AU BigBang Fic: Shades of the Past , chapter 4

[cloversworld]

Title: SHADES OF THE PAST, Chapter 4/5
Author/ Artist: clover71
Fandom: BelAmi Online
READ DISCLAIMER

Links:
Masterpost  |   Chapter 1  |   Chapter 2  |    Chapter 3



IV -




Lexie was first brought to the child psychologist on Monday afternoon. Dr. Johan Paulik, or Johan as he preferred to be addressed, was some kind of a miracle worker. With his unconventional approach in dealing with children (by means of acting like a child himself apparently), he was able to coax Lexie back to her bubbly, carefree self within a couple of visits.

“I don’t see any signs of prolonged psychological trauma,” Johan told Dolph during their second visit. “At least it’s not severe and nothing that she won’t overcome in time. You did say the separation anxiety started even before the kidnapping began, right?”

Dolph nodded. Johan scheduled another visit later in the week to monitor Lexie’s progress.

This had been their routine. Brandon would drop them off at Dr. Paulik’s office before driving over to the construction site. Then Brandon would pick them up after. Dolph had suggested that they could just take a cab back but Brandon wouldn’t hear it. “No fucking way am I letting you both out of my sight other than leaving you with Dr. Paulik.”

Dolph wished he had his car with him. But Luke had pointed out, “Sergeant Sulik thinks it wouldn’t be a good idea for you to drive around in something that the kidnappers might be familiar with,” during one of their phone conversations. He’d actually been ripped of everything that could possibly be used to lead the kidnappers to his current whereabouts including his cell phone, but Brandon did give him a new one and only a handful of people knew his number.

The changes in their daily cycle, thankfully, had not been a burden. Dolph eventually stopped feeling oddly misplaced at Brandon’s home, which, after a week, had become their home as well. Lexie had fallen into an instant bond with Brandon and Dolph often wondered if she knew somehow that Brandon was also her father.

“You mean you hadn’t told her?” was Josh’s reaction when Dolph made the mistake of asking him for advice. He ended up being more confused when Josh had asked, “What are you planning to do when this is all over? Are you still going to see Brandon?”

If it were all up to Dolph, then he would prefer to continue seeing Brandon. If only…

If only…

Being with Brandon flooded Dolph’s mind with scenes from their past. He tried to divert his focus on other things, like the web site project he and Luke were working on, before he lost all control and fall for Brandon all over again.

Yet it hadn’t been an easy task especially when Brandon often walked around the house wearing a tight tank top and gym shorts. There had been countless times when Brandon had caught him staring and Dolph had to tear his eyes away.

One night, Dolph had just ended a call with Luke and was thinking of retrieving the messages from his answering machine at his own home when a pair of arms coiled around his waist. He jumped in surprise and was about to strike in defense but then he caught Brandon’s scent. A warm breath bathed the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine.

Pulling away was what he initially intended to do but his instincts led him to relax and lean against Brandon’s broad chest. “Is Lexie asleep?” he asked. Jealousy should be gnawing inside him because Brandon seemed to be Lexie’s new favorite now when it came to reading her bedtime stories. But his heart swelled with joy instead.

“Yeah.” Brandon’s deep voice sent vibration rippling in his chest where Dolph’s back was pressed against and it sent tiny prickles crawling up Dolph’s arm. “I was hoping we could talk?”

The arms around Dolph’s waist loosened allowing him to turn and face Brandon. “Sure,” Dolph said with a shrug and one look in Brandon’s eyes gave Dolph a glimpse of what this could be about.

“I…” Brandon sighed. “I just…” His eyes drooped before he pressed his forehead against Dolph’s and hummed in a way he often did when carefully choosing his words. “Well, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately and,” Brandon uttered but then he seemed to lose his breath and Dolph saw Brandon’s chest rising as he heaved a sigh. “I was wondering if… I know this might not be the best idea but I was hoping we could, you know, pick up from where we left off? Or maybe we could start over?”

Despite the broken phrases, what Brandon meant was clear enough and Dolph could not believe his ears. “Start over?” Dolph had actually resigned to the fact that Brandon would only want to be friends after the predicament they were currently in was over. It was to be expected that Brandon would still want to be part of Lexie’s life. But Dolph had never thought, or perhaps was afraid to presume, that he would still be in the picture.

