Wild and Blue

  Wild and Blue

  Callie Cole

  Wild and Blue © 2020 by Callie Cole

  All Rights Reserved.

  Editor: Kasi Alexander

  Cover Design: Callie Cole

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  Also by Callie Cole

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Jason

  Standing in front of the mirror, I adjust my tie.

  “So do you want to thank me now, or what?”

  I see Bella’s reflection in the mirror.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Smiling, she moves closer and stands behind me. Her top is unbuttoned just enough to show her beautiful cleavage.

  I try not to stare.

  “Have you forgotten what it was like when we were kids? How I made you play cops and robbers with me? I was always the one getting in trouble, and you were always the police officer, coming to arrest me.”

  Pretending I don’t know what she’s talking about, I say, “Did I?”

  “How can you not remember? I was such a pest, insisting that you and Cole include me all the time. You guys must have been so sick of me back then.”

  Smiling at the memory, I try to stay focused on getting dressed.

  “Now that you’re a real cop, don’t you think you should thank me for all that training?”

  She’s standing so close to me I’m worried I might have to adjust more than my tie.

  Bella has always had this effect on me. Even when we were kids, when we’d role play all kinds of scenarios, she always had to be the one in charge. Unless we played cops and robbers, then it was my turn to dominate.

  I never played that game unless Bella was playing too. That was the only time I’d agree to play. Normally, Cole was the one who wanted to be the cop, not me. But when Bella wanted to play, I was all in. She was the wild one, and I was the one who would pin her to the ground and make her do whatever I wanted.

  God, how I loved that game.

  I look over at the framed photo of Cole, Bella, and me, reminded of how close we all were when we were kids. So much has happened since then. Too many memories I’d rather forget. I turn away, the pain too great.

  “That was a long time ago, Bella.”

  “I guess that’s your way of saying you don’t want to talk about it. Fine. I can take a hint.”

  I turn and look at her. She’s so beautiful. She was beautiful even when she was a little girl. Now a woman, Bella turns heads everywhere she goes. The blond ringlets of her hair are as wild as she is, and her hazel eyes change color depending on what she’s wearing. Today they’re blue.

  Even though I’ve never told her, I’ve been in love with Bella Kennedy for as long as I can remember. None of that matters now. It’s my job to protect her, to keep her safe, and that’s what I intend to do.

  “What are you doing here, Bella? Shouldn’t you be at school? I thought you had finals this week.”

  Laughing, she turns away and lies back on my bed. Lifting her arms over her head, she stretches, revealing a belly button ring.

  “My first final is in an hour.” She turns on her side, her breasts spilling out of her top. “I wanted to drop by and make sure you didn’t have some sexy babe in your bed.”

  She’s wearing cutoff shorts and a white lacy top. I want to tell her she needs to go home and change into something less revealing, but I don’t. Instead, I reach for my shoes and choose the chair rather than the bed to sit on.

  I can’t trust myself to be that close.

  I look at Bella and smile. “There isn’t anyone special, and even if there was, I wouldn’t tell you.”

  “What? We’ve been friends forever. You can tell me if you’re seeing someone. It won’t kill you to talk.”

  I walk toward the bed, lean down, and grab her arms. “Let’s go. You’ve got finals, and I need to get to work.”

  Off-balance, Bella falls into my arms, and for a moment, it feels like we’re lovers instead of friends caught in an embrace. I want to bend down and kiss her soft pink lips, but I resist.

  Bella smiles as if she knows what I’m thinking. Her dimples and the crinkle of the right side of her nose, tempting me to forget about work.

  I pull away, grab my keys, and walk to the front door.

  Bella follows closely behind, walking past me out the door and across the lawn. It seems we’re both in a hurry now.

  She stops and turns, “Oh, I almost forgot. Will I see you later? Don’t you think we might celebrate my last day as a college student?”

  “I can’t, Bella. I’m working a double shift. I’m sorry.”

  She looks disappointed for only a minute before she turns to leave.

  “Have a great day, Officer Cooper.”

  She opens the door and bends over the front seat, pretending to get something off the car floor. She’s doing this for my benefit. Teasing me.

  The desire to grab her and drag her back onto my bed is strong. Instead, I wave and say, “Good luck with your finals.”

  I get behind the wheel of my car and watch her drive away. Taking a deep breath, I adjust my growing cock and try to calm down before I turn the ignition.

  How long am I going to keep pushing her away? I made a promise to Cole that I would take care of her, that I would protect her and keep her from harm. Being with me would be a mistake.

  I’ve changed. When Bella looks at me, she sees the innocent kid she grew up with, the one that was fun and full of passion and adventure. That all changed with one pull of the trigger.

