Page 69 of Edge of Danger

“Then get him out of my sight.” Brax turned to Hawkins. He needed to keep the man from killing Robert right now. “Just do me a favor? Call it what I’m owed for giving you what you want.”

“What is it?”

“Get him far from here before you do what you plan to do. He’s still close enough to San Antonio that there could be blowback on me just because we’re related. I’m trying to run a business, you know?”

It was a risk, but Hawkins appeared to appreciate this. “Fair enough. I’ll get him far enough from here that the blowback won’t fall on you. Seems he made your life difficult enough already.”

“Don’t get me started.” Brax removed his earpiece when neither of the other men were looking and glanced down at the empty car seat.

Was this all that was left of his life? An empty car seat? The memory of what had brought him indescribable happiness and contentment? Even if it was, Tessa and Walker would be together and safe. The way it was meant to be. He could take that with him wherever he went.

His family would be safe. Brax might be alone, but they would be safe.

“Who are you?”

His head snapped up at Hawkins’s question.

And everything turned upside down.

“Wow,” Prince Riviera chuckled as he dragged a gagged Tessa into the warehouse with a pistol to her head. “I thought you were supposed to be a good guy, Patterson. But you just sold your brother out even though you know he’s gonna end up dead.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Tessa had no idea what had happened.

One minute she was hurrying to her car, glad everything had gone okay and Hawkins had let her go so easily. Imagining being reunited with her son, living with him. No fear. Nobody to keep them apart anymore. She could be his mother openly.

Then, while she’d been waiting in the car for Brax or one of the others to come for her like they’d promised, the door had opened. She’d screamed as Prince Riviera had reached in and pulled her out by her hair.

Not that she’d ever had the displeasure of meeting him before then—she’d recognized Riviera from the news. Tall, thin, with a mouth that was curled up in a permanent sneer. Like he knew something the rest of the world didn’t.

She would’ve screamed again to signal Brax, but Prince had a gun, which was the only thing that could have silenced her. He’d pressed it to her temple with a laugh, and one glimpse of his dark, empty eyes had chilled her to the bone.

“I don’t know what the hell’s going on here,” he’d whispered, holding her close, “but you and I are going inside to have a little talk with Patterson.”

He’d then shoved her back into the car, sitting her sideways so her feet were on the ground, his gun still at her head while the friend he’d brought with him went over to the warehouse to listen in. He’d come back, reporting what had gone down.

Prince had laughed softly, shaking his head. “Maybe we were coming at this Brax the wrong way. I didn’t think he had it in him to do something like that.”

Then, holding her arm in a painful grip that had hurt as much as the patch of scalp he’d pulled her hair from, he had dragged her to the warehouse. “Come on,” he’d snorted. “Let’s go in and have a talk with your boyfriend.”

Just when she’d convinced herself a future with Brax was possible, probable—maybe even certain—the gun at her head had turned her insides to water.

All she could do as Prince had pulled her into the warehouse was thank the heavens that Walker wasn’t there. That he was safe.

She couldn’t say the same for herself.

ITWASBRAX’Sworst nightmare come true.

Not because he’d had any fear for himself. It didn’t matter what happened to him, not now. But Tessa...he couldn’t live if anything happened to her. And right then, with her mouth gagged and a gun to her head? A gun held by none other than Prince Riviera?

A beyond-worst nightmare come true.

“What’s this all about?” Hawkins demanded. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Shut up,” Riviera spat. “I’m talking to my friend over here, Mr. Patterson. He’s a tough man to get a hold of, you know? I’ve been looking for him ever since my friends paid him a visit a few days ago.”

“Yeah, thanks for that.” Brax’s gaze moved to Tessa, whose eyes were wide enough to bulge. “Did you hurt her?”

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