Brandon didn’t even falter when he muttered, “Mhmm,” and leaned closer. “I know that I was wrong to judge you then and I know now that I was equally at fault for not doing everything in my power to fight for you. I just…” The hands that had been resting on Dolph’s hips warily slid to the small of Dolph’s back. “When one of your father’s goons handed me that letter, the one I thought you wrote, I just believed everything written on it without stopping for a second to give you the benefit of the doubt.”

Anger boiled inside Dolph. He had nothing but hatred for his father at that moment. All those years, he’d let his dad manipulate his life to the point of driving away the only man that he had ever loved. “I should have—“

“Ssh.” The tip of Brandon’s finger brushed against Dolph’s lips, silencing him. “No more ‘should haves’, okay?” Brandon’s gaze was locked on Dolph’s eyes, like he was peering into Dolph’s soul. Dolph’s heart skipped erratically, like it was doing cartwheels inside his chest.

Breathing became difficult then, having Brandon at such proximity. The remaining strength and willpower that had held Dolph all these years went right out of the window the moment Brandon’s mouth descended on his. Cool lips, which Dolph didn’t fail to notice smelled and tasted like peppermint, brushed against the chapped surface of his own. Tentatively. Cautiously.

Warmth surged throughout Dolph’s body, his toes curling, mind wiped out of every single thread of rationality. It might have taken a while before he could respond to the prodding kiss. But Brandon patiently waited. So when Brandon’s tongue poked through the tiny gap, seeking permission, Dolph parted his lips.

Every swipe of Brandon’s tongue along the walls of Dolph’s mouth poured a bucketful of promises that filled Dolph’s heart with certainty. This was what he wanted, what he hoped for – to be back in Brandon’s life. Dolph melted in Brandon’s embrace when Brandon’s strong arms tightened around his middle.

A small whimper escaped Dolph’s throat when Brandon pulled away.

“Dolph, I…” Brandon chewed on his lower lip and Dolph instinctively laid his hand on Brandon’s shoulder, kneading lightly on the hardened flesh. He could feel the muscles move under his touch. Brandon seemed to relax. In a voice too low and soft he said, “I never stopped loving you, you know. Fuck, I’m shit scared right now that I’m giving in to this after… No. Hell with that. I’m willing to take the risk.”

The weight in Dolph’s chest grew heavier as he watched the conflict pranced across Brandon’s face. He’d caused that pain, that uncertainty to let go of burden-filled emotions. And by everything holy, Dolph would do anything to chase all that away. He loved Brandon and now he realized that he still did, always had. “Likewise” was all Dolph said and the weight had been lifted when he saw the smile that curled in Brandon’s lips.


=====



Brandon woke with a start. He lay still for a while, trying to figure out what was happening or what jerked him awake from what seemed to be a dreamless sleep. It took a while before he finally perceived the music reverberating around the room.

He grabbed his phone and didn’t bother checking the screen since his vision was still blurry. “Yeah?”

“Brandon?” A deep voice cracked through the earpiece and Brandon bolted upright, swinging his legs around the edge of his bed.

“Lukas.” His heart began to hammer against his ribcage. It had been three days since he last spoke to the private investigator. Lukas had said he needed to make a trip to Philadelphia to dig out some information but left out the details.

“Can you meet me at my office in two hours?” There was a trademarked resoluteness in Lukas’ tone. Brandon had thought of asking Lukas what the reason was but thought better of it. Lukas had often refused to divulge information on the phone if meeting in person was possible.

“Sure.”

From the time he’d hired Lukas to look further on the kidnapping case, the P.I. had probably accomplished more than the police investigation team in Fairfield had. What struck Brandon was how odd it seemed that the Pennsylvania councilor’s granddaughter had been kidnapped and was kept for nearly a day, yet none of the law enforcement agencies were lifting a finger to speed up the investigation.

It was hard to believe that they would simply drop the case because Lexie had been returned the same day. There had been obvious signs that the danger wasn’t over. The police hadn’t been able to find out who the man lurking around Dolph’s place was and it had been two weeks since then. It infuriated Brandon when they just concluded it as a reporter snooping around for a story.

