Reyna sensed Beckham’s presence at her back before she felt the brush of his fingers against her sleeve.
“Elisa was before my time with Visage as well,” he said. “They say she was a visionary.”
She faced him. Her heart melted at the sight of him.
After hearing everything he had to say and getting the rebellion back on track, she suddenly felt exhausted. Beckham didn’t need her to say anything. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and escorted her upstairs to his room.
He swept a blank glance around. “You’re staying here?”
“Washington told me it was yours.” She nearly choked on the words. “It was all I had of you other than the memories.”
He tilted her chin up. “You’ve changed.”
“I thought you were dead.”
“I told you that if the world didn’t break you, I would. And here you are.” He looked suddenly pissed. As if he was going to start raging about the room, even though he was the most in control person she had ever met.
“I was broken,” she admitted hollowly. “But then…then you put me back together.”
He shot her an incredulous look.
“If I crumpled, then your death would be for nothing. You wanted better than that for me. You always protected me, but you also kindled the fire within me. Letting it go out would dishonor your memory.”
“And in the meantime, you became the leader of Elle?” he asked, pushing his hands into his pockets. His voice was dry with sarcasm. “That would certainly keep you safe.”
“Truthfully, I didn’t much care about my own safety.” Reyna ran a hand back through her hair. “I’d lost both of my brothers and my sister-in-law. Jodie was missing. Elle was blown up. And the person I cared the most about—my blood match, mysoulmate, was dead.”
“Soul mate,” he said slowly. Reyna had never seen fear in those onyx eyes, but suddenly it was there.
“Yes. Washington said that a blood match is similar to a soul mate. A one-of-a-kind match.”
He seemed incredulous. “I’d have to have a soul for that, Little One.”
Reyna took a step back. “Becks, of course you have a soul.”
“No. That much I’m certain of.”
“You are determined to see the worst in yourself.”
“I see the reality,” he told her.
“Why am I surprised that even when you come back from the dead you argue with me?” Reyna shook her head. “How did you find me?”
“I sensed you.”
“Out here?” she asked. “We’re an hour from the city.”
“You came into the city. When I woke up and got to the safe house, I thought you must be dead because I tried to sense you and felt nothing. If Gerard hadn’t come to help me, I would be dead right now. But then I felt your presence. I knew precisely where you were.”
“I went to get Jodie back. I can’t believe you could sense me then. I didn’t feel anything. Definitely nothing like when you showed up here.”
“Maybe it was because I had your blood in my system. Either way, I nearly went mad trying to get to you, but Gerard wouldn’t let me.”
“Why?” she whispered. “Did he not want you to see me?”
“No. It wasn’t that. I was too weak to leave,” he admitted with distaste. “I used all my energy in getting information out of Penelope and then fleeing. I’d never been so drained in my life. As if my body had used every last bit of energy to knit me back together and I was left with nothing.”
She could see the toll that had taken on him. After thinking she was dead, he couldn’t even go to her when he’d realized she was alive. She would have gone mad too. Especially considering hisphysical prowess was integral to who he was losing that had to have been debilitating.
