Love At Last: A M/M Non-Shifter Romance (West Bay Chargers Book 4)

by Esme Beal

  One of Leon’s boys suddenly took a swing at me. I moved my head back just in time, feeling the wind against my cheek from the punch.

  “Get him!” Tristan shouted as the Chargers all converged on the Demons charging forward at them.

  I roared as I lowered down and grabbed Leon by the waist. I tackled him to the ground and pounced on top of him, hammering a fist against his face.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Brock shouted. “Stop!”

  His pleas fell on deaf ears. The Demons and the Chargers were all swinging and they were swinging hard.

  I slammed another fist into the side of Leon’s head, so focused on trying to pound his face in that I didn’t see his own fist cracking me just above my eye. The stinging pain was blunt. I stumbled onto my back and Leon was quick to grab me by the collar.

  I struggled underneath him, grabbing his shirt and trying to jockey for position.

  “Leon! Cade!” Brock kept yelling, his desperation to get everybody to stop drowned out by the commotion all around us. There was nothing as loud as a group of bikers in the parking lot going at one another.

  The only thing louder was the steadily growing police sirens filling my ears. It wasn’t long before flashing blue and red lights flooded the parking lot.

  “Freeze! Everybody stop right now!” The voice boomed from a speaker. Nobody listened. I kept trying to get my hands on Leon until I felt another pair of hands on me. I blinked my eyes and saw the man in uniform just before he flipped me onto my stomach and put my hands behind my back.

  I sighed as I felt the metal click around my wrists.

  “Come on! Move it!”

  As I was shoved into the backseat of a police cruiser, I saw the small crowd that had stepped out of Brickstone to see the commotion. My brother shook his head, the only man among the crowd smiling. I smiled back at him and winked.

  I searched for Brock and saw him standing off to the side. When I saw the worry in his eyes, the smile left me. He was the one in the middle of all this. And he was still there.

  I kept my eyes on him through the window as the police car moved down the street. I searched for a way out of this but nothing came to me.

  “Damn…”

  Chapter 18

  CADE

  “You know, if Ashton Webb really wants to make his presence felt, he should look into the police station.” Tristan leaned against the bars of the cell, looking as miserable as the rest of us. “I know we’re under arrest but you think we could get a decent meal around here.”

  “Maybe that’s why he hasn’t invested in jail,” Sean said. “Just one whiff of the food around here and you’ll decide not to get locked up.”

  “Didn’t seem to work this time,” Kellen said.

  I had my back to the bars of my cell. The rest of the Chargers were scattered around. The room was big enough to hold all five of us but that didn’t mean I was comfortable. I’d spent enough nights in jail to know I got antsy when I was around this many men for more than a few hours. Even if they were my brothers, nobody could stand being locked up with them for this long.

  I heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. I quickly turned around and saw a familiar face headed in my direction.

  “Detective Kennedy,” I said. “It’s so good to see you—”

  “Save it, Cade.”

  Detective Uriah Kennedy was the man responsible for watching over the West Bay. The guy certainly looked the part. A tailored suit. Rigid posture. Hair always combed so neatly and a beard like he spent hours in front of the mirror every morning.

  Tonight he didn’t look any different, staring at me through the bars of the jail cell while he stood there as stiff as he always was. He put his hands behind his back and looked down his nose at me.

  “What was that all about?” he asked.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about—”

  “I said don’t even try it. Stop with the BS, Cade. Just give it to me straight.”

  I looked over at all of the other Chargers. I didn’t mind spending a night in jail but knowing they were in here because of me pissed me off more than anything else.

  “I’m not asking you as a lead detective,” Kennedy said. “I’m asking you, the man who’s with your brother.”

  “What do you want me to tell you?” I shrugged and rolled my eyes. “Leon came over to Brickstone and started something.”

  “And why would he do something like that?”

  “You know Leon just as much as anybody else. You know what he’s capable of. He isn’t above starting a brawl in a parking lot.”

  “The Demons don’t air their business out in the open for everybody to see. So I’m gonna ask you again… What was that all about?”

  Kennedy’s intense stare wasn’t enough to intimidate me. But it was enough to know he was serious. I knew I could be honest with him, though I was never completely comfortable dealing with a cop.

  “Okay,” I said. “I’ll give you the details. But only if you let the rest of the crew go. It’s all on me. The boys don’t got nothing to do with this.”

  “They were throwing punches the same as everybody else in that scrap.”

  “Maybe. But they were just defending themselves. Come on, Uriah. You’re a father. These guys have families they gotta get home to. Zak and Kellen got a kid waiting for them. You can’t let Bryce spend all night tending to all those kids by himself.”

  “Maybe that should teach them a lesson not to get involved in something like this.” Kennedy sighed then reluctantly opened the door to the cell.

  “Don’t worry. We still got your back.” Zak patted me on the shoulder as he left with Sean, Tristan and Kellen. As soon as they were out, Kennedy was quick to slam the bars shut.

  “All right. Tell me the truth.” He crossed his arms and looked down his nose at me.

