Page 99 of Even if You Fall

As the rest of the team considered and discussed, I let my gaze dart around to the people walking between shops in the square and ordering food from the trucks near our table.

Weekdays had much less traffic than the weekends, and the after-work rush was only just starting to pour into the large square to enjoy the many things this adorable part of Huntley had to offer, but I was still surprised at how freely Hudson and the others were using the mafia family’s name.

I would’ve thought that was something people only uttered in fearful whispers or in the confines of safe places—like homes or businesses. Not out in the open. But what did I know? Suspense books had probably ruined me for the real world just as much as romance books had.

My fingers trailed over the well-loved cover of the hardback resting beside me and curled around the spine just as Adam tipped his head close to whisper, “What are you thinking about?”

The curve of my lips shifted into something softer, less practiced, and much more genuine when he brushed a kiss to the sensitive spot beneath my ear. “That I might read too much.”

A hushed laugh left him and vibrated against my skin before he placed another kiss there. “Then why are you grabbing your book?”

“To read,” I said impishly as I brought the book in front of my waist.

Amusement hummed from him, only to abruptly end. “That isn’t what you’ve been reading.”

I glanced at him, my brows lifting. “Surprised you noticed what I’ve been reading.”

He gave me a look like I should’ve known he was paying attention to everything I was doing, then tipped his chin toward the book. “Where’d you get this?”

“My bag.” At the surprise on his own face, I informed him, “The only time I go anywhere with only one book is when I know I can easily grab another. Plane rides and ‘Aruba’ require preparation.”

“Of course,” he whispered, but the tease in his voice died as his stare darted past me and narrowed seconds before someone dropped to the bench beside me and said, “Aruba.”

I’d jolted into Adam the instant I felt the bench shift, but my head snapped toward the rough voice when he echoed the place I’d just been talking about.

My shoulders sagged when I found Beau, looking like the weight of the world was bearing down on his shoulders, head bobbing quickly. “You really booked those rooms, yeah?”

“What happened with your mom?” Asher asked instead, but Beau’s head just started shaking.

“Did you actually book rooms at the resort?” Beau asked again, tone holding an edge that showed just how close he was to breaking.

Asher drew in a deep breath, then released it with the words, “I did. Now, what happened?”

“So, why aren’t we there?” Beau asked. “Why are we here when you’ve already paid for everything? When we could be gone?”

“Evans,” Cameron began softly, and Beau snapped.

Slamming his hand on the table and seething, “Get me away from here. Get me away from—” His jaw ticked as he fought some unseen battle. “She knew. My mom knew what really happened with my dad and why. And I—” A sound of desperation and loathing built in his chest.

When he continued, his words were softer and darker than before as he spoke directly to Asher. “My entire life has been a lie. My dad and grandpa were in law enforcementfor a reason. They wanted me to follow in their stepsfor a reason. I thoughtmy dad was disappointed when I started working for you after the academy, but apparently, it was more than that because he’d failed in one of his assignments. He was allowed to let it go for a while because they knew I could be used againstyou.”

Asher didn’t say anything for over a minute as he studied Beau. The open air around us felt thick and suffocating as everyone digested Beau’s words—probably much faster than I did, to be honest. Then again, to my credit, I was a little stunned because this was more than I’d heard Beau talk in the weeks I’d known him combined. But I thought I got it...maybe.

Beau came from a family of dirty, mafia-friendly cops. Right? Right.

Yikes.

“How’d you find all this out?” Asher finally asked.

“They told me,” Beau nearly shouted as if he thought it had been obvious. “‘It’s time,’” he quoted on a scoff. “Like I’m just expected to fall into line now that my dad’s gone.”

At that, Asher glanced at Adam expectantly, only to ask Beau, “What do you need from us?”

“Just get me away from here,” he nearly begged.

“What you’re wanting...” Asher’s head slanted. “A vacation doesn’t last forever. You’d still be coming back to the same issues.”

A twisted kind of laugh wrenched from Beau as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “Yeah, but I’ll miss having to stand next to my mom and pretend like my dad was agood guywhen everyone from the department comes to pay their respects. I’ll miss having to pretend all the key members of the mafia aren’t at his funeral, keeping my mom standing and waiting for a different answer from me.”

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