Captivated (Partners in Crime Book 4)

Chapter 14

Cole let Hazel be by herself for the rest of the night. He had each of their emotions in tangled up knots and understood it was best if they both sorted them out on their own.

He laid down on his bed in his room. "God, thank you. Thank you so much. Now help me to be able to keep her safe."

He fell asleep with thoughts of Hazel flitting in and out of his mind.

~~~~~

Olivia stared up at her fiancé. He came into the living room holding a huge bowl of popcorn. "I can be bribed to share." He grinned.

She took the bowl from him and set it on the coffee table. Tugging him down next to her, she kissed him. Leaning her forehead against his, she smiled, "Good enough?"

"For now. Maybe during intermission I'll ask for more." Jack shot her a smile. His face was so full of love Olivia's mind went back to that one day.

"Jack." Just the mere memory of the day paralyzed her with fear.

"Hmm?"

"What if it happens again?" Just the tone of her voice had him knowing exactly what she was scared of.

"Liv, it won't. I promise."

Olivia gripped his hand, "When we're married I don't ever want to get the message from someone saying you're gone."

Jack looked like he was weighing options in his head. "We aren't supposed to keep secrets right?"

"No." She answered, scared about what he might say.

"I have something to tell you about that day." Her face whitened. "Hey now, come here." Jack enveloped her into his arms. She buried her head into his chest. Olivia felt him take a deep breath. "That day, in surgery, I was dead for seven minutes."

Olivia stilled. No. She simply let herself be held for a minute. "What time?"

"What do you mean?"

"What was the exact time you were gone?"

Jack didn't answer right away. "12:31-12:38"

Olivia felt her stomach drop. Those minutes. She remembered those seven minutes. "I-I..."

"Hey." Jack tipped her chin up. "Why are you crying?"

She hadn't even registered the tears. "Those seven minutes. I remember those seven minutes. This may seem fake but I could tell that you were gone. I knew it. I felt it. Any minutes before or after I had at least one strand of hope. But those seven minutes. I never felt so much pain."

Jack squeezed her super hard. "I'm sorry." He let her cry for a minute or two. "But I'm here now. I'm okay. I promise I'm not going anywhere. Promise. Now let's have a good rest of our date. This movie is supposed to be good."

"Right." She sniffed. "Sorry to get emotional. I don't usually."

Jack made sure she was comfortable on the couch before responding. "That's okay. I don't mind. I still love you."

She never tired of hearing those words. "I love you too."

They continued to watch the movie. Halfway, they paused it to make more popcorn. Olivia talked with Jack during it. "I think Cole loves Hazel."

"With the amount of pressure he's putting on me and Dom to find Whatcom I'd think he does. What about her?"

"She'd be crazy not to."

Jack laughed. "They'd be good for each other. I know about her anxiety. Cole's really good with that sort of stuff."

Olivia pondered about it "I think I'll call her sometime and ask about him."

"Isn't that a bit nosy?" Jack teased. He wiped a tear from her face that hadn't dried yet.

"He's my brother." She replied dryly.

~~~~~

Cole was walking out of his room a couple days after the metronome was sent. Another one of Hazel's belongings was sent to the US Marshals Services. Again, with her return address. It was this time a framed picture of her and her foster family. She knew about it. She had had a rough time when she heard, but was doing better.

Cole was passing Hazel's room just by the stairs, when the door flew open and she came barreling out, white as a sheet. She didn't see him and slammed right into him, almost falling before he caught her. "Hazel!"

She was breathing heavily, scared out of her mind. "It...was...just a nightmare."

Cole set his hands on her shoulders. "Deep breaths. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Count down from one hundred by threes." Hazel did just that and Cole watched the panic slowly ease away. "Was this the first one?" Please let it be the only one God.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry. Those are never fun. Grace used to have them before she quit being a negotiator."

"Lucky you were there to catch me or I would have fallen down the stairs." She shot him a fake smile.

Cole registered her hands had reached up to grab his forearms. Her knuckles were white and she closed her eyes to control her breathing. "Hazel." He said softly.

She shivered and then opened her eyes. Slowly she moved her head up to look at him. "How much longer?" The whisper was desperate. "How much longer?" She repeated.

His heart broke at the coming answer. "I don't know."

"Oh." She let go of his arms and let her hands fall to her sides. "Excuse me." She turned and went down the stairs, leaving him in the dust.

"Hazel!"

No response.