Page 4 of You Can Make Me (Carnival of Mysteries #28)

Gene, a fellow detective and department spokesperson, was my second-closest friend in the world after Walter Muse, Jr. It was through Gene and his beloved wife Samantha that I met Cooper Harris, though the couple had no idea what had come of a simple introduction nearly three years prior.

I’d instantly been taken with him, though at the time I’d had no clue what the hell kind of feelings I was experiencing.

I didn’t do men. Or so I’d thought. Maybe I didn’t do men as a whole , but Cooper captivated me.

The line was quiet.

I exhaled a long plume of smoke and let my head fall back.

“Any news?”

I’d also let Gene and Samantha yell and scream at me when I’d taken Cooper from the rehabilitation facility—at his request—and secreted him away.

I’d turned off my location sharing, which Gene and Junior and I never did, and texted that I had him, and he didn’t want to see or speak to anyone for now.

“He decided to kick the pain meds. He’s frustrated he can’t work.”

“He knows more than most the dangers of opioids. He spent months interviewing folks in recovery and the families of those who didn’t make it.”

“I wouldn’t have let it get to that point.”

“Yeah? Well you’re not a fucking doctor,” Gene spat out. My once dear friend was pretty damned close to hating me for keeping him and Sam in the dark.

“I know. I’m in constant conversation via the health app with his doctors, plus some medical personnel I know, and I’m heeding all of their advice whether he wants me to or not. Physically, he’s better.”

Gene let out a long breath. I heard him cover the mouthpiece and speak to someone, probably at the office, before he came back on.

“I hate being mad at you. I miss you, you bastard.”

I barked out a laugh, wishing I had some sort of outlet for the terror, rage, or the helplessness I felt. Instead, I took another hit off the death stick in my hand.

“I hate you being mad at me, but I deserve it. I understand.”

“If you’d just explain…why the fuck did he pick you ?”

I looked back toward the house and saw no movement. I checked the security app on the SAT phone to be sure he was still in bed, and I exhaled another puff of smoke.

“I wish I could explain it, but I’m not exactly sure.

” I hadn’t known what to tell people. His parents knew something.

My friends knew nothing about us. To everyone else, I was merely Cooper’s caregiver.

It was easier than saying, “We used to be lovers. He was my hope for the future, then he was gone, and for some fucking reason he asked me to help him escape.”

It didn’t make sense. None of it did.

“At least, could you please fucking finally tell me how the hell you two even knew each other?”

I had nothing but time, unless I wanted to become an expert in the Chinese terra cotta warriors or some other ridiculous shit in those damn Nat Geo mags. I could fill in some of the blanks for him—and out myself in the process. Why not?

“I’m not sure it’s going to make you feel any better, but I’ll tell you if you want.”

I heard more muffled voices, and then noises that indicated Gene was walking out of the main room in the detective’s unit and into his office.

“I want to know. Sam wants to know, D. You’ve kept her best friend away from her for months. I think you owe it to us?—”

“It was the night we celebrated your promotion. Department spokesperson. You chose that night to tell everyone you were going to be a dad.”

Gene went silent on the other end of the phone. I hated even bringing this up.

He finally let out a shaky breath. “Man, I really fucked that up.”

“Gene, man, you couldn’t have known.” Two weeks after that party, Sam had another miscarriage, and they’d waited a month to tell everyone.

They stopped trying after that. “For a while,” Sam had said.

They hadn’t given up all hope, but she’d gone back to work, using her investigative talents for a nonprofit that helped locate missing and trafficked teens.

Gene was so damned proud of her, and they were closer than ever, but it was still fucking sad that there weren’t any little Ochoas running around with her good looks and his devilishly charming personality. I’d been looking forward to being an honorary uncle.

I’d always thought I would have kids of my own, but my first wife left me during my first deployment in the Marines, and my second wife…

well, she’d left me for her high school sweetheart six years ago.

There went my hopes of being a father. I’d had a blast with Junior’s kids, and I still had hope Gene and Sam would find a way.

“I didn’t even know you talked to him that night.”

I cracked my neck and smiled, thinking of how thoroughly that night changed my life.

