Beck

by Toye Lawson Brown

  She squirmed under my weight. “Would having a baby with me be that life-shattering? I believe our child would be a beautiful mix of the two of us.”

  I dipped my head to draw a chocolate-tipped nipple into my mouth, taking deep pulls. Her body bowed into mine. She slid her hands into my short hair and moaned as I sucked harder.

  I released her and let out a low growl. “Jesus, I need to stop before I make that possibility a reality. And to answer your question, if we made a baby, it would be beautiful.”

  “See? It wouldn’t be so bad.”

  I laughed and rolled to my back, taking her with me. Abbie draped her body over me, heavy and relaxed. “But we’re not ready for that step.”

  “We aren’t ready for that yet,” she agreed.

  I closed my eyes as I ran my fingers down her back. “However, this is what I’ve been thinking about doing since I saw you this morning. Holding you in my arms, close to me, just like this.”

  A moment of silence passed. I felt sleep creeping in. Waking up with her curled around me would complete my fantasy.

  “Beck?”

  A bit of concern brought my eyes open. But it dissipated quickly when I tightened my arms around Abbie and kissed the top of her head. “Hmm?”

  She played with the dark hair on my chest. “Thank you for coming with me tonight,” she said, voice gentle and sincere.

  A string of heat pulled straight down the center of my chest. I tipped her head up to press our mouths together. I’d intended the kiss to be sweet, but it instantly turned hot. Her mouth mirrored her body so perfectly—wet and sexy. I hadn’t even fully softened yet, and my cock was already rising again.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Beck

  I jumped awake, unable to catch my breath. Sweat beaded on my forehead even though the room was cold from the air conditioner. “What the hell?” I whispered.

  To my left, Abbie was curled in the blanket next to me, her dark hair splayed across the pillow.

  The strange sensation of something or someone in the room had woken me from a sound sleep. I looked around the bedroom for motion. Nothing like this had happened to me before, but the presence was so strong that I couldn’t ignore it.

  I got out of bed, searched for my boxers, and pulled them on. I checked the closet and bathroom; there was nothing. But what about the rest of the rooms? I glanced at Abbie’s sleeping form. There was no way she could stay asleep while I searched.

  Her safety, as well as mine, was at stake.

  Gently, I shook her sleeping body. “Abbie, wake up.”

  She squirmed beneath the covers. “Later, Beck. I need sleep.”

  “Wake up. There might be someone inside with us. I need you to hide.”

  That got her attention, and she sat straight up, shaking. “What? Where?”

  I put my finger to her lips. “I’m going to check it out. I want you to lock yourself in the bathroom. Don’t come out until I give you the all-clear… Do you understand? Do not come out until then.”

  She rolled out of bed naked. “I don’t have any weapons,” she whispered.

  “Don’t worry about it—get in the bathroom.”

  Abbie grabbed her cell phone and the robe lying over a chair. “If you aren’t knocking in ten minutes, I’m calling the police.” She went into the bathroom, and I heard the soft click of the lock engaging.

  It irritated me that she forgot I was a policeman at one time, and I could and would protect her. The living room was eerily dark as I stepped into the chilly hallway. I could’ve sworn the light was on. When we came in, hot and wrapped up in passion, Abbie had flipped the light switch by the door. I was damn sure of it.

  It was possible she had gotten up once I fell asleep and turned it off. But since the shooting, my nights were mostly restless. Her moving around in the bed would’ve easily awakened me.

  The hair on my neck stood straight. What the hell was spooking me? I wasn’t afraid of bumps in the dark. Hell, the night Abbie wandered into my bedroom at her father’s house didn’t disturb me like this. There were more rooms to search in that house, but then I had a weapon.

  My feet padded against the hardwood floors. I kept my steps light in case someone was still in the condo. Weaponless, I had to depend on my other skills if I happened upon an armed intruder.

  My ears were tuned in to pick up any unique noises. The door to the second bedroom was closed. I couldn’t remember if it was that way before or not.

