Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
S loan stood at the fax machine, glaring at it like it had personally insulted him. It was six in the goddamn morning, and this useless piece of shit wasn’t cooperating. He pressed one button, then another, and the damn thing beeped and clicked in a way that sounded almost mocking. “Fuck you,” he growled under his breath, smacking the machine twice in quick succession.
The machine beeped indignantly, but nothing happened. Of course. Sloan was about one more failed attempt away from tearing the thing apart with his bare hands when he heard the door to his office open. He sighed heavily, not bothering to turn around.
“I’m not in the fucking mood,” he snapped. Whoever it was could either leave him alone or deal with his temper.
“After a layover and sitting on a plane for four hours, neither am I,” came a voice he instantly recognized.
Sloan froze, his hands still gripping the edge of the fax machine. For a moment, he wondered if he’d finally lost his damn mind and was just hearing things. Slowly, he turned, and there she was. Becky stood in the doorway of his office, her travel bag slung over one shoulder and an exhausted but determined look on her face.
The stack of papers in his hand hit the desk with a dull thud as he crossed the room in long, purposeful strides. He didn’t say a word as he reached her...he didn’t need to. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close, and his mouth came down on hers in a kiss that was equal parts relief and hunger.
Becky’s arms slid around his neck, holding him tightly as she matched his intensity. The kiss deepened, and for a moment, nothing else mattered, not the fax machine, not the early hour, not even the fact that his office door was wide open. All that mattered was that she was in his arms, where she belonged.
When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathing heavily. Sloan rested his forehead against hers, his hands still gripping her waist like he was afraid she might disappear again.
“I’ve missed you,” he said, his voice low and rough with emotion.
She cupped his face as she looked up at him. “I’ve missed you also.” She kissed his chin, then glanced at the fax machine. “Looks like I got here just in time to save you from committing fax machine murder.”
“Fuck that thing,” Sloan hissed, taking her lips once again.
“Whoa, my bad,” Sid said, backing out of the office and shutting the door.
“He just saved his own life,” Sloan said against her lips, making her smile. Now that the surprise of her being here wore off, he frowned. “Wait a minute. You weren’t supposed to fly in until tomorrow night.”
“Disappointed?” She teased with a fake pout.
“You know better than that,” Sloan warned her, his eyes narrowing. “I was supposed to pick you up. How did you get here?”
“Uber,” Becky replied with a shrug, her tone light. “I was ready to come home. Plus, I think I was cramping Frankie’s bachelor life.”
Sloan chuckled despite himself. “How’s Frankie doing?”
“He’s great,” Becky said as Sloan grabbed her bag and set it beside his desk. Her smile wavered slightly as she sighed, shrugging again. “I don’t think he’s coming back, though. He talked a lot about finding a more permanent place once he graduates. He’s got plans... big ones.”
Sloan caught the brief flicker of sadness in her expression and felt a pang of helplessness. He knew how deeply Becky loved her son, and while he couldn’t fix this, he could at least offer her comfort. Watching a child grow into adulthood was a bittersweet experience, and he understood how proud yet heartbroken she felt.
“I’m so damn proud of him, but it also breaks my heart,” Becky admitted softly, swiping a tear from her cheek. “My little boy isn’t so little anymore. He doesn’t need his mom like he used to.”
“Becky,” Sloan murmured, stepping closer and tilting her face to his. “He will always need you. Maybe not in the same way as when he was a kid, but you’re still his mom, and that’ll never change.”
Her lips trembled into a faint smile, but Sloan’s sharp eyes didn’t miss the signs of exhaustion etched on her face, the dark circles under her eyes, nor the slight hollowness in her cheeks. His frown deepened. He knew her inside and out, every detail of her being, and when something felt off, he noticed it immediately.
“I know,” Becky said, exhaling a shaky breath before forcing a laugh. “I’m just being silly. Maybe this is my midlife crisis kicking in.”
“Have you been feeling okay?” Sloan asked, his voice tinged with concern as he studied her closely. His worry as a vampire often multiplied tenfold when it came to Becky. Her humanity meant she wasn’t invulnerable like he was, and the thought of her being unwell terrified him more than anything else.
Becky’s gaze flickered away, a small but telling gesture that sent his stomach sinking. “I think I had a little virus or something,” she said, brushing it off with a wave of her hand. “But I feel better now.”
A knock on the door interrupted the moment, but Sloan wasn’t letting it slide. “Why didn’t you tell me you were sick, Becky?” he demanded, his tone sharp with a mix of frustration and worry.
“I’m fine now. And really, what were you going to do, Sloan?” She chuckled lightly, trying to downplay it, but he could see there was more she wasn’t saying. “Come hundreds of miles to?—”
“Yes,” he interrupted firmly, not giving her the chance to finish.
Her head tilted as she regarded him with soft amusement, and a smile tugged at her lips. “I love you,” she murmured, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. Before he could respond, she turned and grabbed the papers he’d tossed on his desk earlier. “Now, answer the door before whoever it is breaks it down. I’ll take care of the fax for you.”
Sloan hesitated, his jaw tightening as he glanced toward the door. “This conversation isn’t over,” he muttered, his tone low and serious.
“Sure it isn’t,” Becky teased, shooting him a knowing look as she made her way to the fax machine. She turned back to add with a wink, “Now go be the intimidating boss you are.”
Sloan couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips. Even when she was clearly keeping something from him, Becky still managed to disarm him in ways no one else could. He would get to the bottom of whatever she wasn’t telling him because he would move heaven and earth to ensure she was okay.
“Come in,” Sloan yelled, then frowned when he heard the fax machine. Becky was already sending faxes. “You have got to be kidding me.”
