Page 22

22

B rooks

Music blared through the gym, the bass thrumming against my ribs, but it still wasn’t loud enough to drown out my thoughts. I pushed myself harder, increasing the incline on the treadmill, sprinting until my lungs burned and my legs felt like they might give out. Every time I considered stopping, I told myself just two more minutes. Then another two. If I kept pushing, maybe the ache in my chest would finally disappear.

My phone buzzed beside me on the treadmill. I ignored it. A second later, it buzzed again, persistent, demanding my attention. I already knew who it was. I didn’t need to look.

Michelle .

She had tried calling me five times in the past two days, sent texts I refused to read. Whatever she had to say could wait. She had made her choice, and I was making mine.

The burn in my chest spread to my arms as I increased the speed again, chasing the exhaustion that might quiet my thoughts. I had surpassed my original plan of three miles an hour ago, but stopping meant thinking. Thinking meant remembering. Remembering meant rage.

“Brooks, settle down there, man.”

Brigham’s voice cut through the pounding music, and I barely turned my head as he walked in, towel draped around his shoulders, watching me like he knew exactly why I was here. He leaned against the machine, shaking his head. “Ain’t gonna help yourself by overdoing it.”

I ignored him and pushed harder. Four days had passed since Michelle had decided to end us, since she’d looked me in the eyes and lied. She had let me believe she was with someone else, that I had been just another guy passing through her life. I had wanted a future with her. She didn’t. That truth sat in my gut like a lead weight, and no matter how many miles I ran, I couldn’t shake it.

Another buzz from my phone. I glanced at the screen, jaw tightening when I saw her name.

Michelle: Please, just talk to me.

The words should have meant something, should have sparked something inside me other than anger. Instead, I locked the screen, refusing to let myself be pulled into whatever game she was playing.

“Seriously, how much do you plan on doing?” Brigham moved closer, eyeing me like I was a bomb about to go off. “What are you so mad about?”

“Being played,” I muttered, breath still heavy from the run.

Brigham arched an eyebrow, then had the audacity to laugh. I snapped my glare toward him, my body already on edge, already coiled too tight. His laughter faded fast.

“By Michelle?” His voice lost its teasing edge, replaced with something careful. “You actually think she played you?”

I didn’t answer, just slowed the treadmill to a walk, my lungs still burning as my frustration curled tighter around my ribs. The truth was, I didn’t know what to think anymore. The past four days had been a storm in my head, my thoughts spinning in every direction, latching onto every worst-case scenario.

Brigham shook his head, muttering something under his breath. I hopped off the treadmill, moving toward another machine, but he stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

“Would you get off that thing for one goddamn second?” His voice was sharp now, like he was fighting to keep something in.

I glared at him, my muscles aching, my breath still uneven. “What is so fucking important?”

“Let me ask you something. If someone you cared about was threatened, what would you do?”

I scoffed, running a hand through my sweat-damp hair. “What kind of question is that?”

“Just answer it.”

“Fuck, I don’t know. I’d protect them.”

Brigham didn’t flinch, didn’t waver. “Would it be safe to say you’d lie? Do whatever you had to do, even if it meant hurting them in the short term?”

The question landed harder than I wanted it to. My jaw clenched as I exhaled through my nose, my body still too wired from the run, from everything. “Obviously. If it meant keeping them safe, I’d do whatever it took.”

Brigham nodded, lips pressing together like he was debating his next words. “Would you ever blame someone for doing the same?”

Something inside me stilled, my pulse hammering in my ears. My anger didn’t cool, not yet, but a sliver of doubt wedged itself into my mind. “What are you trying to say?”

“She will literally kill me for this,” he muttered, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “But think about her family, Brooks. Think about what kind of people they are.”

I went still. “Why would you say that? What do you know? Did something happen?”

Brigham hesitated, but it was long enough for my brain to start piecing things together. Had she called him? Was he in on this? What the hell was going on? Was she safe? Did I even care? My mind was scrambled, and my heart pounded even harder than it had on the treadmill.

“She’s doing what she thinks is the right move,” Brigham finally said, voice steady. “I told her it was dumb and that she should stay with you?—”

I barely heard the rest of his sentence. One thing stood out like a flashing red light.

“She’s with you?” My voice came out low, dangerous. “Why the fuck is she staying with you?”

Brigham’s brows lifted slightly, but he didn’t back down. “Look, man, she let you believe what you wanted to believe. She said she tried calling you, and honestly, I didn’t believe her. But you took it so damn easily.” He scoffed, crossing his arms. “That’s your issue, not mine. She’s upset, okay? She’s doing what she thinks is right.”

