Chapter 24 – LIAM
CHAPTER 24
LIAM
T he elevator ride back up to the penthouse is quiet, but I can't wipe the grin off my face. Meeting Skye was... interesting. The lass has fire, that's for sure. Reminds me a bit of my cousin Siobhan. Same take-no-shit attitude, same protective streak when it comes to the people she loves.
And she clearly loves Bella.
It's good to know our omega has someone like that in her corner.
Our omega.
I shake my head, trying to dislodge the possessive thought. Bella isn't ours. No matter how wrong that feels, no matter how much every alpha instinct I possess screams at me to claim her, to protect her, to...
The elevator doors slide open with a soft ding, interrupting my increasingly dangerous train of thought. As we step into the penthouse, I immediately sense that something's off. The air feels thick, and there's a lingering scent of alpha aggression that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
Roman's scent.
And beneath it, the acrid stench of fear.
Braxley's fear.
My muscles tense instinctively as I scan for threats, but the penthouse seems quiet. Too quiet.
"You feel that?" Troy mutters, his usual playful demeanor nowhere to be seen.
Savva nods, his sharp eyes taking in every detail. "Something's happened."
As if on cue, Roman emerges from the guest wing. One look at his face confirms my suspicions. His jaw is clenched tight enough to crack teeth, and there's a dangerous glint in his eyes I haven't seen since our last combat mission.
"Pack meeting," he says without preamble. "Now."
We follow him into the guest wing, exchanging worried glances. Cole is already there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His scarred face is knit into an even angrier scowl than usual, which is saying something.
Roman closes the door behind us, then runs a hand through his hair. It's a tell I've learned to recognize over the years.
Whatever's happened, it's bad.
"What's going on?" I ask, not bothering to hide my concern. "Did something happen while we were out?"
Roman's laugh is harsh and humorless. "You could say that." He paces the length of the room, his movements sharp and agitated. "I found something on Braxley's phone. He's cheating on Bella."
He fucking what?
For a moment, all I can hear is the roaring of blood in my ears as rage—pure, unfiltered alpha rage—floods my system.
"You can't be serious." Troy's voice is barely recognizable, stripped of all its usual warmth.
"Cheating," Roman repeats, his own anger evident in the way his hands clench into fists. "Found messages on some dating app. He's been setting up hookups behind Bella's back."
The rational part of my brain shuts down completely. All I can think about is Bella—sweet, kind Bella who deserves so much better than this—and how much I want to tear Braxley limb from fucking limb.
"So what do we do?" I hear myself ask, my voice coming out in a growl. "Kill him?"
I'm deadly serious. It would be easy. One "accident" during a security detail, and no one would ever know.
"It would be simple to make it look like a mistake," Savva muses in agreement, his cultured voice at odds with the cold calculation in his eyes. "A fall from the balcony, perhaps. Or an unfortunate gym accident."
"No one would miss him," Troy adds darkly.
"We're not killing him," Roman says, though I can tell from his tone that he's considered it himself. "As satisfying as that might be."
"And why the fuck not?" I demand, my accent thickening with anger. "The bastard deserves it. After everything he's put Bella through?—"
"Because Bella needs us functional," Cole interrupts, his gravelly voice cutting through my rage. "Not in prison."
I want to argue, but deep down, I know they're right. Killing Braxley won't help Bella. If anything, it would just make things worse.
Still.
A man can dream.
"So what are we going to do?" Troy asks, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "We can't just let him get away with this shit."
"I've already handled it," Roman says grimly. "Sort of."
Something in his tone makes me narrow my eyes. "What did you do?"
Roman's smile is all teeth. "Let's just say Braxley and I had a... discussion about his extracurricular activities. I gave him twenty-four hours to tell Bella the truth, or I'll do it for him."
"How many hours ago was this?" Savva asks dryly.
"About four."
