by Aria Grace
“My neighbor has been harassing his brother. I’ve got an important meeting, so I can’t hang around to keep an eye on things.”
“Your neighbor? What neighbor?”
“Remember the old lady across the street?”
Oliver laughs. “The one your dad was trying to get busy with?”
I cringe. That’s not an image I want in my head right now. “Yeah, her. Anyway, she has two sons. One took off when he was a kid. The other you probably remember from football. Joseph Greenly.”
“Yeah, I remember that dude. Kind of a jerk, right?”
“To say the least.” I scoff at the understatement. “Anyway, his younger brother, Nathan, an omega, just came back into town last night and plans to stay while his mom is sick. But I don’t trust Joseph to be alone with him.”
“Bad blood?” Oliver deals with a lot of bad blood in his line of work. He’s a private detective with his own practice. The stories he tells of what people will do to hurt those they used to love are shocking.
“I think it’s worse than that, but I don’t know for sure. I just know Nathan isn’t safe with Joseph.”
“Fuck,” Oliver whispers into the phone. “What time do you need me?”
“I have got to get out of here in about forty-five minutes. I doubt Joseph will wake up early and come over, but I won’t be back until this afternoon. If you can just hang out at my place and keep an eye on their house until I get home, that would be great.”
“I’ll be there before you leave.” Oliver hangs up the phone, and I know I owe him big-time for this.
* * *
The proposal meeting goes really well but runs longer than expected. And then it was lunchtime, and we couldn’t say no to their offer to try a new Mediterranean place downtown. Unfortunately, that means Victor and I were stuck with them for an extra two hours.
I’m finally driving home when Oliver calls.
I answer on the first ring. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Joseph just pulled up.”
Fuck. My foot hits the accelerator a little heavier. “What’s happening?”
“Not much so far. He just walked inside. You want me to go over?”
“Yeah, I’m still at least fifteen minutes out, so just stay close. Maybe walk by the house and see if everything looks calm inside.”
“You got it.” There must be a breeze because I hear wind bouncing against the mic on Oliver’s phone. “Damn, that’s the little brother? How come I don’t remember him?”
“He didn’t play football, so you wouldn’t have known him. Is he okay?”
“Looks like it. He just walked outside and is sitting on the porch swing by himself.”
I heave out a relieved breath. “Good. As long as you can see him, you don’t need to get any closer.”
“What, afraid if I get too close, he’ll want me instead?”
I shake my head even though no one can see it. “You wish. Just fall back.”
“Easy, easy, cousin. I get it. You’ve got dibs. I’ll just take your mail inside then wait to see what happens.”
“Thank you.” An ocean of red lights fills my line of sight just as I hang up with Oliver.
There shouldn’t be any traffic in the middle of the day, but there’s a ton of construction going on downtown. It takes me five minutes just to get a quarter of a mile down the street. Ten minutes later, I call Oliver back. “Traffic’s a bitch. How’s everything there?”
“Joseph just walked out and is talking to Nathan. They seem civil enough.”
“Don’t trust him. If he tries to take Nathan inside, fake a stroke or something to distract them until I get there.”
“Why the fuck are you so worried about these guys? Just because your dad had the hots for their mom?”
“Just do it. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I hit the end button and toss my phone onto the seat beside me.
76
Nathan
Joseph is being nice.
I don’t like it.
It’s better than the alternative, but I don’t trust him. He’s up to something, and it’s making me uneasy. But I’m not really in a position to question his motives right now. He’s been here for her, and I haven’t. I have no idea what’s really going on with her. When I took Mom some orange juice this morning, she seemed to be in more pain than she was last night. I don’t know if it was just the shock and adrenaline from seeing me that gave her a burst of energy last night. But today, she was moving very slowly when she got up to use the bathroom.
We didn’t talk about last night, but she made a point of saying Joseph is a good man now, and despite our differences when we were kids, he’s still my brother and he loves me.
I didn’t even know what to say to that.
It’s like she forgot everything I told her, but I know she hasn’t. She is just as deeply in denial now as she was back then, and it pisses me off. But I’ve already decided that my shit can wait. As long as Joseph leaves me alone, I’ll stay and help out with her care until she gets better.
He’s upstairs with her now, giving her a snack. He brought her favorite blueberry muffin because she can’t take her afternoon pills on an empty stomach. Again, he’s being way too nice. But maybe he’s always like that with her. I haven’t been around in a long time. It’s possible Joseph has become a better man.
For her sake, I hope that’s true.
There’s a guy at Dodge’s house that I’ve never seen before. He’s probably Dodge’s boyfriend or mate. Ugh, he has a mate.
That’s too bad. Now I’ll have to try to resist fantasizing about Dodge. When I thought he was single, I allowed my imagination to run wild with thoughts of the things he could do to me. Although imagining those two guys together would probably do the trick. It’s not the same as me being the one to take his knot, but my cock twitches at the vision in my mind, confirming it’s an acceptable fantasy. I chuckle to myself as the guy gives a friendly wave then heads inside the house.
