Page 9 of The Tycoon

Chapter3

Cole watched as two officers walked Jerry and Wanda out in handcuffs.He took a deep breath and then sighed.“I don’t think so.They are just passionate about what they believe in.So I?—”

“Cole, may I speak with you, please?It’s important.”

He nodded.“Sure.”He gazed over at the police officer.“Would you wait a minute please?”

“Yes, sir,” said the young man, who was probably in his mid-twenties but looked younger and seemed like he was fresh out of the academy..

They stepped to the end of the box for privacy.

“I think you should impress on the officer you want to have them pursue the maximum charges and that you will follow up with the DA to make sure of it.Jerry wanted to kill you.Despite what he says.I saw it in his eyes.He wanted to make an example of you and what would happen to anyone else who crossed them.Please, Cole, you might be saving someone else’s life.”

He bit the inside of his cheek, his mouth pursed.Was she right?Do I trust her instincts?I better if she’s being my bodyguard.If I don’t trust her now, I might as well fire her and I’m not ready to do that.Something about her intrigues me.“What makes you think you can know what he wanted?”

“I saw it enough times when we interrogated prisoners in Afghanistan.Trust me on this.”

Cole took a deep breath.“Very well.I will, but only because Mason trusts you and I trust him.I don’t know you well enough to trust your instincts alone.”

She nodded.“That’s enough for me.You’ll get to where you trust my instincts, too.I have no doubt about that.”

They walked back to the police officer.

Cole cleared his throat.“Yes, Officer, I do want maximum charges filed against them.Jerry admitted the weapons were to threaten me.Wanda did nothing but sit there.She may be involved in felony conspiracy to kidnap and possibly kill me.I believe the plan was to get me out of the theater and when they got to the vehicle, she would taze me with the taser she had in her purse.”

“Thank you for the information, Mr.Kincaid.”The police officer finished writing in his small notebook.“I appreciate your cooperation, Ms.Phillips.”He nodded once and walked away.

Cole gazed at Regan.She was beautiful and didn’t seem to know it, or she ignored it.“I think I’d like to call it a night.I’ve lost interest in the play now.”

“Of course.”

He pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket and called for the car.Then he nodded for her to precede him from the box seats.

The car couldn’t get closer than the end of the covered courtyard.Cole held out his arm.

Regan lookedat it for a moment before curling her left hand through the crook of his elbow.She liked her right hand to always be free to handle her derringer, but in reality, she was almost as good with her left hand as her right.

“I probably shouldn’t do this.But it would look strange for you to offer me your arm and me not to take it.”

“Yes, I suppose it would.”

Cole strolled toward the street end of the courtyard.

Regan could already make out the limo waiting for them.When they reached it, the driver held the door open, and she waited for Cole to climb in.

He quietly gave the driver instructions and the address to her apartment.Then he lifted a brow and huffed out a breath, but slid onto the seat.

She climbed in and immediately kicked her shoes off.

He grinned.“And I thought you could handle anything.”

Regan grimaced.“You try walking in three-inch heels.It’s not as easy as it looks, and they are the most uncomfortable shoes ever designed.And I bet they were designed by a man because hey, he doesn’t have to wear them and women are just insecure enough that they will put up with anything for fashion.Yours truly included, because I have to fit in now, don’t I?”

“Here, give me your foot.”

Regan narrowed her eyes.“Why?What for?”

He sighed.“Just give me your foot…please.”