I shift on the edge of the bed, making it creak. “Yeah. I got that impression.”
Brock lowers his voice again. “I don’t mean jealous or possessive—though he’s definitely both. I mean he’s...unstable. Or he can be, when it comes to them.”
I say nothing, waiting for him to continue.
“Before Autry, there was Jason,” Brock says quietly. “They were together for years. Like a decade or something like that. They were the perfect pack. Rhett was the happiest I’d ever seen him—smiling all the time, planning the future, calling me to talk. He and Myrick were living their best damn lives.”
“What happened?” I ask, dread pulling in my belly.
“One day he...snapped,” Brock says, his voice going flat. “He woke up, looked Jason in the eye, and tried to kill him.”
My stomach flips. “What?”
“Yeah. No warning. No build-up. He nearly gutted the guy in the middle of their apartment. Jason barely made it out.”
“And Myrick?”
Brock’s silence speaks volumes before he finally answers. “Myrick was there. Tried to pull Rhett off him. I don’t know exactly what happened—nobody talks about it—but Myrick ended up in the hospital.”
“Jesus.” Rage burns through me at the thought of the sweet, blond beta lying in a hospital bed, broken and bleeding.
“Yeah,” Brock murmurs. “It was messy. Myrick didn’t talk for weeks. Jason moved out of state. Rhett vanished for a few days. When he came back, it was like nothing had happened—except Myrick was never the same. And Rhett has refused to explain a damn thing.”
I stare at the cracked ceiling, the buzz of the shitty overhead light suddenly too loud.
“Look,” Brock says gently. “I’m not trying to scare you. Just… I know you, Oli. You’ve got a big heart. You’re a good, protective friend. Be careful around my brother.”
I grit my teeth, jaw tight.Careful?Around Rhett? “I will,” I say, but the words are stiff, a pit already settling in my stomach.
This job isn’t about guarding some random omega.
It’s about Autry—who’s soft and sweet, and too damn loving for her own good. It’s about Myrick, who smiles like he’s trying to hold the world together with nothing but kindness. Even Charlie, with his nervous energy and wide eyes, seems like a good kid. And not a single one of them needs a bodyguard.
They need someone to protect them from the very man they live with.
“I’m sorry to be a downer,” Brock says. “But try to keep your distance, if you can.” His voice drops. “Especially from his omega.”
My grip tightens around the phone. “You honestly think he hurt Myrick?” I ask, needing to make sure.
“Ifhe did,” Brock really stresses his uncertainty, “I don’t think he meant to. But I don’t want him to snap and rip into you.”
“Yeah.” My voice is clipped, filled with rage. “Thanks for the warning, man.” I try to sound sincere, but I’m too tense.
“Maybe we can have dinner one day this week?” Brock says. “Melissa is dying to meet you.”
“Sounds good.” I’m already moving—pacing, heart pounding hard against my ribs. “I’ll call you later.” I end the call without saying goodbye.
The urge to race over to Rhett's apartment is strong. I want to make sure they’re all okay. Autry, Myrick, and Charlie. They’re all so small compared to Rhett. He’s got to be at least six foot four, maybe an inch taller. Autry and Charlie are teeny compared to him…and Myrick. He’s too soft. Too gentle.
The silence from Rhett this week feels so much worse now. I’m no longer simply eager to see the sweet pack. I’m now desperate to know they’re all okay.
“First thing in the morning,” I whisper to myself. “I’m going over there and making sure they’re all okay. That nothing bad has happened.”
Brock’s words echo in my head:Be careful.
Careful?
No.
