by Shayla Black
Suddenly, Heavenly stood in front of him, her checks stained with tears, eyes rimmed red, and overflowing with love. Beck knew he’d done nothing to deserve her, but every time he saw his little girl, she fucking stole his breath.
Without a word, she lifted on tiptoes and kissed away the tears on his cheeks. Shit, he hadn’t even known he was crying. Then she pressed her lush lips to his with a kiss so full of understanding and love he nearly choked.
As she lifted from his mouth, Beck saw the questions swirling in her eyes, but Heavenly didn’t ask a single one. She simply gave him a reassuring smile.
“Come on,” Hammer urged. “Let’s sit you down and get you a drink. You look like you could use one.”
Emotionally spent, Beck simply nodded as his two friends led him back to the chair. Buddy was already waiting, expression grim but supportive, holding a tumbler of Scotch.
“Thanks, man,” Beck murmured, clutching the glass and draining half the liquid in one gulp. The burn was both cathartic and reassuring. He’d relived his escape from hell and he was still alive…at least for now. But it didn’t change a fucking thing. Jedediah would find him eventually. Then…it was either kill or be killed.
Gathering his courage, Beck lifted his head and scanned the faces of his friends—the family he’d chosen. They all looked the same, but their expressions reflected a deeper level of understanding.
Raine paused in front of him, giving him a tender smile. “Guess we have more in common than we thought.”
“That we do, princess. I’m sorry if my story dredged up bad memories of Bill for you.”
“No.” Raine shook her head. “I think in some weird way, you helped. I stopped feeling guilty a while ago, but it’s nice not to feel alone. I did what I had to do. So did you. You know, Bill and your dad would have understood each other. They were both twisted fucks.”
“Language, love,” Liam cautioned.
Gloria took a wineglass from Buddy and held it up. “To one of the strongest, most amazing men I know. I’m thrilled you’ll officially be my ex-husband tomorrow, but I’ll always be grateful you’re my friend. Now forgive yourself, both of you”—she turned to Raine—“and be happy.”
Beck raised his glass in toast. “Thanks. Does this mean I can call you my cantankerous ex-wife now?”
“Not if you want to keep both your balls,” Gloria quipped before she sipped her vino. “I finally understand now why you were hell-bent on becoming a doctor. And why you’re such a goddamn control freak.”
Beck couldn’t help but smirk. Gloria had always been able to see right through him, and he was damn grateful she could. “I refused to ever be in the position of sitting idly by while someone I cared about died. And being in control centers me. Probably always will.”
“There’s no probably about it.” Gloria winked and hid a grin as she took another sip of wine.
Seth dragged his chair in closer and clapped Beck on the shoulder. “You okay?”
“I think so. Actually, I’m a little relieved.”
“Don’t blame you. That’s a lot to keep in.” Seth sent him a regretful nod. “And…I’m sorry I pushed you when we got together with Heavenly. I know now why you weren’t keen to take a virgin.”
“It was good.” He laughed. “No, it was great. I’m actually glad you insisted I, um…do the honors.”
“Just…next time I’m up in your business to do something you’d rather not, tell me. I’ll back off.”
Beck peered at him, then slid his gaze over to Heavenly. “Who said I didn’t want to?”
Seth grinned. “Well, you certainly went after her with gusto.”
Their girl turned red. “You can stop talking about me anytime now.”
Gloria laughed, and Buddy joined in as Beck caressed her crown and kissed the top of her head.
Seth sobered. “Actually, she’s right. I don’t think I’m alone in saying we don’t want you slinking off alone to deal with these zealots. We’re going to stand and fight with you. It’s time to game plan, put contingencies in place. I assume Jedediah is coming for some good old-fashioned revenge.”
“An eye for an eye, just like we were taught,” Beck bit out. “And he won’t come alone. He’ll bring the Saint Squad with him. They’re anything but saints.”
“Are we talking the invasion of Grenada or World War Two?”