  Shit! I had to make a decision fast. Should I search that room or do the front rooms first? If someone were hiding in that bedroom, access to Abbie would be quick, since I would be further away.

  With her locked in the bathroom, it would buy me a little time, though. The doors were thick and sturdy. An intruder would make a lot of noise attempting to break it down. Abbie would call the police if I were incapacitated at that point.

  Inhaling a deep breath, I swung open the door to the bedroom. Suddenly, a heaviness knocked me off my feet. My arms were full of a body, fists rapidly attacking me. I was stunned but had to get my wits together before I was killed.

  My senses kicked in, and I began to fight back, blocking blows with my elbows. Flat on my back, I wouldn’t get the leverage I’d need to win this fight and apprehend whoever this asshole was.

  I bucked upward, and my assailant toppled over. I got to my feet. Then the real fight started. We wrestled, knocking over pictures, breaking the glass. I threw my leg out, kicking my masked sparring partner in the stomach. He flew backward and into the hallway.

  Chasing after him, I caught him around the legs, and we fought hard, his fists landing on my bare skin. He had the advantage of wearing clothes; I only had on underwear. My feet were bare; his feet were booted. My hands were naked; his were gloved.

  If he got away, I wouldn’t be able to get any fingerprints. Yeah, I couldn’t let him escape. This shit ended tonight.

  The fighting reached the living room. In the dark, it was hard to see the man dressed in black. I was determined to keep up. He tried to reach the front door, but I caught him around the shoulders, swinging him around. He landed on the coffee table.

  The wood splintered, and the items on it crashed to the floor. I heard screaming in the distance. It had to be Abbie. She had left the bathroom after I ordered her to stay put. But she might have called the police, too.

  Reaching the man, I jumped on top of him, and my fist connected with his masked face. I felt his nose shift under my knuckles.

  Leaning my weight on my elbow tucked under his neck, I cut off his air supply. I growled, “Who the fuck are you?”

  He bucked beneath me, refusing to answer my question. He was big. I had to work to keep my position over him.

  He’d managed to get an arm free from under my thigh and was reaching around in his jacket. I knew what that meant. He had a gun, and I had to get it.

  As the fight now became a fight for life, I had to bring all my training into play. Twisting his wrist didn’t dislodge the gun as I’d hoped. I smashed my palm into his face, and he howled. With his nose already broken, I was sure that move was painful as hell.

  His wild bucking knocked me off him. I heard the gun scratch across the floor, but where it went was a mystery. We both scrambled for the weapon in the dark. It had landed under a glass shelf. The lights suddenly came on, bathing us.

  The masked man grabbed the gun and fired off one shot. I had no clue where it went. Without thinking, I charged for him, and we fought for control of the gun. My finger was on the trigger as I bent his wrist backward.

  Two more rounds were squeezed from the gun. My finger was on the trigger, so I had to have discharged the weapon. But where was my masked man? Did he get out of the door unharmed?

  “Beck!”

  I heard Abbie screaming. Had she been hit by the bullet? I couldn’t move, and her screams suddenly seemed far away. Had she gone after him? No, she wasn’t crazy that way.

  But why couldn’t I move? Why was the
re pain radiating up my left arm? I looked down. My skin was covered in blood. Was it mine? I looked up to see Abbie crying.

  “I’m okay, baby. Don’t cry,” I said.

  She was wrapping something around me. “You’ve been shot!”

  “I know.” I rested my head on the floor. The room was spinning, and I felt nauseated.

  “I need more towels,” she said.

  I watched Abbie get to her feet, then closed my eyes.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Abbie

  “Beck! Please open your eyes,” I cried. Blood was everywhere. Over me, over Beck, the walls, the floor.

  I continued to press towels to the wound but couldn’t stop the blood from flowing. Where were the damn paramedics? A fucking building filled with professionals and not one damn doctor lived here. I needed one to save Beck’s life.

  Tears blurred my vision as Beck lay on the floor, going in and out of consciousness. He wasn’t making any sense, but he was talking.

  “Abbie, are you still here?” he mumbled.

