Page 19 of The Monster and the Last Blood Match

She locked eyes with him. “I am.”

Then she entered the bedroom for a semblance of privacy.

She had planned her entire day around getting back to Beckham in time. And she couldn’t even manage that. Even in their short interactions, Beckham had a temper, was volatile and erratic. The last thing she wanted to do was upset him.

Gulping dramatically, she pressed the number to call him back and held the phone awkwardly to her face. It rang only once before his deep voice cut through the line.

“Reyna,” he growled.

“Hey,” she said awkwardly. “Sorry. I guess I didn’t hear my phone.”

“Where the hell are you?”

“I went out,” she said defiantly. “I texted you.”

“That was hours ago, and you didn’t even saywhereyou were going.”

“I didn’t know I had to.”

He grumbled under his breath. She was irritating him with her comebacks, but she hadn’t actually broken any rules except that she hadn’t answered her phone right away.

“Well, where the hell are you, then?”

“I’m visiting some friends. You said I could leave,” she reminded him again.

“I bloody well know what I said, Reyna. Stop avoiding my question. Where? Where are you? And why the hell are you not in my penthouse?”

Reyna closed her eyes and cleared her throat.Here goes nothing.“The Warehouse District.”

Beckham cursed under his breath. “That’s an hour away.”

“I know,” she whispered.

“This is unacceptable. I said you could have anything within reason.Within reasondoes not mean driving an hour out of the city and spending the day in the slums.”

“You didn’t specify.”

“Well, now I am. Get back herenow, and we’ll discuss exactly whatwithin reasonmeans to me.”

The line went dead in her hand.

Her lower lip wobbled as she fought to hold the tears in. She wouldn’t cry. Not over Beckham. This was her first job, and already she feared she was going to be fired. This Permanent position wouldn’t be that permanent if he got this angry with her on day one.

She waited a few minutes to compose herself. Another message came in from Beckham.

I’m sending a cab to retrieve you. Respond with your address immediately.

She typed out the address to her brothers’ home. She hated that he would now have access to it. Though it was probably in her file if he wanted to retrieve it himself. She almost apologized through the message but stopped herself at the last moment.

“What happened?” Drew asked when she walked back into the living room.

“I have to leave. He’s sending a car to pick me up.”

“Rey,” Brian said, his voice strained. “Are you sure about this?”

“There’s no other choice, Brian.”

“We can’t protect you out there. How do you know that he’s not going to kill you on a whim? He’s a monster, after all.”

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