Falling for Agent Cox:A Falling Novel Read online

  Her shoulders lower and she reaches over to take her sister’s hand again. “Ave, I’m going to do this. I already agreed. I know I need to do it. I don’t have any other choice, plus as I said before, I’ll get answers. But most of all, I need, no, I want to redeem myself.” BINGO, I knew there was a soft side to this woman, I think to myself, but she shocks me when she quietly adds, “I don’t like the person I’ve become, Avie. I want to be more like you. I want people to want to be around me. I want someone to love me like Flynn loves you. I want a friend who will drop anything to be there for me like Cress does for you. I want to start living life rather than just coasting through.”

  “Ohh, Bay,” Avery cries. “I’m so proud of you right now.”

  The moment between the sisters is heartwarming but time is of the essence right now. “Sorry to break up this Hallmark moment, ladies, but we need to get this in motion. Baylor needs to get out of here so we can bring this all crashing down.”

  Baylor looks to me and confidently says, “Let’s do this.”

  4

  Baylor

  Ave left and I spent the next few hours formulating the plan with Agent Cox and his superior. There was so much paperwork. I lost count of how many times I was threatened if I took off or betrayed him. Like I could go anywhere, he took my passport and I have no clue how to go underground as they say.

  He’s so anal with everything—the complete opposite of me—ensuring all the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed. I’ve never met someone as straitlaced as him… and Anal Avery is my sister. He sees everything as black and white, there’s no gray or in between. And rules, fuck me sideways. Him and his rules are going to drive me fucking nuts. If he keeps pushing me, I’ll show him my claws like the kitten he keeps referring to me as. Little does he know, I’m not a kitten, I’m a fucking lion. I’m the queen of the jungle and I’m going to bring him, Kye, and this case, to their knees.

  Thankfully I can still live at the apartment with Ave, but I will be suggesting she stay with Flynn more often than not. I don’t want her to get hurt again. I keep playing the image of stepping out of the elevator and seeing River and Smallie standing above her limp, lifeless body and the events that unfolded after…

  …I’ve had this feeling of being watched the last few days, but it’s clearly my mind playing tricks on me because no one is there. Hell, I swore I saw Kye the other day when I was doing a drop-off for Creed. Stepping into the elevator, I press the button for my floor; this is the slowest elevator in the history of elevators. The doors open and when I step out, I see River and Smallie and wonder what they’re doing here. Then, I see Ave on the ground and a sinking feeling develops in the pit of my stomach. Smallie lifts his leg back and kicks Ave like she’s a football. My eyes widen and I’m frozen, but then, instinct kicks in and I shake my head and race out of the elevator.

  “Avie!” I scream, and this causes their heads to snap up.

  They look at me stunned, and then, one of them growls, “Fuck.” Smallie kicks her again and from the force, her head connects with the doorframe and I watch as she loses consciousness.

  “What the fuck, guys?”

  “We thought she was you,” River says, looking agitated and guilty.

  “Why are you here?”

  “The boss wants what’s his.”

  “And what’s that?”

  But before he can answer, our nosey next-door neighbor exits his apartment. “What’s going on?” he asks, looking between the three of us, he hasn’t noticed Ave yet. Needing to cause a distraction and get the guys out of here, I shout, “Call 911,” and race over to Ave.

  “Fucking bitch,” one of them yells, as they make a beeline for the emergency stairwell.

  “Ohh, Baylor,” I cry, keeping up the ruse that it’s me who has been assaulted.

  “Emergency services are on their way,” the neighbor says, but I stare at Ave and hope that she’ll be okay as I quietly whisper, “Shit, shit, shit. This is all my fault. “

  “Avery,” the neighbor says, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  “Yes,” I answer, reaffirming that I’m Avery.

  “Can I get you anything?”

  Shaking my head, I stare down at Ave and take her hand in mind. “Please be okay,” I whisper.

