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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.
Yeah, it was that bad.
Beck wrapped his arms around his brother and hauled him across the threshold. Almost instantly, Zach fell apart, his body quaking with silent sobs. Jericho watched with mute empathy on his face.
Behind him, Heavenly raced from the kitchen to greet Zach. But when she saw him falling apart, compassion replaced her welcoming smile. Without hesitation, she moved in and wrapped a comforting arm around his brother, whispering words of encouragement and promises of better days.
“How about some breakfast? You look like you could use it,” Heavenly said to Zach, her voice full of soft empathy. Then she turned to Jericho. “You’re welcome to join us. I made plenty.”
“I’d appreciate it. Thanks.” The agent lifted a small plastic suitcase before easing past Beck and Zach, into the house. “Can I do anything to help?”
“Set the table? I’ve already put everything you’ll need on the counter.”
After Jericho set Zach’s suitcase in the foyer, he sprang into action.
Beck gave his brother another reassuring squeeze. “It will get better, man. I know your grief over Faith’s and Joanna’s loss is overwhelming now. But what you did to stop the cycle of abuse in Messiah City took real guts. It was the right choice.”
“The only choice,” Zach choked out, wiping his face with his sleeve.
