Unlikely Lovers

Chapter 2

Brandon's POV

Two days before the funeral

I don't even know if this is still your number. I'm calling you to let you know, your brother died in service to his country. His service is being held at the family cemetery. I'm not expecting you to show just wanted to let you know he was gone. The voice on the other end was no other than his mother. She acted like his being estranged from the family had nothing to do with her. The fact that she was acting like he'd deliberately stayed away from his brother infuriated him.

Telling his boss that he had a family emergency, Brandon headed home to pack enough to make it back to his hometown. A place he thought he'd never see again. He'd been away since he'd been 17 years old. He'd taken the blame to keep Jeremy and their mom safe from the monster that was their father. His mother thought her husband had taken off on his own volition, not that Brandon had told him that he'd kill him if he stayed. His mother blamed him and had kicked him out. She refused to listen to him.

FLASHBACK

The year before he left, Brandon had been attacked by the bookie his father owed. The people his dad had borrowed money from weren't the type to injure you directly. Injuring the debtor would slow their ability to pay them back, but hurting someone close to them would give them the message. Brandon had secretly been taking Tai Chi. The father of one of his friends felt that Brandon needed some outlet for his anger and offered to train him. In exchange for the lessons, Brandon helped around their business. When the enforcers attacked him, Brandon used all of his skills and hurt them badly. The bookie, shocked that someone took out his men, offered Brandon a deal. Come work for him and his father's debt would be forgiven for a year. His friend's dad, refused to keep training him since he wasn't using his talent for good.

The year that Brandon had been working for the bookie, his father hadn't stopped gambling. When he went to the boss and said he'd done his time, the boss laughed and threw the new debt markers at him. His father had gotten over half a million in debt. Infuriated, Brandon asked why he kept loaning him money, knowing he wasn't good for it. The bookie said that it was to keep him on a leash. Angered, Brandon had beaten the bookie and his guards. He had the bookie call the debt off his dad and free him.

Angered at losing one of the best enforcers, the bookie threatened to get back at him. Brandon had warned him that if he touched his mother or brother, he'd live to regret it. He told the bookie his father was all his. He'd given his father a warning about the bookie and told him to get to running. His father had said he couldn't stand being where his hellion of a son he constantly had to save. His mother, always choosing his father's side, blamed him and had told him to get out. Secretly, he'd sent her money to keep his brother safe, but she thought it was his father who'd been sending the money. She would never accept that her husband had abandoned his family.

Over the years, he'd found a place he belonged and had continued to miss his family, but knew it was for the best that he'd stayed away. He'd found a way to keep his number the same since he'd left. He'd held out hope that his mother would change her mind and ask him to come back. He'd heard that his brother had left for the military, and he'd tried to contact him. Jeremy had told him that he didn't want to be involved in his lifestyle. Heart broken, he'd stayed way. He hadn't gotten a chance to tell him the truth.

"How long do you plan to be gone?" Brandon's boss said when he'd called to let him know he'd made it. Over the years, Tony had become the dad he'd never have. Granted he was a gruff guy on the outside, he'd die to protect anyone he considered his family. He'd taken him under his wing about 4 years ago. He'd been tough on him, and he was a better man for it.

"I'm gassing up the bike and heading to the funeral. I don't know what to expect. As soon as I know, I'll message you." Brandon hung up and drove the short distance to the funeral. He was shocked to see all the people at the funeral. In the front row, he saw the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Wow, my bro had a great taste in women. He saw that she was tearing up and felt anger was a better emotion for her instead of sadness, so he planned to bait her into being angry. As he sat down, he didn't realize the kind of looks he was getting from old people of the town who remembered him. He didn't expect them to be looking at him like the scum of the earth and it hurt.

While he was gone, he'd become one of the most sought after motorcycle custom designers. He had a waiting list that included the Hollywood elite and government officials wanting a taste of the wild side. He never duplicated a design unless it was requested. He built under a cover name, so he could live his life in peace. Hell, his "boss" wasn't really even his boss anymore. When his designs had become so sought after, he'd gone to Tony with a partnership offer. He liked to pretend to just be a laborer to see how people reacted to him. He couldn't count how many women just saw his basic lifestyle and ran the other way. He didn't want a gold digger. Now that he'd seen the woman his brother had been engaged to, he was intrigued to know more about her.