It wasn't until the next morning that I finally got around to opening the thick envelope while Ian fed Joshua his morning rice cereal with a little bit of pureed plums stirred in. I sat at the table with them and prepared myself for heartbreak. When I opened the envelope, two packages wrapped in tissue paper fell out.

Both had warning labels written on them with Sharpie. I pushed them toward Ian to see with a raised brow. They both said: "Do not touch inner contents! Fingerprints must be protected!"

Ian sucked in a breath. "Oh, shit. Read the letter out loud, toots. This feels important."

I nodded and began to read. My eyes were already watering as soon as I saw the familiar penmanship done in the precise writing of my Brewski.

"Dearest Cecil,

I'm sorry I haven't been in touch. If you're reading this, then the fucker thinks he's won. Please don't let him win! Keep Joshie away from him at all costs. I can't write long, because my hand is cramping from the sprained wrist and broken thumb. I'm just going to give you the highlights, because neither one of us needs to relive my pain & shame.

1. I dated Luther Devereaux, Jr for three and half months from November of last year until mid-February of this year.

2. I found out some bad information about him that was confirmed when he beat me up after his father's funeral. That was the catalyst that made me leave him.

3. I ran into him in March at a restaurant. He sat down at my table and I didn't demand he leave because I was being polite. By the end of the meal, I was feeling really out of it, and I don't remember even leaving the restaurant. I woke up the next day on my own front lawn, naked from the waist down with dried semen between my asscheeks. Sorry in advance for TMI, but I had been forcefully taken. I had stitches and complete rape kit performed at the emergency room. Get an attorney to subpoena those records if necessary. Those and the records of this visit. The DNA from that assault will match Joshua's, because that is when he was conceived.

4. I decided to keep the baby, and have been very excited about having my own family again. I've meant to call you or come by the store, but I didn't know how to tell you all this and didn't want to bring you into Luther's attention.

5. Three months ago, he ran into me at Sweet Ballz, and noticed the baby bump. He insinuated himself into my life over that week because I had to leave work to go on bed rest. He moved himself into my apartment, and pretty much took over my life while I was too weak to stop him. I know that this is the ultimate stupid omega story, but I didn't know anyone besides you to call, and I honestly wanted to keep you out of it. I had planned to come visit after the baby was born and see about getting Luther removed from my life. Apparently that plan failed.

6. I found a copy of his dad's will in a box that was under my bed this past Monday. Don't ask. It involved me dropping a box of chocolates, and needing to get them. Nosy me, I read the will and found that my child is due half of his grandfather's estate. That explains why Luther has attached himself to us. Okay. Steel yourself for this next part.

7. In the same box, I found a baggie of pills and a stack of old school Polaroids that are trophy style photos of drugged omegas in compromising positions. My gut told me not to touch them, either that or too many episodes of CSI in college? Anyway, I only touched them with the tissue they're wrapped in. This tells me that I'm not Luther's first victim, and will likely not be his last. I shoved them down my pants when I heard the door open and shoved the box back under the bed.

8. Sorry. I had to take a break after that last part. Okay. Here goes. When Luther came in the bedroom, I was dressed and ready to leave my own home to escape him. I made the mistake of asking about the will and if that was the only reason he was here for me and Joshua. FYI? He wants the baby named after him, he calls him Trey for Luther the third. That's a big nope. He's named for my grandfather that raised me, and for the two of us. I wanted my son to be one of the Andrews Brothers. But I digress. SO. When I asked about the will, Luther said that his only option was to keep the bastard and control the money or make sure that he never breathed at all. Then he got an evil look on his face and nodded. He said, and I quote directly: "The second option sounds better now that I think about it. Fuck having to deal with you for the next eighteen years." Then he threw the first punch. I don't remember anything after that, until I woke up in the hospital here. Joshua was delivered by emergency C-section. The hospital counselor helped me get an attorney to draft my will, in case I don't make it.

