straight to my office. All I had were consultations scheduled, so it was going to be an easy day. I loved decorating homes. Cole and I always said we’d start our own business. He’d be the architect and I’d do the interiors. It was a dream that most likely wasn’t going to come true now.

  I had about ten minutes before my first client was to arrive so I straightened my desk and pulled out all my portfolios. When I left work on Friday, my paperwork was all in a mess, notes here and there of what I needed to do. I’d been working on so many different things it was hard to keep it all organized. If I wasn’t so busy I’d have the time to do it. Between my boss working me to death and the stress Mitchell put me through, I thought I’d lose my mind.

  The intercom beeped and Janie’s voice came over the speaker. “I just sent Mrs. Anderson up your way. She’s your eight thirty appointment.”

  I picked up the phone. “Thanks, Janie,” I said quickly, and hung up. By the time Mrs. Anderson knocked on my office door, my desk was perfectly organized. I knew next time never to leave work with my desk in disarray.

  Another soft knock on the door and I cleared my throat. “Come in,” I called out.

  The door opened and a middle-aged woman dressed in an expensive J.Crew business suit came waltzing in. Her long white hair looked soft like cotton and draped down past her shoulders. She was a beautiful lady, but I could tell she was high maintenance. Usually, those clients were the hardest to please, especially when they realized I was from the South. It wasn’t hard to tell with my accent. Why some northerners had an aversion to people like me I’d never understand.

  I stood and held out my hand, hoping she’d smile back at me. Thankfully, she did. “Good morning, Mrs. Anderson.”

  She shook my hand and sighed. “Good morning. I thought I’d never get here. There was a bad wreck I passed on the way. The traffic was hell.”

  “Oh no, that’s not good. I hope no one was hurt.” The way people drove in the big city was insane. It took me a while to get used to it. I usually had to make Cole drive everywhere because he wasn’t afraid to swerve in and out of traffic.

  Mrs. Anderson set her purse down and shivered. “I’m pretty sure the guy who was in the wreck is dead. I’d never seen so much blood. That’s why I told my sons for years that motorcycles were dangerous.” Gut clenching, I sucked in a breath. I could feel the blood draining from my face as a chill swept over me. Mrs. Anderson stared at me with concern. “Honey, are you okay?”

  Swallowing hard, I nodded my head. There was no way she could be talking about Cole; he was probably already at the office. I held up my hand and picked up the phone. I had to make sure he was okay. Ever since my parents died, I held on to the people I loved for dear life. “Excuse me, Mrs. Anderson, this will only take a minute.”

  I pressed the button for Janie and she answered promptly.

  “Janie, it’s Kristen. Please tell me Cole’s here.”

  Her voice dipped lower. “No, and Mr. Simon is infuriated. Cole’s first two clients are already here and they’re not happy, either.”

  The lump that started to form in my throat just got larger. I hung up and could feel the panic attack begin to rise. My breaths came out in rapid pants and sweat began to bead on my brow. Mrs. Anderson leaned forw
ard and grabbed on to my wrist. “My goodness, are you okay? You don’t look so well.”

  I looked into her eyes, hoping like hell she’d be able to give me some answers. “On your way here, you said you saw the wreck.” She nodded. “Can you tell me anything about it, like what street you were you on? What the guy looked like? What color his motorcycle was?”

  Her body tensed and she slowly let my wrist go. “You don’t think you know this guy, do you?”

  Tears clouded my vision. “Please just tell me.”

  She stuttered for a second and then blew out a breath. “Okay, let’s see. I was on Fenway, but it had already happened.” I closed my eyes, already feeling the piercing dread in my stomach. Fenway was the road Cole would have taken to get here. “The motorcycle looked blue, but it was hard to tell because it was mangled.”

  “And the guy,” I choked out. “What was he wearing? What color hair did he have?”

