I'm super confused at the interaction that just took place between my brother and Malyssa. She just ran up to Tristan calling him Daniela and Torey's kid's name but then said he was dead. I mean, I'm pretty sure her grandson hasn't turned into a grown-ass man that's six-foot-five in the course of several months. She does look really bad though which may have contributed to her losing her mind. My guess is she's concussed. That's a strong possibility.

Tristan brought her to the area where the cots are after catching her from collapsing. Brooks had stomped over, taken Malyssa's lifeless body from the man in a defensive manner, before laying her down and covering her with a blanket. He's protective of her. Part of me wonders if I stay with Adri if I will be the same way over her parents.

Because, no matter what crazy shit Torey says or does, Brooks is in love with him. He still cares for Torey's family as if they are his own. And Brooks over the last few days, fuck, I've never seen a more heartbroken man. Yet he's still here. Still saving Daniela, her and Torey's son. Still helping save my brother; the very man that stole her right out from underneath him. And yet even after being abandoned by Torey, even Daniela, for that matter, he didn't even blink an eye in the direction of not showing up for them. Not even when the man could've lost his life.

Whoever he ends up with should consider themselves the luckiest person on Earth. That kind of loyalty is extremely rare to come by. Yet two people so carelessly let him go.

That last thought has my eyes flickering over to where Daniela is standing next to my brother. She's staring at the floor awkwardly, fingers clutching one wrist, wringing it every now and again. I'm sure that's because she's sobering up too and it's registering to her what Brooks and I had walked in on.

Now I'm glaring at my brother because I'm so fucking irritated with him for his behavior with Daniela. Walking in on the two of them just drunkenly fucking, celebrating, made me feel like he didn't even want to be saved. I know it's because he thinks he's in love with her, and having been made to actually go through with the wedding, meant he had a claim to stake.

Putting a baby in her belly, well, that would really seal the deal. Not just a husband but a father to one of her children. He'd have one-upped not just Brooks but Torey as well.

My brother is anything but stupid, regardless of his stupid decisions. When he wants something he gets it, we're much the same way in that department. He wants Daniela, that much is clear. He's done just about all one could do to tie himself to another person with her.

"You can stop looking at me like that," he snips, meeting my eyes angrily.

"You going to formerly introduce your brother to your wife or what?" The words laced with sarcasm. "Because our first real introduction, well, I don't think that really counts." I give Daniela a pointed look up and down that has her turning away in embarrassment.

Ooo he doesn't like that.

"I'm going to kick your fucking ass," he growls out before launching himself at me. We tussle for a bit, slamming into the van before arms are placed in between us, pushing us apart.

"Knock it off," Brooks' voice is full of seriousness, "Mal needs her rest and with you two being noisy as fuck she's not going to get it. So y'all two quit." When we both relax he lets us go and turns to Daniela with, "you should get some sleep too."

"I can't sleep." The words a mumble from her lips as she looks anywhere but at Brooks directly. Her guilt is palpable.

"Why's that? You have to be dooooog tired after the evening you've had." His tone holds implication and I'm nervous as to where this conversation is headed.

"I need to know if they got my son or not, need to make sure he's safe."

"Huh, that's funny," Brooks tone sardonic, "really looked like you were giving a shit about him while getting drunk and pounded out by this prick." He throws an offhanded gesture at my brother which has me automatically grabbing ahold of Tristan right before he goes to pounce on Brooks.

"Calm the fuck down," I say it low enough for just my brother to hear. "He has every right to be angry. She cheated on him. Tris, you fucked his girl." Not only did he know it he saw it. It doesn't get much worse than that.

The sound of doors opening and screeching tires has all of our attention shifting gear. I let go of my brother and he immediately goes over to Daniela, wrapping his arms around her in an overprotective manner. That has Brooks rolling his eyes and giving his back to the two of them. I can tell by the sternness in his features that whatever had been between the two of them is completely snuffed out. I've never seen someone look so completely done with a person.

A few white catering vans screech in one after another. They pull alongside the two that are already in the building. I count six in total, which is good because it's the amount we left with. Men begin piling out, some having to help the ones who are wounded out. From the look of it we're missing a handful. A very specific handful.

"Fuck's sake. Where are they?" Brooks says, shifting anxiously. He spears a relieved hand through his hair once Denver appears then Luke who's holding a child; the one I imagine is officially my brother's stepson. "Thank fucking Christ they're okay."

"Wolfie!" Daniela squeals as she rushes forward, pausing hesitantly once she gets to Luke. "Can I...?"

"Of course," Denver tells her when Luke doesn't answer automatically. He seems reluctant to let him go but ultimately he does. Denver is there wrapping his arm around Luke in an instant. "Let's go see Mal, yeah?"

"Yeah," the reply dejected sounding. Then he more firmly states, "yes. Yes, where is she?"

"She's over there," I nod toward the cots. "She passed out after muttering some weird shit to Tristan."

