Page 66 of Safe Haven

My stomach drops, all traces of my earlier hunger vanishing in an instant. “You mean Christian.”

Butch tips his head. “Among others.”

I think back to the group that welcomed me into their fold after I left Trevor. They were so kind and giving. A big family, not by birth or genetics, but by choice. It gave me hope that one day I might find something like it.

And the Memphis PD wanted to tear it all apart.

I frown. “But why?”

“That’s a good fucking ques—” Butch stops short.

“What the fuck?” Becca’s voice is loud behind me.

I turn to find her staring at Butch, her mouth dropped open. “What in the hell are you doing here?” Her eyes snap around, bouncing from me to Maddox to Butch. “Holy shit.” Her eyes widen. “You’rewho we’re meeting?”

Butch seems just as shocked to see Becca as she is to see him. “I…” His brain seems to short out for a second. “How are you involved in this?”

“My sister was abducted by her ex-husband, Trevor Hawthorne.” She moves closer to where Butch stands, her dark eyes moving over him. She points to the full sleeve of tattoos covering his arm. “That’s new.”

Butch glances down. “I had to cover up the tattoo I got when I joined The Knights.” His focus comes back to Becca. “You look good.”

Becca’s brows pinch together. “You look… Different.”

“It’s been a few years.” One hand moves to smooth along the hair at the side of his head. “I’ve probably got a few more gray hairs.”

Becca shakes her head. “No. That’s not it.” She peers up at him, like she’s examining something under a microscope. “You look tired.”

It’s not the most polite thing to say, but she’s not wrong. Butch does look a little rough now that I’m really paying attention. The creases at the corners of his eyes seem a little deeper. The beard on his face was neatly cropped the last time I saw him, but now it’s a little unruly, just like his hair.

A slow smile spreads across Butch’s face. “Your powers of observation continue to be unparalleled.” His smile slips, and he pulls out a chair, motioning for Becca to sit. She slips into the seat and he takes the chair directly beside her, still entirely focused on Becca. “How are you doing?” he asks, deep voice gentle.

“Not great.” Becca crosses her arms over her chest. “You’d know that if you hadn’t disappeared on me.”

“I had to.” Butch leans close, speaking low, like they’re the only two people at the table. “You were going to figure me out. It was only a matter of time before that brilliant brain of yours connected all the dots.”

Becca frowns. “I wouldn’t have told anyone.”

Butch lifts one hand, almost like he’s about to push back the strand of dark hair falling in her face, but then pulls it back. “It wasn’t about you telling people, Becca.”

She studies him, her eyes moving over his face. Her focus is direct and unabashed. She doesn’t try to hide her stare as she scrutinizes every inch of his expression. Finally, she pulls in a deep breath. “Still. I would have liked to know why I never saw you again.”

“I know.” Butch seems genuinely regretful. “I’m sorry. I wish things could have been different.”

The way he says it makes me think there’s a specific sort ofdifferenthe had in mind.

I must not be the only one who comes to that conclusion, because Luca grabs the chair on Becca’s other side, dragging it loudly across the floor before sitting down, shooting daggers at Butch. “Are we gonna talk about why we’re here, or are you gonna keep trying to explain why you walked out on her?”

I lean back at the hostility in Luca’s tone. He’s not as easy going as Maddox, but I’ve never seen the guy this worked up. Not even when he was running from the men trying to get Becca.

“It wasn’t like that.” Butch practically snarls at Luca as he scoots closer to Becca, locked in a stare-down with one of the men who pretty obviously planned to make a play for her when the time was right.

Things are getting really heated, really fast, and it’s not going to be good for anyone. Especially Becca. Both Luca and Butch seem to be about two seconds from whipping it out to mark their territory.

“It doesn’t matter what happened.” I keep my tone calm since I might be the only voice of reason here right now. Even Maddox is starting to get agitated. He’s got me pulled in closer, like he’s ready to grab me and bolt the second things get out of hand.“What matters now is stopping Trevor and getting Becca’s sister back.”

Luca and Butch glare at each other a few seconds longer before finally breaking eye contact. Neither of them gives up any of their space though, and poor Becca seems almost squished between two broad sets of shoulders.

But there’s only one man holding her attention, and it makes me sad for Luca because it’s pretty obvious he doesn’t stand a chance.

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