Chapter Thirty-Two #3
Matt burst in from the kitchen, weapon in hand, and mirrored the threat on Gene’s other side before twisting the gun from the prick’s hand. The corrupt cop’s fingers spasmed, but he knew better than to resist with weapons trained directly on him, controlled by Cooper men with itchy trigger fingers.
Two guns. Two angles. No escape.
“It’s over, motherfucker,” Seth growled.
Gene’s lips curled into a snarl, but he didn’t move. Seth almost wished he would. One twitch, one wrong breath, and he’d happily blow Gene’s brains all over his mom’s hardwoods.
In the next beat, the patio door shattered with a bone-rattling crash. Nik stormed into the room, weapon drawn. He leveled his gun at Gene’s face, a slow, predatory grin stretching across the Russian’s rugged face.
Gene blanched as recognition dawned. Raw, unfiltered fear followed. “Volkov?”
Nik tilted his head, his gun unwavering. “Da.”
Satisfaction filled Seth as he lowered his voice to a lethal whisper. “So…you know my friend Nik?” He pressed the barrel harder against Gene’s temple. “Or should I call you Specter?”
Gene flinched, jaw flexing. Still, he refused to reply.
“You invade turf.” Menace thickened Nik’s accent. “Mistake will cost you.”
His smile faded. His aim didn’t. He stepped closer, never rushing.
Seth’s finger tightened on the trigger. His pulse hammered in his ears. Every cell in his body screamed to pull it. To end this son of a bitch right here, right now.
Gene had taken everything from him. His father. His first wife. His infant son. Sixteen years of lies. Sixteen years of sitting at family dinners, smiling, pretending to be a friend while he’d been the architect of all the worst moments of Seth’s life.
A bullet was too quick. Too clean. Too easy.
Seth’s jaw clenched. His hand didn’t waver. But he didn’t pull the trigger.
Yet.
He’d spent four fucking days torturing Silas Nichols, the assassin Gene hired to murder Autumn and Tristan. Four days of extracting every scrap of information, every name, every detail, except the one he needed most—before he’d finally let the bastard die.
Gene deserved all that and worse.
Seth’s gaze flicked to Heavenly—pale, shaken, but alive. Then to his mother, tears streaming down her face.
Both women had been seconds from execution.
Hudson had thrown himself at a killer to save them.
Gene had been willing to murder them all. To take everything Seth had fought to rebuild.
Gene needed to pay.
Seth’s gaze flicked to Nik. The Russian’s expression said he understood. That he’d give Seth whatever time he needed. Whatever tools he required.
“Seth.” Matt’s voice cut through the silence, tight and controlled. “What do you want to do?”
He stared down at Gene, the man who’d played the role of family friend for two decades while building his empire on blood and lies.
Seth’s hand didn’t shake. His voice was cold. Final.
Seth straightened slowly, his gun still trained on Gene’s skull. His hand was steady. His breathing had evened out. The red haze of fury was still there, but it had cooled into something harder. Colder.
“Nik, stay with this son of a bitch, will you?”
Nikolai’s grip on his weapon tightened. “He goes nowhere.”
“Matt?” Seth asked.
“On it.” Matt kept his gun pressed to Gene’s temple, stare locked on the bastard.
Gene lay, back flat against the hardwood, his breathing labored. He didn’t speak. Didn’t move. Just glared.
But he was defeated, and his face said he knew it.
Good.
Seth refused to give the son of a bitch more of his energy right now. The people he loved needed him, starting with his son.
Hudson stood frozen a few feet away, chest heaving, eyes wild. Heavenly had curled an arm around him in a motherly gesture, whispering soft assurances as tears streamed down her face. His mother held Heavenly’s other hand, face ashen with shock.
They were alive. All of them.
Seth was so fucking grateful.
But the terror had taken its toll on them.
Beck stumbled through the splintered frame of the front door, pale and stoic, one hand pressed to his bloody shoulder. His jaw was tight with pain he refused to voice.
Heavenly gasped. “Beck!”
