The Choice

by Shayla Black

  “As a matter of fact…” She had some wicked psychic abilities. He’d never believed in that shit—until her. So Seth wasn’t surprised she knew the sight he’d encountered that morning.

  “Send your mother some flowers. She needs reassurance.” Bryn paused. “They’re in love, you know? She doesn’t need you watching over her anymore.”

  Yeah, he’d gotten that message. And after all these years, she deserved to move on.

  “If you give them your blessing, they’ll make each other deliriously happy for the rest of their lives.”

  Had Bryn called him just to say that? “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. Now I have a lot to tell you, and we’ll get through this quicker if you listen.”

  Bryn called him occasionally without warning. She’d steer him in this direction or that. Though skeptical at first, he’d eventually accepted her words as well-meaning gifts. In fact, he’d thought about calling her a time or two over the past few weeks to ask about Heavenly…but he hadn’t wanted her to confirm the situation was hopeless.

  “What’s going on?”

  “I’m concerned about you.”

  The hair on the back of his neck prickled. “Me?”

  “Of course. You haven’t stopped thinking about your girl for weeks. Honestly, dear…” She sounded exasperated.

  As always, the woman was spot-on. “Go on. I’m listening.”

  “The minute we hang up, order those flowers for your mother and tell her you love her. Then pack your bags.”

  He froze. “Where am I going?”

  “Don’t be daft. It’s time you headed back to LA. In fact, you’re almost too late.”

  Seth didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “You mean I still have a chance with her?”

  “You do—if you hurry. And if you don’t give up this time.”

  His stubborn feelings for Heavenly weren’t ridiculous and hopeless?

  Maybe it wasn’t logical, but hope lit the dark corners inside him for the first time in almost two months.

  “Am I coming back here?” But his gut already told him the answer. He would put his business and his life here behind him if it meant having a future with Heavenly.

  “Do you feel as if you belong in New York anymore?”

  “No.” He’d been an outsider looking in from the moment he’d returned.

  “You’ve come to that conclusion time and again. Why are you asking me what you already know?”

  No sense arguing the truth. “I’ll be on a plane this weekend.”

  “I’m afraid it has to be today. Right now, in fact. Time is not only critical for you, but…Raine, Liam, and Hammer are about to face their most difficult hurdle yet. Your expertise and support are imperative. Give your family that excuse if you must, but grab a bag and meet us at LaGuardia when our flight from Dublin lands at two. I’ve already arranged a plane ticket out west for you. It’s at the counter. And while you’re waiting for us, you might want to replay the last conversation you had with your wee angel.”

  He didn’t need to replay it; it was hardwired into his brain.

  “And when you see her, this time find out how she feels about you,” Bryn suggested.

  Seth froze. Damn, the woman had a point; he’d never asked.

  “She needs you, more than you know,” Bryn went on. “The sooner you look deep enough, the sooner you’ll understand.”

  “So you’re saying…I’ll end up with Heavenly?”

  “Nothing is preordained. The future is always fluid. What I see are paths. If you stay in New York… Well, that would be a shame. Such misery. On the West Coast, you stand a chance of being happier than you’ve ever imagined. But it’s up to you. I have to go now. Our flight to New York is boarding. I hope we’ll see you at the airport.”

  “Wait! I—”

  But Liam’s mom had already hung up.

  Despite her stunning bombshell, Seth saw light at the end of this dark, miserable tunnel. Screw how Heavenly felt about Beck.

  Looking around the office he’d been content to work from for the last two years, he realized it was nothing but a skeleton of a room cluttered with a large desk, chairs, a pair of filing cabinets, and an aging copier—none of which he gave a shit about. This had been a place to pass time while he sought direction. Now it seemed cold and dingy, like the gray day outside. After snagging his keys off his desk, Seth locked the door, then hauled ass to his apartment, rambling absently on the phone to a florist along the way.

