Chapter Nineteen
Braxton
I glance around the room, noting the tension thickening the air. We’d started with the good news and even that had been met with mixed feelings. The three couples hugged, relieved and grateful to hear their feelings for each other were no longer due to a chemical bond.
Pete, Franklin, and Elliot took it as soldiers do when they receive unpleasant news. They nodded when Lauren told them that, although this was difficult now, they’d soon feel nothing but free.
“Free,” Pete echoes and I feel for him. The others’ hearts might recover quickly, but his will take a moment.
Franklin frowns. “Thank you.”
Lauren makes a pained face. “I didn’t do anything, really. All I did was realize the initial bond isn’t permanent.”
He walks over and looks into her eyes with such a somber expression, I tense beside Lauren. “I’m sorry about how I treated you when I first returned. ”
Lauren lays a hand on his arm. “That’s okay. I understood.”
His voice is thick with emotion when he says, “You truly are a talented doctor. You’ve healed me in ways I didn’t think anyone could. When I get over you, I may be ready to give another doll a chance.”
Lauren smiles, then they share a moment, words they don’t speak aloud, and I’m not jealous because Lauren cares for these men and probably always will. She saved them and, in a wonderful turn of events, they saved her right back. The confident, loving woman who is silently comforting Franklin was closed off before they brought her back to life.
I could never resent them for that.
Franklin’s head snaps back. His eyes widen.
She steps away from him and slips her hand into mine. “I told him,” she whispers. “I didn’t mean to, but I did.”
I give her hand a supportive squeeze. “Then it’s time to tell the rest of them.” At least the ones we’d gathered. We didn’t include the newest-to-return soldiers in this conversation. They were still struggling with accepting where they were. This would have been too much.
“This changes everything,” Franklin says quietly.
“What does?” Hugh asks, standing straighter and at attention.
Lauren clears her throat. “Inkwell”—her voice is calm, but I know how hard this is for her. Franklin is right. Nothing will be the same once the men hear this news—“is still operating. Still experimenting on people. They’ve replaced the injections with technology and are trying to make human-robot hybrids.” She hesitates, long enough to let the words sink in. “So far, they’re failing. Just like with you, every batch they create reaches a point where they can no longer be controlled. So they terminate them. They just eliminated a fresh wave.”
For a moment, the room is silent. Ray steps away from Ashley, his hands fisting at his sides. His jaw is tight, his eyes dark. “Where?” he growls. “Where are they? I’ll end this now—with my bare hands.”
“Ray—” Lauren begins. “We’ll bring them to justice.”
“No,” he cuts her off. “Not good enough. I want them to beg for mercy while I give them none.”
Lauren shudders at my side. “I agree they need to be stopped,” she says, her voice firm but measured. “But not like that. I didn’t become a doctor to kill people—not even the bad ones.”
Her words hang in the air, and for a moment, Ray’s anger flickers into something else—frustration, maybe, or pain. Ashley slips beneath his arm and he softens for her.
I tuck Lauren against my side. I’m reminded of what Cole told me when he was faced with a college student who screamed in his face that he was a murderer. He kept his calm and his dignity. When I asked him why he didn’t slug the student, he said he’d fought so people like that student could have the luxury of believing peace is possible .
Those words have stayed with me. And as I look down at Lauren I understand. She needs to believe that every life matters and that organizations like Inkwell can be stopped without violence. I don’t want her to carry the weight of the reality. “You’re right,” I murmur, just for her. “There is a better way to handle this.”
Ray hears me and nods once.
Lauren leans into my side before straightening again and addressing the group. “We need to move forward with caution. We don’t know what we’re up against.”
Hugh nods, his expression grave. “We need to plan this out in a way that doesn’t just solve one issue, but also protects the ones we love.”
The women move closer to the soldiers, their faces a mix of determination and worry. Cheryl takes Jack’s hand, whispering something to him that makes his shoulders relax slightly. Mercedes stands close to Hugh, her expression fierce. Ashley brushes a hand over Ray’s arm, grounding him as he stares ahead.
Lauren’s gaze sweeps the room, lingering on Pete. He meets her eyes with a steady look. “We’ll keep you safe,” he says, his voice quiet but clear. “The bond is already lessening, but that is a vow I will always stand by.”
Franklin and Elliot nod in agreement, their words soft but sincere. Franklin says, “You put yourself at risk when you brought us back.” Elliott says, “That’s not something we’ll forget. ”
I watch Lauren take in their words, her expression a mixture of gratitude and sadness. She doesn’t speak; just presses her lips together and nods.
Turning to my brothers, I address them firmly. “Cole, Teddy—you need to head home.”
Cole raises an eyebrow. “Seriously? You think I’m leaving you here?”
“Yes,” I say. “Someone has to make sure the family’s safe. If this goes sideways, we can’t all be here. We’re about to make some powerful enemies. We might need a war hero to keep them safe.”
Cole stares at me for a long moment, then sighs. “Okay.” His voice softens. “Don’t you dare get killed here. You’re my hero, Brax.”
The words catch me off guard, and I have to swallow hard before I can respond. “We both have our work cut out for us,” I manage, my voice rough.
I glance over at Teddy, who’s perched on a stool, grinning as he explains a joke to George, completely oblivious to what just went on. The little robot is hopping excitedly, its metallic arms flailing in what might be an attempt at clapping.
“That’s why he’s the favorite uncle,” I joke.
“We all have a role to play. Let him have that one.” Cole chuckles. “I’ll explain everything to him on the way home.”
For a moment, the weight of the situation lifts, replaced by the warmth of family. Even in unfamiliar circumstances, there are patterns to life, and that brings me some comfort.
Lauren turns to me, her eyes searching mine. “How do you think the rest will handle the news?” she asks.
“They’ll be okay,” I say even though I have no idea how they’ll respond. “They’re not alone and that makes a huge difference.”
She rests her head on my chest. For a moment, it’s just us, steady in the chaos. “That’s exactly how I’ve felt since you showed up here. I don’t know what will happen next, and I don’t care if it makes me sound weak, but I’m grateful not to face it on my own.”
I kiss her forehead. “Needing others doesn’t make a person weak. In fact, I’m beginning to see it as a sign of strength. It’s easier to hide and stay uninvolved. But this? It’s confusing and messy, and there is nowhere else I want to be.”
“Did you just call me confusing and messy?” She tips her head back and smiles up at me.
My answer is a kiss that leaves us both breathless.