Page 2 of Provoking Bryan

The ER would keep spinning, with or without him. Maybe out there, in the far corners of the world, he could find something—peace, purpose, or at least, a different kind of chaos.

For now, though, he washed the blood from his hands and prepared for another patient. The ER never slept, and neither could he.

Three Months Later

Bryan adjusted the cuff of his tailored tuxedo, the smooth silk material unfamiliar compared to the scrubs he’d worn just hours ago. His last shift at the ER had been a blur of blood, adrenaline, and quiet goodbyes, leaving him with a strange sense of finality. Tonight, he wasn’t Dr. Bryan Mena, ER physician—he was just Bryan, a man about to dive headfirst into the chaos of war zones and underserved communities.

The gala buzzed with energy. Waitstaff glided between clusters of well-dressed attendees, trays of champagne glasses balanced effortlessly in their hands. The room smelled of wealth and good intentions, though Bryan had learned long ago to distinguish the genuine from the performative.

He spotted Seth Newcomb. Cerberus was here. That was interesting. They didn’t normally provide onsite security to events. Their specialty was black ops, kidnap and ransom, extractions, close cover to the wealthy elite, et cetera, not babysitting a charity function.

Spotting him, Seth ambled over. Bryan found the man frustrating and fascinating at the same time. Seth was a member of the Cerberus team here in Chicago. Their US headquarters was over a swanky BDSM—or ‘lifestyle’ as they liked to call it—club here in the city. He knew a lot of Cerberus operatives, either having served with them during his time in the military or having been introduced to them over the years.

For the most part, he liked and respected them but had never understood the allure of the lifestyle. He had been in charge in the ER yet had never found any of his sexual relationships to be particularly satisfying. In fact, he’d often found them dull and had blamed that on himself and not his partners.

“Doc? It’s good to see you,” said Seth, snagging a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.

“Seth. I’m surprised Cerberus is here. Watching over a group of society people…”

“Normally we wouldn’t, or if we did, we’d be using it for training and would be charging them an arm and a leg, but we have close ties to Doctors Without Borders, and King thought it would be the right thing to do.”

“Are you expecting trouble?” Bryan asked, glancing around.

Seth’s beautiful wife, Hope, joined them, wrapping her arm around Seth and taking a sip of his champagne. “Not really, but trouble often seems to just find Cerberus.”

Seth chuckled. “She isn’t wrong, but I think it’s all safe for tonight. Who’s going to want to hurt a bunch of doctors just trying to ease some of the suffering in some of the worst shitholes in the world? Rumor has it you’re joining them. I thought you’d never go into a war zone willingly again.”

“I didn’t think so either, but a couple of months ago, I realized two things. The first was that Chicago is a war zone. And the second was I want to make a difference. I want to know thatI’m leaving the situation better than I found it. In the ER I was just trying to do no harm.”

“Bryan…” Seth started.

“Hush, Seth,” said Hope. “I think what Bryan is doing is noble and worthy. Good for you.”

“I’ve only agreed to one tour, and the hospital has told me I can come back any time I want.”

“Do me a favor, and make sure we know where they send you. You’ve patched up more Cerberus people than I’d like to think about. If you get into trouble, just stay alive…”

“Seth,” Hope admonished.

“I’m not saying he will, I just want him to know that we’ve got his back.”

“Thanks, Seth, that’s good to know.”

Bryan wandered off and popped a canape in his mouth as he ordered an old fashioned. He turned from the bar and was scanning the crowd, drink in hand, when he caught sight of her.

She stood near the edge of the ballroom, her posture relaxed but alert, as if she were ready to spring into action at any moment. Her midnight-blue gown clung to her curves, revealing just enough to spark curiosity while her demeanor warned against underestimating her. Dark blue eyes scanned the room with practiced ease, framed by loose waves of chestnut hair that fell over one shoulder.

Bryan felt the pull instantly. She was a striking contradiction—soft and fierce, alluring yet untouchable.

He crossed the room, curiosity outweighing any hesitation.

"Not much of a mingler, are you?" he said, his deep voice cutting through the chatter as he stopped beside her.

She turned, her gaze cool and assessing. "Depends on the company," she replied, the faintest hint of a British accent threading through her words.

He raised a brow, intrigued. "I’ll take that as a challenge."

Her lips curved into a faint smile. "I don’t believe I issued one."

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