Then there were the threat notes. A couple of threat notes were retrieved from Dolph’s house. One was wrapped in a stone and was deliberately thrown right through the living room window. The other was found in the mailbox.

Brandon had to coax it out of Luke when he’d called because he had a gut feeling that Luke was hiding something. Later, he learned that it was Dolph who had asked his cousin not to tell Brandon. “He didn’t want you to worry more than you’ve been already” was Luke’s excuse.

Fuck.

The delectable smell of bacon teased Brandon’s nose while he made his way down the stairs. He could hear the banter between Dolph and Lexie at the kitchen. He stopped in his tracks before he could reach the entryway when he heard Dolph say, “He’s also your daddy, you know.”

Then Lexie’s voice rose with “but you’re Daddy.”

“Well, you can call him Papa so we won’t get confused” was Dolph’s return.

“Okay.”

Brandon could feel the weight of bliss inside his chest. If he hadn’t heard Dolph’s side of the story, he’d probably still hate Dolph for keeping their daughter from him. But he quickly reminded himself that not everything was Dolph’s fault. He’d in fact decided to bury the grudge and found the feelings he’d long kept inside him resurfacing.

“Good morning,” Brandon greeted, pretending he hadn’t been eavesdropping. “How are my princesses?” He planted a kiss on top of Lexie’s head, making the little girl squeal, and then walked over near the stove where Dolph was placing some strips of bacon on a plate covered with paper towel to plant one on Dolph’s cheek.

Dolph crossed his arms over his chest. “Princesses?” he asked with a frown and Brandon barked a laugh.

“You look absolutely cute when you’re annoyed.” Brandon slipped his arm around Dolph’s middle and pulled him closer.

Before their lips met though, Dolph pulled back almost instantly, his hand splayed across Brandon’s chest. “Not in front of Lexie,” he whispered.

But then Lexie was clapping her hands, saying, “Kiss him, Brandon. Kiss Daddy!”

And who was he to deny her? So Brandon did press his lips against Dolph’s, prodding with his tongue until Dolph parted his lips and swept it inside Dolph’s mouth briefly before pulling away with a grin cutting across his face. ”I don’t wanna get carried away. I have an appointment in a couple of hours.”

Dolph raised an eyebrow. “You’re such a tease, you know?” He placed the plate of bacon beside the stack of pancakes on the breakfast table and reprimanded Lexie for picking up tiny slices of pancake from her plate with her fingers. “Use your fork, sweetie. Would you like some bacon?” Dolph offered but Lexie shook her head.

The scene playing before him made Brandon’s heart swell. For the first time since he’d brought Dolph and Lexie home, he truly felt that they were a family. Perhaps it was because he and Dolph had finally broken down the barriers that stood between them. “So what are you two planning to do for the rest of the day?”

“I don’t know.” Dolph half-shrugged, his blue-eyes gleamed as he quirked a smile. It was one of the changes in Dolph that Brandon had noticed since they started rediscovering each other. He seemed more at ease. “I need to work on the website so Luke could present it to the client before the week ends.”

That was one of the advantages of him being a web designer. Dolph could work at home and didn’t need to go anywhere else. Luke could visit their clients in his behalf.

“Okay.” Brandon took a sip of his coffee. “I’ll be in a quick meeting with a potential client this morning. Are you guys going to be fine all by yourselves?” There was a pinch of guilt inside him for lying, which he tried to ignore.

It hadn’t been often that Brandon left Dolph and Lexie alone. He’d stayed with them for a couple of Lexie’s sessions with Dr. Paulik the week before and had brought them with him at the construction site almost everyday. At times when he needed to meet with Lukas, he’d asked his half brother to stay with them, which initially turned out as a bad idea because Rick didn’t take Dolph too kindly. And Brandon didn’t like the idea of asking Rick over only to see Dolph looking dejected later on.

He won’t be gone long.

The second that Brandon walked into the building where Lukas’ office was, he quickly dialed Dolph’s number. “Would you just focus on your meeting? We’re perfectly fine here” was the rebuke he got from Dolph when he had told Dolph that he was just calling to check up on them.