“Somewhere in between. My father started amassing a shit ton of weapons the summer before I left. I can only imagine how the stockpile has increased over the years.”
“What kind of weaponry did they have when you lived there?”
“AKs, ARs, Uzis, a fifty cal, and a shitload of ammo.”
“And you thought I was paranoid,” Seth barked. “What were they prepping for?”
“The government burning down that compound in Waco, Texas, was a fairly fresh wound when I left Messiah City. After that incident, my father flipped his shit and insisted he’d do whatever it took to prevent the feds from interfering in his little fiefdom. So he demanded his followers hand over all their worldly goods. He emptied the bank accounts of all new joiners to his flock. Then he bought up every piece of weaponry he could get his hands on.”
“That’s not very reassuring.” Seth fell quiet, then took in the lodge’s sturdy wooden logs. Beck could almost hear the wheels in the PI’s head humming. After darting a glance at the ceiling, Seth turned to Liam. “You got access to the roof in this place?”
“Yeah, upstairs. Last bedroom on the right. There’s a spiral staircase up to the rooftop deck.”
“Excellent.” Seth’s eyes glittered. “I’m going to need you to show me once the sun’s up.”
“And me,” River piped up, wearing a cocky smirk. “I can pick the wings off a fly at two hundred yards.”
“Yeah, right,” Dean scoffed.
“Well, maybe a horsefly, but I can. I might have left Special Forces in demolitions, but I started out as a sniper…among other things.”
“I’m just now finding out about this…why?” Seth gaped.
River shrugged. “You hired me to spy on cheating spouses and corporate thieves. I didn’t think you’d care much about my other skills after you told me there’d be no storming bunkers and shit.”
“Asshole,” Seth muttered as Dean laughed and shook his head.
“Guess I’ll be showing the lot of you how to reach the roof.” Liam chuckled.
“Thanks, man.” Seth turned his attention on River. “You, me, and Dean need to powwow in the kitchen. Let’s put his SWAT and your Special Forces experiences to good use.”
“How long do you think it’s going to take before Jedediah figures out where we’re hiding?” Though Heavenly tried to conceal the little tremor in her voice, Beck hadn’t missed it.
He opened his arms, inviting her into his embrace. He didn’t give two fucks about whatever secrets she was keeping right now. He just needed to hold her, savor her soft body, and drink in her familiar, reassuring scent in case tomorrow didn’t go his way.
As she settled on his lap and snuggled against him, Beck wrapped his arms around her and brushed a kiss to her forehead. “I don’t—”
“They’re closing in,” Liam interrupted, staring out the wide window—yet somehow seeing far beyond it. Every head in the room turned toward him. “They’re not coming tonight, but soon.” The Irishman with his creepy clairvoyance turned and settled a knowing gaze on Beck and Seth. “Do whatever you need to get your house in order.” He pointed to the three of them. “But nothing will be truly settled with mere words.”
Chapter Seventeen
The others drifted into the kitchen, leaving Heavenly and Beck alone near the hearth. She didn’t hear them chatting; Liam’s final warning rang in Heavenly’s head. She was terrified of what tomorrow might bring. But what had her clinging to Beck tonight were his wrenching words. They’d reached powerful fingers around her heart and squeezed. She’d been shocked. But more than anything, she’d wept for him.
What
kind of hell on earth had he endured? And how had he emerged not just kind but selfless and loving? How had he put so much behind him and forged a full, productive life? He’d walked away from everything he’d known when he’d barely been more than a child and blazed his own path, staying true to his values, beliefs, and passions.
By comparison, she’d allowed herself to be plagued for weeks by indecision, stuck on the teeter-totter of following someone else’s plan for her life on one side…and her own yearning heart on the other.
“I admire you so much.” She cupped his face. “You amaze me.”
He gripped her in return. “Despite my freaky upbringing? I mean, clearly it warped me.”