“None of this makes sense.” I paced, pulling at the ends of my hair, frustration clawing its way through me. “Let me believe? She’s upset when she’s the one who lied to me?”

Brigham just watched me, his expression unreadable. “You sure about that?”

The words stopped me cold.

Because no. I wasn’t.

“To protect you, dumbass. Look.” Brigham exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face like he was already regretting opening his mouth. “I shouldn’t have said a damn thing, but I’m not going to sit by when she’s hurting and worried, and you’re clearly not fine. There is no fucking other guy, man. It’s her family. They found her. They threatened you, your mom… fuck.”

My stomach dropped, the words punching through my anger like a sledgehammer to the ribs.

“She wanted to wait until she got the upper hand before telling you the truth,” he continued. “But it’s taking longer than she thought.”

My breath came out ragged, my pulse hammering so hard it hurt. My mom. My fucking mom.

“They found her—what do you mean?” The panic clawed its way into my throat, tightening like a noose. “Fuck. If they hurt her again… Wait, Michelle told you about this?”

Brigham stilled, giving me that same unreadable look he always did when he was gauging my reaction, waiting to see how I’d handle the next bombshell.

“Dude, I can see the fire in your eyes. I am not the enemy.” He squared his shoulders, voice losing that easygoing edge, taking on something calmer, more controlled.

“She called me needing a place to hide out. I’ve known her for years, and it’s cool. I have a guest house. So wipe that threatening look off your face.”

There was no cocky smirk, no teasing grin. Brigham sounded serious, protective—over my girl.

And that was the moment it hit me.

She’d chosen to hide at his place.

She’d let me believe she was with another guy.

To what… push me away? Keep me safe?

All for what?

‘Would you lie to protect them?’

The words echoed back at me, Brigham’s earlier question slamming into my skull with brutal force. It clicked together.

“She’s protecting me?” My voice came out rough, disbelieving, like I needed to say it out loud for it to make sense.

Brigham threw his hands up. “And the dumbass finally figures it out.” He shook his head, giving me a look that could only be described as pitying. “She’s hurting, Brooks. She believes she has to do this alone to keep you safe. I can’t sit by and watch her tear herself apart over this.”

My lungs tightened.

‘Trust me, please.’

And I hadn’t.

I had jumped to the worst conclusion, assumed she was just playing me, assumed she never really cared. I had let history repeat itself, let my own insecurities tell me she had walked away because she wanted to—because I wasn’t enough for her.

Fuck. I’m an idiot.

“Text me your address,” I demanded, already reaching for my keys.

“No.” Brigham crossed his arms, his stance solid, immovable. “That’s on her to decide if and when she sees you. I’m telling you out of courtesy, because you’re my teammate and because you’re the guy my friend loves.”

I froze.

“What?”

Brigham smirked, knowing exactly what he just said.

“Michelle is the most independent chick I know. She must love your dumb ass to act this insane. That’s the only logical explanation. Now, would she ever say it? Probably not. This is the first time she’s ever asked for my help, and she’s saved my ass countless times. But she has to, Brooks. Why else would she intentionally hurt you unless she thought she was saving you?”

I sat down hard on the nearest bench, my hands threading through my hair. My thoughts were spinning too fast, my heart pounding in my ears.

She loves me.

I had spent the past four days convincing myself she had just moved on. That I had been a mistake. That I had been nothing.

But that wasn’t it at all.

She had sacrificed us for me.

“What do I do then?” I muttered, my voice hoarse, barely above a whisper.

Brigham sighed, but there was something knowing in his expression. “You gotta figure that part out.” He grabbed his towel and turned for the door, throwing a look over his shoulder. “But if I were you, I’d be hungry tonight for diner food.”

My head snapped up.

Something’s happening at the restaurant.

I stood, the weight in my chest shifting from guilt to urgency. “Okay. Thanks. Yeah, I’ll be there.”

Brigham gave me a slow nod. “You owe me, Madsen. I will ask for a stupid, ridiculous favor, and you have to say yes because once Michelle finds out I told you, she will stab me in my sleep.” His grin was back now, sharp and knowing. “Good luck, man. You’re gonna need it.”

“You’ll be there?” I asked, already grabbing my bag.

“Hell yes.” Brigham grinned wider. “Shit is going down, and I want to see those assholes freak out.”

My stomach tightened.

“What’s going down? Tell me, Brigs.” My voice shook, and I didn’t even care.

