Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 130159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
“I should have thought about that. And you’re both ready now?”
She nodded. “We just said goodbye to everyone. Beck is probably waiting in the car.”
He seemed taken aback but plastered on another happy expression and took her hand. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Inside the lodge, he bid a quick farewell to the others. Liam pinned him with a long, probing glance. Seth responded with the same plastic smile. Heavenly didn’t like it. She really hoped that getting away from all the dead bodies and settling in at Beck’s house—their new shared home—would help soothe him.
After a last wave at the front door, Seth followed Heavenly outside, wrapping an arm around her and all but dragging her to the SUV. He helped her into the backseat, then followed, planting himself beside her and shutting the door.
She frowned. “You’re not going to sit up front?”
“Is it okay that I’d rather cuddle with you?” He flashed her his most charming smile, his gaze focused on her.
To avoid looking at the corpses littering the yard? Honestly, she couldn’t blame him. They made her queasy. She especially hated knowing that every one of those now departed was somebody’s child, parent, spouse, sibling, or friend. But as Gloria had pointed out, Seth had been a homicide detective. Compassion aside, dead bodies shouldn’t bother him.
“Of course it’s okay.” She buckled her seat belt and met Beck’s frown in the rearview mirror.
He looked worried.
Seth buckled up, then took her hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss as Beck put the car in reverse.
“Stop. There’s a pile of crispy critters right behind you,” Seth warned as he glanced out the back windshield.
A woman wearing a drab blue FBI windbreaker appeared, stepping behind the SUV and holding up a hand to protect the charred corpses. Beck stepped on the brakes, put the car in gear, then headed down the gravel road. Seth continued peering out the back window.
Clearly, bodies didn’t bother him.
“Thanks for packing up, man.” He clapped Beck’s shoulder, then sat back. “If I had known you wanted to leave, I would have helped.”
“No problem. Heavenly and I managed pretty quickly.”
Silence fell again as Beck turned onto the paved road. The atmosphere in the car wasn’t awkward…but it wasn’t comfortable, either.
From the front seat, a phone buzzed, breaking the quiet. Beck swore and unlocked the phone with his face, then passed the device back to Heavenly. “It’s a text. Would you make sure it’s not from the hospital?”
She opened his messages, then read the most recent with a sigh of relief. “It’s from River. He says Dean just got out of surgery and is heading to recovery. All went well. They’re going to keep him overnight. River will send details when he has them.”
“Thank God.” Beck heaved out an audible breath. “Tell him I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Adam’s death was probably weighing on him. Losing one person who had helped save him from his biological family’s vengeance was difficult on Beck. Losing another, especially a friend, would be almost unbearable.
“Of course.” Heavenly laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Sounds like he’s going to be fine.”
“And River should have his tag-team partner back soon,” Seth quipped.
“So they can pick up random women in bars for the night.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know whether to be grateful or insulted that River refused to take my virginity.”
“Be grateful,” Beck groused.
“Absolutely,” Seth cut in. “Or I’d have to kill him.”
Beck nodded. “I’d have to help you.”
“And that might make strife between you and your bestie.” Seth raised a brow at her.
Heavenly rolled her eyes. “You think?”
The moment felt almost normal. The smiles, the quips, the gentle teasing… She’d grown used to conversations like this with her men.
Was it possible she’d overreacted at the lodge? Seth was keeping secrets, no two ways about that. But maybe he’d just been too overcome to talk about it in the moment. He’d explain everything in time, right?
As if Seth could read her mind, he cleared his throat and took her hand, regret all over his face. “I owe you two an apology. I was out of line this morning. I don’t really talk about Autumn and Tristan with anyone. It’s still painful. When you asked me for details, I wasn’t braced, and I lashed out. I’m sorry for upsetting you.”
Heavenly softened. “Of course it’s painful. I’m sure the grief has been difficult to overcome.”
He swallowed. “I was a widower at twenty-four. It was inconceivable. And losing a child, too? There isn’t even a word in the English language for someone whose child has died. You said earlier that it must have been devastating. It was beyond that. Honestly, my family was really worried about me. My mom had been raising us boys alone for years, and by then I was grown and married, so she thought she only had my younger brothers to worry about. But after Autumn and Tristan were gone…I wasn’t okay for a long time. I know she worried and prayed and tried a hundred ways to make me want to live again—with good reason. I went off the deep end for a while and did things I’m not proud of.” He paused. “It took me over a year to find any peace. It was several more before I could even talk about them without anger threatening to swallow me whole. For a long time, everyone I allowed in my life knew what had happened, and they all knew I didn’t want to talk about it. I’ve known for a while I would have to explain this to you. I just didn’t know what to say or how to say it. The details are still just…”