A couple of days later, Cole and Josh told me they had arranged what I had asked for, and here I was, sitting in the passenger seat while Cole drove us to the prison where they were keeping Harvey and Quinton Smith. Just hearing their names gave me chills. It’s incredible what money can buy you. Cole wouldn’t tell me what it cost him, but I could imagine it would have been quite a bit to get me in a room with the bastards that stole everything from me. I stare out of the window silently, mentally preparing myself to face them again and going through everything I wanted to say to them.
Cole looks at me, “Shayla. We can turn—”
“No.” I cut him off firmly and turn my gaze to him. Cole holds my gaze and frowns a little before he nods and looks at the road again. I look at the prison up ahead, and my hands fist tightly in my lap.
“Hey,” I look back at Josh when he leans closer to speak to me from the backseat. “We’ll be right there, and guards will be in the room too,
I watch Shayla as she walks out of the doors to the prison ahead of Josh and me. “I’m so fucking proud of her,” I tell Josh with a sigh, who smiles, nodding.“Me too. She’s a warrior,” Josh squeezes my shoulder, and I look at him appreciatively.“I don’t know how I'm ever going to thank you, Josh. You’ve helped me with her so much the last couple of months. If it weren’t for you, she’d still be a wreck.”Josh shakes his head. “I didn’t do anything, Cole. I just pushed her into facing her fears. She did the rest. You know I’ve always got your back, brother.”“I know, and I’ve always got yours, brother.” We share a smile and fist bump as we walk over to Shayla. “One last stop. I don’t know how I'm going to face that bitch and not want to kill her for everything she’s done.”“Shay’s got her bro, leave her to it,” Josh mutters as we walk outside. Shayla had her gaze up at the sky, and she released a long breath, her shoulders which were tense before wa
“You should be rotting six feet under right about now.” Sophie hisses her frosty eyes on Shayla, who smirks.“And you should be sipping champagne in some pretentious restaurant, but… here we are,” Shayla mutters, crossing her arms over her chest. “Orange really isn’t your colour. All though it does go well with the black eyes you’re sporting there.” She pushes her finger against it, and Sophie hisses and pulls her head back.“Is that why you’re here, to give me fashion tips?” Sophie snarls, and Shayla shakes her head.“No, I came here to tell you personally that you failed, and your little plan tanked just like I told you it would.”Sophie grins, biting her lip a little. “Maybe, but it wasn’t a complete failure. I hear those brothers fucked you up real good. If you’re alive and standing there today, it’s because of me.” She hisses haughtily. “If I hadn’t told them where you were, you’d still be rotting in that little room. You owe your pathetic life to me
“I don’t fucking care!” Cole shouts, livid, as he paces back and forth in his study. “I want the head of whoever this fucker was that went to press with this, do you understand me?” I watch Cole as I sit curled up on the sofa, my knees pulled to my chest. We’re a week into the trial, and someone has leaked information about my case, and the media are going nuts with it. News reporters and paparazzi were camped outside the house trying to get pictures of me.“Tristan, we’re looking into it, but I told you as soon as it goes to court, someone would leak information about what happened to her. It was inevitable.”"Inevitable? What the fuck do I pay you for Lucy?! It's a fucking media frenzy out there. You're the head of public relations. You were supposed to keep this under wraps. I told you to keep a tight lid on this." He shouts at Lucy—his publicist, and she watches him pace restlessly back and forth. "I want the name of the reporter who wrote the story and the publica
“Always, baby.” He whispers, tucking his slender fingers under my chin and tilting my head up so he could brush a spine-tingling kiss to my waiting lips. I moan and part my lips for him to deepen the kiss, but Alaia’s cry from the baby monitor interrupts us. We pull back, and Cole chuckles, shaking his head.“Impeccable timing as always.” He groans, watching me pull away from him to go and check on her. I look back at him once I reach the stairs, and he grins sexily, licking his lips. “I’ll be coming for that kiss, Hart.”I smile and send him a flirtatious look. “I’ll be waiting, Hoult,” I reply and jog up the steps to check on our daughter. I walk into the nursery and pick her up from her bed. “Hi baby, how was your nap.” Alaia stops crying once I pick her up, kissing her beautiful face. She’s seven months old, and she’s growing so much every day. Her first word was Dada, for which Cole was over the moon. He cried, hearing her on the monitor while she was babbling awa
