Framed (24 page)

“Aha, so now you see the dilemma,” he said, with a hint of anger in his voice.

“Cooper,” I whispered, reaching my hand out for him. I didn't know what to say.

“Don't give me your pity face, Ruby. I can't stand it. Not about
this
.”

“I love you,” I repeated, my voice catching in my throat, “I just never...I didn't see this...”

“I know, Ruby. That's why I didn't say anything,” he replied as the tears spilled over onto my cheeks. “It's not your fault. I've
changed
. You just haven't changed with me.”

“W
hat
changed?” I asked, wiping the tears from my face.

His expression was tight and pained, but thoughtful at the same time. It was clear that he'd been thinking a lot about this and hadn't had the opportunity to share his feelings with me because of how crazy life had become, yet again. Maybe I was as selfish as he'd said I was. A friend should have noticed.

“I haven't felt like I had a real home for a long time, Ruby. I've had one ever since I met you and started living here,” he explained, taking my hand in his. “But that's not what changed things. What started off as friendship and flirting has evolved for me. When you saw me through that dark time and forgave me for all I said and did to you, I saw you in a different light. When I found you that day in your shop, a breath away from death, something in me snapped.”

“Is that why you've seemed so serious and protective of me since?” I asked, thinking of the odd things he'd said and done since the attack.

“I guess. When I told Gregory that he'd never hurt what was mine again, I meant it. That's how I see
you
,” he said solemnly, “and not in some Neanderthalish way, so don't freak out. We're bonded, Ruby, plain and simple. It may not be a mate bond, but it's a bond nonetheless.”

“Are you sure it isn't just the culmination of all the drama we've experienced together? That can forge a strong bond...I've seen things about it on TV.”

“No, Ruby. That isn't it.”

“Maybe it's just, you know...what happened last night?” I suggested sheepishly.

“No,” he said, lifting my chin to look him in the face, “that has nothing to do with it. That was going to happen eventually with someone, and I'm glad it was me, but that has
nothing
to do with how I felt about you.
This
does.”

He bent his head towards me, placing his lips gently on mine. He kissed me softly at first, taking my face in his hands to brush his thumbs along my cheeks. It soon thereafter turned into me kissing him back. I wasn't doing it because he'd startled me or to satisfy the needs of my wolf, but because I wanted to. It felt warm and safe. It felt like home should feel.

I indulged myself, succumbing to the safety that kiss provided. Cooper was right—I
was
selfish.

When I sobered to the potential consequences of what I was doing, I stopped immediately, gently pulling myself down away from his face. I turned away as I took a deep breath, cleansing the hormone rush that was raging. Suddenly needing some space from him, I started to walk out of the room.

“You can't run away from this, Ruby,” Cooper called after me, unmoving. “I
felt
you. I know this isn't one sided.”

“Cooper, stop.
Please
,” I sniffled, clutching my head as I escaped to my room, crying. “I can't deal with this right now.”

“So don't. But you will have to eventually.”

“No, I won't,” I whispered.

“Yes, Ruby, you will. This isn't going to just go away.”

I felt like I was going to burst. My facade of normalcy was deteriorating rapidly, and my resolve to hold it together was fading. As much as I wanted to keep Cooper in the dark about my impending doom, I couldn't. Not if it meant more lies and omissions between us.

“But it is!” I cried, turning back to the bathroom. “I'm going to
die
, Cooper, and I can't stand to leave things this way. Don't abandon me to make this choice. I
need
you. I've
always
needed you, Cooper, even before I met you. You're my rock. Don't crumble out from beneath me now.”

He weathered my outburst like an old pro, probably because he'd become one by that point.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, coming out to meet me.

“The Elders. They're coming to take out Sean, and you and I both know what will happen if they succeed.”

Judging by the look on his face he knew all too well what that meant.

“Who told you that?” he asked, skin paling.

“Sophie.”

“Well, why you would listen to that b—”

“Sean has somewhat confirmed it,” I said, protesting his objection. “They are coming, of that there is no doubt, though the why seems a little fuzzy still. The way I understand it, they're going to take me out any way you slice it.”

“Try,” he said dryly.

“What?”

“They will
try
to take you out,” he said, with a tone and energy to his voice that rattled me for a moment. “We will see how successful their efforts are.”

“No, Cooper, I want you to stay out of this one.”

“Never going to happen, Ruby. I won't stand by and watch.”

“Cooper, please,” I pleaded, “it's a losing battle. I want as little carnage on my conscience as possible.”

“And I won't have your death on mine,” he snarled, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me slightly.

“You're a stubborn ass!” I snapped.

“Takes one to know one!” he shouted in return.

We stared at each other in silence for a moment, realizing we were at an impasse. He would march right into the fiery pits of hell with me, whether I liked it or not. I didn't deserve that display of loyalty, but it appeared I was getting it no matter what.

“Would it help if I told you I was leaving you the car?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood. “The apartment too?”

“Maybe,” he replied, smiling his boyish grin. “Are they paid off?”

“In full, at time of purchase.”

“Hm,” he sighed, scratching his chin for effect. “That
does
change things.”

“I thought so,” I joked, before my face went serious again. “Cooper, I
need
you to take care of Peyta. She needs someone to look out for her. She can't lose both of us. I don't think she'd recover well from that, if at all.”

“You're right,” he agreed, his mouth pressed tightly into a straight line. “I didn't think of that.”

“Well, that's why I'm in charge around here and not you,” I said, hitting him in the arm before hugging him tightly.

