Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 130159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
“Haunted,” Seth finished, his voice edged with something hard.
“Yes. I’m not surprised, after dealing with all that.” Heavenly gestured to the darkened screen. “I’ll bet he didn’t sleep all night. I doubt he’s had a decent home-cooked meal in ages.”
Beck nodded. “You’re probably right.”
“I don’t pretend to understand everything he’s going through, but I can at least feed him.” Heavenly stood and headed toward the kitchen. “I’ll have a hot breakfast ready shortly after he arrives.”
As the clatter of pots and pans floated from the kitchen, Beck glared at Seth, his stare drilling into the side of the big PI’s head.
Seth turned his way. “What?”
Though Heavenly had turned on some soft music, Beck still lowered his voice. “So it took all night to ‘check’ on the case?”
“Cases often take me out that long. What are you bitching about?”
“But you usually tell us up front how long you’ll be gone, and if things change, you call. Last night, Heavenly thought you were coming back. And you ignored her texts. She was really fucking upset and worried.”
That took Seth down a notch. “Sorry. Hurting her is the last thing I ever want to do.”
Sure. Great. But like Seth’s apology yesterday, Beck noticed what he didn’t say. “So you’ll communicate with us from now on?”
And Beck didn’t just mean about his comings and goings.
“Yeah.”
“Good. Want to start by telling me what’s been bothering you since you dropped the bombshell at the lodge?”
Seth sucked in a breath. “Look, man. Let it go. I’ve already told you everything important. I made mistakes, and my family died.” He stood. “I haven’t slept all night, so I’m not really in the mood to rehash all this. I’m going to grab a shower.”
Before he could walk off, Beck yanked him back down. “You don’t want to talk about it right now? All right, but don’t drag her through your emotional shit. Either wrap up this case you’re working on or take tonight off and talk to us. After everything that’s happened, she’s feeling insecure. She needs you. We both do.”
Seth hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll do my best, but this case suddenly jumped up and bit me in the ass.”
Beck admittedly hadn’t considered that, like his own practice, Seth’s had gone to hell while they’d been holed up at the lodge. “Complicated?”
“Time sensitive. Wife number six hired me to catch her cheating husband before she starts divorce proceedings.”
“So she can take him to the cleaners?”
Seth nodded. “River hadn’t had any luck on this case before all hell broke loose. Yesterday afternoon, the client chewed me a new asshole for disappearing while we were at the lodge. So I promised to personally step in and wrap this up. That’s why this case went from a mere check-in to an all-nighter.”
Beck downshifted. Since Seth had dropped paying clients’ needs to help him, he couldn’t be an ungrateful prick. “How’d that go?”
Seth scoffed. “Shitty. Her horny husband used the five previous wives to perfect his adultering skills. I thought I’d caught him last night when I followed him to a hotel. While we waited for the elevator in the lobby, I pretended to look at my phone. Once the doors opened, we both stepped inside. He pressed the button for the penthouse. I pressed the seventeenth floor, and I felt him watching me, but I never looked his way. As the doors started to close, the cagey son of a bitch mumbled something about leaving his card key in his glove-box and hustled out. After that, River and I both tried to find him, but no luck. I’m sure he was holed up somewhere, fucking the brains out of the woman who will be wife number seven.” Seth heaved a frustrated sigh. “I don’t know if this guy has Liam’s sort of woo-woo or if he smelled my PI cologne. But now that he’s seen my face, I’ve got to come up with a new plan—fast.”
“PI cologne, huh? What’s that smell like?”
“Bitter coffee and strong suspicion.” Seth sent him an acidic grin. “Nothing as good as the mouthwatering scent coming from the kitchen.”
“Right?” Beck chuckled, then patted his stomach. “I’m not sure what’s worse, the fact I love to eat or that Heavenly’s such a damn good cook. All I know is, if I’m not careful, she’s going to turn me into a fat old man.”
“Dude, you’re already old.”
“Fuck you.” Beck grinned, relishing the easy banter and sliver of normalcy.
Maybe Seth wasn’t completely closed up. Maybe he could wrap this case in the next day or two, then spend some time at home so they could get to the bottom of his past, solve the wedding conundrum, and refortify their trio.
Seth’s phone and the doorbell ringing in tandem put a dent in that hope.
While the PI drifted out through the kitchen and to the back patio to take his call, Beck strode to the foyer and opened the door. Zach stood there, looking like he’d just crawled to hell and back. Beside him, Jericho wore a grim expression and gave a subtle shake of his head.