“I don’t want a fucking drink. I want to spank your ass until I get some answers.” Dr. Kenneth Beckman tried not to snarl and failed.
God, the fucking betrayal… He itched to stretch Heavenly across his lap, yank her panties down, and paddle her sweet little backside until it flushed red. But when he fantasized about spanking her—which was all the fucking time—he made her count out every swat with his fingers deep in her pussy. The fact that he couldn’t mete out punishment now frustrated him. Months of unfulfilled desire made him feel as if he was coming out of his skin.
Heavenly was his fucking worst nightmare rolled up in his hottest wet dream. If she had any clue how deep and dark his fantasies of her were, it would scare the hell out of her. She’d be even more afraid if she knew he was both a Dominant and a sadist.
Seth turned his way. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
After months of biting rivalry, they finally agreed on something—not that Beck could spare a fuck about that right now.
“What the… Why in the holy, ever-loving hell did you…” Fury tied Beck’s tongue in a knot too tight to speak.
“Offer River fucking Kendall your virginity?” Seth finished, teeth bared.
Beck gestured to the East Coast bastard. “What he said.”
Wine sloshed in her shaky grip. “You shouldn’t care if I’m a virgin anymore.”
With one hand, Beck grabbed the glass and slammed it on the island. With the other, he pressed his thumb to her chin and forced her darting gaze to his. “Are you saying you’re not? If you didn’t give your virginity to River, who fucking took it?”
She better be as innocent as the day he’d met her or there would be hell to pay.
“My sex life is none of your business, Dr. Beckman.” Heavenly wrenched from his hold.
“Is that what you think, Ms. Young?” He scoffed. “My fingers up your pussy should have told you otherwise.”
Seth grabbed her by the wrist and hauled her too close for Beck’s sanity. “He touched you?”
When she blushed furiously in answer, Beck smiled, remembering every passionate word he’d uttered while he’d plunged his digits deep and swallowed her moans with his kiss.
“So that’s a yes.” Seth bit out. “Well, as the other guy who’s had his fingers—and tongue—inside you, I think I’m entitled to know who supposedly popped your cherry.”
Beck had suspected the PI had done more than kiss her, but having his hunch confirmed infuriated him even more.
Heavenly tried to wriggle from Seth’s grasp. “I didn’t ask you who your first, um…sexual partner was.”
“Mary Jo Bartkowicz in a stall inside the men’s room at the White Castle. I was fourteen. Now it’s your turn. Spill.”
Her eyes flared wide, and she tore her gaze from Seth to Beck, as if she thought he was going to save her. Fat chance. He wanted this answer, too.
“Who did you fuck? We’re waiting for an answer.”
“No one you, um…know.”
Beck grabbed both wrists and anchored himself in her face, inches from the quivering candy mouth he was hungry to taste again. “Let’s try the truth.”
Suddenly, Seth was behind her, his fist in her hair, tugging on the strands. He bent his considerably tall frame to murmur in her ear. “If you lie again, we’ll find a quiet corner and prove our threats to spank you weren’t empty.”
Shit, they were all but outing themselves as Dominants. They might terrify her, but it was too late for decorum and restraint.
When Seth’s silky threat sank in, her cheeks flared rosier. The pulse at her neck jerked faster. Her pupils dilated.
Beck cupped her face. She gave a startled gasp. Under her red T-shirt, her nipples stood stiff. The musk of her arousal tinged the air, making his cock throb. After four long months of wanting her, seeing that she still ached for him nearly brought him to his knees.
So did believing that the singular prize between her legs was still there for him to pluck.
There was just one problem… He and Seth were touching her at the same time, and she looked more aroused than he’d ever seen her.
Goddamn it.
“Spank me? I’m not a misbehaving child.” Her voice sounded nervous and breathy.
“You’re not, but that won’t stop us from firing up your ass. Because let me tell you, little girl, no other man better be the one to make you a woman.”
“That’s for one of us,” Seth insisted.