“I'm not going to let you just blow over this one, Ruby. Not like you usually do,” he informed me. “You know what I said is true. There are feelings there, and, when all of this is over and you're still very much
alive
, we will have to deal with them.”

“I see that,” I said, thinking that death would be such a tidy way to get out of that conversation.

“Can I still have the car?” he asked, his grin returning.

“Not a snowball's chance in hell, Cooper. Not while I'm alive...I've seen you drive.”

“It was worth a shot.”

“I'd have done the same thing,” I added. “You can't get something if you never ask for it.”

“No,” he said soberly, “you sure can't.”

I gave him a quick squeeze and got out of the room as quickly as possible. Despite my follicular colorings, even
I
caught the double meaning in his statement. Cooper was at his most dangerous for me when he cast those intense eyes my way. Getting out of the line of fire was always the best coping method. A locked bedroom door between the two of us never hurt either.

* * *

Peyta texted me later on that evening to see if she could spend the night. I was hoping that she wasn't using me as a way to get away from the tension she and Ronnie were having. I didn't want to cause any more problems there than I already had, so I wanted to speak with her first to see exactly what was going on.

“Peyta?”

“Yeah?”

“It's me. I just got your text. What's going on? Is everything okay?”

“Totally, Ruby. No need to freak out or anything. Mom just called to see where I was and what I was up to tonight. She said she was going to be home super late and suggested that I should maybe stay over at your place for the night,” she said, sounding as surprised as I felt. “Did you two have a come-to-Jesus moment or something? Or did you let her shoot you in the ass? That
always
makes her feel better.” She giggled after she said it, completely unable to contain herself.

I, on the other hand, wasn't sure how to play things. Ronnie was clearly up to something, but I wasn't expecting for her to put her plan into action so quickly. I didn't want Peyta to worry, so I lied through my teeth.

“Things are pretty much back to normal with your mom and me. It didn't take me letting her shoot me in the ass, but it was touch and go for a little while there. I'm glad she's finally come around, though, I really was starting to miss her.”
“You just miss her hooking you up!” Peyta replied with a chuckle.

“Well, there was that too,” I said sarcastically. “But yeah, you should totally come over. Cooper would love it. I think he's around here still.”

“Can we do movie night? Popcorn and all?” she pleaded.

“Sure. You know I'm always well stocked.”

“Yay!” she shrieked like the teenage girl she was. I could literally hear her jumping up and down on the other end.

“I'll come and get you. Get your stuff together. I'll be there in a few.”

We said goodbye, and I made my way out to the living room to find Cooper sprawled across the couch in shorts, sans t-shirt. Blood surged through my body for the briefest of seconds reminding me all too well that I couldn't deny that we had chemistry. The reminder was so not helpful.

“Who were you talking to?” he asked without taking his eyes off the TV.

“Peyta. She's coming over,” I replied, trying not to stare at his chest. "I suggest you put a shirt on for the sake of all parties involved."

“Yes, Mother Superior," he groaned as he dragged himself from the couch, "I'll get the popcorn started.”

“
Ronnie
told her to stay here tonight,” I added for effect, and boy did it work beautifully. He stopped dead in his tracks and stared at me blankly.

“And
why
would she do that?” he asked incredulously.

“Isn't that the question of the night,” I replied sarcastically. “She's up to something, Coop. She knows about the Rev. Her whole little Underground group does too. She left me a message saying she needed to ask me some things about the murders and the individual committing them; I'd already told her it wasn't human. I wanted to impress upon her the importance of not dicking around alone at night. That prompted an angry discussion about how she came to know about werewolves and the Underground, etc.”

He stared at me like I'd completely lost my mind, discussing werewolf matters with a human, but he had to realize that Ronnie already knew. The jig was up, so I didn't see why keeping up pretenses would have mattered. If what I told her was going to keep her and Peyta safer, then I was fine with my decision. He seemed to disagree.

“So you told her about this guy?”

“She already knew about him, Coop. I didn't really tell her anything new. In fact, I think her group has been trying to stop him as long as the PC has, unsuccessfully, of course.”

“I hope you know what you're doing,” he said, looking disapproving. “You're playing with fire trusting Ronnie right about now.”

“But she said she knew what he wanted, that the Underground knew too. I think they're coming to help. Maybe if we could all work together, we could stop him, Cooper.”

“Maybe we could all get hurt or killed trying,” he said, slumping back onto the couch. “Never a dull moment with you around.”

“I'm sorry, Coop. I didn't have a chance to tell you. I'm not trying to purposely leave you out of this one, I promise,” I told him, coming to sit beside him.

“I know you're not,” he said, taking my hand in his. “So she told you how she found out about weres? That was rather forthcoming of her.”

“Well, I had to piss her off pretty good before she let those beans spill. She told me just to illustrate a point that would make her right.”

“Ah,” he said, pressing his lips together, “that makes sense. So what did she say?”

“She saw her husband attacked and killed by a werewolf. Peyta was with her at the time. She was only a baby.”

“Holy shit,” Cooper gasped. “That's unheard of. Weres who want to Change someone over
never
do it in public where they could be exposed.”

“I don't know what to tell you, Coop. That's what she said,” I replied, throwing my hands up in surrender. “She said he went to work late one night, and she stopped by to see him while out trying to soothe Peyta to sleep. She parked the car in the back, saw her husband come out of the building, and something jumped out of the bushes and attacked him. He told her to run. She left and never looked back.”