Becky gave him a triumphant grin over her shoulder as she continued to fax the stack of papers. Sid walked in with Jared, Kent, and Butch following.
“Please tell me you’re back,” Jared said, clasping his hands together like he was praying for the right answer, his expression desperate.
“Yes, I got back this morning,” Becky replied with a smirk, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Thanks for asking, Jared. My trip was great.”
“Sorry,” Jared sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “How was your trip, Becky?”
Rolling her eyes, Becky chuckled at his antics while continuing to work the fax machine. “Aww, you miss me, don’t you.” She snorted and then focused on her faxing.
“We all miss you,” Sid chimed in, giving Sloan a meaningful glance. “I’ll chip in a few bucks to up her pay. We need her back, Sloan.”
Sloan ignored him, his sharp gaze shifting to Kent and Butch. “Are you two covering King’s patrols?”
“Yeah,” Butch confirmed with a nod.
“We’re splitting the patrols between our usual routes,” Kent added, glancing at his watch. “I just finished mine and wanted to check in to see where you’ve been putting King.”
Sloan gave a nod of approval, his focus lingering on Kent. The younger man had been a handful when he’d first joined the trainee program, but he’d evolved into a solid and dependable team player. His hard work and newfound teamwork, especially after that rough patch with Raven, had turned him into a key player. Even Katrina had mentioned how helpful he’d been with her training.
“Kent, head out and talk to Kane,” Sloan said, handing Butch a paper with the patrol details. “See if there’s anything you can do to help him figure out who killed Joey’s father and landed Joey in the hospital. Kane might already have some leads, but be prepared. He prefers working solo, but we need answers.”
“Will do,” Kent replied with a quick nod before heading toward the door.
“This is King’s patrol area,” Sloan continued, gesturing to the paper Butch now held. “Bishop and Viktor patrol near there. I’ll talk to them later. Maybe the three of you can split the difference for now.”
“Got it,” Butch said, heading out the door after Kent.
Sid watched the pair leave, his arms crossed. “Kent’s changed a lot.”
“Yeah, he has,” Sloan agreed, his tone thoughtful. Then, noticing Becky finishing up at the fax machine, he turned back to Jared and Sid. “I’m taking the rest of the day off. Keep me informed about Joey’s condition.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Jared replied with a grin before turning to Becky, putting his hands together again in mock prayer. “Please, Becky, come back. We need you.”
“Get the fuck out of my office,” Sloan growled, pointing to the door.
Jared laughed but obeyed, leaving with Sid and shutting the door behind them.
Becky turned to Sloan, her brow furrowed in concern. “Isn’t Joey one of Jessie’s students?” she asked.
Sloan nodded. “Yeah.”
“What happened?” she pressed, her voice soft but urgent.
“Someone beat the hell out of him and murdered his dad,” Sloan said grimly, watching as Becky paled.
Her hand went to her throat as she gasped. “That’s awful. Is he going to be okay? Maybe we should go to the hospital. I’m sure Jessie’s there.”
And this, right here, was one of the countless reasons Sloan loved her. Becky’s heart was so big, and she cared deeply about everyone, even people she barely knew. He stepped closer, his hand brushing her arm in reassurance. “Maybe later,” he said gently. “But first, I’m taking you home so you can get some rest.”
“Rest?” Becky frowned, her hand dropping. “Do I look that bad?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Sloan growled, cupping her face with both hands. “You’re beautiful.”
Her lips quirked into a teasing pout. “Well, I figured since it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, you’d want to ravish me. You know, as a thank-you for defeating the evil fax machine.”
Sloan’s lips twitched into a wicked grin. “Ravish isn’t even close to what I’m going to do to you when we get home. But...” he added, his voice dropping an octave, “you’re also going to rest.”
He punctuated the promise with a hard kiss, one hand sliding down to grasp her ass and give it a firm squeeze. “Damn, you smell amazing,” he murmured against her neck, inhaling her scent.
Becky moaned softly but pushed at his chest with a laugh. “Let’s go before your office fills with Warriors again.”
Sloan reluctantly released her, grabbing his keys off the desk. His gaze fell on the fax machine, and he smirked. “Thanks for handling that, babe. You saved me from losing my mind.”
Becky arched a brow, her lips curving into a soft smile. “This place has been a mess since I left, hasn’t it?”
Sloan’s expression sobered as he turned back to her. “I would never ask you to come back if you weren’t happy here, but just know that anytime you want to work for them—not me—you’re always welcome.”
For a moment, Becky’s expression softened, and he caught a flicker of sadness in her eyes before she quickly masked it. “Let’s see how today goes,” she said lightly, brushing past him with a smile that was almost a challenge. “I might be persuaded to help out... here and there, but it would be for you, not them.”
Her words struck him like a lightning bolt, piercing through the doubts quietly eating at him. Without hesitation, Sloan wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. The familiar scent of her hair, the warmth of her body, and the steady rhythm of her breathing grounded him in a way nothing else could. Maybe their relationship wasn’t as troubled as he had feared. For the first time in weeks, he allowed himself to believe they could find their way back to what they once had.
Still, something lingered just beneath the surface. He could feel it. There was an unspoken tension in the way she hesitated before speaking or the flicker of something unreadable in her eyes when she thought he wasn’t looking. Whatever it was, he vowed silently that he’d uncover it. He needed to. Because there was no version of his life where losing her was an option.
But for now, he wasn’t going to press her. Right now, he was going to savor this rare moment of peace, holding her in his arms as if the world beyond the two of them didn’t exist. She was his mate. His wife. His everything.