Brigham simply smirked, backing toward the door.

“Support her. Believe her.”

Then he was gone, leaving me standing there, heart hammering, mind racing, stomach in knots.

If all the reasons I had left her were false, then I was a total and complete fucking idiot.

And I was about to find out just how bad I had messed this up.

* * *

The first thing I did was call Angela. I kept the details vague, not wanting to cause unnecessary panic, but the moment she heard the concern in my voice, she didn’t hesitate. She assured me the nursing home was locked down unless visitors properly identified themselves. That wasn’t enough. I offered to pay for extra security, anything to keep my mom safe.

Angela agreed without argument. Within the hour, there were three extra security guards stationed at the facility.

Problem one, fixed. Now on to Michelle.

Brigham’s hint about the diner hadn’t given me a timeline. Did I show up at five? Lurk in the parking lot like a creep? Hide and watch from a distance like some lovesick idiot? God, I sounded pathetic. A man pushing thirty, stalking a woman like a high schooler with a crush. It was disgusting, and if Logan could hear the storm raging in my head, he’d probably punch me to shut me up.

I didn’t even have to ask. “What would you do?”

Logan let out a long, exaggerated sigh, dragging a hand down his face. “Dude, I don’t know. Go to the diner. Wait in your car. Talk to her. Stop being a little bitch and do something instead of sitting here and talking my goddamn ear off.”

I scowled at him. “I thought you’d be supportive.”

“And I thought I told you to trust her, and maybe, just maybe, there were two sides to a story.” He gave me a pointed look, arms crossed. “Huh? I want to say I told you so, but it’s too soon, judging by your sour mood.”

I muttered something about kicking him out of my condo, but he ignored it.

I hesitated, debating for a second before I asked, “Want to come with me?”

Logan’s entire posture shifted. He didn’t hesitate. “Yeah. I do.”

The immediate response put me on edge. “Why do you want to come?”

“You asked me, dumbass.” He shrugged, but his face was more serious now. “Besides, I want to see what’s going down. Sounds like her family is awful, and if they’re threatening you, it wouldn’t hurt to have some backup.”

The mention of the threat should’ve made me pause. Brigham had implied that Michelle’s father and brother had been saying things, making moves, dangling danger in front of her like a damn game. It should have scared me. But it didn’t

I was bigger than most guys, had a lawyer one call away, and no issues handling myself if I needed to. If her piece-of-shit family thought they could just waltz into my life and demand money or threaten my mom, they were about to learn some hard lessons.

But this wasn’t just about me anymore.

I exhaled, rubbing a hand down my face. “Let me call my agent and let him know what’s going on. Just in case.”

“Not a bad idea.” Logan grabbed his wallet and phone, nodding toward the garage. “We taking your car?”

“They might be watching mine. Let’s take yours.”

“Sounds good. I’ll be in there when you’re ready to leave.”

As soon as Logan disappeared, I called Nick Sloane, agent extraordinaire. The second I told him what was happening, he launched into a string of curses that lasted a solid forty-five seconds.

“Brooks, I swear to fucking God,” he seethed. “Do not get involved. Let the cops handle this. If this gets out, if the press catches wind?—”

I cut him off. “Not an option. I have to see Michelle.”

“Jesus Christ. You baseball players are a different breed of reckless.” He exhaled loudly. “If you get arrested for brawling in a fucking diner parking lot, don’t call me until after you’ve posted bail.”

I hung up before he could say more.

I had made up my mind.

I was going to see Michelle. I’d wait at the diner until whatever was going down passed, and then I’d figure out if I had a shot at fixing this.

It wasn’t the smartest plan, but it was the only one I had.

By the time Logan and I pulled into the diner’s parking lot, the sky was a dusky shade of orange, the last traces of sunlight fading beneath the horizon. The place wasn’t packed, but Michelle’s car was there—parked in the farthest corner of the lot, away from the others.

That pissed me off

I scanned the area for anything suspicious. Was the older guy at the breakfast bar her dad? Or the stringy, tall dude in the corner her brother? Nothing stood out, but that didn’t mean nothing was happening.

Logan’s eyes followed my gaze, his frown deepening. “It might be a long night. She works until two a.m. sometimes.”

I nodded. “I have no plans.”

He gave me a sideways glance, studying me. “Hope I can help somehow.”

“You ready to go in?

“Might as well.”

We locked the car and walked inside, my nerves coiling tighter with each step.

The door chimed, and the familiar smell of grease and pickles filled the air. The curly-haired lady from the other night grinned as she spotted us. “Hey there, fellas, want a table or booth?”

