by Esme Beal
The only other people in the place was Cade’s gang. The Chargers were scattered throughout the room. A couple of them were playing pool like I was used to seeing. The rest of them were lounging around without a care in the world.
“Where’s Cade?” I said.
They all looked up at me then went back to what they were doing.
“Office,” one man said.
I made a beeline straight to the small office in the bank. As soon as I put my hand on the doorknob, it moved forward. Cade opened the door on the other side.
Blue jeans. Messy shirt and hair just the same. Face unshaven. He looked a little more unkempt than he usually did.
His eyes widened in surprise.
“Bryce. What are you doing here—”
“We need to talk.”
“Yeah, sure. Just let me get a drink—”
“No. We need to talk about this now. Please.”
From the look on his face, Cade wasn’t in the mood. But we both knew there was no getting around this. The situation wasn’t going to solve itself.
“Fine,” he sighed.
He stepped back into the office and collapsed in his seat. I looked around and noticed the messy stack of papers on my desk.
“What’s this?” I said.
“What’s what?”
“All of this paperwork. Did you move things?”
“I was just making sure all of the paperwork is in order. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here to run this place.”
“You’re always welcome to work here. You know that.”
“Brickstone has always served us well. But I think there’s something more for us out there, bro.”
He sat on the edge of the desk and crossed his arms. Cade shifted his eyes down my body and stared at my stomach.
“Man,” he said as he shook his head. “You just had to get with a cop…”
“It wasn’t much of a choice. Neither one of us had much control. I barely knew the guy and I wanted him more than anything. That’s just what happens when an Omega is in heat. You should know that. We learned that when we were kids.”
“I know, I know. I’ve been around Omegas. Some of the hottest guys and girls you’ll ever meet. They’ve tempted me. Sometimes I gave in to that temptation. But I was able to hold back.”
“You’ve never been around an Omega in heat. It’s different, Cade. It’s…”
I searched for the words to explain it to him. But with the blank expression on his face, there was nothing I could do to make him understand.
“…Maybe you’ll understand one day,” I said. “When you meet the right Omega.”
“No chance. I like being an Alpha all to myself.”
“The sex is amazing. It’s a lot better than just hooking up.”
“I doubt that.”
He smiled at me but it only lasted for a moment. It was a bit of a relief to see that he was thinking straight though.
“You have to let this go,” I said.
“You know I can’t do that. This deal with Rivera will put us over the top. I’m sorry that you’re dating a cop—”
“Dammit, Cade! This isn’t about Uriah. This is about you! Do you know what kind of danger you’re putting yourself in? The entire police department is gunning for Rivera. When he goes down, you’ll go down with him.”
“If he goes down, I won’t be anywhere around him. I told you, bro. I make a few deals with him then I’m out.”
I put my hand to my forehead and closed my eyes. A soft, frustrated breath came out of my nose to keep me as calm as possible.
How do I get through to him?
There was only one thing left to say.
“Cade… You know I love you. I’ll always love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Then don’t do this. Don’t do it for the money. Don’t do it for Brickstone. Don’t do it for Uriah. Don’t even do it for my baby. Do this for me. Back out of the deal with Rivera.”
I stared into his eyes. I would never get on my knees for anybody else but I was tempted to do everything I could to make my brother understand.
Come on.
He got up from his seat and straightened up. It was hard to tell what he was thinking from the look on his face.
“I know you’re only saying that because you’re looking out for me,” he said.
“That’s exactly why I’m saying it.”
“And I’m looking out for you. You’ve got a baby on the way. This deal means that child will have everything he needs.”
“Cade—”
“It’s over, Bryce. There’s nothing more to talk about.”
He turned around and stepped out of the office.
“Cade!”
I called out to him but he ignored me. We walked back into the bar and I noticed that all of the Chargers were standing up. They were all gathered around in a circle. Cade and I were both confused as we walked up to his gang.
“What’s this?” Cade said. “What’s going on?”
“This guy says he wanted to talk to you,” one of his men said.
The Chargers parted and Uriah stood between them.
“Uriah!” I said.
“I couldn’t let you talk to your brother alone,” he said.
“This is family business,” Cade said. “Stay out of it, cop.”
“I don’t know if you noticed this but Bryce is my family. That’s my child he’s carrying in his stomach.”
Uriah moved forward and pointed at me. He had such a fierce look of determination on his face.
Cade didn’t back down. He just smirked at Uriah and held his hands out.
“My brother and I have gotten by all our lives by ourselves,” he said. “We don’t need a cop like you to help us. I don’t care if you’re the father of his child. No pig is gonna tell me what to do. You hear me?”
“You don’t know what you’re saying,” Uriah said. “Rivera—”
“Rivera is gonna get what’s coming to him. Maybe he’ll get away with it. Maybe he won’t. All I know is I’m gonna get paid. Stay out of the way, cop. I’m warning you.”
