Page 7 of Breaking the Alpha (Serpent’s Tongue Ink #2)
Grey’s hand caught him upside the head, his other trying to snatch the extra beer off of the counter. “Shut it, dipshit. I’m moving in on the sly.”
Jocelyn responded with nothing more than a laugh and the easing of the beer out of Grey’s hand while Birch merely took another sip and winked at his girlfriend.
It was so normal if he didn’t look at the table and remember how hard the wood was when his head was bounced off it.
If he didn’t see the faint discoloration on the drywall where Winter patched the hole left by River’s shoulder when his dad shoved him into it for sneaking an extra sandwich.
If he couldn’t still hear the sound of Grey crying in his bed weeks after their mother took off and left them alone under the heavy hand of their father.
The doorbell rang and he snapped back to the present moment as Grey snatched the money from Jocelyn’s hand and raced to answer it. Birch called out a reminder to tip twenty percent and Jocelyn set plates onto the octopus place mats.
*
River loaded the last of the dishes into the dishwasher and started it, leaning against the counter as the levity of their meal gave way to the more pressing, serious topics needing to be addressed.
“There are currently thirteen businesses under investigation through the firm I work for,” Jocelyn stated, placing a hand on Birch’s knee.
“Serpent’s Tongue was one of many, and the number involved is growing.
Most are scattered through the Midwest, a few on the coast. It’ll take months, maybe years, to connect all the dots, but Ryder wasn’t simply dealing a few handfuls of drugs out the back door. He was involved with a ring.”
“And they aren’t happy they lost their hold in Epson,” Birch finished, his voice hard. “Ryder was servicing half the counties in the region. We’ve received a few calls from guys wanting to meet up.”
“Untraceable calls,” Jocelyn interjected. “Whoever was above Ryder wants Birch to take over.”
Looking back and forth between them, he scoffed. “You aren’t taking them up on that, are you?”
“Fuck no,” his older brother growled. “But since you’re going to be putting in time at the shop, you need to know to keep your head up and be aware.
No one works nights alone. If any of these assholes call, I have a number taped to the laptop to report it.
Anyone acts sketchy, we call Sheriff Fogerty. ”
“If you still want to work at Serpent’s Tongue,” Jocelyn stated.
“If you still want to work at Serpent’s Tongue,” Birch echoed, sitting back in his seat and stretching his arm behind Jocelyn. “I can get by without you if I need to.”
He shook his head. “No way am I leaving you high and dry.”
Nodding slowly, Birch exhaled. “For the record, I’m not keen on the idea of you being back here for anything more than a quick visit. I don’t want you, any of you, involved in the shit going down right now.”
Grey snorted. “We aren’t kids anymore, Birch.”
“You sure the fuck are,” the older Baker stated, his voice holding a ring of finality. “I’m putting it out there that if things get too hot or too much, River, I’m sending you back to LA and you’re taking Grey with you until the fall semester starts.”
*
River sat on the stoop, staring into the darkness behind the water tower looming over their neighborhood.
“Coming in soon?”
He shrugged as Birch closed the door and sat down beside him. “I like Jocelyn. I like who you are with her, too.”
His brother snorted. “You mean not an authoritarian asshole?”
“I mean not on edge all the time,” he replied, elbowing Birch in the ribs. “She chills you out, which is good because you were probably two years away from a heart attack at the rate you were going.”
“Yeah, she’s…well, she’s it for me.” He chuckled. “You were too young to remember her, but Jocelyn was the dream girl when I was in school. Hell, even Winter knew who she was when she met him.”
He looked over. “You took her to see Winter?”
“Yup. Turns out she shot him down at some party. Apparently, it’s pretty hard to forget the face of a woman who shoots you down with perfect timing and finesse.”
He caught the satisfied glint in his brother’s eyes and laughed. “When’s the wedding?”
Birch’s expression turned serious, his eyes moving to the tower. “When all this drug mess is done. I won’t tie her to it beforehand, but yeah. I’d marry her tomorrow if I could.” He cleared his throat and draped his arms over his knees. “Speaking of marriage, though—”
“Smooth transition.”
“I thought so. Why didn’t you tell me you and Windy Leigh were getting a divorce?”
Chuckling humorlessly, he shook his head and looked at the night sky. “I guess I don’t have to ask if you’ve been keeping up with my life out there.” He scratched absently at his chest, scrunching his shirt fabric. “It’s fine. I’m fine. It’s just…messy. How much did you see online?”