  I chuckled and shook my head. “You know, you get really condescending whenever you look at me like that.”

  “I’m doing everything I can to get through to you, Cade. I don’t know what works. It seems like giving you some leeway isn’t working if you’re getting into it in your own parking lot. Maybe I should lock the Chargers up for good and throw away the key.”

  “We’re doing a lot of good. Murders. Rapes. Drug deals. Gang activity. Crime is going down in the West Bay. People are safe. There’s less violence every day. Pretty soon you’ll be out of a job.”

  “As long as the Chargers and the Demons are out on the streets, I’ll always have something to do.”

  I turned around and paced back and forth. Even though I had the whole cell to myself, it was still tiny as hell.

  “Just be honest with me, Cade. Man to man. Off the record. You’re my Omega’s brother. You’re important to Bryce so you’re important to me.”

  Kennedy and I never saw eye to eye on much but Bryce was the one thing we could agree on.

  “This stays between you and me,” I said.

  “Yeah…”

  “And you gotta let me handle it.”

  “I can’t promise you that—”

  “You have to. This is serious, Uriah. It’s…” I stopped pacing and looked at him. “I met someone. Someone special. Someone I… I have a bond with.”

  It took him a few seconds before he finally nodded. “Pregnant?”

  “You can never plan when an Omega goes in heat.”

  “I know that better than anybody else,” he scoffed. “Who is he?”

  “That’s the issue at hand. He’s a Demon. And Leon… he’s pissed.”

  “Right… Now it all makes sense. The Chargers have been a problem for him and now their president just went and knocked up one of his foot soldiers.”

  “This is how things happen sometimes. But you gotta let me figure this out. You know I’m not trying to go to war. I can negotiate a peace with Leon. We’ll put an end to all the violence for good. No more beef.”

  “I can settle this beef right now. Lock you and Leon up so you don’t tr
y to go at each other. I’ve got the resources to flood every block on the West Bay to make sure nobody even looks at each other funny.”

  “You know you don’t wanna do that. If there’s a war between both our clubs, there’ll be blood on the streets. You gotta let me handle this with Leon by myself, Uriah. Please.”

  I wasn’t exactly excited about pleading with Kennedy but it was all I could do. He took a step back from me and muttered to himself. “I’ll give you a chance to squash your beef with Leon… In one week.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll lock him up, too. It’ll give both of you a chance to figure out what the hell you’re doing. Some time alone is perfect for thinking.”

  “Dammit…” I sighed knowing I wasn’t about to keep begging.

  “Someone wants to talk to you.” Kennedy left down the hallway until he was out of sight. Another set of footsteps approached and Brock appeared on the other side of the bars.

  It was strange to see someone as tough as him look so worried. He squinted at me like he was trying to hold something back.

  “How are you? You okay?”

  “What? This?” I touched the spot above my eyebrow. “Leon got me good but I’ve taken harder punches. You don’t gotta worry about me. How are you doing?”

  “I’m fine… Detective Kennedy says he’s locking you and Leon up for a week to teach you guys a lesson.”

  “Says it’ll give both of us a chance to think about it. Honestly, I don’t know how I’m gonna make Leon understand.”

  “I… I should just walk away. The Demons—”

  “The Demons are the only reason you’re in the West Bay. I know they’re not the friendliest group in the world but they’re your friends, aren’t they?”

  “Yeah…”

  “Then I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure things work out. There’s no need for us to go to war. I won’t force you to choose between us or them. I said I’d be here for you no matter what. I meant it.”

  His throat bobbed up and down with a hard swallow. He reached his hand through the bars. I took it in mine, locking my fingers with his. I was already determined to make sure he got out of this on top. Feeling his palm against mine was just another reminder of the bond nothing could break.

  “A week,” he said. “I’ll be waiting for you. When you get out, we’ll settle this. I’ll… I’ll make sure to visit.”

  “You don’t have to visit. I know how miserable it is in jail.”

  “If I can spend time with you in the West Bay, then I can spend time with you anywhere.”

  Seeing the smile behind his beard was enough to make me grin just the same. I held his hand in mine for as long as I could, hoping it would be a long time before the guards came to take him away.

  Chapter 19

  BROCK

  A few days had gone by and things had started to settle down as much as they could. The tension between the Demons and Chargers was as thick as it ever was. But with Leon and Cade both locked up, neither side took any action.

  The Chargers kept their arms open to me, knowing I was carrying Cade’s child but I maintained my distance from them. At the same time, I didn’t spend much time around my own crew. I knew they’d have my back no matter what but being around them wouldn’t give me the chance to figure a way out of this.

  A visit with Cade just resulted in me wanting to spend more time around him. Just a set of bars between us hurt me more than I ever thought it would.

  While I was in the police department, I took the opportunity to pay a visit to Leon. He looked as intimidating as he always did even just sitting there on the edge of the bed with his eyes closed.

  “You’ve got 10 minutes. Don’t try anything funny.” The police officer gave me an eyeful before leaving me alone in front of Leon’s cell.

  “How are you?”

