The Chase
Page 36
No. I’m honoring her wishes. You two need to do the same.
Beck was still cursing Raine’s stubborn streak when his phone started ringing once more. Gloria was calling again? What the hell? He nearly sent her back to voice mail, but she wouldn’t have called back if it wasn’t urgent.
Shit, what if she’d been attacked again?
Foreboding froze his veins as he lifted a finger to accept the call. “What’s wrong? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Gloria assured. “But you sure sound rattled.”
Tamping down his anxiety, he hissed out a slow breath. “Nothing’s happened to you?”
“No. I’m fine. I didn’t mean to worry you, Kenneth.”
“You never call while you’re working, much less more than once. And you only call me Kenneth if you’re busting my balls. What’s up?”
“I took the night off.”
“Gloria, you never take a night off.”
“That’s your wife?” Seth demanded, edging closer as if trying to overhear.
Beck shoved him away. Nosy bastard.
“Well, tonight is different,” she said.
Beck heard laughter in her voice. “I’ll bite. Why?”
“Do I really need a reason to call my loving husband?”
“Cut the shit. I’m in the middle of an emergency and I don’t have time for—”
“Did I interrupt a surgery?”
“No. This one’s personal. Right now isn’t a good time to chat.”
“You sound very stressed. Almost as if you’ve lost something. Or perhaps…someone?”
Beck’s heart sputtered. “What are you saying, Gloria? Spill. Now.”
“I don’t know if I should put you out of your misery yet. I’m enjoying myself.”
“Goddamn it, woman. Talk to me. If you know where Heavenly is—”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
“Where?” When she didn’t answer, Beck growled. “Stop fucking with me.”
“Or what? Hearing you squirm is so much fun. Don’t ruin it for me.”
“C’mon. We’re desperate here.”
“We? You’re with Seth?”
“Yeah.” He frowned. “How did you know that?”
“Oh, because your girl is on my couch. She admitted some really interesting things after a few glasses of wine, Kenneth… Tsk, tsk. You’ve been a very bad boy.”
“You haven’t seen bad yet. Let me talk to her.”