Page 49 of Icy Cold Death

Clearly, she didn’t see the hurt she was causing him, but he was living it. Beckett knew it was time to pull off that bandage so the wound could heal.

“And you’re goddamn lucky she did,” he said, his voice going up, and the calmness gone.

It was rare Beckett got angry.

In fact, it never happened. He was so even tempered that even Trey couldn’t rile him up. Life didn’t stress him out, but now, he sounded like he was done.

Now, he wasn’t even tempered.

He.

Was.

Pissed.

“I don’t see how I’m lucky. She stabbed me in the back, and…”

He was done.

Beckett waved his arms.

“So you loved that man more than you love me and our daughter? Autumn is nothing to you? You would rather have that life then this one? You’d rather have a cheating abuser than me?”

That hung there.

She gasped.

“Both of you are everything to me!”

He laid into her because tough love was needed when someone was being a brick wall. He was sick of banging his head against it over and over again.

“Then why are you holding a grudge against a woman who stole a shitbag of a man from you when you found us because of it? Why are you still mourning that moment when you have everything you want? You have family, and you have me. I’ve been faithful, and I’ve loved you through everything. Why is he so important that you’re still mourning that nightmare? Do you know how that makes me feel? Like I’m NOTHING.”

That caught her off guard.

Big-time.

She gasped at the rage in his voice.

“If she didn’t take him, you wouldn’t have me. You’d be the one crying with two black eyes and two broken children who watched their daddy beat on their mother. You, instead, have a nice home, a little girl who is an angel, and me—a man who loves you more than anything. Maybe, Claire, stop thinking about what you lost, and think about what you gained! She already paid for her sins, and she gets to watch you live a good life and know that you’re BLESSED!”

With that, Beckett walked out of the room, needing to have a few moments to calm down.

He headed to their office and slammed the door, leaving Claire behind.

She just watched him go.

The whole time, her heart was racing in her chest. Staring at the door, she thought about what he had just said.

Was she missing the truth?

Was her anger so deep and dark that it was shadowing what he just said?

In that moment, Claire took a step back and considered it from a different perspective.

He was right.

Without that betrayal, she wouldn’t have Beck.

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