She ran to him, her shaking hands fluttering over his wound. “Oh, my god, you’re still bleeding. Let me—“
“I’m fine.” Beck’s voice was rough as he wrapped his good arm around her waist and pulled her against his blood-soaked chest.
“You’re not.” Her voice broke as she tried to assess the damage. “The bullet’s still in there. You need—”
“I know.” He tightened his hold, his face buried in her hair. “But right now, I just need you, little girl.”
Relief flooded Seth. Beck—even half dead on his feet—was taking care of their girl…making sure she felt safe and loved.
Suddenly, he heard the clatter of a kitchen chair tumbling across the tile and turned to find his trembling mother wrenching open the basement door. “Carl!”
Footsteps pounded up the stairs. The burly man appeared, disheveled and pale, but whole. He pulled his mother into his arms and held her close as she sobbed against his chest.
Seth let everyone else have their moments. Right now, his son needed him.
He schooled the violence from his expression as he approached a white-faced Hudson. The teen still stood rooted in place, eyes glassy and unfocused, clenching and unclenching his fists at his sides. His chest heaved like he’d just run a marathon.
Shock. Adrenaline crash. Seth knew the signs.
He slowed his approach to keep from spooking Hudson and cupped his shoulder. “What you did was brave, son. Dangerous as fuck, but brave.”
Hudson’s breath hitched. He blinked slowly, and when his eyes met Seth’s, tears flooded down his cheeks. His whole face crumpled—fear, rage, relief, all of it hitting at once.
“I’m sorry, Dad.” His voice cracked. “I didn’t know what else to do.
That cockbag threatened to kill us all and make you watch.
” He swiped at his face with the back of his hand, but the tears kept coming.
“He grabbed Heavenly. He was going to do her first. I-I don’t know what happened.
I just lost it. I couldn’t let him k-kill her. ”
Seth’s throat tightened. Fear of what could have been threatened to choke him as he yanked Hudson against his chest and held him tight.
“It’s okay. You did good. You saved Heavenly’s life…
saved everyone’s lives. But seeing you pin Gene down, watching him try to break free and kill you…
it scared the hell out of me. I could have lost you. ”
Hudson collapsed against him, his body shaking with raw, ugly sobs.
“I’ve got you, son,” Seth assured, cupping the back of Hudson’s head. “You’re safe. Heavenly is safe. Everyone’s going to be all right.”
“Beck?” Hudson demanded.
“Right behind us. He needs medical attention, but he’ll be okay. Deep breath.”
Hudson nodded, his fists gripping Seth’s shirt like he was drowning. “I was so scared.”
“I know. But you didn’t let fear win. You protected them. You protected her.” He held Hudson tighter. “I’m so proud of you, son.”
“I wasn’t trying to be brave. I just…reacted.”
Seth understood that perfectly, and that spoke volumes about Hudson’s character. Proud was an understatement. “I love you.”
Hudson’s breath stuttered. He clung harder. “I love you, too.”
Seth pressed his lips to the top of Hudson’s head, his own eyes burning. Then, because the kid needed it, he pulled back just enough to meet his gaze and forced a crooked smile. “Maybe we don’t mention this to your mom right away, yeah?”
Hudson choked out a laugh, swiping at his tears again as he worked to pull himself together. “If ever.”
Seth squeezed his shoulder once more. “You good?”
His son nodded. “Yeah. I’ll stop crying like a pussy.”
“You’re not a pussy. It’s adrenaline drop. Go check on Grandma Grace. And maybe don’t tell her you’re a pussy when she asks how you are.”
Hudson’s smile brightened. “I don’t think she’ll care. Did you hear the words coming out of her mouth?”
“Yeah. She was once married to a cop.” Seth winked.
As the kid crossed the room to where Grace and Carl embraced, Seth turned and damn near lunged for Heavenly. He couldn’t wait another second to hold her.
She saw him coming and broke away from Beck to throw herself into his arms. Seth caught her, lifting her off the ground as he clutched her to his chest and buried his face in her neck. She wrapped her arms around him so tightly she nearly crushed him.