"Trissan!" The little boy sounds excited and when I turn toward my brother I see the toddler reaching out to him excitedly. "Trissan Trissan!" He takes him from Daniela and hugs him close as Wolfie says, "I mishoo!" into his neck. "I mishoo and mama!"

"Haha, we've missed you too, little guy." He's holding him out now, studying the boy with a smile.

"I can't fucking watch this," Brooks' voice full of incredulousness. He storms off toward the men, giving the three of them a wide berth as he does.

I don't blame him. I can't imagine what a fucking kick in the nutsack that must feel like; watching your girlfriend of the past few years with another man. Not only did the poor guy see them have sex, know my brother is actively trying to knock her up, now he's being made to watch them together as a family. As husband and wife.

An image of that happening with Adriana flashes in my brain.

I would lose my mind. Absolutely lose my fucking mind. I love her. Thinking of her carrying another man's baby inside of her...

No. Fucking. Thank. You.

"This is my brother, Wolfie. This is Braxton. Uncle Braxton."

Now that has me snapping out of my dreary thoughts. I blink twice at my brother and then at the little boy in his arms. Holy fuck that boy looks just like Torey.

I clear my throat with, "hey there." I give a slight wave, feeling awkward.

"Can you say that," he asks, swaying the boy a bit in a fatherly manner, " can you say Uncle Braxton?"

"Unnel Brasson," the look on his face is odd, like he's trying to figure it out. "Unnel Braston." His brow lifts, satisfied with his pronunciation. "I say it!" Now I can't help but chuckle. This kid really is adorable.

My brother is giving him a high five as he talks to him about going back home. Daniela is staring at the two of them with eyes full of adoration. And that's how he'd won her over. I can see it right there. He's a good father figure and nothing about the way he is with Wolf is pretense. It's just who my brother is.

A hearty sigh leaves me because as frustrated as I am with my brother he has always been the more nurturing of the two of us. He was that way with our mother. She coddled him more than me, him being the younger, smaller version of the two of us. Which, doesn't mean much since when we hit our respective growth spurts we towered over most people, especially my petite mother.

But as I watch the three of them together I can see how easily it would be to fall into the pattern; into the arms of one another. Months of sharing the same bed and months of that, being a family together, I'd probably feel as my brother feels. Hell, it took me less time to fall in love with Adriana and there was none of that going on. And who am I to say shit about him using protection since I sure haven't been.

Feeling like I'm intruding on their little family moment, I make my way over to the cots. Denver is holding a crying Luke. What he's crying about I don't know but I imagine it has to do with the woman he's standing before. Because Mal looks bad; real fucking bad. And she hadn't woken up when they arrived. She's a battered mess of a woman looking like she's on the brink of death.

"Lucas," Denver grabs him by the shoulders forcefully, "Lucas, look at me." And you would think someone flipped a switch inside of the man because he has instantaneously pulled himself back together. "We need to get her home."

"Right." He stands himself straighter, adjusting his clothing before whipping out his phone, walking away as he hastily begins giving instructions to whoever is on the other end of the line.

✩✩✩

It took us three days until we were able to get on a plane for our trip home. The reason being Malyssa's critical health. Once she had an IV attached to her, and the minimal time to recuperate, we were off. That was two days ago.

I would catch Malyssa looking at my brother every now and again as if she were looking at a ghost. She's looking at him much the same way as we swap planes in New York. A handful of us had gotten onto one of Luke's private jets. Brooks had wanted to stay in New York with the rest of the men but Mal's insistence that he join us had him caving in.

"Can I ask you something, Malyssa?" I aim the question at her after take-off.

She blinks away from Tristan to look at me with, "yeah, sure. Shoot."

"Why do you keep looking at him like that?"

"Because I don't know why I didn't see it before. Why I didn't see it in either of you, especially your brother." She looks back over him with a longing in her eyes that would break anyone's heart.

"What are you talking about?" Luke asks, thoroughly confused.

"Look at Tristan, Lucas, and tell me who you see. Really look at him." He does and then his eyes go even wider in shock. "See?"

"It can't be. He... he didn't have children and with... Scott's sister? No. There's no way."

"What the hell are you two on about?" Denver asks and I'm grateful because it's my exact thought process.

"They're talking about who our father is," my brother's words have my gaze clinging to his incredulously.

"We... we don't know who our father is."

"Your father is Wolfgang Carlo," Malyssa bluntly states. "Your brother is his spitting image."

"No, we don't..." But my brother's face tells me that statement is a fact. I look at the little boy currently curled in Dani's lap in confusion.

"He was like a father to me," Malyssa softly says. "It's why we named him after him. Your father was one of the best men I ever knew."

Past tense. Meaning my father is dead.

And all this time I just thought he never wanted to be around.

"Can you tell us about him?" I blurt out, having always wanted to know about him.

She gives me a loving smile with, "nothing would make me happier."

A/N:
Happy Monday!