Knowing that Heavenly had offered her virginity to River, that Seth had touched his pussy, and that she wanted them both—Beck’s control snapped. He didn’t care that they were in the middle of a party and anyone could walk in on them. He didn’t even care that Seth watched his every fucking move. He had to taste Heavenly or lose his mind. Later, he’d figure out how to ditch the other hard dick.
He lowered his lips toward her pale, graceful throat. And Seth—thank fuck—pulled her hair so he could stare into her eyes. It gave Beck more of her skin to explore. God, he was so close he could see every individual bump of her gooseflesh, feel the ragged pants of her breath. He could almost fucking taste her.
Suddenly, an obnoxious droning alarm buzzed at an ear-piercing decibel level around them, pealing from her back pocket.
“What the hell?” Seth snapped to attention and scanned the kitchen as if searching for threats.
Beck scowled. What was that annoying-ass sound?
Heavenly struggled free from their grasp and grabbed her phone. It fumbled in her shaking hands as she answered it. “Dad, what’s wrong? Are you all right?”
Dad? Beck looked at Seth, who shrugged. He didn’t like being in the dark, but at least his competition was clueless, too.
As she paced out of the kitchen, holding the phone in a white-knuckled grip, he and Seth followed, shamelessly listening to her every word. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Liam watching. The Irish bastard with the uncanny perception gave them a nod. This was the trouble Liam had warned them about, the threat that might tear her out of his life forever.
Like hell.
He didn’t need Liam’s urging to stay close. Until he knew that she and her father were all right, he’d be no more than half a step off her ass. The determination on Seth’s face said he felt the same. Beck had mixed feelings about that, but he couldn’t focus on those when Heavenly needed them.
“Did you already call 911?” She paused. “Good. Yes. I’ll grab the first bus and meet you there.”
“Bus?” Beck whispered.
“She takes it everywhere,” Seth supplied under his breath.
The city bus? That filthy, urine-soaked, rapist-filled mode of transportation? Beck felt like he’d been punched in the solar plexus. How had he not known?
“Hang on, Dad. Please…” she sobbed, shoulders shaking. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Fuck, she was ripping his heart out.
“Give me the phone. Let me talk to your dad. Medical condition?”
She turned to him, tears rolling down her face in watery paths. “H-he already hung up.”
Beck stifled a curse and pulled her close. It said a lot that she wrapped her arms around him without a qualm. In fact, she gripped him so tight he could barely breathe.
As he held her, he shared a glance of concern with Seth, who whispered soft words of reassurance and caressed her back.
But nothing eased the anxiety pouring from her.
“Which hospital? We’ll take you,” Beck offered.
Heavenly sniffled. “Really? The VA. Please.”
As Beck wondered why the hell her father was going there for an emergency, she spun from his embrace and dashed to the door. Seth took off after her, ignoring the gawking partygoers.
Nearby, Raine struggled to her feet. “What’s going on?”
Liam eased his concerned girl back to the sofa. “Heavenly will be all right, love. They’ll call later.”
Beck didn’t hang around to hear the rest. He sprinted outside, after Heavenly, into the night.
“I’ll drive.” Seth yanked his keys from his pocket and hit the fob. The second the vehicle pinged, Heavenly ducked into the backseat and shut the door. “Get back there with her and be a doctor. And I don’t mean play doctor.”
“Fuck you.” Beck jumped in beside Heavenly and pulled her onto his lap as Seth climbed into the driver’s seat and turned over the SUV’s engine.
She curled against him, arms around his neck, and heaved in huge sobs as Seth peeled out of the driveway. As he shot down the road, Beck held her tight, wishing he could do something to take away her pain. She might not want him in her future and maybe he didn’t deserve her, but at least he possessed the skills to help her.
“Shh. We’ll get to him, little girl,” he crooned. “Tell me what’s wrong with your dad.”
“H-he’s had an autoimmune disease for eight years, but he wasn’t officially diagnosed until about three years ago.” She winced. “We’ve…talked about it before.”