Her tears soaked his shirt. “I was worried. He was going to kill you. He said—”
“Shh, angel.” Seth’s voice was raw. “Everything’s okay. You’re safe. I’m safe, and I’ve got you.”
He kissed her—fierce, desperate, claiming, fingers tangling in her hair. She kissed him back just as hard.
When they finally broke apart, both of them gasping, Seth looked up to find his mother standing a few feet away, her face wet with tears of both joy and contrition.
She didn’t hesitate. She threw herself into his arms.
Seth caught her, holding her tight as she sobbed against his chest.
“I’m sorry,” she choked out. “I’m so sorry I made you feel like you couldn’t be honest about who you love.” She pulled back, her hands cupping his face. “Never again. I love you. I fully accept the people you love. I’ll do better. I promise.”
Seth blinked, stunned. “You…you know?”
“Gene outed us,” Heavenly explained. “And I didn’t know if…if—”
They’d make it out alive.
“So I told your mom the truth. I know you wanted to do it, but…”
He brushed pale curls from her mottled cheeks and shook his head with a hint of a smile. “I really didn’t, so thank you.”
His mother gripped his arm, sniffling. “I feel awful that I caused you so much anxiety. I never want you to think I’d stop loving you for following your heart. I don’t care what your love life looks like. If you and Beck are…romantic, that’s okay. Great. I just want—”
“We’re not,” Seth insisted. “We both love Heavenly and want to take care of her…together. That’s it.”
“And that’s wonderful. As long as you’re happy, safe, and alive. Nothing else matters.”
Seth’s chest constricted. He swallowed tightly, his voice rough when he finally spoke. “I’m so damn relieved, Mom. When I thought I had to choose between my heart and your approval, it was killing me. But I chose my heart, because I belong with Heavenly and Beck.”
She nodded, her smile trembling but genuine. “You should choose them. Always.”
Beck slid his good arm around Heavenly’s waist and brushed a kiss across her lips. Then he met Grace’s gaze. “Thank you.”
She looked at him—really looked at him—and after a long moment, she gripped his hand. “No, thank you for trying to protect my feelings.”
Seth exhaled. He couldn’t quite read his mom’s expression, but the weight that had been pressing on his chest for months lifted.
Their secret was out. And his mother had accepted them.
Deep down, she might not love it. She might be disappointed that they couldn’t get married in the church.
But she wasn’t going to disown him or the people he loved.
For now, that was enough.
Carl approached then, extending his hand. Seth shook it, firm, solid.
Then Carl pulled him into a brief embrace. “Thank you for saving my girl.”
Seth smiled, his throat tight. “I told you I would.”
“And I’m eternally grateful.”
A few feet away, his mother caught sight of Matt, who’d barely moved from his post beside Nik, his gun still trained on Gene’s glowering face. Her expression crumpled all over again as she crossed the room to him, arms outstretched.
“Mom—” Matt started.
She was already pulling him into a fierce hug. “You could have been killed. You and Seth both. My boys—”
“We’re okay, Mom.” Matt’s voice was soft as he held her. “We’re okay.”
Seth smiled despite everything. His mother had both her sons safe and alive.
They’d all survived.
While everyone was wrapped up in reunions and tears, instinct pricked Seth. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as he whirled to where Nik stood alone, gun trained on Gene, without backup.
Fuck.
Seth pushed his way between Heavenly and Beck, racing toward Nik. “Matt, get back—”
Suddenly, from flat on his back, Gene swung his fist into Nik’s kneecap with brutal force.
The Russian stumbled as his leg buckled. His gun wavered.
Gene took advantage of the moment and lunged toward his own ankle, yanking a small pistol from a hidden holster.
As fast as lightning, he swung it up and aimed it directly at Seth. Gene didn’t stand or even attempt to flee. He just smiled—cold, vicious, resigned.
“If I’m going down, motherfucker,” Gene snarled, his finger tightening on the trigger. “Then I’m taking you with me.”