  Ten minutes later, he’d packed his bags, squarely focused on the future. He couldn’t wait to see Heavenly. To fill his nose with her scent, to finally fucking kiss her—and let her know he was in her life for good.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Thursday, February 14

  Valentine’s Day

  Seth had been back in LA for less than twenty-four hours and he was already mired in a giant clusterfuck. Bryn hadn’t been wrong about Hammer, Raine, and Liam needing his help ASAP. Raine’s long-lost dipshit of a brother, River, had sworn to the police that Hammer committed statutory rape with an underage Raine years ago and had been pimping her out ever since. The lies would be comical if the possible prison time wasn’t so horrific.

  Hammer had been taken in for questioning, as had Liam and Raine. Their situation didn’t look promising. Almost immediately, Seth had begun using his police and PI skills to keep Hammer out of the slammer—making phone calls about River, digging through the police’s evidence, and piecing together their mounting case…but so far he hadn’t been able to unearth anything useful.

  The other part of this clusterfuck? He hadn’t seen Heavenly. He didn’t want to call her in case she refused to see him because she was dating Beck. Seth intended to surprise her, look her in the eyes…see for himself exactly what she felt for him.

  Unfortunately, he’d been forced to spend most of the day with Beck. For a good cause, yeah. They’d escorted Raine to confront her brother. The face-to-face had served a couple of purposes. First, they had made damn sure Raine had protection while she set her brother straight about her relationship with Hammer. Second, Seth had gotten a read on this guy…and he had a feeling River was mistaken, not malicious.

  Afterward, they’d brought River back to officially meet Hammer and Liam. The peace summit had nearly ended in war. He and Beck had been forced to bodyguard River in order to prevent bloodshed on Raine’s pale beige carpet. Thankfully, River had seen the error of his idiocy, so Seth hoped all would end well now.

  And he could get back to finding Heavenly.

  “You good here, princess?” Beck asked Raine.

  She hugged the sadist and sent him a dry smile. “I think we’ll be okay. I don’t know what the world is coming to when I’m the coolest head in the room, but we’ll make do.”

  Smiling, Seth pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Go get ’em once more, tiger. You can do it. We’ll check in with you soon.”

  “Go take Heavenly to dinner.” She gestured to them both.

  He glanced at his watch. Late afternoon. By the time he fought traffic and headed to the hospital, Heavenly would probably be gone. Hell, she might even have left early. It was Valentine’s Day, after all. And who would she be planning to spend the evening with except the guy she was—gag—dating?

  As much as it chafed, he’d have to follow Beck some more.

  “I plan to.” Seth flashed a cocky grin. “Before I have her for dessert.”

  The doctor looked dead furious. “No, you fucking won’t.”

  Seth ribbed Beck again—just for fun—and they argued all the way out the door.

  He exited into the California sunshine, grinning at the temperate, blue-skied day. His family had complained about another Arctic blast of cold when he’d checked on them last night. It sucked to be them. And he had barely thought about the possibility of a catastrophic earthquake since arriving. Maybe he was getting used to the idea of dropping off into the ocean. Or he just didn’t give a shit anymore. The perks of living
here just might outweigh the fiery, eventual end.

  “The only date you’re going to have, pal, is with Rosy Palm and her four sisters,” Beck taunted. “I’m taking Heavenly to dinner tonight. Get lost.”

  With a one-fingered salute, the doctor hopped into his flashy red Mercedes convertible that screamed midlife crisis and revved the engine. The good news about his nondescript gray midsize rental? He’d blend in with the rest of the traffic on the highway…and Beck would never know he was being tailed.

  It paid to have skills.

  Seth slid behind the wheel and followed at a discreet distance as Beck made his way out of the neighborhood and zoomed toward the freeway. Sure enough, once they both got on Wilshire near rush hour, the doctor stopped looking in the rearview mirror and started laying impatiently on his horn.

  A few miles later, Seth followed him into another residential neighborhood. It was a hodgepodge of different architectural styles. He wasn’t surprised when Beck pulled into his garage and shut the door behind him. Of course the SOB had the sleekest, most modern house on the whole fucking block.

