“She deserves someone who will give her a real relationship. I didn’t steal a fucking thing. I didn’t steal Emma and I sure as hell didn’t steal Genevieve. She made the choice. They both did, because you can’t fucking commit to anyone. You’re more interested in how many women’s pussies you can shove your dick into than realizing you already have the perfect woman.”
Dane stepped up to him, less than a foot separating the two men. Graham was vaguely aware of the other officers preparing to pull them apart.
“That’s none of your business. It doesn’t change the fact they were mine and you stole them like some slimy piece of shit.”
Despite his attempt to keep his cool, Graham’s anger boiled up. He was so tired of Dane passing the buck. He’d swallowed his pride and taken responsibility for Emma even though he’d never believed he was in the wrong with her, just to reconcile with Dane. Dane had been done with her, she went to him and he gave her what she thought she wanted. In the end he was the one that lost out, not Dane.
“I didn’t steal a fucking thing from you. I did you a fucking favour with Emma, otherwise it would be you with a divorce after finding her fucking the delivery man.” He was losing his grasp on the last bit of restraint he had. He could hear the murmurs around them of the other officers, but ignored them. They needed to have it out once and for all.
“Serves you right. I didn’t give Emma up and you knew I was into Ginny. I didn’t give up a thing.”
“You gave her up when you decided to share her,” Graham growled through clenched teeth.
A low feral growl emerged from Dane as he lunged, a fist pulled back and intent on colliding against Graham’s jaw. Graham moved just in time; Dane’s fist slammed into the metal locker beside his head, leaving an imprint. Hunkering down, Graham lunged at his brother, colliding with his midsection and the two went toppling backward, over the bench situated between the strings of lockers. As they fell, Graham took a shot and slammed his fist into Dane’s abdomen and was rewarded with a low-winded grunt.
But his victory was short-lived as Dane managed to buck and flip Graham onto his back, slamming his fist into his face a second time. His ears began to ring, but he shook his head, clearing his mind and blocking with his forearm another blow headed toward his face.
Dane’s fist pulled back again, but before he could make the punch he was pulled off and away from Graham by a couple of officers. Anger, resentment and adrenaline raced through Graham as he leapt to his feet and charged Dane, slamming a fist into his stomach and then a second to his jaw. His third punch was interrupted by several officers pulling him away from his opponent.
“This isn’t over, brother,” Dane snarled, wiping his bleeding jaw with the back of his hand.
A metallic taste filled his mouth and Graham became aware of a throbbing pain in his mouth.
He swept his tongue along his lower gum line and discovered a tooth had been dislodged and a hole was present in the lower left side, halfway between the front tooth and the molars.
“You punched out my tooth, asshole!”
Dane grinned, satisfaction flashing in his eyes. “Good.”
Chapter 12
~ Dane ~
“I don’t know what the fuck is going on between you two and I don’t give a rat’s ass, quite frankly.” Their captain looked from Dane to Graham and back again. “I’ve been told you started it.”
Dane jerked his head in the direction of Graham. “That asshole started it. I was just finishing it.”
The older gentleman sighed and sat back in his leather chair on the opposite side of his desk and gave his head a shake. “I can’t have you two fighting in the locker rooms, or anywhere else in my precinct for that matter. You can pound the living shit out of each other when you’re off duty, but when you’re in my house I expect you two to behave like officers of the law, not a couple of testosterone-filled teenagers.”
Dane rubbed his jaw and then smirked. He may have a sore jaw, but Graham was short a tooth; bastard deserved it.
“What the fuck are you smiling at Dane? Are you hoping for a suspension without pay?
Because I can happily do that for you.”
“No Sir.”
“It has come to my attention as well that it was over some chick,” his captain stated, his expression remaining bleak.
Dane glared at Graham. “My brother doesn’t know how to get his own women, he needs to go after my sloppy seconds.”
“Funny, for someone who feels that way, you seem to get pissed off enough about it,”
Graham growled.
“Because it isn’t cool, man. You don’t go after your brother’s women.”
“Ginny was never really yours, Dane.”
“I found her first. I only did you a courtesy by letting you fuck her.”
“Didn’t realize that finders keepers also applied to women you’re not even committed to.
Grow up Dane!”
“Emma was mine!”
“We’re not talking about Emma, asshole. And you two had broken up because you didn’t want to marry her.”
“Good thing I have a brother like you to swoop in and give her what she wants for me.” He laughed. “Well, until the FedEx guy came around anyhow.”
“Enough!” Their captain’s scream, his voice echoing off the walls, gained the attention of several of the officers outside of his closed office.
Both men froze, their anger at each other forgotten as they redirected their attention back to their captain, who was once again leaned over his desk glaring at them.
“I’ve had enough of both of you. This is how it’s going to go. You two are going to drop this ridiculous sibling rivalry you seem to have going on between you. You’re grown men for fuck sakes not teenagers. If you don’t drop it then you both will be on unpaid suspension. If after the suspension you two still can’t find a common ground then you’ll both be out of a job. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Sir.” Both refusing to look at the other one, they nodded in unison.
“Good. Now ask yourselves: Is some chick worth your career and your relationship with each other?”
Dane sighed, raking a hand through his hair and chancing a glance over at Graham. Was she really worth it? Maybe Graham was right. Emma left him because she wanted to be married and he wouldn’t commit to her. She’d waited for him to come around, but he’d made it clear he wasn’t interested in marriage and kids and all that went along with it. He’d even refused to allow her to move in with him, because he didn’t want her smothering him.