Page 79 of Whatever It Takes

Briar nuzzles her cheek to mine, and my nose twitches with her soothing pheromones. Omegas only release this particular type of pheromone when they’re trying to self-soothe, or they’re trying to soothe their chosen alphas. It’s a whole different level of comfort from what her honey and coconut scent always offers.

“Want to tell me about it? It might help if you don’t have all that stuck inside you. Or if you just want to cuddle, I can do that too,” she says, kissing my nose.

It’s such a sweet gesture. An intimacy that makes my system convinced I have to be open in return.

“I don’t want kids,” I blurt out, and my grip on her back tightens.

Well, fuck.

I guess I can just lay it all out there.

“My mom wasn’t expecting to die from a hemorrhage that happened fifteen minutes after I was born.” I try to explain where my head is at. My hand trembles as it slides up and down her back. This isn’t my favorite thing to talk about, but it’s not fair to keep it to myself either. “And I doubt I could be a calm partner if you were ever to get pregnant. I spent a lot of my childhood convinced I killed my mom, even though my grandparents went out of their way to assure me it wasn’t my fault. Then reading those letters…” A ragged sigh escapes my lips. “He wanted to be in his kid’s life, but he knew he was dying.Life is too fragile. I don’t think I can do it, and I’m sorry that I didn’t warn you before we bonded.”

“You’re preaching to the choir. I have no interest in having kids, and I know it’s something omegas are known for or whatever, but my childhood screwed me up too.” She buries her face in my throat. “All this proves is that we’re a solid match. If Avan hadn’t died, I would have been required to produce heirs to honor the marriage contract, and it scared the hell out of me. I’m more than happy to live out the rest of our days just enjoying one another’s company.”

Thank God.

Briar kisses my neck and snuggles closer, and it finally feels like I can breathe again. I understand things can happen at any time, but I feel a whole lot better knowing we won’t be dragging kids along for the ride.

Easton may be good at what he does, but the truth of the matter is, our jobs are dangerous. Protecting Briar will be more than enough for us to focus on.

Chapter Thirty-One

Easton

It takes Calder the better part of twelve hours to break the encryption on the files. It’s an annoyance that we have no choice but to endure, because he doesn’t have access to his full setup. Once they’re open, he begins to scan the information, and we have a conversation about the contents of what he found.

Following our talk, I make a call to Leo and Shaw in Boston, but I’m about one excuse away from stabbing them both the next time I see them.

Briar listens in on my side of the phone call, though, so I have to be on my best behavior.

Exhaling heavily, I try to center my energy. “Blow something up. That tends to get someone’s attention. Pick off one of his security personnel and make sure the bullet nicks him. Kill his girlfriend. Do I have to do your jobs for you? Set him on edge. Mental warfare, gentlemen. I know you understand the concept. And I shouldn’t have to say this, but don’t disappoint me. I’m just settling into my bond, and out of respect for my omega and our newfound union, I don’t want to have to cause carnage, outside of the Manzo family, for at least a few weeks.”

“She actually bonded your ass?” Shaw asks, laughing. “Was that a consensual deal, or are you in the doghouse?”

“How is Briar, by the way?” Leo asks.

I growl, and Briar sends steady comfort through the bond. “She’s fine. Of course it was consensual. Keep in mind, handling her brother is my next courting gift.Do not fuck this up!” The last part comes out as a bark, and I hang up to avoid flipping out to a level that would scare my omega.

My phone falls to the arm of the chair as I swipe a hand over my face.

Briar appears in front of me, and my nostrils flare, picking up her sweet coconut and honey scent. She normally smells more electric, but I believe she’s secreting soothing pheromones.

My head tilts. “Are you trying to soothe me?”

She smiles and climbs into my lap. “I didn’t think I knew how, but I’ve been managing it left and right lately. Apparently the suppressants blocked the ability. Now it’s unblocked.” She ends up kneeling over me, and she runs her fingers over my chest. “I can feel your anger spilling through the bond. Is everything okay?”

I give a clipped nod. “Don’t worry. They’re highly capable. Extremely lazy but highly capable. They once successfully kidnapped the president of?—”

Keir cuts me off, saying, “You might want to pick a different story. That one is still classified.”

“Right,” I agree, sucking down hits of her pheromones. They make me feel strangely relaxed. I’m never this calm, but her scent alone is impacting me like a drug. “Needless to say, they’re skilled. I trust them to come through when I need them to. That should say it all.”

“What exactly are they trying to do?” Briar asks, blinking repeatedly.

“I need to have a conversation with your brother, but I’ve been unable to secure a direct line. Once he’s rattled, they’llleave instructions on how he should contact me if he would like the destruction to end.” I shrug, palming her luscious ass.

“Oh.” She snatches up my phone and shoves it at me. “Here. Unlock it.”

---