  He didn’t move after I asked my question. He just sat there like a statue even though I was sure he’d heard me.

  “The Chargers aren’t up to anything. Most of them have been hanging out around their clubhouse. Nothing to worry about from them. The crew is back at the warehouse. Just having fun and relaxing like they always are. You know them. I don’t think they’re up to anything either.”

  “And how are you, Brock? Is your pregnancy coming along?”

  I looked down at my stomach. It had only been a few days but there was already a noticeable bulge. It didn’t hurt I was stuffing myself to satiate a never-ending appetite.

  “I was just as the doctor for some prenatal care. She said everything is in order. Due date is less than a month from now. All I have to do is relax to keep the baby stress free and eat to make sure they get all the nutrients they need.”

  Leon slowly opened his eyes and got up from the bed. He walked over to me, his eyes locked on mine.

  “All the Demons don’t know what it’s like to be a father. Just a bunch of Betas who indulge themselves in their desires but don’t actually know what it’s like to be with an Omega in heat.”

  “You’re an Alpha.”

  “That’s right. They say every Alpha has an Omega. I don’t think that’s the case though. If it were, I would have met them by now.”

  He paced back and forth inside of his cell, his hands behind his back. “There was another man in the crew. A long time ago before you joined. David. David was an Omega like you. He was strong. Loyal. Wouldn’t back down from anybody.”

  “David… What happened to him?”

  “He met someone. Some guy owned a bar up in the city. The two of them ended up together. David decided that was the life he was destined for. Just to raise a child and stop running with the Demons.”

  “Were you upset?”

  Leon pondered my question, still calmly pacing back and forth. It took him a few moments before he sighed.

  “I was upset,” he said. “But not for the reason you’re thinking. I was disappointed because he left. David was a good man. The kind of person you wanna ride with. When you lose someone like that, you can’t replace them.” He stopped pacing and looked toward me. There was a strange look in his eye. Something I’d never seen before. And it looked even stranger when I saw the subtlest grin on his lips. “You remind me of David. You’re the same kind of good man that he was. A man who fell for another man and decided he wanted to leave.”

  I swallowed anxiously. “Is that what this is about? You’re upset because you think I’m gonna leave the Demons?”

  “I would never make you do anything you didn’t wanna do. Everything I’ve asked of you was for the crew. You’ve done so willingly. If you decided to turn your back on us, then so be it.”

  “Then I don’t understand why you got into it with Cade. Why did you go to Brickstone and start a brawl? You know things are only going to escalate. One fight could result in someone dying. Then the police will get involved and… Who knows what happens after that…”

  “My issue with Cade has little to do with you and more to do with my plan.”

  “Your plan… You mentioned it before. What is it?”

  He walked toward me. A set of bars between us wasn’t enough to stop him from being so intimidating.

  “Bobby’s Bar. Hagen’s. We’re collecting money from all of the businesses in the West Bay because of the new project that’s already underway. I suppose there’s no point in keeping it from you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I’ve already purchased the building. Construction is already finished. All of our past dealings made me realize what we were doing wrong. Fights in back alleys. Street races out in the open. That’s the wrong kind of business. I sat back and observed what good business is.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “The Demons are opening a shelter.”

  I blinked my eyes, not sure I heard him correctly. I would’ve thought he was joking but Leon never joked about anything. He’d been serious ever since I first met him and now wasn’t any different.

 
“A shelter?”

  “That’s right. You see runaways on the streets in this part of town all the time. Omegas without a place to stay. Men and women looking for some food to keep their stomachs calm. People just trying to avoid all of the gangs all around them.”

  “That… That sounds like a good idea. You can do a lot to help the people in Snow Falls.”

  “It’s great, isn’t it? Nobody will ever expect what we’re really doing.”

  “Wait… What are you saying?”

  “Construction is nearly finished. We can open up soon. As soon as people see the kind of good we’re doing, then we can use it as a front for all of our operations. No more races. No more fights. We can move drugs in and out of the city without the cops breathing down our necks. They’ll simply think we’ve turned a new leaf.”

  It was too good to be true. Here I thought Leon had changed but this was just another scheme to get the Demons ahead.

  “Why would you do something like this?”

  “Why wouldn’t I? You think Cade and I are any different? He does the same thing. Pretending to care about the West Bay under the guise of trying to generate business for his bar. We’re all the same in the end.”

  “Cade’s been here all his life. This is his home. He’s trying to look out for his people.”

  “And I’m trying to look out for my people. The Demons will finally get the recognition and reward we’ve been trying to get all this time.”

  “Leon…” I looked into his eyes and stopped myself. Pleading with him now wasn’t gonna make him change his mind. It never did. My only other option was to convince someone else to try and stop him.

  “Are you a Demon, Brock?” He kept his stare locked on me. “Are you a Demon?” He repeated it and it rang inside my head.

  “Yeah… I’m a Demon.”

  “Don’t forget the camaraderie you built with all of us. I trust you the same as everybody else. Don’t go telling the cops now.”

  “I’ll never forget what you and the others did for me. You won’t have to worry about me ratting you out.”