I leave Cole with Alaia while I go and prepare her food. She’s eating solids now and absolutely loves it. It’s upsetting that she’s weaning off my breast milk now she’s eating proper food three times a day. I only give her my milk at bedtime, which I read was more comfort than her needing it. She grew in the blink of an eye, and she’ll be a year old in five months. That’s crazy to me. Cole plays with her on the floor in the living room while I prepare dinner. I can hear her laughing while he does the tickle monster on her. He’s such a goof. Cole takes her upstairs when she starts to rub her eyes tiredly. It was past her bedtime, and if she doesn’t sleep on time, she’ll get cranky. I watch on the monitor as Cole lays her down in her bed and kisses her forehead, she starts to cry, and he rocks her gently. “Shh, oh I know, you’re tired, sweetheart.” He whispers, rubbing her back gently.I stir the sauce to the carbonara pasta I was cooking while watching him with her. I pick up
Another gruelling day of work. That office is unbearable without her. I’d rather stay in bed with Shayla. Actually, I’d rather stay anywhere with Shayla would be the correct term. Despite the stress of the trials and court Shayla is finally back to her usual self. Justice had been served. Sophie got twenty-five years, and the two fuckers got life in prison. It was over. I was worried she would go spiralling back to her depressive state while she was forced to relive the moments they tortured her.They offered to shield her away so she would face them, but she declined. The prosecutor tried to break her, blaming her for Sophie's mental state because of our relationship's breakdown, which resulted in her ‘momentary lapse of judgement’ and wanting to hurt Shayla. She even dared to stand there and lie that she was provoked, that Shayla threatened her first, and I was volatile and abusive to her throughout our relationship, which only worsened her mental state and drove her over t
After Shayla and I finally had sex after months, we’ve been at it like rabbits, unable to keep our hands off each other. As messy as our relationship has been, that raw magnetic pull we had from the very first moment I laid my eyes on her has never wavered. I’m still as obsessed with her as I was then—if not more. We’re entirely in sync when it comes to the act of love. These little games we play with one another keep that fire inside us raging. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else. She keeps me on my toes in every aspect of my life, and I love her madly for it.Two weeks go by, and after a long stressful day at the office, I was happy to be home, and the smell of her cooking makes my stomach growl in recognition the second I step in through the threshold.“Baby, I’m home,” I call out as I close the front door. I drop my briefcase on the sofa and see Alaia in her bouncer, bouncing away while she watches Moana again for the millionth time. I walk over to he
I couldn’t contain the grin that spread across my face as I look down at her. “You caved.”“I don’t need a bodyguard, but it’s clearly important to you, and if it’s going to give you peace of mind and make you happy, I'll do it.” I close my eyes and sigh in relief. I feel my entire body relax. I lean over and pull her up to her feet and take her face into my hands. “I was being unreasonable and inconsiderate by disregarding your feelings on the matter. I’m sorry.”“You don’t have to apologise, baby. I get your reasons for not wanting a bodyguard, but my priority is always you and Alaia first and foremost.” I explain, brushing my thumb along her jaw, and she smiles beautifully, caressing my chest.“And you are ours.” She whispers before I lean down and draw her in for the slow, hair-raising kiss I've been dying to give her all day. Shayla moans audibly. Her silky-smooth tongue sinks into my mouth, teasing my own as I back her up against the wall kissing her urgen