  The elevator doors open and the paramedics walk over to us. They shuffle me out of the way and get to work on Ave/me. She’s loaded onto the stretcher and they hand me her bag. I follow after them and climb in with her. We pull up at Western General, where she’s whisked away and I’m escorted to the waiting area in the ER.

  Taking a seat, I stare at the two bags on my lap. My purple Prada and Ave’s simple black tote; even our bags are different. Her phone rings but I don’t answer, I just stare at the purses on my lap. Her phone pings that a voicemail has been left. Without thinking, I reach in and grab her phone. I see she has a missed call from Flynn.

  “Ms. Evans?” a nurse asks.

  Lifting my head, I look up at her. “Yes,”

  “Your sister is being taken to X-ray. We will know more soon.”

  Nodding my head, I watch her walk away. That should be me in there. Her phone pings again, so I look down at the screen and it’s a text from Cressida. Ignoring that, I click on Flynn’s name, he needs to be here for Ave. He picks up immediately, “Ave, babe—”

  He thinks I’m her and before I can stop myself, I cry, “Flynn…it’s Bay.”

  “What’s wrong? Where are you?” His voice is etched with worry and jealousy courses though me. No one would worry or care for me like that.

  “I’m at Western General,” I tell him.

  “I’m on my way.”

  “Hurry.”

  Hanging up from Flynn, I go back to staring the bags on my lap. Movement in the corner of my eye causes me to lift my head, and I see the nurse from before walking over to me with two officers. “Ms. Evans, I’m Officer Cooper and this here is my partner, Officer Devon.”

  I nod my head, “Hi,” I mumble, gripping the strap of my bag tighter.

  “Can you tell us what happened tonight?”

  “It’s all jumbled but I got home and two guys were standing over her. They were shocked to see me.”

  “Do you think they were after you and not your sister?” The officer’s question shocks me but at the same time, I was also expecting it. Everyone knows Avery Evans is a saint and I’m not, so it’s unsurprising they would ask that. I know this is the time to admit that it’s Ave in there, but the lies continue to fall from my mouth.

  “I…I don’t know,” I lie, because they were one-hundred-percent after me. Avery is innocent in all of this. Avery is always innocent and it’s always me in trouble. I will myself to tell the truth. To say, “There’s been a mistake, I’m Baylor, it’s Avery in there. They were after me. I’m the bitch here.” But before I can confess, Flynn enters the ER. My heart stops because I know I’m about to be caught. He’s her boyfriend, he will know I’m not Ave but I don’t correct them.

  Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes, but when I open them, my gaze lands on him; I just can’t do it. I live up to my ‘Bitchy Baylor’ name and continue the ruse that I’m Avery Evans. “Flynn,” I cry, wrapping my arms around his waist and snuggling into him. I breakdown and weep into his chest. He wraps his arms around me, hugging me tight. I feel safe in his arms. It’s nice to be held and wanted and loved, even if the person doing all of that thinks I’m someone else.

  I know what I’m doing is wrong, but I can’t stop myself…and I don’t care a bit it’s all a farce.

  Tears fall down my cheeks. I don’t know if I’m crying because I’ll never have a love like this, or if I’m crying because my sister, my number one cheerleader, is in there because of me and my actions.

  His embrace tightens and he soothingly whispers, ‘Shhhh’ over and over, reminding me so much of Ave.

  Guilt sets in but when Flynn says, “Avery here is my girlfriend.” It snaps my attention back to the present. This is when I
need to come clean, but I like being someone’s girlfriend again. I haven’t had that since Kye and even if just for tonight, I can be happy and loved, then I’m going to take it.

  The officers look at me, waiting for confirmation that Flynn is my boyfriend, so I nod in agreement. Flynn is Avery’s boyfriend so that’s not a lie. The only lie is I’m Baylor and not Avery.

  The officer addresses Flynn, “Baylor was attacked by two unknown assailants, at the apartment she shares with her sister earlier this evening. Avery, here, interrupted them and probably saved her sister.”

  “I was so scared, baby,” I say, snuggling into Flynn’s side. Surprising myself how easy it is right now to pretend to be Ave.

