One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
The room was silent for thirty seconds before Brielle lit a fuse. She started yelling and cursing. “My stupid cousin. What the hell? I’m going to kill him!”
Elijah and I shared a look. I agreed with every word she said, but it was Emerson. We were going to kick him out of the band, but he was still family. He was still from Grant West, like the rest of us. I knew why Elijah had come to me. I’d help him, no matter what, with Emerson. I already had, and thinking back to that last time, I shook my head. We barely got out of Brute’s alive. How was this going to be any different?
I said to Eli, ignoring Brielle’s curses, “Tell me you have a good solid-proof plan this time.”
Brielle stopped yelling. She was quiet for a beat, and then she started laughing. “Are you serious? Wait, you are. We all are. We’re all crazy!” The bed squeaked as she sunk down on it. She was completely dressed, shaking her head.
“Look.” Elijah stabbed his finger toward the ground. “I am aware of how stupid Emerson is. I’m aware of how much of an asshole he’s been. I get it, trust me, but he’s up shit creek if we don’t help him.”
“You’re talking about walking into Brute’s territory again and what?” There were so many things that could go wrong. “If Emerson’s wearing a wire, there’s going to be cops everywhere. Why can’t he say the safe word and have them charge the place?”
“Because Emerson being Emerson didn’t think everything through. If Brute marks him as a narc, he’s dead. I don’t think you get it either. Brute’s organization is no joke. He’s the reason I’m out of the business. I didn’t want to cross the line of killing someone. That’s what Brute does. Emerson can’t say anything. He can’t be searched. They’ll find the wire, and he can’t call for help. The cops will give it away. We have to get in there and do something to get him out.” He ground out, “I wouldn’t be here if I had someone else to ask. Trust me, I’ve stopped selling. People are pissed at me. You’re it. You’re the only ones I can ask for help.” He skimmed an eye over Bri. “I didn’t know she’d be here, and I figured I couldn’t ask Braden, because—”
A growl slipped from Brielle.
Elijah added, “She would’ve killed me.”
I held up a hand. “Wait, I still have to wrap my mind around this. Emerson went to Brute’s, and he’s wearing a wire?”
“The dumbass got cornered by the cops. They took him in for something, and this was their bargaining chip.” He shared a look with Brielle. “They tried the same crap with Bri, too, but I’m guessing Emerson was on something. He’s got a big rock star rep to protect. I’m sure they said do this or be incarcerated.”
“But a wire?”
“Yeah, cops do this shit. It’s not just in movies. They like to get people to narc on their friends, or in this case, on his own drug dealer.”
“What’s he doing now?” Brielle asked. Standing, she folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. “You said he decided against going through with it.”
“He said they’re searching people for a wire. He didn’t say why or anything.”
I recognized that look and started shaking my head. “No. No way.”
“Shut it.” She sent me a scathing look and turned her back to me. It was a deliberate movement, and she asked Elijah again, “What’s he doing to keep them from searching him?”
Elijah glanced between us, but I caught the familiarity in his gaze. Oh, yes. He’d seen this side of her, too. He knew exactly what was going on. Bri was going to help, and she was doing it no matter what I or anyone else said. If I forced her to stay… I wished I owned some handcuffs.
“He’s taking a shit.”
Brielle cocked her head to the side. “Say again?”
Elijah repeated, “He’s taking a shit. He’s pretending to have massive diarrhea. Once he figured out they were looking for wires on people, he took a dump in his pants. He can shit on command.”
“You’re serious?” Brielle swung back to me. “Is he serious?”
I nodded. “He used to practice on the back of our tour bus.” I grimaced. “He thought it was hilarious. No one else did.”
“Oh my god,” she muttered. “My cousin is an idiot.”
Elijah’s hand shot up, and he snapped his fingers at her. “Yes, you’re getting it. He’s an idiot, but we all love him.” Brielle’s eyebrows arched high, and he amended, “We all feel some form of obligation toward him. How about that?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever. Wherever you guys are going, I’m going.”
Her tone sounded flippant, but her teeth sank deep into her bottom lip. Brielle was worried, just as much as Elijah. This was Emerson. He was in trouble, again. I should’ve been worried, but she was coming. I was livid instead. I cared about him, but I loved her. And he was going to put her in danger.
Elijah had been watching me, his eyes shadowed.
I clenched my jaw. Fine. I jerked my head in a tight nod. “Let’s go.”
That was all Elijah needed. He was halfway out the door before he called over his shoulder, “I have weapons. You don’t need to grab any. I have enough.”
“Weapons,” Bri murmured to herself. Her head was bent, and she pressed her hands against her side. “Okay. Weapons. We can do this.” She started forward, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
“You don’t have to do this.” Please, don’t do this. “He has treated you like shit for years. You really don’t have to go.”
Her hand paused in the air and closed over mine. She gave me a reassuring nod. “I want to go. You’re going. Elijah’s going. And, yes, even my dick cousin—I care about all of you.” Her eyes were tracing my face as she softened her tone. “And I love you.” Her voice was a caress. She cupped the side of my face. “I love you.”
I leaned into her touch. It was tender, warm, and what I wanted to enjoy—not what we were about to do. “Bri…” Visions of locking her in a room, tying her to a chair, and finding something that resembled handcuffs all flashed in my mind. Anything to keep her from going with us. I had a bad feeling.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
The room was silent for thirty seconds before Brielle lit a fuse. She started yelling and cursing. “My stupid cousin. What the hell? I’m going to kill him!”