"Not too far off from my original timeline, then." Savva's tone is casual, but I catch the way his eyes flick to his watch. He's already counting down the hours until he can unleash whatever dirt he's undoubtedly dug up on Braxley.
"We need to be careful," Roman continues, his expression serious. "This is going to be hard on Bella. The last thing she needs is us going alpha-male crazy and making it worse."
I growl low in my throat, not liking where this is going. "So what, we just sit back and watch while that piece of shit breaks her heart?"
"No," Roman says firmly. "We be there for her. We support her. But we let her handle this her way."
"And if her way involves forgiving him?" Troy asks, voicing the fear we're all feeling.
The thought of Bella staying with Braxley after this makes me want to put my fist through a wall. Or better yet, through Braxley's perfectly moisturized, overly glossy face.
"Then that's her choice," Roman says, even though I can see how much it costs him to say those words. "We're here to protect her, not make decisions for her."
"This is bullshit," I mutter, starting to pace. The room feels too small, too confined. I need to hit something. Need to let out this rage before it consumes me.
"Liam." Roman's voice is sharp, commanding. "I know you're angry. We all are. But flying off the handle isn't going to help Bella."
"Neither is sitting on our asses while that narcissistic fuckboy toys with her emotions!" I snap back.
"You think this is easy for me?" Roman demands, his own control slipping. "You think I didn't want to punch his teeth out when I found those messages?"
I know he's right. I know it. But every alpha instinct I possess is screaming at me to protect our mate, to eliminate the threat to her happiness.
Even if that threat is her own fiancé.
"Fine," I growl finally. "But if he hurts her again?—"
"Then all bets are off," Roman finishes, his eyes hard. "Trust me, I've made that very clear to him."
The silence that follows is heavy as fuck. We all know that if Braxley steps out of line again, no amount of rational thinking will stop us from tearing him apart.
"So now what?" Troy asks, breaking the awkward silence. "We just... wait?"
"Yes," Roman confirms. "We wait."
I blow out a frustrated breath, trying to reign in my anger. "Twenty hours," I mutter. "He's got twenty hours to come clean, or I'm not responsible for my actions."
"Nineteen hours and forty-seven minutes," Savva corrects, checking his watch again. "But who's counting?"
Despite everything, I feel a small smile tug at my lips. Trust Savva to find the dark humor in any situation.
"In the meantime," Roman continues, "we need to stay focused. There's still a credible threat against both Braxley and Bella. We can't let our personal feelings interfere with keeping them safe."
"Even if one of them deserves whatever's coming to him?" Troy mutters.
Roman's expression darkens. "Even then. We're professionals. We do our job, no matter what."
I want to argue, but years of military training kick in. Roman's right. We have a job to do, personal feelings aside.
And right now, that job is protecting Bella.
Even if that means protecting the bastard who's about to break her heart.
"Alright," I say finally, my voice rough. "But I want it on record that I think this is a mistake. Waiting is just giving him time to come up with more lies."
"Noted," Roman says dryly. "Now, we need to figure out how to handle the next twenty hours without any of us committing murder."
"Nineteen hours and forty-five minutes," Savva corrects again.
"Not helping, Savva."
As the others start discussing the usual patrol schedules and security measures, my mind drifts to Bella. Sweet, beautiful Bella who's about to have her world turned upside down.
Again.
I think about her smile at the cafe today, the way her eyes lit up when she saw her friend. The sound of her laugh, free and unguarded for once.
And I know, with a certainty that shakes me to my core, that I would do anything to protect that smile. To keep her safe and happy.
Even if it means letting her go.
The thought sends a sharp pain through my chest, but I push it aside. Right now, Bella needs protectors, not possessive alphas trying to control her like everyone else does.
So I'll wait.
I'll watch.
And I'll be ready to catch her when she falls.
Because she will fall. The question is, will she let us help her back up? Or will she retreat further into the gilded cage Braxley and their families have built around her?
Only time will tell.
Nineteen hours and forty-three minutes of time, to be exact.