Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 92941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
He’d been so angry, and I didn’t think it stemmed from finding me. I thought that maybe he’d been angry for a very long time, and losing Zeke had been a trigger that made everything worse. By the time he found me, he’d shielded himself so well that it was a miracle I’d ever broken through.
Without the intensity of the bond, Beau may have never shown up at my apartment that first day.
“I was just coming to get you,” Beau said, breaking me out of my thoughts as he strode toward me. “Breakfast is ready. My mother made a feast since we’re all here.”
“Great,” I said distractedly, still grappling with everything Helen had said and what it meant.
“You okay?” he asked, cupping my face in a motion that was becoming familiar. “I didn’t realize Helen had gone outside.”
“I’m fine,” I assured him. “It was a nice visit.”
“Did she tell you about all the trouble I used to get into with her boys?” he asked with a small smile. “When we moved west, we lived near them for a time. We were technically adults, but you’d never convince our parents of that.”
“No,” I said, curling my hands around his wrists. “She told me about Millie.”
“Shit.”
“No, it was okay,” I assured him quickly. “She was mostly apologizing for freaking me out yesterday.”
“Maybe we should go somewhere,” he said, leaning down to brush his lips over mine.
I didn’t think the sensation would ever get old.
“Just me and you,” he continued. “And a private beach.”
“Sand,” I replied, wrinkling my nose.
His lips tipped up as he kissed me again. “Fine, somewhere else. You pick.”
“I liked that hotel we stayed at,” I mused, leaning in. If I was honest, I didn’t really care where we were. I had a lot to consider about how our lives would unfold going forward, but as long as Beau was beside me, I could do that anywhere.
“England?” he asked, pulling back a little. “You said you wanted to go to London.”
“Not London,” I blurted. I guess it did matter where we were. I did not want to return with him to the place where he’d found Millicent Davies.
Beau winced. “Right. Italy, then. The Colosseum.”
“We don’t need to go anywhere,” I argued.
“Our mother’s making us wait on you,” Chance called loudly. “Move your asses.”
I hadn’t even realized that Beau’s brothers were home. I wondered if that meant they had news about Zeke’s mate.
“There are too many people here,” Beau breathed, kissing me once more before pulling away. He took me by the hand and tugged me toward the kitchen.
Another leaf had been added to the table, and Beau’s entire family sat around it with Mordecai and Helen, waiting on us.
“You could’ve eaten,” Beau chided, pulling out my chair. “I told you we’d be back in a minute.”
“That’s rude,” Mattie argued primly.
“Nice to see you again, Reese,” Danny said cheerfully. He smiled at me, but it didn’t reach his eyes. In fact, all of Beau’s brothers looked absolutely exhausted.
“You, too,” I replied, smiling at him and then at Chance.
“I hope my brother isn’t being an idiot anymore,” Ambrose said from across the table.
“Ulf,” Erik said in warning.
“It’s touch and go,” I replied easily.
Beau pinched me under the table.
“Actually, it was your father being an idiot yesterday,” Erik said, setting his glass down as his eyes met mine. “Was it not?”
“It’s fine.” I waved him off.
“No, it wasn’t,” Beau countered stiffly.
“We apologize, Beau,” Mordecai said quietly.
“It’s not me you should apologize to,” Beau shot back.
“Beau, stop,” I whispered, putting my hand on his thigh. The muscle under my hand was rigid. I tightened my fingers as if I could hold him in place.
“We overstepped,” Erik said with a sigh.
“What the hell happened?” Danny asked, glancing around the table.
“Reese heard Mom and Dad talking about Millie,” Beau said flatly, making his brothers straighten in their seats. “And instead of realizing that they’d done enough, they invited Mordecai and Helen over to…what?” He stared at his father. “Do damage control? Which backfired after they cornered her while I was sleeping.”
Ambrose cursed under his breath. The tension at the table was palpable. My face burned.
Mattie spoke quietly. “We thought they could help you both understand—”
The look Beau shot his mom was so full of rage that my breath caught.
Erik’s fist slammed onto the table, the sound as loud as a gunshot. Dishes rattled.
Everyone braced as Beau looked to Erik. Ambrose placed his hands on top of the table like he was going to vault out of his seat. Daniel carefully put down his water glass. Chance pushed his chair back from the table. Mordecai’s gaze sharpened.
“Beau,” I murmured, my heart pounding. “Hey.” Reaching up, I cupped his cheek the way he always did to mine. “Beau.”
I held back a flinch as his gaze met mine.
“It’s okay. We’re okay. Leave it.”