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)
“You didn’t know that,” Ambrose argued.
“Yes, I did.”
“And what if you’d fallen?” Mordecai asked sternly. “Then it would no longer matter whether or not they carried a blade. They could’ve taken you anywhere.”
“Bjorn, we don’t even know if your immortality has been cemented yet,” Alice scolded gently.
My heart pounded as I turned to look at Beau.
“My mate was in that apartment,” he said emotionlessly, his gaze scanning over the people in the room. “There was no other option.”
“You could’ve let Daniel—”
“Danny hasn’t mated,” Beau cut Mordecai off. “He was safest inside protecting Reese.”
“All you had to do was wait,” Erik thundered.
“Until what?” Beau replied angrily, shoving himself up in bed.
I scrambled to brace him, but he didn’t seem to need the help.
“Until a stray bullet hit her? Danny could take two, maybe three? Reese could not.”
I gently laid my hand on Beau’s back. His entire body was trembling.
“You could’ve died,” Ambrose said angrily. “You could’ve been taken.”
“And it still would’ve been worth it,” Beau yelled, the tendons in his neck bulging.
“Hey,” I whispered, smoothing my hand over the clammy muscles of his back as my eyes began to sting. “Hey, calm down.”
“Get the fuck out,” Beau ordered, his hand tightening on my leg. “All of you.”
“Beaumont,” Erik scolded.
“I swear to the Gods,” Beau snapped, reaching for the sheet like he was going to throw it off and climb out of bed.
“Out,” Helen ordered, speaking for the first time as she gazed up at her husband and then back at us. “They need some time.”
Mordecai nodded and led her out of the room. The rest of them trickled out slower than they’d entered, but, eventually, Beau and I were the only ones left in the room.
He was sweating as he lay back down, his chest heaving.
“Do you feel like a big strong Vampire now?” I admonished, glaring at him.
“I don’t need shit from you, too,” he replied, closing his eyes as he let out a long slow breath.
“What were you thinking?” I asked, wishing I could smack him. “They were ten minutes out? Beau.”
“One minute was too fucking long.” His eyes snapped open to glare at me. “Thirty seconds was too fucking long.”
“It wasn’t.”
“Those men were in your apartment.”
“I know that.”
“They ruined your stuff,” he continued. “They killed your friend.”
Oh god. I hadn’t even thought of Kenny since Beau was hurt.
“I thought you were going to die,” I grit out angrily.
“I told you about the mating bond—”
“Well, excuse-the-fuck-out-of-me for forgetting that little tidbit when you were bleeding everywhere!”
“I don’t know why you’re angry,” he growled. “It’s my job to keep you safe.”
“I thought you were going to die,” I repeated, my voice going all high and screechy. “Do you know what that felt like?”
“I wasn’t going to die.”
“Oh, really? Because your brothers and your dad looked like they were going to shit their pants, too.” I pointed at the door. “It wasn’t just me that thought it.”
“I won’t apologize for keeping you safe.”
“Fuck you,” I hissed, jerking away from him. “You would’ve left me all alone!”
“What are you talking about?” he asked, reaching for me as I scrambled off the bed.
“You would’ve just—” I struggled to speak around the lump in my throat. “You would’ve just left me forever. And I just would’ve…would’ve…been stuck here without you.”
Beau’s expression changed instantly.
“Come here, love,” he murmured gently.
“I don’t want to,” I shot back, still angry. “You could’ve waited for help.”
“No, I couldn’t have,” he said, throwing the blankets back.
“Stop it,” I ordered as he slowly and carefully got to his feet. “Get back in bed.”
“Let me hold you,” he said breathlessly, shuffling toward me. “Come here.”
I was still angry, but I met him halfway. I told myself it was because he was hurt, and he was going to end up ripping open his stitches, but the truth was that I needed his arms around me.
“I’m sorry you were scared,” he murmured against my hair.
“You should’ve stayed with me,” I mumbled.
“I would make the same decision a thousand times more,” he argued, his voice soft. “There will never be a time when I hide while you’re in danger.”
“You were so pale,” I whispered, tipping my head back to meet his eyes. “You were bleeding everywhere.”
“I’m right here,” he whispered back. “I’m fine. I took a calculated risk.”
I opened my mouth to argue but snapped it shut again when he gave my hair a slight tug.
“It is a risk I will always take, no matter the odds.”
“That’s stupid,” I grumbled.
Beau’s lips tipped up at the edges, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he reached up to run a finger down my cheek. “You are the beginning and the end of me, Reese Matthews.”
“Shit,” I breathed, staring into his eyes.
The moment he started laughing…I knew I loved him.
Chapter 18
Beau
Everything hurt, and I wanted more than anything to fall asleep with Reese, but the moment Chance poked his head around the door, I waved him inside.