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I raced back to the kitchen and grabbed the only weapon I could see, then rushed back to the hall. Cayden and Marcus still hadn’t realized what had happened. Jefferies was clearly outnumbered. It was over. They didn’t know Beckett was hurt.
As I got closer, I made out the end of their muttered conversation.
“…you really thought you could win against me and her?” Jefferies was grinning like a madman. Now that he was caught, he’d given up the pretense of being normal.
“You’re just a dumb kid. You don’t know what me and Colette have endured. You have no idea how a past like ours can bond two people, and make them stronger, how blood like ours can make you powerful.”
Beckett chuckled, staring intently at the smaller man. “I don’t give a fuck about blood, or power…I care about freedom, something you’ll soon be without. And just to let you know, there is no you and her, man…she’s dead. I watched her die myself…and it was a fucking blast.”
“Liar!” Jefferies shouted.
I reached him. Beckett saw me coming and turned his head away, jerking it hard at the same time, making his mask fall back into place.
I clocked Jefferies around the side of the head with the full coffee pot. The glass shattered against his skull on impact, splashing the hot liquid all over his face and neck. The smell of burning skin filled the air. Beckett was protected by the hockey mask and his huge padding.
Jefferies screamed and staggered back. As soon as he was clear of Beckett, Marcus and Cayden were on him, kicking him hard to the floor and disarming him.
Beckett’s arms went around me and drew me close. “Are you alright?”
“What? Areyoualright? He stabbed you.” I leaned away and checked for blood.
There was red blossoming in the lower right corner of his hockey jersey.
“This? It’s nothing.”
“Nothing! You’re bleeding!”
Beckett just chuckled, completely brushing off the stab wound.
“You need an ambulance.”
“No, I don’t. I just need this,” he muttered and pulled me to his chest, placing his face into the nook between my neck and my shoulder. He inhaled deeply against my skin. “This is what I need.”
“You’re crazy,” I muttered but wrapped my arms around him, as far as I could, anyway. “We have to get you to a hospital. You’re hurt.”
“Don’t worry about me. If you’re safe… nothing can hurt me.” His hand stroked through my hair. "My Achilles heel is you… if you’re safe, I’m fucking bulletproof.” His hand stroked through my hair. “I bathed in the Styx, remember? With you by my side, I’m invincible.”
Beckett
ONE MONTH LATER
I saton the velvet chaise lounge in an exclusive boutique in midtown and waited for Eve to emerge. We were in New York for a Hellions game, and I’d convinced my little Cinderella to come out a day early. I wanted to play fairy godmother, and I’d be damned if it wasn’t nearly impossible to get my girlfriend to agree.
I’d finally convinced her to quit her job at the diner. The pay was shit, and she was tired all the time. She flat out refused to quit her job at The Dunes. My Evie liked her independence. I had to settle for being a customer during her shifts to keep her company, and glare at any rich old men who thought they could talk down to her. That hadn’t happened, to my knowledge, since my father had made it known that Eve Martino was dating his son. His sycophant friends wouldn’t dare cross the recently widowed Soren Anderson.
My father had also come when I’d met with Melly Martino and given her the deed for the house I’d bought her in Hade Harbor.
She’d refused it at first. Of course she had, because the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and Martino women were strong, independent, and proud as hell.
I’d explained how her children, both Eve and Asher, had saved my life, time and again, over the years. They’d given me a reason to keep going, despite the horror in my head.
She had still been going to refuse when my father had interrupted.
“You gave me back my son, Ms. Martino…allow us to do this for you.”
She had to have seen the sincerity in Soren’s eyes, because she’d agreed after that. Looking somewhat bewildered by the gesture, overwhelmed, and disbelieving, she’d taken the keys and the deed. She had no idea that this was only the beginning. Once Eve and I were married no one in the Martino household would ever want for anything again. I’d make it my mission to ensure that.
The heavy emerald curtain of the changing room twitched, and Eve’s face appeared in the gap.
