Free The Sway by Ruby Knight Page B

revealing a dimple in his left cheek. “That’s right. I’m sorry for the mistake. I understand now that you aren’t going to be leaving my son’s side. Do you need anything for a four-day trip?”
    It felt odd to have him being so civil toward me, especially considering our first meeting, followed by his threat to end the world. It would be easy to run down to the apartment and grab a bag.
    â€œJulia has what she needs already. We have a bag from our trip up North,” Cole said.
    Right, I no longer had a home, no longer a government asset. I didn’t have an apartment on Central Park anymore.
    â€œAnything else I might need, I can just pick up wherever we are.” I smiled at him in nonchalance. How I would do that without any money, I had no clue. My bank account through the government would’ve been shut down, and it would for sure be monitored.
    â€œAll right, then. We’re going to leave here in an hour. Be ready by then,” Hank said before turning toward an empty hallway.
    Cole tugged me in the direction of his room, and I slowly let out the breath that had been caught in my lungs ever since the face of The Sway had started getting up close and personal with me. I was pretty sure I’d heard Hank chuckle and that pissed me off to no end. Once behind the closed door in Cole’s room, I dropped his hand and paced the length from the door to the window.
    â€œHe knows, Cole. He knows who I am. Or who I was … I shouldn’t have come. Cole, I’m made. He is going to kill me.”
    Cole pulled things from drawers and piled them on the bed. I mindlessly began folding the items while he slid a leather duffel bag from under his bed.
    â€œHe’s not going to kill you. Believe me, if he wanted you dead, you would be dead.”
    Jeeze, how reassuring. “That's messed up.”
    He shrugged. I knew what he said was true, but the actual vocalization of it made me cringe.
    He held his hand out to me. “Can I have my boxers?”
    I looked down to the black boxer briefs I had made a nice little pile of and blushed, picked them up, and threw them at Cole. He rewarded me with a heart-stopping smile and sparks of attraction bounced off my skin. His cheeks flushed and I remembered he could read me.
    â€œCan you turn it off? The empathy? Or is it an all-the-time thing?”
    He slid the remainder of his clothes into the duffel. “I can’t turn it off. Quade and I have tried a million different approaches and nothing works. I have improved, though. Before, I couldn't touch someone without pushing the emotion I was feeling onto them.”
    He ran a hand against the hairline at his neck. “It made for some awkward make outs,” he added with a smirk.
    Laughter bubbled out of me. Cole quirked a half smile in my direction. How often did he make-out? What if he had a real girlfriend? What did I even mean to him?
    He was giving me a funny look, and I shook my head while I stuttered out, “I’m glad you have some control. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have complete control.”
    He walked into a closet and pulled out a black backpack similar to the one I had been issued with at The Sway.
    â€œHere, this has girly stuff in it.” He shrugged like it was no big deal.
    â€œHow long have you been planning on initiating me into The Sway?”
    Cole held a finger to his lips. Right, bugs everywhere.
    â€œAs long as you have been assigned to me, I have been tasked to you,” he said.
    I nodded to his response. “I’m beginning to think that nothing in this world happens by chance anymore. Every single thing seems calculated.”
    He put his hand on my shoulder and I shivered involuntarily.
    â€œDo you want to know what it’s like for me, when I’m around you? It’s only fair that you feel and understand how these last few months have impacted me.”
    What an abrupt change of subject.