Chapter Nine
Kisses trailed down her naked back.
Reyna hummed happily in response. “I like that.”
“Mmm,” Beckham murmured against her bare skin the next morning. A finger glided up her spine, touching every vertebra until she shivered uncontrollably.
She sighed. “I could stay in this bed all day.”
His mouth returned to her skin, tasting every inch of her. “If only you didn’t have to save the world.”
She humphed. “A girl can’t have a day off?”
“Sure. Let me take care of it.”
“Yeah, no,” she said, turning her head to look at him. He was grinning as if he’d known that she would never relinquish the power she claimed since New Year’s.
“Do you know many people have openly disagreed with me?” Beckham asked casually.
“And lived?”
He arched an eyebrow, which only made her giggle.
“I’m going to guess not many.”
“Before Visage, when we became more civilized very, very few.”
He’d stumbled over the word civilized as if it didn’t quite fit them. Beckham had been one of the most dangerous vampires. For his cleverness and sheer brutality.
“Well, you’re not going to hurt me,” she sassed him.
That rare unabashed laugh burst out of him. “Watch it, Little One.”
“Or what?” she teased. She flipped over, shooting him a sultry look.
“Or I’ll have to tie you to this bed until you remember who is in charge here,” he said with a dangerous glint in his eye.
Unfortunately, it only turned her on more.
“I think you like that I took charge,” she told him defiantly. “I think you like that I’m as strong as you. I’m not a porcelain doll.”
He dragged his tongue along his teeth. Then he moved so fast she could barely register it before he pressed her backward in the bed. “I am not emasculated by your leadership,” he told her. “But you are still fragile, and I will always protect you with everything that I am.”
“As long as it doesn’t interfere with me saving the world, then that kind of turns me on.”
His black eyes danced. “Kind of?”
A knock sounded on the door. Beckham groaned and leaned his head into the crook of her neck.
“What?” he snapped.
“Got a lead, boss,” Katarina’s musical voice rang from the other side of the door.
“Noted.”
They dressed hastily, and he opened the door for Reyna.
“So this inner circle business. We can trust them?” she asked.
“With my life.”
“I didn’t know Gerard and Philippé were that important when you had them acting as my driver and bodyguard.”
“I only sent the best with you. They understood your significance. Plus, it was an easy way to have them close at all times.”
“And Gerard only became your second after Bronwyn?” Reyna asked.
It was Beckham’s turn to freeze. He clenched his fists. “I wouldn’t mention that name in present company.”
Reyna frowned. She had the unfortunate experience of meeting his sister, Bronwyn, who she had known as B, when she had been a prisoner in Visage.
His sister had been Beckham’s second-in-command and supposedly she had been killed.
But really, Harrington had kidnapped her in an effort to get Beckham to work for him.
Beckham continued forward without answering her question. She decided not to press it. He’d only found out that Bronwyn was alive a week ago. The wound had to be too fresh to touch.
Together they marched into the sitting area, where his inner circle sprawled.
Next to Tye, Zoya tinkered with some technical equipment.
Katarina had her dual blades out and whirled them back and forth in her hands.
Philippé stood like a statue, facing the entrance, his arms crossed over his chest. Gerard lounged in a chair, holding a small book open, seemingly oblivious to everything else going on around him.
“What do you have?” Beckham asked as soon as he entered the room.
Zoya jumped to her feet. “Found a few possible locations of other Elle safe houses. I looked into the phone numbers for the burner phones distributed and did a backward check…”
Beckham held up his hand. “I trust you. You have locations?”
“Three,” she said with a curt nod. “Working on the others with Tye.”
Tye grinned at her like a lovesick puppy.
“Good,” Beckham said.
Reyna buzzed with excitement. “Three locations? We should get teams together and go check them out.”
“I’ve already got Meghan and Gabe packing for the city,” Tye told her with a grin.
Reyna broke into a smile. “When do we leave?”
Beckham shook his head. “You’re staying here.”
“Like hell I am.”
“Reyna…”
“No. I’m not sitting on the sidelines anymore.” She turned away from him as if that was the end of the discussion. From the look in his eyes, it was clear he didn’t agree. “Let’s get moving. We’re wasting daylight.”
Reyna grabbed a jacket and went in search of Meghan and Gabe, to help where she could. On the way outside, she ran into Jodie.
“Hey, I was looking for you,” Jodie said.
“What’s up? We’re heading out to check on a lead on the safe houses. You want to come along?”
“That’s great, but I think I’m going to stay here and maybe work with Washington.”