Beck froze. So many things suddenly made sense. “Your dad has Guillain-Barré?”
She nodded contritely. “I’m sorry.”
For hiding? For lying? For hurting him? Or for sins he might not even know about yet?
“We’ll talk about that later.” He smoothed a soothing hand down her back when she fell into his arms again.
Months ago, Heavenly had begun peppering him with question after question about all things related to the disease, homing in on one “fictitious” patient in particular, which she’d claimed was a hypothetical case study for a research paper. My ass. Why hadn’t she bothered to tell him she was talking about her father?
While the autoimmune disease was serious, it wasn’t usually fatal. But her father had suffered for years, hadn’t gotten proper treatment right away, and his extremities were already weakened so much he was largely unable to walk without assistance. Heavenly had cause to be worried. Normally, with good care it was possible to recover, but being over forty was another negative factor. The man probably needed nearly round-the-clock help. Was Heavenly his primary caretaker?
Beck began sorting through his mental list of good neurologists.
Seth glanced over his shoulder as he headed toward the freeway. “Um…guy who’s only lived in LA for, like, five minutes driving here. Where’s the VA?”
“Here.” Beck plugged the address into the GPS on his phone, then tossed it onto the front seat. “Get us there in one piece, okay?”
Flashing him a caustic smile, Seth veered onto the freeway and accelerated.
Beck settled Heavenly against him once more. He comforted her with a kiss on top of her head, at her temple, against her shoulder while he whispered soft assurances he didn’t feel. What would he find when he came face to face with her father?
Quick minutes later, Seth stepped on the brakes outside the emergency room. Beck would have grumbled at Seth’s not-so-gentle stop, but a glance out the window said the ambulance had already arrived. EMTs were wheeling out an older, frail-looking man on a stretcher.
Heavenly wrenched the handle as Seth unlocked the doors. An instant later, she lurched onto the pavement, her feet pounding as she ran after the prone figure. “Dad!”
A couple of hours later, ER doctors had managed to stabilize Heavenly’s father. His neurologist had never made an appearance, which pissed Beck off. At least the dipshit had sent instructions for a plasma exchange. With that underway and Heavenly’s panic dissipating, Seth had taken her to find some coffee. Beck stood across the room, tablet in hand, and stared at the frail man only ten years his senior. Dread thudded in the pit of his stomach.
“So, Mr. Young—”
“Call me Abel.”
“Right. Abel. Thank you for giving me permission to scan your chart. Like I said, I’m not a neurologist.” But since Heavenly had been obsessed with her “case study,” he’d researched the disease and talked to knowledgeable colleagues on her behalf. He knew more than he wished he did.
The dissecting stare Heavenly’s father sent him almost made Beck squirm. There was a lot wrong with Abel’s body…and nothing wrong with his mind. “You might not specialize in my condition, but if you were playing poker, I’d already know you had a lousy hand. My own doctor barely talks to me. Give it to me straight.”
God, he didn’t want to do this, and any decent lawyer would tell him this consultation had lawsuit written all over it. But he had to be honest with Abel. It was the humane thing to do. Besides, Heavenly would never forgive him if he wasn’t.
“First, it’s clear you need a better neurologist. I know some great ones, any of whom can tell you far more than I can about the optimal treatment and—”
“I’m dying, aren’t I?”
Beck hesitated, searching for the soft-shoe phrases he dished out to gravely ill patients and their families all the time. Nothing. He simply nodded.
Abel sighed. “I’ve suspected for a while. I’ve been trying to hold on as long as possible. Once I’m gone, Heavenly will be alone in the world.”
The man’s words knifed Beck in the fucking heart. Based on the mutual devotion he’d observed between Heavenly and her father tonight, Abel’s death would undo her.
“No, she won’t,” Beck vowed, no matter what she thought. “I promise you that.”
Abel scrutinized him with a glance. “I’m relieved, Dr. Beckman. You know, Heavenly talks about you all the time.”
