Page 97 of The Beat of My Heart

“More than you could ever guess, but you have my word, I’ll never let anything happen to any of you. Leave it at that, Trevor, that’s as much as I can tell you.” The way his expression hardens, I know it’s the truth.

“Where will Lexi stay then? The girls will freak out if she isn’t somewhere safe,” I tell him.

Sighing, he says, “I know. There’s only one place I can put her, and neither party will be happy about it.” I watch as he looks to the ceiling.

“Y-you can’t be thinking about putting her in Preston’s place? Dude, they will kill each other. Without a doubt, they’ll kill each other. You should have seen them in Vermont,” I say, shivering. “It was ugly. Preston pulled out old southern sayings I haven’t heard in fifteen years.”

Smiling like the devil, Loki says, “I know. But we don’t have another choice.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re some kind of crazy fucked-up match-maker,” I tell him.

Shrugging, he says, “I've been called worse. Much, much worse.”

I’m distracted momentarily by Julia’s ringtone, Jack Johnson’sBetter Together.

“Please tell me you’re joking?” Loki says disgustedly. “Did you lose your fucking nutsack along with Dex?”

“Screw you,” I tell him, fishing my phone from my pocket.

Julia: Lanie’s bringing the babies home today! Meet us at the house in an hour.

Loki holds up his phone to show me he received the same message. “Maybe we need to rename this group chat Pussy’s R’Us.”

“You do that, and Julia will have your balls next,” I tell him, but he’s gone stone-faced.

This is a side of Loki I always imagined had to exist, but none of us have ever seen it. Pushing away from his desk, he points to me and says, “Don’t move. Stay right there, I just need a minute.”

“Loki, wh—”

“Trevor, just sit there and shut the fuck up for a minute,” he seethes. Pulling a phone from the drawer, I watch as he boots it up.

“Kane,” he speaks into the phone with a deadly calm control that has sweat trickling down my neck.

Something’s wrong.

“Heading there now. Knight’s on his way, keep him informed. Lock them down. I’m heading to Boston now. Have Westbrook’s apartment prepped, I’ll deal with him when I return,” Loki says, then throws the phone across the room with such force it shatters, leaving a hole in the sheetrock.

“Get home, Trevor. Now. Grab Julia and Charlie, bring them back here until they have the perimeter secured. Dexter’s family will be safe there, but I need you and yours here until you hear differently,” he says, leaving no room for debate.

I’m out of my chair and sprinting to the elevator before my brain can even catch up. Julia will not be happy about leaving Lanie right when she gets home, but if there is anything I’ve learned, it’s to trust Loki with my fucking life.

Speeding through Waverley-Cay, I try to call Julia multiple times, but she doesn’t pick up. The tingling sensation in my heart is picking up, and it's scaring the hell out of me.

She’s just busy helping Lanie with all the babies, that’s it. It has to be.

Finally, pulling into Dexter’s driveway, I’m pissed I have to park so far from the house. Everyone and their mother is here, but I have one mission. Get Julia and Charlie and get to Loki’s.

Sprinting from my car, I rip open the door to Dexter and Lanie’s home and almost take out poor Lanie in the process.

“Julia,” I blurt. “Where is she? We have to leave. Now.”

“Trevor, what the hell is going on?” Dex asks, looking at me with concern.

“I don’t have time to explain, where is she?” Making my way through the house, I call for her, “Julia?”

Julia’s dad comes around the corner holding one of Dexter’s daughters, “Trevor? What’s going on? What’s the matter with you, son?” The use of the endearment has my heart skipping a beat. It’s been a long time since someone has called me son and I’ve welcomed it.

“Mr. McDowell, I apologize. I don’t have time to explain. Please tell me where Julia is?” I beg.