Page 49 of Bradi

Chapter Twenty-Three

Bradi rose slowly from the table and glanced around the briefing room. Sevan seemed preoccupied, most likely from lack of sleep. Twins will do that to you. Jordan hadn’t taken his eyes off Nina since he’d arrived, but he proved to be well versed in the art of war, so Bradi let that slide. Nina was completely engrossed in the latest reports on Stegian, and Christian was staring Bradi right in the eyes.

“What troubles you, old friend?” asked Christian.

Bradi forced a smile to his face and did his best to look as though he had no cares in the world. Christian shook his head, indicating that he wasn’t buying it, and Bradi shrugged. There was no way that he was about to pour his heart out about being concerned over Marisa. She’d seemed fine when he woke up this morning and had insisted that she was going to go and visit Lorelei and the new twins later today. Against his better judgment, he’d agreed to let her go. Yet, a nagging feeling that something was off had been at him all day.

“What of the news regarding Stegian’s interest in Dr. Langston?” Nina asked, always one to get straight to the point. “These reports are littered with her name. Why does he have so many looking into her?”

Christian leaned forward and tapped his hand on the table. “Nina, is it so hard for you to refer to her as Marisa, or even Dr. Janelle? She is your brother’s mate now.”

Nina rolled her eyes and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, Bradiainn, I meant no disrespect. But I feel a woman should keep her own identity, separate from a man.”

Bradi waved his hand in the air, dismissing it all, and walked toward the back wall. They’d been gathered around the conference table for the majority of the day and had made minimal headway in figuring out what it was that seemed to make the monster who shared their planet fixate on his woman.

He looked to Christian. “Any news of Peter?”

Christian sighed. “No. Have you told Marisa the truth?”

“That Stegian’s men raided the holding cell you had Pete in and that they took him? Uh, no. She doesn’t love the guy anymore and I’m pretty sure she assumed you killed him, but telling her he might be under the thumb of a madman who is torturing him or worse, no. I have not had that talk with her yet.”

“She should know. Stegian may have gained information about her from Peter. This could explain his obsession with her,” said Christian.

“But she swore to me that Pete didn’t even know she could heal,” Bradi protested. “What the fuck does he want with my mate? I can’t do this. I can’t worry nonstop. I should get back to her. Something is off.”

“Relax,” Christian said, appearing next to him. “Pheebes is guarding Marisa.”

“I know. I just can’t help but worry about her. Things are not as they should be with her pregnancy. She tries to hide that from me, but I can sense it. I can sense the strain the babe puts on her system. I can’t lose her. I can’t lose either of them.”

“I know.” Christian drew in a deep breath and patted Bradi’s back.

No part of him wanted to ask the question that had to be spoken aloud, but he had little choice. He had to know. “Will she live, Christian?”

“Are you not concerned about the child?”

Bradi slammed his fist into the wall, dangerously close to Christian’s head. All eyes fell upon him, but he didn’t care. “Of course I am concerned about my son, but I cannot lose my mate, my wife, my world. I can’t lose either one!”

“It may come down to a decision, and I believe that Marisa will choose the baby, Bradiainn.”

“I know.” Bradi hung his head, hoping that no one would notice the unshed tears in his eyes.

“If she instructs me to save the child and not her, then I will abide by her wishes, old friend.”

Bradi nodded. He knew that Christian would honor whatever Marisa wanted, and he knew that he hated the fact that the possibility of having to pick between his wife and his son was fast becoming a reality.

Closing his eyes, Bradi did something he hadn’t done since his mother was alive—he prayed.

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