Elijah and I shared a look. I agreed with every word she said, but it was Emerson. We were going to kick him out of the band, but he was still family. He was still from Grant West, like the rest of us. I knew why Elijah had come to me. I’d help him, no matter what, with Emerson. I already had, and thinking back to that last time, I shook my head. We barely got out of Brute’s alive. How was this going to be any different?
I said to Eli, ignoring Brielle’s curses, “Tell me you have a good solid-proof plan this time.”
Brielle stopped yelling. She was quiet for a beat, and then she started laughing. “Are you serious? Wait, you are. We all are. We’re all crazy!” The bed squeaked as she sunk down on it. She was completely dressed, shaking her head.
“Look.” Elijah stabbed his finger toward the ground. “I am aware of how stupid Emerson is. I’m aware of how much of an asshole he’s been. I get it, trust me, but he’s up shit creek if we don’t help him.”
“You’re talking about walking into Brute’s territory again and what?” There were so many things that could go wrong. “If Emerson’s wearing a wire, there’s going to be cops everywhere. Why can’t he say the safe word and have them charge the place?”
“Because Emerson being Emerson didn’t think everything through. If Brute marks him as a narc, he’s dead. I don’t think you get it either. Brute’s organization is no joke. He’s the reason I’m out of the business. I didn’t want to cross the line of killing someone. That’s what Brute does. Emerson can’t say anything. He can’t be searched. They’ll find the wire, and he can’t call for help. The cops will give it away. We have to get in there and do something to get him out.” He ground out, “I wouldn’t be here if I had someone else to ask. Trust me, I’ve stopped selling. People are pissed at me. You’re it. You’re the only ones I can ask for help.” He skimmed an eye over Bri. “I didn’t know she’d be here, and I figured I couldn’t ask Braden, because—”
A growl slipped from Brielle.
Elijah added, “She would’ve killed me.”
I held up a hand. “Wait, I still have to wrap my mind around this. Emerson went to Brute’s, and he’s wearing a wire?”
“The dumbass got cornered by the cops. They took him in for something, and this was their bargaining chip.” He shared a look with Brielle. “They tried the same crap with Bri, too, but I’m guessing Emerson was on something. He’s got a big rock star rep to protect. I’m sure they said do this or be incarcerated.”
“But a wire?”
“Yeah, cops do this shit. It’s not just in movies. They like to get people to narc on their friends, or in this case, on his own drug dealer.”
“What’s he doing now?” Brielle asked. Standing, she folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. “You said he decided against going through with it.”
“He said they’re searching people for a wire. He didn’t say why or anything.”
I recognized that look and started shaking my head. “No. No way.”
“Shut it.” She sent me a scathing look and turned her back to me. It was a deliberate movement, and she asked Elijah again, “What’s he doing to keep them from searching him?”
Elijah glanced between us, but I caught the familiarity in his gaze. Oh, yes. He’d seen this side of her, too. He knew exactly what was going on. Bri was going to help, and she was doing it no matter what I or anyone else said. If I forced her to stay… I wished I owned some handcuffs.
“He’s taking a shit.”
Brielle cocked her head to the side. “Say again?”
Elijah repeated, “He’s taking a shit. He’s pretending to have massive diarrhea. Once he figured out they were looking for wires on people, he took a dump in his pants. He can shit on command.”
“You’re serious?” Brielle swung back to me. “Is he serious?”
I nodded. “He used to practice on the back of our tour bus.” I grimaced. “He thought it was hilarious. No one else did.”
“Oh my god,” she muttered. “My cousin is an idiot.”
Elijah’s hand shot up, and he snapped his fingers at her. “Yes, you’re getting it. He’s an idiot, but we all love him.” Brielle’s eyebrows arched high, and he amended, “We all feel some form of obligation toward him. How about that?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever. Wherever you guys are going, I’m going.”
Her tone sounded flippant, but her teeth sank deep into her bottom lip. Brielle was worried, just as much as Elijah. This was Emerson. He was in trouble, again. I should’ve been worried, but she was coming. I was livid instead. I cared about him, but I loved her. And he was going to put her in danger.
Elijah had been watching me, his eyes shadowed.
I clenched my jaw. Fine. I jerked my head in a tight nod. “Let’s go.”
That was all Elijah needed. He was halfway out the door before he called over his shoulder, “I have weapons. You don’t need to grab any. I have enough.”
“Weapons,” Bri murmured to herself. Her head was bent, and she pressed her hands against her side. “Okay. Weapons. We can do this.” She started forward, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
“You don’t have to do this.” Please, don’t do this. “He has treated you like shit for years. You really don’t have to go.”
Her hand paused in the air and closed over mine. She gave me a reassuring nod. “I want to go. You’re going. Elijah’s going. And, yes, even my dick cousin—I care about all of you.” Her eyes were tracing my face as she softened her tone. “And I love you.” Her voice was a caress. She cupped the side of my face. “I love you.”
I leaned into her touch. It was tender, warm, and what I wanted to enjoy—not what we were about to do. “Bri…” Visions of locking her in a room, tying her to a chair, and finding something that resembled handcuffs all flashed in my mind. Anything to keep her from going with us. I had a bad feeling.
