Chapter Four

Brick leaned against the wall of the hospital near the entrance while Jaxon and Gunner checked him out of this place.

“Honey, don’t you think you should stay another day?”

Brick curled his arms around his petite mother and hugged her. “No, I’m okay.”

She sniffed into his chest. Her brown hair was pulled back into a bun at the back of her head and she wore an expensive pair of light blue snow pants that were more geared for the slopes as well as a dark pink cashmere sweater. Even in winter, his sixty-year-old mother was always fashionably dressed. Which, in his opinion, was misleading. She was one of the kindest and most down-to-earth people on the planet.

“You go ahead and I’ll call you. I know you have a meeting with Schindler.”

“Okay, sweetie. Promise to call me.” She raised up and he dutifully dipped his head so she could kiss his cheek. Turning to Syn, who was leaning against the wall next to him, she smacked his brother’s arm and kissed Syn as well.

Their mother’s man, who was only known as Rock, stepped forward. Rock was a combination of bodyguard and personal assistant to her. Rock was in his forties, ex-military, and extremely competent. Brick had hired him. When his mom reached Rock, the man held out an arm. Brick’s mother linked her arm with Rock’s and the bodyguard guided her out the door and into the wintery weather.

“You think they’re a thing?” Syn asked.

“No.” Brick shook his head at his brother and went back to waiting.

“What? She’s only twenty years older than him.”

“She’s not his type,” Brick murmured.

“Oooooh,” Syn said.

“Yeah, oh.” Brick shook his head. He’d be glad to get the hell out of there. And once he fully recovered…he planned on giving Fighter back a few well-aimed punches. Or make him go bankrupt by undercutting a few more jobs. That ought to put the guy in his place. Maybe the man needed a knife to the side and then they’d be fucking even. Nah, he wouldn’t go to those lengths, he just needed to get under Fighter’s skin, the same way the fucker did to him.

Thankfully, the fever that had kept him in the hospital was gone, but he was still weak as fuck. Something he took great care to hide from his overprotective mother.

“I think that nurse is checking you out,” Syn said.

Brick gave his younger brother an annoyed grimace.

“What?” Syn smirked. “She’s totally your type.”

“No.” There was no way in hell he would sleep with someone who could potentially look up his name in the hospital records.

“Oh, come on,” Syn said with a sigh. “Not everyone is an asshole.”

“Trust me. Once they find out about us, asshole takes on a whole new meaning.”

“I dated a person that didn’t want my money,” Syn argued.

“Ray? Didn’t he cheat on you?”

Syn flipped him the bird. “Whatever.”

Brick got it. Syn wasn’t as bitter about dating as he was, but then again, his little brother hadn’t been the recipient of his mother’s obsessive matchmaking.

It had started when he’d probably been too young to date, but his mother insisted on throwing one long-haired beauty after another at him in an effort to get him settled down and married by the age of twenty-one.

Every military leave that he took and went back home, she produced one socialite after the other.

Brick grew discouraged and bitter as the days and then years passed and his dates, albeit of good breeding, turned into money-hungry piranhas.

“That’s enough,” he told his mother after he’d inherited the family business when his father passed away.

“Why can’t you pick one? I can’t believe you are still single at this age,” she’d argued.

“Mom. I’ve known since I was sixteen that I’m bi-sexual. However, I prefer men,” he said, hoping it would stop her meddling.

“Oh.” She blinked at him and then clapped her hands. “I’m sure I can find you a nice young man to date. You know you can settle down and get a surrogate?”

“Mom…” he’d groaned.

Syn bumped his shoulder, bringing his focus back to the hospital lobby.

“Sorry, bro. Didn’t mean to bring up shit.”

“No worries.” Brick gave Syn a slight smile. He was happy about his single status.

Today, he had no need of anything further than a one-night stand. In fact, he preferred it that way.

No strings.

No attachments.

Nobody wanting him for his money.

“What’s taking so long?” Syn grumbled, glancing toward the checkout area.

“It’s a hospital.”

Syn snorted and Brick glanced over when the double doors swept open. Two people he didn’t want to see walked into the hospital waiting room.

Bishop was holding a towel wrapped around Gabby’s forearm. Bishop was a bodyguard who worked for Suwan Guardians and Gabby was the office clerk who helped run the place.

Brick straightened from the wall when the pair drew near. A hospital nurse came around the desk and held the towel, gently taking Gabby from Bishop. The two women disappeared, leaving Bishop gazing at the closed doors. Bishop grabbed his head, fingers clutching his hair.

“What happened?” Brick asked, and Bishop turned on him.

Rage crackled in Bishop’s blue eyes and the bodyguard advanced on him. Brick straightened to his full height, which put them on an even plane size-wise, but that was about it. He was in no condition to take on the pissed-off bodyguard.

Syn stepped between them, but his brother, although a badass, was way slighter than him.

“What happened?” Bishop asked between his teeth, stepping closer and suddenly, Jaxon was there along with Gunner.

“Back off!” Jaxon snapped with a straight arm, jammed against Bishop’s shoulder. Syn gripped Bishop’s arm.

When Gunner snagged Bishop’s other arm, the bodyguard fought as the three men held onto him—keeping him from charging Brick.

“You fucking happened!”

Brick glared. “What the hell are you talking about? I’ve been here for three fucking days.”

“They broke Gabby’s arm while Fighter sits in a fucking jail cell!” Bishop struggled but failed to get free.

They? Who the fuck were they?

Brick slowly moved his eyes from Bishop to Jaxon. “What did you do?” The words came out tight and accusing, but he didn’t give a shit.

Jaxon frowned and then clenched his jaw. “He deserves whatever he got after almost killing you.”

Brick advanced on Jaxon.