Off Limits, Brother's Best Friend Chapter 176

Chapter 176: It Is Dangerous Time Now 

Brianna

“It is nothing. Do you remember that guy Charles from Hannah's party? You really didn't get to meet him because Roy turned you away but do you kind of remember?” Jane asked me, I thought back.

“Umm, yes but barely. I remembered Roy pulling me away.”

“Well, I don't know why because I have known the guy forever and he is not even that cute but I kind of hooked up with him the other day and I don't know, I kind of saw him in a different light, you know? I am conflicted about this new found interest in Charles of all people.” She snorted.

“Chemistry can come and go when you least expect it. You have known him a long time, so maybe your mind set was still stuck on you Charles but now you see him as more of a man, maybe?” She hummed at my words.

“Maybe, I guess I kind of noticed it when I was weirdly worried for the guy the other night when…” she suddenly trailed off.

“When what?” I was confused on why  she would pause since it wasn't facetime, just a regular call where I couldn't see her expression. She sighed which made me know it was definitely something.

“I know Bryce is shit about involving you in the mafia business.” She said making me more nervous than curious now.

“What isn't telling me?” I asked right away.

“Oh, don't make me tell you, they got so mad at me.” She whined.

“Jane, we tell each other everything. Why the hell are you hiding something from me?” I was offended.

Honestly, I have been more honest with anyone in my life. Our friendship is built off this.

“I know, it is just…okay screw the guys, I am telling you?” She struggled with her decision but finally caved.

“There is a mafia war brewing and it is a dangerous time right now.” She blurted out all at once and my gut soured.

“A mafia war? What…what does that mean?” I was suddenly so afraid for my brother.

Dangerous times? Isn't his everyday life dangerous for what he does? If they label this dangerous, then it has to be so bad.

“The Blank Knight mafia is clashing with our crime families now on some stuff, they don't tell me anything, I mostly just snoop but I know my brother told me he upped my security for now.” She explained and then it clicked.

“Son of a bitch, Bryce told me he wanted me safe because of his own sanity. I knew it, I knew that was weird of him to do, I told you the milk story.” I remembered how I found out it was being followed. She laughed so hard about that, she started laughing now too. 

“Oh, how could I forget, that was gold. But listen, things can get a little rough sometimes but that was all part of what they do. They knew what they were doing, Brianna. So don't worry, okay?”

How could I not?

“Jane, Bryce is all I have, if something happened to him, I don't know what I would do with myself. If he is worried enough to grant me protection then he can't be safe, do they have guards? I don't know anything about this.” I huffed.

I hate being in the dark about my brother's job, because clearly I am missing some key factor about his life right now. I knew I was worried for him, I couldn't put my finger on it at the time but I knew I didn't believe him when he looked me in the face and told me nothing was wrong. He is a liar, I wish I could be mad at him too. I don't like what has become of our relationship. We were never used to lying to each other growing up.

******

I haven't confronted my brother about what Jane admitted to me on the phone the other day, we ended up switching back to the topic of her and Charles and I let her vent about it. That story involved the fact that she was worried about him because he was going to Buguma. To go after some guys who attacked one of their own or something like that. She was vague on the details or she just didn't know them herself.

Bryce goes to that city for work all the time, what does that mean? What is he doing there and is he putting himself in harm's way for it? I didn't confront him yet because I wanted to learn more, I wanted to know what was going on but if I confronted him, he would dead wall me and I won't find out any information. Right now, he doesn't think I suspected anything. Since it is his birthday weekend, I focused on a cake rather than the interrogation I will be giving one of his men on Monday. David, he is my easiest target for me. Instead of a restaurant, I ended up making plans for everyone to come to the house for his cake and birthday dinner. Only because I couldn't find a reservation for our group number, and I didn't want to settle somewhere he doesn't even like. 

Thue building actually has an in-house chef which is where I pre-ordered all of his favourite food from their menu. We order there a lot since no one is usually home to cook dinner. Although, lately I have had the time since I am not working a traditional time right now. It would be Zevier, Sandra, Kate, myself, Jane and the birthday boy himself. I did invite Josephine and Ethan even though those two weren't friends with my brother but I didn't want to leave any of the tattoo shop crew out. They both couldn't make it anyway, so it ended up being the six of us instead of the eight I tried making reservations for. I would have invited Roy and maybe Charles for Jane's sake but then my brother would find that strange. I don't think he knew I had talked to Roy at all. I most certainly wasn't planning on inviting Callan, I don't think Bryce will find that odd at all. He will be glad, he never wanted us together. Oh how, I should have listened to my big brother. 

But either way, I spent the day baking and cleaning the house. I made him promise he would be back by seven and told everyone else to be here before that time. When he comes, I want a full room and not just him and I as he was expecting. It is not a surprise party or anything, just something unexpected and fun. For his gift, I saved some of the money I received from one of  my little fashion gigs, I bought him something silly but that was because it has sentimental value more than anything else. He has money and basically everything he wants, so I really had to think outside the box for this one. I ended up searching online and finding the old Nintendo console from the nineties that we used to play together growing up.

We were obsessed with that thing back then and I would play it when my father wasn't around. He didn't like me doing boy stuff or at least that was how he deemed video games. As boy stuff, it was so fun. I bought those same two games with the console and I have the whole thing wrapped in my closet right now. For no reason at all, I wore my adorable lavender colored sleeveless bodycon gold button details blazer. I find it adorable and it also so happened to be part of the Versace spring collection I helped put together. I won't be annoying and advertise those facts, but I do like wearing some of the clothes I helped create. Fun little secret of mine.

I was just finishing doing my hair when I heard the first knock at the door. It was Jane because I told her she better get her ass here soon.

“Wow, super cute.” She looked at my outfit before she even looked at my face.

“Oh, this dress.” I pinched the fabric and gasped.

“Right?” She did a little spin for me.

After our outfit assessment, I took her into the dining room to see what she thought about the way I decorated it. Like I said, he isn't a child so I didn't want to put up decorations. I did dress the table nicely with some flowers as centerpieces and with things arranged nicely for everyone to just grab at the different foods. It is on a separate side of the table, so we have plenty of room for all six of us to have our drinks and plates without clutter. I put a nice table cloth on that table and pushed it against the wall, dressed it with some candles just for decorum.