Soon, Kieran and Rico fell into an easy rhythm.
They went to work together and came home together. The pictures of Noah disappeared from the house
They did a lot of late night conversations now.
He had stopped drinking, and Rico couldn't remember the last time he had seen his friend smile so easily.
It felt good, comfortable. It was almost like they were their own little pack of two.
Rico liked to believe they were closer now. Sometimes Kieran's hand would brush against his arm when passing him a drink, or settle lightly on his shoulder in thanks after a long day. To Kieran, it was casual, unconscious. But to Rico, every touch set fire to his nerves, heat curling low in his stomach until he had to excuse himself, lock the bathroom door, and press trembling hands over his mouth to stifle the sounds as he relieved himself.
He hated the shame of it, yet couldn't stop. Kieran was everything an Alpha was meant to be, strong, protective, commanding even when silent. Rico's body betrayed him every time, his mind whispering forbidden fantasies of Kieran's weight pinning him down, his voice rumbling low against his ear as he claimed him.
His heat cycle was coming soon. In the past, those nights were filled with pain and loneliness. He would lock himself in the basement, biting down on pillows to muffle the desperate moans, sweat soaking through his clothes as the fire of unmet need consumed him.
But this this time, what if it was different? What if Kieran didn't turn away? What if Kieran took him instead?
The thought alone made Rico's pulse quicken.
....
One night at the club, the air shifted. Rico felt it before he even saw them. Dante walked in first, his arm slung casually around Noah's shoulders. The two of them drew eyes instantly, an Alpha and an Omega wrapped up in each other, comfortable, smug, and proud.
Rico's heart stopped. He looked at Kieran, afraid of what he might see. He braced himself for the worst.
But Kieran didn't flinch. His jaw tightened for a fraction of a second, and then his face was unreadable. He stood by the door in his bodyguard stance, scanning the crowd as though Dante and Noah were no more than shadows.
Rico exhaled slowly, relief flooding him. Maybe Kieran had really moved on. Maybe he wasn't just pretending anymore.
Still, when Noah leaned in to whisper something in Dante's ear and Dante laughed, Rico saw a flicker in Kieran's eyes, gone in an instant. And Rico knew one thing for certain, Kieran hadn't forgotten.
... Some weeks later...
Things came to an abrupt end one night.
The music throbbed through the walls of the club, lights flashing over crowded tables, when the doors slammed open. Police officers stormed inside, their voices cutting through the chaos.
"Rico Williams?"
Rico froze, tray in hand. Before he could respond, two officers were on him, wrenching his arms behind his back. The glasses shattered to the floor.
"You're under arrest for the attempted poisoning of Dante Perez."
The words hit him like a slap. Rico's voice broke as he pleaded, "No, no! I didn't, I didn't do anything! Please, I swear, I didn't!" But his protests were drowned out as the officers dragged him through the crowd.
The cell was small, cold, suffocating. Hours later, the door opened and Kieran walked in, his broad frame filling the space. Rico shot up from the bench, desperation spilling from him.
"Kieran, you have to believe me, I didn't poison Dante. I would never do something like that"
"I know," Kieran said, voice calm.
Relief flooded Rico. "Then tell them! Tell them it wasn't me, you have to make them know that"
But Kieran's next words gutted him.
"I know you didn't do it… because I did."
The room spun. Rico staggered back, gripping the edge of the bench. "You… what?"
Kieran's eyes were steady, cold fire burning in them. "I slipped the poison into the drink you were taking to him. You were just the messenger."
Rico's chest tightened until he couldn't breathe. His voice cracked, raw and broken. "All this time… I thought you were healing. I thought..." His throat closed as tears burned his eyes. "You used me. You used my trust just to get close to him."
Kieran didn't deny it. He stepped closer, lowering his voice as though speaking to a lover instead of someone he had just betrayed. "I told you I would make everything right. And I will. Dante deserves to pay."
Rico shook his head violently, heart tearing in two. "Don't. Don't say that. You're not doing this for me. You're doing this because you can't let go. You never saw me, Kieran. Not once." His voice broke on the last word.
For the first time, Kieran's mask cracked, but he didn't argue. He only said, "I will fix this. You will see."
Rico turned away, unable to even look at him. "Get out."
That night, everything unraveled.
Kieran went to the police and confessed, telling them every detail. A single phone call later, the cell door clanged open.
"Rico Willams," the officer said, "you're free to go."
He stepped into the hall just as they cuffed Kieran, dragging him past. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second, Kieran's unrepentant, almost proud, Rico's filled with shattered disbelief.