The man was asking about his relationship with Heavenly without asking at all, and Beck tried not to look guilty. “She’s a very bright nursing student with a promising future.”
“Uh-huh. I saw the way you looked at her. Heavenly might be innocent, but I assure you I’m not.”
Shit. “Your daughter is a beautiful woman.”
There. That didn’t sound like he was desperate to strip her bare and fuck her breathless.
“I agree. But where do you fit into this picture? I know Mr. Cooper has taken her on a few dates, so I’m not surprised he looks at her like a tasty snack cake he wants to gobble up. But I assumed your time with Heavenly was strictly professional.”
Beck felt himself start to sweat. He’d never had to explain himself to a woman’s father. And Abel didn’t seem the type for candy-coated bullshit.
“I’ve been dating her, too.” He met Abel’s piercing blue gaze. “As for Seth… Well, I’m neither a quitter nor used to coming in second place.”
That made Abel laugh. “Gumption and balls. I like that.”
“The choice is Heavenly’s, of course.”
“But you’re going to make sure she picks you?”
Beck nodded, though he knew damn well it wasn’t that simple…
“You should know that she’s been my sole caretaker since she was fifteen, so she hasn’t seen much of the world. She needs to live, to enjoy herself. But she also needs protection, guidance…and a firm hand. She may seem sweet on that soft-spoken surface, but don’t be fooled. She’s got a spine of steel.”
“Oh, I’m well aware.”
Abel laughed again. “Since you’re closer to my age than hers, I wondered if you’d already figured that out.”
He didn’t need Abel’s reminder there was almost fourteen years between him and Heavenly. Beck never forgot. He was a perverted fuck—and he knew it. Usually, he embraced it. Right now? This was awkward as hell.
“Weeks ago. I’ll do my best to make her happy,” he promised.
Abel relaxed back against his pillows, a faint smile on his weathered face.
“My first priority is to make sure you get better care.” Beck changed subjects. “Would it be all right if I made some arrangements?”
“I’ll agree to anything that makes Heavenly’s life easier, since I’ve been nothing but a burden for years. But I don’t have any money.”
“It’ll be pro bono. I have friends in the medical community who owe me favors.” Not entirely true, but he’d do whatever necessary to help Abel.
“Thank you. That’s very generous.” Abel sighed. “Is this damn treatment almost done?”
Beck scanned the monitor. “Sixteen minutes.”
“How long do I have to live?”
His gut seized up. “I can’t say for sure—”
“Ballpark.” Abel wheezed. “Before Heavenly returns.”
Beck didn’t know for sure. “If we get you out of here and get you proper care, could be longer than you think. But you’ve had multiple relapses, which are uncommon. That’s not promising. Your blood pressure isn’t good. You’re experiencing difficulty breathing, which concerns me most. You’ve got to be in pain.”
“It consumes me every single day.”
“That’s a strain on your entire organ system, especially your heart.”
Abel nodded. “You would know. Heavenly said you work a lot with tickers.”
“I’m a vascular surgeon, but I’ve teamed up with cardiologists on a number of hearts. I intend to keep watch over yours.”
“Thanks, Doctor.”
“You can thank me by being with your daughter for as long as possible.”
“I promise.”
Conversation stopped when Seth guided Heavenly into the little room. Beck cursed under his breath because he already knew that was a promise her father couldn’t keep.
It was nearly two in the morning when Seth left I-10 eastbound and veered onto the 110. He stayed focused on the road…but his head was reeling. Until tonight, he’d had no idea that Heavenly lived with her father or that the man had such a vicious disease. What else didn’t he know?
He purposely hadn’t investigated the angel when he’d first met her because he hadn’t wanted to trample on her privacy. He’d wanted to earn her trust. So he had only known what she’d wanted him to—almost nothing. And judging from the look on Beck’s face, she’d done the same to him.
They’d both grossly underestimated her for the first—and last—time.
Christ, he felt like a dumbass. If he hadn’t ignored the red flags or his gut instinct for months, he could have been lightening her load. And this night wouldn’t have been a shit show.
Unfortunately, the crap kept coming.
While Heavenly accompanied the nurse wheeling Abel from the emergency room, he and Beck had trekked to the parking lot. Seth had pelted the doctor with questions about the man’s disease. Since they were vying for the same girl, he hadn’t expected more than a growled “fuck you.” Instead, the smartass doctor had been surprisingly forthcoming about Abel’s condition.
Fuck. When her father passed, it would crush Heavenly.
The only bright ray tonight had been the moments Heavenly turned to him for comfort. After thinking he might never hold her again, having her melt against him, face nuzzled into his neck, had been a dizzying relief. All night, the pang of his empathy had warred with the slow burn of his anger and tangled with the never-ending ache of his lust.
This woman had him tied up in knots.
Hearing that she’d let Beck put his hands in her panties hadn’t thrilled him, but seeing her pant while she’d been between them troubled him far more.
On the other hand, could she be terribly attached to either of them? He had to wonder…
The GPS prompted him to exit the freeway in half a mile. From the passenger’s seat, Beck scowled and grabbed his phone.
“This can’t be right,” he whispered, then cast a furtive glance to the backseat, where Heavenly was curled up against Abel, both in an exhausted sleep.
“Why?” He glanced at the device again. “This is the address she gave me.”
Beck’s scowl deepened. “Goddamn it.”
Seth glanced at the street hugging the freeway. Pawn shops, bail bondsmen, and strip clubs lined
