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)
“No. I made this mess. I need to fix it more than I need sleep, and if I have to hunt him down in some seedy part of town, I’d feel better knowing you’re here and safe.” He pressed one last kiss to her soft mouth, swiped his phone off the nightstand, and slipped on his shoes. “I’ll be back.”
He tore down the stairs and picked up his keys, then set the alarm and flew out to the garage before burning rubber down the driveway. He’d barely put the car in drive before he whipped out his cell and called the one person who should know exactly where to find Seth.
River answered on the first ring. “Hey, Beck. What’s up?”
“Where are you two? I need an address. I’ve got to talk to Seth.”
“You sound upset. What’s wrong?”
“I just need to talk to him ASAP. Where are you?”
“He never came home? I left him at the office about two hours ago. We got back from Palm Springs after closing the case. He said he was going to call the client with the news and do some paperwork. Since Dean’s sister apparently brought him home from the hospital, then had to go back to work, I thought I’d come over here and check on him, so I jetted.”
Dean had a sister? First he was hearing of that. The guy had never mentioned her, but whatever. “So you haven’t seen Seth since?”
“No, man. Have you tried calling?”
Some things were better said in person. “As far as you know, he’s still at the office?”
“He must be. I get the feed around the perimeter. It’s like a video doorbell on steroids. Hang on.”
Beck waited impatiently, hoping that River could tell him something useful. Finally, Raine’s big brother sighed. “Yeah. He’s still there. No one has opened the door since I left, and his SUV is still in the parking lot. He seemed pretty wiped. Maybe he fell asleep.”
Yeah, on purpose. “I’ll check there.”
“You’re going to need the code to get in.”
“Code?”
“Yeah, he’s got layers of security around the place.”
Of course Seth did. If he’d even fortified his temporary bachelor pad, then he’d put super, impenetrable security around his office. “Lay it on me.”
River did. Beck had to pull over, find a pen, and jot down the precise instructions, including a twelve-digit code.
“That’s all,” the guy said.
“All?” Beck huffed as he surged into sparse late-night traffic. “If there’d been more, I would have wondered if I’d need Houdini to get in.”
“Seth is…particular.”
“Try paranoid,” Beck drawled, wondering if Autumn and Tristan were the reasons.
But his wife and son were dead. Why should he still be paranoid? Seth had claimed his past was ancient history that would never bite them in the ass.
Maybe that’s not true…
“Yeah, more like that,” River admitted. “You need me to come out there? Dean took his pain pills and passed out, so he doesn’t need me to stay. He farts in his sleep. He swears it’s his dog, but…”
The joke was funny, but Beck wasn’t in the mood to smile. “Nah, I got this. Thanks for your help, man.”
Before River even said goodbye, Beck hung up and gunned his engine.
He reached Seth’s office a handful of minutes later, grateful he hadn’t encountered any cops running speed traps on his way. Jerking his Mercedes into the first available spot, he hopped out, barely remembering to click the button on his fob to lock the vehicle, then marched to the door. He swore like a motherfucker as he punched in the ridiculously long code, agitation eating at him until the door finally snapped open.
The foyer was empty, the stairs leading up to Cooper Investigations West dark. At the top of the landing, he paused, letting his eyes adjust to the blinding light from Seth’s desk lamp until he could see beyond it.
And there he was, sprawled on the couch, his head on a pillow that had seen better days, bundled up with an old blanket, his feet hanging over the side. One arm dangled and dragged the floor. And with his next breath, he snored like a chainsaw.
Seth was dead-ass asleep.
Shit.
Sighing, he approached the slumbering PI and nudged his shoulder. “Hey, wake up. We need to talk.”
Seth jolted upright and blinked, bleary-eyed. “Beck? What the hell are you doing here?”
“That’s what I want to ask you. When you told Heavenly you were all wrapped up, I didn’t think that meant with your blanket on your too-short sofa in your office. Want to tell me why you’re not at home in bed with us?”
“What time is it?” He glanced at his watch. “Almost midnight? Shit… I was working here. Still more to do, but I hadn’t slept in days, so I lay down to nap for a few minutes. I didn’t think I’d be safe to drive home, otherwise. I didn’t mean to conk out.”