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Instead, tonight had felt like a game of Whac-A-Mole. Each time some new problem popped up and he thought he’d clobbered it, another took its place. She had a father. Fine. He was dying. Not so fine, but he’d spoken to Abel, who had already guessed the inevitable. Thankfully, the older man had seemed relieved when Beck had vowed to care for Heavenly after he was gone. Then they’d pulled up to this hovel. He’d been livid and heartbroken that she and Abel called this shithole in the middle of gang turf home. But her living situation could—and would—be changed. He had an empty condo complete with security, a fluffy king-size bed, thick carpet, and pristine walls. He’d get Heavenly moved in there pronto, even if he had to toss her over his shoulder and haul her out kicking and screaming. But before he could whack the mole of her living situation on the fucking head, he’d seen that rent overdue notice.
He was almost afraid to ask what would pop up next.
As he and Seth led Abel to the rented hospital bed, Beck skimmed a glance over the sparse room. A pillow and blanket lay poised on the end of a saggy, threadbare couch. The realization that he was staring at Heavenly’s bed hit him like a punch to the gut. His anger and blood pressure spiked.
“Can you settle Dad on the bed? Then I’ll adjust him until he’s comfortable,” Heavenly murmured.
“I know how to maneuver a hospital bed,” Beck said as he and Seth helped Abel onto the mattress. “Relax, little girl.”
“Actually, if you two don’t mind staying with Dad for a few minutes, I’ll pop across the courtyard and deal with last month’s rent.”
Beck didn’t miss the quiver in her voice. Was she nervous because she knew that he and Seth would sit her down and interrogate the shit out of her the moment they could? Or exhausted because the whole damn night had been a shit show?
Granted, he and Seth were there to keep an eye on Abel, but why decide to pay the rent at two in the morning? A niggling voice in the back of his brain said something wasn’t right. But he’d be goddamned if he could imagine what else could possibly be wrong.
After he and Seth helped Abel into bed, Beck bent and removed the man’s shoes. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Water, thank you,” he replied. “Clean glasses are in the cabinet to the left of the sink. Help yourselves.”
Beck stepped across the room and opened the cabinet, grabbing three clean glasses from a shelf that otherwise held half a dozen mismatched plates, a pair of chipped bowls, and a coffee mug about nursing students always studying. Nothing else. He frowned against his mounting concern as he opened the freezer for some ice but found only a thick layer of frost. No frozen treats or vegetables. Not even a scrap of meat. Worry smacked him like a wrecking ball to the chest.
Heart thudding, he peeked inside the refrigerator. A nearly empty container of milk, two eggs, and a half-empty bottle of catsup. His alarm only grew when he pulled open the rest of the cabinets and found a few packages of Ramen, a canister of oatmeal, and some saltines tucked into one shelf. A bottle of wine lay on its side beside them. Everything else was bare.
He bit back a roar, his hands shaking with rage as he gripped the kitchen faucet and filled the glasses before striding across the room and taking a seat beside Seth. After sending the PI a sidelong glance that signaled more shit, he began mentally counting the minutes until they could talk and he could make some phone calls and start changing Heavenly’s life.
“Thank you for helping Heavenly and me tonight.” Abel took a long gulp from his glass, fighting his shaking hands. “We truly appreciate it.”
“We’re happy to,” Beck assured the man.
Seth nodded. “I wish we could do more.”
“I know this place isn’t fancy. It’s certainly not as big or homey as our farmhouse in Wisconsin…”
Abel’s uneven voice told Beck the man’s strength was fading, but he rambled on with the verve of someone lonely who suddenly had an audience willing to listen. He waxed on about how cozy their house had once been, about their dairy cows, about how much it had killed him to sell the farm once his illness had progressed.
“How much has Heavenly told you?” Abel’s voice quivered even more as the joy on his face dimmed.
As little as humanly possible. But Beck would love to hear whatever details the man was willing to spill since he clearly didn’t know shit.
“I’d appreciate it if you filled in the gaps,” Seth remarked as if he had all day to listen.
“In other words, she said nothing.” Abel sighed. “That girl… She’s private, a bit shy, and even more proud. You may have noticed she doesn’t trust easily.”
