“Fuck!” he hisses. “You broke my nose!”
“You’re lucky I don’t fucking kill you!” A hand on my arm keeps me back when I try and lunge. I jerk my bicep out of Luke’s grip and loom over the prick on the floor. My chest heaves against my shirt. “Where is she? I won’t ask you again.”
“The bedroom.” Eyes watering over, he pinches them shut, still covering his nose. His head lowers with a strangled groan.
I make to turn and find a staircase, but I have more to say to this piece of shit. He looks up when I move closer.
“She’s leaving with me, and you’re to stay the fuck away from her. If I see you again, if you so much as think about my girl, I’ll put you in the ground. I will fucking kill you, you understand?”
He huffs out a laugh, gesturing to Luke with a bloody palm. “Hello? You hear him threatening me? Ain’t you gonna arrest him?”
Luke turns his head slowly. “Shut the fuck up. I didn’t hear shit.”
At that moment, Ben must kick against Rocco’s back, because he face plants on the carpet, bellowing in pain like a little bitch. “Oww, fuucckk. My fuckin’ nose. Christ!”
“Getting tired of seeing your pathetic excuse for a dick hanging out. Stay down.” Ben lifts his head, nodding at me. “Go. We got him.”
I find the stairs and take the steps two, three at a time. The upstairs is quiet. I pass a bathroom and an office before finally opening the last door at the end of the hallway.
The room is dark, compliments of the drawn curtains. My hand swipes along the wall in search of the light switch. A lamp in the corner sparks on, illuminating Beth’s small body curled up on one side of the bed. I cross the room hastily.
Stopping when I see her, I stare down at my girl. I nearly fall to my knees beside her.
She’s asleep in jeans and a faded concert tee, giant noise-canceling head-phones covering her ears. I brush my fingers across her cheek and she stirs, her eyes fluttering open. A lazy smile pulls at her mouth.
“Mm. I don’t want to wake up this time,” she whispers, her voice thick with sleep, her eyes slowly moving over my face.
I sit beside her and slide the headphones off. Does she think she’s dreaming?
“Beth.”
She smiles again.
I fit her sweet face between both of my hands and kiss her soft mouth.
She inhales sharply, pulling back. “Reed?”
I move away an inch, nearly laughing at the shock blooming in her eyes. “Beth Davis. What are you doing to me?”
She touches my lips, moves her fingers over my jaw. “You’re . . . you’re here? How are you here? Why?”
“Why? That’s a silly question. You’re here.”
“But . . .”
I slide my mouth over hers. “I should’ve said it.” She goes perfectly still against me, her small hands circling my wrists as I hold her face.
Shaking her head, she sits up and pulls my hands away. Her touch suddenly feels cold. “No. No, Reed, it’s fine. You told me you couldn’t want me any more than you already did. I was stupid to forget that.”
“You were stupid to love me?”
She stares at me for the longest second, her hands tangling together in her lap. “I was stupid to think you could love me back. That anyone could.”
My stomach clenches as I look at her, as I reach for her again. “I want to get you out of here. I want to take you back to that hotel room and say everything I’ve always been meant to say to you. You weren’t stupid, Beth. I was. I should’ve said it.”
“Reed.”
I move with her, refusing to let her slide off the bed. Her thigh tenses under my hand. “Just listen to me.” Her eyes lift to mine. “I thought I couldn’t love anyone again after all that shit with Molly. I hadn’t done more than one night with a woman in nine years. I didn’t want it. I didn’t want to feel that helpless for someone again, just to have them break me. But you . . . God, Beth, I wanted all of you from the beginning, from that first night at the bar. I never wanted anything less. I never will. When I didn’t say it back, it wasn’t because I didn’t love you. I was realizing I did. I was realizing that for the past nine years, it wouldn’t have mattered if I was scared to love again or not. I could’ve dated those women, I could’ve kissed them, but nobody would’ve made me fall except you. It’s only ever been you, Beth.”
I shift on the bed. My other hand forms to her hip. I feel electric being this close to her.
“What do you mean, it’s only ever been me?” she asks quietly, her tongue wetting her lips.
I duck my head and kiss her temple. “Only ever loved you, brave girl. No one else,” I whisper against her skin, sliding my mouth to her ear. Her breath rushes hot against my neck as I close my eyes. “God, my heart’s pounding.”