That sent him reeling, especially since she’d never once mentioned her father to him.
“Oh?” Beck was dying to know what she’d said.
Despite all the IVs and tubes crisscrossing his body, the older man laughed. “She speaks very highly of you, and I can see why. Not many colleagues would follow a co-worker late at night to another hospital to help and offer support.”
The man was asking about his relationship with Heavenly without asking at all, and Beck tried not to look guilty. “She’s a very bright nursing student with a promising future.”
“Uh-huh. I saw the way you looked at her. Heavenly might be innocent, but I assure you I’m not.”
Shit. “Your daughter is a beautiful woman.”
There. That didn’t sound like he was desperate to strip her bare and fuck her breathless.
“I agree. But where do you fit into this picture? I know Mr. Cooper has taken her on a few dates, so I’m not surprised he looks at her like a tasty snack cake he wants to gobble up. But I assumed your time with Heavenly was strictly professional.”
Beck felt himself start to sweat. He’d never had to explain himself to a woman’s father. And Abel didn’t seem the type for candy-coated bullshit.
“I’ve been dating her, too.” He met Abel’s piercing blue gaze. “As for Seth… Well, I’m neither a quitter nor used to coming in second place.”
That made Abel laugh. “Gumption and balls. I like that.”
“The choice is Heavenly’s, of course.”
“But you’re going to make sure she picks you?”
Beck nodded, though he knew damn well it wasn’t that simple…
“You should know that she’s been my sole caretaker since she was fifteen, so she hasn’t seen much of the world. She needs to live, to enjoy herself. But she also needs protection, guidance…and a firm hand. She may seem sweet on that soft-spoken surface, but don’t be fooled. She’s got a spine of steel.”
“Oh, I’m well aware.”
Abel laughed again. “Since you’re closer to my age than hers, I wondered if you’d already figured that out.”
He didn’t need Abel’s reminder there was almost fourteen years between him and Heavenly. Beck never forgot. He was a perverted fuck—and he knew it. Usually, he embraced it. Right now? This was awkward as hell.
“Weeks ago. I’ll do my best to make her happy,” he promised.
Abel relaxed back against his pillows, a faint smile on his weathered face.
“My first priority is to make sure you get better care.” Beck changed subjects. “Would it be all right if I made some arrangements?”
“I’ll agree to anything that makes Heavenly’s life easier, since I’ve been nothing but a burden for years. But I don’t have any money.”
“It’ll be pro bono. I have friends in the medical community who owe me favors.” Not entirely true, but he’d do whatever necessary to help Abel.
“Thank you. That’s very generous.” Abel sighed. “Is this damn treatment almost done?”
Beck scanned the monitor. “Sixteen minutes.”
“How long do I have to live?”
His gut seized up. “I can’t say for sure—”
“Ballpark.” Abel wheezed. “Before Heavenly returns.”
Beck didn’t know for sure. “If we get you out of here and get you proper care, could be longer than you think. But you’ve had multiple relapses, which are uncommon. That’s not promising. Your blood pressure isn’t good. You’re experiencing difficulty breathing, which concerns me most. You’ve got to be in pain.”
“It consumes me every single day.”
“That’s a strain on your entire organ system, especially your heart.”
Abel nodded. “You would know. Heavenly said you work a lot with tickers.”
“I’m a vascular surgeon, but I’ve teamed up with cardiologists on a number of hearts. I intend to keep watch over yours.”
“Thanks, Doctor.”
“You can thank me by being with your daughter for as long as possible.”
“I promise.”
Conversation stopped when Seth guided Heavenly into the little room. Beck cursed under his breath because he already knew that was a promise her father couldn’t keep.
It was nearly two in the morning when Seth left I-10 eastbound and veered onto the 110. He stayed focused on the road…but his head was reeling. Until tonight, he’d had no idea that Heavenly lived with her father or that the man had such a vicious disease. What else didn’t he know?
