Page 173 of Those Who Are Bound

Elliott

“He’sluckyhe’sdead.”

Elliott cringed. Instead of responding to the comment, she pointed out, “The phone didn’t even ring. What’s my ringtone that you answered so quickly?”

“Abba.”

She cringed again. “Huh.”

“It’s attention-grabbing. It’s only inappropriate at a crime scene.” Flick of a lighter; inhale of breath. “What’s mine?”

“The standard jingle, but I’ll rethink that now. Maybe Barry Manilow?”

“Brat.”

“About…” she said quietly. “Becks… he died. It’s not funny.”

Smoke being pushed out between his lips, then, “Do you hear me laughing? You okay?”

“I mean… yes and no? But overall, yes, I’m okay.”

“I told you, if he hurt you, I’d hurt him. Looks like he took care of it for me.”

On a scale of insensitivity…

Elliott opened her mouth to explain that the dead man, Josh, wasn’t Jonah. But why go into the quagmire of that mess? She and Jonah were no longer together—again—and Becks didn’t need to add another reason to worry to the list. Instead, she requested, “Can we not talk about it?”

“Tell me about you.”

She let out another quiet sigh. “I’m sure you have the report in your hand, but to satisfy you, I just have a broken ankle. My leg is in an Aircast. I have a scooter to get around the house. Killion had to carry me up the stairs, so that was embarrassing.”

Becks chuckled. “I’m surprised you didn’t try to crawl.”

Elliott pushed her lips to the side. Oh, she’d tried. Killion hadn’t put up with her antics. He’d watched her for a few seconds as she’d insisted she was fine, had it all under control. Then he’d cursed and scooped her up.

Stomping up the stairs, muttering about her control freak nature, he’d talked over her insistence to put her down. He’d then gone back and brought her things up with the sarcastic question of how she’d expected to get those items up the steps.

“Learn to ask for help when you need it, boss,” he’d said with irritable affection before he’d left her with Lucy.

With a torn and confused Lucy, trying to remain neutral. It was a shitty position to be in, between her boss and her best friend.Especiallyafter she’d once told Lucy that she wouldn’t get between them.

After Jonah had left the hospital room, exploding her heart by leaving, even though she’d shoved him in that direction. He’d made it worse by whispering into her ear. She knew what he meant.

Lucy had been frozen in fear and indecision. Elliott had tried to let her know it was Jonah’s side she should be on, and it was okay. “I’m the asshole here,” she’d said. “You choose him first, always. I’ll never ask you not to. I can find another way home. I wasn’t thinking.”

Lucy had looked at the door her friend had disappeared through and shrugged. “No, it’s okay. I’m here. He’d be pissed if I left you.”

And that had driven a dagger even deeper into her aching heart. But she knew if she caved like she wanted to and let him console her, comfort her, it would never end. She’d never find the strength to walk away.

To preserve him, she had to hurt him.

“What else?” Becks prompted, bringing her back to reality.

“There isn’t anything else to tell.” It was true. She was confined to her home, unable to navigate the stairs.

“You sure about that? Because I’d assumed there wasn’t going to be a canoe trip or any more fateful motorcycle rides because this guy was no longer in your life.” There was irritation in his voice.

“I know.”

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