Page 1 of Doubling Down

Prologue

Eric

The scream ripped through the silent apartment, making Eric Smith jerk up in bed. He no longer reached for his weapon when this happened. Rolling off the mattress, Eric pulled on a pair of sweatpants from a chair in the corner of his bedroom and grabbed his phone before striding across the room. Making a snap decision, he grabbed the other item that had been sitting on his nightstand.

Eric opened the door before moving to the bedroom across from his. “Brandon?” He knocked softly. When he didn’t get an answer, Eric turned the knob and pushed open the door. He turned on the flashlight from his phone, shining it around and peering inside the room to the king-size bed, but it was empty.

Eric kept his sigh inside as he made the short trip to where the closet door was cracked open. Sliding down the wall next to the door, Eric set the phone on the floor so it would shine inside the closet.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

There was sniffling. “I’m sorry.”

“No,” Eric said quietly. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

There was silence for so long that Eric almost thought his brother had fallen asleep. It that was the case, Eric didn’t want to be the one that woke Brandon again. Not if he was getting actual sleep this time.??Even if that sleep came inside a closet.

“It…it has been a while since I had a nightmare,” Brandon said softly.

“I know. Remember Rebecca did say that this could happen with you returning to work, even if it’s only a few shifts every couple of weeks,” Eric pointed out. Getting both he and his brother into therapy had been one of the best decisions that Eric had ever made. The therapy was hard, but Eric could see progress not only for Brandon, but Eric benefited as well. Rebecca not only understood the dynamic that Brandon needed but had helped Eric work out his concerns too.

“She did,” Brandon agreed.

“Did something happen at work?” Eric questioned. The undercover work Eric was currently doing for the Metro narcotics division added extra hours and he hadn’t been around as much for his brother. He hadn’t wanted Brandon to go back to work already but Brandon had claimed he was ready.

“No,” Brandon said quickly. “I had a great first week.”

Eric wished he could push the closet door open so he could see his brother’s face, but Rebecca had told Eric to allow Brandon his safe spaces. While Eric wouldn’t have chosen to be stuck in such a small space, it seemed to be what Brandon needed.

The feeling of failure when it came to his brother threatened to overwhelm him. Eric had tried to be a good role model, providing what they had needed growing up. He’d wanted Brandon to be able to take on the world with his sassy attitude and kind heart. Brandon reminded Eric of a ghost of his former self.

“I don’t want to be broken anymore.” Brandon’s voice shook as he spoke.

“You are not broken,” Eric said firmly. He hated hearing Brandon talk that way about himself.

Brandon snorted. “I think we both know that’s not true.”

“I disagree,” Eric argued. “I know you don’t like it when I say it but you’re a survivor. I am so fucking proud of you. You could have given up and no one would have blamed you. I sure the hell wouldn’t have. Instead, you’ve been rebuilding your life.”

“It’s hard.”

Eric clenched his fists. He wanted to hold his little brother and promise that everything would be okay. Their therapist, Rebecca, had warned Eric not to do that. He looked down on what he was holding.??Little things that called to his brother’s little side helped recreate the bond that had been broken between them.

“I know it’s hard, but you are doing so good,” Eric said, like he just remembered. “Hey! I have something for you.”

“I…I don’t want to leave…the closet yet.” Brandon sniffled again.

“You don’t have to,” Eric said quickly. He placed the little stuffed dog in the small crack between the door and frame. “I saw Dane today. He gave me something for you.” He pushed the stuffed dog farther into the closet, forcing the door to creak open farther.

“That’s for me?” Brandon reached out, quickly grabbing the stuffed animal before his hand disappeared again.

“Yes. Dane said that it looks just like the dog he’s training with, and he wanted you to have it.” There had been many changes in Eric’s life since his brother had come to live with him.Leaving the small team that he’d worked narcotics with for the last decade was just one of the major changes. Eric had been moved to work in more of an undercover role, Dane was training to become a K-9 officer, and Remi had been promoted as the new lieutenant of their division.

Eric wasn’t big on changes but in the last six months he’d been forced to adjust.

First, he’d moved out of his small studio apartment and bought a house. He wanted to make sure that Brandon knew that he would always have a safe space to live. His team had taken a major drug trafficking gang off the streets, leading to promotions for all of them. His life looked nearly picture-perfect from the outside but looks could be deceiving. Sitting in a dark room, hardwood floor digging into his ass, was proof not everything was roses in his life.

“What’s Dane’s dog’s name?” Brandon asked, drawing Eric’s attention from his own thoughts.

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