“No. It helped to mold you, but you’ve chosen to become who you are. You’ve refused to let anyone dictate that, and you’ve created your own identity, your own life. You were so unafraid…”
She felt horribly guilty that she hadn’t been.
Beck scoffed. “There were times I was afraid of everything. But you want to know what scared me most in the last two decades? You.”
“Me?” That took Heavenly aback.
“Your youth. Your innocence. Your goodness. You were everything I swore I’d never corrupt because I refused to become a fucking monster. I worried that my DNA would virtually ensure I’d destroy you one day.”
“Impossible. You and Seth have encouraged me to be more than I was, not for you—but for myself. And you’ve made me so much stronger.” In so many ways…
“Last Christmas, Gloria asked me if I was trying to save you because you were like Blessing…who, admittedly, had the same compliant disposition of every victim that my father and the elders plucked from The Chosen. It was a hard question—not because I thought you were weak, but because I didn’t understand my attraction to you. Physical, sure. But Gloria’s question made me do some soul searching. Finally, I realized you were nothing like Blessing. Despite being terrified to marry my father, she never once hinted that she was reluctant, much less refused. But you…” He nodded. “You fought the world when you had to. You have spine.”
“No.” Not lately. Not enough. Not when it counted.
“Yes. You crusaded for your father and tried your damnedest to juggle so many roles and make it work. I admire that about you. I was always drawn to your purity of spirit. Yes, my cock was impatient because I wanted you,” he admitted. “But it didn’t take long for me to fall in love.” He paused. “You’re committing your life to healing people, so I’ve wondered for months how you would feel if you knew I’d killed my father in cold blood.”
“I think you’re brave. And I—”
“Beck,” Seth called from the breakfast nook, leaning over a map with River and Dean. “You need to be in on this.”
Her sexy surgeon grimaced, looking reluctant to end their conversation. But they would have all night. Besides, what was in her head—and her heart—was something she needed to say to both him and Seth together.
“Go,” she prompted him. “I’ll be right here. I promise, I’m not going anywhere.”
Ever again.
He gave her a grateful smile, then took her lips in a quick, passionate press before heading for the kitchen and nodding Seth’s way. “What’s up?”
“How are you, little one?” Liam asked, suddenly behind her.
“I’m hanging in there.”
He shot her a dubious stare with that questioning brow raised. “Are you?”
“Well, I’ve got a million thoughts rolling through my head.” But Liam’s knowing expression told Heavenly that wasn’t news. “I’m not sure why you ask me anything when you already seem to have the answers.”
Liam laughed. “Have you made some decisions, then?”
About her life? Her future? Her heart? “Yes.”
People had been telling her for weeks that she was her own person and that she couldn’t live for her father. Logically, she’d known that—and agreed. But rejecting his plan for her life had been almost as hard as letting him go. Even when he wasn’t here, she hated to disappoint him, and her yearning to march to her own drum had felt like a betrayal. But fathers didn’t always know best. Look at Beck. If he’d followed his sire’s vision for his life, he’d now have multiple wives, dozens of children, live a straitjacket of an existence steeped in hypocrisy, and be completely miserable.
“I know what I have to do.”
“Excellent.”
She looked past Liam’s shoulder to see the men wrapping up their discussion. River and Dean promised to take the night watch and start the prep work. They’d also check out the rooftop at first light and report back to Seth, who nodded. Beck asked a low-voiced question she couldn’t hear.
“I should go…” And hopefully get started on her future.
Heavenly couldn’t wait to be near them, with them, surrounded by them.
“Not quite yet.” Liam clasped gentle fingers around her elbow. “Someone would like to speak to you.”
Raine?
“Sure.”
“Follow me.” He ushered her into a cozy study toward the back of the house and gave the door a gentle shove, leaving it slightly ajar.
She looked around the otherwise empty room. No one was waiting. “Liam?”
He held up a finger. “I don’t much like doing this. It’s more my mother’s gift. But some people are insistent…”
What the heck was he talking about?
