Page 62 of Breaking the Alpha
“Like, last night.”She smiled before returning her attention to Birch.“Sorry for the interruption.”
Grey stayed motionless behind the desk while a myriad of emotions crossed Birch’s face.Shock, confusion, and anger were first, moving on to frustration and betrayal before he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, nodding as his face settled into an amused smile.“Well, shit,” he huffed, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his wallet.“You win, Grey.Buy yourself something nice.”
As Birch handed a wad of bills over to his crowing younger brother, River crossed his arms in a mimic of Birch’s earlier pose.“What were the terms?”
Grey fanned himself with the money.“I bet him a hundred bucks you’d be shacking up by Friday.He put his losing cash on next month.”Sitting back, he put his feet up on the desk and counted the bills.“My wallet is pretty happy you’re a horndog in love.”
Reaching over to snatch a twenty out of Grey’s hands, he faced Birch.“You’re okay with this?”
His brother removed his hat and ran his hand through his hair.“Jocelyn and Grey have been preparing me for it, so yeah.Yeah, I’m good with it.More than good.I’m happy for you.”Tugging his ball cap back on, he slid his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels with a grin.“Have fun breaking the news to Winter.”
*
Angelina placed herhand on River’s knee to still it as she looked around the bustling room, her eyes drawn to the guards peppered throughout.
“If he decides to kill me,” River whispered under his breath, “don’t let Jodie convince you to bury me in skinny jeans.I don’t care what she says about my legs, I don’t like them.”
His nervous energy was infectious, and her own apprehension at meeting the eldest Baker brother amped up the longer they sat and watched the door where the inmates were slowly trickling in.What if he hated her?What if he blamed her for ruining River’s life?What if he saw through all her practiced calm and figured out she wasn’t good enough?
She leaned on River and focused on steadying her breathing until he synced up with her, his tension visibly easing until the door opened once again.
A beast of a man walked in, flanked by two armed guards.His shoulders were as broad as the frame, his nondescript olive garb clinging tightly to his taut muscles.He was huge and commanding as he stopped and perused the room.Spotting River, his lip curled up into a sneer and he strode over, sat down, and folded his hands on the table without a glance her way.
“Are you here asking for permission or forgiveness?”he asked, a gruff rumble in his low voice.
River’s hand grabbed hers under the table.“Uh, forgiveness, I guess.”He cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter.“Winter, this is A—”
“Angelina,” his brother finished for him, his green eyes finally turning her way.“Grey likes you.Says you keep this pretty boy from hiding too deep in his own head.”
She smiled.“He brings me out of my own, so it’s a good deal.”
He didn’t speak again for a long moment and she held his intense stare until he looked over at River.“Don’t bother groveling.Grey already told me why you were making the trip out here.”
“Fucking tattletale,” River muttered under his breath.“I’m sorry, Winter.I know you wanted me—”
“Unless you’re about to finish that statement with ‘to have a decent kick at life,’ you don’t know shit about what I wanted for you,” Winter growled before he sat back and crossed his arms in what Angelina realized was a very Baker stance.“If you’re done riding your guilt trip, maybe take a few minutes to tell me how you two met and why this sweet woman puts up with your damaged, ugly ass.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
River slid thefine piercing needle through his client’s skin in a single fluid motion and the jewelry slipped in seamlessly.“Almost done,” he reassured the pale teen, who looked far less confident than he had when he’d walked into the shop twenty minutes ago.
The boy’s mom sat beside her son, her gaze locked on the ceiling.“Is the worst over?”
“It’s completely over.”He snapped his gloves off and handed the kid a mirror.“Looks good.”
The mom leaned in to examine the new eyebrow jewelry and sighed.“I know it’s what you want, but it isn’t easy seeing my baby’s beautiful face getting punctured.”
Color returned to the boy’s face in a flash and he rolled his eyes.“Mom.”
“What?It’s true.”She gestured over at River.“He doesn’t have any holes in him and he’s as cute as it gets.”
“MOM!”
Deciding this was a discussion he didn’t need to be present for, River exchanged a grin with Birch, tossed the used supplies in the trash, walked over to the desk where Grey was lounging back reading a thick novel.“You good to ring them through?I have a quick video conference with Jodie in fifteen and I’d rather do it at home than here.”
“Go ahead, pretty boy,” his brother said without taking his eyes off the page.“See you in an hour for those touchups.”
He did a quick perusal of the parking lot when he stepped outside, a habit he refused to drop despite knowing the Feds were keeping a decent surveillance of their own going.Once he was behind the wheel of his SUV, he looped down the back alley, his eyes narrowing at the back door of Serpent’s Tongue where he knew the weekly shipment would arrive in a few nights.
