Page 61 of Undercover Desires

“Kobe, what the hell?” I stutter out, unable to let him carry on like nothing happened. “So much has gone down here tonight. Too much, and you can’t just walk away and pretend like it didn’t.”

He looks back at me, and I see it, the pain he carries. It’s still there. His mask isn’t good enough to cover it tonight.

“Go on ahead,” I tell Brandon and Jett. I can feel the tension in the air between us, and I know we need to have it out.

“See you out there,” Brandon replies, following Jett. I’m half surprised they listen to me, but maybe they can feel it too. Maybe they agree with me about Kobe and just don’t know how to approach it.

“What?” he snaps, his lips twisted into a scowl. I may have just pushed him too far, but I don’t care. I didn’t come this far to walk away now, not giving two shits. For whatever reason, I feel compelled to stay and help him.

“What? What was that? All of it. Who the fuck even are you? You forced me to come clean with you tonight. If you want me to stick around and take you up on your offer, you need to do the same,” I demand, showing him who I really am. I’m stronger than he thinks, and yeah, admittedly I might be a little scared of him after tonight, knowing he could literally kill me for what I did to him, but I know he won’t. I saw it in his eyes, there is no way he would do anything to harm me.

He closes the gap between us so we’re standing toe to toe. “I am the man you see before you. See, unlike you, I haven’t been lying through my teeth this whole time.” He smiles, showing his teeth and his crazy.

Frustration crawls under my skin. “You lie every time you laugh when you really want to cry. When you plaster that fake smile on your face and party instead of addressing what’s really going on in your head. Tonight, I saw the real you for the first time. You were scared. Not just scared, petrified. As soon as you heard the word overdose. What was that about?” I demand, standing my ground.

He glares down at me, his face cold. He’s detaching from whatever it was we had. I hit on something, and he doesn’t likeit. “You know what? Leo’s right, you’re more trouble than you’re worth.” His nostrils flare. I stare back up at him, trying to stay strong. He needs help; can’t the rest of them see how messed up he is? “You’re free to go. Don’t let me catch you in my club again,” he spits angrily before turning on his heel and striding from the room.

My heart races out of control in my chest. I feel almost desperate to help him, despite his anger toward me. His hurt is so obvious tonight. But if that’s what he wants, I’ll go. I’ll walk away from whatever this is. Tears threaten to fall, but I will them away.

He’s not fucking worth it, Arabella. You tried, and you failed.

But right now, I don’t even care about failing at my job. Right now, all I care about is Kobe. And what we had before, it was all destroyed tonight.

I heave in a breath, my chest feeling like it’s going to cave in. How could I have let myself have such strong feelings for him already? I knew who he was, everything he and his brothers were all about, but none of that is what I saw here tonight. The brothers all took care of that girl like she was one of their own. They cared and followed protocol, not stopping until she was safely in the hands of the paramedics. Even then, I think Leo stayed with her.

This isn’t what Detective Reader described. Not even close.

CHAPTER 26

ARABELLA

Sadly, I return tothe staffroom and change out of my uniform and back into my skinny jeans and tank top I came in wearing this afternoon. I wash my face and try to calm my shaking hands. My chest aches. Never have I experienced pain like this before.

I can’t believe everything that’s happened tonight. First, being ambushed with Brandon, and then the meeting in Kobe’s office. Him demanding I ditch everything I believe in to side with them. Then that poor girl. The brothers did everything they could to save her. They stopped what they were doing and put all their focus on her. That doesn’t sound like something the type of humans Detective Reader described to me would do.

Hanging my uniform up for the last time doesn’t feel right. When I started my shift tonight, I didn’t think it would be my last. I’m not ready to leave. I know this is just a bar job, but I liked it here. The girls, the patrons, even the boss; it was starting to feel like my home away from home, and I don’t feel like my work here is done.

I wander back into the bar. It has mostly cleared out, likely due to all the recent drama. Brandon and Jett sit at a table together. Even though Kobe was the one suggesting drinks, he’s nowhere to be found. Brandon spots me and comes toward me. I should follow Kobe’s advice and keep walking, slipping past Brandon to make my escape, but I can’t. He looks so much like my father did at the same age, and it’s uncanny. Tears well up in my eyes instantly. It hurts so much that my father is gone, and seeing Brandon only serves as a painful reminder of what I’m missing without him in my life. My dad and I were incredibly close. Growing up, he was for the most part the only family I had. Now, I feel unbearably lonely, and leaving this place feels like I’m on the verge of losing yet another piece of my family. I’m not sure I can handle it.

“Are you going to report back to Reader about what happened tonight?” Brandon asks in a low voice.

I shake my head. “Why would I do that?”

“Because it’s your job,” he replies, his voice solemn, even sporting those little frown lines my father used to have when he had a serious conversation with me.

A tear escapes and rolls down my face. I can’t help it. “Which job?” I ask, not sure where I even belong anymore. Tonight has flipped everything I believed on its head.

“I knew you would see it from our perspective,” he says, pulling me into a comforting hug. I let him hold me, despite not really knowing him. Right now, he’s the only family I have, and I desperately need this support. Brandon lets me cry into his chest, the overwhelming emotions of the night taking over. I can’t be strong anymore.

I try desperately to pull myself together, sucking in deep breaths. He strokes my back, comforting me. Eventually my tears stop, and I pull back to look at him, searching for answers. “Brandon, helping you guys goes against everything I’ve everbeen taught, but what I’m starting to realize is maybe it’s not all as clear-cut as I once thought.”

“You’re right about that. There’s a lot more to these guys than meets the eye. You have to get to know them to understand what they’ve been through, then their fight makes more sense,” he explains. “The Rivera brothers are some of the best men I have ever met in my life. They are family to me. Leo looked after not only his own brothers but me after the factory fire claimed both our fathers; mine never came home, and theirs was killed. I know you and Kobe have a complicated relationship. He’s angry because he feels betrayed by you. I don’t know whether you know this about him or not, but he doesn’t let himself get close to many people, especially women, but I can see there is something between you two.”

I shake my head. “Kobe is the most complicated person I have ever met. Why does he have to play games?”

“It’s his way of coping. You have to admit he’s fun to be around.” He smiles cheekily, and I see a younger version of him, of the two of them getting up to no good together. They would have been real trouble. And I know he’s right, there is something about Kobe that helps me forget what’s really going on and just live in the moment with him.

“He can be,” I admit with a small smile. “Where is he?” I glance around, still not seeing him.

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