Twenty minutes later, the house smelt sensational with home-cooked goodness. Cole strolls into the kitchen while his wife cooks pancakes. He wraps his arms around her from behind and kisses her pulse. “As good as this food smells, I can’t wait to eat you later,” Cole growls in her ear hungrily, making her grin. “Shh, baby, the kids are going to hear you,” Shayla whispers back, looking up at him, and he matches her grin leaning close. “They’re not even in here.” Cole chuckles, kissing her softly. Shayla wraps her arms around her husband’s neck and parts her lips when his tongue silently requests permission to meet her own. “Oh, barf. Mum and Dad are making out again.” RJ grumbles, walking into the kitchen, followed by Alaia, who grimaces as they take their seats at the dining table. Shayla and Cole laugh as they pull apart. “Now you know how we feel watching you slobber all over your little ‘friends’ you keep bringing over.” Alaia retorts, making air q
Sixteen years later…On a beautiful Saturday morning in the month of August, Shayla Hoult rolls over in the bed she shares with her gorgeous husband Tristan Cole Hoult and smiles contently. At the tender age of forty-six, he was still every bit as handsome as he always was. She lay on her side and admired him while he slept. He still looked the same—but older with fine lines that came with maturity, which made him even sexier. The stubble of his beard had specks of grey, which she loved.“Why are you staring at me?” Cole mumbles, his eyes still closed, causing his wife to start while she was lost deep in her thoughts. Shayla smiles, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly, and reaches over to brush her fingers over his cheek. Cole smiles, peels his eyes open, and blinks, looking at his beautiful wife smiling at him lovingly.“How long have you been awake?” Shayla giggles when he wraps his strong arm around her waist and drags he
I exhale slowly, and Cole sits up and turns the night light on, blinking a couple of times till his eyes adjust to the light. “My water broke,” I tell him, and he shifts and pushes the covers off himself and gets out of bed. I watch him walk around the bed to my side, and he takes hold of my hand to help me sit up.“Are you having contractions?” He questions, brushing my hair away from my face, and I nod. “What do you need me to do?”I exhale slowly when another contraction comes. I wait for it to pass before I speak. “Call my midwife, then my mum. Tell her I’m in labour, and we’ll drop Laia to her.” I instruct him, and he kisses my forehead before he grabs my phone. While Cole was on the phone, I take off my wet clothes and change into a pair of grey comfortable tracksuit bottoms and one of Coles oversized hoodies. The pain was getting worse by the minute, and I was worried we wouldn’t make it to the hospital. “Cole, we have to go. Like right now.” I whimper, and he l
“Shay.” I lift my gaze from staring at my huge baby bump and look at my husband, who rolls over when I turn the night lamp on. “You okay?” Cole questions drowsily, and I glower at him.“Why won’t this baby come out.” I hiss angrily, and Cole groans, leaning up on his elbow and looks at me, his green eyes narrowed.“Maybe he likes it in there and isn’t ready to leave just yet.” He smiles, rubbing my bump, and the baby squirms inside me at his father’s touch. My due date was six days ago, and this stubborn child is showing no indication of arriving anytime soon.“I’ve had enough.” I whimper, agitated. “I’m uncomfortable. I haven’t slept a wink in days, and I’m swollen like a beached whale. Look at me.” I complain, gesturing to myself, and Cole lets his eyes wander over me, and he smiles. “What are you looking at?”He blinks, bemused.“You just said—”“You get this baby out of me right now.” I huff, and Cole scratches his forehead, his brows fu
Shayla pulls back and looks up at me, tears flowing from her beautiful eyes. “Did you...” She trails silently, asking me if I had something to do with her killing herself off, and I shake my head.“No, I had nothing to do with that. She obviously couldn’t handle being locked up. The warden did say girls like her are like fresh meat to a hungry lion.” I explain, brushing her tears away.“I did.” I turn and look at Sam, and Shayla frowns. “I may have visited the prison. A guard there is a friend of mine, and when he found out you were my sister, he did me a favour.” He explains with a shrug, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his jeans. “It wasn’t enough that she was locked away, I wanted her to suffer, so I had my artist friend paint a photo of you and Cole kissing on the wall opposite her cell, she’d be forced to stare at it, be reminded every second, of every day that she didn’t break you,” Sam tells her. Shayla pulls away from me and runs into her brother's arms.
