Chapter 7 #2
“It doesn’t make any fucking sense! Why me? Doesn’t this kid have other family? Other siblings? Why does he have to blow up my life?!”
Papa stood and circled the table. Branson stepped behind Tarius without even thinking; he had no sympathy for Papa’s hurt look. “We’ll get you answers, Branson, I promise, but we can’t start making phone calls tonight.”
“Why not? It’s three hours behind in Sonora Province, right? There’s numbers on here.” Branson tossed the papers onto the table. “Call someone. It’s the fucking least you can do after lying to me my entire life.”
“We lied to protect you from Uty.”
“Don’t.” Branson couldn’t remember ever snapping at Papa so hard that Papa flinched, but Branson was beyond furious.
Beyond confused and grief-stricken. “I don’t want your explanations right now.
I need you to untangle this for me. Because if I have another brother out there who is in a bad situation? I am going to help him.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you. If I can’t get answers tonight, I’ll do it in the morning.”
“Good.”
One of the triplets began crying. Branson had no idea if the babysitter was still there, or if they’d left. Either way, it was the perfect reason to go. “Tarius, will you please drive me home?”
“Of course,” Tarius replied. “You’re sure you’re ready?”
“Damned sure.”
Branson didn’t remember much about the drive to his apartment, only unlocking the door and going inside. Tarius locking it then pulling him into a warm, firm hug that did nothing to settle Branson’s racing heartbeat or order his cacophonous thoughts.
“I am so sorry, Bran,” Tarius said. “I cannot imagine how you feel.”
“I don’t know how I feel,” he replied to Tarius’s shoulder. “It hurts. Everything hurts so much.” His life was a lie. He could have a whole other family out there, living their lives, no idea they were related to anyone in Sansbury, much less the infamous omega killer’s firstborn.
“They were protecting you.”
“Don’t.” Branson raised his head and glared at Tarius, who didn’t deserve it, but he was there. “Don’t make excuses for what they did. Not tonight.”
“I’m sorry, I won’t.” Tarius kissed his forehead. “I hate seeing you in so much pain.”
“I mean…I always knew my sire was a despicable person and a rapist, but there was a weird comfort knowing he was my omegin’s mate.
That at one point, however brief, Dad said yes to having children with him.
” Branson’s throat thickened and his eyes burned.
“Now he’s this faceless monster who Krause invited over to rape my omegin. How can that feel so much worse?”
“Because Krause was the devil you knew.”
“Yeah.” That made sense but didn’t hurt any less.
“What do you need?”
“Hold me tonight?”
“Of course. Come on.”
Tarius led him to the bedroom without turning on additional lights. In the red glow of his alarm clock, they shed their dress clothes, folded them, then climbed into bed. As soon as Tarius spooned up behind him, his arms tight around Branson’s chest, Branson started to cry.
The tears started slowly, silent drips across his nose and temple. Then the first sob ripped from his throat, and Tarius held him tighter. He never let go while Branson mourned the life he loved and prepared for the new reality tomorrow would bring.
“He’s never going to forgive me, is he?” Kell Cross asked, unsure if his beloved mate even understood the question, his voice was so rough and worn from crying.
After the confrontation with Branson, Kell had gone upstairs to their bedroom and sobbed himself sick, while Ronin dealt with the babysitter, the triplets, and later, with Emory and Eriq.
He didn’t know what Ronin told them, only that neither knocked on his bedroom door.
Kell was sniffling in bed, his nose stuffy, head throbbing, when the house quieted and Ronin finally joined him.
“He will, at some point,” Ronin replied as he crawled onto the bed and gently tugged Kell onto his lap.
Kell hugged his mate, needing his familiar strength.
The hugs that always made him feel safe.
But there was no safety from the fallout of Branson’s anger and devastation. This secret had crushed their son.
“His face tonight, Ronin. He looked at me like I was a stranger.” Kell had seen a lot of things, suffered a lot of experiences in his forty-eight years, but he’d go to his grave never forgetting Branson’s expression of utter betrayal.
“He’s in shock, little one.”
“Because of us.”
“No, because of something that is going on a thousand miles away.”
“Did we ruin our son’s life?”
Ronin squeezed the back of his neck. “No. We made a serious decision twenty-four years ago to protect Branson. We agreed to keep Chip Uty’s name out of our mouths. Uty wanted the out, so we had no reason to believe Branson would ever learn differently.”