“Your father is here,” Liam clarified.
She froze. “What do you mean?”
“His spirit, little one.”
“You’re taking to my dad? Right now?” she challenged, caught between aching to believe him and being afraid to.
“Indeed. But that sounds crazy to you, I’m sure…” He glanced at the ceiling, seeming to focus on something—someone?—she couldn’t see. “He wants me to remind you of the time you got caught in the barn fire. He told you to stay put so he could come in and rescue you.”
She hadn’t thought about that terrible spring afternoon in years. She’d been eight. Mom had been at work. She’d been doing some chores, trying to help Dad wrap up his day before a hellacious storm hit. Lightning struck the old roof, which had caught fire in a flash. The hay and firewood inside ensured the blaze spread quickly. Almost instantly, the door had been blocked by falling timbers.
“How could you possibly know that?” Heavenly breathed. She’d never told anyone in LA that story.
Unless he really was…
“Like I said, I’m talking to your father. He says you didn’t listen to him that day and you found your own path to freedom. He was so relieved and proud.”
As soon as she’d emerged from the blaze, terrified and sobbing, he’d squeezed her tight and told her that over and over while crying his own tears of latent terror and relief. “Oh, my… You really are talking to him?”
“I am. Just like that day, he wants you to find your own path now. He says that when you two last talked, he didn’t realize how much Beck and Seth truly love you. He’s glad you’re safe, but he’ll rest peacefully once you’ve followed your heart.”
Heavenly closed her eyes and absorbed those words. Her father had so often known exactly what she needed to hear and when. She shouldn’t be surprised he was still doing what he could now to take care of his “boo.”
Tears stung her eyes. “I miss him so much. I wish he could be here to see how happy they make me.”
“He knows.”
“Please tell him I—”
“He loves you, too, little one.” Liam smiled and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle pat. “He always will.”
“Thank you.”
Raine’s Irishman shrugged. “I hope it helped. Now go find your men. They need you.”
In her heart, Heavenly knew he didn’t just mean her affection or her body.
“I will,” she vowed. “And I won’t hold anything back.”
“Best if you don’t.”
Because there might not be a tomorrow
for any of them if Beck’s family had their way.
With a nod, Liam left the room. She took a minute to dry her tears, compose herself, and chart her own new course. “Thank you for understanding I need to follow my heart, Daddy.”
As she returned to the great room, she saw Liam taking Raine by the hand. Hammer led them upstairs, then followed them into the bedroom and closed the door. Gloria and Buddy wished everyone a good night, then disappeared to their own quarters. From a corner of the great room, she heard River and Dean talking in low tones.
“Adam is on his way up from the caretaker’s house,” Raine’s brother said. “He’ll be here in five to help us with prep tonight. He says there are cameras set up around the house for hunting and security. He’s also got some deer stands in nearby trees and he’s willing to help us sandbag the place tonight so we can provide ourselves some cover.”
“Perfect. Going to be a long night…but since we have a few minutes to kill, tell me what you’re going to do about this chick—what’s her name?—who’s got you by the balls,” the cop said. “You’re not just going to concede her to that prick Pike, right?”
“Hell no. But it’s not like she’s talking to me…”
“Temporary setback,” Dean assured. “Girls never say no to you, man. When she says yes again, I want to meet her.”
Heavenly didn’t think Dean wanted an introduction so they could have a cerebral discussion. And she seriously doubted Pike would ever let that happen.
Beck and Seth were conferring in whispers in the breakfast nook. When she stepped into the room, they both fell silent. “Can I talk to you guys?”
Seth frowned. “What happened? You’ve been crying.”
They were so attuned to her. That made her cry again. “I’m fine.”
Neither looked like they much believed her.
“You want to sit here and talk?” Beck gestured to the kitchen table.
She shook her head. “Can we go upstairs?”
The guys exchanged a glance. She hated that the weeks of indecision she’d dragged them through had put that apprehension on their faces.