He purposely hadn’t investigated the angel when he’d first met her because he hadn’t wanted to trample on her privacy. He’d wanted to earn her trust. So he had only known what she’d wanted him to—almost nothing. And judging from the look on Beck’s face, she’d done the same to him.
They’d both grossly underestimated her for the first—and last—time.
Christ, he felt like a dumbass. If he hadn’t ignored the red flags or his gut instinct for months, he could have been lightening her load. And this night wouldn’t have been a shit show.
Unfortunately, the crap kept coming.
While Heavenly accompanied the nurse wheeling Abel from the emergency room, he and Beck had trekked to the parking lot. Seth had pelted the doctor with questions about the man’s disease. Since they were vying for the same girl, he hadn’t expected more than a growled “fuck you.” Instead, the smartass doctor had been surprisingly forthcoming about Abel’s condition.
Fuck. When her father passed, it would crush Heavenly.
The only bright ray tonight had been the moments Heavenly turned to him for comfort. After thinking he might never hold her again, having her melt against him, face nuzzled into his neck, had been a dizzying relief. All night, the pang of his empathy had warred with the slow burn of his anger and tangled with the never-ending ache of his lust.
This woman had him tied up in knots.
Hearing that she’d let Beck put his hands in her panties hadn’t thrilled him, but seeing her pant while she’d been between them troubled him far more.
On the other hand, could she be terribly attached to either of them? He had to wonder…
The GPS prompted him to exit the freeway in half a mile. From the passenger’s seat, Beck scowled and grabbed his phone.
“This can’t be right,” he whispered, then cast a furtive glance to the backseat, where Heavenly was curled up against Abel, both in an exhausted sleep.
“Why?” He glanced at the device again. “This is the address she gave me.”
Beck’s scowl deepened. “Goddamn it.”
Seth glanced at the street hugging the freeway. Pawn shops, bail bondsmen, and strip clubs lined the road. Boarded-up buildings and shady used car lots provided a backdrop for the flurry of police activity. Several squad cars with blinding light bars blocked traffic as cops contained a group of gangbangers in handcuffs, facedown on the sidewalk. A gunshot resounded nearby. The GPS told him to exit now.
“She lives here?”
The doctor stared at the phone again. “Point-six miles away.”
In the backseat, Heavenly rustled and peered forward. “Exit here, take a right onto Figueroa. It’s the third street past MLK Boulevard.”
Feeling gut sick, he followed her directions. As he passed the bus stop, he realized her place was still nearly half a mile away. She walked that distance every day, at all hours, to catch her ride? How had she managed without being mugged, raped, or murdered?
When they turned down her street, the cracked road ran between dilapidated houses, all locked down with bars on their windows and doors, as if the inhabitants intended to ward off an imminent home invasion. In front of one rickety place, he saw a box of random trash and a ratty mattress. In front of another sat a sedan missing its rims.
“It’s the big pink place on the left,” she murmured.
The dive with the dumpster at the curb and “guarded” by rusted gates?
Beck slanted him a shocked gaze Seth totally understood. Sure, he’d been in neighborhoods like this. Once upon a time, he’d been a cop for the NYPD. But he’d never come to gang turf without backup. And he’d never cruised into the hood because the girl he dated lived there.
No fucking way he would leave Heavenly in this hellhole unprotected, but he couldn’t exactly take her to his new one-bedroom bachelor pad, either. He’d have no room for her father.
As he eased the car to the curb and killed the engine, his thoughts raced. Maybe he should offer to sleep on her couch, gun at the ready. If he did, would his SUV still be intact when the sun rose?
When Heavenly eased from the backseat and helped her father out, Seth glanced at Beck, who was clearly doing similar mental gymnastics.
“If you have a couple of assault rifles, pass ’em out,” the doctor mumbled. “We might need them to make it inside her place.”
“No shit. I can’t believe she lives here.”
“Not for much longer.”
Seth nodded. “You got that right.”
