Chapter 50
Chapter fifty
BECKETT
I slam the front door so hard it bounces right back open again. The framed photo of the three of us at our first playoff game rattles against the wall. Pierce trails behind me, gently closes the door, and fiddles with the picture frame until it’s straight.
“Liam! Where the fuck are you?”
Seconds later, Liam appears in the hallway, hair still dripping, gray sweatpants slung low on his hips and a faded T-shirt clutched in one hand. His eyes dart between me and Pierce.
“What’s happening?” he asks, slipping the shirt over his head, instantly shifting into problem-solving mode.
“How dare you.”
“What?” The color drains from Liam’s face.
“How fucking dare you let Pierce believe he killed Reed all these years?” I stalk into the kitchen to pace around the island counter.
Liam freezes, one hand still adjusting his collar. The mask of composure slips for just a fraction of a second.
“You let him believe it?” I push off the counter. I didn’t take the time to stretch out, and my muscles are cramping as they cool. “For years, you’ve watched him tear himself apart over this, and you just… what? Decided that was fine?”
“You think I haven’t tried?” He gestures at Pierce without looking at him. “I’ve spent years trying to convince him it wasn’t his fault. That something else happened. But no, Pierce is a dick and has refused to deal with it.”
Pierce slinks into the kitchen, one hand deep in his jeans pocket, the other gingerly touching his nose.
“What actually went down? Were you there?”
“Not when it happened.” Liam runs his fingers through his wet hair, then grabs a dishtowel to dry them. “He came home covered in blood, saying he’d killed Reed. Talking crazy.”
Pierce seems to shrink beside me, shoulders curving inward. I turn to him, sudden fury making my hands shake.
“And then you show up on my doorstep, telling me he died in a car accident?”
Liam blows out a long breath and hangs his head, gripping the edge of the counter.
“Yeah. That was a mistake. I was young and dumb and scared, and I made a bad choice.
I blow out a breath too, and pace in tight circles with my hands on my hips, trying to burn off the added adrenaline. “I had money for lawyers, private investigators. I would have fixed it all.” My voice breaks on the last word.
“You would have walked away. I would have ruined your career,” Pierce says, his voice flat.
I whip around to face him. “Look me in the fucking eye and tell me you think my career means more to me than you do.”
“I couldn’t,” Pierce whispers, not looking at me, of course. “I couldn’t drag you down with me.”
“You didn’t trust me. Great.” I scrub my face with my hands.
“It wasn’t about trust,” Liam interjects. “It was about protecting you.”
“I didn’t need protection then, I don’t need it now. I’m a goddamn alpha.”
“I thought I’d killed my best friend.” Pierce leans against the wall, looking like he might slide to the floor at any moment. Softer, much softer he adds, “I couldn’t lose you too.”
“Okay, fine, we’ll unpack this more later. What about the blackmail?” I say. “Who do you think is behind it?”
“Has to be Randal, Reed’s father,” Pierce says.
I look to Liam to confirm that. He has his head in his hands rubbing his temples which is not good news.
“What?”
“I think we should all sit down for this,” Liam says, his voice oddly gentle.
“Why?” I look between them, suddenly feeling like I’m missing something obvious. Pierce looks concerned too.
Liam presses his palms flat against the countertop like he’s steadying himself. “Ash’s full name is Ash Lynn Voss.”
The words don’t register at first. I stare at him blankly, waiting for more, for whatever revelation has Liam looking like that.
“Lynnie.” Pierce makes a sound I’ve never heard from him before, like a strangled half-curse, half-laugh. His face drains of color like he might pass out.
“Wait. What? Voss?” I repeat, the name finally sinking in. “Wasn’t that Reed’s last name?”
“She’s Reed’s little sister,” Liam confirms. His eyes never leave Pierce.
“Reed had a little sister, I remember. He texted about her once or twice. But her name wasn’t Ash, I’m pretty sure.” I say slowly.
“Lynn,” Pierce whispers, his voice cracking. “We always called her Lynn.”
I can’t fully wrap my head around this. All the new information is popping around in my brain and not settling down.
“Wait. And none of you recognized her? How is that possible?”
Liam rubs his temples like he’s the one recovering from concussion headaches.
“The last time I saw her, she was maybe twelve years old with braces and pigtails, okay? She was a skinny little kid in overalls who used to trail after us like a puppy, not a—” He cuts himself off, jaw working.
“Not a what?” I press.
“Not a grown woman. Not an omega who is so fucking gorgeous I can’t see straight.” Liam’s voice drops.
“Of fuck.” Pierce puts his back to the wall and slides all the way down. “She was there. She came running downstairs and saw Reed bleeding out on the floor and saw me running away.”
“Jesus Christ.” The implications hit me all at once. “She thinks you killed Reed.”
A heavy silence falls over the kitchen. Pierce looks wrecked. Liam looks like he might puke. We’re in great shape.
And then something else clicks into place.
“Wait,” I say, turning to Liam. “A few weeks ago, after you had sex with her. You said something about Ash maybe being in trouble.”
“Her fucking father.” Pierce starts banging his head against the wall.
“This isn’t good.” Liam’s voice is defeated.
“He’s hurting her?” When neither of them answer, I know the answer is yes.
“Well, okay, let’s go.” I clap my hands once and pad my pockets for my keys. Must have left them in the SUV.
“Beckett…” Liam starts, but I’m already heading for the door.
“We’re not leaving her there another minute,” I say, cutting him off. “Not if there’s even a chance she’s in danger.”
“Slow down,” Liam says, his voice sliding into that soothing tone he uses when he thinks Pierce is being impulsive. “We can’t just show up and drag her out of her apartment. She… We had a whole conversation last night that the scent match means that Pierce owns her, like owns her like property.”
“Don’t care.” I turn to face them both. “We are not kidnapping her or trapping her and keeping her in the basement,” I state, my voice leaving no room for argument.
“You two need to get over your broke, trailer trash mentality. We have fuck-you money. I will go buy her a mansion today or put her up in a hotel suite for the rest of her life. I am not leaving the woman we love in a dangerous situation.”
“We?” Liam repeats, his eyebrows rising.
“Your turn, asshole. Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t love her too.”
Liam’s jaw works, but he doesn’t deny it.
“And if she doesn’t want anything to do with any of us?” Pierce asks, his voice small.
“Don’t care. We’re not leaving her there.”
Nobody moves, so I eat up the space between me and Pierce.
“Groveling is my least favorite thing you do on your knees.” I smirk. “You’re bad at it. Do you want to keep going or do you want to go get our girl?”
The way Pierce looks up at me, I finally understand the phrase “hangdog face.” I stick my hand out to him.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. I forgive you. I’m not going to forget and we are definitely going to do a shit ton of therapy after this. Get up.”
“Yes, sir.” He leers at me, and I know Pierce is back.