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Without hesitation, he and Seth sandwiched her between them, the big PI against her chest, while Beck pressed himself to her back. Closing his eyes, he buried his face against Heavenly’s neck and breathed her in, watching Seth lay a soft kiss across her lips.
His gesture was so natural, so earnest, Beck almost forgot their relationship was showing cracks.
“I’m sorry for barking at you in the car,” Heavenly murmured against the PI’s lips before easing back to stare up at him. Openly. Honestly. “I’m not used to you two fighting. It upset me. It made me worry about scary things…like losing you two.”
“Oh, you don’t need to worry, angel. I know I fucked things up this morning. I need to work through some stuff, get my head on straight again. But I love you, and everything is going to be fine.”
Beck didn’t know whether to believe him or call bullshit. All he could do was take a wait-and-see attitude.
He wanted to be more optimistic than he was.
“Promise?” she whispered.
Seth nodded and kissed Heavenly’s cheek, then eased away from her soft body to begin retrieving their suitcases with a plastic smile. The fact he didn’t verbalize his vow unsettled Beck.
After he handed Heavenly her tote full of toiletries, she flashed him a smile, as if comforted by the brief connection the three of them had just shared, then hurried into the house.
How long would the peace last?
Seth watched the door close behind her before turning to Beck. “Look, I know you’re both worried, but like I told Heavenly, I just need to work some stuff out in my head. In a day or two, I’ll—”
“Don’t blow smoke up my ass or hers.” Beck snapped. “You’ve kept those secrets wrapped tight for eight long years. Will a day or two really change a thing? Until you open up and purge, you’ll never get your head on straight, man.”
Before Seth could respond, Beck’s phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the caller ID.
“Hey, Jericho,” he greeted the FBI agent, tensing.
Seth stood beside him, watching and listening, as if he, too, was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“How are things going at the lodge?” the agent asked.
“Fine, I think. Seth, Heavenly, and I left. We just got back to LA. Everything all right there in Messiah City?”
“For the most part, yeah. Raid starts soon. The recovery groups you asked us to contact are waiting in the wings with representatives and transportation.”
“Good. How’s Zach holding up?”
“That’s why I called.” Jericho hesitated.
Beck’s gut twisted. “Not good?”
“He’s doing his best, but he’s struggling. He knows that he’s doing the right thing, but once it’s over, it can’t be undone. His life will be forever changed. So will all of The Chosen’s. It’s a lot for him to process.”
Beck scrubbed a hand through his hair and held in a curse. Even as a kid, Zach had been the quiet one, the nonconfrontational one. He’d always tried to blend into the background so he could escape Mother’s scrutiny. More often than not, it had worked.
Now, he had to put himself out, front and center, for the judgment of the entire congregation as he ended their way of life.
Fuck, going with Zach to take down Messiah City hadn’t been an option, but Beck wished he could be there to help his brother.
“What can I do?”
“Nothing right now, but he’s going to need you when this is over.”
Exactly why he’d given Zach his card. “Don’t let him go with any of the recovery groups, okay? When he’s done identifying those child-raping elders, send him back to LA. We’ve got plenty of room. He can stay with us. We’ll help him acclimate to the real world.”
From the corner of his eye, Beck saw Seth stiffen, jaw clenched, then grip the suitcases in his hands tighter before striding into the house, the door slamming behind him.
What the hell was that about?