“Somewhere with a good view outside,” I said immediately. I wanted to keep an eye on who came in.

“Sure thing.” She grabbed two menus, leading us toward a booth near the front before pausing, brow furrowing slightly. “Weren’t you two handsome guys in here the other night looking for Michelle?”

She turned back toward the kitchen. “She’s in tonight. Want me to send her over?”

Logan beat me to the answer. “Yes, please.” His dumbass smile was too charming, too casual. The woman blushed and scurried toward the back, and I kicked him under the table.

“What?” he hissed, rubbing his shin.

“Fuck, I’m not sure I’m ready to talk to her.”

“Too bad. She’s coming.” He clapped his hands together, looking way too amused for my liking.

And then she appeared.

Michelle wore a dark green dress that hung above her knees, the fabric hugging her curves in all the right places. My body reacted before my brain could catch up, every muscle going tight at the sight of her. I had spent the past four days trying to erase the memory of how she felt, how she tasted, how she fit so perfectly against me.

But nothing about this felt erased.

It felt raw, fresh, like a wound I had barely begun to stitch up.

And then I saw her face. She looked exhausted.

Dark circles under her eyes, tension in her shoulders, the small crease in her forehead that only appeared when she was holding too much in.

My stomach twisted, the anger I had been holding onto slipping into something else. Something I didn’t want to name.

She made her way toward our booth, her gaze locked onto mine, hard and unreadable. But I saw it. The moment of hesitation

The moment she almost turned around and walked away.

She didn’t, though.

She kept coming.

And I had never been more terrified of what she was about to say.

Michelle stood rigid, arms crossed tightly over her chest, her eyes darting toward the window like she was counting the exits, preparing to run. Every inch of her screamed fight or flight, and the fact that I had once been the safest place for her to land but wasn’t anymore fucking destroyed me.

“What are you two doing here?” Her voice was sharp, but underneath it was something else. Something frayed and fragile, held together by nothing but sheer will.

I didn’t hesitate. “We’re not done, Michelle.”

She let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head. “We are, Brooks. We’ve been done.”

“I’m calling bullshit on that.”

The words came out gritted, stubborn, full of every ounce of determination I had left. Every part of me wanted to pull her in, to touch her, to fix this, but I didn’t. Not yet. Not until she let me.

Her fingers dug into her arms, and she refused to look at me. “There’s someone else. I told you that.”

Liar.

But this time, I saw the cracks. The slight tremble of her lips, the way her nails picked relentlessly at the skin around her fingers, the way she refused to meet my eyes. I had missed the signs before, had walked away too damn fast.

I wasn’t going to make that mistake again.

“So you called me to brag about it?” My voice dropped, the anger cooling into something calmer, deadlier. “I don’t believe you, and you know it. I know how you feel, even if you won’t say it.”

She inhaled sharply as I took a step closer, and for a split second, I saw the war flash across her face—the longing, the regret, the hesitation. Then, she shoved it all down, pressing her lips into a firm line.

I wasn’t giving her an out.

I pulled her against me, my arms wrapping tight around her, and for a moment, she let me. She let out a soft sigh, melting into my chest, her hands gripping the front of my shirt like she needed something to hold onto.

“Michelle,” I murmured into her hair

She stiffened. Then, just as fast, she shoved against me. “Brooks, you need to leave. I don’t have feelings for you.”

I didn’t let her go. Not this time.

“No,” I said firmly, my grip gentle but unrelenting. “Stop.”

Her breathing was uneven, but she wasn’t fighting me as hard as she should have. I ran my hands down her arms, her back, the curve of her waist, grounding her. “Whatever it is you’re going through, we’ll do it together.”

Her resolve cracked for a split second. Her eyes flickered up to mine, and fuck, there it was. Warmth. Longing. Love. And I had been too blind to see it before.

“Brooks—”

“I know about your family,” I said softly, the words crushing the distance between us. “The threats against me. The break-in.”

Her entire body locked up.

Her eyes widened, panic flashing through them so fast it made my stomach twist. “Brigham told me,” I added.

Her expression darkened instantly. “That fucking idiot.”

Before she could storm off, I caught her shoulders, tilting her chin up so she had to look at me.

“Let me be a part of this,” I said, voice low, steady, full of every emotion I hadn’t said in the past four days.

“They… they can hurt you, Brooks,” she whispered, voice raw with real fear. “Or your mom. I can’t risk it.”

Her words sent a fresh wave of fury through me.

