by K. A. Linde
“Poignant,” Genevieve said softly.
“How’s he doing?”
Genevieve considered. “About the same. I believe he’s more lucid with those he doesn’t know. He’s full of guilt and seeing your face reminds him of his humanity.”
“Shouldn’t we want to remind him of that?”
“Guilt can crush a person. It’s best to start with people who understand. Let him come to some semblance of acceptance first.”
Reyna nodded. “Thank you for looking after him. I truly appreciate it.”
Genevieve got a far-off look on her face. “We’ve all been there before. It’s nice to bring them around before they do worse. A chance most of us weren’t offered.”
“He’s a fighter. He can come back from this.”
“I hope so.”
“You’ll be here all night?”
“Yes. Until Katarina comes for a reprieve. But I don’t mind.”
“Again…thank you. I wish I could be there for him, but at least someone is.”
“Get some rest, Miss Reyna. Your brother just needs time.”
Reyna took one last wistful look at Brian before finding her bed and promptly passing out.
Chapter 24
Beckham didn’t return that night.
Or the one after that.
A full week later and she still hadn’t seen a trace of him. No depressions next to her in bed. None of the O negative blood gone from the fridge. None of his musky scent. She couldn’t even sense him, which meant he had to be at least six miles away from the mansion. Whatever he was doing…he wasn’t nearby and he clearly didn’t want to see her.
The whole thing was utterly frustrating. She hadn’t done anything wrong and yet he was punishing her for Graves’ actions. She just wanted him to come home and talk this out with her. But he didn’t come home and they didn’t talk.
His inner circle returned routinely to help with Brian, but no Becks. Katarina had brought the antidote to Washington the very next morning. When Reyna had asked about Beckham, she’d been tight-lipped and disappeared. Their loyalty ran deep. None of them would talk about it. Or where he was. Reyna respected that…and despised it.
She didn’t like that they were on rocky ground. Especially because it made no sense. She didn’t want Graves. She wanted Becks. But she felt like a rubber band had been pulled so tight it had snapped.
She needed him here. She was rallying the troops, but the news from Graves was dire. And the fact that she was now useless against Harrington’s weakness and that Graves knew about her and Beckham’s blood match put her on edge. Graves dealt in information. Everything could be bought at a price. He held no loyalties. He was just as likely to tell Harrington about them as he was to help them. Which meant that surprise was shot.
They got as many consequences out of the conversation as they got information. She actually thought they got the shit end of the stick.
“He’s going to come back, Rey,” Jodie said as they walked the grounds.
The snow was melting, making the ground sloshy and uncomfortable. But it was better than being stuck in the house while Washington worked on replicating the antidote or hearing Brian’s screams from upstairs or feeling the emptiness of Beckham’s absence.
“I know. I don’t worry about that. He’s sending the circle back to take care of Brian. It’s just me he doesn’t want to see.”
“Well, y’all went through some serious shit. That contact dude is scary as shit,” Jodie said. “I mean…you still can’t say his name, right?”
“No. Well, I can say it to myself when no one else is around. I suspect I could say it to Beckham.”
“Yeah…don’t do that.”
Reyna managed a smile. “Not high on the priority list.”
“He’s just feeling the shit that you felt when he was into Penny.”
“But he was with Penny even if it was a charade. The contact did this to me. I’m not into him. Becks’ anger is entirely misplaced. I don’t get it at all.”
“But the guy’s hot, right?”
Reyna’s eyes widened. She couldn’t confirm or deny the fact, but it was enough. Jodie snorted.
“So super fucking hot and he had power over you. Beckham has to come to terms with that. Especially because y’all have all the feeling mojo and he healed you! Washington went apeshit over that. I mean, fuck, girl, healing is a big deal.”
“It is. I know. Beckham is feeling things for the first time. I know that must be intense for him. I just wish he’d share it with me instead of running away.”
“If that’s even what he’s doing,” Jodie said.
Reyna shot her a look full of exasperation. “Anyway, I love him. He’ll come back. It’ll be fine. What’s not fine is that there’s a fucking blood antidote out there and Harrington is using it to feed his vampire army.”
“Well, that takes me out of the hot seat. Washington was getting nowhere with my blood. So, it’s on the back burner while he works through that vial you gave him.”
“That’s something at least.”
“I just wish we were having some luck with June. We’ve hit a dead end,” Jodie said with a sigh. “It’s so dire that Zoya and I have even been checking morgue registries. We haven’t found anything there either. It looks like she’s another missing person in Harrington’s war.”
“Ugh. I’m sorry, Jodie.”
She frowned. “I didn’t have much hope but…I just wish I knew either way.”
“Me too.”
“Reyna!” Tye called from the back door of the house. He called a second time before she and Jodie made it to him.
“What’s up? Did something happen?”
“It’s your brother.”
“Brian? Is he okay?”
“Sorry. Drew. It’s your other brother, on the phone.”
“Oh.” She deflated slightly. “Okay. Yeah. I’ll take it.” She took the phone from Tye. “Hey, Drew. How is everything?”
