Captivated (Partners in Crime Book 4)

Chapter 3

Hazel woke the next morning and smelled something in the kitchen. She crawled out of bed, got dressed, brushed her still-damp hair from the shower, and stepped out. She walked down the hall and heard voices in the kitchen.

Upon entry, she saw Cole and Kaden talking. "Morning Hazel." Cole smiled at her.

Kaden nodded to her but kept his mouth shut.

"Here. Eat." Cole shoved a plate at her.

She looked down at the bacon and eggs. "Okay."

Kaden cleared his throat and she looked up. "Do you know of anyone who might decide using you as target practice is a good idea?"

"Kade!" Cole hissed. "Be nice."

Hazel looked down at her plate. All of a sudden she wasn't too hungry anymore. Shoving the plate away she mumbled, "No."

"You sure? Because this would really be helpful. Unless you want to stay here for the rest of your life." Kaden looked straight at her.

Cole crossed his arms, "Kade."

Hazel shook her head, "I don't know." Honestly, she was supposed to be here to be kept safe, not snapped at for something she couldn't control.

"You sure? Think really hard, because you could have forgotten. Most likely you forgot."

Hazel dropped her fork. The man was either really rude or didn't have a filter.

Cole grabbed Kaden by the arm and pulled him out of the room. She heard what sounded like hushed yelling. Cole came back in the kitchen with Kaden behind him.

"Sorry." Kaden mumbled.

"It's okay."

"Well since you obviously don't know, I'm going to go do some research and find some stuff." Kaden left the room leaving Cole behind, jaw open.

"I'm so sorry. He's a grumpy person."

Hazel smiled at Cole. She could look at him all day. He had gorgeous brown hair and those eyes. Oh, she would die for those eyes. They were greener than ever. He had a set jaw and a well-toned body. For sure, he attracted women everywhere.

Cole caught her staring and cocked his head.

She blushed, "Sorry."

He grinned, "Don't be."

Hazel finished her food and then cleared her plate. She moved to the living room and sat on the couch, basking in the morning sun.

Cole leaned his back against the wall and looked at her.

She found it a little uncomfortable, so she started a conversation. "So, do you have any family?" Poorly worded, but it would have to do.

Cole smiled, "Yes I do. I have a big family. Out in Colorado. I have one older brother and three sisters. One of which is my twin."

"Twin?" Hazel croaked. She took a deep breath. It was nothing major. Nothing major. Just a twin. No big deal.

He furrowed his brow, "Yes...a twin."

Composing herself she smiled, "That's really cool."

He nodded. "Yes. My older brother and youngest sister are married and each just had a little baby. My other sister is engaged and so is my twin sister."

"Wow, big family."

"Our jobs are what make us unique."

Hazel moved over as he sat next to her on the couch. "How so?"

"Two FBI detectives, a CSI, paramedic, surgeon, SWAT team member, realtor, and a hostage negotiator. But the negotiator just had a little boy so she quit. Oh, and my mom is a retired lawyer and my dad is a judge."

Hazel's jaw dropped. "No way."

"Yes way." Cole pulled out his phone and showed her a picture of the family right after Lesley and Aeden were born. "That's Dominic and Chloe with their daughter Lesley. That's Grace and Hunter with their son Aeden. That's Olivia and her fiancé Jack, and if you want a good story, I'll give you one about them. That's my twin sister Nicole with her fiancé Seth. And that's my mom and dad."

"You have an amazing family."

"And I'm proud of it." Cole gave her one of those smiles that could be on a cover of a magazine. "What about you? Any family?"

Uh-oh. "No. My parents died in a car accident when I was six. I jumped foster homes until I was eighteen then went to college to be a lawyer." Hazel refused to meet his eyes. All she ever got from that was pity.

"I'm sorry. But you can come visit our family anytime. You'd fit in just fine."

He was good at his job. Easily able to change the subject, distract, or help people forget about why they were stuck hiding. His comment about her fitting in made her smile, "How so?"

"Your nerve."

She laughed, "Oh, is that it?"

"Yep."

~~~~~

Cole liked Hazel. She was a good person. She would prove to be a good friend. He talked with her for another half hour before excusing himself to go to rounds. He was outside for a while, but when he rounded the front of the house he stopped short.

Beautiful music drifted from the house. A piano playing soft music filled the air. It was breathtaking. He snuck a glance through the window and saw Hazel playing. She looked amazing. Completely in her element, her face was filled with emotion and it was captivating. He was drawn to the music and watching her play was addicting.

The sweet melody filled the air and Cole stopped his rounds to listen. It was hypnotizing, listening to the music. After she ended he smiled at nothing and continued his work.