Page 102 of Unlawful Seduction

He walked toward me slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. While he wore no expression, I could swear his eyes were twinkling as they’d done around me all those years before.

I wasn’t certain if I should stand so I remained right where I was. Why was it that there were so many emotions dyeing my anger with sadness? Why couldn’t I get a grip on the fact he was alive? Perhaps because in some ways it had been easier when he was considered dead. Then I’d been able to shelter my heart from him and everyone else.

When he was less than a foot away, he stopped. I didn’t know if he was waiting for me to say something to break the ice.

After a full thirty seconds, I couldn’t take the quiet or the tension any longer. “Beckett. Look what the cat dragged in. No offense, Jax.”

The pup snuffled.

He inched closer. Maybe as a reward for opening my mouth and addressing him. “Doc.”

Why did he feel the need to use the little nickname he called me? A full minute of unbridled tension passed and I couldn’t stand it. I was about ready to blow a gasket. “I received your kind offer.” My tone indicated anything but my thinking it was kind. “Not interested.”

Beckett had a way of staring anyone down. He could level a room with his gaze within two seconds flat of entering it. The way he was staring at me now created prickles on my skin. He finallysnorted slightly and moved the closest barstool to the side so he could lean against the bar. “Is that all you have to say to me?”

The man did so love to challenge me. “Would you prefer I call you an asshole? Would you like me to explain to you why I’m not going to be bought?”

“Is that what you think is happening?”

“Yep. Answer my question,” I demanded. “Do you want me toexplainthings to you?”

“Maybe.”

“Fine. Then you’re a fucking asshole, buddy. You left. Poof. Disappeared. I thought your body had been broken, charred beyond recognition. While I know what you did you believed was the right thing to do, you have no clue what I had to endure. I got your fucking ashes because there was no one I could call because you’d been lying to me.”

I took a deep breath and he said nothing. Mr. Talkative strikes again.

“I can see how this is going to go. So I spread your ashes on the river one day. A nice spring day after the snow had thawed. I thought about doing so on the mountain, but couldn’t bring myself to go to the house. I thought you were dead. I’m curious whose ashes I so painstakingly sprinkled over rocks and moss. You certainly didn’t seem to care that all I felt I had in the world was Jax and he left me. My guess is you came back into town looking for your dog, but you couldn’t take the time to look me up, drop me a line. Nothing. All these years I’ve believed you dead. All these years I suffered. Do you have any clue how terrible it felt believing you lost your life to save mine?”

He breathed out and Jax whined a little, staring at his master as if encouraging the stoic asshole to say something. Anything.

He didn’t.

My God. The man was like a statue. “You have nothing to say?”

“Are you finished yet?” he gritted out, his jaw clenched.

“I think I am. I’ve said my piece. I don’t need or want your money, Beckett, and it’s obvious to me that you want nothing to do with your son. With all the money you have, I doubt I can stop you and the shark you have for an attorney from forcing me to allow you to see Brady, but I swear to you that if you try and take him away from me, I will find a way to destroy you.”

Yeah, right. As if that was possible.

The bastard smiled and I reacted instantly, slapping him directly across the face. I heard the ugly sound from the bartender who was obviously watching everything we were doing. Fuck him. Fuck his attorney.

Hell, at this point, fuck my life.

He grabbed my arm, tilting his head and shaking it slightly. “Now, can I say something?”

“Sure. Why not? What could you possibly tell me that would matter at this point?”

“That I did what I did to protect you. That had I known about Brady, it wouldn’t have changed anything. Until the threat was eliminated, I couldn’t risk what could happen to you. And it fucking killed me. It fucking. Killed me. Don’t you get it?”

“What’s there to get? You’ve never been honest with me. Your attorney was, in his attempt to make me think you’re a regular nice guy. I’m not buying it. I know what you’re capable of.”

His exhale was deep and rattled. “You’re right as you’ve been the entire time you’ve known me. I’m not a good man. I never lied about that. Not once. I’ve done three decent things in my life, the only deeds I’m proud of and I would do all of them all over again. Especially in protecting the woman I couldn’t stop thinking about, the one who haunted my dreams every night. I watched out for you, making sure no one hurt you. I would have killed any man who came into contact with you. Without hesitation. Without thinking. Without remorse. That’s how much I care about you and if you can’t see that, then go ahead and walk away. I won’t fight you for Brady, but I will care about my son. I will care about you whether you like it or not.”

“Bastard,” I whispered.

I could instantly tell he’d shut down once again.

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