“That was a great party. I’m a grown arse man, and I had a blast.” Josh chuckles, sitting back on the sofa, taking a sip from his beer. I smile and nod, looking over at my mother and Shay’s mother directing the kitchen's cleaning crew. Sam comes across with baby Trey in his arms and sits on the sofa with a tired sigh.“It really was. Shayla did a great job with organising everything.” I tell him, and Josh nods, looking over at the baby in Sam's arms.“How’s fatherhood treating you, bro?” Josh questions putting his beer bottle down and taking Trey from Sam.“Tiring man, but I wouldn’t give it up for the world,” Sam admits looking over at Trey curled up on Josh’s chest. “To think I was terrified of ever having one of those, now I can’t picture my life without him.”I smile in understanding. “Yeah, they really do change your life, especially if it's with the right woman,” I state, and both men nod in agreement.“I feel so left out. I can’t wait to hol
“Happy birthday, princess.” I croon, looking down at Alaia, who just rose from her sleep. She smiles up at me as soon as she sees me, displaying her two teeth. She’s always so happy in the morning, and this morning was no different. She’s just lying in her crib, kicking back with her hands behind her head. “Good morning, my sunshine.” I pick her up and kiss her cheek affectionately. “Is my baby girl one-year-old today?” We walk out of the nursery back to our bedroom, where Shayla was still asleep. “Let’s go wake up, Mummy,” I whisper, kissing her temple and smile when I see Shayla lying on her front, peacefully sleeping. I crawl up on the bed and lay Alaia down on her stomach, and she immediately crawls over to her mother. I lay on my side and watch as she makes cooing sounds, pressing her hand to Shay’s face, who stirs from her sleep and smiles.“Mm, good morning, birthday girl.” She sighs, lifting her arm and wrapping it around Laia, who tries to crawl over her. She looks o
We see Josh and Aimee in the waiting room, along with Jo’s father, “How is she doing? Any news?”Aimee shakes her head. “Not yet. We got here not long ago.” I sit beside her, and Cole walks over to Josh, talking to Jo’s dad, Phil. “Did you look in the mirror before you left the house?” Aimee grins, her blue eyes raking over me.“No, why?” I ask apprehensively and look down at myself.Aimee laughs, “You look fucked out, girl. You could have at least run a brush through your hair.” I stare at her dumbfounded and reach to comb out my hair with my fingers.“We left in a rush,” I whisper, unlocking my phone and loading up the camera. “Do I really look that bad?” I look at my reflection in the camera and gasp a little. My face was all flushed, my hair a tousled mess, my lips were swollen, and I had love bites all over my neck. “Oh shit.” I curse, pulling my hair over my shoulder to cover up the love bites.Aimee nudges me, grinning wickedly. When I look
Later that evening, Cole and I were sitting on our bed, me on my tablet and him on his, looking through emails. “Do you not think we’re going a little overboard with this birthday party?” I ask, looking away from the tablet to him, staring intently at a document on his device.“No,” Cole utters, typing away on the screen. “What my baby wants, my baby gets.” I frown.“Cole, she’s turning one, she doesn’t have a clue what she wants. She’s not even going to remember this.” Cole looks at me and shrugs.“She’s aware of more than you realise.” He replies, his brows lifting to his hairline. “Don’t you see the way her little face lights up when she sees Moana on the screen?” I smile and nod, “Or the way she sways side to side when she hears the song.”“That is adorable.” Cole nods, smiling, and leans over, puckering his lips for me. I lean in and kiss him softly.“Let’s give our baby girl the birthday she deserves.” Cole mumbles against my lips, and I grin