They probably have a perfect life. Good jobs, the security of knowing they have each other’s backs, and the kind of sex you only see in porn. That’s the kind of life I want someday. And that’s really why I’m here. Even though the attack spurred on the nightmares I’d managed to repress for the past few years, there is more to my need for closure.
Watching Sean build a relationship with Gunnar and Collin gave me hope that there really is someone out there for all of us. It might be a long time before I find my someone, but when I do, I want to be ready and open to him. I want to be safe from the tormentor of my past, so I can start a new relationship with a clear conscience. I’ll know I did my best to repair my relationship with my mother, and hopefully, I’ll have some sort of assurances that my brother will never bother me again. But as long as I find a strong alpha like Dodge, I’ll finally feel safe. I’ll truly be able to find a home and build a future with someone.
The front door opens behind me, and Joseph steps out. “She’s getting weaker every day. It’s a good thing you came now because she doesn’t have much more time.”
My jaw drops. “Seriously? I thought she was getting treatment. Isn’t that going to help her?”
Joseph shrugs and leans against the porch pillar. “She’s seeing a specialist who is trying a very aggressive treatment, but there are no guarantees. Chemo basically takes you to the edge of death and then tries to pull you back. Most of the time it works, but not every time. At her last appointment, he told me he wasn’t seeing much of an improvement.”
“We can get a second opinion. Let’s take her somewhere else.” Joseph shakes his head and slips his hands into his pockets. “This guy is the best. Trust me, we searched, and if anyone can help, it’s him. But he told me to prepare for the worst. So, say your goodbyes, just in case. I know she’s happy you came when you did, so she can say goodbye to you too.”
I don’t know what to say. I thought she had more time. She mentioned getting another year or two, but Joseph is making it sound like s
he only has a few days left. He’s always been pessimistic, so maybe I shouldn’t take his word at face value. I’ll give it a few days to see how she’s doing, but if this new doctor doesn’t seem like he has much hope, I’ll start doing some research to find out if there’s someone else we should take her to.
“I’ve got to go to work. She had her medicine already, so she might be drowsy for a few hours. When she wakes up, you can offer her crackers and juice, but she might not be hungry. She usually isn’t.”
“Yeah, okay.”
Joseph pushes off the pillar then takes the first step off the porch before turning back to me. “She wants to die at home, Nathan. She made me promise I wouldn’t send her to a hospital at the end.”
I swallow hard and look into my brother’s eyes. He seems sincere. He might not have ever had any love for me, but he does seem to care about our mother.
“If things get bad, call me first. Don’t call an ambulance. I’ll come back, and if I need to take her to the doctor, I will. But at this point, she should be here with her family.”
“How will I reach you?” I ask numbly, staring at the house across the street and wishing Dodge would come back and rescue me again. Rescue me from the nightmare I walked into less than twenty-four hours ago.
Joseph opens his wallet and pulls out a business card He’s a parking enforcement officer. Bet he loves bullying the drivers of this town. “I’ll be here if you need me.”
After he leaves, I sit on the porch for several minutes before finding the courage to go inside and check on Mom. In the light of day, she does look frail. She can’t weigh more than eighty pounds, and her skin is so pale. I have to get close enough to see the movement of her chest up and down just to confirm she’s still breathing. With nothing else to do and nowhere else to go, I sit in her room for the next two hours before she finally opens her eyes and realizes I’m there.
“Nathan, sweetheart. You’re still here. I was afraid that was just a dream.”
I pull the chair closer to her bed, so I can reach out and hold her hand. “Not a dream, Mom. I’m here. How are you feeling?”
“Tired,” she says with a sigh. “You’re going to get bored while I sleep away your visit, but the doctor said when I’m sleeping, I’m healing, so maybe this is a good sign.” She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
“Well, then you need to get your rest. I’m not going anywhere, so when you’re ready to get up and talk, I’ll be here.”
“I really am glad you’re here, son. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, and it warms my heart to know you and your brother have found each other.”
Here she goes again. “Sleep, Mom. We’ll talk when you’re feeling better.”
77
Dodge
When I get home, Oliver reports that Joseph left, and Nathan went back inside the house. Apparently, their visit was much less hostile than earlier, so that gives me hope there won’t be any more drama between them. I consider heading over, but since everything is quiet, I spend a couple hours catching up on work.
By five fifteen, I’m starving.
Instead of ordering a pizza to be delivered to my house, I walk across the street to check on things for myself.
Just a few seconds after knocking on the door, I hear Nathan jogging down the stairs to answer it. “Hey, Dodge. Come on in.”
“Nathan.” I walk inside and do a double take. The house is spotless, a complete one-eighty from the way it was last night. “Wow, you’ve been busy.”
“I couldn’t sleep in his mess.” Nathan shrugs. “How are you?”
I give him a grin. “Hungry. I was about to order pizza and figured you might be hungry too.”
Nathan’s stomach rumbles, and he involuntarily puts his hand on his belly with a shy grin. “Now that you mention it, I did forget to eat lunch.”
“Perfect. I hate to eat alone.” I pull out my phone and start to scroll my contacts for the number. “What kind do you like? I’ll eat anything.”
“Me too. Especially when I’m hungry. But I usually just order a meat lovers.”
“A man after my own heart.” I pat his shoulder then walk past him to get to the sofa.
