Page 18 of Cole
Telling his friends had been hard enough; how thefuckwas he supposed to tell hishusbandthatthiswas the legacy he had married into?
“Cole, why won’t you answer me?” Gabe’s voice was strained with tension. “You’re scaring the shit out of me. There’s never been anything you couldn’t tell me.”
Cole swallowed thickly. “That’s not true,” he whispered shakily. “There… there’s always been something I couldn’t tell you… Something Inevertold you… about me… about my past.”
“What does that have to do with any of this?” Gabe asked, his tension mounting.
“Everything,”Cole rasped, tears forming. “It haseverythingto do with this. Henry… isme.Henry Pruett. That’s my real name.” He trembled as the words began spilling out. “And that man was Daniel Pruett—my father—the fucker who raised me and made me do horrific things and…” Tears streaked his face. “… tried to turn me into amonsterlike him. I-I thought he was dead… I thought Ikilledhim… but he’s back… and now… and now—”
“Cole, stop,” Gabe barked, his voice laced with fear and frustration. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Cole stared at him, trembling in fear. “That man… my dad… is the Mill Creek Mangler.” His throat tightened against the horrifying words creeping out of him. “He was a… a serial killer who…” Cole shut his eyes, but it only made the nightmare images more vivid. “Who raped and butchered women.” His eyes opened slowly as warm tears flooded out. “And he made me help him.”
Gabe’s face betrayed his effort to absorb the overwhelming, surreal information. How could he even begin to make sense of it? Cole had endured the nightmare yet still struggled to comprehend the reality.
An oppressive silence engulfed the hospital room as Gabe struggled to find his words. Cole didn’t rush him; he felt an overwhelming fear of his husband’s response. What could he possibly say? Time and again, Cole had imagined himself in Gabe’s shoes, considering how he might respond to such alarming news. He was uncertain of his own words—he just knew he would never abandon the man he cherished.
And you think Gabe is any different? That he loves you any less?
Cole had never doubted Gabe’s love and loyalty to him, to their marriage. But there was no way hecouldn’tfear his husband’s response.
Was this some twisted dream?This isn’t real. I’m still unconscious from the surgery. This can’t be real.
Gabe willed himself to wake up from this dark, disturbing dream, yet he remained in thisreality. Cole remained as well—his presence too real to dismiss as mere nightmare fodder.
This isn’t a dream. This is really happening.
But how?
That man… my dad… is the Mill Creek Mangler…
Gabe’s head hurt as he struggled to absorb his husband’s words.
A serial killer who raped and butchered women… and he made me help him…
The revelation failed to take root in reality, lingering just out of Gabe’s reach.
I thought he was dead… I thought I killed him…
Perhaps the most surreal aspect was Cole taking a life or even attempting to do so. Cole was strong and fierce when protecting those he loved, but he wasn’t akiller.
But he’s back…
“When?” Gabe rasped.
Cole looked confused. “When… what?” He seemed on the verge of breaking down.
“When did you know… he was back?” Gabe’s head felt light, his thoughts distorted.
“A… A few days,” Cole mumbled. “Maybe… Maybe a week.”
Aweek?“That’s why you were acting so… off,” Gabe whispered. “Iaskedyou if something was wrong—whydidn’t you tell me the truth?”
“The truth?” Cole stared at him, tears in his eyes. “How?” he choked. “How could I tell youthistruth?” His chin quivered, and the fresh tears spilled over. “What thefuckwas I supposed to say? You have no…” He sucked in a wet, shaky breath. “You have no idea how this feels, how…” His breath quickened. “… how fuckingscaredI was… Iam…to tell you thetruth.”
His husband’s stark fear radiated off him like heat waves. Gabe swallowed. “Why were…areyou scared, Cole?” he whispered. “Why…”
Cole turned his back as his shoulders slumped, and he broke down, sobbing into his hands.