“But how did this Jeuel Alder learn who Branson is? Do you think Chip died?”
“It’s the only thing that makes sense. If it had been a situation like with Zaq’s son, the court papers wouldn’t be asking for custody placement, they’d be asking for a DNA test.”
Kell grunted. Not quite a year ago, Caden’s mate Zaq had been contacted by the sire of Zaq’s young son Alvis, because Alvis needed a bone marrow donation to save his life.
Caden and Zaq’s relationship had still been tender, and Alvis’s existence was a shock to their whole family, but Caden had stood by his now-mate.
Kell understood a parent’s desperation to find a solution to their child’s health crisis, even someone as cruel and unforgivable as Chip Uty.
But that wasn’t what this was about. This was about the custody of a seventeen-year-old omega, likely another of Chip’s children, and Jeuel had reached out to Branson.
If an omega was in trouble and Kell’s family could help, they helped.
“I made some calls and left some messages,” Ronin continued, “but I’m unlikely to hear back before tomorrow. I also did a quick internet search while I was in your office. The name Chip Uty was last used in Rolina Province twenty-two years ago. No death certificate that I could find.”
“So, he changed his name.”
“I’d be more surprised if he hadn’t, to be honest, especially with how notorious your trial was. I’m sure anyone else who cut deals eventually found a way to disappear and distance themselves from the Iverson name.”
“Probably. Did we make the wrong choice back then? To not tell Branson?”
“No, and I believe that in my soul. You had been severely traumatized by everything Krause put you through, from the violence, to giving Branson away, to him threatening Braun, and then the trial? You needed the reassurance that Branson was safe from Chip, or anyone else who might try to take him away from you. I needed you to know your son was safe with us, for your own mental health.”
Ronin caressed his cheek with a familiar, calming touch.
“Do you remember those first few years? You’d let people hold him, but you watched them like a hawk.
You almost never wanted to leave him with a sitter who wasn’t Braun or Serge, and even then, you were a nervous wreck.
You only seemed to break free from that when you asked to have another baby. ”
“I know.” So many details of those first few years were still blurry, and Kell might have forgotten them completely if not for his journals, which his therapist suggested he start keeping not long after the trial.
So much of his time and energy had been used up caring for Branson and repairing his own mental health.
Knowing Branson was safe had meant the world to him, and Kell would have agreed to almost anything.
He and Ronin had discussed telling Branson the truth, off and on, over the years. When Kell’s life went screaming back into the media during his memoir’s release, they’d discussed it again. But if they told Branson, and if Branson somehow let it slip to anyone…and it got back to Uty….
“We always knew this could happen, even though we prayed it wouldn’t,” Ronin said. “Branson is an amazing man, and he got that from you. Just love him and let him process his anger.”
“I’m glad you’re sure. I need your confidence to feed mine for a while.”
“Done.”
Kell accepted a gentle kiss. “I don’t want Branson to think he isn’t wanted. Krause gave him away because he was beta. Chip gave him away to save face and possible criminal charges.”
“He’ll probably have those thoughts, and he’s allowed to be angry about the ugly facts of his life. But as angry as he gets, Branson knows how much he’s loved. There are thirty people I can name who’d get in line to protect him, and you’d be at the very front.”
“I’d die for any of my kids, and I’d die twice over for our grandkids.”
“So would I. But as much as you want to protect Branson from the painful things he’s going to experience from this, you can’t. He needs to feel those emotions. We need to support him when he asks, and to give him space when he asks. And to let him lead in how and when people find out.”
“How can we keep this from Braun and Tarek? Or the other kids?”
“I don’t want to, but those papers were sent to Branson. This is his secret, especially until we know for sure that Chip Uty is Jeuel Alder’s sire. Until we have DNA proof that Branson and Jeuel are related, we shouldn’t tell anyone else.”
“What about Tarius? He heard everything.”
“He did. And he stood by our son like a man half-in-love. I like them together.”
“So do I.” Kell smiled for the first time in at least two hours.
“Branson did say his date to the Gala was the guy he’s been seeing for a few months.
I’m not sure I like the age difference, but it isn’t as if some of our friends don’t have big ones.
I’m just happy he’s found someone who obviously supports him.
He’s going to need all the support he can get while he works through this. ”
“Yes, he will.” Ronin kissed him gently on the mouth. “Come on, let’s get ready for bed. There’s nothing else we can do tonight.”
“Okay. I’m glad we’re in this together, my heart.”
“Always, little one. Always.”