Nathan’s whole body tenses under my grip, and I realize I’m probably being a little too forward by touching him. Based on the way I’ve seen him with his brother, he probably doesn’t appreciate strange men reaching out to him for no reason.
“Sorry about that,” I say quietly.
He shakes his head quickly. “No, it’s fine. Sorry. Some instincts are hard to kick.” He looks around the house and shudders. “This house just brings back a lot of bad memories.”
I meet his gaze and nod. “I figured.”
Nathan blows out a slow exhale and turns toward the staircase. “Let me make sure Mom is still asleep, and I’ll be right back. Make yourself comfortable.”
While Nathan is upstairs, I call my favorite pizzeria and place my usual order. Large meat lovers with a side of cheese bread.
A few minutes later, Nathan is back and standing in front of me. “We don’t have much to drink, but there’s a case of water in the pantry and a couple cans of Coke. Joseph has pretty much cleared out everything else.”
“A Coke sounds great.” I slip my phone into my pocket. “And I’ve got drinks at my house, so I can go grab more when the pizza gets here.”
“Oh, let me get you some money for that.” Nathan pats his back pocket then pulls out his wallet.
“Don’t worry about it. I had a coupon, so it wasn’t much.” That’s a lie, but it’s the kind of lie I don’t feel guilty telling.
Nathan doesn’t argue before running to the kitchen for drinks. He comes back a few seconds later with two cans of Coke in his hands. He hands me one before sitting on the other end of the couch. “Thanks for stopping by. This house has ghosts, you know?”
“I think I do.” I crack open the can and take a drink. “But if you want to talk, I’m a good listener.”
Nathan gives me a half smile then looks out the front window. “You don’t want to hear my sob story. Hey, where’s your boyfriend? Does he want to come over too?”
I furrow an eyebrow in his direction. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Oh, sorry. I just assumed that guy at your house…”
It takes me a minute to figure out what he means. “This morning? That’s my cousin Ollie. He needed to pick up something.”
“Oh.” Nathan takes another drink from his can, but it’s more like a gulp.
I watch Nathan’s eyes as he tries to focus on the window. But every few seconds, they flit toward me. He knows I’m watching him, but he can’t seem to hold eye contact.
I’m curious why. “What about you? Is there someone waiting for you at home?”
Nathan’s shoulders relax, and he finally shifts his weight so he’s facing me. “No, no one. I didn’t even tell my friends I was leaving town. I just felt like I needed to come back.”
“Really? Could you sense that your mother was sick?”
“Oh, no, nothing like that. I came to confront my brother. I’ve been carrying around a lot of anger and resentment…and fear toward him. It seemed like the right time to face him, so I can move forward in my life.”
I move my arm along the back of the sofa, so my hand is just inches away from his shoulder, but I don’t go the extra distance it would require to actually touch him. “That’s very brave. I’m sure this must be a shock for you.”
Nathan’s breath hitches and a soft sob escapes. “She’s not going to make it, is she?”
I lean forward and gently grab his forearm with my fingertips. “I don’t know, Nathan. But she’s fighting. She fought this once before, she can do it again.”
The weight of his emotion seems to get the better of him, and Nathan folds forward, sobbing into his palms.
I can’t just sit back and watch him while he’s in so much pain. Closing the distance between us, I wrap my arms around his thin frame and hold him
against my chest as he cries.
“I’m sorry, Dodge. This isn’t your problem.”
Rubbing circles on his back, I gently sway him in my arms. “It’s okay, Nathan. You can let it out. You’ll feel better once you do.”
Nathan allows himself a moment of emotion before pulling himself together. He sighs heavily against my chest but doesn’t pull away. “Thank you, Dodge. I can’t remember the last time somebody held me like this.”
My heart breaks at his words, and my arms involuntarily tighten around him. When that’s still not close enough, I pull him onto my lap. “I’ve got you. You’re going to be okay now. Whatever happened in the past, and whatever happens in the future, you’re okay now.”
Nathan has fistfuls of my shirt wadded up in his hands as he slowly lifts his head, brushing his cheek against my jaw. He’s so close I can smell his shampoo and his unique scent. A little woodsy and a little minty.
I inhale deeply, committing the delicious aroma to memory in case I’m never this close to him again. As his eyes meet mine, he doesn’t back away. His soft breaths blow into my mouth, and I lean into him before I can stop myself.
It’s just a brush of my lips against his, but the touch seems to ignite something within Nathan as he shifts his body weight and straddles my lap. He still has my shirt in his grip, and he uses it to pull himself toward me again, this time pressing his lips to mine.
This probably isn’t appropriate considering the situation he’s in, but Nathan is in pain and he needs comfort. I can’t make his mom better or exorcise the demons of his past, but I can give him this right now.
My lips part and my tongue glides across his mouth before slipping inside.
Nathan’s hands finally release my shirt before snaking up around my neck and holding my head in place while his lips dance with mine.
Our movements are awkward at first, choppy and desperate. But we quickly find a rhythm of nipping and licking and sucking that has my cock fully engorged within moments. When he feels it, Nathan moans and slides his ass along the length of my dick, grinding against me.
