Omerta ||ʙᴏᴏᴋ 1||

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴏ

I stood there, awkward and uncomfortable, wishing I could just head back to the car. Cole was striking—undeniably—but his constant sexual remarks made my skin crawl. I hoped he'd eventually understand I was seventeen, not some grown woman to flirt with like that.

"Tanner, I need you to stay. There's more we need to discuss—beyond just the case," the boss said to my dad.

Dad nodded, stepping toward him. I looked between the two of them, a little surprised at the height difference. My dad was already tall, but the boss somehow edged him out.

I kept my eyes on the ground, silently begging for this visit to end. Every time we came here, it was never quick. I usually waited in the car for an hour, sometimes more, until Hunter came to drive Max and me home. Some days, I'd just leave and sneak back before anyone noticed.

"Hunter, take your sister and Max home. We'll be here a while," the boss ordered, eyes moving from Hunter to his own son. "And Cole—walk them out. Then you're free to go. Just remember—use protection. Don't need you knocking up the wrong girl."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and disappeared into the office, my dad following behind.

I started walking out before anyone could say anything else. I still had no idea why the boss wanted to see me. I mean, yeah, I was going to take over my dad's role eventually—but that was supposed to be in the distant future. I wasn't even done with school yet.

"Skylar, you're walking the wrong way," Max laughed behind me.

Apparently, I'd zoned out again. Typical.

I turned and jogged toward the car, but then I heard my name.

"Skylar, wait!" Cole's voice rang out. "Jesus, I've been trying to get your attention since we walked out. You're so fucking hot. Your ass is tight. No wonder your dad kept you hidden."

Max lost it in the backseat, laughing way too hard. I turned and shot him a death glare, but he kept laughing.

I turned back to Cole, annoyed. "What do you want? And for the record, you're not my type."

Lie. He was exactly my type. I just didn't want to admit it.

"Yeah? Then why were you staring at me like I was dessert five minutes ago?" he said, running a hand through his messy hair. "Let's make this simple—me, you, backseat. One time. No strings."

I burst out laughing. Was he serious?

"Bye, Cole. I'd say it was nice meeting you, but I'd be lying. And stop hitting on me—it's weird. I'm seventeen."

I pulled the car door shut. He stumbled back slightly, surprised. Then he just smirked and walked off.

The ride home was quiet. Hunter didn't say much, and Max cracked a few dumb jokes, but I wasn't really listening.

When we got back, I checked on Jack. He was fast asleep, a soft smile on his face. I gently brushed his hair back and kissed his forehead.

"Happy birthday, Jacky. I love you," I whispered.

Back in my room, I tossed my phone on the bed and went to take off my makeup. My phone buzzed. It was Liam.

Liam—my ex. We dated before I started homeschooling. Things ended, but we still had this strange, flirty, half-friends thing going on. He was hot. No denying that. But Cole? Cole made Liam look like a high school crush.

Fuck buddy: Sky, go to the guest house. Now. I need you.
I sighed, grabbed a hoodie, and snuck out to the guest house. Liam was already waiting.

The moment I walked in, he kissed me hungrily. I pulled at his hair, letting him push me backward. His hands slid up my thigh, lifting me off the ground. I wrapped my legs around him, and he carried me to the bedroom, his kisses turning rougher.