“You sure you want to hear what happened?”

“Hit me.”

I exhaled and laughed. Jesus, I couldn’t believe I was about to tell Gene that Cooper and I had…

knowledge of each other, that I’d become infatuated with him, was wild about him.

I’d been ready to take things to the next level when he blew up at me and then cut me off.

Such a loss. This wasn’t at all how I’d hoped we’d be thrown back together.

The story poured out of me, and Gene remained silent.

“He called my bluff,” I said. “He drove me home that night, gave me his card. There was something there, but I thought…maybe a connection, you know? Like friends. I knew better, but I tried to tell myself I didn’t, until I couldn’t stand it anymore.

I texted him, I went to Vegas to see him, and yeah.

We definitely made a connection. And all of a sudden I’m… not as straight as I thought.”

Gene was silent for too long. Then he snorted. “You dog .”

“Gene, man?—”

“I told him, that little shit. I told him that night there was no way, that he was barking up the wrong tree with you, but that cocky sonofabitch wouldn’t be deterred. Guess he was right.”

“I swear, Gene, I was good to him.”

“I bet you were.”

“Fuck off,” I groaned, but then I laughed along with him. “I was just as shocked as you. We saw each other off and on for almost a year.”

“I can imagine, Staff Sergeant Hamilton. But you know, in a weird way, you two make sense.”

“How do you figure?”

“Well, you’re both stubborn pains in the ass?—”

“Takes one to know one. Listen, things were great, then our wires got crossed. I hadn’t seen him in over a year when he showed up in Laurel Canyon.”

“So what, you guys pick back up, or?—”

“It’s not like that. I honestly don’t know why he chose me to watch over him. There’s no way I’d refuse him anything. Ever. But he’s… I’m feeding him and taking care of his affairs. I’m a glorified caregiver. That’s it.”

And it fucking hurt like hell.

“That’s… I’m sorry, D. Cooper’s an enigma.

He’s magnetic. He’s got this talent where he makes you feel like you’re the only person in the world, and he’s so damned smart.

He has a major effect on everyone he allows into his inner circle.

” Gene sighed. “I’ll explain to Sam, get you off the hook with her, but I tell you, it’ll make a big difference if you let us see him. We can help.”

“I know. I’m working on it. Thankfully his mom hasn’t made good on her threat to sick her allies on me. She’s good people.”

“She is. He’s their whole world, D. And Sam loves him to pieces. Me too, for that matter. I’m…shit. I’m glad it’s you there. Thanks for keeping us in the loop.”

“So you’re not mad?”

“Hell yeah, I’m mad, but I’ll get over it.”

And I could breathe a tiny bit easier.

“He talk about what happened?” Gene asked.

“No,” I said. “But today he asked about the carnival.”

Gene exhaled and let out a string of curses.”What did you say?”

“He remembered that Dee Dee worked at one. That Dee Dee ran into Holland there. That’s all. I didn’t add to that.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah. I hate not telling him, but man, G, I don’t know why he’s asking about it. It can’t be good. I can’t have him putting Dane or Kal in danger. We owe them.”

“Too right. Keep me posted. We’ll figure it out.”

“Yeah. It’s just… I do think Cooper talking to Dane could be really helpful?—”

“But you don’t think you can trust him to keep Dane’s secret.”

“Do you?”

Gene cursed. “Journalists. Fuck, my wife is one, but we’re married. She knows there’s shit she can’t ask me about, shit I can’t tell her. We have an agreement.”

“Cooper and I never got to that point. Almost…but then…”

“Jeez, Denny. I’m sorry. I wish I would have known?—”

“No, you don’t. I would have hated for you and Sam to be in the middle when things went south. That’s kinda why we never told anyone. We wanted to figure things out ourselves first and we were having such a good time. Until we weren’t.”

We both cursed. I finished my cigarette and put it out on my boot, tossing it in the garbage can out front.

“He’s lucky to have you,” Gene finally said. “If anyone can get him through this, it’s you.”

“Thanks.” I didn’t agree with him, but it was nice to know someone had faith in me.

If only Cooper had faith…