Page 3 of Knot So Sweet (Leather and Lace #1)

Chapter 2

Candi

O wen shuffled into the kitchen, his disheveled appearance instantly putting me on edge. His hair stuck up in messy tufts, and the dark circles under his eyes were worse than yesterday.

His beard, usually well-trimmed, looked wild and unkempt. This wasn’t the Owen I knew—my brother always prided himself on his appearance, always immaculate, always in control. But this version of him? I barely recognized it.

My gut twisted. Whatever had happened to him in that basement at Michelle Sterling’s estate had broken something inside him, something I didn’t know how to fix. The worry that had taken root in my chest deepened, its grip tightening with each passing day.

Even his scent, normally a soothing blend of sandalwood and spice, was faint, nearly undetectable. I could always scent when things were off with my brother. And right now, I knew Owen wasn’t taking care of himself.

I felt a pang of guilt, knowing that my push to reopen The Den was only adding to the weight he carried. The last thing I wanted was to be another burden on his already overloaded shoulders.

"Owen, you look like hell," I said, unable to hide my concern.

"Thanks, I was aiming for undead chic. Can I borrow some of your clothes?" His attempt at humor barely began to mask the exhaustion in his voice. He rubbed a hand over his face as he stumbled toward the fridge, weariness etched into his every movement.

"Sure. I have a new pair of studded platforms you might like. They’ll go with your suit so nicely," I shot back, forcing a smile to match his banter.

Owen smirked, the faintest glimmer of his old self shining through as he grabbed a mug and poured himself some coffee. He added a splash of milk, then stood there for a moment, staring blankly into his cup.

I watched him, leaning against the counter with my arms crossed, hating the sight of him like this. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. I’d begged him to reopen The Den, and trying to force all the pieces into place to make that happen was killing him.

"Seriously, Owen," I said, my voice softening. "I’m worried about you. You need to take care of yourself. Kay, Creed, Vaughn—they’re there for you. Lean on them. Let them take care of you." I gestured to the closed door down the hall, where his pack still slept.

"This..." I waved my hand at the TV. "Obsessing over this isn’t helping."

Owen let out a long, heavy sigh, running his hands over his face as if trying to rub the fatigue away. "I know. I just... I don’t want my pack to worry. I’m their alpha. It’s my job to protect them. I can’t drag them into my mess."

I shook my head, frustrated by his stubbornness. "That’s exactly why you need to let them in, Owen. You’re not in this alone. You have a pack who would do anything for you. Stop trying to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. It’s going to burn you out, and it’s going to push them away."

For a moment, he stared at the floor, his brow furrowed, clearly battling with his own pride and the crushing weight of responsibility that had been placed on him.

"I just don’t know how to protect all of you. Every time I think I’m making progress, something else happens. I feel like I’m drowning."

His words cut deep, a vulnerable confession from a man who had always been larger than life to me.

I softened, stepping closer to him. "I know. You’re a good alpha, Owen. But if you keep trying to do this alone, you’re going to break. You won’t be able to protect anyone if you’re running on empty. Let us help. That’s what family is for."

His shoulders slumped slightly as he met my gaze, and the flicker of doubt in his eyes made my heart ache. I reached out, placing a hand on his arm, grounding him in the moment. "We're stronger together, Owen. You don’t have to do this alone."

His jaw clenched, tension radiating off of him in waves. His pale blue eyes darkened with frustration as he set his mug down harder than necessary, the clink against the counter too sharp in the quiet room.

"I don’t know what to do about any of this, Candi," he admitted, his voice low, strained. "All I know is I don’t like the idea of trading one monster for another. The Serpents are unpredictable. They’re dangerous. Trusting them could be just as deadly as waiting for the Hounds to come knocking."

I swallowed, my throat tight as I snapped the band on my wrist again. He was right. The Serpents weren’t known for their mercy or their loyalty. They were a gang, same as the Hounds, just playing a different side of the same dirty game. But if we didn’t act soon, we’d be left defenseless.

"And if we don’t do something?" I pressed, my voice steadier than I felt. "What happens to the Den? To Kay? Creed? The Hounds won’t wait forever, Owen. We’re on borrowed time, and I’m not about to sit here and watch everything we’ve built burn to the ground."

His shoulders sagged, and for a second, the weight of leadership seemed to visibly crush him. "I don’t know," he repeated, quieter this time. "I don’t know how to keep you all safe."

The helplessness in his voice hit me like a punch to the gut. Owen had always been the one with answers, the one who stood tall and strong even when the rest of us faltered. Seeing him like this—uncertain, lost—made the gravity of our situation all too real.

"I know it’s risky," I said gently, my fingers tightening around his arm, trying to anchor him. "But we’re not going to make it alone. Vaughn’s family is strong. The Serpents have power. They might not be the heroes we want, but they might be the only ones willing to stand between us and the Hounds."

Owen stared down at the floor, silent for a long moment. His chest rose and fell with slow, deep breaths, like he was trying to pull himself back from the edge of something dark. Finally, he nodded, just once, the movement stiff.

"Alright," he said, voice barely audible. "I’ll talk to Vaughn. But this doesn’t mean I trust them, Candi. If we’re getting the Serpents involved, we need a backup plan. Something solid. Because if this blows up in our faces…"

His words trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. We both knew what would happen if it all went wrong.

"I’ll come up with something," I promised, already thinking of contingencies. "We’ll be prepared. One way or another, we’ll make it through this."

Owen gave a small, tired smile, the kind that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "I hope you’re right."

I hoped I was too. But we needed to consider this option, and hopefully Vaughn could convince his uncle to help us. If we didn’t open The Den soon, we risked losing everything to Michelle Sterling.

I refused to let that bitch win.

Owen sighed as he watched the destruction on TV. The destruction the MC was responsible for. "I hope trusting the Serpents isn't a mistake."

I hummed in agreement. I wasn’t sure trusting them was the right choice either. They were a club of alphas after all. But at this point, what other choice did we have?