  “I’m here, Beck. You will not die on me.”

  “You have to wait for me. We have more to do.”

  His mouth must’ve been dry the way he licked his lips. “Okay, I will. You are going to live. Tomorrow, we can do whatever you want.” His eyes closed. “Open your eyes, Beck!”

  He opened them slowly, but he was not looking at anything in particular. Dear God, he couldn’t die, not after the night we’d shared. Not after the feelings I realized I had for this man. He couldn’t die because of me.

  My chest hurt from the burning pain ripping it apart. Finally, firemen and paramedics were there, shoving me gently aside so they could get to Beck. He had my hand grasped tightly in his. They pried us apart and went to work on Beck.

  A police officer helped me off the floor. “Ma’am, what happened?” he asked.

  I was shaking so hard, my knees were knocking together. “Someone broke into my home and Beck went after him. I heard them fighting and then gunshots.”

  “Who had the gun?”

  “Beck didn’t have a gun. But he is licensed to carry; he’s a bodyguard with GDB Security.” I watched the paramedic continue to work on him. They had him talking, so he was still alive.

  “What is your name?” the police officer asked.

  “Abbie Parker. I live here,” I replied.

  The young officer's brilliant green eyes lit up with his smile. “You’re the reporter for Channel 7? I thought I recognized you. I watch you every morning.”

  I nodded. I nodded. This was not the time to take pictures or give an autograph to the officer. Shaking with panic about Beck, I was getting very annoyed with the officer. His concentration should have been on capturing the suspect and not on me.

  “Are you hurt? Do you need medical attention too?” he asked.

  “I wasn't harmed thanks to Beck. Can we do this later? I have to see about him.”

  I looked over at Beck still sitting on the floor with paramedics surrounding him. He wasn’t moaning or making a fuss. I actually thought I heard him laugh at something a fireman had said.

  “Ms. Parker, the paramedics are doing their job; he’s in good hands. Will it be okay if I look around?”

  I ran a hand through my messed hair, but at least I had on pajama pants and a T-shirt. However, Beck only had on his boxers. If the officer was smart, he’d know what was going on once he saw the hallway and bedroom.

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Yeah, sure.”

  Free of the officer, I went over to Beck and grabbed his hand again. He was strapped to a gurney with tubes running from his body. He was so pale. Hours ago his skin was tanned from the sun, but now he looked ghostly.

  He looked up at me. “Abbie, I lo—”Then his eyes closed.

  My heart bottomed out. “No! Beck!”

  “We gave him a sedative. He’s not dead,” the paramedic said quickly. “We’ll be taking him to University Hospital.”

  “No, take him to Cleveland Clinic. My father is chief of surgery there.”

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  Not caring there were police roaming around my house, I left with the paramedics.

  *****

  I sat in the waiting room, feeling so alone. Beck had been in surgery just under an hour. I didn’t know how badly he was hurt or his current condition. No one would tell me anything, since I wasn’t family.

  Lowering my head to my hands, all I could do was pray. It was out of my hands. I couldn’t call his family. I didn’t know any friends he had in Cleveland. I was helpless to do anything for Beck.

  “Ms. Parker?”

  I raised my head and saw three men standing in the waiting room. I recognized them as Beck’s bosses. It was Mr. Hawkins, who approached me.

  “Mr. Hawkins, I’m glad you here. They won’t tell me anything. I don’t know if he is alive or died on the table.” The hysterics were taking me over, and I couldn’t stop it.

  He drew me into his arms. “Briggs and Gio will check on him. How are you doing?”

  I was a mess, scared to death what would happen to Beck. Wondering if I would ever see him again. A nurse had given me a blanket when I arrived. When I stood up to wrap it around me, that's when I lost it. My T-shirt and pajama pants were stained with Beck’s blood. Dad wanted to give me a sedative, but I refused. I had to be alert for Beck. He would need me.

  “We’ll call his family. Who can I call for you?” he asked as he stroked my hair.

  “Abbie.”

