Cold Devotion | ✔️

Chapter Seventeen

Rose

I wake up to my phone going off. Without thinking, I answer the call. "Hello?" I say groggily and someone laughs on the other end of the line. Colton shifts in his sleep beside me and it startles me for a second - I had completely forgotten that he was in here.

"That was very smart of you, I have to admit. Seducing one of my men and using him to get you out and then killing him... wow," the voice is all too familiar. Michael.

"How did you get my number?" I ask more calmly than I feel. His voice sends my mind into overdrive. Everything comes rushing back. I bite my lip to suppress the tears threatening to spill. No, no. I will not cry.

"I have my ways... I also know exactly where you are funnily enough. Don't you think it was a bit stupid going back to the facility," the thought never even crossed my mind. I just wanted to get back to Colton... I needed him.

"One wrong move Michael and your location could just accidentally slip from my mouth..." I say connivingly and he falls silent... so I thought. "That's what you don't understand," I continue and Colton wakes up, how convenient. He looks at me, confused, and goes to speak but I put my hand over his mouth. "I didn't just use your guy to get out but he told me everything... and I mean everything," he's still silent.

What's going on? Colton mouths after I take my hand away and I shake my head. "Oh Rose, you poor little girl. You say one word and your little friend... Zach is it? Might just have an awful accident and turn up dead at your door," the sneer in his voice makes me feel sick. "Watch your back Rose," he whispers.

"You dare do anything and I will kill you," I spit and he cackles down the line.

Colton looks at me, eyes wide.

"Goodbye Rosalie," he says and hangs up. My heart stops. No one has called me that in I don't know how long, the only person who would call me that is... my mother. How does he know that?

"What was that about?" Colton's voice cuts through the silence but my mind is so full of theories and thoughts that I can't even form a coherent sentence. He looks at me expectedly but I don't know what to say. I look down at my phone. Should I tell him? What if Michael kills Zach?

But I need to...

"You can't tell anyone," I say and he furrows his brows. "I mean it, promise me that you will tell no one," I say frantically and he rolls his eyes.

"Fine... I won't tell a single soul, now spill," I hope that he will keep his promise and for once in his life not lie. That he will prove to me that I can trust him.

"He knows where I am, he knows everything," I explain.

"Michael?" Colton questions and I nod. He places his hand over mine and I freeze. What is he doing? He nods for me to carry on and I do so, hesitantly.

"We need to get Zach out of here... he said that if I told anyone about it he'll kill Zach and... and I can't have that happen," my voice breaks and Colton squeezes my hand. It feels weird - his large hand covering mine, but it's a sweet gesture.

"Yeah we'll do whatever we can," he smiles lightly and I try to be optimistic.

***

Colton

"We need to keep you safe first though... Zach isn't my priority," I say and she furrows her brows. I have zero explanation for why I thought I'd hold her hand but I just wanted to comfort her I guess. I can see the pain behind her eyes that she so desperately tries to hide from me. I see every inch of her - the good and the bad. She should know better than to hide from me...well I'd hope that she would.