  There weren’t many men around with Cole’s platinum-colored hair. When I opened my eyes, Mrs. Anderson looked terrified, the anguish clear on her face. “He wore jeans and a T-shirt,” she whispered. “The hair I couldn’t see. He was still wearing a helmet.”

  That was all it took. The bile rose up my throat and I rushed out of my office, ignoring the people yelling my name. I had to get out of there. When I got down to the lobby, I ran out the door straight to the parking garage and my car. My hands shook uncontrollably and I felt like I was going to suffocate, my chest was so tight.

  I weaved in and out of traffic, knowing Cole would be proud of my maneuvering. When I got near Fenway, I had to double around since it was only a one-way street. But when I got onto it, there were cars backed up as far as I could see. Red lights flashed ahead and I knew with traffic I’d never get there. There was a museum to my right, so I swerved into the parking lot and left my car there so I could race up the street on foot. I didn’t care if I looked like a lunatic; I had to see if it was Cole.

  The police had the area taped off, but there were people everywhere, trying to see what was going on. I pushed through them, yelling for everyone to get the fuck out of my way. I was never the type to be hostile, but it was disturbing as hell to see people stand by and find a wreck scene to be fascinating. Why would anyone find enjoyment in that?

  I was almost to the front of the crowd when I stopped. There was a body on the ground, covered with a blanket, but over to the side of the road there was a motorcycle, a metallic blue one with small black dragons on the side of the backseat where I used to ride. Cole earned those after taking us through the Tail of the Dragon, an extremely curvy road in North Carolina. If you made it through without wrecking, you’d get your dragons. It was one of the best and scariest weekends of my life.

  Time stood still as everything came crashing down. I didn’t realize I had been screaming until the people all around me backed away in fear and the police came rushing toward me.

  “Lady, calm down,” one of them warned, a younger cop who was clearly a rookie. He tried to guide me away, but I pushed against his chest. He was a stocky man but I had to get through.

  Tears streamed down my cheeks as I looked at the blood on the ground and the body it was coming from. “That’s my best friend over there,” I cried, screaming the words. “I have to see him. His name is Cole Harper.”

  That caught the attention of a nearby cop, and he walked over, his expression sad. He was older, with sandy brown hair and a goatee that was mostly gray. “Are you Kristen Robinson?” he asked.

  When I nodded, he helped me under the tape. My whole body felt numb. “How did you know?”

  “There’s a picture of you and Mr. Harper in his wallet. Your name was written on the back. I’m Officer Reep.”

  “What happened?”

  Sighing, he glanced over at the demolished motorcycle. “Not sure yet. I have my men interviewing some of the witnesses.” Cole was an amazing rider. There was no way he’d be reckless on his bike. Officer Reep tried to steer me away from Cole’s body, but when I deviated, he let me go. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.

  There were gasps from the crowd, but I blocked them all out. “I have to.”

  Kneeling down, I took a deep breath and carefully pulled back the sheet so only I could see Cole’s face. His helmet had been taken off and set to the side. His eyes were partway open, lifeless. I gasped and fell back, my heart feeling as if it’d been ripped wide open. The man who had been my best friend for most of my life was gone.

  My hands shook as I touched his cheek; his skin was cold. “Cole!” I cried.

  I sat there for what felt like hours until Officer Reep helped me up so Cole’s body could be moved. They took my heart with him when they wheeled him away. I was never going to see his smile or hear his laugh again. I was alone.

  “Do you mind coming with me to the station?” Officer Reep asked.

  I shook my head. “I need to get my car first.” Even my own voice sounded foreign to me.

  “I can drop you off at your car and you can follow me there. We’re going to need to contact Mr. Harper’s family.” The thought of giving them the bad news was going to tear me apart. Cole was their only son.

  I followed him to his squad car and he drove me back to the museum. Before I could get out of the car, I looked at my phone, expecting to see a text from Cole, since he always texted…but then reality hit. I’d just seen his dead body and here I was expecting a message from him. Even I couldn’t train my mind to believe he was gone; it was all too surreal. I got out of the squad car and fell to my knees, my stomach gurgling out of control. I threw up everything in my stomach and bowed my head. I wanted it all to be a bad dream, but when I pinched my arm I was still there.

