Gabriella
Mia closes the door behind them, and I cross my arms over my chest. “What exactly is wrong with Javier?”
Beckett focuses on the ceiling.
“If something is going on, I want to know. There is no reason for you to hate him this much.”
“I don’t hate him,” he grumbles.
“Then why is it such a big deal if I’m with him? This isn’t just about me being your little sister. You may have been in prison for ten years, but this is over the top.”
Silence.
I soften my voice. “Javier isn’t going away. You need to accept this. I deserve to be happy.”
Beckett gapes. “He makes you happy?”
“Yes.”
He clenches his jaw.
“I’ve been nothing but supportive of you and Mia.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
More silence.
“I love you, Beckett, and I’m glad you’re home, but I can’t have a relationship with you if you’re not going to accept Javier in my life.”
His face hardens, and his eyes turn glassy. “You’re choosing him over me?”
“No. I’m choosing myself.”
“How is that choosing yourself?”
“I deserve to make my own choices. Javier is my choice.”
He scrubs his face. “Ugh. Gabriella.”
“Don’t do that. You couldn’t stay away from Mia.”
“So? What does that have to do with you and Javier?”
“That’s how I feel about him. And he’s a good person. I’m his priority. He’s mine. You of all people should understand that.”
“You just met him.”
“Spoken by the recently married man?”
“That’s different?”
“How?”
“Mia’s been a part of our life since we were kids.”
“You and Mia are different people now. You haven’t been around each other for ten years. She didn’t know you. Just like you and I no longer do. Let’s be real.”
Hurt crosses his face. “What are we, then? Strangers?”
“That night changed both of us. We have issues and baggage…things that affect us still to this day. It’s molded us into who we are.”
“Doesn’t mean I don’t know you, Gabriella.”
“Really? Do you know that my biggest fear is being locked back up in a mental hospital and never getting out? Do you know I still have nightmares of that night or that I had to learn how to set boundaries with men, well, I should say boys because until I had Javier, I didn’t understand what a real man was? And before I set boundaries, I was in such unhealthy relationships that combined with the guilt I felt about that night, all I thought is I would be better off dead?”
Tears well up in his eyes. “Don’t think that way, Gabriella.”
“I don’t anymore. But my point is you found Mia and your happiness. I’ve fought to be happy on my own, with myself. Now I’ve found someone who cares about me and who I feel is good for me. You don’t have a right to sabotage my relationship.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t see it that way. I don’t want to sabotage your happiness.”
“Don’t make me choose, Beckett. Just like you would choose Mia, I’ll choose Javier,” I warn him.
“Okay. I’ll try to be nice.”
“Don’t try, Beckett. I need more than I’ll try.”
“Jeez, Gabriella. Give me a break.”
“No. I’m not going to give you a break on this. Treat Javier like he’s a part of our family, just like I treat Mia.”
He sighs. “Fine.”
More silence.
“I liked it better when you were getting under my skin,” he teases.
I softly laugh. “We’re going to be here a few days, so I’ll make sure I do that.”
He winks at me. “Deal.” He pulls me in for a hug. “But if Javier does anything to hurt you, he’s a dead man walking.”
I push out of his hug. “Stop.”
He holds his hands up. “Hey, I’m your brother. That is one thing that goes for any guy.”
“Fair enough.”
“Before we go downstairs, I want to talk to you about something else.”
“What’s that?”
“Ryland told Hudson and me what happened with Triker.”
The memory of Triker’s musky cologne rushes back to me. I shiver.
“Are you okay?”
No. Yes. Still shaken up.
Can’t do anything about it. Don’t worry Beckett more.
“Yes. Ryland showed up at the right time.”
“Triker is dangerous, Gabriella.”
“You don’t think I’m aware?”
He pats the bed. “Can you sit down a minute?”
You aren’t going to tell me anything I don’t already know, Beckett. Triker is dangerous. I get it.
I sit.
He sits next to me. “I think you should learn how to shoot a gun. Hudson and Ryland—”
“Absolutely not!”
“Gabriella, Triker is—”
“I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Javier. I am not now, or ever, going to touch a gun. A gun killed Clay, shot Mia, and messed up all of our lives. I won’t do it.”
“Javier wanted you to learn to shoot, too?”
“Yes. But it’s not happening.”
“Tell me how you’re going to protect yourself?”
“I promised Javier I wouldn’t go out anywhere alone.”
“It’s not enough.”
“I’m dating an FBI agent who takes his gun everywhere. We discussed it. Until this threat, whatever this is, is over, I’m not working. I’m not happy about it, but Javier wouldn’t let it go, and I finally agreed. When I’m not with Javier, I’ll make sure I’m with someone else.”
Beckett’s face hardens. “Can you hear me out for a minute?”