  Flynn places a kiss on my head. “Babe, I’m so glad you weren’t home when it happened. Do you know who they were?”

  I shake my head, and another lie slips through my lips. “No, I’ve never seen them before.”

  “Are they the guys from the other day?” he asks me. I have no idea what he’s going on about. He eyes me suspiciously and then adds, “You mentioned two guys the other night?

  “I…I don’t know. Everything’s all so fuzzy.” Pulling away from him, I sit down and cover my face with my hands. This is getting out of control, I need to confess but when Flynn says, “What shit has your sister gotten into?” my blood boils. Of course he thinks this is all my fault. I look at him and snarl, “Who says it’s her fault?”

  “I didn’t say that, I—” Before he can defend himself, a doctor walks over to us, Flynn stands up to greet him. I sit and watch them, after giving permission for Dr. Clay to speak freely, he gives us an update on me slash Ave.

  “Avery, Baylor has a concussion and a laceration to her left cheek that needed five stitches, but luckily, no broken facial bones. She has three cracked ribs and a nasty bump on the back of her head. Her face and torso are bruised, likely from being kicked. She was also shocked with a Taser. There’s two red barb welts on the side of her abdomen. All things considered, she’s in okay shape.” Dr. Clay adds, “She’s still unconscious and we will continue to monitor her until she wakes up.”

  Rapidly blinking I process his words, but everything is all jumbled. Hearing the extent of her injuries concerns me. “Will…will she be okay?”

  “Until she regains consciousness, we won’t know about her mental state but physically, yes, she’ll recover from the injuries sustained.”

  “Can I see her?”

  Dr. Clay nods his head. “Of course. Come with me. Flynn, technically, you cannot see her.”

  “No, I understand,” he says before turning to me. “You go see your sister and I’ll see about getting her transferred to a room upstairs.”

  Wrapping my arms around him, I kiss him. I know I shouldn’t, but I close my eyes and press my lips to his. He’s stiff, it’s like he knows I’m not her but he’s too nice to say anything.

  Pulling away, I follow Dr. Clay, leaving Flynn behind.

  Taking a seat beside Ave, I stare down at her. My eyes well with tears. Taking her hand in mine, I squeeze. “Please wake up. I’m so sorry, twinsie. Please wake up for me.”

  Seeing her lying there changed something inside of me. Yes, it still took me some time to come clean, well, for Cressida to out me, but I feel remorseful for what I had caused, and after chatting with Ave once she woke up, I knew it was time to make a few changes in my life. I want to be someone she’s proud of again. I wanted to be her BayBay.

  Another deciding factor in turning my life around was when River and Smallie took me from the hospital. After being tortured for a few days, I was more than determined to change; this wasn’t the life I wanted anymore and I definitely don’t want to be tortured again. I never expected my chance to reform come in the form of a straitlaced sexy agent with an offer right out of the movies, but here we are. I’m about to go undercover to help him bring down a major drug ring that is run by my presumably dead boyfriend. Tarantino couldn’t write this shit, I think to myself, as I walk toward the warehouse.

  My second chance starts now, and I’m not going to let them down. With my hand on the doorknob, I push it open and enter.

  It’s go time.

  It’s showtime!

  5

  Baylor

  Stepping inside the warehouse, I thought I was prepared to see him. I’d seen the surveillance photo of Kye, but there was still a part of me that thought Cox was fucking with me. But he wasn’t because standing before me, alive and breathing, is Kye Vlahos.

  My breath hitches. “You…you’re…you’re dead,” I stammer, blinking rapidly. My eyes lock on the alive and breathing Kye Vlahos. Cox told me I needed to act surprised when I saw Kye for the first time, but I guarantee you, I’m not acting right now.

  “Surprise, Sugar. Daddy’s home,” he says, stretching out his arms, smiling at me.

  “H…how? W…what? How?” I stutter.

