Forbidden: My Husband's Brother

Patience

REYNA'S POV

I pressed my hands against my stomach, trying to steady myself. Every beat of my heart felt too loud, like it would give me away. Nicholas still stood in front of me, eyes dark, tight with something I couldn’t name. Frustration? Fear? Both?

“You don’t understand,” I whispered. “I have to know, Nicholas. I can’t sit here and...”

“You think I don’t know that?” His voice was low, strained, and suddenly sharp. “Reyna, I’m trying to keep you safe. That’s why I’m out there, looking too. That’s why I…” He stopped, took a slow breath, and rubbed the back of his neck. His hand trembled slightly. “I can’t tell you everything yet.”

I blinked at him, confused. “You… you’re investigating too?” I asked, it was a silly question, I know.

His lips pressed together. He nodded once, slow, careful. “Yes. I’ve been tracing things, following leads. Trying to figure out who’s really behind Jeremy’s death. But you… you going out alone like this… you don’t know what you’re walking into.”

I swallowed hard. “And you think I’m safer doing nothing?” My voice cracked. “I can’t just sit and wait for things to happen. I need to act. I need to see the pieces myself. I can’t rely on someone else, no matter who it is.”

Nicholas’s jaw tightened. His hands flexed at his sides. He took a step closer, then stopped, looking down at me. His eyes softened just a fraction, but they were still fierce. “Reyna… you have to think. You’re carrying his child. You can’t...”

“I’m not afraid, Nicholas,” I whispered, and for a second I could see the shadow of worry cross his face. “I can’t be afraid. Not when Jeremy… not when he’s gone and no one is telling the truth.”

He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a slow exhale. “Do you think I don’t want to know the truth too?” His voice dropped. “Do you think I’m just sitting there, letting things slide? I’m working, Reyna. I’m finding things. I can’t risk you making mistakes. Meeting people… exposing yourself.”

I took a small step forward, my hands tightening at my sides. “Nicholas… you and I... we married for a reason. A reason you don’t need to hide. We both want the same thing. We both want to know who did this. Who... who killed Jeremy. I can’t wait.”

He looked at me then, really looked at me, and for a moment I thought he might lose control entirely. His hands twitched as if he wanted to grab me, shake some sense into me, but the second his gaze flicked down to my stomach, his shoulders dropped slightly, and the edge went out of his voice.

“You think I don’t want answers?” he said softly, almost a whisper now. “Do you know how long I’ve waited for this day? For someone to stop covering the truth? I’ve been careful, Reyna. Patient. But I can’t… I can’t let you put yourself in danger. You’re not just you anymore. You’re carrying...”

“I know what I’m doing,” I interrupted quietly, my hands flexing at my sides. “I know the risks. But I can’t just wait for the right moment. I need it now.”

He pressed his lips into a thin line, jaw moving. His eyes scanned my face like he was looking for cracks in my act, and maybe he found them, because his breath hitched slightly. Then he softened again. “You’re brave,” he said quietly, almost to himself. “And stubborn. I’ve always known that.”

“I learned from the best” I said, letting a small, ironic smile break through. It was the first smile I’d allowed myself all morning. “Only I can’t sit by and wait.”

Nicholas leaned back slightly, one hand brushing against the wall for support. “You don’t have to sit by, Reyna,” he said carefully. “I’ve been doing my own findings. You don’t need to meet the wrong people. You don’t need to… put yourself in harm’s way for answers. Not yet.”

I bit my lip. His words made sense. They did. But something in me burned too hot. The questions, the missing pieces, the feeling that Jeremy’s death wasn’t an accident, they wouldn’t wait. Neither would I.

“I know,” I whispered. “But I need to see it for myself. I need to feel it, hear it… pick up the pieces. I can’t just trust someone else, not even you.”

Nicholas’s face hardened for a moment. Then he let out a slow breath, almost like he was willing himself to calm down. “Reyna… please. You can’t do this alone. Not with the people around Jeremy. Not with my family. And Jessica…” His voice dropped, eyes flicking down, then back up at me, sharp and dangerous. “She’s… she’s not safe. Not for you.”

I swallowed hard. “I know. But she’s the only one who knows some of the pieces. She’s the only one who might slip and tell me something. Even if it’s small. I’ll take small.”

Nicholas’s jaw moved, tight and controlled. He took a slow step toward me again. “Reyna,” he said, voice low, careful. “You promised me. No going behind my back. Not again. We’re supposed to be a team. You don’t need to face her alone. Not yet. I’ll tell you things soon. Trust me. I promise. You won’t need to be desperate.”

I looked up at him, eyes wide. “How can I trust you when I don’t even know what’s happening?”

His eyes softened just a fraction, almost sad. “Because I’m doing it too. You’re not alone. Not ever. But I need you to wait. Just a little longer. You’re not ready for all of it yet.”

I pressed my lips together, trying to push back the frustration boiling inside me. He was right. I wasn’t ready for everything. I didn’t even know all the pieces yet. But I also knew I couldn’t stop. Not when Jessica had dropped hints, not when Jeremy’s world was full of shadows and lies.

“I can’t wait,” I whispered again, voice barely audible. “I have to know. I have to…”

Nicholas reached out, brushing a hand lightly against my shoulder. “Reyna. Calm. Listen to me. You will know soon enough. I’ll make sure of it. But you have to promise me… no more risks. No more running to the wrong people. Not alone.”

I let his hand rest there for a moment, feeling the warmth of it, the weight of his words, the quiet strength behind them. I could see his fear for me, for the child, for what could happen if I went too far, too fast.

“I promise,” I whispered, soft and careful.

Nicholas’s fingers lingered on my shoulder, then he stepped back, pressing a hand against his chest like he was trying to calm himself. His eyes scanned the room, then returned to mine. “Good. That’s all I ask for now. Be patient. Wait for me. And when the time comes…” His lips pressed together. “…you’ll have your answers. Every single one.”

I nodded slowly, feeling a strange mix of relief and frustration. Relief that he was working too. Frustration that I had to wait. But I also understood. He was right. I couldn’t rush things, not with Nicholas, not with my child, not with the dangerous world Jeremy had left behind.

“I’ll wait,” I said quietly, more to myself than to him.

Nicholas gave a small nod, still tense, still worried, but he let it go. For now. He watched me for a long moment, then turned and walked down the hallway toward his study, leaving me standing there, my stomach tight with anticipation, my mind racing with the things I still had to uncover.