Page 67 of Wrecked (Axle Alley Vipers)

And she’d screwed everything up.

“Cole? Please, listen to me. We can work through this.”

He wouldn’t look at her, and ignoring her and Deacon, he walked out of the cottage without a backward glance. The door shook in its frame as he slammed it shut behind him.

Deacon looked down at her, his expression sympathetic. “I take it this is more than just a lovers’ tiff?”

She slumped back onto the couch. Deke knew. Of course he did. Deacon knew every damn thing.

A sob broke free, and she nodded. “I’ve ruined everything.”

He sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms. “It’ll be okay.”

What he didn’t do was make any promises, because he knew as well as she did, Cole wasn’t coming back.

She’d lost him.

Chapter Twenty-One

Piper sat in her Chevy Nova, the interior almost pitch black with the cover still over it, and gripped the steering wheel with one hand like her life depended on it, until her fingers felt numb.

She wanted the darkness to swallow her whole, to make this feeling inside her stop. Wrapping her arms around herself, she groaned, biting down on her lip in an effort to hold in her sobs. Her body shook, like she was in shock, even though the heat in the car was stifling. She’d never experienced anything like this, not when her mother left, not even when her father had suddenly passed away. This pain was all-consuming, bigger than she knew how to deal with.

Oh God. She’d ruined everything, destroyed Cole’s trust. Pushed him away.

This couldn’t be it. They couldn’t be over. She loved him, so much—for so long. Why couldn’t he see that? Why wouldn’t he let her in? He was so damn broken, so lost in his own guilt and pain he’d rather walk away from her than face it.

And that hurt, so damn much. “Come out, Piper.” Deke’s voice was gentle but determined.

She shook her head as if her brother could see her and stared at the screen of her phone. Cole still wasn’t answering her calls or texts.

Her body started to shake harder as she hit the call button again. It went straight to voicemail. The sobs she’d been holding back burst from her lips, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She hit call again. Answer, please, answer.

His deep voice rang out, asking her to leave a message.

She sank back into the seat, heart aching. What the hell was she going to do? How was she going to get him to talk to her, to hear her out?

What if he cut her out of his life completely? What if he—

There was a scraping sound, her only warning before the darkness suddenly went away, light filling the car as the cover was dragged off. She blinked against the bright garage lights, then a moment later Alex and Rusty filled her vision through the window. They were beside her brother. He’d called in the big guns. Great.

Alex tried the door handle. “Open up, Pipe. Please.”

She reached over and lifted the lock. What was the point of locking them out? They weren’t going anywhere. Deke climbed into the passenger side, while Alex reached around to unlock the door behind him, then slid across so Rusty could fit beside her.

They all sat in silence for several minutes.

The leather creaked behind her as Alex sat forward. “Pipe…”

“Don’t,” Piper rasped.

They were quiet for another few seconds, then Alex cleared her throat. “So, this car looks a lot different than when your friend brought it in. It looks good. Really good.” Her friend squeezed her shoulder. “Did you get it running?”

Piper wordlessly twisted the key. The engine roared to life instantly, the deep rumbling growl echoing all around them.

Rusty whistled. “You rebuilt the engine?”

The knot in her belly twisted tighter. “Yeah.”