  “I think we need to talk, Sugar,” he says, walking over to me. My rapidly blinking eyes are locked on him. He cups my cheek with his palm, and my breath hitches again when his hand connects with my skin. Lifting my hand, I cover his with mine, leaning into it. Squeezing. Breathing him in.

  “You’re really here?” I whisper.

  “In the flesh, Sugar.” His voice is deeper than I remember but he looks exactly the same, except his hair is a little longer. “What did they do to you?” he whispers, gently running his thumb across my bruised cheekbone.

  “Who?”

  “Smallie and River.”

  “It doesn’t matter what they did. How are you alive?”

  “Yes, it fucking matters,” he snarls. “No one touches what’s mine.” The vehemence in his voice is frightening. I don’t remember him ever speaking like this before. “If they weren’t already dead, I’d kill them myself.”

  Staring at him, I process his words and actions. He’s being so nice to me. It’s as if he does love me, but if he did, why did he let me think he was dead? Looking directly into his eyes, I glare at him. “If I meant so much to you,” I snap, “you wouldn’t have let me think you were dead these last few months.” I pull his hand off my face and throw it to the side. I step back and spin around, shaking my head.

  Turning back to face him, my eyes well with tears when the emotion I felt at losing him hits me with the force of a Category 5 hurricane, “Why, Kye? Why?” I cry, “Why did you make me think you were dead? I loved you. I thought you loved me too.”

  “It’s complicated,” he nonchalantly replies, slipping his hands into his jean pockets, rocking on his feet, as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. As if he didn’t just reappear from the dead.

  “Don’t give me that shit!” I yell, anger building at how calm and cool he’s acting right now. “How dare you treat me like that!”

  “Sugar,” he interrupts.

  “Don’t fucking Sugar me. I want answers, Kye, and I want them now.”

  “Calm your tits, woman. I’m trying to explain but you’re going all psycho bitch on me right now.”

  “Did you just, A. Tell me to calm my fucking tits, and B. Call me psycho fucking bitch? YOU,” I point at him, “are the fucking asshole, dickwad cunt. You made me think you were dead.” My eyes well up with tears. “I cried for you. My heart broke for you and all along, you were fucking alive.”

  “I know. I’m sorry I did that but if you let me explain...”

  “You died, Kye. I saw it,” I cry, tears are pouring down my face now. I thought I was going to be okay with his deceit, but seeing him alive and breathing, it cuts me that he didn’t confide in me. “Why?”

  “Sugar,” he says, cupping my cheeks in his palms, “I had to get the feds off my ass and take care of a few family matters. I didn’t want you to get caught up in this until it was safe.”

  “Why do they care about us? We are nothing. Nobodies.”

  “Baylor, Sugar. I’m Kye-fucking-Vlahos, head of the Vlahos family. Since the recent demise of my father, mother, sister, and uncles, the fami
ly empire is mine.” He pauses. “Mine.”

  My eyes widen, seems Cox left out a major detail, but then it hits me, he didn’t know this. “What?”

  “It was all planned, Sugar. I took out Father and his brothers, and no one suspected a fucking thing. Mother and sister were collateral, their deaths earlier today were unfortunate, but now, now I’m back where I belong.”

  “And where’s that? Hell?”

  He laughs at me, “No, in the seat at the head of the Vlahos family, where I rightfully belong. And Bay, Sugar, I want you by my side every step of the way from now on. What do you say, Sugar? Will you reign as my queen?”

  6

  Corey

  Watching Baylor walk out of the room just now was harder than I anticipated. I’ve sent many people undercover, but this woman, she’s affected me in a way like never before.

  A knock at the door garners my attention, and I look up to see Hall standing in the doorway. “Saw Baylor leave, wanted to check that your balls are still attached.”

  “My balls are safe, thanks for your concern.”

  “Why the long face then?

  “I’m concerned,” I tell him, rapping my fingers repeatedly on the file before me.

  “Concerned about what?” he asks, walking into the room and taking the seat Baylor just vacated.

  “This case.”