None of it mattered as long as he was hers.
…
After the sounds of the last foot soldiers disappeared from around the convenience store and Beckham had fully returned to health, they slipped outside and hoofed it back to the SUV. After Beckham checked it for a tracer, they left the city far behind.
Beckham threaded their fingers together. The stress of the evening evaporated. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She listened to the rhythm of his heart and forgot the rest of the world. She’d deal with it tomorrow. Right now, she wanted this ounce of solace.
It was after midnight when they finally made it back. Her eyes were drooping and sleep was calling out to her. Had it only been a few hours ago that she’d gotten the call about Everett? When Beckham had returned and she’d convinced him to let her go with him to see Penny? Every day felt like a lifetime.
Beckham parked the SUV and they moved together into the kitchen. The light was on and Genevieve was humming to herself as she busied herself about the stove.
“Hey,” Reyna said.
“Reyna.”
“Who’s with Brian?”
“Philippé took over for a while. I can go up there to check on him if you’d like.”
Reyna nodded. “Please.”
Beckham pressed a kiss into her hair as Genevieve disappeared. “Your heart breaks for him.”
“He never wanted this. I don’t know how he’ll live with himself.”
“The strong survive.”
Reyna was surprised to find that her friends and much of Beckham’s inner circle were congregated in the dining room. She and Beckham exchanged a glance.
“What’s going on?” Reyna asked.
Meghan’s eyes were wide with terror. They darted between Reyna and Beckham and back to the computer in front of her. Jodie chewed on her bottom lip. Katarina had been playing with Jodie’s hair. Gabe had his arms crossed over his chest. Zoya was seated before the computer. Gerard was across the room, motionless as always, reading a book.
Meghan threw her arms around Reyna. “You scared the shit out of us.”
“I did?”
“You’re all over the news. The entire city was in an uproar looking for you.”
“For me?” she asked.
“And Beckham,” Jodie clarified.
“They’re looking for the mayor’s murderer,” Meghan added. “We saw the video.”
“Video?” Reyna asked, glancing at Beckham.
“You don’t want to see it,” Meghan told her. “It shows her neck twisted. You two running out of the room. It’s being played on repeat despite the graphic material.”
Gabe’s eyes hit the ceiling. “Want to share with the class what happened before or after you, I don’t know, lost your shirt?”
“No,” Beckham said. “Any other questions?”
The room was silent. Not because no one had questions, butbecause Beckham was shirtless, still partially covered in blood, and prowling like an animal.
Doors burst open across the room. “I have it,” Washington cried.
Reyna whipped around. She’d hadn’t noticed that he wasn’t among the rest of the crowd. He’d been locked up in his laboratory so long that sometimes it was easy to forget he was even there.