They had put her in this position. They had made her believe that the only way to keep me safe was to break her own heart in the process.

I cupped the back of her neck, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to her lips. She trembled against me, her fingers curling into the front of my shirt like she was grasping for something real, something solid.

“I don’t care,” I murmured against her lips. “You’re not doing this alone. Not anymore.”

she blinked up at me, and her eyes shimmered, her walls finally caving in.

“Okay,” she breathed.

That single word slammed into my chest like a wrecking ball.

“Just okay?” I asked, a slow grin pulling at my lips. “I thought I’d have to grovel more.”

Her lips twitched, but her eyes were still wary, still holding onto something.

“We can deal with all of that later,” she said. “I texted them that I had the money and to meet me here. Better to stage it with witnesses than have them show up in the dead of night. They sound desperate, and I just want this fucking over with.”

“What’s the plan?” Logan piped up from behind me, his shit-eating grin so misplaced it was almost funny. Michelle’s mouth curved up slightly, but she shook her head at him.

“What?” Logan shrugged. “I like a good sabotage.”

“I have a recording on my phone of my father threatening you,” she said, finally meeting my eyes. “Brigs also installed a camera outside my apartment, and we caught my brother breaking in again. I lured them here with false promises, but I’m going to blackmail them. They can either leave me and you alone, or I take all of this straight to the cops. A friend of a friend. Someone they can’t bribe.”

My chest tightened.

She had done all of this alone.

And I had left her to it.

“Do you have any weapons or something just in case?” Logan asked, brows lifting.

“I’ll be fine.

For the first time tonight, her smile met her eyes.

And for the first time in four days, I felt like I could finally fucking breathe.

The door chimed behind us.

Michelle’s eyes flicked over my shoulder, narrowing. “Oh, here’s the traitor now.”

Brigham strolled in like he didn’t have a care in the world, grinning as Michelle scowled at him. But instead of ripping into him, she stepped forward and pulled him into a hug.

Something sour twisted in my gut.

I wasn’t jealous. But it didn’t feel good watching her go to him when she hadn’t come to me. I had made it easy, though. I had walked away, believed her lie without a second thought.

I had left her alone in this.

And if I could convince her to give us another chance, I was going to prove to her every single day that she would never be alone again.

Michelle pulled back, and Brigham muttered something to her, making her laugh. That laugh—the one I had missed so damn much—made me clench my jaw.

“I ought to kill you,” I muttered.

Brigham smirked, unbothered as he dropped into the booth beside Logan. “Figured as much. But it was worth the risk.” He stretched out like this was just another night, like we weren’t about to stare down the people who had spent the last week tormenting Michelle.

“Glad to see you have a posse now, Michelle,” he added, grinning at her.

She let out a slow breath, finally looking around the table.

Her people.

“I don’t have a posse,” Michelle muttered, rolling her eyes, but her cheeks flushed pink at the edges.

Brigham smirked, but his expression shifted as she suddenly tensed, her gaze locked on something in the distance.

“Shit.”

Her eyes narrowed, shoulders rolling back, posture shifting into something razor-sharp and unshakable. I followed her line of sight and immediately went rigid.

They were here.

A slow, controlled breath left me as adrenaline kicked in, lighting up every nerve in my body. My hands curled into fists at my sides, my body already tense and ready.

“What do you need?” I asked, my voice low.

“Just…stay here.”

Her voice didn’t waver, but her fingers tightened around the USB as Brigham handed it over.

“You aren’t doing this alone. Get used to it and stop wasting time,” Brigham muttered, but I was already standing, already moving to follow Michelle as she walked outside.

We followed her to the back of the lot, where the dim, flickering streetlights barely lit the cracked pavement. The air was thick with the scent of rain, heavy, but it hadn’t started falling yet. It smelled like the city, like garbage and damp asphalt, like something rotten lurking beneath the surface.

And then there they were.

Leaning against a broken light pole, looking every bit like the scum they were.

I recognized the older man instantly. The one who had been outside my mom’s nursing home, watching me, taking pictures. His face was weathered, sunken eyes filled with something cold and calculating. But it was the tall, wiry guy beside him that set me on edge. He was too twitchy, too restless, his body practically vibrating.

Victor.

The back of my neck tingled. He was on something. High as hell. That made him dangerous and unpredictable.

“Oh, how precious—our girl brought some backup, thinking it would make a difference.”

The older man’s voice was oily, the kind of smooth, practiced tone that only con men and criminals could perfect. His lips curled into a smirk as his eyes flicked toward me.