“First, Bakers are the kings of messy,” Birch stated with resolve. “Second, I saw her post with red underwear and a ripped-up valentine or some shit and all the comments under it were about you. Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?”
Shrugging, he leaned back on his hands and lied smoothly to his older brother.
“Not much to say. Windy Leigh wanted a guy she could dress up and pose like a doll and I didn’t want to play along anymore.
She started looking for someone who would, and found one willing to play her game.
She and her team needed to demonize someone other than her so now here I am, sitting on a porch in Epson and regretting taking thirds of dinner. ”
Birch drummed his fingers on his knees, a sure sign he was uncomfortable as hell with the discussion. “That sucks.”
“Not really. Wait here.”
He tugged his keys from his back pocket, unlocked his car, and opened the glove box. He pulled out a thick envelope before locking up and sitting back down. “Take this back.”
Birch opened the envelope and frowned. “What the hell is all this?”
“The money you’ve been sending me every month.
I figured since each time I told you I didn’t need any and you sent it anyway, it was easier to withdraw the cash and save it for when I came back.
” Glancing at the stack he shrugged. “Might be short a hundred or two since I hit the drive-throughs a lot on the way out here.”
His brother ran his hand through his hair. “There’s over seven grand here.”
“Use it to buy a few more throw cushions.”
“Don’t you need this for your divorce lawyer or something?
” Birch demanded, shoving the bills back in.
“River, this money is yours. We’re fine here.
There’s no mortgage on this place, Serpent’s Tongue is doing well in spite of Ryder’s bullshit, and I’ve still got more than enough set aside for Grey’s tuition. ”
Refusing to touch the envelope again, he kept his eyes on the outline of the tower against the night sky. “Then buy yourself a new bed or new shoes. Save it for the wedding or something. You took three years in the slammer for that payout, Birch. You earned it a million times over.”
He knew few details about the deal Birch made years ago when he took the fall for a break and enter committed by Sheriff Fogerty’s son.
But he did know his brother had agreed to take the jail term in exchange for enough money to secure their house, cover Grey’s education, and pay for River’s first months in LA when jobs were scarce, rent was outrageous, and the pressure to become more than some kid from the sticks was high.
All River had to do was raise Grey for the three years Birch was locked up.
His brother sat silent for a minute. “You’re sure you don’t need it.”
“Guaranteed.”
With a slow nod, Birch stood. “It’ll be tucked in the garage rafter where we used to keep the soup cans, okay? If you ever need it, take it. No questions.”
As his brother disappeared inside, he got to his feet and followed, locking the door behind him.
He sat on his bed in his old room until the house went quiet, his thoughts drifting between memories of his childhood and Angelina.
Then, when he was unable to take the silence of the house and the turmoil in his own mind any longer, he snuck down the stairs and out the door.
*
River eased the front door closed, listening for the quiet click before he slid his shoes off and crept toward the stairs. He was stopped in his tracks by Jocelyn sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in hand and her laptop open.
“Sleep well?” she asked, a single manicured brow lifting as he froze with his hand on the railing. “Pour yourself a coffee and come sit. Grey won’t be up until noon and Birch just hopped in the shower, so he’s out of earshot for thirty minutes at least.”
He paused for a moment before complying and grabbing a mug from the cabinet. “I was just out for a run.”
“Mm-hmm. In jeans without breaking a sweat? You’ll need a better excuse for your brother. He’s dating a former track star.”
Cringing, he slumped into a chair and lied through his teeth. “Fine. I was at a friend’s place.”
“A pretty friend?”
“Gorgeous,” he corrected, when his thoughts instantly jumped to Angelina from Wisconsin. “Shit. I meant I wish. No. Uh—”
Jocelyn grinned, her calculating eyes softening. “I’m just messing with you. I won’t tell if you don’t. Make sure your bed looks slept in and I’ll cover for you any time, so long as you’re back before nine.” She took a sip of her coffee and slid her computer aside. “So she’s gorgeous, is she?”
He shifted in his seat and glared at his mug, kicking himself for not thinking of a better lie to cover the fact that he’d spent the night sleeping in the back room of Serpent’s Tongue.
They sat in silence until he glanced up to see her watching him, amusement on her face.
“What?” he grumbled, looking back to his coffee.
“Nothing. Just noticing some Baker boy similarities and appreciating them from the other side of the table.”
Grunting, he sipped at his coffee until curiosity got the better of him. “Like what?”
She pulled her computer back in front of her and laughed. “I’ll tell you in a few months. You have three minutes to get into your room and make for a convincing wake up.”