NA

ewing the most venomous words at a man she'd neve

Beckett had hung up. My heart sank to my s

calm and dangerously cold. "Ma'am, first of all, I am not a 'broke boy.' I am a professional athl

ed the small apartment. The sheer authori

to humiliate. If you ever speak to her or harass her with

usan could bully me, but the threat of

, softening slightly when he add

Susan's grasp and took it

se in your family-has a problem with our relationship, I

settle this properly," I said, loud enough for both of them to hear. "Beckett can meet Leo tonight. T

Jessica looked

m dating, you can meet him yourselves." I opened my chat with Leo and quickly texted him, asking if I could b

onfused glances, thrown off b

n grew more and more sour. When she hung up, she looked at me with a complex mix of di

ut not before shooting me a venomous

whatever interrogation Jessica and Susan were planning, I sent him a quick briefing: "Leo is my brother. Jessica is his wife. Susan Price is J

with a new tex

l pick you up. Dres

ng. Beckett got out. He was wearing a clean plaid shirt and jeans, looking more

y palms sweating. "Th

vent of malicious third-party attacks, both parties are obligated to mutually

but I felt something else. He

opened the door. He was a little intimida

a like a two-headed dragon, their eyes sc

. I'm Beckett. It's a pleasure to meet you." He handed Leo a

eft them with no immediate ope

, is it? I hear you play hockey. That's a tough line of work, isn't

am. Every profession has its risks. Just like a banker could go bankrupt from a bad i

plans for the future? Fiona isn't the

took my hand. His palm was large and warm, and t

her now might not be much, but I will give her everything I have. Besides," he added, his gaze softening as he looked at me, "Fiona has ambitions of her own. She's

ty, such conviction, that I almost believed them myself. I saw Jessica and Susan, both stunned into silence.

ced by something else, something they probably didn

nto a perfect showcase of a loving couple. On the ride home, I stared out th