As soon as he locked the SUV, he rushed to help Abel. Beck followed suit. They both wrapped a strong arm around the frail man and helped him to the wrought-iron gate. As a security feature, it was a joke. A good kick would send the decaying metal skittering across the walkway. But Heavenly dutifully inserted her key and turned the handle. The hinges squeaked as they ushered her dad into the shoddy courtyard. The gate slammed behind them with a rattling clang.
Christ, Seth had to believe Heavenly had some reason beyond her pride for concealing her father’s health and her crime-ridden neighborhood. Neither he nor Beck had been able to persuade her to confide in them for months. He was loath to partner up with Dr. Dipshit…but would it take them both to finally get answers?
They led Abel along a chipped pink stucco wall, following Heavenly to the second apartment on the right. As she reached the door, she faltered at the sight of a bright orange notice on the door that read RENT OVERDUE. Heavenly ripped it down, crumpled the paper in her fist, and shoved a key into the knob.
“What’s that about, boo?” Concern laced Abel’s voice.
“Nothing, Dad. I’ve just been busy. I’ll take care of it.”
“Wait until tomorrow. You need rest, too.”
“It’s fine. Mr. Sanchez’s lights are still on. See?” She pointed.
Her hand trembled.
Heavenly pushed the portal open and flipped on an overhead light. Cockroaches scurried to darkened corners of the painfully tidy studio apartment. A mussed hospital bed dominated the space. Water spots stained the ceiling. Paint peeled from the dingy walls. Seth feared what he’d find if he took a black light to the carpet.
The place was a shithole. And his angel lived here.
“Can you settle Dad on the bed? Then I’ll adjust him until he’s comfortable,” Heavenly murmured.
Seth nodded, pressing his lips together in mute anger. It ticked up another notch when he spotted the lumpy pillow and thin, folded blanket stacked on the sagging couch against the wall. He had no doubt Heavenly slept there.
This reality got uglier with every passing moment.
“I know how to maneuver a hospital bed,” Beck said as he and Seth helped Abel onto the mattress. “Relax, little girl.”
“Actually, if you two don’t mind staying with Dad for a few minutes, I’ll pop across the courtyard and deal with last month’s rent.” Heavenly’s voice shook.
With stress? Exhaustion? Embarrassment? Seth’s gut coiled tight. Why was she paying the rent at two a.m.? He didn’t like it.
“We’ll get your dad settled in,” Beck promised.
“Thanks.” Heavenly’s pensive expression was the last thing he saw before she hurried out the door.
He and Beck exchanged a concerned glance. Yeah, the doctor suspected something wasn’t right, too.
Beck removed the older man’s shoes. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Water, thank you. Clean glasses are in the cabinet to the left of the sink. Help yourselves.” As Beck crossed the room, Abel regarded Seth, then gestured to a battered kitchen table. “Grab a couple of those chairs, make yourselves comfortable.”
Forcing a smile, he dragged two spindle-backed seats beside the bed as Beck returned, balancing three full cups.
“Thank you for helping Heavenly and me tonight.” Abel took a long gulp from his glass, fighting shaky hands. “We truly appreciate it.”
“We’re happy to,” Beck assured.
“I wish we could do more.” Seth hoped worry hadn’t bled into his tone. The old man didn’t need more concerns, especially about the safety of the daughter he relied on.
“I know this place isn’t fancy. It’s certainly not as big or homey as our farmhouse in Wisconsin. That’s where Heavenly and I used to live. Before I got sick, we had a cozy kitchen, a big stone fireplace that would heat the whole living room come winter, and our own bedrooms. I miss that for her. She deserves more.” Regret lined Abel’s face. “Broke my heart to sell out when we couldn’t keep up with everything. She loved living on the farm. We had three hundred head of dairy cows that made the best damn cheese in the state. When Heavenly was little, she used to name them all.”
Seth could picture that. Her evasions aside, he’d seen her big heart. “That sounds like a sizable operation.”
“It was. How much has Heavenly told you?”
