Chapter FifteenWes
Chapter Fifteen
Wes
I texted Evan as I sat in the hospital waiting room on the second floor.
Me
They won’t let me in. Are you still with her?
She’d had another seizure, been threatened, and they still wouldn’t let me see her.
Evan
I am. She’s sleeping again, but she asked for you.
While I understood Brennan calling Morty to find out where we stood legally, I didn’t get sending someone to threaten Grace at the hospital.
We didn’t even know what was going on–not that anyone was telling me anything.
Sure, I had so many questions. But Grace was here.
My Grace. Something I’d imagined happening for so long.
That old excitement bubbled to the surface. As well as that ingrained alpha need to be by her side. She was mine.
“You okay?” My sister stood there with a concerned look on her face.
“Why are you here, Lexi?” I sighed.
“I said I’d stop by.” She dropped into the chair next to me.
“They won’t let me see her.” My shoulders drooped. Grace and Evan needed me, and the nurses wouldn’t let me in.
I could try to alpha my way in. But that would make it worse.
“She’s not alone, is she?” Lexi frowned.
“Evan’s been with her all day.” I rubbed my temples. “Do you have anything? I’ve had a headache since yesterday.”
“Sure.” She fished a bottle of pain reliever out of her bag.
I took two tablets dry. “Thanks. I’m so pissed at Bren. Sure, he said he didn’t specifically ask Morty to send Eli, but still…”
That dumbass move could hurt us. A lot.
“I told him not to be stupid.” Lexi rolled her eyes.
“I understand him being mad because I kept something huge from them, not that I ever thought it was huge until today. But for a moment there, I thought I’d end up in a cell.” The detectives did a great job of making me feel like a bad alpha.
She patted my shoulder. “Me too. You’re not out of danger. Detective Orson is a hardass.”
“I know, and I understand Bren being worried about Evan. I worry about Evan. Look.” I showed her a picture of Grace sleeping on him, covered in blankets. “He’s attached.”
“It’s better than them hating each other,” Lexi replied.
“Yeah.” It made it easier to accept all this, accept Grace. Part of me still wasn’t sure I should–or could–go back to what we had. If it was even real. But it felt like it was real.
So real.
“Do you want me to see if the nurses will let me check on her? Maybe Evan can come out and give you a kiss. I think you need one,” she offered.
“Thank you.” That’s exactly what I needed right now.
She left, and I went through my emails on my phone. I never had made it into work. One more thing I’d failed at today. I texted Evan.
Me
What kind of takeout does Grace like?
That seemed like something a mate would know. When we were kids, she liked pizza, cookies, and ice cream.
Evan
Grace says she likes carbs. Especially potato-based ones.
Brennan had also sent a string of texts about needing to talk to me. Nope. Not interested.
A few moments later, Evan entered the waiting area. “Hey, Babe.”
“Hey, Babe.” I pulled him to me, relishing in the comfort, the warmth, of the person I loved most. “This has been a shit day.”
“I know. Bren can be such a dick sometimes.” Evan sighed, nuzzling me, giving me a hit of lemonade and calming omega pheromones, peaches clinging to him. “This is going to be shitty. I hope they don’t remove Grace from us because of his fuckery. That’s not what she needs right now.”
“She needs to nap on your chest in a pile of blankets?” My head tilted.
“Preferably with you in it. She needs you .” He held me tighter. “I’m fucking serious. She needs you. Your cuddles. Your care. Your love. She probably could use your knot.”
I frowned.
“If you’re not ready, fine. But please believe me when I say that I don’t care if you fuck her. I want to fuck her when she’s ready for me.”
There was no lie in his statement.
“I believe you. Thank you.” Leaning in, I gave him a kiss. “I don’t feel her. That’s bad, right? The detectives made me feel like shit over it.”
What I needed was to drag him into my bed.
“She has a concussion. Maybe that’s why you’ve had a headache.” He rubbed the back of my neck.
Oh. That made sense. “When her concussion’s better, I’ll feel her?”
Did I want to feel her? Maybe. I was so confused about all of this. I knew in theory that you could love more than one person. After all, Brennan loved Jett and Evan. Evan loved Jett, Brennan, and me. But I hadn’t grown up with multiple parents. Could I? Should I?
“Probably. You should buy her a big fluffy blanket in emerald green and bring it to her along with a container of cookie dough ice cream,” Evan suggested.
“Why?” It seemed like there were a million other things I should be doing right now. Presents could wait.
“Your mate’s in the hospital, Babe. I got her balloons and brought her things, but you should bring her something,” he told me.