There was a sudden change of air the moment he’d entered the P.I.’s office. Anxiety rushed throughout Brandon’s system the moment he caught the seriousness that masked Lukas’ face. A queasy feeling took up residence on his stomach.

“Have a seat.” Lukas gestured over to the chair adjacent to his table. “I’m gonna go straight to the point” was how Lukas started and without giving Brandon a chance to brace himself, Lukas went on explaining that someone had come up to him after he’d gone to Fairfield the other day.

“I thought you were going to Philadelphia?” Brandon said, recalling their last conversation.

“I did” was Lukas’ return and the certainty in his tone made Brandon not raise any questions further. “It just so happens that when I was in Philadelphia, I discovered that the police detectives who were present the day your daughter was kidnapped were in fact part of the Philadelphia Police Department.”

“They’re not from Fairfield?” Now Brandon wondered why the town’s local police didn’t mention anything about that. He bade to be excused and made a quick call to Luke and Josh. It was Luke who Brandon spoke with, and Luke said they were often told that the detectives were always out working on several cases whenever he’d ask for Detectives Vidal or Hansen. But not once were they informed that these detectives weren’t from the town.

“That’s enlightening” was Lukas’ reaction when Brandon relayed what he had learned. “And I don’t doubt that one bit.” He was nodding at the opposite direction so Brandon followed his gaze. There was a man who came through the door from the small room where Lukas’ electronic devices were kept. He looked awfully familiar. “This is Lieutenant Alex Orioli. He’s from the Fairfield Police Department. I believe he was at Dolph’s place the day Lexie was kidnapped.”

Brandon did remember him. He was one of the few cops who looked accommodating enough and not as menacing as the rest.

“He came to see me last week after I had done a bit of snooping around in Fairfield,” Lukas explained before formally introducing Brandon to the cop, who looked different in just a blue T-shirt and jeans. “He has some interesting stories to share.”


=====


The default ring tone of Dolph’s cell phone resounded and the unit skipped along the marble top of the kitchen counter. Dolph snatched it while balancing a bowl filled with marinade mixture on his other hand.

Without looking at the screen, he brought the phone to his ear, presuming that it was Brandon calling. Again. His boyfriend (and Dolph felt elated referring to Brandon as his ‘boyfriend’ now) had been calling practically every half hour to check on them.

“Hey, I’m just getting lunch ready,” Dolph greeted, pressing the phone between his ear and his shoulder while he continued to work on the mixture with both hands.

There was nothing but static.

“Brandon?”

A few seconds of silence hung in the air before a voice came through.

“Hello, Mr. Lambert.” It wasn’t Brandon. The voice was modulated, like the person spoke through a device, something similar to what Dolph had seen in the movies.

“Who is this? How did you get this number?”

A bloodcurdling laugh ripped through the phone’s speaker causing chills to crawl up Dolph’s skin like tiny predatory insects. “It’s not important. What’s important is for you to know that we’re coming after your little girl. We now know where you are, Mr. Lambert. You’re staying at your old boyfriend’s house in Pittsburgh.” Dolph felt his heart leap up to his throat when the mysterious man (or woman, he wasn’t entirely certain) cited Brandon’s complete address.

Not wanting to hear the voice any further, Dolph practically stabbed on his phone in his attempt to end the call. He tossed the phone over to the table as if he were scorched by it. The plastic bowl he was holding slipped out of his grip and bounced off the floor, spilling the contents across the tiled surface.

“Lexie!” He charged through the house, straight to the audio-visual room where Lexie was watching a cartoon movie. “Lexie.” She gave a start when Dolph dashed inside and swept her up without a warning.

Brandon. It almost slipped his mind that they were staying with Brandon. The fear that coursed through him momentarily overwhelmed his conscious thoughts. He rushed back to the kitchen, balancing Lexie on one hip, then grabbed his phone and pressed the key assigned to speed dial Brandon’s number.

An automated voice response saying that the number was either unavailable or was out of the coverage area was what he heard. Damn it! “Brandon, where the hell are you?” he muttered under his breath, trying his best to remain calm enough not to alarm Lexie. He dialed Brandon’s number again and again but had finally given up after his fifth try.

