Page 20 of Give Me You
"Who did you sell it to?" I growl out. "And don't you dare lie to me again."
"I don't know his name!" River gasps, still scratching at my hands. "He didn't give me one! He just said he worked at the club and needed something special for a VIP client!"
I shove him back onto the couch, hard enough that he bounces. The springs creak under the impact, and River scrambles to sit up, pressing himself against the back cushions. My chest aches, a dull throb that started about an hour ago and keeps getting worse. I rub at it absently, trying to ignore the discomfort. Maybe I pulled something during the confrontation with Jax earlier. Or maybe I'm just getting old and my body can't handle the stress like it used to. But the persistent ache sits right over my heart.
I head outside and pull out my phone, about to check in on Emilio. I need to know he's okay, need to hear his voice or at least see a text confirming he's still breathing. The urge to contact him gnaws at me, fucking with my senses. We fuckedonce. Well, technically more than once in one night, but still. One night shouldn't make me this obsessed. One night shouldn't make my chest ache with worry when I'm not with him.
But before I can pull up his contact, my phone rings, Liam's name flashing across the screen, and I answer immediately.
"What?" My tone comes out sharper than I intend, but I'm on edge. Everything about this situation has me wound tight.
"I'm calling because I know you," Liam says, something in his voice making me pause. Concern, maybe. Or understanding. Like he knows exactly what I'm feeling right now. "Emilio is fine. He's sleeping right now."
I grunt, the tension in my shoulders easing slightly. At least he's safe.
"You felt it too, didn't you?" Liam asks, his voice quieter now. "He wouldn't talk to me about the baby, but I'm pretty fucking sure, Akira. He was having an anxiety attack, and I could fucking feel him. The fact that you're just as worried tells me that there's some kind of bond there that wasn't there a few days ago."
That would explain the ache in my chest, the way I can't stop thinking about Emilio, the overwhelming need to make sure he's safe. Bonds don't form overnight under normal circumstances, but they can start to develop after intense situations. Like a heat. Like knotting an Omega who might be carrying your brother’s child. Like spending hours taking care of someone at their most vulnerable.
I hate that I got so attached so fast. I hate that one night might have changed everything, that I can't just walk away and pretend it didn't happen. I've always prided myself on keeping things casual, on not letting anyone get too close. It's safer that way. Less complicated. But I can't deny what I'm feeling right now, can't ignore the pull toward Emilio that gets stronger every hour. It's like there's a string tied around my ribs, tugging me back toward him no matter how far I get.
I look back into the house at River, who’s still sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. The Beta looks pathetic and broken. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost. But then I rememberwhat he did, how his actions could have seriously hurt or killed Emilio and the baby. How Emilio could have died because this piece of shit wanted to make some extra cash. And just like that, the sympathy evaporates, replaced by cold fury.
"Liam, I gotta go. I'll have answers for you later."
I hang up before he can respond and shove my phone back into my pocket before pulling up a seat in front of River and sinking down into it. I lean forward with my elbows on my knees, staring at the Beta. He looks up at me, his eyes red-rimmed and terrified.
"What was the point of all of this, River? You knew I'd track you down and make you pay for double-crossing me. You aren't supposed to touch my stock after you were thrown out on your ass. Was any of this worth it?"
River's face crumples, tears streaming down his cheeks. He wipes at them with the back of his hand, leaving wet streaks across his face. "Without your protection, it's fucking shit, Akira. I did what I had to do to stay alive."
I laugh, the sound echoing in the small apartment, bouncing off the water-stained walls. "Selling my drugs in another form isn't staying alive. It's a death sentence. Even worse, because you could have killed someone." I lean back in the chair, crossing my arms. "And Emilio Ardyn ended up drugged from your bullshit. Soplease, explain to me exactly who you handed that shit off to and I'll be lenient."
River wipes at his face, his hands shaking so badly he can barely control them. "Some guy. Chad? I don't know. He was older, said that it would be for a different avenue because the club was going in a different direction. He gave me cash, didn't ask for a receipt or anything. I thought it was legit until that but I had already made the sale."
"You were always fucking stupid.”
I cross the room in three quick strides and punch River in the face. My knuckles connect with bone, the impact sending shockwaves up my arm. Blood spurts from his nose, the Beta letting out a shrill, panicked screech as he tries to shield himself with his hands, but I don't stop. The rage pours out of me with every punch, every crack of bone against bone. This piece of shit nearly killed Emilio. Nearly killedmy Omega.
The thought makes me pause, my fist hovering in the air.My Omega. When did I start thinking of him that way? When did Emilio become mine? Was it when he first tasted me, when I felt him come apart on my brother’s cock? Was it when I held him as I fucked into his sweet little ass? Or was it just now, when Liam confirmed what I already knew deep down?
I step back, shaking out my hand. My knuckles throb, blood smeared across them. Some of it's mine, some of it's River's. I can't tell where one ends and the other begins. I turn to Dante, who watches with a passive expression.
"Break a few fingers or something," I say, my voice coming out flat. "Don't kill him. We'll come back for that later."
Dante nods and steps forward, cracking his knuckles. River scrambles back on the couch, his eyes wide with terror. He tries to push himself into the cushions, like if he just gets far enough back he'll disappear. "This is bullshit!" River shouts. Blood drips from his nose onto his shirt, staining the fabric. "All I did was push some drugs!"
I snarl, getting right in his face, the scent of his fear filling my nostrils. "No, you nearly killed my Omega. So, the next time you think of doing something stupid,don't."
I said it out loud, admitted it to River and Dante and myself. There's no taking it back now, no pretending I don't feel this pull toward Emilio that defies logic. Dante's eyebrows rise slightly, the only indication he heard what I said. But he doesn't comment, doesn't question it. He just waits for my next order.
What the fuck am I doing? Emilio doesn't want a pack. He made that clear. He wants to do this on his own, raise his baby without an Alpha breathing down his neck and trying to control him. And here I am, already thinking of him as mine, already feeling this protective instinct that makes me want to tear apart anyone who hurts him.
I grimace, the reality of the situation sinking in. This is complicated as shit. Liam wants Emilio, too, has wanted him for months. And now I'm in the mix, feeling things I shouldn't feel, wanting things I have no right to want. We can't both have him. Can we?
I shake my head, refusing to dwell on any of that. I have more important things to deal with. Like finding Chad, whoever the fuck he is. Like making sure Emilio is actually safe and not just sleeping off another panic attack. Like figuring out what to do with River before he causes more problems.
"On second thought," I say, a deviant grin spreading across my face, "I have some aggression to work out." And then I throw another punch at River's face, relishing the way his head flops back against the couch.
