see through all his crap. How damn gorgeous she was, but used her looks only as another weapon.
Years. He’d been gone years. He’d been gone so long, it was crippling now. She’d expect so much more than what he’d accomplished. He should be saving people from fires every day. Or finding missing kids. But all he had to offer as evidence of being a better person was running the worst liquor store in a little out-of-the-way town by the water.
He sliced through the last box and put the last few six-packs in the cooler. He heard the bell on the front door and Chery’s welcome to Nolan. The guy’d been out of prison for ten years—he had grandchildren now, for crap’s sake—and no one else would give the poor bastard a freaking job. He was a great guy who’d made a bunch of stupid choices as a kid.
Beckett woke Gandhi and grabbed his keys. Chery would manage the front for most of the day, and Nolan would take over at night and lock up. With his employees in place, he was out. He slapped the older man on the back on his way through the store. Chery blew Gandhi a kiss, and Beck was out the door. He felt good, but he had no idea if the simple shit he did here would ever be worthy of Eve.
Kyle took another huge breath and forced a smile as Cole stuck the needle in her stomach. He was decent at making it not hurt too much, and she was trying to be a good sport, but these fertility treatments were a freaking joke. Between the bloating and the imported hormones she felt more like a water balloon than a woman.
“There. All done for today. You okay?” Cole stood and rubbed her stomach.
“I can’t even begin to think about this. How’s Ted? What’s it been, a week now since he was hurt? Did Eve come home? Tell me something else.” Kyle sat on the bed and watched Cole meticulously put away the syringes and vials of drugs that contained her hopes and dreams.
“It has been a week, and Blake said she came by pretty much just long enough to set up security for her dad. Her parting words were ‘protect your family.’”
Kyle pulled her knees to her chest. Her stomach burned, and there was an odd metal taste in her mouth.
“Livia said she had the alarm people out the other day. But I mean, is the concern Beckett’s enemies or what?”
Cole turned, and she indulged in staring at him. His skin was the most gorgeous color, and it made his clear eyes sparkle even more. He could still look mysterious even though they’d been married for years now.
“Or what. No one’s heard from Beck in years. I don’t think it’s related. It’s bad news, and we have to be careful, but it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with him.” Cole crawled onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her.
She traced the Sorry tattoo on his forearm. “You don’t think he’s dead, do you?”
She could feel him shake his head. “No. I think I’d know. Blake and I think he’s trying to turn himself around, and that might take a while. I hope, anyway.”
“I think he’s still alive too.” She sighed and left the conversation at that. Speculating about Beckett was an exercise in futility. Her eyes landed on her “fertility kit” where Cole had placed it on the dresser. She hoped it wasn’t the same type of thing.
10
Vindictive
R YAN L OOKED A T H IS P HONE in the Wednesday-morning Starbucks line. Christian Grey was calling. He answered somewhat timidly, “Yo.”
“Morales, I need you at the station in thirty minutes.” John McHugh’s voice was unmistakable.
“Sure, boss. You want something from ’Bucks?” Ryan handed his frequent-caffeine-binger card to the barista and added the captain’s order to his before hanging up.
While he waited for his coffees, he scrolled to the contact page on his phone. Angry Trish had changed all his contacts to characters from Fifty Shades of Grey . He knew this because Al’s Auto Shop, usually listed first, was now “50 Shades of Grey gave me more orgasms than you.” After that
Years. He’d been gone years. He’d been gone so long, it was crippling now. She’d expect so much more than what he’d accomplished. He should be saving people from fires every day. Or finding missing kids. But all he had to offer as evidence of being a better person was running the worst liquor store in a little out-of-the-way town by the water.
He sliced through the last box and put the last few six-packs in the cooler. He heard the bell on the front door and Chery’s welcome to Nolan. The guy’d been out of prison for ten years—he had grandchildren now, for crap’s sake—and no one else would give the poor bastard a freaking job. He was a great guy who’d made a bunch of stupid choices as a kid.
Beckett woke Gandhi and grabbed his keys. Chery would manage the front for most of the day, and Nolan would take over at night and lock up. With his employees in place, he was out. He slapped the older man on the back on his way through the store. Chery blew Gandhi a kiss, and Beck was out the door. He felt good, but he had no idea if the simple shit he did here would ever be worthy of Eve.
Kyle took another huge breath and forced a smile as Cole stuck the needle in her stomach. He was decent at making it not hurt too much, and she was trying to be a good sport, but these fertility treatments were a freaking joke. Between the bloating and the imported hormones she felt more like a water balloon than a woman.
“There. All done for today. You okay?” Cole stood and rubbed her stomach.
“I can’t even begin to think about this. How’s Ted? What’s it been, a week now since he was hurt? Did Eve come home? Tell me something else.” Kyle sat on the bed and watched Cole meticulously put away the syringes and vials of drugs that contained her hopes and dreams.
“It has been a week, and Blake said she came by pretty much just long enough to set up security for her dad. Her parting words were ‘protect your family.’”
Kyle pulled her knees to her chest. Her stomach burned, and there was an odd metal taste in her mouth.
“Livia said she had the alarm people out the other day. But I mean, is the concern Beckett’s enemies or what?”
Cole turned, and she indulged in staring at him. His skin was the most gorgeous color, and it made his clear eyes sparkle even more. He could still look mysterious even though they’d been married for years now.
“Or what. No one’s heard from Beck in years. I don’t think it’s related. It’s bad news, and we have to be careful, but it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with him.” Cole crawled onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her.
She traced the Sorry tattoo on his forearm. “You don’t think he’s dead, do you?”
She could feel him shake his head. “No. I think I’d know. Blake and I think he’s trying to turn himself around, and that might take a while. I hope, anyway.”
“I think he’s still alive too.” She sighed and left the conversation at that. Speculating about Beckett was an exercise in futility. Her eyes landed on her “fertility kit” where Cole had placed it on the dresser. She hoped it wasn’t the same type of thing.
10
Vindictive
R YAN L OOKED A T H IS P HONE in the Wednesday-morning Starbucks line. Christian Grey was calling. He answered somewhat timidly, “Yo.”
“Morales, I need you at the station in thirty minutes.” John McHugh’s voice was unmistakable.
“Sure, boss. You want something from ’Bucks?” Ryan handed his frequent-caffeine-binger card to the barista and added the captain’s order to his before hanging up.
While he waited for his coffees, he scrolled to the contact page on his phone. Angry Trish had changed all his contacts to characters from Fifty Shades of Grey . He knew this because Al’s Auto Shop, usually listed first, was now “50 Shades of Grey gave me more orgasms than you.” After that
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