Uriah took another step forward and Cade was quick to meet him. The two of them toe-to-toe with one another, their faces close enough to breathe on each other.
Cade clenched his fists. The rest of the Chargers were all ready to pounce. Uriah stood defiantly.
I watched helplessly from the sidelines, desperately searching for a way to stop this. My heart was pounding inside my chest. All of the anxiety building in my stomach made my head start to spin.
“Guys… Please…”
I stepped in between them and tried to push them apart but they kept advancing toward one another.
“Stay away from my brother!” Cade shouted.
“You’re making a mistake,” Uriah responded.
“Nah, you’re the one making a mistake. This is Charger territory. You best get out of here while you still can.”
The other Chargers moved closer to Uriah. Uriah looked at all of them then shook his head. The entire time, I kept trying to push the two of them away.
“I’m not leaving here until you get out of the deal with Rivera,” Uriah said.
“Oh, you’re leaving here whether you like it or not.”
Two of Cade’s men suddenly grabbed Uriah by his shoulders. I stumbled back and shouted.
“Wait! Stop!”
The rest of the Chargers joined in and started piling on Uriah. He struggled with them as they tried to wrestle him to the ground. Uriah managed to remain standing on his feet. He was using every ounce of strength to free himself from their grip.
The sight of it made me feel more light-headed. It felt like the entire room was starting to spin around me. I moved back and fell into the seat behind me.
“I told you to leave,” Cade said. “Now you’re gonna regret it—”
“Bryce!” Uriah shouted.
Everybody suddenly turned their attention toward me. The struggl
ing ended as quickly as it began.
Cade and Uriah both rushed up to me.
“Bryce,” Uriah said. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know,” I sighed. “I just feel… I don’t know.”
“Come on,” Cade said. “Let me get you to a doctor.”
“No,” I said to him. “Uriah… Please… Take me to the hospital.”
Uriah gave me a nod and helped me back up to my feet. I wasn’t paying much attention to what was happening between them. All of the worry and concern I had just a few moments ago, replaced by a strange feeling I couldn’t shake.
Chapter 19
URIAH
Bryce was calm as we headed toward the hospital. Cade and a couple of his men escorted us the entire way there.
Everything that happened at the bar left my thoughts completely. All I did was focus on making sure that Bryce was all right. He was checked in quickly and the doctor gave him an exam. Thankfully, they didn’t find anything wrong with him. Bryce remained in his room while the doctor recommended I give him a chance to rest.
I stepped out into the waiting room and Cade walked up to me.
“How is he?” he said. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s fine,” I said. “Doctor said he got a little light-headed because he was in a stressful situation. It’s usually not a good idea to get stressed out when you’re pregnant. The doctor just wants him to rest.”
Cade breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as he did, he narrowed his eyes at me. But I knew that he wouldn’t try anything. Not after what just happened and not in the middle of a hospital waiting room.
“We need to talk,” I said.
“We ain’t got nothing to talk about.”
“We do. Trust me. You’ll want to hear this.”
Cade looked back at two of his men then toward me.
“All right,” he said. “Say what you gotta say. You know I’m only giving you a chance because it’s what Bryce would’ve wanted.”
“That’s fine. Just let me say what I need to. Then you can do whatever you want to do.”
We moved over to the side of the room to make sure that nobody else could hear us.
“The DA is mounting evidence against Rivera,” I said. “They get enough, they’re going to press charges. Even a man like him won’t be able to escape a conviction. The man’s got dirt on him in every city he’s been to. Snow Falls is going to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
“Do you know how many men Rivera has working for him? Hundreds. I doubt the police are going after everybody. It’d take too much work to track everybody down. And by the time you’ve already gotten enough evidence, I’ll already be long gone. They won’t be able to trace anything back to me.”
“Wrong.”
I shook my head and pulled my phone out. I searched for the video I recorded and played it back for him.
“That’s you,” I said. “On record. Your face. Your voice. Clear as day, making a deal with the man we’re trying to take down. The district attorney might care more about Rivera but they get their hands on this video, you’ll be dealing with the cops. You’ll need a lawyer. Plea bargains. Probation. Fines. You might not get what’s coming to Rivera but there’ll be a lot of red tape you have to get through if anybody sees this.”
“Anybody sees this? What are you saying—”
“Nobody knows this video exists except for me. And now you. And don’t try taking this phone away. I’ve already got the footage backed up.”
Cade looked away from me and sighed in frustration.
“Look, you’re Bryce’s brother,” I said. “I’m doing what’s best for him—”
“And I’m doing what’s best for him. I’m doing what’s best for his child, your child.”
“Are you?”
He gave me a confused look.
“You’ve been to Brickstone,” he said. “You’ve seen that bar. You’ve seen the type of people who drink there. You’ve seen what kind of neighborhood he works in. Bryce busts his ass every single fucking day. And for what? To live in a tiny apartment, without anything to look forward to, all by himself.”
