The Confession

Beck woke and stared at the clock on his nightstand. Four forty-three a.m. It was too damn early to be up on a Saturday morning, especially since he and Heavenly had waited until nearly midnight for Seth to come home.

Apparently, he never had.

When Beck reached beside him to bring Heavenly closer, he felt nothing but cool sheets. He sat up with a frown and flipped on the lamp. The bed was empty.

Cursing, he tossed his covers aside and vaulted to his feet. A quick glance at the alarm panel next to the bedroom door—a system Seth had insisted on—proved it was still armed. That meant Heavenly hadn’t left the house, but where was she?

After tossing on a pair of nearby shorts, he padded out of the bedroom and down the hall, peeking into the other rooms. No sign of her.

He picked up his pace as he made his way down the stairs, guided by the nightlights she had asked them to install in case she got the late-night munchies. Funny, until a couple of weeks ago, he’d lived alone and he’d thought he liked it. Now he saw evidence of the people he loved all around. When they were gone, he felt out of sorts, like his life was out of place.

It will be a fucking wreck if you can’t pull everyone together.

Beck hated that the voice in his head was right.

At the bottom of the stairs, he crept into the great room and found Heavenly on the sofa, bathed in moonlight. She wasn’t seeking an early-morning snack, but had curled up with a blanket, her head resting on a throw pillow. Silver tracks ran down her cheeks. His heart twisted.

She’d come down here—and given up her comfort—to wait for Seth. Despite his many all-night cases, she had never done that before. Clearly, she was worried.

Beck sank beside Heavenly in the shadows, bringing her sleep-soft body against him and tucking the blanket around her. Instead of cuddling up to him with a sigh, she stirred, her lashes fluttering.

“Wha…” She peered through the dark with a frown. “Beck?”

He kissed her forehead. “What are you doing down here, little girl?”

“Did I wake you up? What time is it?” She glanced back at the clock on the microwave in the kitchen. “Almost five?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, my gosh.” She sat up. “I woke up a little after three and, um…came down to get some water.”

Did she think it would hurt his feelings if she admitted she’d been worried about Seth? “And you decided to wait up for the big guy?”

She bit her lip…then gave up her subterfuge. “Yeah.”

Beck noticed she clutched her phone and glanced at the screen. “Did you text him?”

“A couple of times.” She shook her head. “Nothing.”

Goddamn it. What was the son of a bitch thinking?

“I’m sure he’s fine, just tied up.”

She nodded…but she didn’t look convinced. “Probably. Go back to bed. I think I’m going to get up and…”

When she trailed off and shrugged, it was clear that she didn’t know what to do. “Worry? Don’t do that. Why don’t you sit with me while I flip on the news? Let’s see if news of the raid on Messiah City has broken.”

Heavenly looked relieved that Beck had given her something else to think about. “Okay. Want me to make coffee?”

“Please.”

A few minutes later, she returned with two steaming mugs and settled beside him. Beck wrapped his arm around her and curled her against his side as he reached for the remote. Before he could turn on the TV, Heavenly laid a soft hand over his.

“Do you think he’s okay?”

He knew she didn’t mean Zach. “It’s a dangerous city, but Seth is more than capable of taking care of himself.”

“He is. That’s not what I was asking.”