  Cole’s last words to me play over and over in my mind. There’s no way I would ever break my promise to him, even if it’s killing me.

  Chapter Two

  Bella

  Beneath the tree, I sip my iced tea, throw my backpack on the grass, and settle on the ground. Looking around the campus, I’m suddenly overcome with a sense of peace. I’ve accomplished what I set out to do. It feels right.

  After high school, I told myself that I needed to get away, but eventually, I had to admit that it was more like running away. It’s true what they say, that no matter how far away you go, you can’t get away from yourself.

  It felt impossible to go to college after Mom died. Taking a few years off and traveling around Europe ended up saving my life in so many ways. Fortunately, it didn’t take much to convince my friend Nicole to come with me. Always up for an adventure, my wild partner in crime would follow me down any rabbit hole I chose.

  The whole time I was away, Cole would send me emails about his life and his plans to attend the police academy. I didn’t care what my brother did for a living. It mattered more that he was happy and was able to make a life for himself.

  Since our father abandoned us after I was born, there wasn’t much adult male influence in our family. Once Jason came into our lives, Cole started spending more and more time at his house, and became close with his father. He was the father figure we never had, and the fact that he was
a police officer made him all the more fascinating to Cole.

  Now and then, Cole would email me about Jason. How he refused to follow Cole into the academy. Jason wanted nothing to do with it, perhaps because he never wanted to be like his father. I never understood why they were estranged, and Jason wouldn’t talk about it. I didn’t understand half of what Cole was telling me about Jason’s career plans, something about becoming a venture capitalist. Of course I thought about him all the time and fantasized about the day we would be together.

  I never had much to do with Jason’s father, until the day he called to tell me that Cole had been killed. I was standing in front of the Trevi fountain in Rome.

  My knees buckled under me, and I had to sit on the concrete bench. There were people all around me, tourists, but I didn’t hear them. The only sound I could hear was the falling water and Cole’s last words to me. “You’ll be back. You’ll miss me so much, you won’t be able to stay away.”

  The shock of Cole’s death, followed by the realization that Jason couldn’t bring himself to tell me, but instead let his father make the call, was more than I could bear.

  When I returned home briefly for the funeral, Jason and I didn’t talk. I think it was too painful to be around each other. The number of people who attended the funeral was huge. Police from around the country came to honor my brother. I was introduced to so many wonderful friends of Cole’s, people I’d never met before. Jason was the one person I thought would comfort me; instead, he seemed more like a stranger than a friend.

  The void that Cole’s death created was deeper than I could accept, and so I went back to Europe. Nicole stayed behind this time but kept me up to date on what was happening back home.

  It was another year when I received word that the man who took my brother’s life was dead. What I never expected to hear was that it was Officer Jason Cooper who killed him.

  It took the death of my brother to persuade Jason to enter the police academy. I think he became obsessed with the desire to do something, anything, to avenge Cole’s death. Jason never wanted to be anything like his father, but in the end, he couldn’t get away from it, no matter how hard he tried. What do they call that? Destiny?

  After several months, I decided to return home for good. I missed my friends, my home, and more importantly, Jason. The distance between us had nothing to do with geography. I needed to see if there was any way we could find our way back to each other, even if it was only as friends.

  I lay my head on my backpack and flip through the photos on my phone, searching for all the pictures of Jason I’ve taken through the years. I can’t help but smile at all the fun we’ve had. I put the phone down, open my backpack, and take out my wallet. I’ve kept a picture of the three of us. It’s my favorite picture and the one Jason keeps on his nightstand.

  Cole, Jason, and me. A lump forms in my throat, and I fight to keep the tears from falling. Cole. The best of all of us. Knowing he died doing the thing he loved most in the world doesn’t help. I’m still angry. Angry that he left me. Angry that he won’t be here for the important events in my life. He was all I had in the world, and now he’s gone.

  You’d think what happened to Cole would bring us closer, but it feels like it’s torn us apart instead. Cole was the glue, the person who worked the hardest to keep us together, no matter where each of us were in the world.

  Maybe Jason is in a relationship after all.

  I’ve got to tell him how I feel about him. I’m not a little girl anymore. It’s time Jason sees me as a desirable woman. I know he wanted to kiss me. I could feel it. Why does he hold back? The thought that he might be seeing someone has my stomach twisted in knots.

  I feel a kick at my feet. “Hey, wake up.”

  I hold my hand up to my face to block the sun and see Nicole standing over me.

  “Holy shit, that one was the worst, at least so far. I’ve got another tomorrow morning. How about you?”

  “Nope. Done. This was the last one, and I’m officially out of this place.”

  “So why don’t you seem happy about it?”

  “I’m happy. I’m just tired.”