“Bryce isn’t alone. Not anymore.”
“You’re right. I’m there with him. I’ll always be there. No matter what. Nothing is gonna stop me from making this deal with Rivera. Once I do, I can take Bryce away from all of this.”
“Have you asked your brother what he wants?”
Cade smirked.
“I know my brother better than you do,” he said. “We’ve been together my entire life. He has too much pride to admit that he wants something more. Bryce has a good heart. He takes what he has now because he knows that there are people worse off than him. But even you’ll admit that Bryce deserves more than what he has.”
“Maybe he does. I’ll do everything I can for him. I’ll do everything I can to provide for him.”
“Good. Then you understand I’m willing to do the same.”
The amount of frustration beginning to boil inside of me was getting harder to hold back. I gritted my teeth and breathed hard through my nose to maintain my composure.
“Cade—”
“You do what you have to do, cop. And I’ll do what I have to do. The way I see it, if we’re both doing this for Bryce, then everything will work out for the best.”
“Cade, you’re going to end up in jail.”
He moved close to me, his brow furrowed, and looked me right in the eye.
“I would die for my brother if it meant a better life for him.”
He turned around and started walking away from me.
“Bryce wouldn’t have a better life if you were dead.”
Cade stopped in his tracks. He turned his head but didn’t look at me directly. I waited for him to respond. He didn’t say anything though. He ignored me and snapped his fingers at his men. They left the waiting room without making a scene.
I put my hands on my hips and looked down at the ground. It was clear that there was no getting through to Cade. I couldn’t do it. Bryce couldn’t do it. All I could do was focus on what I needed to do.
I walked back into Bryce’s room. He laid comfortably on his bed. He looked perfectly fine with a big smile on his face.
“Hey,” I said. “How are you feeling?”
“Good,” he sighed. “I was a little light-headed earlier but it went away. Sorry for making such a fuss.”
“You’re not making a fuss at all. If you feel anything, you let me know. I’m not taking any chances with this baby. I’m not taking any chances with you.”
“I know. But I can handle myself. Trust me.”
I took a seat right next to the bed. I took his hand in mine and gently ran my thumb over the back of his hand.
“When you and Cade got into it… I wasn’t sure what to think. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? What are you sorry about?”
“I was torn. You’re my Alpha but he’s my brother. I… I can’t choose sides.”
“Nobody is expecting you to choose sides, Bryce. We both know that you care about both of us. If anybody has anything to be sorry about, it should be me. I should’ve told you I was coming to the bar.”
“Why did you come?”
“Because I had to talk to Cade for myself. I didn’t want you to have to try and convince him by yourself. I wanted… I wanted to show him the evidence I had.”
“Evidence?”
“I’ve got footage of him and Rivera. Footage that would help in taking Rivera down—”
“But take my brother down at the same time.”
I nodded. Bryce frowned and shook his head. I wanted to wipe away the disappointment on his face. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen him look so sad but I could never get used to it.
“What do I do?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“What do you want me to do? I’ll do anything you want, Bryce. Even if it means getting off this case or letting Rivera walk. Anything—”
/> “I can’t ask you to do that. My brother is the one making a mistake here.”
He pulled his hand away from mine and put it up to my face. His touch was gentle against my cheek. It gave me the kind of feeling that nothing else could. He steadied my heart in my chest and made me breathe easier. It was like the weight of the world lifted from my shoulders.
“You’re doing the right thing,” he said. “Keep going. Not for me. Not for our baby. Not for Cade. For yourself.”
We smiled at one another.
“You know, you always know exactly what to say to make me feel better,” I said.
“I’ve got a lot of experience with my brother. This isn’t the first time I’ve had some tough times.”
“If I have anything to say about it, it’ll be the last time.”
I stood up from my seat with a sudden renewed determination inside of me.
“Heading to work?” he asked. “Back on the case, I suppose…”
“I don’t have to be back to work in a little bit. They’re still interviewing new suspects to get more dirt on Rivera. In the meantime, I figure I can do something for you.”
“You can?”
“Since we’re at the hospital, we might as well try out the food here…”
Seeing the grin form on his face made me laugh.
“Now that you mention it, my stomach is rumbling a bit.”
“Not surprising. There’s a baby in there kicking around. Must be starving.”
“I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“Well, let’s fix that then.”
Chapter 20
BRYCE
Uriah spent the entire day with me at the hospital by my side. Despite all of my protests, I couldn’t get him away. It wasn’t any reason for me to complain though. I seemed to forget about all of the stress that was getting to me when he was around. I’d grown so comfortable around him that I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if I never got the chance to see him.
The next day, Uriah headed back to the station. The investigation was more important than anything else. He had a job to do.
I decided that today would be different. I grew tired of sitting around my apartment twiddling my thumbs doing nothing. My pregnancy was my main focus but I was still capable. So when I checked out of the hospital, I headed back to Brickstone to occupy myself. Nothing could keep me away from work.