  With a sigh, Seth pulled to the curb a few houses down and waited. It shouldn’t take long for him to change clothes, throw on some expensive cologne he hoped would get him lucky, and pick up his extra-small Trojans. And whaddaya know, Beck backed his German phallic symbol out of the garage fifteen minutes later, looking all refreshed and smug.

  Twenty bucks said he’d just polished his knob in the hopes of controlling himself tonight.

  Chuckling, Seth pulled slowly away from the curb and followed at a safe distance. He couldn’t wait to get an eyeful of Heavenly.

  Before she got into Beck’s car, Seth hoped to intervene, say the right thing—whatever that was—then sweep her off her feet and take her someplace both fantastic and private.

  Shit, he should have brought flowers or candy—or both. Right now, he couldn’t stop, but he vowed he’d give her something much better later.

  To his surprise, Beck didn’t pull up at another house, apartment, condo, RV, shack by the river, or even a freeway underpass. The fidiot drove straight to a swanky restaurant on the beach. What the fuck? Did he think he was too important to pick Heavenly up himself?

  The doctor valeted his red motorized penis. Seth pulled into a spot at the back of the parking lot and watched as Beck emerged with a spring in his step, box of candy in hand, and paced the fancy restaurant’s portico. Seth frowned. Didn’t he know Heavenly took the bus? Suddenly, Seth doubted it…just like he doubted his rival had learned where she lived.

  He whipped out his phone. Yeah, doctors could save lives, and that was nifty. But PIs could dig up secrets. Shouldn’t take him more than a few minutes to figure out where Heavenly called home. Then, he’d go get her himself and take her someplace less country-club pretentious and more romantic.

  After a few taps on his screen, he glanced up to find Beck talking into his device, fingers clenched around a box of Godiva. He looked frustrated as he marched, argued, and gestured to the restaurant—not that whomever he talked to could see.

  Oh, my god. Was Heavenly cancelling their big date?

  How fucking priceless!

  Holding in a good belly laugh, Seth pocketed his phone and strolled across the parking lot. This was going to be fun…

  As he sauntered just under the portico’s light, the doctor looked up, jaw clenched. “You again? Are you following me? Fuck off back to New York.”

  “Not gonna happen. Hammer needs my help, and Heavenly needs my…skills. What’s the matter, cupcake? Did she stand you up?”

  Beck ground his teeth. “She has to work.”

  “Understandable. I’d rather clean bedpans than go out with you, too.”

  “Ha ha. She’s not cleaning bedpans, fucker. She’s waiting tables. She got called in at the last minute, not that it’s any of your business. How long are you staying this time?”

  “As long as it takes.” He smiled. Let the fucker make of that what he would.

  Behind them, a young, fresh-faced hostess stuck her head out the door. “Beckman, table for two is ready.”

  The doctor sighed and shook his head. “Fuck.”

  “I’m sorry, sir?” The young woman frowned.

  “Not you.”

  Her gaze lit on Seth. “I see your party is here. Right this way.”

  Before either of them could object, the hostess disappeared into the restaurant once more, the door swinging closed behind her.

  Beck snapped a stare in his direction.

  Seth raised a brow back. “You going to buy me dinner?”

  “If that’s what it takes for us to get a few things straight and for you to leave my girlfriend alone, why the hell not?”

  “Girlfriend? Well, Heavenly is a girl. And last time I heard, she was your friend. How sweet.”

  Beck snorted. “Since you and your wounded pride went home for the holidays, Heavenly is definitely more than a friend now.”

  “So you’ve kissed her?” Seth taunted because he already knew better. Heavenly was confiding in Raine…who’d been more than happy to share her insider secrets.

  The doctor’s eyes narrowed. “You want a free meal? Get your ass inside.”

  Without looking back, Beck stomped into the restaurant. Chuckling, Seth followed, taking in the muted candlelight barely illuminating the intimate shadows around the room. The hostess led them to a table against the window, overlooking the Pacific. The poor woman was a little unsure whose chair to hold out and who to hand the wine menu to.

  “I’ll take that,” Beck grumbled as he grabbed the wine list and sat himself with a glower.

