Seth didn’t bother with the car door. He hopped out and stormed in her direction, feeling Beck right behind him. “Not in any way that doesn’t end with you having the reddest ass in history.”
“She already does, man,” Beck reminded.
He turned to the surgeon with a growl, then grabbed the keys from Heavenly’s grip, squeezed his fingers around her elbow, and hauled her to the door. “Inside.”
Beck pressed the button to close the garage door. “Now.”
Her fingers shook as she made her way into the house. When they slammed the door behind her, she jumped and turned. “Were you following me?”
“We’ll get back to that. Right now, we’re asking the questions, angel.” Seth cocked his head. “What were you doing at Pike’s?”
“How did you know I was there?”
“You mean why weren’t we fooled into thinking you were home since you intentionally left your phone here to deceive us?” To prove his point, Seth dialed the device. It rang from the kitchen. With a sharp press of his thumb, he cut the sound and pinned her with a stare. Silence fell again. “Guess you didn’t consider that I have a tracking device on my SUV.” Not that he’d used it today… “So are you going to lie again and tell us that you ‘forgot’ your phone, just like that last lab bill of your dad’s?”
“That’s not the same thing. I really did forget that bill.”
Seth couldn’t rejoice that she’d stepped right into his trap. “But you didn’t really forget the phone?”
Heavenly swallowed, stalled for time by setting her purse on the couch, and sidestepped to put distance between them. “This discussion is pointless until you calm down. Pike and I just had a conversation I promised to keep private. That’s all I can say. Now I’m going to start my homework.”
When she made a mad dash for the stairs, Beck snagged her arm with one hand. He wrapped his other in her hair and hauled her back. “Not so fast, little girl. We’re as calm as we’re going to be. Do you want out now?”
“Out?”
It looked as if the words pained Beck, but he said them. “If you’ve got one foot out the door, we’ll make good on that written promise we gave you in Wisconsin right now.”
She looked horrified. “I don’t want a plane ticket or money. I don’t want to leave now. I just…”
“What? If you want to stay, you better explain exactly why you were at Pike’s…or all those kinks you enjoyed so much this week will become your worst nightmare.”
She bit her lip, seeming to fight both tears and panic, then cast her gaze Seth’s way. Did she think for one moment he was going to save her? He absolved her of that notion by prowling closer and leveling a hard glare her way.
Then he circled around her and inspected her.
“What are you doing?” Her voice trembled. She tried to shuffle away.
“Did he hurt you?”
“No. Pike didn’t touch me,” she insisted. “Really, we just talked.”
“In the middle of a Thursday afternoon for twenty-three fucking minutes?”
“You tracked and timed me?” She slung her hands on her hips.
Did she think she was going to argue with them? Bad move, angel…
Her eyes narrowed. “I understand you being worried about my safety. The world can be a dangerous place. But that doesn’t give you the right to stalk me—”
“Don’t change the subject,” Beck snarled. “We asked you a fucking question. Answer it. Why were you at Pike’s place after deliberately leaving your phone at home? What could you possibly have to talk about?”
Heavenly swallowed…and Seth saw the moment she decided to lie. It was like a knife through the fucking heart, but he waited—giving her enough rope to hang herself.
“H-he asked for my help with his girlfriend.”
What the fuck?
Seth turned to Beck. The surgeon hadn’t expected that excuse, either. He’d give her points for creativity, but that wasn’t going to save her.