Page 52 of Jesse
“I need to know if you found anything usable on that corrupted footage from the fairground cameras. Anything at all.”
Tony sighed hard on the other end. “Not yet. I haven’t had the time. Got a backlog of security requests and?—”
I snapped. “Tony, I asked you to do this days ago.”
There was a pause. The kind that made my wolf bristle.
“I know, man. I said I’m on it,” he muttered.
“No, you’re not,” I growled, my voice low and shaking. “Beck thinks he’s being followed. That killer could be watching him right now and I’ve got nothing. I’m not asking for a favor. I’m asking for your help. Help me keep someone safe. Someone who matters.”
The words cracked in my throat before I could stop them. There was silence. Then Tony spoke, gentler. “I didn’t know it was that serious.”
I pressed a hand against my forehead, dragging it down my face.
“Sorry,” I muttered. “I didn’t mean to bite your head off. I just…I can’t lose him. I can’t even think about it.”
“I get it,” Tony said. “I’ll bump it to the top. First thing tomorrow morning. You’ll have something soon.”
“Thanks,” I said, voice rough with gratitude.
As I hung up, I realized my hands were clenched tight. My jaw ached from grinding my teeth. The anger hadn’t helped, but I couldn’t fake calm when it came to Beck.
I turned back toward the bench. Beck was awake. He was sitting up now, blinking sleepily, the blanket pooled around his waist.
One of my hoodies hung off his frame like it belonged to him, and his hair was even more of a mess than earlier. His eyes met mine, soft, curious, quietly alert.
“How long have you been awake?” I asked, stepping closer.
“Long enough,” he said. His voice was quiet, unreadable.
I rubbed the back of my neck. “You heard that?”
“Most of it,” he admitted.
He scooted over on the bench and patted the space beside him. I hesitated.
I was still keyed up, still brimming with protective fury, but eventually sat down next to him. Close enough that our shoulders touched.
He didn’t say anything at first. Just looked out at the fairground. Lights still twinkled above the booths, and the Ferris wheel spun slowly in the distance, half-empty now.
Somewhere nearby, a tired cleanup crew member was sweeping popcorn off the pavement.
“You really think someone’s watching me?” Beck asked.
I didn’t lie. “Yeah. I do.”
He was quiet for a long beat. “Why didn’t you tell me you were this worried?” Beck eventually asked.
“Because you didn’t need more stress on your plate,” I said. “And because I was hoping I was wrong.”
He turned his head, studying me. “And if you’re not?”
I swallowed. “Then I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
His hand reached for mine, warm and steady, and his fingers slipped between mine like it was the easiest thing in the world. My wolf eased immediately, soothed by the contact.
“You were yelling at Tony for me,” he said.