“Right. But I don’t even have a car here.” Ice cream would be nice, but there had to be something she’d like more than a blanket. I’d just brought Evan his favorite snacks and some books when he was in the hospital.
Brennan strode into the hospital waiting room like he owned the place, still dressed for work in an expensive suit.
Wait, he sort of did own the place, given his family’s name was on the wall.
I scowled. “What do you want?”
“We need to go. Jett’s waiting in the car.” His look was all business as his arms crossed over his chest.
“I’m not going anywhere with you, asshole,” I retorted.
“I’m trying to protect the pack and Evan,” Brennan parried.
“I can speak for myself,” Evan interjected. “This is a mess, Bren. The entire pack can be investigated for this.”
Brennan winced. “I know.” He drew Evan to him. “I’m sorry, Love.”
Evan leaned his head on Brennan’s shoulder. “I know. But I’m tired of being used as an excuse for you two to be assholes.”
At first, when Brennan was interested in Evan, I’d thought I’d be jealous of my omega being with someone else.
But now it was a comfort knowing that someone was always there for him–and we were all there for each other.
It’s not like I hadn’t known Brennan since high school, and Jett and I had a lot of common interests.
I was still pissed at Brennan.
“Don’t I get an apology? I’m the one who could go to jail .” My arms crossed over my chest, and I scowled at him.
“Fine. I’m sorry I caused all this. But I’m not giving you a kiss,” Brennan told me. “Now get in the car.”
“We can’t leave Grace alone,” I retorted, not wanting to go anywhere with him–or leave.
“Maybe Lexi will stay longer?” Evan asked.
“We’ve been summoned by my mother. Spencer will meet us there.” A glum look crossed Brennan’s face.
“Oh, fuck,” I muttered. I texted Lexi, and she agreed.
Brennan was an adult, with his own pack. Mostly, as long as we handled our shit so that it didn’t reflect badly on her, his mom left us to our own business. Her bringing us in like this meant we were in a lot of trouble that could reflect badly on her and her position in the community.
We squished into Jett’s sports car, and we drove in silence.
“I hope you fired Morty,” Evan finally said.
“I did. We’re going to need a new lawyer,” Brennan replied. “I’ll punch anyone who suggests Katie.”
Katie was his twin sister, the golden child–and Lexi’s best friend and packmate. I’d met Brennan through them, we’d all gone to the same high school.
“How bad will things get?” Evan asked. “I didn’t meet with the police, just the social worker and Grace’s advocate.”
“I could be placed on leave for this. Is Grace okay?” Jett asked as he drove.
“She was awake when I left. But yeah, the doctor’s worried about the seizures and the head injury–and the memory loss being permanent,” Evan said.
We pulled into the parking garage of his mother’s company. If we were meeting her at her office and not at a restaurant or her home, then this was serious.
Spencer waited for us in the lobby. We got into the elevator that would take us to Brennan’s mom’s office on the top floor. The doors opened onto a sumptuous lobby. The door to his mother’s office stood open.
“Time to gird your loins, gentlemen,” Spencer told us.
The five of us filed in like children in trouble. Siobhan Morris was one of the most respected alphas in the city–and the most formidable. Which was why we called her the queen mum ; but never to her face.
“Sit, boys.” Her red hair was up in a bun, the green of her silk blouse accenting her eyes perfectly. Every inch of her, impeccable and pulled together, just like her empire and family.
We all sat, except for Spencer, who leaned against the wall.
Brennan took a deep breath. “Mother, I can explain–”
She held up a hand, her cedar scent spicy with anger. “The time for explaining has passed,” she snapped. “Do you know what I had to do to keep this from exploding? No. You don’t. Now, let me tell you how this is going to go.”
No one did anything but nod. We didn’t even ask how she knew.
Taking a deep breath of an annoyed parent trying to keep their temper, she continued, “Grace will be in the hospital for a couple of days. While she’s there, you’ll care for her just like you would if Evan were in the hospital.
When she’s discharged, you’re going to bring her home and wait on her like she’s a princess.
You’ll cooperate fully with the doctors, advocates, and police.
This will continue not only until the investigation has been closed in your favor, but until it is beyond any doubt that all five of you are caring gentlemen, and not a bunch of assholes who don’t have their shit together. Am I clear?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I didn’t have any problems with any of this. Grace needed someone to take care of her until she was better, and we knew who was chasing her, and how she got here. At the very least, I could do that.
I wanted to do that.
“So, we’re not being investigated?” Brennan’s head cocked.