“You brought your baseball boy. Good. He must have the money we require.”

Michelle didn’t even flinch.

She turned to me, gaze calm, unreadable, but when our eyes met, I saw it.

The fire.

The moment of quiet fury, the strength she had sharpened from years of surviving.

Yeah. She wasn’t scared. She was fucking livid.

“Yeah, I knew exactly what to say to get you here.” Her lips curled into something almost too sweet, too cruel, as she stepped forward. “Always about the money.”

Her voice changed then, sharpened into something deadly.

“Here’s the thing—I’m not giving you a fucking dime.”

Victor shifted beside his father, but it wasn’t out of discomfort. It was out of anticipation. Like he had been waiting for this, like he was already itching for an excuse to make a scene.

Michelle wasn’t done

“You are going to leave me and everyone I care about alone.” Her voice didn’t shake. Not once. “Or I will ruin you.”

The older man’s fake amusement vanished. His expression curled into something cruel, something dark.

“Listen, bitch, you think I’m playing around?”

He flicked a knife from his pocket, flipping it open so fast it made my muscles tense. I was already stepping forward, ready to tear him apart, but he caught the movement and smirked.

“Think this piece of shit is worth getting hurt over?” He nodded toward me, tilting his head like he was studying me, like I was just some dumb kid who had wandered into the wrong fight.

“You’re an idiot.”

Michelle lifted her chin, stepping between us before I could throw the first punch.

She didn’t even look at the knife.

Her father could have held a gun to her head, and she still would have called his bluff.

“Michelle, can I break his face, or do you want to talk first?” My voice was soaked in irritation, my fingers twitching to rip the smirk off the bastard’s face.

Her father’s cockiness wavered, just slightly.

“Face breaking can happen later.” She shot me a look over her shoulder, and fuck, I had never been more attracted to her than I was in that moment.

Michelle turned back to him, voice mocking as hell.

“Listen, bitch.”

His eyes darkened.

“I have a USB right here,” she continued, holding up the tiny drive like it was a loaded weapon. “With video evidence of Victor breaking into my apartment and stealing. That’s enough to send his ass back to jail without question.”

Victor laughed, shaking his head. “Not true, sis. You?—”

I didn’t let him finish.

I slammed my fist into his face, bone crunching beneath my knuckles, his body collapsing like dead weight onto the pavement.

He hit the ground hard, clutching his nose, blood spilling through his fingers. His screams filled the empty lot, and I exhaled slowly, shaking the sting from my fist.

“That was for hurting Michelle.” My voice was calm, steady, absolute. “If you touch her again, or anything that belongs to her, it’ll be your skull next.”

Michelle’s eyes locked onto mine, unblinking, unreadable. But she didn’t scold me. She didn’t stop me.

She just turned back to her father.

The man looked at his son on the ground with thinly veiled disgust before shifting his gaze to Michelle.

“You were always my favorite child, Shelle.”

She smiled, all teeth, no warmth.

“You lost the right to call me that years ago.”

His eyes narrowed. “You think you’ve won? You think you can just walk away from this?”

Michelle stepped closer, arms crossing, voice unshaken.

“I also have a recorded phone call of you threatening me, Brooks, and ordering Victor to commit multiple illegal acts.” Her smile turned wicked. “You admit cops can be bought, which will piss off anyone in uniform. Add blackmail to your ever-growing list of crimes, and I think we’re looking at a real fun sentencing.”

His growl deepened, and I tracked his hand, waiting for movement. If he so much as twitched toward that knife, I was taking him out.

“I will get my money from you, even if I have to sell your organs.”

Michelle’s expression didn’t change. “You threatening to kill me?”

“Do I need to spell it out for you, brat?”

She smirked.

“Please.” Her arms remained casual, loose, but the glint in her eye was anything but. “Say it. To your own flesh and blood.”

Her father leaned in, his voice dropping to a low, simmering venom. “You might win this round, bitch, but I will kill you if you send me back to prison.”

Michelle’s head tilted slightly.

“You get all that, Brigs?”

“Oh yeah. Crystal clear.”

Brigham held up his phone, grinning.

Their father lunged, but Logan and I had already moved, tackling him onto the pavement.

“Should you call the cops, or…?” I asked, keeping my knee pressed into the bastard’s back.

Michelle let out a sharp exhale. “Yeah. Might as well. Let’s send them back where they belong.”

She dialed, stepping closer, voice mockingly nostalgic.

“Brings back memories, huh? Almost the whole family back together with the red and blue lights. Ah, childhood.”