Edge of Danger (San Antonio Security #2)

Chapter Twenty

If Brax had his choice of anybody in the world to work alongside, he would’ve chosen his brothers every time.

Things usually got intense when the stakes were high, but it had never been like this. For one thing, he was normally the one breaking the tension. Trying to pick up everybody’s spirits, keeping the group from splintering due to emotions running high and hot.

Now? It was his brothers’ turns to calm him.

“When I think of what could’ve happened...” He ran his hands through his hair before resting them on top of his head, almost like he was holding it in place. That was how it felt. Like his head might fall off because of everything going on inside.

“Here’s an idea—stop thinking about it.” Chance didn’t bother softening this with a smile.

“He’s right. You’re driving yourself crazy.” Luke patted Brax’s shoulder on his way to the break room for fresh coffee.

Easy for them to say. Like he could let go of everything he’d seen and felt last night. There wasn’t much in the world powerful enough to scare him. Last night qualified.

“But what if I’d been working late? What if it had been just Tessa and the baby at home? What if I hadn’t been there?” He looked around the conference room, where they were working together to put a plan in place.

Weston blew out a long sigh. “It could’ve been much worse.”

“What if we hadn’t been awake at the time?” he continued, remembering the kisses in the kitchen, how sweet it had been to have Tessa in his arms. Close to him.

How right it had felt, bringing Walker downstairs for his feeding. How...satisfying. Like having a little family of his own. It had all fallen to pieces so fast. But like Weston had pointed out, it could’ve been so much worse.

Chance had his whiteboard out and the thing looked like some abstract masterpiece. Multicolored words and phrases scrawled everywhere. It was like he was planning an invasion.

Alibi. Witnesses. Testimony.

Brax’s insides twisted at the sight of the word alibi . It referred to the iron-clad alibi Prince Riviera had presented to the cops during questioning. For both events. There’d been a dozen people hanging out together at that time of the morning. A dozen people willing and eager to offer proof of their late-night partying. How convenient.

And even if Prince had been partying like he’d said, it didn’t matter. He didn’t have to be physically present at the scene for his thugs to do the dirty work for him—if anything, it was more likely that he would send them on ahead to keep his hands clean.

Like a man in his position ever had clean hands. He was the weakest, most cowardly one of them all.

Weston noticed Brax staring at the whiteboard. “You know, not a single cop in San Antonio believes a word that comes out of Riviera’s mouth. Or his so-called associates.”

Brax shook his head. “It doesn’t do anybody on their hit list much good to know the police don’t believe the bad guys. Not when there isn’t enough evidence to tie said bad guys to anything. Doesn’t make them any safer.”

“Agreed. But law enforcement are on your side.”

“I hope they still are when I need them again.” Though if he had it his way, he wouldn’t need them. Brax would take care of Prince Riviera on his own. With his bare hands if necessary.

Brax gladly accepted the fresh coffee Luke brought back for him. “Why is it that when we need to be our sharpest, it’s usually when we’re lacking sleep? Is it just me or is that the way it goes?”

Luke gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I know what you mean. You saw how I was when Claire was in the thick of it.”

“As long as I make it through the next five days and get the pleasure of testifying against Riviera, at least one of my problems will be solved.”

Luke didn’t share Brax’s hopeful grin. In fact, he looked downright pained when he sat. He frowned at Brax. “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but do you think it’s a good idea to look at the trial as the end of the road?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean Riviera isn’t the sort of guy who lets bygones be bygones. Let’s say he goes to prison thanks to your testimony. You think he’ll let it all go because he’s behind bars? If anything, he’ll be more determined than ever to get back at you.”

The coffee went sour in Brax’s mouth. Not that it had been all that great in the first place.

“Why didn’t I think of that?” He looked around at his brothers as if any of them could give him an answer. “What’s wrong with me?”

“There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re stretched thin, is all.” Luke offered a slow nod. “I know what you’re feeling. You can only think as far ahead as the solution for the most pressing problem you’re facing at this moment.”

“Think too far into the future and you’re liable to think yourself into inertia—or madness,” Weston added with a grim expression.

Unable to sit still, Brax jumped to his feet and paced the length of the room. “If I’m not safe after my testimony, that means Tessa and Walker won’t be safe either. Not if they’re anywhere near me.”

It tore him up inside just thinking about them being in greater danger. Especially when he realized he was the reason for that danger. There was one thing he’d learned in the past twelve hours or so: Tessa and Walker were his world, and he couldn’t live without them.