“Seriously?” Reyna asked, her eyes bugging in confusion.
“What Washington did was wrong, and he acknowledges that. I won’t forget what he did to me, but after everything I’ve seen, I can…forgive him. With time. Everyone’s doing their part. I thought it was time I did mine.”
“You’re sure?”
“Better than doing nothing.”
Reyna took Jodie’s hand in hers. “You’re under no obligation to forgive him. You know that, right? Nor do you have to do this, to work with him.”
Jodie swallowed hard as she nodded. “I know.”
“I’m serious. You are doing enough just by being here and working with the rebellion.”
Jodie bit her lip. “I want to take down Harrington every bit as much as you do. He’s the one who did this. He’s the one who locked us both up. So yeah, if I can find a way to fuck him over, then that’s what I want to do.”
“Commendable,” Beckham said, appearing behind them.
“Thanks,” Jodie said with a smile.
Reyna was worried for her, but at the end of the day, it was her choice. That was the point of bringing her back. To support her through her new independence. If this was what she wanted, then that’s what Reyna wanted for her.
“I love you,” Reyna told her, drawing her in for a hug.
“I love you, too,” Jodie whispered. As she pulled back, she added, “Good luck today.” Then she trudged down the stairs into the basement below. Reyna was proud of her.
…
“Just because it’s called a safe house doesn’t mean it’s actually safe,” Beckham said as he observed her checking a loaded gun.
“We can’t send your band of merry men into safe houses. The people of Elle don’t know them. All it will do is spook them. We have to go ourselves,” Reyna reminded him. “And you already know that.”
Beckham took the gun from her hand and rechecked the magazine. Then he slid it in the holster on her thigh. “Doesn’t mean I like it.”
Reyna held her hand out. “We’re doing this as a team.”
He slowly put his hand in hers and tugged her in close. “I don’t want to lose you again.”
“I know,” she choked out.
Just because she survived didn’t mean that she felt like a survivor.
“You don’t have to put yourself in a dangerous situation.”
“And when you became a lord, when you took over the entire city, you let others lead the charge, right? You sat back and directed. Stayed out of danger.”
Beckham’s eyes smoldered.
“That’s what I thought.”
Reyna pulled back from Beckham to put her jacket on.
“I believe in you,” he said softly. “And I will be at your back through this,” he promised with a kiss.
Her insides fluttered at the words. He looked like he wanted to argue with her again and demand her safety. It was a huge shift for him to let her walk into the fire even with backup.
At that moment, Tye and Meghan marched into the garage. Reyna could see that they were excited and nervous. Probably about who they might find and who they wouldn’t.
“We’re ready,” Tye said, jingling the keys to a van.
“You have the radio link?” Beckham asked gruffly.
“All set to go.” Tye patted his inner pocket. “Phone too just in case. I know all the codes and signals. We won’t be out of contact.”
“Good,” Reyna said.
“Wish I was going,” Gabe said. He sulked with his arms crossed over his chest, leaning back against the doorframe.
“Next time,” Reyna said with a smile.
She’d asked Gabe to stay behind and keep an eye on the place. He gave them a two-finger salute as she followed Beckham into an SUV. She settled into the passenger seat, and he revved the engine.
“Wishing it was your motorcycle?”
“Always.”
Reyna’s heart fluttered as she remembered her one glorious ride on the back of his bike. So much had happened since then. She hoped that after all of this she’d get one more ride.
They peeled out of Washington’s place and onto the open road, toward the city.
The route was all but deserted, as the promise of icy temperatures kept many inside.
Reyna took Beckham’s hand in her gloved one.
She was nervous about what they would find, but optimistic.
Her stomach was full of butterflies thwacking away at her insides, but she tried to relax the rest of the ride.
Another hour later they reached the city limits. Beckham pulled into a nice neighborhood with car-lined avenues and people all bundled up walking unhurriedly down the sidewalks.
“There’s a safe house here?” Reyna asked in surprise.
“They’re all over. Sydney wanted an extensive list for any circumstance. I don’t think she really considered this one though,” he admitted as he expertly parallel parked the SUV.
“Talented.”
“You can’t parallel park?”
She snorted. “I can’t drive.”
Beckham frowned. He clearly didn’t like that news. “I could teach you.”
“Really?”
“I escaped death once. I can probably do it a second time.”
Reyna shook her head. “He has jokes.”
“Are you ready for this?”
“Right,” she muttered. Her eyes met his once more and she nodded. She was ready. Whatever may be.