Once they were in Lexie’s room, his little girl asked, “Where are we going Daddy?” Her eyes were wide while she watched Dolph tear around her bedroom, randomly grabbing things to stuff in a duffle bag.

“We need to—“ Dolph had no idea. He hadn’t stopped for a moment to think, to come up with a plan. Brandon was supposedly his only hope but he didn’t know where he was. Last they spoke, he was still in a meeting and wasn’t certain what time it would adjourn.

With a silent prayer, Dolph tried Brandon’s phone once more but without any luck. Brandon’s phone must’ve run out of battery or… whatever. Out of desperation, Dolph called Luke. His cousin answered on the third ring.

“Luke!” Dolph must’ve poured out everything that had happened in a run-on sentence.

“Whoa, whoa, slow down.” Luke cut him off and Dolph took a deep breath before repeating what he’d just blurted in a slower pace. “What the fuck?” was Luke’s reaction and Dolph heard someone else speak, asking Luke if it was Dolph he was speaking to.

Fuck. That voice. Dolph froze when he realized it was his father. He was about to tell Luke he would just call back when his father spoke.

“Dolph?” When Dolph didn’t respond, his father spat, “Where the fuck are you?”

It took a while before Dolph could calm his mind and started thinking rationally. This was his last resort, his last hope. If Brandon wouldn’t be home soon enough, he wasn’t certain what might happen. For all he knew, the kidnappers might be lurking outside right at that moment.

So he had no choice. He’d told his father where he was.

“Hang tight, I’ll be there right away” were his father’s last words before silence echoed in his ear.


=====


“Damn.” Brandon tossed his phone at the passenger seat. He had meant to call Dolph before leaving Lukas’ office but when he fished his phone out of his jean pocket, it was off. It wouldn’t turn back on. He did remember the last time he’d called Dolph that the battery indicator had only one bar left.

The traffic jam he’d been stuck in for the past fifteen minutes finally showed signs of gradual flow. Anxiety streamed through him like blood rushing through his veins. Pessimism wasn’t something Brandon would succumb to but hell… some bizarre feeling was churning in his belly. He’d been gone longer than what was acceptable in his own standards.

He hadn’t noticed that nearly three hours had slipped by when he’d been testing theories with Lukas and Alex. They were neck to neck in putting all the pieces of information that Lukas had been able to obtain together.

Apparently, he’d heard enough from Alex to prove that there had indeed been a conspiracy. Alex claimed that when he ran into Luke the week before and learned that there hadn’t been any result with the investigation, he’d been prompted to look into the Lambert case himself. That was how Alex had discovered that the case had actually been closed. Curiosity got the best of him so he decided to conduct a little investigation of his own.

Alex further explained that the record showed it was Sgt. Sulik who personally closed the case as requested by the team of Philadelphia police detectives. That didn’t sit well for Officer Orioli.

Further digging had led him to the fact that the money used as ransom had not been tracked yet. “Which was odd since the money was placed in a special bag that should release an invisible ink when opened. So the money would be marked without the fugitives knowing but banks would be able to detect,” Alex had relayed. “Unless they decided to take the money elsewhere.”

When asked how he knew the money was placed in a special bag, Alex revealed that it was him who personally placed the money brought in by Dolph’s father inside the bag and sealed it, despite the fact that Sgt. Sulik specifically instructed him to do otherwise.

Brandon shook his head to rid of the dark fog creeping into his brain. Lukas did say they couldn’t point fingers just yet. But he was glad that at least the P.I. agreed with his list of suspects.

A heavy, unsettling feeling sank down his gut as soon as he drove up to his driveway. This feeling evolved into panic-inducing anxiety when he’d entered the kitchen. The sight that greeted him froze him on his spot. His eyes took account of the spilled dark liquid on the floor. The bowl, which he guessed held the liquid, lay upside down.

“Dolph!” He called out but the only response he got was his own voice bouncing off the walls. “Dolph!” He dashed throughout the house, tearing through every room but there was no sign of Dolph and Lexie. Then he rushed to his bedroom and rummaged through the drawers of his desks in search of spare batteries.