9. I've given guardianship of my Joshua Andrew to the only surviving Andrews Brother. I know that parenthood has never been your dream, but you are the only person I trust with him. If Luther tries to get him from you, use the evidence I've provided and the DNA from the rape kit to keep him away and hopefully get him behind bars. Protect my son as if he were your own, Cecil. I know how doggedly stubborn you can be, please put that to use on my son's behalf. Adopt him when you can, and make sure he gets his share of his grandfather’s estate. Even if he doesn't ever want to touch it, I don't want Luther to win.

10. Thank you for being my friend, my roommate, and my Andrews Brother. I love you, Cecil. Thank you for doing this, I know without seeing your face that you did it before you read this letter. That alone demonstrates why I have chosen you.

Love Always & Forever,

Bruce "Brewski" Milton

I dropped the letter on the table and laid my head down in my arms. I didn't realize that I was crying until I felt Ian lifting me and sitting down to hold me close. I heard Joshua gurgling and pounding on his highchair tray like he did when he was happy, and I inhaled the comforting citrus and amber scent of my Ian. These two things grounded me, and gave me the strength I needed to process what were basically Brewski's last words.

I sat up awhile later and wiped my eyes. "Is that enough to keep him from getting custody of Joshua?"

Ian nodded. "Not only that, it's enough to see the fucker imprisoned."

* * *

It was several hours later that we sat around the table with Ian's investigator friend, Grazer, and an off duty cop that he knew. Joshua was down for a nap, and we able to focus. Ian held me protectively on his lap, his hand absently stroking my baby bump while we watched the two other men glove up and look over our evidence.

Ian had already called a judge to get a subpoena to compare the results of the rape kit to the DNA evidence the hospital now had on hand thanks to the paternity suit that The Junior Dev had initiated. Our friend Colin had taken the steps to help rush the subpoena after the judge's office faxed it over. It was good to have an attorney as a fiancé and friends in high places.

I watched as Grazer carefully opened the tissue of photos with gloved hands, and laid them out. I cringed when I saw my own photo there among them. The photos went back in time over at least a decade, judging by the clothing and hairstyles of the omegas in them. The last photo he laid on the table had me gasping with shock.

The familiar ginger hair and freckled skin of what appeared to be an unconscious teen-aged Tom caught my eye. I leaned over to look closer, and sure enough. It was him.

Ian immediately pulled out his phone and made a call.

"Colin? It's Ian. Listen, I need you to run another test… No. Brace yourself, okay? I need you to run the results of the defendant against your daughter Allie's to establish possible paternity… We have evidence suggesting that I just found the identity of Tom's attacker… Yeah. I know. Calm down, man. I'm in the same boat. Just check it before you go nuclear, the police are involved... This is being done the right way so that no other omegas are ever hurt again. This fucker's career just ended. Okay. Let me know ASAP."

Ian sighed heavily as he set his phone aside and nuzzled my neck. I leaned into him to provide the same comfort he'd given me.

The detective showed us the baggie of pills he'd unwrapped from the other tissue, and began taking photos of everything on the table, including the letter. I'd already scanned and saved the letter at Ian's suggestion, since it was likely going into evidence now. That was fine, I would sacrifice the original to put this monster away.

More officers showed up to retrieve the evidence after the detective called them. The afternoon went by in a blur while Ian and Grazer worked with the detectives and I tended to Joshua. My heart was heavy, but light at the same time. I hated knowing what Brewski had gone through, and that he'd died because of that monster's fists.

I felt good though, knowing that he would soon be behind bars and Joshua would be safe with me. Forever. I was definitely marrying Ian so we could adopt this boy together. That was a non-issue for me.

A few hours later, I heard Ian's phone ring as I was walking into the kitchen with Joshua on my hip. He spoke seriously into the phone, then set it down and nodded to the detectives. "That was Dr. Colin Samuels. The hospital has the records you need, but they confirmed the paternity of Allie Samuels. Luther Devereaux, Jr. is her biological father."