“Everett left.”
“Left?”
“Yeah,” Drew said with a sigh. “He goes out sometimes to check on stuff and bring in supplies. But he’s been gone for over twenty-four hours and when we searched his room, we found his gun missing, a bunch of tech—microphones, cameras, that sort of thing—had been scattered all over, and he left a note.”
Reyna gritted her teeth. “What does it say?”
“He said to tell you that he was going to prove you wrong.”
“Oh Jesus,” she whispered. She’d goaded him the last time they were together, when she had been grieving about what had happened to Brian. She hadn’t actually believed he would do something about it.
“I sent some people out to look for him, but everything comes up empty. I’m not too prone to risk perfectly good people on someone like him.”
Reyna closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. What would Everett do? If she were in his shoes, where would she go with a gun and some tech? Her eyes snapped open.
“He’s gone to do something really stupid,” she whispered. “I told him to prove that I could trust him. I have a feeling it has something to do with underground Visage or with the feeding camps. Something to prove that he’s on our side.”
“Christ.”
“I’m going to try to get in contact with him.”
“I’ll see if there’s anything else in his stuff.” Drew paused for a moment as if he was going to hang up but decided against it. “How’s Brian?”
Reyna winced. “He’s…alive.”
“That good, huh?” Drew asked. Reyna just sighed. What else could she say? “Okay, well, I’ll hold down the fort here. Let me know if you hear anything.”
* * *
—
Reyna cursed under her breath and tossed the phone across the table. “There’s
no point. Whatever the fuck Everett has done, he’s done on his terms.”
“Do you think he’ll double-cross us?” Meghan asked. “He knows where the rest of Elle is. Does he know where we are?”
“I don’t think so. He only knows about the cult HQ.” Reyna grimaced. “I don’t think he’ll double-cross us…but then again, he’s a spy.”
“Fuck,” Tye muttered.
Reyna stared around the room at the looks of confusion and uncertainty on their faces. “We should research another place to move people. I don’t want to take a chance that anyone could be in jeopardy.”
Jodie grinned. “I’ll do research with Katarina.”
Katarina, who was the only member of Beckham’s circle present, grinned back. “Come on, babe.”
Reyna’s eyes widened at their playful banter. Perhaps she’d missed a thing or two while she’d been busy worrying about Becks.
“Oh,” Reyna whispered, her breath catching in her throat. She could feel him. She could finally feel him. “Becks.”
Everyone else glanced around as if expecting to see him standing in the entrance. But of course he wasn’t there. He was still a half mile away, moving at supersonic vampire speed back to the mansion. She shivered. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed being able to feel his presence near until it was gone. She hadn’t even been actively trying to sense him and still it was like a radar that she couldn’t turn off.
“Uh…Reyna?” Gabe muttered.
She shook her head and stood. “I have to take care of this. Let me know how the research goes.”
“Ugh, why are we always on research duty?”
“She did her part,” Meghan reminded him. “You sent her into that place to get the antidote info.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Still should have gone myself.”
“And what could you give him that would have interested him?”
Reyna could only distantly hear them arguing, their definition of foreplay. Her mind was on Beckham and how close he was. She disappeared out the door, through the kitchen, and outside. By the time she walked down the few stairs, he was there.
She swallowed and took him in. Last she’d seen him, he’d been in his tuxedo and pissed beyond measure. Now he was in a solid black suit with a characteristic blood-red tie. He didn’t look like he’d just run here from more than six miles away. He looked refreshed but wary.
“Hey,” she said. “You’re back.”
“Not for long.”
“Oh?”
“I came to tell you I was going into the city.”
Reyna’s eyebrow rose. “And where were you before?”
He stared at her as if to say That’s my own fucking business.
“Fine. Don’t fucking tell me. I don’t even know why you’re here right now, then. Why tell me you’re going into the city but not tell me where the hell you’ve been the last week?”
“I’m going to see Penny.”
Reyna ground her teeth together and clenched her fists. “Are. You. Out. Of. Your. Mind?”
A muscle tensed in his jaw.
“Just talk to me. Tell me what you’re thinking. Why the hell are you going see her? She double-crossed us. She almost got you killed. She tried to murder me.”
“She might have answers.”
“To what?” Reyna demanded.
“About Harrington.”
“And you’re, what, going to seduce them out of her?”
Beckham didn’t even dignify that with a response.
“Becks,” she said, exasperated.
“I came to tell you. I knew you wouldn’t want to hear after I’d already gone. Now I’m going.”
“Wait.” Reyna reached out and snagged his arm. He jerked as if she’d burned him. She pulled her hand back in surprise. He’d never reacted that way to her touch before. Never pulled away from her like that.
Reyna straightened her spine. No way was she going to let one encounter with Graves fuck with their relationship. She wouldn’t let him go that easily. And if he thought that she would, he was wrong. She didn’t know why he even showed up like this if he was going to freak at one touch.
“I’m going with you.”
“No.”
