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Was I willing to let that go for her?
With a sigh, I grabbed my phone and dialed Shaw’s number. It rang twice before his gruff voice came through.
“I heard from Aden. Is your Tori alright?” Shaw’s tone was casual, but I could hear the underlying concern.
Aden’s report from earlier had given me a good sense of what happened.
Still, hearing Shaw mention her asmy Toristirred something deep inside me.
“She’s shaken up,” I replied, pacing the living room as I tried to shake off the frustration.
I continued, “But she refuses to show it. She doesn’t want anyone knowing how much he got to her.”
That was Tori—strong, fiercely independent, but carrying a world of hurt just under the surface.
“She’s really something, huh?” Shaw chuckled, as though he understood more than he let on.
“Yeah, she is,” I said, and there it was—my answer, plain as day.
I knew we hadn’t been dating long, but somehow, I was certain Tori wasitfor me.
I hadn’t even fully admitted it to myself, not in so many words, but there it was, unbreakable and undeniable.
She’d put down permanent roots in Oakridge, and no part of me wanted to pull her away from that.
“Pity she saw Aden,” Shaw commented. “You want me to send a replacement to keep things under wraps?”
I hesitated. Aden had gone above and beyond; he was the reason I hadn’t charged in there like a storm tonight.
Tori had barely noticed him hanging back, and with how discreet he was, I didn’t think she’d pick up on his presence going forward.
“Actually...I’d like to retain him. He knows what he’s doing, and I think he’ll be good for the job,” I told Shaw.
There was a beat of silence before Shaw replied, “Alright, if that’s your call. Aden’s the best, so I’ll set it up. But Cole, if this escalates, you know we’ll need to handle it differently.”
“I know.” I didn’t like thinking that far ahead, but I knew Shaw was right.
Marcus had already crossed a line.
After we ended the call, a text buzzed from my sister.
Lacey:Family dinner at the lake house next weekend. You coming?
The lake house.
The family had spent so many weekends out there growing up, surrounded by water and pine trees, that it felt almost like its own world.
A world without boardrooms and city traffic, just open air and memories.
An idea took root. Tori might need an escape, a place where Marcus couldn’t reach her, where she’d be safe for a few days.
I typed out a quick response to Lacey, letting her know I’d be there, and that I wanted to borrow the lake house for next weekend.
That would give me a few days to put everything together, to make sure the invitation didn’t seem as out of the blue as it felt.
The more I thought about it, the clearer it became.
If I wanted a life with her—really wanted it—I couldn’t just expect her to slot herself into mine.