  “Too tired to go to Noah Cunningham’s house for an end of semester party tonight?”

  “My God, Nicole. You act like we’re right out of high school. Apparently, the time away hasn’t matured you at all. You’ve fallen right back into high school drama. We’ve seen some amazing people and places in Europe, more exciting than an end of year college party. Yeah, I’ll pass.”

  Nicole falls to the ground. “Are you serious? I’ve been dying to get that guy to notice me all year, there is no way I’m not going, and no way you’re not going with me.”

  “Isn’t Noah that rich guy you’ve been drooling over for months?”

  “Rich doesn’t come close to describing Noah’s family. They’ve got houses everywhere. I’ve seen pictures online. You should see their place on the Vineyard.”

  Still disappointed I can’t see Jason tonight, I can’t help but throw cold water on her plans.

  “How old is this guy anyway? You realize that most of the people at this party will be several years younger than us?”

  “As it happens, Noah is only one year younger than me. He didn’t go to college right from high school. C’mon, Bella. Do it for me. I really need to be at that party tonight, and I don’t want to go alone. Whatever happened to my wild and crazy friend? You remember her, the one who thought it would be fun to rent a car and drive like a maniac on the Amalfi drive up to Vesuvius?”

  “Oh, God, fine. As long as you stop whining. I can’t take that voice.”

  I stand and gather my stuff, throwing my wallet in my bag. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Great. How about I meet you there? That way, we can leave whenever we want. Make sure you wear something sexy. I don’t want to look like I’m the only one with my tits hanging out.”

  “Are you out of your mind? You’ll end up gang-banged if you’re not careful.”

  Laughing, she says, “And the problem with that is?”

  “Oh my God, Nicole. You’re insane. Text me his address and I’ll see you there around nine.”

  Nicole throws her arms around me.

  “You will not regret this. I promise, if you ever need me to do you a favor, I owe you one.”

  “Yeah, we’ll see whether I regret it. And for the record, after all these years, I’d say you owe me plenty.”

  Chapter Three

  Bella

  Getting out of my car, I tug at the bottom of my dress. Deciding what to wear, I had more clothes on my bed than I did in my closet. In the end, I chose a form fitting black dress that showed off my legs but was low cut enough to satisfy Nicole.

  Noah’s house is the typical Weston mansion. Lights illuminate many of the trees surrounding the property. The size of the home is shocking.

  Noah must have six or seven siblings. Why else would you have a house this big? Who needs this much room?

  I pass several people standing on the lawn and the front porch.

  A sea of Solo cups everywhere.

  There are so many kids crammed near the front door I can barely make my way inside the house.

  I catch a glimpse of Nicole talking to some guy. Noah, perhaps?

  She waves and starts to walk toward me, dragging the guy along with her.

  He speaks, more like shouts, above the blaring music.

  “Hey, I’m Noah. I’m glad you could make it. Nicole tells me you plan to go to law school after graduation. Me too. I’m going to take the LSATs in a few weeks. My father is a lawyer, so it's expected of me to do the same. He went to Harvard. I’ll probably go to Harvard too.”

  Is this guy for real?

  He waits for me to be impressed. I look at Nicole, and she is beaming, so I can’t roll my eyes and walk away. Instead, I smile and nod my head.

  Pointing, he says, “Make your way to the bar, over there, and we’ll catch you later. I want to i
ntroduce Nicole to some people. Nice to meet you.”

  As they walk away, Nicole turns to me and waves. The poor girl is so gone on this guy, she can’t see what a pompous ass he is.

  I can tell how rich Noah must be because an actual mahogany bar with a bartender is not something you see at a typical college party. The bartender looks irritated with me as I ask for sparkling water.

  No tip for him.

  “You look like you don’t belong here.”

  “Why is that?” I ask the 5-foot 4-inch guy trying to make a move on me.

  “I don’t know. Something about the way you already look bored five minutes after you arrived.”

  “How do you know how long I’ve been here?”

  “I saw you come in, and I’ve been watching you, trying to pick the right time to introduce myself. Connor Devlin. Nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you, Connor. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to find my friend.”

  He grabs my arm. “Hey, don’t run off, we’re just getting acquainted.”

  I pull my arm away. “I don’t like people I don’t know grabbing me. I suggest you find someone else to annoy.”

  As I start to walk away, I notice people moving and flashing blue lights reflecting off the walls.

  “She asked you to walk away, pal.”

  Jason. Here. At the party.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “We got a call about this place getting out of control. The neighbors complained about the noise. We’re not breaking up the party, but we are asking people to stay closer to the house, turn the music down, and stay off other people’s property.”

  Connor Devlin moves closer to me and puts his arm around my waist as if we’re here together.