The rain didn’t matter. It couldn’t change his vision, couldn’t make him think that he was seeing a ghost. He knew that face, knew the set of those shoulders and the grim look in the man’s eyes.
His brother was running toward him. His brother. Her uncle hadn’t been mistaken when he’d spoken before. Her uncle had been talking about Ezra Fain, who was alive.
Forgiveness. This was what he’d been talking about.
Kim stopped a mere foot away and the child in her arms stared back at him, his arms around his mother’s neck. “I need to know you’ll protect him. I’ll explain everything, but I need you to take him. If you can’t stand to look at me, take him with you. Even if you can’t forgive me, please save our son. Roman, this is your dad and he’s going to make sure you’re safe.”
This is your dad.
Kim was talking about him. She hadn’t run because she was afraid of him. She’d run because she’d been desperate to get to her son. Their son.
“It’s true.” Ezra came to stand beside Kim. He was standing there as the rain shifted from pouring to a drizzle. “He’s your son, Beck. I know you’re angry with me. I promise I’ll explain everything, but I need to go with you. I can get us off the island. Hate me later. Save your wife and son now.”
He forced himself to move but his limbs felt numb. He didn’t have time to think. Owen couldn’t stay in that position for long, even though the storm seemed to be abating. They would have to move very quickly if he didn’t want to get taken in. What would Levi do to this boy? “Give him to me. I’ll take him up.”
The child—Roman—clung to his mother, but she whispered something to him and he let himself go into his father’s arms.
His son. He wrapped an arm around his son. “Hold on tight, son. I won’t let you go. I promise.”
Roman clung so tightly he nearly cut off Beck’s breath, but he climbed that ladder.
When the chopper took off, he was still holding his son.
Chapter Ten
Kim paced the small kitchen and wondered if Beck was going to completely ignore her. How long could he do it? The wait was making her sick, and that was saying something considering the fact that she’d spent two hours traveling by helicopter and then small ship in the middle of a storm.
She’d managed to be solid through all of it. She’d made it through Owen and Jax being utterly shocked at the sight of her. Well, she thought they were pretty prepared for her. It had been the sight of Roman and the real Ezra Fain that had thrown them. They hadn’t actually known who Ezra was until Beck had introduced him.
This is my brother who’s supposed to be dead. He’s been living with my ex and raising my child. He can get us a boat that isn’t being watched by Levi Green. Work with him.
That was all he’d said. Then he’d gone into one of the bedrooms of the safe house and changed clothes. When he’d come out, they’d immediately gotten into a van and traveled to a small marina where they’d made the passage to Sicily in rough waters, and then made their way to this small townhouse. Beck had stayed in the wheelhouse with Jax. Owen had proven that while he could fly almost anything, boats were not his thing.
Ezra had taken care of him, instructing Kim on how to hold pressure points to alleviate Owen’s nausea until he’d been able to find Dramamine.
Her son had proven he was far more tired than scared. Once he’d had a blanket wrapped around him, he’d fallen asleep, and was now tucked into the little bedroom along with his uncle.
The whole time spent crossing to Sicily she’d managed to concentrate on helping Owen and watching over Roman. Now things were quiet, and she couldn’t quell the questions in her head.
Why was Beck here? How the fuck had Levi found her? Who’d found her first? Because it was too much to believe that they’d both coincidentally shown up at the same time.
She’d lost it all again. No more bookshop. No more quaint school for Roman. No more afternoon teas in the sun.
She might lose her son, too.
“Hey, you okay?” Jax stood in the doorway. “We didn’t get much of a chance to talk since we had to get out of Malta so fast.”
Jax. She wanted to ask about River, wanted to know how the last seven years had gone for the woman she considered to be a good friend. But they hadn’t parted on great terms. By the last time she’d seen River, they were friendly, but it was obvious River hadn’t forgotten her lies.
“I’m okay. How’s Owen doing?”
“Better, thanks to you and Ezra. He’s sleeping now. Remind me not to take him white water rafting.” Jax moved in, grabbing a coffee mug. “Is there enough for me?”
She was happy he wasn’t worried about her drugging it. At one point he might have. “Of course. There’s sugar and some creamer. It’s a powder though.”
Jax grinned. “Oh, I’m not picky. I’ll take what I can get. I spend a lot of time making coffee over a campfire. I’m used to instant and powdered everything.” He poured himself a mug. “I suspect you won’t say anything more than you personally are fine. So as one parent to another, how is your son?”
She felt tears fill her eyes. There was something else she hadn’t thought about. Not that she hadn’t wondered over the years, but she’d grown to believe she would never see River and Jax again. Never see Ariel. “You and River have kids?”
“Yeah,” he said with a glowing smile. “Two boys. My oldest turns six next month. His name is Caden, and then Rio is four. I’ve got some pictures on my laptop I can show you