“Oh, this isn’t a negotiation,” she spat.
“You’re right. It’s not.” Beckham turned and stalked across the field to the garage. He could have easily outpaced her, but he walked at an almost human speed.
Reyna trailed after him, jogging to keep up. “You’re going to freak out and disappear for a week because some guy touched me and think I’ll somehow be okay with you going to see your psycho ex? Hell, no. This is not happening.”
Beckham tugged the door to the garage open, ignoring her.
“Is this really about Graves?”
He growled low in the back of his throat. Yeah, his name was a bit of a trigger. She knew that she shouldn’t push, but it was ridiculous that he was punishing her for something that she hadn’t even wanted.
“I’m not going to stop talking about this. Everything we did was to get information. I didn’t want to him to touch me or look at me like I was a meal or offer to spend the night with me. I didn’t ask for his attention. It’s unfair that you’re acting like this toward me then going to see Penny.”
“Reyna,” he snapped.
“What?” she yelled back.
“Shut up and get in the car.”
Reyna gnashed her teeth together. All she wanted to do was argue with him until he told her what the fuck was going on with him. But when had that ever worked with Beckham? When he put up a wall, he made sure even a wrecking ball couldn’t fucking tear it down.
So she got in the car.
Chapter 25
Asking Beckham to fill her in on the plan was about as fruitful as her stopping a bullet with her teeth. In fact, he wasn’t particularly loquacious the entire trip. Not that he ever was. But even the air felt bereft between them.
They traded out their SUV for a shiny black sports car once they got into the city. Reyna didn’t even have it in her to make a quip about it being inconspicuous before Beckham punched the pedal to the floor. Reyna quickly forgot her irritation as wonder took over. Just like the first time she’d ridden with him on his motorcycle, the sensation of flying resonated with her. The sheer power of the vehicle beneath her made her come alive.
“Where are we meeting her?” Reyna tried again.
Beckham took the next turn at top speed, the back wheels sliding across the road as if they were on ice. Reyna squeezed her seat to keep from slamming into the door. Questions seemed to be a no-go.
The sun had finally set by the time they swung into an underground parking garage. Literally swung. Beckham parked the car next to an elevator and sprinted around to her side to open the door. She stood on unsteady feet.
“Should we be worried about the cameras?” Reyna asked. “I can’t imagine that Harrington isn’t trying to track you…or her.”
“Took care of it.”
“Of course you did,” she mumbled. “You’ve already been here?”
In response, he gestured for her to head to the elevator. Of course he had already been here. He must have spent his time away scoping this place out and possibly dismantling the cameras and security system. Making sure that everything was as safe as possible. Or so she hoped.
Reyna stepped into the elevator and Beckham followed behind her, pressing the button for one of the floors near the top. He crossed his arms over his chest and faced front. She did likewise.
“So…are we going in with guns blazing?”
“Guns are pointless.”
“Uh…yeah right. I shot Penelope in the heart and not only did it put her ass on the ground, but it felt really good too.”
Beckham’s head snapped to her. “You shot h
er…in the heart?”
Reyna grinned like a fool. “Hell, yes, I did. And I’d do it again if I had to.”
“It won’t come to that.”
Reyna sure as hell hoped it did. Well, mostly she’d feel better if she was packing something walking into this unknown situation.
The doors opened on their floor. Reyna glanced down the hallway and saw a row of doors all marked with the floor number and a letter. Apartments. They must be going to Penelope’s place. Reyna frowned, wondering which of the insane places belonged to her. Because she was certain that someone like Penelope Sky had an swank apartment. Even before she’d become the mayor, she’d lived a privileged and entitled life that Reyna had never been able to fathom.
“Stairs,” Beckham ordered.
Reyna groaned. Her favorite.
There were five more flights of stairs to the top. Reyna didn’t even wait at any of the landings. She should have suspected from the get-go that Penelope had the penthouse.
The top floor ended with a locked door. As she was well aware with Beckham’s residence, the main way in and out was through the elevator. She wouldn’t have even known if there had been stairs out of his place.
Beckham produced a key and it turned easily in the hole. Before he opened the door, he faced her. “Do exactly as I say and don’t be seen or heard.”
“Uh, you want me to just…stand inside?”
Beckham placed a small electronic device in her hand. “Record what you can.” She looked down at the tech. “Red button.”
“Yeah, I know how it works.”
“Good.”
Then he slipped through the door without another word. Reyna hurried inside and let the door slip closed silently behind her. Beckham moved her down a hallway and then into an office space. He positioned her so she had a clear view of the living room, but she was in enough shadow that she wasn’t visible.
Beckham pointed his finger at the ground as if to say Stay here. She nodded her head in understanding. He gently tipped her chin up with his fist, his eyes penetrating deep into her soul. Then he was gone.
What the hell did that mean? After how he’d been acting, why was he being tender with her? The man wasn’t warm to begin with. And considering he’d been a frozen iceberg since leaving Graves’ place, she hadn’t been expecting anything like that.