  I heard my father’s voice and looked over Mr. Hawkins’ shoulder. “Dad?” I searched my father’s face for signs of deception. He was a hard man to read, but when it came to his patients, he wore their burdens on his sleeve.

  Mr. Hawkins released me as I walked toward my father. “Dad… please…”

  “Honey, he is alive. He’ll make a full recovery.”

  I fell into my father’s arms, as my legs would no longer hold me. Dad held me in his arms as I cried. “Don’t cry, honey. He’s going to be fine.”

  “These are tears of joy. Can I see him?”

  “He’s in recovery. When they move him to a room, you can see him. Until then, let’s get you cleaned up.”

  *****

  It was over two hours before they let me see Beck. He was sleeping peacefully, and his color had returned. I walked to the bed, touched his hand, and looked at his sleeping face. He was so handsome, and I could’ve lost him tonight.

  I didn’t know what was going on between us, but there was definitely something brewing. I wanted it more than ever.

  Beck drew in a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. They seemed unfocused until he saw me. “Hey, gorgeous. You’re a sight for sore eyes,” he mumbled. He sounded drugged and sleepy.

  Not letting go of his hand, I pulled the chair closer and sat at his bedside. “You are a sight for sore eyes. You had me so scared.”

  He smiled, and the tube for the oxygen flowing through his nose came loose. “You aren’t getting rid of me that fast.”

  As I adjusted the tube in his nose, he frowned. “Stop fighting. This is helping you,” I said.

  Beck squeezed my hand. “You being here is helping me. Don’t leave me, Abbie.”

  I palmed his hand with both of mine. “I won’t leave your side. Now get some sleep.”

  “Okay. I can’t seem to keep my eyes open anyhow.”

  “I’ll be here when you wake up.” I kissed his knuckles and watched his breathing even out as he slept. Wild horses couldn’t move me from this chair.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Beck

  Three days later

  “Mom, I’m fine. You don’t need to come to Cleveland,” I said, trying to convince my mother to stay in Chicago.

  I knew telling her would be a mistake, but I didn’t want to go home for the birthday party and have to explain my new injuries.

  Since the shot wasn’t a through-and-through, surgery was needed to remove the bullet. No maj
or arteries were hit. That was the only reason I had to be admitted. If it had been a simple flesh wound, I would’ve been stitched, and my behind sent home.

  “Beck, are you sure? I can be there in two hours. Better yet, you should come home and let me take care of you. I hate you are so far away.”

  “I know. I’ll be home soon, and you can take care of me until your heart is content. Or for the weekend.”

  “You’re going back to Cleveland?”

  I heard the disappointment in her voice, but leaving Cleveland was not an option. The last three days had brought Abbie and me closer. I couldn’t lose that ground with her by moving away.

  “Beck, you’re a grown man on a mission. I know the bad memories still linger in Chicago, but we’re your family. We love you, honey. We can’t stand only hearing your voice over the phone or seeing you on a random holiday or family event. I miss my baby boy.”

  My shoulder throbbed, but my mother’s words made my heart hurt worse. I had abandoned them to run from my past. How could I fix that and keep Abbie in my life? So far, no answers had come.

  The door opened and Zane walked in, carrying a black duffel bag. “I hate to cut this short, Mom, but I have to go. I’ll call again soon.”

  “Baby, promise me you’ll be okay.”

  “I promise. I love you, Mom,” I said. I hung up and managed to keep my emotions in check. “Hey, Zane. Come to spring me?”

  “Yeah.” He tossed the bag on the foot of the bed. “Briggs said you might need clothes.”

  “Sweet. Walking out of here in a hospital gown would not be sexy.” I unzipped the bag and removed the jeans and T-shirt. “Are these mine?”

  “I got them from your apartment, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  It was harder than I thought to get my pants on with my arm in a sling, but I managed and got them snapped. The shirt would be a different story.

  I chuckled. “In other words, you broke in.”

  “Cut the crap, Beck!” Zane barked.

  I snapped my head in his direction. “What crap? I was kidding about breaking into my apartment. I know Briggs has a key.”