“Beckett—”
“Just give me a minute.”
“Fine.”
“If you learned to shoot and responsibly handle a gun, you could either get a permit to carry or, at the very least, know how to use it in case the situation ever arose.”
Heat rises in my face. “I’m not touching a gun, much less carrying one!” I snap.
“How are you going to protect yourself, then?”
“I just told you. Javier—”
“When you aren’t with him?”
I look away.
He’s right. I have no way to protect myself.
Still not touching or carrying a gun.
“Gabriella, Triker won’t stop till he gets what he wants. If you’re on his radar—”
“Skates and Henry are both after you and Mia, but you don’t have a gun. Mia isn’t running around carrying.”
“Mia has a gun and is completely comfortable carrying it.”
My mouth drops to the floor. “You’re serious?”
“Yes. She can shoot better than any guy I know. I bet she would give Javier a run for his money.”
“You’re lying.”
“Ask her.”
Mia has a gun and carries it? What?
“Why would Mia have a gun?” I still can’t believe innocent and sweet Mia could ever shoot anything.
“To protect herself.”
“And you’re all for her carrying a gun around?”
“No, I wasn’t at first, but then...”
“But then what?”
He hesitates. “I realized that it’s better Mia knows how to responsibly use it in case she ever needed to...especially in regard to Twisted Hearts coming after our family.”
I say nothing for a moment.
“Can you just think about it?”
“I don’t like the situation with Skates, or Henry, or Triker, but like I told Javier, I can’t do it. I don’t want to touch a gun.”
“You’d rather be defenseless against Triker?”
“Of course not!”
“That’s what you are right now,” Beckett insists.
I stand. “Let’s drop it.”
“Gabriella—”
“I know you are telling me this because you love me, but I’m not changing my mind. This conversation is over. Let’s go downstairs, and you can apologize to Javier.”
He scoffs. “I’m not apologizing. But I’ll be nice going forward.”
“You’re stubborn.”
He grunts. “And you aren’t?”
I ignore him and open the door. “Let’s go.”
“All right.”
We join everyone else in the kitchen.
Mia drags out a stool for Beckett to sit beside her.
I put my arms around Javier who turns, and I peck him on the lips.
“Beer, Beckett?” Connor asks.
“I can’t. Parole.”
“We’re going to be locked in this house for days. I think you can have a few and not worry about having to go piss in a cup.”
Beckett starts to reach out then pulls his hand back and glances at Javier. “No, I’m good.”
Javier gets up, removes a beer out of the fridge, opens it, and plops it in front of Beckett. “Enjoy life. They won’t be worrying about testing anyone the first few days after the hurricane.”
Beckett shifts in his seat, and they lock gazes.
Javier shrugs. “Drink it or don’t, but stop worrying about me snitching on you.”
“I didn’t say you would.”
Javier snorts, takes a water out of the fridge, uncaps it, and hands it to me.
“Thanks.”
“What are you ladies making us for dinner?” Connor asks.
Gracie snorts. “What are we making you? What are you making us?”
“You know I don’t cook,” Connor claims.
“Maybe this is a good time for you to learn,” Gracie tells him.
“Why? I have you.” A cocky expression fills his face.
She swats him on the butt with a kitchen towel. “And that’s why you are going to stay single.”
“Says the single woman.”
“By choice.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Whatever, Connor,” Gracie says in annoyance.
“I’ll cook,” I volunteer.
“I’ll help you,” Mia says.
“Me, too,” Javier adds.
“Actually, I need to talk to you, Javier,” Beckett interjects.
Seriously? I just talked to him, and he’s going to start trouble again?
“Beckett—”
“Chill out, Gabriella,” Beckett calmly tells me. “I need to talk to Javier about something regarding Ryland.”
“What about Ryland?”
“None of your business.”
“But it’s Javier’s?” Gracie questions.
“Yes.”
Javier stands. “I’ll be on cleanup duty, then.”
“Me, too,” Beckett adds.
“I’ll be on beer drinking duty,” Connor claims.
Mia elbows him. “Just for that, you’re going to cook and clean.”
“No way!”
“Then you aren’t eating,” Gracie tells him. “You can make your own dinner.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep. So jump in to help and learn to shut your mouth, or make your own dinner,” Gracie says.
“Fine,” he grumbles.
Javier and Beckett pick up their beers and leave the room. I do a little victory pump in my head. Javier stood up to Beckett like he promised he would, and Beckett is being nice and making an effort.
I select some vegetables out of the fridge, and when I put them on the counter, Mia puts her head next to mine. “Are you going to fill us in?”
“On what?”
She tilts her head. “Details on you and Javier.”
“What do you want to know?”
She laughs. “Everything. Start talking.”