42
COPE
Fury washedthrough me as I settled Sutton in her tiny office in the back hallway. There was just enough room for a small desk and two chairs opposite it. As she sat in one, I scooted the second closer, my hands looping around her thighs. “Talk to me.”
Sutton stared straight at me, but her gaze was unfocused as if she were somewhere else entirely. “I knew it would happen eventually, that someone would put two and two together. I just thought I’d have more time.”
A fresh wave of anger slid through me. These gossipmongers never thought about how their actions affected the people they wrote about. It only made me more furious because Sutton hadn’t asked to be in the public eye; I was the one who’d forced her into it.
And there was more I had to tell her.
My fingers tightened on Sutton’s thighs, trying to bring her focus to me. “Roman gave an interview.”
Sutton jerked as if she’d been shot. “What?”
“With one of the worst gossip sites. Probably because they pay cash for those kinds of things. He played the aggrieved ex and said hehad a problem but was better now. That you left him when he needed you the most.” As if it wasn’t bad enough that several sites had picked up the story, sharing those photos of Sutton’s brutalized face. One just had to take it to the next level by giving her ex a platform for his lies.
I expected hurt, maybe even tears. Instead, Sutton shoved to her feet and stalked across the tiny space. “When he neededmethe most? How about whenIneededhim? When hisassociatesbeat me so badly, I didn’t think I would survive. When I was lying in the hospital, and it hurt to even breathe. When I had to beg a friend to stay with Luca so he didn’t go into the system while I recovered.”
Each statement was worse than any blow I’d taken on or off the ice. The reality of what Sutton had endured was more than I could take.
She stilled her pacing halfway across the room and took in my face. She let loose a creative curse and crossed to me, dropping into my lap. “I’m sorry.”
I held her to me, trying to assure myself she was okay. Safe. “I should be the one comforting you.”
“I know it’s hard to hear,” Sutton said, her voice dropping.
“It is. But it was a hell of a lot harder to go through.” My hand slid along her jaw as my thumb traced the faint scar bisecting her lip, the one so similar to mine. “I hate that they hurt you. Would do anything to take away the pain, the memories.”
“Cope,” Sutton whispered. “I’m okay. I got out. I survived. And now I know I have the ability to stand on my own two feet. To take care of myself and Luca. That’s a gift. But it also means it was that much sweeter when you came along just when I needed you most.”
Her fingers lifted to my face, tracing my mirroring scar. “You gave us a safe place to land. A harbor in the storm.”
“Warrior,” I croaked.
“I—”
The door opened, cutting off Sutton’s words. “Are things getting frisky back here?” Lolli asked. “I was just bringing Sutton some tea, but it looks like that might not be necessary.”
Sutton flushed. “All clothes are firmly in place, Lolli.”
“Could still be getting up to some dry humping. I’m kinda partial to that myself.”
“Lolli!” I clipped.
She just glared at me. “I thought I could count on you not to be a stick in the mud.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Someone save me from this nightmare.”
Sutton giggled softly, and the sound wrapped around me, bringing relief. She was okay. We’d make it through whatever came our way.
Sutton pushed off my lap. “I need to get back to work.”
“You will do no such thing,” Lolli snapped. “I am going to help Walter finish up. We’ll have Hottie Holt teach us the security system, and he said he’d send a video tutorial to your phone, as well. Cope is going to take you home.”
Sutton’s brows lifted. “Who knew Lolli could be bossy about more than the medicinal effects of pot?”
“Damn straight, my darling.” Lolli crossed to Sutton and wrapped her in a tight hug. “You matter, and I’ll do whatever I need to do to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”
