A Few Days Later #2
Before I can ask what the hell that means, Warren’s voice cuts through the house from the kitchen. It’s sharp, angry, and unmistakably aimed at Jimmy.
Beck freezes, mirror still in his arms. He looks at me, brows knitting together. “…What’s going on?”
I grimace. “Jimmy’s here,” I say quietly. “I saw him in the backyard.”
Beck’s eyes widen. “The backyard?” He pauses, then adds, “That can’t be good.”
“No,” I agree.
The beta carefully lowers the mirror to the floor, leaning it against the wall like it’s suddenly the least important thing in the world. Then he turns and starts toward the kitchen.
“Beck,” I whisper loudly, panic creeping into my voice. “What the hell are you doing?”
He keeps walking, “Eavesdropping.”
“What?” I rush after him. “That’s a terrible idea.”
Beck glances back at me, already halfway there. “It’s an excellent idea.” He gives me a pointed look. “This is my house, and that jerk is uninvited, and Warren sounds like he’s about to peel paint off the walls. If something bad happens, someone needs to call for help.”
I hover at the edge of the living room, heart hammering, torn between following him and bolting upstairs like Warren told me to. My bond with the alpha hums tight and uneasy, Warren’s anger bleeding through despite his clumsy attempt to block me out.
I swear under my breath, then follow after Beck.
The closer I get to the kitchen, the louder Warren’s voice becomes.
I round the corner, instantly finding Beck lingering near the kitchen island, staring at the backyard.
The glass door is wide open, letting in a rush of warm air. Warren stands on the porch, shoulders rigid and hands clenched at his sides.
Jimmy is a few feet away, just off the edge of the porch. He looks livid. Face flushed red, jaw clenched so hard I can see his muscles tick. His hands keep flexing at his sides like he doesn’t know what to do with them.
“How fucking dare you show up at my house!” Warren snaps.
“I just want to talk,” Jimmy shouts back. “But you didn’t give me a chance. You're treating me like I’m not worth your fucking time. Like I’m—”
“This is not open for discussion,” Warren fires back. “Things didn’t work out, we let you go, and now you’re trespassing.”
My bond with my alpha spikes hot and jagged. Warren’s anger isn’t just loud. It’s coiling, tightening, slipping closer to something he’s barely holding in check.
My stomach twists. “Beck.” I moved to my beta’s side. “We should leave.”
“Yeah.” Beck nods once, then mutters under his breath, “This is escalating.” He pulls his cell phone out of his pocket. “I’m texting Cass.”
“You have no fucking clue what I’ve sacrificed for you, Warren.” Jimmy takes a step forward.
Warren doesn’t move back an inch. “If you take one more fucking step,” his voice drops into something dangerously calm, “you are going to regret it.”
Jimmy lets out a sharp, humorless laugh. “See? This. This right here is what I’m talking about.” He jabs a finger toward Warren, his face flushing darker by the second. “I just want to understand why.” His throat works as he swallows hard. “Why did you fire me? What did I do wrong?”
“It’s time for you to leave,” Warren says, his tone final.
My bond flares again, painfully bright. Warren’s restraint is fraying. I can feel it—the deliberate counting breaths, the effort it’s taking for him to stay where he is.
“Did you text Cass?” I whisper to Beck.
He quickly nods. “They had already gotten on the highway, but they’re headed back.” He holds out his phone so I can see, but I keep my eyes on Jimmy.
The young alpha’s hands curl into fists, then flex open again as if he’s trying to get control of them. “After everything I’ve done for you,” he grits his teeth, “how could you just wash your hands of me so easily?”
Warren’s mouth falls open, eyes wide with disbelief.
“What the fuck are you talking about, man?” His anger rises, making the base of my skull pulse.
“You were a fucking employee, we paid you well, and now it’s time for you to move on.
” He squares his shoulders, straining to keep his voice even.
“I won’t say it again, Jimmy. Leave before you upset my omega. ”
Jimmy scoffs, the sound brittle. “Your omega?” He shakes his head, breath coming faster now. “I can’t fucking believe you got an omega with Cass. That fucking asshole doesn’t deserve to build a pack with you.”
Something in Warren finally snaps.
He moves so fast I barely process it.
One second, he’s by the back door, rigid and controlled, the next he’s surging forward, grabbing a fistful of Jimmy’s shirt and yanking him in close. The porch creaks under the force of it.
“Listen to me, motherfucker,” Warren snarls, voice low and lethal. “You do not get to talk about my family like that. You don’t disrespect Cass, and you sure as shit don’t even mention my omega.” He shakes Jimmy. “Do you fucking understand?”
Jimmy’s eyes go wide with shock, but then rage flares right back up to meet Warren’s, burning hot and wild. “Get your hands off me!” he spits, shoving uselessly against Warren’s grip.
“Or what?” Warren growls. “What exactly do you think you’re going to do?”
Jimmy’s breathing turns ragged. His gaze darts over Warren's face, down and back up again.
My stomach drops.
“Fine,” Jimmy says, voice tight, trembling with something I can’t quite name. His hand moves, disappearing under his shirt, to his waistband.
He pulls something out, metal glinting in the morning sun.
Then he presses the barrel right to Warren’s throat.