  Seth nodded at the hostess and settled into the seat directly across from Beck. “So, darling, how do the wines look?”

  The doctor glanced up with a distinct fuck you on his face as a busboy poured them each a glass of water. Then Beck leaned in to whisper, “I’d only buy a bottle of wine for someone I want to blow me. Looks like you’re stuck with H2O.”

  Seth smirked. “If you want oral for vino, man, I’d absolutely rather have water.”

  “Hi,” chirped a perky waitress. “Welcome. Happy Valentine’s Day! Free roses for all our couples.” She reached into the basket dangling from her arm, looked between the two of them, then laid the stem across the middle of the table. “Enjoy! Now what can I get you lovebirds to drink?”

  “Grey Goose martini, straight up. Make it a double.”

  “Iced tea.” Seth picked up the rose and sniffed it. “You relax with your cocktail, honey. I’ll drive home.”

  Beck looked ready to come across the table and punch him, but the waitress chimed in. “Great. I’ll get your drinks, come back with some bread, and take your order.”

  When she walked away, her utilitarian braid swaying across her back, Beck turned to him with a scowl. “What the hell are you doing? Honey?”

  “Would you prefer baby?”

  “I prefer you to shut the fuck up and go away. I get why you came back from New York. Hammer needs you. Hell, Raine could clearly use your help, too. We have to figure out if River has an agenda and keep her out of danger.”

  Yes, especially since River had already once tried to kidnap her in the name of “saving” her from Hammer and Liam. “But?”

  “Heavenly is off-limits.”

  “I’ll see what she says. I don’t take direction from you.”

  “You blew your chance with your late-night vanishing act. You’re not getting the chance to upset her again. Don’t visit her at the hospital. Don’t follow us on our dates. Don’t call, text, or stalk her. She’s moved on.”

  “Nice speech.” Seth braced his elbow on the table. “But you’re out of luck. See, at Christmas, she texted me and told me that she was going to miss me. I’m rolling with that.”

  Surprise widened Beck’s eyes for a split second before he banked it. “And have you talked to her since?” When Seth hesitated, Beck smiled. “I didn’t think so. Look, that was then, and I�
�m keeping her more than occupied now.”

  “We’ll see. You know, Raine has a very different opinion of this situation.”

  Beck scoffed. “Well, Raine is wrong. And don’t think I’m sharing Heavenly with you, either. So if you’re into that—”

  “No. God no. I don’t want to get that close to you. The swinging junk thing with Liam once awhile back cured me. What about you? You like knocking nuts with another guy when you have a woman between you?”

  “I don’t share, period.”

  “Well, there’s one thing we have in common. A first.” He lifted his water glass in a mocking salute. “And I guess we have Heavenly in common…for now.”

  Apparently, Beck wasn’t in the mood to raise his glass. “You’re wrong. You had your chance and you ran away when she hurt your little feewings.”

  Before Seth could reply, the waitress brought their drinks, took their dinner order, and left with a cheery smile. He wasn’t keen about sitting across from the taciturn doctor for another hour, but if he wanted Heavenly, he had to deal. At least until he could figure out how to make Beck go away.

  “Let’s get real.” Seth leaned in. “How can a sadist who’s…what, fifteen years older be good for Heavenly?”

  “Shy of fourteen,” Beck ground out. “You don’t know me or have any idea how I treat her. You certainly don’t know my intentions.”

  “I know you’d ruin her.”

  “That’s your opinion. While we’re on the subject of who’s bad for her, have you looked in a mirror? You don’t even live here, so—”

  “Who says I can’t move?”

  “But you’re not. Right?”

  Seth shrugged. Let the bastard wonder…

  Beck crossed his arms over his chest. “You don’t even have a job out here.”

  “I’m self-employed, asshole. I can go anywhere. And by the way, putting bloody stripes on her ass won’t get me hard. You can’t say the same.”

  “I’d never fucking hurt her. I’ve been taking my time and learning her, so when she’s ready, I’ll know exactly what she needs and how far I can take her.”