Not a damn thing. But Seth was determined to get some straight answers. “I’d appreciate it if you filled in the gaps.”
“In other words, nothing.” Abel sighed. “That girl… She’s private, shy, and even more proud. You may have noticed she doesn’t trust easily.”
“We did,” Beck grumbled. “Why is that?”
“Well, my wife left after I got sick, said she hadn’t signed up to spend her life taking care of an invalid. Heavenly was just a teenager, in school and far too young to manage the spread by herself.”
What kind of mother left her young daughter to shoulder such an adult role? “Heavenly must have taken that hard.”
“She felt so abandoned after Lisa walked out. I’m afraid the experience taught her that those who should care most often don’t give two shits. Unfortunately, she’s had to shoulder most of the responsibility since. But Heavenly is a good girl. She’s taken care of me all these years.”
No wonder she handled everything on her own.
He darted a gaze over to Beck, who looked equally stunned by Abel’s story. Heavenly’s father was giving him more information about the girl in a few minutes than he’d managed to learn in months.
“After I sold the farm, I rented a little house in town for us. Eventually, my medical condition forced us to move to Milwaukee, then here. I wish the doctors back home could have diagnosed me properly before we had to move across the country. But the team in Wisconsin said the VA out here had more experience with my condition. Not so sure about that, and I don’t much like LA.”
Beck placed his hand on Abel’s shoulder. “I promise I’ll make some phone calls and set you up with the best neurologist in the city.”
The older man smiled in gratitude. “I can’t thank you enough. If your medical friends can’t cover all the expenses, maybe we can pay some now that Heavenly got that raise at the hospital and started working so many hours. It’s the only way we’ve been able to afford that gawd-awfully expensive medicine my doctor recently prescribed.”
Seth schooled his expression. Heavenly had even fooled her father into thinking that a nursing student volunteering thirty hours a week at the hospital made a salary. He didn’t blame her for not wanting to worry the sick man, but he also couldn’t stop wondering… Other than the tips she earned working part time at that kids’ pizza place, where was the money to pay the rent coming from? And if her cash flow was short, how was she paying now?
As the older man rambled on about the rising cost of pharmaceuticals, the hairs on the back of Seth’s neck stood on end. Only one answer came to mind.
She’d offered her virginity to River because she’d wanted some control over her first time. And when Raine’s brother had refused her sex… Shit, she’d been so rattled before heading across the courtyard because she’d known she would have to fuck her landlord to pay the rent.
Seth darted from his chair and bolted for the door.
Not a moment later, Beck scrambled to his feet, hot on his heels.
“You’re leaving?” Abel sighed. “Well, nice to meet you boys…”
“We’re going to check on Heavenly,” Seth shot over his shoulder.
“Uh-huh,” Abel mumbled as he drifted off to sleep.
Seth lurched out into the dark night. Beck followed. They peered across the shadowy courtyard. Seth tried to remember which apartment belonged to the landlord when a door along the far side slammed against a wall. He heard a cry, then caught sight of Heavenly, her pale hair whipping wildly as she ran toward them, panicked and sobbing—and frantically tugging her shirt over her bare breasts.
“You still owe me, puta.” A guy who looked more like a beer-bellied gangbanger than a landlord chased after her, clutching her bra in his meaty fist. “You promised me that cherry pie.”
As Seth raced to Heavenly and caught her in his grasp, rage—white and hot—enveloped every cell in his body. “Get inside.”
She looked over her shoulder with revulsion and terror. “B-but—”
“Go!” Beck insisted. “We’ll take care of this.”
The moment she dashed to her unit and slammed the door, Seth charged toward Sanchez. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”
“Not if I do it first,” Beck growled beside him.
Here was something else they agreed on. Miracles never ceased. “We could make it hurt more if we did it together.”
That was probably the only thing they would ever do together, and it was only happening because they both wanted Heavenly safe, protected, and sheltered. Plus, neither could wait to pulverize this shitbag.
Beck shot him a wolfish grin. “You’re on.”