It's A Crime (37 page)

“
Mind if I get in there with you?” he whispered huskily, his cheek touching mine.

“
Thought you’d never ask.”

He smiled and shook his head.
I shimmied over, albeit in slow motion, and Cole gently climbed into my hospital bed, perching precariously on the edge, pulling me gently into his arms. My body lay against his, achingly aware of his presence. I leaned into him, kissing his hand as it caressed my cheek. He slanted his lips over mine and I tasted him. My hunger built inside my belly, as if he was food and I was starving. I felt the raging beat of his heart against my chest. My muscles strained with the urge to pull him toward me, to give me the contact I so ached for.

“We should save that for when you’re feeling better.”
The lushness of his voice flooded me with desire. A smile softening his sinful mouth. A shiver moved through me followed by a heated ache between my legs, and I imagined licking his lethally sexy body. I felt dizzy.

“You may be right about that…
for now,
” I breathed.

He held me close to him all night
and I had the most restful night’s sleep since the first night I’d met him.

Several
days later, I was back home in my own apartment. The injuries I sustained were worse than I first thought; I had been deeply cut on my inner thigh and suffered significant blood loss. Cole stayed with me the entire time, bouncing between my room and Michelle’s, which was located next to mine.

We
both visited Michelle in the hospital, every day, until she was released a few weeks later. She was in critical condition for what seemed like an eternity, but was strong. I’d never prayed so hard in my life; it was touch and go for a while but I thank God, and Cole, she survived and grew stronger each day.

The guilt
over what happened to her because of me ate away at me. I repeatedly told her how sorry I was. There were no words to describe how much I loved her.

True to form, Michelle
hugged me then pushed me away.

“
You are the best friend I’ve ever had. I love you like a sister.” She paused, exhausted, trying to talk although she had no voice. I tried to stop her but she put her hand up, halting any reprimand I might deliver. “I would
never
hold anything against you that you had no control over…stop…I love you.”

Maybe the guilt would leave me someday, but for now it was too raw.

I am so grateful and thankful for Cole for being there for me and Michelle. Without him, we would both be another statistic.

I never could have imagined the pain he lived with each and every
day, all caused by the same man who left his indelible mark on us all.

Jonathan survived, as unfortunate as that
is, and is now committed to a psychiatric hospital for the remainder of his days; however, he refuses to confess to the murders of the five women.

I’m having a
hard time dealing with being
related
to him, but that’s another story
.
I try hard not to think about him at all.

My mother and I
are trying to start over. She wasn’t the pampered, selfish woman I thought her to be. She had grown up alone, without love, without friends. Life wasn’t easy for her.

Cole moved his company to New York City permanently, and to my delight we have begun construction on the 412 2
nd
Avenue Penthouse.  Until it’s ready for us to move in, Cole will be staying with me.

Our scars will always be with us, but we learned to
love and cherish each other and be thankful for each hour we spend with the people we care about. Life is good.

The sex better
.