“I think it’s time we get the police department on this for real.”

Brax turned toward Weston at his suggestion. “Meaning what?”

“Meaning we have them watch you. And Riviera. We’ll know every move he makes, and we’ll have eyes on you at all times to make sure you’re okay. I think that’s our best bet at the moment.”

“You’re probably right about that,” Brax agreed. “I know I’d feel better if we had eyes on him and his associates.” He rolled his eyes at that. Associates. Like the cartel was some sort of legitimate business.

“That doesn’t change what might happen after you testify,” Luke pointed out. “We need to think long-term.”

“All right. Let’s think long-term.” Chance, always the strategist. He would be the one to jump on the idea of putting a plan together. “We can keep you hidden for a few years, if that’s what it comes to. We have the resources. You could virtually vanish.”

“Riviera’s got connections, but there’s no way he’d have enough to look for you all over the country,” Luke mused. “It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. He’d have to give up after a while, especially if the cartel implodes without him.”

“Which is exactly what the DA is hoping will happen,” Brax agreed. “His resources will only take him so far once he’s inside, and the jackals will eat each other in his absence.”

“But—”

They went silent. Weston drew a deep breath before continuing. “You’d have to go it alone. By yourself.”

The implication hung heavy over their heads. No Tessa. No Walker.

On the one hand, he knew that was for the best. Riviera’s thugs could still find him.

On the other hand, there was no other hand. He loathed the idea of being away from Tessa and Walker. What was the use of finding what he never knew he’d been waiting for if he ended up losing it so quickly?

“I don’t know. This is a lot to process at once.” He kept pacing like it would do any good, like it would help him make sense of the thoughts crashing into each other in his mind.

Saying goodbye to them or sticking around and exposing them to greater danger. They might not be so lucky next time, and he knew it.

He looked around the conference room. This was his business. These were his brothers. He was proud of what they’d built, just like they were. He didn’t want to give up the results of their hard work. He couldn’t abandon his brothers either. They were a team.

Not to mention the thought of losing Tessa and Walker completely gutted him.

“It’s funny.” He spoke more to himself than to any of them, looking at his feet as he walked the room. “For a minute there, I almost tricked myself into believing I had a normal life. Like this little game of house I’ve been playing with Tessa wasn’t a game. It was comfortable. I felt normal.”

“You are normal.”

He chuckled at Weston without looking at him and replied, “Come on. You know what I mean.”

“This won’t be forever. You can have your normal life back once this blows over.”

“I don’t want to wait for it to blow over. I don’t want to have to hide.”

Luke snorted. Brax’s head snapped around. “Is that funny?”

“Whoa, whoa.” Luke held up his hands. “Don’t shoot. I was reading a text from Claire. She’s checking in from the apartment.”

Brax scrubbed his hands over his face. “Sorry. I didn’t—”

“It’s okay.”

He jerked his chin toward the phone. “What’d she say? How are things?”

“She says all is well over there. She and Maci dropped off the supplies.”

“Great.” That was one load off his mind, anyway. Maybe he’d overdone it with the list he’d given the women before sending them out, but Tessa and Walker’s comfort meant too much for him to care.

“Claire likes her.” Luke grinned. “And she thinks Walker’s so cute she might want to reconsider her whole no-kids stance.”

That got a laugh out of Brax. “She should’ve met him a few weeks back when all he could do was scream. Man, was it only a few weeks ago? It feels like a lifetime.”

“A lot can happen in a month.” Luke spread his arms. “Again, I know all about it.”

A buzzing sound cut through the air, surprising them all. The front door normally wouldn’t have been locked, but this wasn’t a typical workday, and their office manager wasn’t at the front desk to greet visitors. It had made sense to keep things locked up.

For that and for other reasons. Which was why they’d given Maci a little paid time off. If Riviera decided to pay a visit to the office...

Chance headed out there. “I’ll see who it is.”

“We don’t get a lot of walk-ins, do we?” Luke asked, sitting up straighter than before, like he didn’t trust the situation.

“Could be a delivery. Maci would have a better idea than we would of whether something was on its way.” Weston started out like he wanted to back Chance up, but Chance’s voice floated their way from the front door.

“Brax? Could you come out here?”

Brax looked at the others before going out to see what Chance wanted. He didn’t sound panicked or even anxious. If anything, his voice had sounded...flat.

It took all of three seconds for Brax to understand why. The sight of somebody very familiar told him everything he needed to know.

“Hey, bro.” Robert offered one of his typical greasy smiles. “Long time, no see.”