When he found one, he pulled his phone out and was about to slide it open when he noticed a piece of paper on his bed. His knees sank on the mattress when he hurriedly climbed on top to grab the paper. A message was scribbled across it almost illegibly so Brandon had to squint to read:

Hey,

Sorry for bailing out when you weren’t around. Got a call from the kidnappers. They know my new number and they know exactly where we are. Tried calling but couldn’t reach you. I’m just so scared for our little girl, Brandon. The kidnappers said they would come after her again. I had to tell Dad where we were. He’s coming to get us.

Love,
Dolph

“Fuck you, Dolph!” Brandon couldn’t contain his anger. Or more like his frustration. He grabbed some random thing from his bedside table and flung it across the room. He listened to the sound of metal clattering before burying his face on his hands.

Before he could give in to the rage that was starting to shake his body, he realized that Dolph wasn’t entirely at fault. If anything, he was just another innocent victim. It would probably never cross Dolph’s mind that his own father might possibly be involved in the kidnapping of his daughter. Even if Brandon knew that Dolph detested the man for manipulating his life, Brandon doubted that Dolph would ever imagine his own father was capable of doing something that could harm him or Lexie.

When he was no longer shaking from anger, Brandon tried his phone once more. But all he got was a familiar tone that indicated that the line was no longer working. He’d bet a million dollars that Devlin Lambert had already gotten hold of Dolph’s phone, which meant that Dolph had unknowingly surrendered himself back under the clutches of his father.


=====


“Are we going to see Brandon again?” The tiny voice was laced with sadness that inevitably gripped on Dolph’s heart.

“Of course we will, sweetie,” he told Lexie while tucking her in for the night. Dolph was hoping he could call Brandon, but his dad had taken his phone with a promise to give it back as soon as his security people had checked it for any tracking devices.

Once settled comfortably beside his daughter, he began humming a song, something that was on top of his head. And before he could even finish, Lexie had fallen asleep. Her breathing was steady and deep.

After making sure that Lexie wouldn’t stir awake, Dolph slid out of bed and soon stepped out of the bedroom. He was half startled to see his father standing by the door. “Dad.”

Something went past Devlin’s eyes and the smile that Devlin wore was somehow sad. “Your mother used to sing you that song when you were little,” Devlin said and Dolph presumed that his father might have been referring to the song he was humming.

“I see.” To be honest, Dolph couldn’t remember. He was only eight when his mother had given up on her battle against pelvic cancer, and the trauma of losing her must’ve veiled some of his earlier memories. But there were more pressing matters at present and Dolph couldn’t let nostalgia distract him. “Uhm. Are your people done checking my phone, Dad?” He was supposed to add he needed to call Brandon but then something told him he shouldn’t mention Brandon’s name.

“Oh, not yet, I’m afraid.” The hardened façade was back as his father straightened up and brushed a non-existent dust on the front lapel of his suit. “I think it’s best if you keep it away from you for a while. After all, that’s the number where the kidnappers called you.”

“I can get a new number, I just need a phone, please.” Dolph could recognize the familiar game they were playing. He’d remained blind from his father’s manipulative ways until he stepped back and decided to take control of his own life.

Dolph remained resolute on his decision to stay out of his father’s grasp even when Devlin had tried to convince Dolph after Lexie was born that he had changed his opinion over Dolph having a child. Devlin did seem genuinely fond of Lexie, but that didn’t make Dolph change his mind either.

“I can ask Samantha to get you a new one,” Devlin said; then he fished his phone out of his pocket to call his assistant.

Dolph chose not to argue.

Coming back here at his father’s house was a big mistake, he now realized. But his main concern right now was Lexie’s safety and this was the only safest place he could think of. At least from the people who meant to do them harm.


=====


Hours had passed since Brandon left home to drive across Pennsylvania. He’d just received a text message from Luke with the phone number at Devlin’s residence, which Luke had to coax out of his mother. So Brandon had to stop over and place a call.

A woman answered after four rings and Brandon asked for Dolph as politely as he could. He wasn’t the least bit surprised when the woman said, “I’m afraid Mr. Dolph cannot come to the phone at the moment. He’s already resting.”