  I was in hell.

  —

  Officer Reep kept watch over me until I was able to pull myself together. I followed him to the police station and called Cole’s parents. Telling them only made the wounds bleed more. When my parents died in the car accident, they were the ones who gave me the bad news. Now I was the one informing them about their son.

  I waited around for an hour, hoping to grasp what happened, but time seemed to stand still. Officer Reep had disappeared to the back of the station, and when he reemerged, I flagged him down. “Have you heard anything yet?”

  He rubbed his eyes and sighed. “Not yet, but I’m about to find out. Do you need anything?”

  “A bathroom,” I suggested, and a bottle of Valium. I wanted to run some cold water over my face and then go to sleep for days until the pain was gone. The pain I knew would never go away.

  He nodded toward the hallway. “Follow me and I’ll show you to the restrooms.”

  I did as he said and disappeared behind the closed door. My stomach rumbled, but I’d already thrown up everything I had in my body. I looked at myself in the mirror and could barely recognize the girl staring back. My mascara was all down my cheeks and my eyes were red. I felt like I’d aged twenty years in the span of five hours. There was too much death, too much loss. I still had to call Brooklyn, Cole’s and my friend from home, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it yet.

  After I washed my face, I walked out of the bathroom and down the hall back to the waiting room. But then I stopped when I heard Cole’s name, the man’s voice hushed and secretive. There was no one in sight so I leaned against the wall and listened.

  “We have witnesses that said someone ran him off the road,” Officer Reep said. “The damage to the bike proves it.” It was as if I’d been sucker punched in the gut.

  “You’re right, but we have no choice,” another man said. “If we don’t make it look like an accident then we’re all fucked. This has to be done. I know you want to be honorable, but I personally don’t want to end up like Harper.”

  Fear filled my body and it was as if everything became clear. Cole’s tragedy wasn’t an accident, it was murder. What frightened me even more was that I knew the man responsible. I thought all we had to worry about were our jobs, not ou
r lives. Mitchell had taken away my freedom and now my best friend. Even the police couldn’t help me. I wasn’t safe anywhere.

  Scurrying past the room, I tried to keep calm until I got out of the station. I felt like I was going to hyperventilate, but I had to focus. Once safe in my car, I sped toward my house. I didn’t know what to do, but I had to get away from Boston. When I got home, I raced up to the door and froze. On my doorstep was a vase of flowers and an envelope. With shaking hands, I opened the letter.

  Dearest Kristen,

  I’m so sorry for your loss, but I wanted to let you know that I’ll be by later tonight. I know you need me.

  I love you

  I felt sick and disgusted. Mitchell might not have been the one who ran Cole off the road, but it was because of his jealousy and obsession that he was dead. If the police couldn’t be trusted to keep me safe, no one could.

  Picking up the flowers, I tossed them across the yard, the glass vase breaking on contact. After today, Boston was going to be nothing but a bad memory. My life was full of them. I rushed into my house and packed a bag of clothes along with my pictures, legal documents, and all the money I had. The sooner I could get away, the better. If Mitchell was going to stop by, I had to be long gone. But if his people followed me, I was screwed.

  Once I was in my car, I started down the road and never looked back. There was only one person who could help me: my friend Brooklyn. She was an undercover cop and knew all the right people. I didn’t want to have to tell her about Cole, but I needed her. The phone rang, and as soon as I heard her voice, I broke down.

  “Oh my God, Kris, what’s wrong?” she asked, sounding concerned.

  “I don’t have much time, but I need your help. Something bad happened.”

  “Tell me.”

  I tried not to picture Cole’s body on the ground, but it was all I could see flashing through my mind as I drove. “Cole’s dead and I know it wasn’t an accident.”