BROKEN COURAGE (Broken Redemption Book 3)

Chapter 15

Lucas

With no other choice, Nero and I follow Ben out the back door to the patio and down the steps toward the cement wall surrounding the property. Waves of tension permeate the surrounding air, and with every stiff step he takes, my hackles rise as my body prepares for what will undoubtedly be an unpleasant conversation. Not only is Ben an observant bastard, but he's also a relentless know-it-all who takes pleasure in getting all up in everyone's business out of some twisted sense of duty. The way I'm acting, what he's seen since he arrived... he's not going to let this go, which means the only way this will end is with my fist planted squarely in his face, given I refuse to betray Embree's confidence by telling him what's going on.

"What the fuck do you want, Ben? Just spit it the fuck out so we can get on with it and move the hell on."

"Quit being such a dick. I asked you out here because I'm worried about you," he retorts over his shoulder without slowing his pace. "You're spiraling, man. And as your friend, it's my job to ensure you don't lose sight of what's important."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

With a deep scowl, he turns to face me. "You need to talk about it."

"Talk about what? What the hell are you getting at?" I feign ignorance, even as the fury that's been simmering in my gut over the past few weeks boils over.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe about the fact that the woman you love and came back to reclaim is now pregnant with her ex-husband's child." His arms extend out to his sides, and like I've been slapped in the face, my eyes snap to his. "She told your sister, who then told me."

"She shouldn't have said a goddamned word! It's no one's business but Emilia's."

"Emilia... huh." He cocks his head to the side. "Is that what you're calling her now?" He has the nerve to smirk at me.

That he's taking pleasure in pissing me the hell off, only reaffirms I shouldn't give him the reaction he wants. Schooling my features into a mask of indifference, I stare at him. When he realizes I'm not going to respond, he continues.

"Look, it's okay to have mixed feelings about it and to want to track the motherfucker down so you can bleed him dry. God knows if it was your sister, I'd burn the world to the ground to find him so I could torture him bloody and then present his mutilated cock at her feet."

Refusing to accept the dark thoughts ruminating in my head as anything close to acceptable, I shake my head. "No, you wouldn't, because you love her and the only thing that matters in a situation like this is doing what's best for her."

"Then you're a better man than me," he mumbles under his breath, as he turns to continue walking along the perimeter wall. Like mine, his head is on a constant swivel as we both scan the area for threats while noting the various cameras and sensor lights that confirm the security system is operational.

When we make it to the front of the property, he stops me. "If I were in your shoes, I don't know what I'd do." With eyes cast down toward the ground in front of him, he shakes his head. "Whatever you decide, just know I'm here. Whatever you need, whether it's help stringing the fucker up, or just simply someone to commiserate and drown your sorrows with, I'm here for you, man. No questions asked. No matter what. Even if you decide this is too much and choose to walk away, I have your back. Always."

His unwavering honesty and support alleviates some of the weight constricting my chest and sets my mind at ease. It's exactly what I needed to hear, and serves as validation that what I'm feeling isn't selfish, but a natural reaction to a fucked up situation that's outside of my control.