“Yeah, right.” Brandon didn’t believe her. “Look, lady, I’d really appreciate it if you could get Dolph on the phone. I promise you, this isn’t going to take long.”

There was another voice. A man’s. And even if it was nearly inaudible, Brandon recognized it as Devlin’s. The rest Brandon heard were muffled sounds, like the mouthpiece was covered to block the conversation that was going on at the other end of the line.

Then Devlin was on the phone. “What the fuck would it take to make you leave my son alone?” he spat.

Brandon didn’t speak for a while. He weighed the pros and cons of the situation. But then decided that he didn’t give a fuck whatever Devlin would dare do to him. He just needed to get Dolph and Lexie back. He couldn’t lose them now.

“Nothing.”

He could feel the heat of Devlin’s anger through the phone, could hear the low, rumbling sound that Devlin made. “You son of a bitch.”

Brandon didn’t even flinch. He was used to all sorts of profanities since he had heard a fair share thrown at him. “Let me talk to Dolph, Mr. Lambert. I just need to make sure he and Lexie are all right.”

“They’re more than fine. They’re a lot better now that they’re both home,” Devlin hissed and Brandon couldn’t help but clutch tightly on his phone while he was overwhelmed with a rush of distrust for the man. “So do yourself a favor, Mr. Manilow. Stay away from now on. Dolph doesn’t want to see you ever again.”

The sound of the phone being slammed resounded in his ear. Fuck. Brandon had a flash of the past, like he was reliving what happened four years ago.

This time though, Brandon was not going to be dissuaded. He was determined to fight for Dolph. For Lexie. Let all hell break loose.

That was exactly his goal when he’d finally reached the residence of the councilor.

When he drove up the gate, a familiar dark-skinned and balding security guard walked up to the SUV with one hand up. Brandon lowered his window, hoping that the man still remembered him. “Mr. Manilow?”

“Hey, Frank, good to see you again,” Brandon greeted in a nonchalant tone, his eyes wandered beyond the closed steel gates to see if Devlin had actually called an army to stop him. The bastard had done it before, there was no doubt he’d do it again.

“It’s good to see you too, sir,” Frank said and Brandon could feel the sincere accommodation that the man offered. Frank had been the one who had helped Brandon slip into the house to see Dolph countless times before. “Is it safe to assume that you’re here for the younger master?” There was a hint of apprehension in Frank’s tone however, and Brandon didn’t miss that either.

“Yeah. And I know he’s here, Frank.”

“I wasn’t going to say he’s not, sir. But you know I can’t let you in. I have my orders.” Frank looked apologetic. And Brandon understood Frank’s position.

“I have to see him, Frank. Him and our daughter” was Brandon’s plea and he could see the conflict flickering on Frank’s eyes.

The security guard was about to speak but was interrupted by a firm, suave voice. “What’s going on, Frank?”

Fuck. Trepidation crawled up Brandon’s skin like static when the other man stepped out of the shadows. It was Detective Hansen. With him were four others who Brandon had not seen before.

“Well, well. Look who we have here.” Every word that slipped out of the detective’s mouth was laced with menace. “Haven’t you heard, Mr. Manilow? The councilor had a restraining order against you. You are not to come within fifty yards near him, his son, his granddaughter or even his property.”

“Fuck him,” Brandon spat. He could feel the flames of his anger seeping out of his eyes. “And fuck you.” Without any care what the detective might do, Brandon stepped out of his vehicle and made his way toward the slightly opened steel gate. But a tight grip on his arm stopped him on his tracks.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Det. Hansen hissed. “Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

The grip tightened. And it burned through the cotton sleeves of his shirt. But Brandon wasn’t going to be deterred. He yanked his arm out of Det. Hansen’s clutch.

Stupidity must have wormed its way into Brandon’s head because he failed to consider that what the detective had said might have been true, considering the councilor’s influences. Instead, he rushed through the gates, only to be stopped by the five men. Frank only stood by, unable to help.

Brandon called out to Dolph, yelling his name. Before he could yell again though, something was pressed against his mouth and nose. The smell burned through his nostrils. And soon enough, his vision had gone blurry and everything around him faded.


Continued on Chapter 5